《Born for the Apocalypse : A Daopcalypse LITRPG》 1: Doomsday prepper meet Raison d锚tre Jack Anderson was sipping a beer on his sofa, watching the highlights of a football match on his fancy home theater set-up when his phone started buzzing loudly. With a small sigh in irritation, He gave his smartphone a glance and then decided to accept the call. ¡°You got some news for me?¡± Jack asked, his tone sounding out a little annoyed. ¡°The commission you ordered? It¡¯s done,¡± An aged voice sounded out from his smartphone, it¡¯s cadence characterized by a thick southern accent. ¡°Which one? Jog my memory a little,¡± Jack asked, going from disinterested to having his interest somewhat piqued. ¡°The pump-action? Four months ago? Golden-red paint job?¡± ¡°Oh that one,¡± Jack replied, as his interest began to fade. That piece had been more of an impulse buy, really. He hadn¡¯t put all that much thought into the customization, settling for only five mods and a uninspired paintjob when he¡¯d usually go for twice that. ¡°Yessir. Oh, and that antique blade you had me looking out for. Current bid is twenty six percent over the limit you set. Still want it?¡± ¡°Right, the Khopesh. How much is it going for?¡± he asked, light excitement seeping into his voice. His collection still lacked the elusive blade and this was the real deal, not some shoddy replica or some poor forgery. No, this came straight from the Nile Valley, in all its barely intact glory. Or.. well, it came from a defunct museum selling artifacts that it could no longer afford to maintain but¡­ same thing. And it would make for a good tax writeoff. ¡°7,700$.¡± ¡°Jesus christ, man. Really busting my balls here,¡± Jack mock protested in good humor ¡°That a yes?¡± The aged voice replied, amused. ¡°Yeah man, send it over. My insurance premium is about to skyrocket again, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked in jest. ¡°Thank you for your patronage. Now, do you want me to send the boys, or are you planning on driving to the town?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Jack seemed to deliberate the matter, before giving his reply, ¡°I¡¯ll come by around five thirty, yeah?¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Jack cut the call from his end, sinking into his plush sofa. Plucking the beer mug from the table, he downed the remaining beverage in a single swig, feeling the cool, refreshing and mildly bitter liquid stream down his throat. Walking over to a sliding glass door, he gently pushed it aside. A pleasant breeze wafted past him as Jack stepped onto the veranda, taking in the pure, unblemished countryside in. ¡°Might be a good day for a trek,¡± he murmured to himself, taking a few minutes to appreciate the vista before him, his mansion ensconced by a verdant forest, the sound of chittering insects and distant bird songs forming nature¡¯s beautiful, touching melody. Letting out a gentle sigh, Jack headed back inside. He walked through his repurposed home theater room, past the dining hall and then took an abrupt right that spilled into a long hallway. A few minutes later he stood before an unassuming door that looked like a service exit, an installation that was not too uncommon when you lived in a veritable mansion. Stepping through the door and walking down a narrow flight of stairs, Jack, oddly enough, found himself before another door. But the difference was palpable. He found himself staring down a reinforced steel door that was easily six, maybe seven times thicker than his main door. There was no handle or doorknob, nothing but a metal numberpad sticking out next to the door. A tapping sound echoed out as Jack punched in the combination. The sound of pressurized air leaking sounded out followed by a loud whirring of mechanical parts sounded out as the heavy door began to fold inwards. Another, even longer flight of steel reinforced concrete steps awaited him. His only companion was the sound of his own footsteps as he walked down the stairs, far deeper than a normal basement had any right to be. His footsteps landed onto a warm berber carpet that spilled across the length of the wide chamber. Or, more accurately, his fully functional state of the art nuclear fallout bunker equipped with cold storage canned food, frozen food and just about every type of food that could last for years on end without expiring. Of course, he also had regular old chicken nuggets for regular old non-nuclear apocalyptic days. One could never really go wrong with chicken nuggets. His gaze shifted to his armory, for what safer place was there for his precious weapons than a nuclear bunker? He¡¯d opted for a wall display for his modern weaponry¡ª semi-autos, handguns, shoutguns, you name it, and there were atleast three of each. Hell, he even had a decommissioned RPG proudly racked onto the wall the terrified ¡°is that real?¡±¡¯s he got each time he showed it to someone alone worth the five grand he¡¯d offloaded to an antiques dealer. His historical artifact collection, predominantly focused on medieval era weapons were stored behind bulletproof glass displays with infrared scanners¡ª a courtesy of his insurers, that insisted upon this measure. An alarm would go off if anyone tried to unseal the collection without his keycard, which included an ancient Katana from the Heian era in Japan, an Espada Ropera from late fifteenth century Spain, apparently one of the first few ever made; which was a great honor indeed, to be able to own a blade that inspired the rapier into existence and an indonesian Kris from the late fourteenth century. In his eyes, an ancient artifact was like the ebb and flows of history crystallizing into his admittedly unworthy hands, a truly magnificent experience. That error would be rectified after he died, for his historical artifact collection was going to be donated to a National Museum. Neither was he actually disrespectful enough to put the already delicate weapons to the test, his only wish to experience them in the flesh. Most could not understand it, but then again, most people weren¡¯t doomsday preppers now, were they? His gaze fell upon the empty glass case that would store the Khopesh if he won, knowing that he was in for an interesting time. Jack made it a point to have a replica forged for every artifact he owned, before he set out to train extensively with that weapon, even to the point of having instructors flown out for stretches that varied from weeks to months. It was his way of paying homage to the artifact, of the winding river of history the blade¡¯s curvature echoed. He unsheathed one such replica that had been casually resting in a wicker basket before walking over to the center of the room. Taking a deep breath, Jack began cycling through basic forms, or Kihon Happo. Simple cuts, slashes and thrusts combined together to form a beautiful symphony, a blade song¡ª for Jack did not rush things, his movements far too slow to be useful in actual combat. He simply wished to refine his movements, correct his balance and focus his intent into the blade, finding it quite a relaxing exercise. Twenty minutes later, he walked out of the bunker with a handgun strapped to his waist, sealing it behind him before he walked back to the upper floors. Stepping into his drawing room, he was greeted by the sight of his butler setting the table for breakfast. His neatly combed hair was a thicket of black peppered in with strands of gray, his uniform pressed and his shoes spotless. ¡°Morning, sir,¡± The middle-aged man asked, a thick british accent audible in his voice. ¡°Robert,¡± Jack acknowledged. ¡°Are those pancakes I smell?¡± he asked, before slumping down onto his seat. ¡°indeed, sir,¡± He replied. ¡°Served with fruit compote and a dash of whipped cream,¡± Robert added, as he took the seat opposite Jack. A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice was his only accompaniment, but the butler didn¡¯t seem to mind it. A minute passed as Jack sampled the pancakes, truly appreciating the rich, syrupy goodness as he tucked in another bite before focusing his gaze on the estate manager. ¡°My compliments to the chef,¡± he offered. ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Robert gracefully accepted the praise. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± He asked. ¡°Pardon, sir,¡± Robert replied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡± Jack let out a muffled chuckle. ¡°This might be a little presumptuous of me, but I¡¯m going to venture a guess anyway. I¡¯m pretty sure your last client didn¡¯t have enough weapons to outfit a small militia sealed in a nuclear bunker,¡± he chortled unabashedly. After all, his last butler and his estate manager had left for the same reasons, even if they hadn¡¯t openly explained themselves. Robert seemed to be a little vexed for a long second, before a small smile made its way onto his face, ¡°Permission to be candid, sir.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± He replied, intrigued. ¡°Compared to the other ¡®pursuits¡¯ that I have witnessed in this line of work, yours are rather tame, sir. You seem to treat the house help well, are friendly with the townfolk and pay generously. Those are all green checkmarks in my line of work,¡± Robert replied, honestly reflected in his blue-gray eyes. ¡°That is a generous assessment,¡± Jack replied, as he tucked into the last of his remaining pancake. ¡°You know, this would be a lot less awkward if you just had breakfast alongside me.¡± ¡°I am touched by your consideration, sir, but that would be unprofessional." ¡°I suppose I can only respect your wishes. Well, the weather seems pretty friendly today. I¡¯m thinking of going on a small hiking exertion, stretch the legs a little.¡± ¡°I shall make the arrangements, then. Will you be requiring a driver?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll drive. Make sure to pack rations for three days.¡± ¡°Very good, sir,¡± Robert calmly replied, giving Jack a nod before heading towards the storage room.
He breathed in deeply as he took in fresh countryside air, his gaze shifting to the expanse of trees stretching out beneath him for miles. Only from this vantage point could he appreciate the raw, untamed beauty of the scenic vista. Malanike Nature Preserve was off limits to most people, his permit being the only thing giving him access to the sacred sanctuary. He wasn¡¯t allowed to hunt in the area, the gun holstered upon his waist for self defense and self defense only. This was part of the reason he¡¯d relocated so far off the beaten path, away from the bright lights, incessant crowds and the never-sleeping cities. He enjoyed the gentle hymn of nature as he proceeded deeper into the Nature Preserve; the occasional chirp of a bird, the persistent low hum of crickets, the crunch of dead leaves beneath his hiking shoes, all blending together to form an experience that all his wealth could never purchase, a oneness with nature that many in the modern world had lost. Glancing at his watch, he realized that he was three hours deep into the trail; knowing from first hand experience that it would soon diverge into two routes¡ª one would circle back to his camping spot while the other led right to the base of a small waterfall, a serene view that he wouldn¡¯t trade for anything in the world. He didn¡¯t want to call it a day just yet, so he kept going. Ten minutes passed, a ten minutes that should have been like no other he¡¯d spent in his life. But Jack came to an abrupt halt in place, without any rhyme or reason. His left foot was still raised air, his right firmly rooted onto the ground. It was as if his arms were crystallized in place, rooted in their forward moving, swinging gesture. A muscle pull? No. Poison? Possible but¡­ why weren¡¯t his limbs moving? An illness? Impossible. He couldn''t budge a single body part, not a single muscle in his body, not even so much so as a twitch. But his body remained balanced in place when he should have collapsed onto the floor. There was no pain. No strain on his knee from standing on one leg. He tried screaming for help, but no words were uttered. What came next¡­ words failed to describe it. Ethereal blue lights blinked forward in the periphery of his vision, intersecting with each other and interspersing with the flora it passed by. Everything it touched, it engulfed completely, leaving behind an ocean of blue that was headed in his direction, with such velocity that his perception could barely keep up with it. He remained there rooted to the spot as the colour drained out of his face¡ª horror stricken and helpless, he watched as the blue lights consumed miles of forested land in a matter of seconds. Until the end, he was unable to muster a single flicker of defiance besides the fury contained in his eyes. Seconds later, the etherial blue lights that bore a greater resemblance to a wildfire, now that he was so close to its onslaught, engulfed him as it had engulfed every blade of grass, every trace of human civilization in its path. He was no miraculous exception to the seemingly divine fury. Why do these flames carry no heat? Jack thought to himself, the last thought he was allowed before darkness ensured.
He gasped out loud. His eyes shot open. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he found himself falling forward. It was only years of training that allowed him to place both of his hands in front of himself to cushion his fall instead of faceplanting. Disoriented was an understatement. Discombobulated, perhaps, was more accurate. Physically, he was in no pain. In fact, he felt better than he had in years; as if he had gone through a¡­ de-ageing procedure? His musculature felt limber, his skin more silken and his body, rejuvenated. The afterlife? he thought, as he groggily got back onto his feet. To be confronted by the thought of reality, as he¡¯d known and perceived it, ending; without him able to raise a single finger, twitch a solitary muscle¡ª never had Jack been subject to such humiliation before. It was a mockery of his years spent training, it was a revelation of power that made an open spectacle, sending a very vivid message- his life, his existence, his perceived strength, all that could be taken away from him in an instant. Those half-thoughts and emotions had been clouding his mind, only to find himself awake, unharmed and better than ever. As he got back onto his feet, the only question he has was if he¡¯d landed on the other side or not. The whiteness of it all was nauseating, a fact that only seemed to strike him now. He was in a¡­ perfectly white, cubiodal room with no visible exits. Instinctively finding himself clocking the room for threats, he found three pieces of furniture that were almost imperciptible, completely camouflaged in the same hue as the rest of the room. Two accent chairs were placed opposing each other, a small centerpiece table placed in between. The next second his right hand blurred, as he reached for his handgun holstered at his waist, drawing it in one fluid motion and firing three rapid bullets in quick succession. Three clicks rang out instead, Jack¡¯s expression slowly morphing into one of shock. His reaction had purely been an instinctual one¡ª drugged, kidnapped, part of an elaborate prank, hallucination, all that hadn¡¯t mattered in the moment. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. What had, was that one of the chairs¡¯ wasn¡¯t empty as he¡¯d originally thought¡ª no, there was a distortion in the air, one he had to focus on to reveal a humanoid entity. Roughly four and a half foot tall, draped in a shimmering white cloth from head to toe that seemed to float around the being instead of actually being worn and an eerie white mask, which, when he examined carefully, had fractals covering the entirety of it¡¯s surface. Rather, the entire mask itself seemed to be pieced together out of small fractals. An otherworldly aura seemed to cloak the arcane being, sending a chill down his spine ¡°Your first instinct was to resort to violence,¡± The voice had a raspy, metallic tang to it that made Jack wince, his words grating against Jack¡¯s ears. ¡°How wonderfully human of you,¡± he added, a spark of amusement audible in his voice. Jack¡¯s breathing turned shallow. His thoughts slowed. His brain struggled to comprehend what he was witnessing. The arcane entity unclasped his right hand, revealing a magazine¡¯s worth of bullets held casually in his palm. ¡°The first law of thermodynamics states that¡­,¡± The arcane entity began and Jack watched with a melange of shock and terror as the bullets hovered above the being¡¯s palm, pointed in his direction. Then, he snapped his index finger and thumb together, and the bullets exploded¡ª Jack was on the verge of making a break for it, but he paused when he noticed that reality did not match his expectations. The bullets lay suspended in the air, or rather, the shrapnel exploding outward and the small bouts of flame emanating from the site of its imposition were¡­ stationary, as if they had been frozen in time. ¡°Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred from one form to the other,¡± they said, a hint of mockery in their voice as their gloved hand reached for the suspended mix of fire and shrapnel, gathering them all in the palm of his hand before clasping it shut. ¡°The law in itself is not inaccurate,¡± The arcane entity explicated, slowly opening the palm of his hand to¡­. reveal nothing. No heat, light or sound, as if the bullets had never been in his hand to begin with. Not even a trace of the matter that had been clasped in his hands. ¡°It only fails to consider the existence of higher forms of energy, laws beyond your own.¡± Who are you? What do you want? Where is this place? How did you accomplish that? Is this reality? Am I dead? Those were the questions circling through his mind, all valid questions but¡­ Jack was staring at the arcane entity with a glimmer of desire flashing in his eyes. ¡°How do I get access to that power?¡± he asked, all his doubts, his questions, his hesitations faded, as he asked that one question, almost mesmerized. The masked entity broke out into a grating laugh. ¡°You are an interesting man, Mr. Jack Anderson. That is certainly one of the rarer initialization first questions I have been asked,¡± the arcane being replied, seemingly in good humor. Jack grunted, unamused. ¡°You have me in checkmate. With your little display there you¡¯ve made resistance futile. Not that I¡¯d particularly know where to go even if I somehow managed to kill you. That leaves three possibilities¡ª either I¡¯m insane, you¡¯re an otherworldly being or I¡¯m in the afterlife. In any of those scenarios, I have little left to lose,¡± he replied with a shrug, trying to put a strong front in an effort to mask the conflicting emotions rippling through his mind. ¡°How blas¨¦," the arcane entity replied. ¡°Then, shall we move on to the difficult questions? Like why the last descendant of the Anderson family, former mass media tycoons, heir to a veritable fortune, is hiding out in the middle of nowhere? Why has he spent the last decade projecting the image of a socially inept, paranoid wastrel? Your desire for strength is well rooted in reason, but your obsession with the doomsday? Admittedly, a plausible facade.¡± Without even realizing, his fists were clenched. His muscles tensed, his breathing grown faster. ¡°You know,¡± Jack growled more than snarled, his gaze almost completely consumed by a visceral desire for violence. ¡°Are you referring to the tragic, untimely demise of your biological guardians? Well yes, I do know. You play the part of an inept wastrel very well, for a man of your determination. Or perhaps, it is because of your determination that your true persona has gone unnoticed for so long?¡± the arcane being questioned, his tone ponderous. ¡°May I point out the chink in your armor, the veritable flaw in your facade?¡± he asked. ¡°Go¡­ahead..,¡± Jack barely managed to croak out, holding his fury back because he desperately wished to fish for more information. ¡°You are too kind. A true wastrel would be more wasteful, more volatile, whilst you just project an image of volatility. If your observers had watched more closely, they would have caught on,¡± the arcane muttered, and Jack could almost see through his mask and feel the cruel smile behind it. ¡°So...,¡± Jack¡¯s eyes widened, as he sucked in a cold breath of air. ¡°Indeed. As you have long suspected, the demise of your biological guardians was not a, quote-on-quote, natural one,¡± he spoke the words aloud, knowing full well what it would do to his psyche. Jack began to walk towards the arcane being, no longer concerned by the consequences. ¡°Give¡­ me¡­ a name,¡± his voice bellowed out, his tone sharp and dangerous as he rapidly approached the arcane entity. ¡°Hmm¡­,¡± the arcane being let out a thoughtful hum, before replying, ¡°No, I don¡¯t particularly feel like it.¡± Jack knew he was being goaded. He knew that the goal of this arcane entity was to push him till he retaliated and though he didn¡¯t understand his intentions, he was smart enough to sidestep the provocation. That said, there were certain things that were not allowed to be spoken in his presence. Certain truths that once divulged, had to be divulged in their entirety. Certain provocations, from which a man could simply not back down from. Jack charged. The entity rose from his comfortable looking chair. rising to meet Jack¡¯s challenge. He feinted with his right, before throwing a right hook with a wide arc aimed right at the arcane entity¡¯s right temple. He might have been furious, but that hadn¡¯t affected his spatial awareness or battle IQ. As he suspected, his punch was evaded. But not in the way he¡¯d expected, for instead of dodging, his punch was gently pushed aside in a masterful display of the martial art, Wing Chun. He followed with a brutal low-kick aimed at the knee-cap, only to wince when it was met with the arcane entity¡¯s shin. He felt the air being knocked out of his lungs as a powerful palm landed against his abdomen, when it could have been a far more merciless strike. ¡°Krav Maga? You really want to hurt me, don¡¯t you?¡± The arcane entity chided, as Jack felt his fury abate a little. A battle, as one of his instructors had taught him, was a conversation. Stance, body language and methodology conveyed a lot more than the fighter¡¯s next move. One had to listen carefully and they would be able to perceive the enemy¡¯s intent¡ª though a fighter¡¯s tics were hard to grasp, it was not difficult to judge if an enemy wished to seriously injure you or if he was simply toying around with you. In this case, the Arcane entity was doing neither¡ª rather, he was offering guidance. Subtle as it might be, Jack had reallized that he was pointing out weaknesses in his fighting style. Or rather, he¡¯d only realized that when he noticed that the Arcane entity hadn¡¯t moved from his original spot. This time, Tom adopted a boxing guard as he approached the arcane entity, his expression focused. Even before he reached striking distance, he shifted his stance and delivered a brutal kick that unfolded with a pivot, aimed for the neck. ¡°Shit,¡± Tom thought to himself, as he felt a kick land against his own shin, on his solitary leg that was planted onto the floor. ¡°Yop chagi, Taekwondo. Inventive,¡± the arcane entity complimented, only serving to further agitate Jack. Time after time Jack rose, and each time he was tossed aside, slammed, tripped, kicked and redirected towards the floor. The most frustrating part was that the arcane entity insisted on using martial arts Jack considered impractical, like Aikido,using it with preternatural skill, with almost precognitive accuracy. ¡°What¡­,¡± Jack croaked out, as he grasped for gulps of air. ¡°...the¡­ fuck.. do you want, man?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the arcane entity replied, his tone almost crestfallen. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve asked that question, I suppose I am obligated to answer.¡± ¡°Spit it out,¡± Jack replied with a scowl on his face. The whole bizzareness of the situation made him unsure, till this point, if he was in a dream or not. ¡°I, Arrenis Shen, The Arbiter, greet you on behalf of the three realms,¡± The Arcane Entity, or rather, Arrenis Shen, introduced, with a gentle bow. Three realms¡­.? Jack blurted out, feeling a sense of discomfiture as the words rolled off his lips. ¡°Indeed. I, Arbiter Arrenis Shen, hereby lay an absolute, unconditional, unmitigated and complete claim over the dominion, jurisdiction and territory of the Planet Earth in the System Leidos, Cluster Zerras. This right is free from any limitations, conditions and encumbrances. Whatever rights you enjoyed under the previous legislation are henceforth abolished,¡± Arrenis Shen¡¯s voice remained as grating as ever, his posture as relaxed as ever as he informed Jack of what was most definitely an incursion. Jack remained silent as he slowly walked towards Arrenis Shen, but instead of attacking, he seated himself on the chair opposite the arcane entity. ¡°I suppose it was only a matter of time before aliens did to us what we¡¯ve been doing to each other for centuries,¡± Jack muttered aloud followed by a sigh, his thoughts flashing as his mind forced him to remember all the townsfolk he interacted with frequently, the few things he held precious, like the wonderful, scenic beauty of Malanike National Preserve. He didn¡¯t know what this entity was after, but he was sure that it entailed nothing favorable to the human race. ¡°What is this place?¡± he finally asked, as Arrenis Shen sat down. ¡°I am both real and illusory. I can be trappings of the psyche, I can be a portent of the future. I allow mortals to traverse lands they have never been to, witness phenomena that they have never experienced. Am I real. Or am I illusory?¡± Arrenis Shen answered. Jack¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°This¡­.Is this a dream?¡± He muttered, gazing down at his own hands, tracing the palmistry lines and finding them as recognizable as ever. ¡°Indeed, though it is far more potent than the dreams of a mere mortal. The same way that I am not really here, and the real Arrenis Shen is not someone you can meet. Welcome to the Dreamscape, Jack,¡± Arrenis Shen introduced with a flourish of his hand and a light bow. ¡°Why am I here,¡± Jack asked, still reeling from the shock of that revelation. ¡°Because I am obligated to present you with a choice.¡± ¡°Why did you goad me? Were you being truthful about my parents¡¯....,¡± Jack paused, his words failing him, his lips trembling as he found himself unable to say the final word aloud. ¡°Now that, my friend, is an astute question. The answer to which is different for all eligible humans across all my Dream Avatars. All four billion of them,¡± Arrenis Shen replied. ¡®Four¡­ billion¡­,¡¯ Jack was silent as he let the words sink in. ¡°You are headed for a trial, Jack. One for you, perhaps, are better equipped than most to handle. A trial in which your humanity will be tested to the limits. My job is to make sure you are mentally prepared, or as prepared as you can be, before I offer you the choice. ¡° ¡°Tell me more about the trial,¡± Jack asked, a little forcefully. ¡°I am afraid I cannot do that. Now, back to what I was saying¡ª to a young father of one, I would highlight the fact that their children, as long as they are below the age of eighteen human life cycles, are ineligible for the trial, and thus, are in no danger. All he has to do is survive what is to come. To someone who craves power, I will offer them the promise of real, tangible power. To someone craving revenge, I will tell them that there will be arcane ways to seek down and track who they wish to hunt, as long as they are powerful enough to do so. You happen to fall in the latter two categories, making my job surprisingly easy,¡± Arrenis Shen offered, with a hint of amusement in his voice. ¡°You¡­..monster¡­..,¡± Jack growled out. ¡°And yet, I see that you haven¡¯t refuted my offer. Such is human nature, Jack. Your heart¡¯s desires overwhelm your mind¡¯s rationality,¡± Arrenis Shen brusquely cut him off. ¡°No, I do not know what happened to your parents. As powerful as I may seem, I am neither omniscient, nor omnipotent; otherwise I would not be here to begin with. I only say what I say because I know it will goad you into action, increase your odds of surviving what is to come. But,¡± ¡°But?¡± Jack asked, his voice sharp. ¡°You can investigate. On the other side, once you awaken, you will have access to abilities beyond your imagination. The power to disregard the laws of physics. The power to track down whoever you wish to. The power to ascertain the truth from the falsities. If you want to find it out, you can¡ª and on that, I swear, upon my honor as an Arbiter of the Three Realms¡±. ¡°And if I refuse?¡± Arrenis Shen shrugged. ¡°You never had much of a choice to begin with. All I say, all I do, is to assist you. If you disregard my words, you will simply die once you reach the other side. ¡° ¡°Why? Why assist me?¡± ¡°Because this iteration of myself was assigned to you, and thus I wish for you to survive. ¡° ¡°Survive?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Whatever it takes, survive. Yes.¡± ¡°Those blue lights? Flame? What were they? Am I even alive?¡± he asked. ¡°You are very much alive and well, Jack. In fact, I would say that your physical and mental capabilities will be better than before when you wake up. The Divine Flame nourishes the mind, reforges the body and cleanses impurities¡ª when you wake up, you will still be on Earth, but the planet will be unrecognizable to you; cleansed of the milleniums of harm your kind has wreaked upon it. Jack took a deep breath, struggling to maintain his composure. ¡°You really think that I will act according to your wishes like a hapless puppet because you offer me a possibility at the truth?¡± he asked, his voice quivering. ¡°I do,¡± Arrenis Shen replied, unfazed. ¡°It is my job to weaken the limiters of the human psyche¡ª to the greatest extent I can. Your existence has been shrouded by that day¡¯s events and if nothing changed, I suspect you would have died alone, bitter and sorrowful, suppressing your desire for vengeance until the bitter end.¡± ¡°Fuck you,¡± Jack replied, in a moment of complete, unadulterated and raw honesty. ¡°Now that the pleasantries have been exchanged, you must make a choice,¡± Arrenis Shen clapped his hands together, and something popped up in the forefront of his vision, blocking his view of the alien being. [Choose one of the following options: Way of the Sword: Receive class [Swordsman], one basic sword artifact and sword skill [Qi Blade]. Skill description: Involves elementary Qi manipulation, channeling Qi to form a sharp sword halo that increases sharpness and decreases wind resistance. Way of the Spear: Receive class [Spearman], one basic spear artifact and skill [Qi Spear]. Skill description: Involves elementary Qi manipulation, channeling Qi to form a sharp spear-point halo that increases sharpness and decreases wind resistance. Way of the Marksman: Receive class [Ranger], one basic bow artifact, an infinity quiver and skill [Qi Arrow]. Infinity quiver description: Used arrows will be replenished every twenty four hours. Skill description: Involves elementary Qi manipulation, channeling Qi to form a sharp, pointed arrow-tip halo that increases sharpness and decreases wind resistance. Way of the Assassin: Receive class [Assassin], one basic dagger artifact and movement skill [Qi Steps]. Skill Description: Involves elementary Qi manipulation, channeling Qi into the feet to significantly increase movement speed while muffling sound of footsteps.] ¡°Where¡¯s the way of the gun?¡± Jack asked, scowling at the options presented to him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that those toys will do you little good for what is to ensue,¡± Arrenis Shen off-handedly remarked. Jack¡¯s gaze shifted to his waist, or rather, his holster, which had been feeling a little lighter the last few minutes. His scowl grew deeper. ¡°You took my gun,¡± his gaze turned to Arrenis Shen, the distaste in his eyes palpable. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°In the real world?¡± he asked. ¡°Astute.¡± ¡°Why? Is this some sick, twisted, inter-galatic game for you? Is this what you pompous pricks do instead of watching sunday-night football?¡± ¡°I am afraid not, Mr. Anderson. As you well know, reality seldom seems to be as simple as we want it to be.¡± Jack grimaced. ¡°What is Qi? An artifact?¡± ¡°All the information I can offer you is listed on that screen. Now, you must choose,¡± Arrenis Shen replied, an air of finality reflected in his tone. ¡°Fine,¡± he snapped. ¡°Give me a few minutes, atleast.¡± Arrenis Shen replied with a slight nod. Ten minutes later, Jack¡¯s eyes snapped open. breathing out deeply. His visage hardened. Hesitating further was pointless. ¡°The way of the sword,¡± he replied. Another screen popped up in front of him. [Selection Confirmed¡­.] [Dao Mark status- Inert] ¡°What the hell is a Dao Mark?¡± Jack asked, having heard no mention of this¡­ phenomenon or perhaps, mechanic, in the screen that had popped up before him. ¡°You shall see,¡± he replied cryptically, before clapping his hands together again. Jack awoke. 2: Dao Marked In his right hand, was a sword. Or atleast, it felt like the hilt of a sword. Jack tightened his grip over it, his palm sinking into the oddly flexible, rubbery texture. Naturally, he tried to move. Not again, he thought to himself upon realizing that he was locked in place again. Trying to move his body, he realized that he still possessed motor control over his neck and lip muscles, but that was it. Naturally, his gaze shifted, as he scanned the surroundings. ¡°Well, this is unexpected,¡± Jack muttered aloud, referring to the other three individuals that seemed equally, if not more befuddled than he was. ¡°I was not told to be expecting visitors,¡± he added, a twinge of amusement audible in his tone. Their gazes immediately shifted to him. A lanky, black-haired man cautiously took in his features as he returned the favor. A bead of sweat trickled down his pale face that looked like it hadn¡¯t seen a lick of sunlight in years, his right hand holding onto a dark-purple recurve bow and his left clenched onto a solitary arrow which boasted of a wooden shaft and a silver metal tip. Steel perhaps? Jack wasn¡¯t inclined to make assumptions. From this angle, he got a good look at his hands, noticing or rather, observing the lack of calluses upon his hands. ¡®Pale skin, blemishfree hands and black circles around his eyes in what, his late twenties?¡¯ Jack thought to himself, reaching the conclusion that it was unlikely that this person was one of the townsfolk, the only town in a radius of a hundred kilometers he had access to. The first impression he gave off was of an overworked office worker living in a concrete jungle, and it was likely fo be the correct one too. What Jack found more interesting was his clothing¡ª a faded green tunic that appeared to be made out of linen clothed his upper body, matched with well-fitting leggings in the same hue that stretched down till the a little below the knees, the rest covered by tall, patterned leather boots. A cloak completed the outfit, the quiver slung behind his back. Jack¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, as he glimpsed at the circular tattoo upon the Ranger¡¯s right hand. At first, it¡¯s significance hadn¡¯t entirely registered, not until his thoughts flashed back to the mention of the Dao Mark. He focused upon that tattoo, coming to the realization that it wasn¡¯t as tangible as it appeared on first glance. A milky white halo had superimposed upon the back of his hand, exuding an ethereal, fleeting aura that he had to focus on to grasp. Images flashed through his mind, though they were too jumbled and esoteric to make sense of¡ª all he was able to comprehend was the general emotions and feelings associated with each fliting image; of purity, of new beginnings, of rebirth, of renewal and of growth. Jack hurriedly pulled his gaze away, trying not to give away the surprise he felt. Craning his head downwards, he noticed the same halo upon his hand as well, though due to the angle and being locked in place, he couldn¡¯t get a clear view. Another set of images flashed though his mind, different but conveying a similar message¡ª as far as he could interpret, anyway. It wasn¡¯t a strong compulsion, and he could easily break away from it as soon as he wished, so the marks itself didn¡¯t seem to be offensively inclined. Curious. His attention shifted to the other two individuals staring at him. Both wore a similar combination of tunic and leggings, the difference mainly in the colors and small accessorizations. The first was a woman, appearing to be in her mid-twenties. Her amber eyes gazed upon his visage, but she was not really looking at him¡ª the melange of confusion and shock rather evidently reflected in the depths of her beautiful eyes. Her toned muscles spoke of an athletic build, the tip of a bluish-silver metal spear glinting in the sunlight. Jack noted that even the spear¡¯s shaft was comprised entirely of metal, but the woman didn¡¯t seem concerned about holding onto it with her right hand. A lightweight alien alloy? His own sword seemed to be made of a different metal, interestingly enough. Filing that observation for later consideration, Jack noted how her auburn hair was tied into a neat ponytail, her appearance tidy and well-maintained. Definitely another desk-job. Whether they actually had a desk job or not was irrelevant to him; his goal was to assess combat capabilities and readiness, not financial health. He could only imagine what must be going through the woman¡¯s head, stranded in the middle of a seemingly inhabited forest with three other men with unknown origins and intentions, but his gaze shifted to the last person. Early thirties. Well-built. Tall. Calloused hands. A thick, bushy beard. What Jack found more interesting was the man¡¯s musculature¡ª two burly arms intimidatingly hung at his sides, his skin more on the tanned side. As a whole, the man carried a more rugged look compared to the others. A construction worker, maybe? Definitely gets action in the field. Plenty strong, too. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He held a sword identical to his own, but Jack was keenly aware of the difference in their respective strengths. If a dispute, or worse, broke out, then he would have to employ a more sophisticated sword style over a more direct, forceful one. None of the others seemed willing to initiate a conversation, atleast, not so long as they were locked in place. They simply took stock of one another, some with intimidated gazes and others trying to intimidate. Before the silence stretched into awkwardness, another screen popped up into his vision, admittedly, startling him a little. He thought that the pop-ups were only limited to the Dreamscape, as Arrenis Shen had termed it, but quite evidently, that wasn¡¯t the case. [Quest: Awakening Duration: 60 Days. Bathed in the flames of the Divine, you have transcended the threshold of mortality and stepped upon the path of cultivator, an arcane master of the laws that influence and govern the three realms. From henceforth, your actions shall influence the Divine Flames¡¯ manifestation in your soul, the evolution of a Dao Mark into a Dao Path. This quest is designed to stimulate your body, mind and soul to the brink, to the absolute threshold of your perceived limitations and then, to the beyond. A Dao is a fundamental law that governs the three realms. Presently, the Dao Mark on your right hand is in an inert state. Your intent, your resolve and your actions will provide it with the necessary stimulation to awaken. Awakening a Dao Path will grant you an affinity in that concept, saving years and decades of cultivation that still might not offer any results. A Dao Path grants concepts that most integrated cultivators normally would never be able to naturally master in their lifespans. However, ultimately, the System leaves the choice upto you: Power or Impotence? Defiance or resignation? Rage or acceptance? Life¡­ ..Or Death? ] Still goading me, are you? Jack wasn¡¯t given any time to even voice his thoughts, when another screen popped up in quick succession. [Quest Rules: 1. Cultivation can be achieved by killing another lifeform and absorbing its Qi, as it is commonly referred to, in the form of experience. The System will assist in the Qi cycling process for the initial stages. 2. During this phase of this trial, a cultivator may encounter the following enemies: -Prisoners from the Astral Lock -Rift Beasts -Evolved predators from Earth¡¯s fauna -Hidden Pieces 3, For each kill, [Tutorial Points] are awarded long with experience. Killing another cultivator awards all the [Tutorial Points] in their possession. Additional rewards may be granted for slaying powerful enemies. 4. Artifacts, cultivation pills, cultivation techniques and resources will be awarded for slaying system designated enemies as enumerated in Rule 2. [Tutorial Points] can be used to purchase powerful rewards from the [Tutorial Shop]. [System Statistics], [Spatial Inventory] and [Tutorial Shop] are now partly available.] System statistics? [Name: Jack Anderson Cultivation Stage: Qi Gathering Race: Human [Unrefined] Class: Swordsman [Basic] (Lv.1) Feat: - Dao Mark: Inert Minor Dao Fragment: - Skills: Inspect (Lv.1), Qi Blade (Lv.1) Statistics: Strength: 6 Constitution: 6 Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 7 Dexterity: 8 Perception: 8 Qi Pool: 10/10] Jack blinked, unsure how to react to the screen that had popped up in front of him again. Without being prompted, information began to flow into his mind through a mix of pictures and emotions over words, the jargonic nonsense transforming into a classification of the self, his self, that he could understand. It was overwhelming and much he still didn¡¯t understand, but the barebones concept was simple enough. His statistics were rather simple to interpret, though he found it rather insulting to be deemed a mere six in strength. It wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong, for he had always preferred a leaner, more mobile physique over bulking and cutting, preferring calisthenics over bodybuilding; but still, it stung. Qi Pool was the magical energy that let him channel, well, Qi into his sword and cut stuff, in a simple, unrefined way of putting it. His class, well, he chose it. But what he found fascinating was the concept of class evolution, which would trigger if he hit certain levels and thresholds. His actions during that levelling period would determine which direction his class evolved in, and it wasn¡¯t necessary that he would be stuck with a sword for the rest of his life. The rest basically seemed irrelevant to his present situation. He was pretty sure that [Human (unrefined)] wasn¡¯t a personal insult directed to him or his race, but if there was a way to refine his body he wasn¡¯t made aware of it. ¡®Spatial Inventory¡¯ [The following items have been deposited into your Inventory: x 500 nourishment pill x 500 hydration pill x 5 Recovery Pill (Heals non-lethal wounds)] Looks like securing a stable food and water supply isn¡¯t necessary. Finally, he directed his thoughts to the ¡®Tutorial Shop¡¯. [The Tutorial Shop shall be available twenty four hours after the commencement of the trial]. A few seconds later, he could feel the intangible restrictions binding him in place beginning to fade. [The Quest commences in 60¡­59¡­58¡­] 3: Entente His eyes scanned his surroundings one final time, making sure he hadn¡¯t missed anything. To kick things off, the sun is white now. Or atleast, the light cascading into the small, forested clearing they found themselves in was white. He had briefly gazed at the sky, but couldn¡¯t spot any celestial body in the sky. A thought crossed his mind. Are we still even in the solar system? Irrelevant. The foliage around them was dense and thick and in far too many colours to be natural. The trees were wide and tall, eerily so. Redwood trees? No, they were still too broad for that. Too broad to belong to the earth of old, for he had never heard of trees that size. They were tightly packed enough that their canopy was capable of blotting out most of the sunlight or, perhaps simply light, now, casting a dull environment in the forested landscape, even in the what should¡¯ve been a little after noon. He took a deep breath, and immediately marveled at the purity of the air. This¡­ Jack felt ashamed to call the country air he breathed fresh. Compared to this phenomenon he was experiencing right now. Every breath he took, it felt as if his body was purified by a small margin, almost as if there was something infused in the air¨C Of course. Qi. The Divine Flames had scorched Earth¡¯s surface, replacing the air with the purifying energy that Qi was. It was more boon than bane. Well, almost. If only the System hadn¡¯t just incentivized their group of four to kill each other off. Ah, the minor inconveniences in life, Jack wryly thought to himself. The next second, Jack watched as the system timer hit zero. Almost instantly, he took two swift steps backwards, switching to a defensive sword stance. His eyes were trained on the Ranger, who immediately nocked an arrow, but kept it pointing downwards. ¡°Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?¡± The spear wielding brunette questioned, her voice tinged with panic. Jack noticed that she¡¯d taken a few more steps backwards than he had, her knuckles turning white from the strength she was gripping the spear with. The burly man remained rooted to his spot, his sword held casually at his side as he gave Jack a searching glance. ¡°I have no fuckin¡¯ clue, lady,¡± he finally spoke in response to the brunette, his voice about as gruff as he¡¯d expected it to be. His tone conveyed slightly indifference, but whether that was feigned indifference or not, only time would tell. ¡°Did you all meet the¡­,¡± The ranger was soft spoken, his voice reflecting a similar anxiety as he searched for the appropriate words, ¡°... erm, white-robed being? He called himself the Arbiter.¡± ¡°I did,¡± Jack finally found an opportunity to interject. ¡°What about you two?¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Yes! Yes, yes, yes,¡± the brunette overenthusiastically replied, as if eager to seek confirmation that her experiences were not delusions and deliriums of the mind. The burly man offered a nod. Jack scanned the surroundings for any threat of danger, slightly relaxing when he found none. ¡°Okay,¡± Jack spoke. ¡°Is it okay if I take a moment to recall my experiences till this point?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± The burly man countered, his expression a deeply distrusting one as he too, kept one eyes on the surroundings. ¡°Confirming our experiences and pointing out discrepancies can hopefully, shed more light on the situation,¡± Jack answered, staying calm in face of the slight provocation. ¡°T-that makes sense,¡± the ranger offered, lightly stuttering on his words. Another brisk nod was offered as a response, along with a grumbled, ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Please,¡± the brunette replied, her spear lightly quivering in her hands. ¡°So, I was at home placing some orders,¡± Jack began, and then gestured to the other three individuals. Catching on, they began to answer. ¡°I was working my counter,¡± the black-haired ranger offered. ¡°I was in the office,¡± the brunette murmured. ¡°At work,¡± the likely tradesman answered, revealing none of the information Jack wanted to hear. Jack nodded, continuing,¡±And then, without warning, I was locked in place.¡± ¡°As if I was being held down by dozens of people,¡± the brunette offered with a shudder. ¡°The next moment, this fire-¡± ¡°The lights,¡± the ranger offered with a shudder. ¡°Yes, the lights or fire¡­., they simply consumed everything in their path, including myself and I¡¯m guessing you all as well.¡± The brunette winced. ¡°Well, after a short chat with the Arbiter,¡± Jack¡¯s gaze sharpened as he carefully observed the other¡¯s expressions, looking for any twitches, any tics any micro-expressions he could perceive, anything that would give him a clue. The brunette shuddered a little. The ranger averted his gaze. The burly man met his own gaze, eye to eye and Jack, intentionally chose to break eye contact first. ¡°We now find ourselves in, what I have reason to believe, is Earth. The flora seems different, but is not different enough. The air is a little too pure, but I suppose there are no factories left to pollute it. My working hypothesis is that the blue flames spared us, or rather, modified us along with the planet, while destroying anything and everything man-made,¡± Jack explained, basing his guess on what he was seeing around him, the very painful fact that his gun was forcibly taken away from him only to find himself in the middle of a forest which he couldn¡¯t make heads or tails off despite having ventured in many before. On top of that was the observation that none present had a lick of modern equipment, or even a shred of modern clothing upon their person. ¡°What the hell does that make us?¡± the burly man asked, audible anger seeping into his voice as his grip over his sword tightened. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jack replied in a pacifying tone. ¡°I know as little or as much as you do. Now, moving on to the matter at hand¡­,¡± he paused, observing the group to make sure there was no anger brewing against him, before speaking, ¡°We are now in a forest full of genetically modified natural predators, alien prisoners, some sort of alien beasts and hidden pieces, which I assume are...well, hidden.¡± Jack¡¯s words caused the group to fall into silence, even the burly man unable to raise a voice in protest. ¡°I vote we work together,¡± he added. A moment of awkward silence passed, but all it took was one look at the eerily creepy forest and any thought of breaking away from the group just remained that¡ª an errant, ridiculous thought. ¡°Agreed,¡± the burly man added aggressively, as if he wanted to enforce the proposition that Jack wasn¡¯t the decision maker here. The brunette nodded, her expression relaxing a little. ¡°Makes sense,¡± the ranger nodded vigorously in agreement. 4: La Verè´¸nica Fifteen minutes passed as they ventured past the small clearing and deeper into the forested land, choosing the path that allowed the most light to cascade through the intertwining network of branches that had formed an expansive canopy. The group had been in agreement on that decision, taking the least unwelcoming path being the most rational, uncontroversial decision they could reach. Names were exchanged, offering a modicum of familiarity to the group. Walking across a landscape that had been wiped of all traces of human civilization, upon a planet that had belonged to them and their kind merely up until a few hours ago¡ª having the familiar turned into the unknown and the hostile¡­ the psychological toll inevitably weighed down upon them. Names, really, were the only thing they were allowed to carry from the old one to this unchartered landscape. Andrew was the name the burly man had chosen to introduce himself with and Jack had no reason to believe otherwise. The brunette¡¯s name was Sarah, the black-haired Ranger, Trent. Their formation had required some debate, with Jack acting as the subtle, mediating element. Though no one had said it aloud, they didn¡¯t want to turn their unguarded backs to the man with a bow and arrow. So Trent walked in the center, with himself and Andrew on his either flank while Sarah was positioned in the rear, not far back enough to make her uncomfortable or isolated, but a fair distance outside her spear¡¯s reach. ¡°So guys,¡± Sarah softly murmured, the discomfiture in her voice audible despite her muted tone. ¡°What next?¡± she asked, the simple question voicing out the doubt that was coursing through all their minds. Jack¡¯s focus was on his surroundings, as he repeatedly utilized his [Inspect] skill. [You have successfully inspected a Level 0 Anarix Tree. Description: Originally an evergreen corniferous tree, now influenced by the residual blessing of the Divine Flames, a new subspecies named Anarix Tree has been born. The Anarix Tree enjoys a longer lifespan, increased density and disease resistance, but otherwise exhibits no arcane properties.] ¡°Trent, did you find anything?¡± Jack asked, his voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Erm,¡± Trent murmured, his gaze shifting to a clump of violet flowers that were clustered next to an Anarix Tree. He sighed before answering, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s... well, the System has descriptions for them, but it¡¯s all been mundane stuff so far. Everything besides, well, us, seems to be level zero,¡± he explained. Of course, Jack had inspected the others almost immediately after they set off, but besides their first name and their level, the rest of the information was off-limits to him. As for leveling his [Identify] skill, well, the System hadn¡¯t conveyed how to do that, but he had a few ideas he could try. Jack gave him a light nod, his gaze once again shifting to the surroundings. ¡°I¡¯ve been surveying our surroundings,¡± he spoke, in answer to Sarah¡¯s question. ¡°So far, I¡¯ve seen none of the usual signs of human activity. No visible trails, no discarded trash, no footsteps and even the unwelcoming buzz of insects, the birdsong of a canary¡­ it¡¯s all gone. I suspect that this world no longer possesses or needs a functioning ecosystem,¡± Jack¡¯s voice was grim as he spoke those words aloud. ¡°What does that mean for us?¡± Sarah asked, biting her upper lip out of anxiety. ¡°It means that we have nowhere left to go,¡± Andrew intruded upon the conversation, a glimmer of pain reflected in his eyes. Sarah¡¯s breath quickened a little. ¡°It also means that from here onwards, our paths are our own to forge. Keep your eyes open for landmarks, cavernous structures, open clearings¡­. basically, anything we can use to our advantage, any structure we can use to map our surroundings and any place we can construct a shelter,¡± Jack was surprised how calm he¡¯d managed to make his voice sound. Playing the role of a doomsday prepper for so long, it was surreal to find himself confronted with the real deal. ¡°Plus, we don¡¯t have to worry about food and water,¡± Trent added, in an effort to spread some cheer. Perhaps more for himself than the others. ¡°Right,¡± Sarah smiled, or atleast tried to, in an effort to stymie her quivering hands. None of them had activated their Class Skills yet, a decision reached after mutual agreement. Not only would that lower their Qi Pool wastefully, there was also the possibility of attracting a monster that they so desperately hoped to avoid. Besides, Jack wasn¡¯t worried about not being able to use Qi Blade in combat, not really¡ª a Skill in his mind was just ingrained instinct, a piece of experience that the system had somehow transferred to his consciousness, saving him years of study. ¡°Withdraw,¡± a whisper sounded out, causing Jack¡¯s gaze to flicker towards Andrew. Space warped above the palm of his outstretched right hand, a small reddish-orange pill landing upon its center. ¡°What?¡± he mouthed to Jack, noticing his glare. Without further hesitation, he swallowed the pill. ¡°I was hungry,¡± he added, even when he knew that the group had promised not to check their inventories until they found a safe haven, or the beginnings of one¡ª mostly because they couldn¡¯t afford the distraction. Well, besides a recovery pill. Each person was to monitor their side, Trent watching the front and Sarah making sure nothing snuck up their rear, atleast not without a warning in advance. Jack sighed, shaking his head and returning to monitoring his surroundings. What he wouldn¡¯t do to have a group of professionals at his side, preferably ex-army mercenaries, like the guys he employed for his security back at his manor. Though, he supposed that without the generous salary he had been paying them monthly, they had no real incentive to not abandon him at the drop of a hat besides loyalty. He supposed that his money, even if he could access it somehow, had no value in this new iteration of Earth. Here he wasn¡¯t Jack Anderson, absconding heir of the Anderson Media Group, his fortune counted in the tens of millions. He was just Jack, a human as exposed and vulnerable as the people next to him. How refreshing, He thought. The muted crack of a branch interrupted his musings. It was followed by the vigorous rustling of a cluster of tightly packed bushes that were painted in a light green hue tinged with smatterings of violet. A silhouette burst out from the shrubbery seconds after, from Andrew¡¯s side. Instead of following a direct path to them, it was following an arcing one, exiting ahead of their group. ¡°Activate your skills!¡± Jack screamed as he pivoted on the balls of his feet, priming himself to face the oncoming threat. Adrenaline coarsed through his veins. An azure light flashed in his gaze as Jack activated his skill, his neural pathways tracing the instinct that had been engraved into his mind. He felt, or perhaps, sensed an entire new network of venous structures running across the length and breath of his body, including his brain. He instinctively understood that they were responsible for channeling Qi through his body, tracing the network¡¯s origin to a spot little below his navel in his mind¡¯s eye¡ª finding a small whirlpool of sky blue energy, seemingly both the source and the cause responsible for distributing and directing Qi towards his sword wielding hand. It was like having a second heart, one with an entirely novel, arcane purpose. The entire process took three steps¡ª directing the constantly flowing Qi through his chest, cycled towards his arm and then finally extended outside his body, enveloping his sword. The last step was the trickiest, as it required him to first visualize the sword¡¯s general shape and structure in his mind¡¯s eye and then continuously maintain that visualization. What should have required months, if not years of practice, came naturally to him, as if he had repeated the motion hundreds of times before¡ª taking no more than an instant. He took a quick glance at his sword, taking a second to examine the azure sheen that had enveloped the blade, a thin layer of Qi shimmering across its surface, enhancing its already deadly sharpness by another degree. Immediately after, his gaze shifted to the fast approaching silhouette that was nearing their group. ¡°Trent, shoot!¡± Jack hollered at the archer, who had seemingly gone into a daze upon being confronted by the fast approaching creature. It¡¯s fur was a mass of dark, inky blackness, two elongated crimson horns stretching out from its forehead, eerie blood red eyes trained upon their group and incredibly dense leg musculature that resembling more an oxen¡¯s than a boar¡¯s; which was the closest parallel he could draw to the porcine, four legged creature, that looked far more wicked than even the most feral of wild boars. Trent, who had found himself trapped in a stupor after drawing his bow, an azure glow radiating from its tip, snapped back into reality upon hearing Jack¡¯s words.Without his meaning to, the arrow slipped out of his grasp, propelled forward with an eye-catching azure glow, most likely the skill, Qi Arrow. Jack grimaced as he saw the arrow graze past the most likely, genetically modified animal, sending a burst of black blood spilling onto the grass. The creature continued its charge with a furious, bloodcurdling roar. ¡°Scatter!¡± Jack bellowed with a commanding tone, his voice tinged with the urgency of the situation. Trent broke out into a sprint. Sarah let out a little yelp as she dived towards a tree, hoping to use it¡¯s trunk as cover. Andrew hesitated for a long second, before turning his back and fleeing. As for Jack, well, he stepped forward instead. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Towards him charged death, in its raw, primal form. It¡¯s approach was unmitigated and anyone capable of assisting him in meeting it had already fled his side, by his very own command. His adrenaline fueled heartrate had reached its crescendo, causing him to exhale a cool mist as he studied the beast¡¯s approach, the sound of its hoofbeats thumping against the ground. This was it. The sensation he had been chasing. In his sparring, he had always found something to be lacking. An invisible step that left tantalizing clues pertaining to its existence, yet never truly revealing its presence. His instructors were the cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me, the absolute best even among the best, yet he had always found something lacking in their teaching style, a certain softness that he could not shake off. For one could trick the mind, but only to an extent. No matter how far he tried to mentally push himself, he still remained Jack Anderson, the training swords they were practicing with remained wooden and his security team maintaining an eye on him killed the final hope of immersing himself in the heat of battle. This one moment had pushed himself closer to that step far more than years of training had. Less than ten meters separated the beast from his person, drawing closer with every second. A euphoric smile spread across Jack¡¯s face as he finally found himself tested with a question every soldier who had experienced combat got to ask himself- Kill or be killed? Seven meters. Jack noticed how the boar charged forth without any hesitation, either confident in its ability to kill or maim anything in its path or lacking in intelligence. Either way, it was moving too fast to pivot at this point. Five meters. Up until now, he had remained rooted to the spot, as if his self were consumed by fear, the smile on his face reflective of hysteria instead of cockyness¡ª atleast, that was how it seemed to Sarah, who watched with a horrified expression as the man who¡¯d indirectly saved her life by shouting out a warning call in time, was a few seconds away from being gored to death. The smile on Jack¡¯s face only widened. In his mind¡¯s eye, he had already choreographed his movements half a dozen times. When the time came, he moved with unprecedented swiftness, a refinement seeping into his movements that was honed at the precipice of life teetering into the realm of death. That invisible step¡­.was invisible no longer. ¡°La Ver¨®nica,¡± Jack lightly whispered under his breath, referencing a maneuver from spanish bullfighting¡ª drawing the bull¡¯s ire with a large, crimson colored cape, misguiding its approach and then following up with an incredible display of skill and fearlessness, draping the blood-red cloth over the bull¡¯s eyes and letting it pass by, leaving the bullfighter unscathed. Jack did not have a convenient, eye-catching cape at hand to bait the beast with, but as he sidestepped its ferocious approach with far thinner a margin than he¡¯d originally anticipated, a violent spray of black ichor exploded outwards, drenching him in the murky blood. For not only had he successfully evaded it¡¯s onslaught, but his objective, from the very inception the thought bloomed in his mind, was to counter-attack. So he had, jutting the tip of his Qi Enhanced blade outwards and letting the beast¡¯s rampaging momentum do the rest. Jack let the beast slice itself on the tip of his blade as it slid past by him, it¡¯s acceleration too quick and too unbridled for its own good. A long, deep laceration was rent across the beast¡¯s fur, stretching in a straight line that extended all the way from its porcine head to its hindquarters. It¡¯s furious charge gradually lost momentum after sprinting for another ten meters, followed by a screeching, soul piercing grunt, leaving behind a trail of lifeblood in its wake. With a final whimper, it crashed onto the soft grass, returning to mother earth¡¯s embrace. Alarmed by the screeching, Andrew snuck a covert glance over his shoulder only to be met by a sight that exceeded his wildest expectations. He watched on with a muted shock, both at the smiling, blood-caked man who stood tall and the dying throes of the ghastly beast. Curiosity got the better of Sarah as she peeked from behind cover, her spear jutting out defensively. Her lower lip began to tremble as she fought back the urge to exclaim in a melange of disbelief and joy, a question making it¡¯s way to the forefront of her mind: just who was this man? Trent lowered his bow, letting out a deep exhale in relief. The sequence of events were lost on him, but for now, he was just relieved that he wouldn¡¯t be compelled to fight that alien beast. Jack felt the euphoric sensation beginning to wane, the adrenaline spike receding, having accomplished its intended purpose. However, the heady battle rush, the thrill of staking his life upon the sharpness of his mind and blade, of reflex and skill, that sensation still accompanied him, making him feel like he was truly alive and living in the present for the first time in a decade. The ghosts of the past, his past, relinquished control over his psyche, if only by a little. For in that little, rested a new beginning. As he walked over to the beast¡¯s carcass, system notifications began to pop up in the center of his vision. [You have successfully inspected a Level 2 Twilight Boar, Trial Classification: Evolved predators from Earth¡¯s fauna, after its demise. [Description: Originally a Eurasian Wild Boar, this native planet creature has been blessed by the Divine Flames, significantly strengthening its natural defenses and granting it the ability to cultivate via a beast core.] [Congratulations upon successfully inspecting an enemy one level above you. Inspect has reached level 2!]. [Congratulations on successfully killing an enemy one level above you with skill, Qi Blade. Qi Blade has reached level 2!] Jack flinched a little as the Twilight Boar¡¯s carcass burst into ethereal blue flames, forced to fight down his instinct to flee as he realized that it was pure soulflames, or more simply, Qi, flowing towards him. He offered no resistance as the soulflames wreathed him in their embrace, feeling no pain or discomfort as they seeped into his body. A set of images flashed in his mind¡¯s eye, allowing Jack to observe as the blue whirlpool of energy first rotated inwards, sucking in the excess Qi flowing into his body, almost doubling in size before its growth slowed down. In a quick followup, the whirlpool of energy reversed its flow, beginning to disperse energy through the venous network, a mimickry of the heart pumping out oxygenated blood to every part of the body except, with every cycle, the whirlpool grew smaller in size. At the end of the process, the whirlpool was only slightly larger than before as it stabilized. [You have received 884 (soul) experience for successfully slaying the Level 2 Twilight Boar!] [Swordsman (Basic) has reached level 2! +5 Free Points, +1 Qi Pool has been awarded. ] [You have unlocked a new skill: Qi Pulse!] Once again, ingrained instinct flowed into his mind, forming a specific neural pathway that chained together a set of instructions into being recognized as a cohesive whole by his mind¡ª resulting in the creation of a skill. The entire process took less than a second, making Jack once again marvel at the ability to essentially ''download¡¯ information into his mind, the ethical and philosophical questions being set aside for the moment. There naturally had to be constraints or laws that this otherworldly ability subscribed to, for otherwise the concept of levels was just a meaningless charade. The Arbiter had made it clear that this alien incursion held a deeper purpose behind it and the arcane being had little incentive to lie to, well, an inferior lifeform. [Looting Twilight Boar¡­. You have received 56 Tutorial Points + 26 Tutorial Points (First Kill Bonus). You have recieved Qi Gathering Pill x1. It has been deposited into your inventory]. The grin on Jack¡¯s face grew wider. So the more I fight, the stronger I''ll get, He thought, noting how both Inspect and Qi Blade had reached level two after he¡¯d used it on the Twilight Boar. And the more I kill, the greater my odds of survival, He thought, referencing the 82 Tutorial Points and the Qi Gathering Pill he¡¯d received for killing the Twilight Boar, along with the soul experience boost that had garnered him another level. While he didn¡¯t yet know what Tutorial Points would allow him access to, the Qi Gathering Pill was already immensely useful on its own. [Qi Gathering Pill, Basic-Rank Alchemic Pill Description: Doubles the Qi pool¡¯s rate of regeneration for upto a maximum of five regenerated points across a maximum of twenty four hours.] Even that brief stint with Qi Blade that had lasted a minute from the point of activation had shaved off an entire point from his Qi Pool, highlighting both how lacking the size of his Qi Pool was and the inefficiency of his skill. Thankfully, leveling up his skills addressed both those points. Statistics, he thought, and another blue screen popped up before his eyes. [Name: Jack Anderson Cultivation Stage: Qi Gathering Race: Human [Unrefined] Class: Swordsman [Basic] Class Level: 2 (384/1000) Dao Mark: Inert Minor Dao Fragment: - Skills: Inspect (Lv.2), Qi Blade (Lv.2), Qi Pulse (Lv. 1) Statistics: Strength: 6 Constitution: 6 Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 7 Dexterity: 8 Perception: 8 Free Points: 5 Qi Pool: 10/11 Tutorial Points: 84] Invest three in constitution, two in perception, Jack immediately thought to himself, without the slightest inkling of hesitation. For, standing in an open clearing, as unguarded as he was, there was little time to mull over the decision. Constitution would help shore up his natural defenses and perception was a stat he prioritized over pure physical or mental attributes¡ª the ability to sense an oncoming attack or an ambush even a few tenths of a second earlier could very well mean the difference between life and death. A golden spark ignited in the blue whirlpool of energy that regulated and directed his Qi Pool, spreading like a wildfire as it dyed the vortex in a radiant golden, only for a single cycle before it was dispersed to the rest of his body through the venous network. His muscles began to wildly spasm and writhe unnaturally, subtle enough that one would not notice if they were not studying him carefully, but Jack knew that he wasn¡¯t imagining it. It was uncomfortable, like an itch that he could not, despite the best of efforts, manage to scratch, but never did it approach even close to the threshold of pain, it¡¯s intensity limited to a mild, throbbing discomfort. Immediately after, his gaze felt like it sharpened, his pupils alternating in a cycle of rapid dilation and contraction, causing a strong wave of vertigo to wash over him. The process only lasted for a few seconds or perhaps, even less; it was hard to gauge as his head began to spin, but he managed to power through. Damn, was that a trip and a half, Jack thought, as he waited for the wooziness to clear away. Stretching his left hand outwards, he clenched and unclenched his fist, tracing the palmistry lines in an effort to seek out a modicum of familiarity in his own musculature. His body felt more robust, his senses keener; all in the matter of seconds. Jack wiped the smile off his face, though perhaps the damage was already done. He took a few seconds to observe the Twilight Boar¡¯s dilapidated carcass, it¡¯s muscles losing its stringiness as the Qi empowering and holding it together was sucked away by him. At this point, the others probably thought him insane. Bipolar, perhaps. A veritable madman, most likely. But in his eyes, the world had gone insane first. He was merely adapting to it. ¡°Incoming!¡± A shrill, panicked voice exclaimed, snapping Jack out of his reverie. His gaze immediately shifted to the source of the utterance, finding Trent, his glowing arrow tip pointed towards a thicket that rested at the very periphery of Jack¡¯s line of sight. 5: Qi Pulse Jack did not immediately rush to Trent¡¯s aid, making a snap second judgment as he rushed for cover behind a tree in four quick steps. He wasn¡¯t abandoning his team, but he couldn¡¯t rush in without getting a read on the situation. Thankfully, he had just been given a skill, likely for that explicit purpose. ¡°Qi Pulse,¡± Jack whispered under his breath, observing as small tendrils of Qi stretched outwards from his body in a circular radius. Dozens upon dozens of such tendrils existed, yet in his mind¡¯s eye he found himself capable of easily visualizing and controlling each one. The only downside was that it required the entirety of his focus, even requiring him to close his eyes shut to better perceive the sight his Qi tendrils wished to convey. Blackness stretched out for as far as he could perceive, each Qi-strand his only source of light in this sensory realm. He wasn¡¯t quite feeling, no. It was an extension of his awareness, only far duller than it normally would be; as if he were gazing upon the world through the paradigm of a being that possessed far more limited intellect compared to his own, perceiving it in an entirely foreign, limited manner. A spark of light captured his attention, prompting one of his Qi-Strands to snake forward with the enthusiasm of a moth fluttering towards a flame. A second passed before the strand made contact with something tangible, revealing an azure, venous network that was simply suspended in the void, a small whirlpool cycling Qi nestled a little below its center. The venous network¡¯s periphery roughly adhering to the general shape of a bipedal being, almost certainly human. ¡°That should be Sarah,¡± he assessed, based on her general vicinity and her relatively smaller stature¡ª at least in his mind¡¯s eye. Motivated by the discovery, Jack narrowed down the scope of his search, focusing on the areas he had last seen Andrew and Trent. ¡°Hit and hit,¡± he jubilantly noted, as two more venous networks were revealed to his mind¡¯s eye. Their locations were a little off from what he¡¯d visualized, but the difference was insignificant enough to be chalked to imperfect memory. The larger, broader network undoubtedly had to belong to Andrew¡ª so Jack promptly ignored it, directing a majority of his Qi-Strands towards Trent. ¡°Now, what are you looking at?¡± he muttered, as he willed the Qi-Strands to sweep past Trent, instead choosing to explore his immediate vicinity. It felt surreal to be able to scout for threats without subjecting himself to any danger, but he could feel the drain on his Qi Pool as the seconds ticked away. Jack¡¯s heartbeat quickened a little as one of his Qi-Strands made contact, revealing a venous network that was markedly different from the others. The general shape did not conform to the specifications of a bipedal creature, much less a human. Four branching, limb-like structures split off from what could only be the main body, a luminescent azure orb nestled in its center. ¡°Beast Core,¡± Jack thought, immediately recalling the foreign terminology from the Twilight Boar¡¯s description. A spark of familiarity flashed in his mind, as he attempted to match the Twilight Boar¡¯s physique with the venous structures¡¯ contour. It was a match. Outside the mental construct that comprised his Qi Pulse skill, Jack¡¯s expression turned grim as two more Twilight Boars were exposed in rapid succession. Hurriedly, he canceled the skill. In the real world, his eyes shot open, definite alarm reflected in his pupils as he rushed out of his cover. ¡°Sarah! Andrew!¡± Jack bellowed out, not hesitating to be loud now that he knew their position was already exposed. ¡°Go and reinforce Trent now or we¡¯re all dead!¡± Sarah seemed to snap out of her reverie upon hearing her name yelled out, her expression betraying a flicker of guilt as she thought back upon her cowardice, even now safely cloistered behind cover. Andrew, who seemed of half-mind to abandon the group and break out on his lonesome, reluctantly shifted his gaze to Jack. Surprise flashed in his gaze when he saw Jack, seemingly holding true to his words, charge forward in Trent''s direction, despite knowing that danger awaited himSupport creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°How do you know?¡± Andrew bellowed out the question, confusion and a hint of fear etched onto his face. ¡°There are three more of those boars headed in Trent¡¯s direction! Unless you think you can outrun those creatures, splitting off now just means getting picked off individually!¡± Jack cried out, knowing full well how deceptively fast wild boars alone were back on Earth. Despite their short stature and somewhat unassuming build, a human had no hope of outrunning a truly enraged wild boar, let alone this evolved iteration of the Eurasian Wild Boar. ¡°Fuck,¡± Andrew whispered under his breath, taking a few seconds to evaluate the situation before he, too, began to sprint towards Trent. It had not slipped his attention that Jack, who was the furthest away from the purported threat, had somehow managed to accurately sense danger and even enumerate the number of enemies they were going to be facing, but there was no time left to raise further questions and he was wielding an essentially magic powered sword, too. Sarah was the last among the trio to react, a bead of sweat rolling down her grimacing expression as she channeled her resolve, before chaining step after step in the direction of what was most certainly danger¡ª having reached the brave conclusion that hiding would only delay the inevitable, while fighting back would at least help alleviate some of the churning anxiety eating away at her, possibly even offer her a chance at survival. Trent felt his surroundings fade away, his pupils dilated from the blend of fear and adrenaline coursing through his veins¡ª his arrow held at full draw, its tip shimmering with an azure glow. His breathing was slow and deep as he did his best to still his anxious heart, before he let the arrow loose. His expression froze from the tension as he watched his arrow arc through the air, leaving a luminous trail in its wake. A second later, a pained, beastly howl rang out, filling Trent with exultation. Trent had hit the beast. A moving target more than a dozen meters away and yet he, of all people, had managed to score a hit. The terror of his situation came crashing down with a few seconds delay, as his trembling right hand shot out for his quiver, hoping to nock another arrow in time. But the injured Twilight Boar hurriedly ducked out of his sight, whilst the other two Boars split away into the shrubbery, effortlessly stepping out of his line of sight. Just then, Trent felt footsteps echoing behind him, causing him to reflexively jerk his backwards, the tip of his arrow flaring to life in all its azure brilliance. He let out a relieved exhale as he saw Jack¡¯s reassuring silhouette meeting his gaze, or rather, looking past him, trying to assess the threat. Andrew and Sarah lagged behind him by a few seconds, despite being nearer to Trent at the outset¡ª it seemed that investing in Constitution had been a worthwhile decision. ¡°Andrew, take the right flank. Sarah, take left and make sure you have enough space to fully use your spear¡¯s reach. Trent, how many boars did you see?¡± Jack questioned after shooting out commands rapidly, a metallic tang seeping into his tone, one that would brook no disobedience in the heat of the moment. ¡°I¡­,¡± He trailed off, his face tight with tension as he finished nocking his arrow. ¡°There were three of them,¡± he forced himself to recall, voice trembling. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the rustling the boars made as they charged towards me, I¡¯d probably be¡­.¡± ¡°I saw you shoot an arrow. Did you get one?¡± Sarah chimed in, her tone carrying a smattering of hope in the otherwise grim backdrop. Her spear clenched in an iron grip with both her hands, she, too, nervously scanned the forest¡¯s underbrush for any sign of movement. Those words seemed to be the ones Trent needed to hear, his countenance lighting up with a brief flash of pride. ¡°I definitely hit one,¡± he replied a little too boisterously, perhaps more to reassure himself than the others. ¡°Trent,¡± Jack began, his tone serious. ¡°Did you get a message from the system?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ what?¡± he questioned back, entirely puzzled. Jack¡¯s expression took a turn for the worse. ¡°It¡¯s not dead,¡± he said with a frown, shifting his stance to a loose interpretation of the ch¨±dan-no-kamae, one of the five basic stances in Japanese Kendo. Feet facing forward, knees slightly bent, sword held before the waist, shoulders relaxed and most importantly, the center of gravity distributed equally between both feet. Ideally, the stance was meant to be used with a two handed Shinai, but Jack only aimed to borrow its ethos¡ª allowing for quick movement in any direction; he was well poised to counter threats from both the expected and unexpected avenues of attack. ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡± Andrew demanded, his face flushed from the fight or flight response. The intense rustling of shrubbery sounding out around them answered his question. 6: Flanked ¡°It''s here!¡± Sarah yelled out in terror, her eyes flashing in recognition as she placed the inky black silhouette she¡¯d spotted in the periphery of her vision with the mutated Twilight Boar she¡¯d seen Jack dispatch by the skin of his teeth. The rustling of shrubbery in its path had already alerted the rest of them a second prior, Sarah¡¯s exclamation more an involuntary, instinctive reaction, but nonetheless it had served its purpose well. Jack¡¯s gaze befell upon the arcing trajectory of the first Twilight Boar, still maintaining the ch¨±dan-no-kamae stance as he assessed the threat. ¡°Andrew!¡± Jack bellowed, his voice echoing forth with a primal edge. ¡°Brace yourself!¡± That was the only warning he could offer before the second prong of the staggered attack bloomed. This Twilight Boar adopted a different approach, it¡¯s approach on the craftier side as it weaved between shrubbery, trees and a solitary, mottled boulder, still managing an impressive speed. From the general angle of its attack, Jack had a rough idea of its target. His face sank. These boars, they were far smarter than he¡¯d assumed the first time around. If the Twilight Boar he¡¯d encountered hadn¡¯t underestimated him¡­ ¡°Sarah, keep your spear raised! All you need to do is time it right!¡± Jack offered the best advice he could in the heat of the moment, especially after he realized that his reaction time was a little faster than the others¡ª the additional two points in his already high perception seemingly having been worth it. He had not failed to utilize his Inspect skill on each of the boars the moment he¡¯d caught a lasting glimpse. They were both Level 2 Twilight Boars, but that did little to reassure Jack¡¯s frayed nerves. Trent seemed to be fighting demons of his own, sweat caking his forehead as he tried to position himself for a clear shot. The angle was a risky one, a single miscalculation and he would end up shooting his allies instead of the Twilight Boar. Jack¡¯s heart told him to assist one of his two teammates, but his instinct warned him against it. He wanted to believe that the third Twilight Boar was too injured to fight, but there was something off about this attack. No, this was a coordinated attack. ¡°Ahead, Trent!¡± Jack screamed, genuine fear seeping into his voice as his suspicion turned to reality. The third Twilight Boar had finally revealed its presence without deigning to employ any subterfuge, directly facing Trent and Jack who were nestled in the center of the formation. There were three main differences that separated this specimen from the other two¡ª the arrow shaft sticking out of its abdomen, the streaks of vibrant gold running across its otherwise blackened fur and its markedly sharper, longer crimson horns. It offered no mighty roar as it broke out into a furious, vengeful charge, as droplets of its murky lifeblood trickled down its fur¡ª the aftermath of Trent¡¯s first arrow. Almost at the same time, Jack used Inspect upon it. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. [You have successfully inspected a Level 3 Twilight Boar!] ¡°Shoot it down!¡± Jack commanded, having realized that Trent was the type to respond well to simple, direct instructions. That seemed to snap him from his reverie, as he let loose of the arrow he¡¯d spent the last couple of seconds angling into position. Another luminous trail arced through the air, but this time something completely unexpected happened. Instead of slowing down, it sped up by a tempo instead, right towards them. The arrow, which would have originally at least grazed its mark, now punched into the arable grasslands instead. ¡°Oh no, no, no,¡± Trent''s panicked voice tinged with regret sounded out in his ears, the shaken archer spilling two arrows onto the ground as he plucked out a third, nocking it and releasing it with his trembling hands. The fear had already consumed him. He was no good. Jack grimaced as the arrow hissed past the boar by a large margin, only to be met by a second, more worrying realization. The Level 3 Twilight Boar¡­ had been ignoring Trent. It was after him. Why? Shit! Of course¡ª among their group of four, he was the highest leveled here. That, given how this twisted system worked, probably made him a target. ¡°Run!¡± Trent at least had the decency to sound out his intentions as he broke out into a three step sprint before diving for cover. Jack remained rooted to the spot, preparing himself to execute a modified version of the Do strike; aiming to accurately strike at the beast¡¯s abdomen with a slight curvature in the sword arc to increase the cutting force behind the strike. It was only his improved stats that gave him the confidence of attempting such a risky maneuver. But the beast had been concealing one more trick up its sleeve, a final burst of speed that it had been deceptively conserving until the last moment. Having already committed himself to the attack, Jack felt a burst of primal, unmitigated fear well up in his gut as he could feel the Twilight Boar¡¯s crimson horns seconds away from punching through his abdomen. He desperately fought down the natural urge to break out into a dive¡ª knowing that the time it would take to shift his center of gravity and generate the necessary momentum to fling himself far away from the beast was time he did not have. Instead, Jack let out a bestial roar as he angled his abdomen away from the approaching threat with a sidestep whilst committing himself to executing his sword strike. Two events took place in rapid succession. Jack felt the tip of his Qi Blade arc across the Twilight Boar¡¯s right flank, carving a crescent moon upon its flesh. The pain only hit him a few seconds after. Jack let out an agonized, ear-piercing scream as the stinging, burning pain washed over him, his face flushed with blood and his neck veins becoming more prominent as adrenaline accelerated his heart rate. His dread-filled gaze shifted to the source of his torment, wincing when he saw the laceration that the Twilight Boar had inflicted upon the left side of his abdomen. It was followed by a relieved exhale. No vitals, thank fuck. Knowing that he had no time to hesitate, he pivoted on the balls of his feet whilst his free hand slipped into his left pocket, withdrawing the solitary Recovery Pill he¡¯d placed there and swallowing it without hesitation. He had turned just in time to see the Twilight Boar readying itself for another charge, still standing despite taking a slash from Qi Blade¡ª one look at it and Jack could immediately tell why. The wound he had rent was far shallower than it had seemed in his mind¡¯s eye, visceral fear seemingly having affected his judgment. The Twilight Boar let out a vicious snarl before it threw itself into another headlong charge, with the addendum that this time, the distance it had to cover was much, much shorter than before. Jack slowed down his breathing, his left hand applying pressure to the wound as the beginnings of an exhilarated grin made its way to his visage. No plan survives first contact with the enemy, eh? 7: Zornhau To claim Jack had a contingency ready for this exact scenario would be a gross exaggeration. He didn¡¯t. The Twilight Boar was simply too fast. The Recovery Pill had sent a burst of reassuring warmth coursing through his body, numbing the searing pain tearing away at his abdomen enough to make it tolerable as the wound slowly began to reknit itself. The good news was that blood loss at least, had slowed down to a trickle, even if his wound remained a gaping aperture, its fleshy, partly-healed inner layers visible. The bad news was, well, he was pretty certain that his wound would gush open if subjected to strain. He could perhaps dodge the Twilight Boar again with a little bit of luck on his side. The third charge though, if allowed, would be the final one. The others did not factor into his consideration, for the beast did not allow him to, as it reared its head, a spark of fury glimmering in its blood-red eyes, though maybe he was imagining that part. There was only one card he really had to play. From the moment he had unlocked the Qi Pulse skill, his thoughts had been drawn to its combat functionality. While Qi Blade was a skill designed specifically for combat, the line was far more ambiguous when it came to Qi Pulse. His instinct told him that there was a deeper level of mastery he could achieve with the skill, but even the most unskilled of fighters abided by the ancient proverb¡ª ''in the crucible of combat, rely upon the practised and proven''. Even Jack wasn¡¯t daring enough to close his eyes in the middle of facing the deadliest adversary he had encountered in his life, betting his survival on a skill he¡¯d used once before. But the Twilight Boar¡¯s second charge drastically changed the variables in that equation. He exhaled deeply, expelling some of the gnawing tension building up in the pit of his stomach. In that moment, the hoofbeats of the nauseatingly fast Twilight Boar, the sounds of battle echoing in the background and the rapid beating of his own heart¡­. all that faded in the background as his gaze flashed with a final glimmer of defiance. A second later, his eyelids clamped shut. [Qi Pulse] Once again, blackness enshrouded the sensory realm he found himself in. A pang of terror welled up as his thoughts involuntarily flowed in the direction of the three hundred pound monstrosity charging at him, now invisible to his sight. Focus, damn you. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The ingrained instinct bestowed upon him by the scale wanted him to expand his Qi-Strands in all directions, but instead Jack chose to fight against it¡ª- he didn¡¯t need a large scale sweep, his foe, the only foe he cared about right now, was right in front of him. Consciously willing the Qi-Strands expended way more mental fortitude than he had anticipated; half of the strands shattered right at the outset, but Jack chose to ignore them. The reason he believed that this strategy was worth the immense risk he was taking was because his perception in this sensory realm exceeded his natural capabilities, since they were no longer affixed to the limitations of his physical body. Strained, he willed the surviving Qi Strands forward. Barely any time passed before he got a response, revealing a venous network accompanied by a beast core that was suspended in the center. Now, split it. A few strands split off from the Twilight Boar, peppering the ground its approaching silhouette tread upon. I can sense it! He could sense the beast¡¯s heavy, oxen-like hoofs making contact with the earth, leaving heavy imprints as the ground bore the brunt of its weight. His focus was completely ensnared by the Twilight Boar¡¯s gait, noting the way its four limbs moved with synchronicity, the speed it traveled at it as it drew closer to him with every passing second, the height it possessed relative to his own and the likely position where its vitals would be positioned. The rhythm of its movements¡­ He had grasped it. I need to seek the rhythm of the world. The few strands he had embedded into the earth allowed him a base reference to measure the boar¡¯s height and its coordinates relative to himself. Now I just need couple the boar¡¯s rhythm with the rhythm of the world. Jack¡¯s eyes shot open, alight with life, as he canceled the Qi Pulse skill. His movements displayed an otherworldly fluidity, a grace that could only be achieved by one lacking an iota of hesitation in the heat of battle. He did not try to seek visual confirmation of his target, for the time it would take his mind to process that information would be the difference between life and death. The first side-step took him out of the Twilight Boar¡¯s direct line of attack. With the second step, his right foot was placed forward, his sword positioned in an overhead stance as he expended another half a second leaning backwards to better leverage his body weight. His blade flashed with the characteristic azure glow as he activated his Qi Blade skill. ¡°Zornhau,¡± Jack whispered, rotating his waist to gather more momentum as he swung his sword in a sweeping, circular motion that arced downwards. A technique from German longsword tradition, Zornhau, or Wrath Cut, was originally made to be utilized with a two-handed longsword, but Qi Blade more than made up for the extra weight and momentum it would provide. All in all, it was the most powerful strike in Jack¡¯s arsenal and most likely, also the most aptly named one for the present situation. The Level 3 Twilight Boar charged past him, a thin line running from the back of its neck to a little below the base of its skull. Half a second later, its porcine head was separated from its body, a burst of black lifeblood spraying all over the tall grass as it was sent rolling away. [Qi Pulse has reached level 2!] [Qi Blade has reached level 3!] 8: Selfishness Shallow, rapid breaths were the only thing Trent could manage as he crawled forward towards safety, his dive having cleared enough distance to position him a little outside the Twilight Boar¡¯s range¡ª not that he had been anywhere near that calculating when he made the decision to abandon Jack, no his desire for self-preservation had made the choice for him before he was even offered a chance to debate it. Only a few seconds later did Trent realize that he was hyperventilating, a burst of lightheadedness washing over him. It subsided a few seconds later, only to be replaced by a crushing pressure weighing down upon his chest, as if an invisible boulder had been deposited upon his lungs. In that moment, Trent wasn¡¯t sure if utterances would echo out if he attempted to speak as sweat beaded down his side, his fear-stricken eyes not daring to glance behind for fear of what he might see. It wasn¡¯t his fault. Whatever happened to Jack, it wasn¡¯t his fault. What kind of lunatic chooses to face an alien beast head-on? He wanted to protest, to rail against the wicked destiny that had dealt him this bizarre, nonsensical hand of cards, but¡­. That image of Jack facing the Twilight Boar head on was like a radiant sun occupying the center of his mind, burning so brightly that even someone like him was drawn to the light. He huddled behind an oblong boulder, the most appropriate cover he¡¯d managed to spot in the heat of the moment; buying himself a brief reprieve to think. Part of him wanted to be like Jack, to rush out boldly and shoot one arrow after the next with blazing accuracy, but the other, more realist side of him ruthlessly discarded the false bravado that he was trying to muster. He was no hero. The last sharp thing he¡¯d held was a butter knife. He was a goddamned barista and when people like him tried to stand up to danger, they either ended up in the hospital or dead. Leading by example, braving the risks and overturning odds, as powerful as those leadership tools were, Jack¡¯s actions could not change the true nature of a person. So when Trent finally mustered the courage to tightly grip his bow, nocking an arrow and resolutely stepping out from behind cover to get a better view, there was only one emotion that drove him, a very human emotion at that¡ª- selfishness. He needed the others. If all three of his teammates met their demise, he would be next¡ª and there would be no one left to stand up for him. Among the four combatants present, only he didn¡¯t have any means to deal damage in close quarters combat¡ª he needed the other¡¯s protection, while the others could likely survive on their own even if they were the last ones¡¯ left. So when he saw Andrew kneeling on one knee, red blood pooling near his feet, Trent knew he had to do something or they would be down to two combatants. ¡°Aaaaaaaaaah!¡± Trent roared loudly in his best impression of a raiding viking as he stepped out of cover, drawing startled side-glances from both Andrew and the Level 2 Twilight Boar that was charging at him. It was a crazy, half-baked strategy, but Trent wasn¡¯t confident enough in his ability to hit a moving target twice. A brief window of opportunity was what he needed, a momentary distraction that would split the Twilight Boar¡¯s attention and hopefully¡­. Now! Trent released the arrow he¡¯d been holding at full draw, exploiting the brief lull in the Twilight Boar¡¯s gait as it examined if the newcomer posed a threat to it or not. Trent watched as his arrow zipped across the air before punching the Twilight Boar in its side. He watched as its legs began to falter, its majestic gait now reduced to mistimed steps as the strength in its muscular limbs drained away. A second later it stumbled and crashed onto the ground, a gurgling sound echoing out as it began to choke on its own blood, only coming to a halt a few meters before Andrew.
Sarah did not know why she felt so calm. It was no sudden awakening; she hadn¡¯t come to realize that she had some sort of innate talent towards martial combat. She didn¡¯t particularly feel confident about her odds, either. So, why? A thought bubbled up to the forefront of her consciousness. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Ah. She had already resigned herself. No, well, honestly, she still wanted to live. She wanted to live but¡­ the way she was currently, the only real reward she saw for surviving was dying to some stronger, nastier beast ten minutes down the line. The worst part was, she couldn¡¯t even bring herself to blame her. Her career. The one she¡¯d dedicated her entire life to. Her parents, whom she loved dearly. The Arbiter had promised her that she could see them again, if she survived. But¡­ was such a world even worth surviving in. What guarantees did she have, even, that the Arbiter was not lying to her? Her friends. Were they here now, somewhere, on this hellscape? How many of them would survive? She did not need her bachelor¡¯s in economics to tell her the statistical odds... people who she liked, cherished and loved¡ª she would never see most if not all of them them again. Even if they did, would they even be the same people? More than likely not. There was no point lying to herself. She lived a comfortable life. Well, had. Her parents were able to afford sending her to a good private college without requiring her to take a mountain in student loans. Many would call it privilege and it was, but so what? She worked hard and she was rewarded for it with a cushy job. She was used to modern conveniences and a safe neighborhood and now--- was she expected to survive in the wilderness, hunting and killing monsters if she wished to be granted the most basic of all human rights? Just a couple more seconds and it would all be over, replaced by an eternal stillness. In death though, lay the greatest of truths and not even the greatest of orators could lie in face of the end of all things and unsurprisingly, neither could Sarah. I want to live. The voice echoed in her mind. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to- There was no grand rationalization she could offer. It was no touching image of her parents that drove those thoughts at the last moment, no thoughts of wanting to meet her friends one last time that gave her the strength to muster that iota of strength that was the catalyst for change. It was hard to attribute it to any one instance or desire, more an amalgamation of the experience that was life itself that drove her to those thoughts. Perhaps, it was just selfishness but- I want to live and I''m going to do what it takes. Whatever it takes. Many others in her position would likely be beset with regret¡ª what if I had moved a little faster? Why did I freeze up? The others¡­ Where are they? Why aren¡¯t they helping me? It¡¯s all their fault! It¡¯s over, isn¡¯t it? But not Sarah. Regret would not offer her the path to life. Only action could. Had Sarah played her hand early, the Twilight Boar would more than likely have evaded her amateur strike. It was only because she had waited until the last possible moment to react, the point where the Twilight Boar was all but assured of a successful hunt, that it had no possibility of evading the Qi Spear thrust towards its skull. Even Sarah had not expected her last moment strike to punch through the Twilight Boar¡¯s eye socket and melt its brain instantly¡ª- a lucky strike would be how most saw it. But for Sarah, Only because she looked death in the eye and defied its call, could she attain life.
A heavily panting Andrew tossed a Recovery Pill into his mouth, wearing an expression of wondrous gratitude upon his face. He had fought well, at least in his mind. The Twilight Boar had gotten him good, but in return he¡¯d torn a gash into its side. If he knew how to use a sword, he¡¯d have done better¡ª in the heat of the battle though, a wild slash the best his ability let him offer. But the moment his sword had been knocked away by it¡¯s second charge, he had resigned himself to the inevitable. The arrow that rained down from the heavens was divine benediction itself, in his eyes. His would-be killer now lay gurgling upon its own cursed blood, while he¡­. might be a little worse for wear, but it wasn¡¯t his day to go today. The smile slowly began to fade though, as he was confronted with the ugly opportunity present before him. Andrew liked to believe that he did right by the people who treated him fair. He did. Well, usually. Being too perceptive sometimes was a curse¡ª despite everything he¡¯d been through, despite having barely escaped with his life, despite the damn gratitude he should feel for his savior, his sharp mind did not hesitate to remind him how Jack was able to sense the number of boars charging at them well in advance. He had not missed how Jack seemed faster, stronger after he had killed that first boar. Jack¡¯s mention about a message you receive upon killing the boar from the system¡­. had not escaped him. That, combined with what the Arbiter and the Quest Rules had told him¡­. Andrew groggily got back onto his feet, ignoring the stinging pain he felt with every micro-movement of his arm, reaching for his discarded blade. With five quick steps, he was besides the boar. With his next moment, he stabbed the tip of his blade into the barely breathing Twilight Boar¡¯s throat. Was it selfishness if one followed the desires of the self? 9: Tension [You have received 1295 Experience for successfully slaying the Level 3 Twilight Boar!] [Swordsman (Basic) has reached level 3! +5 Free Points, +1 Qi Pool has been awarded. ] Jack could barely focus on the notifications that popped up before him even when their contents were directly conveyed to his thoughts. The battle fever that had gripped him had only just begun to recede but he hadn¡¯t even gotten an opportunity to sweep his surroundings yet. Without knowing if there was still danger abound, he made the decision in a snap second. In truth, he had decided on the stat allocation long ago and now he was only reaffirming that decision¡ª the only leeway he had left was for the leveling system¡¯s variables changing, allocating progressively greater or lesser Free Points as he grew in level. Three in strength, two in perception,¡¯he thought-commanded, finally addressing his lowest stat, strength, which had been resting at a measly six. Though Jack had always preferred a more agile fighting style that relied more on precision and skill over raw power, the limitations of his technique had been quite thoroughly exposed in his battle with the Twilight Boar¡ª if there had been enough strength behind his initial blow, whilst he still wouldn¡¯t have outright managed to have killed the boar due to his poor footing and rushed form, the battle didn¡¯t need to be as down to the wire as it had ended up being. Plus, part of him wanted to know how powerful Zornhau would be with such a significant increase in strength. The rationalization for perception remained much the same¡ª-though Qi Pulse meant that he did not have to rely on his natural ability to perceive danger all the time, it was still too volatile a skill to use regularly and more importantly, it drained his Qi Pool too fast. Once again, a golden spark ignited in the whirlpool of energy that regulated his Qi Pool, distributing the ethereal power to every corner of his body. His muscles began to wildly twitch and writhe as if they were a living organism trying to break free of his body, the experience far stronger than the time he¡¯d improved his constitution. His gaze began to feel sharper, his senses, keener, while improving his perception largely remained the same experience. [Name: Jack Anderson Cultivation Stage: Qi Gathering Race: Human [Unrefined] Class: Swordsman [Basic] Class Level: 3 (679/2000) Dao Mark: Inert Minor Dao Fragment: - Skills: Inspect (Lv.2), Qi Blade (Lv.3), Qi Pulse (Lv. 2) Statistics: Strength: 9 Constitution:9 Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 7 Dexterity: 8 Perception: 12 Qi Pool: 4/12 Tutorial Points: 84] Jack felt satisfied by the status that flashed in his mind¡¯s eye, especially when he confirmed that his strength was no longer lagging behind his other stats. ¡°What the fuck was that supposed to be, man?¡± Trent''s raised voice interrupted the brief leeway he¡¯d managed to carve out for himself, yanking him back to the present. Involuntarily shifting back to the ch¨±dan-no-kamae stance, Jack hurriedly sweeped his surroundings, fully prepared for another round of combat. Maintaining an iron grip on his sword¡¯s hilt, he immediately felt a pang of ill-timed desire; wanting to test out the explosive strength he knew to be concealed within his wiry muscles. This time though, it was Jack¡¯s turn to be surprised. Since he had heard no desperate pleas for help or mournful cries echoing out, Jack had indeed expected his group to survive the onslaught. However¡­. Jack¡¯s gaze first fell upon Sarah, who towered above the corpse of a Level 2 Twilight Boar. What surprised Jack was not the feat of her slaying the beast itself, though that deserved kudos aplenty, but how she¡¯d killed it¡ª the tip of her spear had punctured through the beast¡¯s eye shaft and likely pierced through the brain. It was a kill so clean that it made Jack wonder if his mind was playing tricks on him. Not even he would consider aiming for a target that small and precise and he was plenty crazy by the other¡¯s standards already. Martial artists were inherently proud individuals, so he would not be surprised if most in his position would chalk it up to luck. Sure, there was likely an element of luck involved but her aura had changed. In her mind¡¯s eye, the image he had of Sarah was of a sociable, well-adjusted individual who had been thrown into a grossly unfair situation. She was fit, yes, her toned musculature indicating that she took care of her physical health, but that was about it. The aura he spoke of was no arcane concept, but instead, a social construct of sorts; a person¡¯s demeanor, body language and footwork revealed much more about a fighter than words or conversations could. The way Sarah had held her spear, form notwithstanding, was an entirely defensive one, casting some doubt upon her willingness to kill. The hesitation visible in her gaze, her unsteady footwork and her twitchy fingers projected the aura of a capricious fighter. Now though... This time, when Jack looked in her direction, Sarah met his gaze. Her spear was casually planted in the ground, held aloft with her right hand, meaning that she had surveyed the area and determined that there was no threat left, instead of forcing herself to maintain a defensive stance at all times. The latter might sound like the risk averse methodology, but all it really accomplished was exhausting oneself to the point of weariness. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. This meant that this new version of Sarah was confident and she trusted her abilities and reflexes to keep her safe. In her amber eyes, Jack saw a gleam of defiance that was lacking before, her body language conveying a relaxedness that was a hallmark of experienced fighters and her aura, a sense of stability? It was as if she¡¯d found something that had rekindled her desire to keep going. That was the only way it made sense¡ª a person couldn¡¯t simply change their entire aura, their demeanor in a matter of minutes, not unless they found something extraordinary. Leveling up alone could not provide such confidence. Jack averted his gaze before Sarah could see the small smile that had made its way onto his visage. This group just got a whole lot more interesting, eh, He thought. ¡°What did I do?¡± Andrew replied in a perfectly innocuous tone, not a shred of his usual veiled aggressiveness in his voice. That caught Jack¡¯s attention. ¡°Damn you!¡± Trent snapped, practically screaming at this point. That made Jack cringe. He supposed that their scrap had already made enough noise at this point, but screaming didn¡¯t help. ¡°I saved your life and this...¡± Trent snarled, his hate-filled gaze falling upon the Twilight Boar¡¯s carcass. Jack found himself examining the arrow puncture wound, before his gaze flickered over to the seemingly impossible sword strike; another puncture wound, but this time it had somehow perfectly found the beast¡¯s throat with an upwards thrust. A sword strike that couldn¡¯t have been executed due to their difference in stature unless the target was stationary. ¡°.... this is what I get as a thanks? You stole my kill, you damn bastard!" Trent bellowed out furiously as Jack jogged towards them, aiming to break up the confrontation before it spiraled into something nastier. ¡°I was just defending myself,¡± Andrew replied with a nonchalant shrug. ¡°If I didn¡¯t end it there, the damn Twilight Boar would have bitten my arm off. What the fuck do you expect me to do, man?¡± Andrew posed a rhetorical question as he took a step towards Trent, his sword still held in his hand; clearly trying to intimidate him into quietening down. ¡°How do you know that?" Andrew questioned. ¡°Know what? he retorted, a brief flash of confusion visible on his visage. ¡°What that alien thing is called, you fuck-wit! You got that message Jack was talking about, didn¡¯t you!¡± Trent accused. Andrew¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied, his voice deep and gravelly. ¡°Yeah, I did. What are you going to do about it?¡± Andrew asked, his breathing turning heavy as he took another step towards Trent. ¡°Report me to the police?¡± he asked, as he took another step. ¡°Gonna file a lawsuit, aren¡¯t you now?¡± another step. ¡°I stole your kill, so tell me what you¡¯re going to do about it?¡± Though he hadn¡¯t realized it, Trent had instinctively begun to back away, fear flashing in his expression as his right hand inched towards his quiver. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to stop, Andrew,¡± Jack¡¯s voice echoed out from the side, startling both of them. Jack stood there calmly, sword held in his right hand, gaze centered on Andrew. Trent breathed in a sigh of relief, while Andrew, though he tried to conceal it, let his emotions slip onto his visage. ¡°This ain¡¯t none of your business. Stay out of it,¡± he shot back, still refusing to acknowledge Jack as the de-facto leader of their group. Instead of taking affront to his words, Jack smiled. A warm, genial smile was offered, the kind one would offer to a cherished relative or a loved one. ¡°Make me,¡± he replied politely, his words devoid of an ounce of malice. Jack just calmly remained standing on the spot, allowing Andrew to scrutinize his gaze as much as he wanted to. A bead of sweat rolled down Andrew¡¯s forehead, his mind flashing with the crazy maneuver Jack had pulled off back when the rest of them had been running for their lives. He flinched, turning his gaze back to Jack, ¡°Let bygones be bygones, it won¡¯t be happening again.¡± Trent shot Jack a grateful look, before glowering at Andrew one, final time before he let out a frustrated sigh, ¡°It better not.¡± ¡°Trent, walk with me. Andrew, if you haven¡¯t looted your kill, do it now. Doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s any more beasts in the vicinity, but I don¡¯t plan to stay here for longer than a second necessary,¡± Jack commanded, not hesitating to order around Andrew again. The danger his volatile nature presented had, of course, not been something that had slipped by Jack¡ª but for now atleast, especially considering how close the last encounter had been, they needed all of their members preferably alive. The walk was a small one, but seemingly long enough for Trent to once again offer his gratitude. Though on the timid side, Trent''s demeanor was refreshingly open and honest¡ª maybe not the best survivalist trait, but it was a good people trait and those kind of people would do his mental health some good. [Looting Twilight Boar¡­. Congratulations, you have successfully slain an enemy (1) level above you. You have received 186 Tutorial Points. You have received Twilight Armor (Uncommon, Qi Gathering Stage) x1] Jack¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the words armor, desire flashing in his gaze as he hurriedly pulled up its description. [Twilight Armor Chest Piece, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact (Uncommon). Description: This chest piece was crafted from the flesh, bone and sinew of the Twilight Boar, Evolved Earth Predator. The armor itself exhibits strong resistance to slashing and blunt force attacks, mild resistance to stabbing based attacks and no resistance to Basic Qi Empowered attacks. Artifact Ability: Generate a small Qi Shield that shields vital regions in the abdomen. Channel 1 Qi Point into the Twilight Armor for every second the shield is active. Shield can negate Basic Qi Empowered attacks for its duration. Requirements met.] Holy fuck. Jack remembered that the System had promised him rewards for killing the enemies it had demarcated but this... he hadn¡¯t expected something like this, not yet anyway. His heart thumped with anticipation as he withdrew the Twilight Armor Chest Piece from his inventory, startling Trent. The fearsome Twilight Boar¡¯s inky black fur now comprised the innermost layer of the armor, offering a more regal first impression over an intimidating one. Interlocking bone chips formed the outer layer, resulting in a rather morbid, but well protected scale armor that should offer him decent protection against regular attacks. The white sinew epaulets seemed a bit overkill, but Jack would not dare utter a word in complaint¡ªcompared to his current, paper-thin ¡®armor¡¯, this was a great boon. ¡°Trent, can you guard me for a second?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Sure. After you¡¯re, erm, done changing though, could you tell me more about how you got that? I mean, I have my guesses but¡­¡± ¡°I will,¡± Jack replied, as he sheathed his sword and began to don his new acquisition. Trent''s envious gaze had not escaped him, but he had done nothing to attract his ire so he wasn¡¯t too concerned about it at this point. A minute later, Jack secured the last of the armor straps, surprised by how comfortable it was from the inside. He felt far more secure than he had been earlier, but at the same time he resolved himself to not fall into complacency. ¡°It¡¯s time to leave.¡± 10: The Lull Sarah could feel the tempo of her muffled footsteps sounding out as she walked upon the carpet of tall grass blanketing the forested land; seemingly stretching out for miles in every direction. She found her thoughts meandering, finding herself wondering how the forest managed to project an image of serenity and tranquility, whilst harboring horrors that were likely frothing at the thought of tearing her to shreds. Perhaps she found herself a little disappointed, too. Killing the Twilight Boar had given her something that she desperately needed to survive¡ª a reason¡ª and for that, she was grateful. But at the same time, she also felt like she lost something equally valuable. No, not lost; It was taken away from her, snatched away by uncaring, unfeeling hands. She could try and cling to it as many, undoubtedly, would¡ª for denial was as easy as it was powerful. It was not easy to let go of Earth, the way she remembered it. The way the world used to be¡ª it only reminded her of just how much she had taken for granted. A cozy house. Food. Water. Security. Laws that maintained a certain standard of civility in society. Friendly neighbors. A military to shield against foreign nations attacking. These were the very basic building blocks of a society, yet in the blink of an eye, it was snatched away from her. Lost. Alone. Isolated. That was how she felt. No military rescue would bail them out. All forms of government, if the words of the Arbiter were to be believed, held no power or jurisdiction over Earth any longer. The alien beings did not care for Earth¡¯s traditions, culture or laws¡ª they had taken everything, offering little in return. It was so tempting to slip into denial, to meaninglessly cling on to the hope that the world, her world, could be reverted to what it used to be. But she could not. For denial would not offer her the path to survival, either. It was accepting the situation for what it was, Sarah believed, was what let her slip into the state of unfamiliar calmness she found herself in. It was, really, just a matter of paradigms¡ª Sarah was a diligent worker, but more than that, she was ambitious. She liked and wanted her hard work to be noticed, the same way she liked ascending the corporate ladder at a pace that far surpassed peers. In a nutshell, Sarah liked to win. And that part of her personality wasn¡¯t something that was going to change. Only the stage she was set to perform in, to excel in, had. Calmness, however, did not mean that she was oblivious to the tense atmosphere percolating within the group. The spat between Trent and Andrew aside, there was something else that bothered her. An hour had passed since their hard-fought victory over the Twilight Boars, yet she hadn¡¯t perceived the slightest disturbance during that time¡ª- not the distant rustling of leaves or the snapping of dried twigs, let alone more direct portents like a distant howl or a furious growl.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The lull, as Sarah was discovering, was almost as taxing as finding herself in the heat of the battle. Though she had reigned in her hyperawareness before her mind could start playing tricks upon her, she could feel her focus oscillating as the adrenaline drained away. Perhaps as her stats got progressively higher it would no longer be a problem, but this time around she had chosen to increase her Strength and Constitution after consulting with Jack, who was seemingly the most knowledgeable amongst them. Perhaps higher Intelligence or Wisdom Stats would let her stymie that problem, but for now she had chosen to prioritize survivability and power over thought. As bizarre as it sounded, she was itching for a battle¨C if only to rid herself of the persistent solitude that weighed down upon this forsaken forest. That, and, well¡ª fighting for her life meant that she didn¡¯t need to reflect too hard on what she¡¯d experienced in the last hour. She would rather not break down in public, that would come after the job was done. ¡°Sarah,¡± A hushed whisper pierced the silence gloomily hanging over the verdant canopy, drawing her attention. Jack had raised his left hand with his palm facing outwards, a signal for the group to come to a halt. ¡°Twenty minutes should have passed by now,¡± Jack began, his raspy voice betraying a tense edge that implied that he, too, was not immune to the effects of combat lull. ¡°It¡¯s your turn, Sarah,¡± he added. They had spent the last hour developing a few makeshift strategies and discussing basic formations; only having gotten that far due to Jack¡¯s willingness to share information. He had taken the initiative to disclose information about Qi Pulse, the skill that their starter classes all, apparently, shared. Sarah had chosen to confirm to same, leaving Andrew with no choice but to come clean as well¡ª that had served as the foundational basis for their strategy. Since they had three people capable of using Qi Pulse now, the burden would be split equally amongst them. With one pulse released in twenty minute intervals, cycled between the three of them. Jack had proposed that, in the spirit of equitability, the next easy kill should go to Trent. Not just out of the kindness of his heart, but to assuage any worries of being left behind if one¡¯s level began to lag behind the baseline. Even Andrew had agreed, for now. ¡°Okay,¡± Sarah replied, her gaze passing over her teammates. ¡°Guard me,¡± she urged, only closing her eyes after receiving affirmative nods. Roughly a minute later, Sarah¡¯s eyes shot open. The sudden quickening of breath, the melange of fear and anticipation reflected in her eyes and the reflexive tightening of her grip upon her weapon already unveiled a part of the story in Jack¡¯s eyes. ¡°There¡¯s two,¡± she whispered, her voice strained as she struggled to keep the panic out of it. ¡°Where?¡± Jack asked, his expression hardening. Sarah pointed to the north-east with her index finger. ¡°Are they approaching?¡± Jack shot out another question. ¡°Slowly but¡­,¡± Sarah took a pause to catch her breath, ¡°... they¡¯re definitely headed in our direction.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re tracking us by scent,¡± Andrew offered, his pupils flickering rapidly as he scanned the periphery of his vision for movement. ¡°Trent, find a vantage point where you can shoot from without the risk of injuring any one of us,¡± Jack commanded, his tone steely. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Trent whispered in a small voice, nervousness written all over his face as he broke off from the group. ¡°Sarah.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± She asked, her voice a little more high-pitched than usual. ¡°You take the center. Andrew takes the right flank. I take left. Just like we discussed, your job is to use your reach to keep the enemy at bay with your superior reach and frustrate them. Either they will make a mistake, or try their luck at one of the flanks. Andrew and I can handle ourselves,¡± Jack projected a tone of complete confidence, even when, deep down, he was as uncertain as the rest of them. The enemy was an unknown and the unknown was equally terrifying to both the grossly inept and the strategic genius of generals. A lupine howl sounded out exactly a minute later. Jack¡¯s stomach began to churn as the possibilities flashed in his mind, none of them good. They had sniffed out his group¡¯s location. And now¡­. the hunt began. 11: Fear This is bad, Jack thought, maintaining the ch¨±dan-no-kamae stance as his gaze scrutinized the direction the howl had sounded out from. The conclusion his intuition led him to, was in part, the reason behind his dismay. Most likely, the two beasts had been stalking their group¡ª possibly having picked up their trail somewhere in the last twenty minutes. That was a marked difference from the Twilight Boars, who had charged headlong at them the moment they spotted their group. There was one more fact that gave credence to his theory, namely, the timing of the howl; up until the point they were haplessly walking onwards, the beasts seemed content to shadow them. But the moment they¡¯d stopped, especially when they managed to pinpoint the direction of the threat... The beasts were intelligent enough to perceive when their ambush failed. He would rather face a strong, but simple-minded foe over a cunning, relatively weaker one any day of the week. However, that alone was not enough to dampen Jack¡¯s intent, no. That howl, he was almost certain that he recognized it. What if a beast was both intelligent and strong? That, well truthfully, He was afraid. Fragmented shards of memories echoed in his mind as his brain subconsciously called upon the last time he had felt so strongly about something, the visceral fear coursing through his mind threatening to dominate his mind. Memories were remembered. But for Jack, this memory was vivid enough to be heard. The cheerful carnival music playing in the background. The joyful cheers and panicked cries of children as they tried the amusement park rides. The chatter and occasional laughter of the parents as they watched their children with smiles. It could be tasted, for he still remembered the flavor of the sickeningly sweet strawberry candy he bit into instead of salivating over, too impatient to get to the good part. It could be smelled, an aroma of blissful joy and diabetes inducing goodness permeating through the premises. A bandana covering the nose and mouth. Generic black sunglasses. Odd gait. Rushed movements. BANG! BANG! Forty five seconds was the number he¡¯d come up with after replaying the scene over and over in his mind¡¯s eye. Forty five seconds was all it took to permanently change the trajectory of someone¡¯s life. Fear was not an alien emotion to Jack. It was a companion. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. The monsters under his bed. The snipers peeking out from behind the window. Purported assassins waiting for him to step out of the family manor, so that they could finally finish the job. The third ¡®BANG!¡¯- the one that never arrived. In hindsight, it was quite amazing what the anxious mind could conjure given a creative enough imagination. All that said, Jack knew how to deal with fear. The first step to overcoming fear was to accept that you could not overcome it. You do not train your mind to overcome your fear. You do not try to master your mind to make it impervious to fear. For a man who fears nothing, is no man at all. No, the conclusion he reached was a much simpler one. Fear, at its core, was an emotion. And an emotion, boiled down to its essence, was a form of energy. You do not accept your fear. You do not try to master it. You catalyze it. A grin made its way to Jack¡¯s visage as he caught a silvery blur in the periphery of his vision. This time, though, there was no frontal charge to counter. Their movements were characterized by a natural grace, one that was a direct consequence of exceptional spatial awareness skills. Their cerulean blue pupils gleamed with a spark of intelligence, the duo¡¯s body held close to the ground, knife-like ears pricked forward as they stepped out from behind an Anarix Tree. They walked side by side, their relaxed gait conveying poise and a general sense of unhurriedness. For Jack¡¯s group though, it was the opposite. The air they breathed felt like it had been blanketed by a thick cloud of smog, as the stalkers of the night, the silent predators that wolves were, cast an oppressive aura upon their group merely by revealing their presence. But these were no ordinary wolves,not with their silver coat of fur, crystalline claws and larger, bulkier frame, with a musculature more characteristic of a lion than an ordinary wolf. A light gasp escaped Sarah, her gaze trained upon their razor sharp, canine jaws. Andrew''s gaze flickered to the side, before he shook his head¡ª outrunning a boar might still be possible, but a wolf? Inspect. [You have successfully inspected a Level 3 Silvercrest Wolf, Trial Classification: Evolved predators from Earth¡¯s fauna. [Description: Originally a Gray Wolf native to parts of North America and Eurasia, this creature has been blessed by the Divine Flames, significantly strengthening its natural defenses and granting it the ability to cultivate via a beast core.] [Inspect has reached Level 3! Additional details are now available. Would you like to be notified of them?] Yes. [In addition to being granted the ability to cultivate, the Silvercrest Wolf has awakened an evolutionary talent. The crest resting upon its forehead has the ability to modify the nature of Qi coursing through it. However, Level 3 Inspect cannot discern the true nature of the modification]. Jack¡¯s gaze snapped to the larger, likely male Silvercrest Wolf, though that was only relatively. His discerning gaze managed to spot a vague set of interlocking lines resting upon the male wolf¡¯s forehead. Normally, Jack would have never noticed this small detail¡ª for the lines looked like a few errant scratches, or at most, the scars of old wounds. However, both the wolves had near-identical markings scrawled over their forehead, immediately ringing alarm bells in his mind. A moment later, his suspicions were proven true as the marks on their forehead began to glow. ¡°Brace yourselves!¡± Jack bellowed out, his gaze flickering between the two wolves as he tried to discern their intent. The male Silvercrest Wolf let out a mighty howl even when Jack knew that it had no pack members in earshot range. It was a signal. The female Silvercrest Wolf shot out with explosive speed, a vague silhouette of silvery-white energy ensconcing her form. To his visual acuity, it seemed like Qi, but to his senses the energy felt foreign, almost¡­ tainted¡ª as if he was not capable of utilizing that variation of it. So that¡¯s what the damn crest does. 12: Contingency ¡°Hold!¡± Jack thundered, as his stance neatly transitioned into the hass¨­-no-kamae kendo sword form. Sword pointed towards the skies, its hilt resting against the right shoulder, elbows held close to the body, knees slightly bent, shoulders relaxed and blade leaning a little to the rear¡ª Jack chose the stance that would allow him to strike in almost any direction, easily transitioning into a variety of strikes and slashes, even thrusts, if the need were to arise. Sarah let a little gasp escape, her eyes desperately tracking the approaching Silvercrest Wolf. On the other hand, Andrew seemed to be paralyzed with indecision, his expression conflicted. Run or fight? ¡°It wants you to break formation!¡± Jack roared, his gaze flashing with recognition. The Silvercrest Wolf had originally been a gray wolf and he was well versed with their hunting methods. Wolves were pack hunters. They encircled their prey, tested its defenses and whittled down its endurance; they had stamina, speed and strength but pack hunting was what let a wolf take down beasts far mightier, deadlier, than itself. Andrew gritted his teeth, placing his sword in a defensive stance before his vitals. He had chosen to stay, realizing the wisdom in Jack¡¯s words. The female Silvercrest Wolf that had seemed to be on a crash course with Sarah gracefully pivoted upon the balls of its feet, deflecting towards the side. Its male counterpart, which had seemingly been content maintaining position up until now, finally approached; long strides helping it rapidly cover the distance separating them. The male Silvercrest wolf stood at a distance of about a dozen meters from their formation, whilst Andrew had pivoted to meet the female Silvercrest Wolf that had positioned itself behind them. Jack¡¯s newly improved perception stat let him vaguely sense the female Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s position; enough to lock into its spatial coordinates, though its exact shape and form remained blurry in his mind¡¯s eye. His suspicions were proven correct when the female Silvercrest Wolf refused to charge, seemingly content to direct a vicious glare towards Andrew for now. Low, menacing growls erupted as the Silvercrest Wolf duo stepped into motion, their spongy paws noiselessly impacting against the soft grass beneath them. They began their encirclement. The battle they were fighting was no longer limited to the physical world. Their current situation was akin to a small herd of deer that had splintered off from the main group, now encircled by two hungry wolves¡ª compared to their crystalline claws, razor-sharp teeth, the damn cheat crest and it¡¯s lightning fast reflexes, their group of three seemed woefully inadequate to confront them. No, this was a crucible of mental endurance and the first to fall short would also be the first to die. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Tell me you have a plan,¡± Andrew¡¯s lowered voice sounded out in his ears, all notions of ego and pride discarded as he asked an imploring inflection to his tone. A minute, merely a minute had passed, yet Andrew found himself on the brink of insanity as the female Silvercrest Wolf exited the periphery of his vision only to be replaced by the male one, the cycle having repeated itself three times already. The canines were toying with him. Feinting a charge, channeling their qi which ensconced them in the silvery-white energy before harmlessly dissipating it, batting its claws from afar, not to mention the constant growling and snarling that kept breaking his focus. Sarah somehow managed to maintain a stoic front, but that did not mean that every passing second did not weigh down upon her already frayed nerves. ¡°There,¡± Jack began, withdrawing the Qi Gathering Pill he¡¯d gotten for killing his first Twilight Boar and swallowing it, ¡°is a contingency.¡± Sarah¡¯s eyes lit up at those words, her stance relaxing a little upon hearing those words. She didn¡¯t know why, but hearing Jack say those words filled her with hope, not necessarily of victory, but of a fighting chance. For the present Sarah, that was enough. Redoubling her focus, she resumed tracing the Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s path with her spear¡ª if the Wolf dared to charge directly at her, all it would bite into was cold, qi-imbued metal. Never again would she allow herself to succumb to her fear, never would she allow herself to accept the cold embrace of death without defying it to her last breath. he last second. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re up for this?¡± Andrew asked, his tone steeped in begrudging admiration. ¡°If I refused to take the bulk of the risk, would you do it instead?¡± Jack asked pointedly. Andrew¡¯s expression soured a little, but in the end he could not offer a single word in protest. ¡°Be careful,¡± Sarah murmured, biting down on her lips to stymie the rising bravado coursing within her chest. She wasn¡¯t ready to take the lead, not yet. But, it wouldn¡¯t always be this way. ¡°Remember, I might fail, but as long as you guys manage it, odds are we¡¯ll make it out of this mess alive,¡± Jack reminded, his sharp gaze landing upon the male Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s visage. He could feel the Qi Gathering Pill working its magic, its circular form visible in his mind¡¯s eye, nestled in the center of the whirlpool of energy that regulated his Qi Flow; which Jack now knew was known as the Dantian. It released Qi in a continual stream rather than discordant bursts, which his Dantian assimilated into his own Qi Supply. Although the regeneration would not be fast enough to assist him in battle, Jack¡¯s intention was to ensure that his reserves would not be completely depleted after the battle. Deep breaths. Focus your sword. Hone your intent. Catalyze your fear. Use it to fuel your desire. Jack¡¯s expression was one of absolute focus as he brazenly stepped outside the formation, taking five long steps in rapid succession to iron out any possibility of retreat. 13: Bang [Qi Pulse] Within the blackness permeating his surroundings, Jack once again felt the tempo of the world intermeshing with the tempo of his surroundings and of the lifeforms that occupied space in the physical realm. His senses superseded his body¡¯s natural capabilities, no longer bound by its constraints. Faster. He had prepared for this moment. The spatial coordinates of all the combatants were memorized in his mind¡¯s eye seconds after he had ascertained which strategy he would be employing. There was no room for error. At that moment, Jack understood. The meaning of this trial. Risk, the tangible threat of death casting its long shadow upon his person, threatening to smother his brilliance and consume his sense of being... There could be no greater teacher. Jack directed his Qi threads with pinpoint accuracy, tracing the paths his mind¡¯s eye had memorized. Almost instantly, venous structures began to reveal themselves. Andrew and Sarah were the first one¡¯s he detected, their Dantian glowing with a notably greater radiance when contrasted with their past selves. The Silvercrest Wolves on the other hand, were of significantly greater interest to Jack. Their Beast Core was one and a half times the size of the Twilight Boars¡ª he saw no visible discrepancy between the male and the female Silvercrest Wolves¡¯ Cores, even though the latter had a smaller venous network spread. What caught his attention though, was the runic symbols suspended in stasis and the numerous azure veins supplying them with qi. That was the inconsistency that had been prickling at the back of his mind¡ª the distribution and the shape of the venous network was too concentrated near the skull. So this is the real way Qi Pulse is supposed to be used. The skull was the Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s weakness. Or rather, a strike on the crest would damage a large segment of the venous network as the rune, which served as both the outlet and the limiter of Qi, would begin to leak Qi rapidly if his intuition was correct. That would be useful. Though it was not quite what Jack was looking for. The twitch of motion. The movement of a venous cluster that comprised a limb. Jack¡¯s flailing, seemingly panicked movements had yielded the result he was chasing. The moment of truth had arrived. If both the wolves charged towards him, he was done for. It was a gamble, one he¡¯d taken with his life. He had stepped out of the formation. His movements were unrefined, panicked. His positioning cut him off from the rest of the group. The pressure had clearly gotten to him. He had been broken. Lost the will to fight.Stolen story; please report. Jack had no intention of fooling a wolf¡¯s keen senses, no. But there was little other interpretation they could draw in the current scenario. There was no need for two wolves to finish off a broken human. One would suffice. The purpose of the encirclement would also be defeated if both the wolves broke formation at the same time and it would also be contrary to their hunting style¡ª there was no need to fully commit to the offense when they could slowly whittle away their psyche and wait for the other two to break. The Male charged alone. Even with Qi Pulse enhancing his senses, the male Silvercrest Wolf was absurdly fast¡ª not to the point where his senses couldn¡¯t keep up, but his physical body¡­. It would be a struggle to react. That, however, was not where Jack was focused upon. To disregard the oncoming enemy and focus on its compatriot¡­. I am afraid. That is why I will catalyze my fear. That is why I will win. This was the brief moment in time where the female Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s guard was at its weakest. He could feel it in its relaxed movements and confident gait; the damn predator had already written him off, assured of his death. Assured that this was going to be an easy victory. That was true, after all. Two versus two, Sarah and Andrew could not win. A sly grin spread across Jack¡¯s face. Trent. He hadn¡¯t taken the shot yet. Perhaps contingency plan was too grand a term for the simple instruction he had given him. But Jack had a good grasp over the former barista¡¯s personality. Trent responded well to external stimuli. Not every man was suited to become a leader, and that was fine. When granted complete autonomy, Trent seemed to lose himself in a vacuum of self-doubt. Whether it was a fear of killing, the thought that his arrow, which was now pointed at beasts would one day perhaps be pointed at humans or the very thought of staining his hands with blood that consumed him, he did not know. But again, Jack did not see Trent as any lesser for it. A soldier was told where to go. Who to fight. Who to kill. That was a way of externalizing the fear, the self-doubt, the morality; a weight that was shared. If Trent needed someone to share the burden, he was willing to bear the weight of his morality. The conversation they had shared was a short one, just outside the earshot of both Andrew and Sarah. ¡°Trent,¡± he had asked, ¡°Do you trust me?¡± He remembered how Trent had flinched at that question, his eyes flashing with a brief moment of discomfort. As if he feared that Jack would ask something of him that he could not give. ¡°Of the three teammates I have, I trust you the most,¡± Trent had replied diplomatically. Jack remembered nodding to those words. ¡°Very well. I have a simple request for you,¡± Jack¡¯s voice had quietened even further, his tone thoughtful. ¡°Okay,¡± Trent had replied, his tone sounding unsure. ¡°If you can¡¯t line up a clear shot, wait for my signal,¡± Jack had stated, quite anti-climatically. ¡°Huh?¡± Trent had blinked. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± A small smile had sprung up on his visage. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± No plan survives first contact with the enemy. But simple tactics and contingencies remained as effective as the person¡¯s ability to execute them. Trent hadn¡¯t shot yet, but his talent as an archer was unmistakable. Jack had witnessed it with his own eyes. All he needed was, Jack¡¯s left hand shot outward, startling the Silvercrest Wolf for a long second. His thumb raised towards the skies and his extended index finger coming to a stop before the female Silvercrest Wolf, pointing towards her. But there was nothing in his hand that could harm the beast, causing its eyes to glimmer with an odd light. A crazed gleam flashed in Jack¡¯s eyes as he jerked his index finger backwards¡­. ¡°Bang,¡± he mouthed the word, before he canceled Qi Pulse, his eyes shooting open. The sound of a whistling arrow screamed in the background, whilst Jack was confronted with a beast seconds away from ripping his throat out. A mournful wail sounded out behind him. The perfect ambush was complete. 14: Kesagiri A momentary flash of surprise. An ephemeral doubt metastasized into an involuntary spasm of hesitation as the male Silvercrest Wolf jerked its gaze towards its partner. Wolves were sentient creatures capable of expressing their emotions and forming social bonds with their pack mates, so Jack wasn¡¯t entirely surprised by its reaction. If anything, their intelligence stat should be far higher in their evolved form. How dare you, Jack thought. A frantic grin erupted on his visage as he battled back the terror gnawing at his nerves. How dare you avert your gaze in the midst of combat! Jack could feel the Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s warm, musty breath impact against his skin. He had miscalculated. Despite using Qi Pulse to gauge its tempo, he had failed¡ª he had assumed that the Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s speed had hit its crescendo; it would remain a constant after hitting peak acceleration. It was only after canceling his skill that he was confronted with the deceptive truth¡ª the cunning lupine was progressively increasing the amount of Qi it diverted to the runic symbol; its speed marginally rising with every step it took towards Jack. If it wasn¡¯t for Trent¡¯s beautifully timed shot and the female Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s anguished cry, he, without a doubt, would have met his end. The runic symbol, it seemed, was imperfect. The moment the male Silvercrest Wolf allowed itself to be distracted, the intensity of the Silvery-White Qi enveloping it shrunk by half. There will be a price¡­ Jack¡¯s eyes shone with a frenzied zeal, his dilated pupils locked onto the Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s silhouette, casting a shadow over his irises. ¡°Kesagiri,¡± Jack enunciated the word, his voice barely above a whisper. His lead foot placed forward, he pivoted with his rear, generating the necessary momentum to bring his sword down across his body¡ªthe hass¨­-no-kamae or high-guard stance he had been maintaining had all been in preparation for this moment, his blade arcing in a ferocious, diagonal cut. ...for your arrogance! He felt his blade make contact against rough sinew and hard bone, but only for an instant. Warm lifeblood sprayed outwards, the vague silhouette of a cylindrical shaft arcing through the air. Something''s off. Jack¡¯s kesagiri strike was aimed at the beast¡¯s forehead, which he knew to be the Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s weak point. He was prepared to cleave through its skull and the technique he employed was one of the most powerful Kenjutsu sword strikes he knew. There was no way the beast could have survived a direct hit to the skull, and yet¡­ The response he had received from his sword was off. It was too fast. Too smooth. Too easy to cut. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Faint footfall sounded out behind him. Fuck. Jack pivoted on the balls of his feet just in time to see the male Silvercrest Wolf charging at him. Its right foreleg had been completely severed and with every step it took it lost copious amounts of blood. Nevertheless, the flames of rage burned brightly in its gaze, it¡¯s charge mimicking a bolt of lightning descending from the heavens¡ªthe Crest on its forehead shone brightly as the beast zig-zagged forward, this time using it¡¯s speed enhancing ability to the fullest from the get go. Its missing leg made its movements awkward, but the Silvercrest Wolf leaned into its instability; the tempo of its movements too haphazard and erratic to grasp. Jack¡¯s pupils rapidly flashed as he tried to lock on to the Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s contour, but even reduced to three legs, its natural instinct and reflexes were terrifying. Within seconds, it had adjusted its gait to compensate for its missing limb. A spine-chilling scream rang out as Jack collapsed onto one knee. Tears ran down his cheeks, his body¡¯s instinctive reaction to the sheer breadth of pain coursing through his body. The Silvercrest Wolf had raked three deep gashes across his left shin, causing blood to pool at the soles of his feet. He had managed to counter with a last second slash, but only the tip of his blade had made contact. His usually sharp senses were blanketed in a haze and it took all he had to slip his left hand into his pocket and reach for the recovery pill concealed within. The warm burst of healing immediately dulled the sharp, scathing pain gnawing at his leg, snapping Jack out of his reverie. [Qi Pool: 1/12] Damn it. Jack grit his teeth at the realization that he couldn¡¯t use Qi Pulse again. Get up, damn you. There was no system notification. The Silvercrest Wolf wasn¡¯t dead yet. The pain he had wanted so desperately to end surged back to life as Jack placed his injured foot onto the ground, before applying force to it. He began to scream as he pivoted on his uninjured foot, confronted with the sight of a heavily panting Silvercrest Wolf. A long laceration was rent across its side, its fur matted with its own blood. Jack couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the reflexes that allowed it to dodge his slash with one of its forelegs missing, the trail of lifeblood spilled in its charge indicating that the wolf was not for long in this world. The crest resting upon its forehead had lost its brilliance, but Jack did not outwardly react to the burst of relief he felt. ¡°Come at me, you bastard!¡± He bellowed, almost certain that the Wolf would react. A furious howl was the response it uttered, before it threw itself into a headlong charge. As Jack had expected, it did not bother trying to use the erratic movement style it had earlier without the speed-enhancement from the rune¡ª it had lost too much blood to tarry and changing direction without one forelimb was already very difficult. Jack switched his stance, holding his sword to the side; positioning himself for a sweeping slash. Covering the distance rapidly, the Silvercrest Wolf, using the last bit of strength it was concealing to leap forward at Jack, it¡¯s outstretched claws reaching for his throat. The focused expression on Jack¡¯s face changed to a wide, almost demonic grin, his eyes brimming with anticipation. ¡°You fool,¡± Jack whispered as he flicked his wrist, positioning his sword before his chest; his feint blooming into the true strike as Qi Blade flickered to life and Jack gently thrust his sword forward. impaling the Silvercrest Wolf mid-air after using its own momentum against it. 15: Scum The first thought that flashed in Andrew¡¯s mind when the Silvercrest Wolves had successfully completed their encirclement was that the scrawny, unreliable archer had lost his nerve and fled. It was only when he stood at the precipice of an endless pit of despair could he bring himself to ask Jack for a strategy, not expecting much. Even without any enhancements, wolves were terrifying creatures if they were out for blood¡ª the tough persona he maintained, while not exactly a facade, didn¡¯t mean he fancied his chances against a natural born predator. None of this was fucking fair. No, this was insane. His ancestors might have been hunters a century ago, but that didn¡¯t mean he knew how to wield a sword or hold a bow. Modern conveniences had made them soft and civilian weaponry had advanced too much for melee weapons to be used for self-defense. Except Jack did have a contingency. Calling it a contingency was, perhaps, an overstatement, but nevertheless, Andrew was immensely grateful for the ray of hope cascading through the veil of dark clouds. The plan was simple. It was also a long-shot. Jack would signal Trent, who, much to his relief, had been waiting for his command. Andrew could see why¡ª the Silvercrest Wolves¡¯ gazes seemed to radiate a bone-chilling focus, even when their relaxed movements conveyed a lack of tension. They weren¡¯t considered a threat, but even then, Andrew was certain; if Trent missed, the Silvercrest Wolves would not allow him a second chance. So much hinged on one shot. Jack would break out of the formation, signal Trent and try to wound the male Silvercrest Wolf. He, though, had to work with Sarah, to rush towards the hopefully injured female Silvercrest Wolf and finish it off. An individual Silvercrest Wolf was strong, but it was pack-hunting tactics that truly struck terror in their hearts¡ª eliminating one wolf at the outset was paramount if they were to escape this encounter without casualties. Andrew had consented to the plan. There was no reason not to. Jack took the bulk of the risk, while they were tasked with finishing off an injured opponent¡ª no one was counting on Trent to kill the Wolf outright. Jack broke formation as planned. Seconds later, Andrew and Sarah pivoted on the balls of their feet before charging in unison towards the Silvercrest Wolf. Yet¡­. The insides of his mouth felt as if he¡¯d bit down on volcanic ash. Each step that took him closer to the Silvercrest Wolf felt like it was taking him away from survival instead of towards it. Earlier, the despair he felt originated from the fear of death. This though¡­ this was¡­ true despair. Why? Andrew and Sarah came to a halt before the female Silvercrest Wolf. Sarah gasped. Andrew¡¯s gaze was alight with shock. Even that coward had managed it... Trent''s arrow had arced through the air, defying all odds to punch through the wolf¡¯s throat, embedding itself in its trachea. Wheezing and gasping sounds escaped its mouth as it began to choke on its own blood. ¡°Leave it,¡± Sarah pronounced, clearly deeming the wolf to be a threat no longer. They had all agreed beforehand to let Trent have a kill by disabling their foe as long as it was feasible and in this case, he had earned it. She did not think that Andrew would break the covenant¡ª not if it meant defying Jack. In the altercation before, the burly man had seemed intimidated enough. Andrew stood before the dying Silvercrest Wolf, the seconds passing by as he watched the last embers of life drifting away from it. ¡°Andrew, move!¡± Sarah hissed under her breath but Andrew remained rooted to the spot, his attention seemingly ensnared by the dying Silvercrest Wolf. Sarah shifted her gaze to meet Andrew¡¯s visage, only to stumble upon his listless, unfocused eyes. Has he lost it? ¡°Damn it,¡± Sarah groaned, giving Andrew a final, pointed look before she pivoted and rushed forward in Jack¡¯s direction. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Andrew couldn''t tell if only a few seconds or several minutes had passed before his gaze flickered back to life. ¡°So that was it,¡± he whispered, his eyes widening in realization. The source of his uneasiness¡­ he had to confirm it. Angling his gaze behind him, he swiveled his neck just in time to witness Jack thrust his sword into the Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s chest while it was mid-air. Crazy bastard. But, that was what it took, what it would take to survive this hellhole. What he had believed to be foolish chivalry on Jack¡¯s part was him unknowingly signing his own death warrant. Andrew was a perceptive man, perhaps too perceptive for his own good. The path he was heading down was not one where he would survive. He had enough trouble felling a Twilight Boar but before he could adapt himself to that level of difficulty, the System had thrown an evolved variant of a wolf at him. Jack displayed a frightening level of combat adaptability. Trent had incredible aim under duress; a fact that he could no longer deny. Sarah had displayed surprising resilience after the first encounter. He was the only one trying not to change. Up until this point, he was fine with others shouldering the risk for him. That would have been acceptable, if the path to cowardice wasn¡¯t also the path that led to death. What is a cultivator? That was the term the System had used to address them. People who used Qi were called cultivators. Andrew didn¡¯t know if this was the meaning the trial had intended for him to find. Nevertheless, it was the one he chose. A cultivator was one who walked alone. Andrew pointed his sword to the sky, as if he were asking the orchestrator of this trial to witness his resolve, before he brought it down in a graceful arc. ¡°Andrew!¡± Jack¡¯s furious voice rang out, but it was too late. He knew that the others would not accept his presence after he stole a second kill, but that was fine. He had already resolved himself to break out from the group and survive on his own and reaching level three was the bare minimum he needed for that objective. He would hone his abilities and dominate the trial. All the experience, all the loot belonged to him and only him. Whatever it took, he would survive.
No good deed goes unpunished. Trent didn¡¯t feel angry as he saw Andrew¡¯s blade arc towards the dying Silvercrest Wolf, which, by all means and justifications, was his rightful kill. It was a lesson life had tried to teach him repeatedly and one that he¡¯d intentionally remained oblivious towards. That sinking feeling roiling in the pit of your stomach when people toss aside their facade and reveal who they really were¡­ he was all too familiar with it. He was nice. Kind. Not perfect by any means and not quite selfless¡ª but he wanted to help others if he could. There were scattered instances in his life that conveyed this message. A friend ghosting him after she borrowed money from him. A co-worker blaming missing inventory on him and getting his pay for the month docked. His cousin returning his car scratched up after he agreed to lend him for the weekend. There were dozens of mundane incidents like this throughout his life all trying to open his eyes to the truth. People were scum. They smelled kindness and mistook it for gullibility. They took advantage of that kindness. Trent didn¡¯t stand up for himself the first time Andrew stole his kill. The shark smelled blood. So Andrew exploited his weakness, by repeating his actions a second time. Because that was what humans did¡ª exploit kindness. Even now, Trent was sure that Andrew did not think him capable of retaliation. The sound of glass crinkling and shattering into thousands of pieces echoed in his mind as Trent felt his self, or perhaps, his perception of the self shatter. Apathy would have consumed him, if it were not for a eerie green sun casting its light upon him. His emotions resonated with the green sun¡¯s, so Trent reached out for the violent energy. His eyes flickered open, shining with a menacing green light. The milky-white halo superimposed upon the back of his hand began to truly imprint itself upon it, it¡¯s circular shape shifting to form a reversed trident without the shaft and it¡¯s hue shifting to a dark forest green. [Path of Corrosion Minor Dao Mark (Rank 1): Corrosion has been awakened] Jack felt a chill crawl up his spine as he felt the change in the atmosphere. A nauseating feeling welled up in his chest but he fought down the urge to vomit, his senses sending him a warning signal as he tried to trace the origin. What is this revolting sensation? Jack¡¯s gaze sharpened as he realized that the sensation he felt was similar to the Silvercrest Wolf¡¯s runic symbol, except this felt more¡­. complete. His eyes flickered to the tree he knew Trent had been shooting from, spotting a dark green glow that he was certain was the origin of the sickening sensation. ¡°Die,¡± Trent whispered, the tip of his arrow glowing with the very same dark-green light instead of Qi Arrow¡¯s azure glow. Andrew, who had only yet taken a few steps to his freedom screamed, as an arrow punched into his right arm. Jack thoughts flashed rapidly as he tried to make sense of what was happening, somewhat relieved to see that what he placed as Trent''s retaliation hadn¡¯t been a fatal shot. The next second, his relief was replaced with horror. Andrew, whose expression had been full of determination and vigor seconds earlier, fell to the ground, writhing in pain. His pale skin was littered with patches of deep purple splotches, tears dripping down his eyes as he wailed for help. ¡°Sarah!¡± Jack bellowed, fury dripping in his voice. ¡°Run!¡± 16: Crescendo Jack¡¯s outstretched hand grabbed onto Sarah¡¯s wrist, interrupting her forward charge. Moving too fast to decelerate neatly, she stumbled towards Jack, roughly landing before him. Clearly dazed, she took in her surroundings, her gaze first landing upon the nearby fauna, then the source of the shade, which was revealed to be the wide-trunked Anarix Tree and finally Jack, whose expression looked as disturbed as she imagined hers to be. ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry- I¡­¡± Sarah trailed off, her words failing her. She thought she had changed and by all means, she had. But it was one thing to fend off terrifying beasts as a group and an entirely different concept to have one of her teammates shoot another with intent to kill. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jack replied, though Sarah could immediately tell that his words lacked the conviction that he usually made so apparent with his tone. Without hesitating, he swallowed another Recovery Pill, which picked up where the first one had left¡ª sealing the three small incisions remaining after the session of healing. Andrew¡¯s pained cry for help interrupted their brief reprieve, causing Jack and Sarah to exchange shocked glances. He was still alive? Jack raised his right hand, signaling for Sarah to stay behind cover whilst he took a look. The last he¡¯d seen Andrew, he had appeared to be suffering from internal poisoning and appeared as if he were seconds away from drawing his last breath... He audibly winced. He hadn¡¯t been hallucinating Andrew¡¯s condition¡ª his pale skin was still littered with splotches of purple, but from the way his limbs were thrashing around as he wailed for help, he wasn¡¯t dying. ¡°Trent!¡± Jack called out, his voice echoing forth with such intensity that it could easily have caught the attention of any beasts in the vicinity. It was not unlike Jack to disregard his own principles, but he did not, or rather, could not relent in the moment. ¡°I understand your anger,¡± Jack began, his words followed by an action that left Sarah too stunned to speak, the quintessential doomsday prepper stepped out of cover, baring himself to the sight of an enemy archer. ¡°I understand your anger because¡­.,¡± Jack¡¯s gaze traced Trent back to the tree he fired from, ready to dive for cover the moment he detected a flicker of movement or another burst of green light. Jack wasn¡¯t willing to bet his life on Trent¡¯s humanity, but at the same time this was one of the rare moments where he allowed emotions to dictate his actions over logic. ¡°.... because I have been there. Because I have walked the path you now stand on a crossroads before.¡± Sarah listened intently to Jack¡¯s words, able to feel the raw emotions coursing through his words. There was no response from Trent, but at the same time, he made no overt or threatening movement. ¡°Andrew wronged you. I understand that. You feel hatred for him. You want revenge. The thought of justice is what drives you. But Trent, you and I both know that you are not a killer. Don¡¯t you see it? This is exactly what the people who designed this trial want!¡± Jack bellowed, struggling and failing to keep the fury out of his voice. ¡°Normal, everyday people casting aside their humanity to eke out a miserable survival, is that what you want, Trent?" Jack asked, forcing himself to calm down a little. There was still no response. ¡°Dispel your power and I will personally see to it that Andrew is kicked out of the group. Don¡¯t stain your hands red for scum like him,Trent. It¡¯s not worth it,¡± Jack implored, though in truth, the conversation he was having was as much with Trent as it was with himself. ¡°Why now?¡± The response came, his voice sweeping forward as cold as a mid-winter gust. ¡°Back when Andrew stole my kill for the first time, you were stronger than him. If you wished, you could have kicked him out of the group right then and there. You could have punished him for his selfishness, setting an example for the rest of us, but you didn¡¯t, did you?¡± ¡°No¡­. you¡¯re almost as bad as him!¡± Trent''s tone alighted with fury, a green light flashing in the tree¡¯s canopy, clearly visible even amongst the foliage. Jack immediately dove for cover but, The arrow wasn¡¯t aimed at him from the very inception.
¡°I understand if you disagree with what I did,¡± Trent''s voice sounded out as he disembarked from the tree¡¯s canopy, landing on the ground with a thud. ¡°But, like the two of you, I want to survive. You...,¡± Trent''s voice seemed to break a little, but he managed to pull back his composure in time,¡±.... probably can¡¯t accept what I did. That¡¯s fine. My quarrel was never with you both¡ª I will take what was stolen from me and leave,¡± Trent, who had a diminutive presence when juxtaposed next to Jack, now struck terror in Sarah¡¯s heart with every step he took. It wasn¡¯t he, himself, that terrified her but that power, the reversed trident symbol on Trent''s palm contained a horrifying energy that she could not muster the courage to face. ¡°What do we do?¡± She whispered, looking towards Jack for guidance. She¡¯d crept forward through the underbrush when Trent''s attention was diverted, but now, she wasn¡¯t sure if that was the right decision. Jack was rooted to the spot, his expression hollow and his pupils unfocused. He was trapped in a thought-prison of his own making, trapped in an instance of time that looped endlessly in his mind¡¯s eye. Every vivid detail of Andrew¡¯s horrified, panic-riddled expression was imprinted onto his mind, down to the solitary tear trickling down his cheek and landing upon a blade of grass. The arrow that had been fired was as swift as it was true to its target, forcing him to watch as the light dulled in his eyes, the struggle leaving his limbs as his silhouette stilled in the embrace of the eternal darkness. Trent''s words still lingered in his mind, permeating through the filter that separated him from the outside world, the one thing he could still pay attention to. If anything he said could be trusted, Trent intended to loot Andrew¡¯s body and leave and from what he understood of Trent''s personality, that was probably true. It was tempting to stay cloistered behind cover and wait for the threat to pass. His Qi Pool was completely exhausted and his leg had just recovered from a serious wound¡ª not to mention the serious disadvantage he was up against Trent''s new-found power. Even a grazed arrow would render him immobile, at the mercy of the archer¡¯s morality. ¡®BANG!¡¯ ¡®BANG!¡¯Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. He winced as the sound of two gunshots rang out in his mind¡¯s eye, the memory of Andrew¡¯s last moments overlapping with his parents¡¯--- the helplessness, the horror and the glimmer of rage in Andrew¡¯s gaze had been exactly how he¡¯d envisioned his guardian¡¯s final moments. He had experienced, first hand, what happened when murderers were allowed to roam free, unpunished for their actions. He knew what such people did when they realized that there was no one present to hold them accountable for their sins. Life was sacred. Andrew had been greedy. Selfish. Vile, even, in some of his actions. But that couldn¡¯t be all that he was. People were more complex than that, they always were. Andrew could have been a terrible human being, someone who was rotten to his core. But he could also have been someone¡¯s son. A father. A husband. Mean something to someone, to a lot of someones. Perhaps that was the reason he had gone so far to ensure his survival. ¡°Sarah,¡± Jack whispered. ¡°I need you to do something for me.¡± Upon receiving confirmation, Jack¡¯s silhouette slipped away from behind cover, melding with the forest¡¯s foliage. Though Jack himself didn¡¯t derive any satisfaction from hunting animals, he was well versed with the techniques and methods they employed to prowl through forests undetected. Still-hunting was by far the stealthiest way to traverse the underbrush, but Jack didn¡¯t have time for such deliberation. So, he stuck to the basics¡ª taking small, quick steps that carried him forward whilst he painstakingly avoided twigs, dry leaves and errant pebbles in his path, the exercise taxing on both his already weary core and exhausted psyche. ¡°You don¡¯t need to leave,¡± Sarah¡¯s voice cut through the eerie solitude of the forest, assuming a pacifying tone. Trent, who towered above Andrew¡¯s lifeless body, raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°Huh¡± he muttered under his breath, not having expected that response. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he questioned back, expression skeptical. ¡°You know your way around a bow, but look around you. How many more wolves must this forest have? What if you run across something stronger than them? Can you really fend them all off, alone?¡± Sarah didn¡¯t hold back, giving voice to her own fears and anxieties to come off as more convincing. ¡°You saw what I did to him and still want to team up with me? I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Trent shot back, Sarah¡¯s worries falling on deaf ears. ¡°Look-¡± Sarah¡¯s exasperated voice replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t held a spear before this in my entire life and Jack¡¯s injured and exhausted after taking down that wolf and saving all our lives. You¡¯re not my first choice for teammate, hell, you wouldn¡¯t even be last if the circumstances weren¡¯t forcing it,¡± Sarah herself couldn¡¯t believe how genuine her voice sounded, not an iota of guilt leaking through as she spewed one lie after the other. ¡°Jack,¡± Trent whispered under his breath, inadvertently reminded of the swordsman¡¯s presence. Andrew was the only subject that had dominated his mind up until seconds ago, the loot transferring over to his inventory filling him with a righteous exultation. ¡°Sarah, where¡¯s Jack. Why isn¡¯t he talking?¡± Trent snarled loudly, his eyes darting around as a burst of uneasiness washed over him. There was no response. ¡°You bitch!¡± Trent shrieked, on the verge of nocking an arrow when he heard the sound of rushed footsteps echoing out behind him. If it weren¡¯t for his enhanced stats from reaching level three, there was no way he would¡¯ve been able to react in that brief window of time. ¡°My blade will strike you down before you can shoot that arrow. Drop the bow, Trent,¡± Jack bellowed, the intensity of his voice mirrored by his gaze. Trent met Jack¡¯s gaze, his gaze flickering to the sword resting against his throat before landing upon his own bow, his arrow held at full draw but angled below waist height¡ª at most, it would hit Jack in the thigh. Enough to stall, but not outright kill. They were in a standoff. ¡°How do I know you won''t slit my throat the moment I lower my bow?¡± Trent replied, the facade of indifference he had been maintaining beginning to crack as it was replaced with panic. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend as if you don¡¯t know,¡± Jack sneered, unamused. He could have already struck true with his ambush, but had chosen to withhold his blade. ¡°Alright¡­.¡± Trent croaked out, the tension warping his expression. ¡°....fine.¡± Painfully slowly, as if worried that Jack would go back upon his word, Trent began to lower his bow. Time itself seemed to distort for Trent, as he found himself contemplating Sarah¡¯s words. They carried with them a bitter callousness that he was familiar with, one that he knew to be accompanied usually by the truth. Alone, his chances of survival were grim. Even though he didn¡¯t regret his actions, he acknowledged that statement to be the truth. The bridge with Sarah and Jack had already been burned, though¡ª if he surrendered now, at the very least, they would demand his bow and the items he¡¯d looted from Andrew. He could perhaps escape if they were overrun by monsters, but he would be a prisoner until they outlevelled him significantly¡ªto the point where they no longer considered him a threat or they found what remained of the government equivalent and handed him over. Considering that they had barely survived the last encounter, surrendering was the equivalent of signing his death warrant. More than that though, he already knew what the path to survival was. Trent might not be able to confront terrifying beasts head-on and come out victorious time after time, but he could do something Jack didn¡¯t have in him¡ª it had only taken him one arrow to go from level one to level three because¡­. humans couldn¡¯t dodge arrows they didn¡¯t see coming. Angling his neck to the side,Trent took a step back, creating the distance he so desperately needed to angle his bow to his chest level. The tip of his arrowhead flared to light with a dark-green light. ¡°Jack!¡± Sarah screamed. Jack didn¡¯t know if it was because he had been fighting just moments before, because the adrenaline pumping through his veins after witnessing the sight of Andrew being killed by a power that was as terrifying as it was unknown or because his heart was thumping at the pace of a runaway freight train, or perhaps it was a combination of all three of those factors, but he had entered a state that he could only describe as hyper awareness that stretched beyond his enhanced stats. The four of them had been put together for a reason, to offer them a chance at surviving whatever layer of hell they had found themselves in. Trent killing Andrew had been a step too far, but he couldn¡¯t deny that the belligerent man¡¯s own actions played a role. Trent would be judged for his actions, because he had taken the life of another but at the same time, it was not Jack¡¯s place to give or take his life. He had no authority vested to him by the law and neither could he claim to be an arbiter of morality. If anything, he was biased in his hatred for those that took life, having such pain inflicted upon him as a child, when he had been incapable of defending himself let alone others. Killing Trent would make him no different than him. However, the world they lived in now was a broken, lawless one. There were no longer any institutions left to claim retribution or reform, to judge right from wrong, besides the sadistic system that seemed content enough to kill them all. As tough a pill it was to swallow, there was only a single correct answer he could see. He and Sarah could simply leave, leaving a knocked-out Trent behind to slip out of his stupor after they had left. Banishment would have to be enough of a punishment for a lone man in face of the apocalypse and Jack hoped that Trent had seen enough of his prowess to know that he was no easy prey. Besides, sending him to sleep would mean that Trent would need to follow their trail across a forest that was already fraught with dangers and he was no tracker. His fate would be his own to decide and more likely than not, they would never meet again. But that was before Jack heard the crunching of grass disturbed by the rise and fall of a leather boots in the form of two thumps that sounded out in remarkably quick succession, hurriedly followed by a muted groan of the bow as its wood flexed to its limit, the low-pitched vibration of the already drawn bowstring as it reached maximum tension and the sharp breath of a hunter exhaled when he knew he had his mark ---- all before his visual acuity had registered the importance of Trent having kept his arrow tensioned. The question had shifted from one of morality to another of survival. Jack¡¯s body, mind and soul were in unison as he answered, his movements smooth and without an ounce of hesitation. Jack was already sidestepping Trent''s immediate line of fire the moment he had taken the first step in retreat and by the time it came to his second, as Trent was angling his bow where he remembered Jack¡¯s chest to be a moment before, Jack had already committed to a lunge that slid past his drawn bow with a speed and fluidity Jack would be hard pressed to repeat even if given another hundred tries. The glow ensconcing Trent''s arrow-tip winked out seconds after it flared to life. The arrow Trent was on the verge of releasing slipped out of his grasp, but the force behind it was only a quarter of what he¡¯d intended. A burning pain unlike anything he¡¯d experienced before erupted in his abdomen. He angled his gaze downwards, confronted by a flower of blood blooming in the center of his abdomen¡­ with Jack¡¯s sword lodged deeply in his flesh. ¡°H-how,¡± Trent stuttered, his eyes full of disbelief. There was no way Jack should have seen it coming, it had to be impossible! Trent was certain that Jack hadn¡¯t foreseen the two quick steps he had committed to without warning, already pulling back his drawn bow into aim as he did so. It had taken him maybe half a second more to call upon his corrosion and that should¡¯ve been it. Barely two seconds to react to a ranged attack and yet¡­ ¡°It didn¡¯t have to be this way, Trent,¡± Jack¡¯s response was uttered barely above a whisper, his voice quivering with a deep sorrow, a sorrow that could be compared to a young child losing both his parents on the same day. A sorrow that Jack was no stranger to. In that moment, Trent felt like he¡¯d finally met the real Jack¡ª the man behind the facade of composure. That was his final thought. 17: Darkness Towering over Trent, Jack felt the primal conviction waver within him as the adrenaline empowering his movements ebbed, his knees buckling as he collapsed onto them. It was only the survival instinct he had ingrained into his psyche that gave him the strength to maintain a firm grip over his sword, even as he found his will to fight rapidly escaping him. In his desire to rectify a perceived injustice, he was confronted with the most bitter truth of all. He wasn¡¯t any different from Trent. And Trent hadn¡¯t been any different from Andrew, had he? Jack had driven his sword through the archer¡¯s gut the moment he had posed a threat to his life and even now, he could easily recall the ease with which he had committed the sin he had spent a lifetime loathing. He felt his mind¡¯s eye fragment into a thousand shards, forming a kaleidoscope of alternate futures that his consciousness forced him to replay out of the guilt that was weighing down upon him. If he moved a little faster would he have been able to snap Trent¡¯s bow in half? If he had acted a little more discreetly, would Trent have been able to sense his presence? If he had instructed Sarah a little more, given her some advice on how to distract Trent, would the ruse have lasted a little longer? Long enough to resolve this conflict without any more bloodshed? Possibly. There were so many possibilities. So many ways the situation could have gone. Yet all Jack had, all any of them had was the present. Did he have to charge at Trent? Trent had shown himself to be a threat and, in the end, he had proven that he was willing to kill Jack, whether that be because of the experience he had accumulated or because he thought working together was no longer a possibility and suspected betrayal. Subduing him was the logical course of action, be that as his group¡¯s leader or the doomsday prepper within him that had come to become a part of him and put survival above all. Did he regret charging at Trent? That was a harder question. It hurt. He was pained by the sword he had plunged into Trent''s gut, as if it was his own flesh and blood he was striking at. His grief was as real as the rawest emotions he had ever felt, there was no doubt in his mind about that. But did he truly regret putting down a threat after the fangs had been revealed? Could he really regret it? If Trent had not raised his bow and created distance in an attempt to run an arrow through his chest, everything could¡¯ve been different. The archer would¡¯ve still been alive, banished and alone, but alive. And Jack¡¯s plan to banish Trent had been the correct one, given how the situation had unfolded afterwards. No, Jack didn¡¯t regret doing what he had to do. He¡­ didn¡¯t regret killing a man for the offense of trying to claim his own. Jack Anderson was human, through and through and now he suffered the backlash of his own hatred for murderers, ironically enough. If Trent believed that Andrew was becoming or would be a threat to the Archer¡¯s life, then was he wrong for sinking his arrow into his flesh? Yes, was the answer Jack wanted to give. No was the answer he knew to be true. No, Trent wasn¡¯t any more or less wrong than Jack himself was. ¡°Damn it!¡± Jack pummeled his fist into the ground, striking with such force that he could feel the impact in his bones. The footsteps sounding out behind him cut through the dreary landscape his mind was at that moment, causing Jack to angle his gaze behind him. Sarah met his gaze. He could see the shock reflected in her eyes, the fear concealed in the corner of her pupils; but most of all, he saw a sternness in her demeanor that hadn¡¯t been there before. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Sarah asked, her tone echoing forth with genuine concern instead of the recrimination he had been expecting. ¡°I...,¡± Jack trailed off, unsure how to respond. Part of him was surprised that Sarah hadn¡¯t simply left, horror stricken at his actions, while the other part of him wondered how she could maintain a mask of stoicism even in their present circumstances.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°....just killed someone,¡± Jack said the words aloud, acknowledging reality for what it was. Acknowledging himself for what he was. For the first time in his life, he had killed a person. A real person, in every sense of the words¡¯ meaning, making him no more or less than the one he had killed. Sarah¡¯s mask cracked a little at those words, but she managed to recover. ¡°I¡¯m not going to wallow in self-pity after what I¡¯ve done, ¡°Jack found that his own voice was overwhelmed with emotion, in a rare display of vulnerability that reminded him of the person he used to be. Lonely and broken, nestled in a manor too large to ever feel like home. ¡°But this is still my fault. I failed as a leader.¡± Sarah remained silent, sensing that Jack had more to say. ¡°I saw what Andrew did. I witnessed his belligerent actions with my own eyes. Yet, I did nothing to stop it. I could have. I knew I could have, but it risked damaging the integrity of the group. I prioritized the group over any one individual, and this is what it has led to,¡± Jack muttered, his tone crestfallen. ¡°Who made you the leader?¡± Sarah angrily questioned. Stunned by her furious response, Jack truly looked at her for the first time since they¡¯d met, not having expected the challenge. ¡°Andrew made the decision to steal Trent''s kill. You tried to get Trent to surrender, but instead he drew his arrow and activated that terrible power without any warning. If I was in your place, I would be writhing on the floor in agony, completely at his mercy. They were both adults who made their own decisions and you,¡± Sarah¡¯s gaze flickered to Trent¡¯s lifeless silhouette, managing to withhold the urge to wince, ¡°did what you had to.¡± ¡°There could have been a different outcome,¡± Jack replied, though deep down he knew Sarah¡¯s words to be true. ¡°No,¡± Sarah firmly replied. ¡°You don¡¯t get to lead me. You were never leading Andrew. Trent was very capable of fighting for himself as he has clearly displayed. He fought back and the second time, he fought back against the one person trying to help him. Trent repaid a peace offering with a poisoned arrow. This is the outcome their choices led to.¡± Sarah believed her own words. She had to believe her own words. She had to keep moving forward. She had to be selfish. She had to ignore the past, forget it if need be and she would if it meant seeing her father again. ¡°Can you bring yourself to trust me after this?¡± Jack asked, gazing at Sarah¡¯s outstretched palm that was beckoning him to get back onto his feet. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sarah replied honestly. ¡°I¡¯m trapped in a forest with a man I met an hour ago. We are up against a forest teeming with creatures I¡¯ve never seen before in my life, wielding arcane powers that I don¡¯t understand to try and survive. I would be a liar if I said I knew what I was doing but, I do know that I can¡¯t do this alone. Teaming up with you is the best shot I have.¡± Jack grunted in affirmation, realizing that his words had failed him. Slowly, he got back onto his feet. It was not his intention to spurn Sarah¡¯s extended hand, but this was something he had to do for himself. Walking over to a clear patch of grass, Jack thrust his sword into the soft earth, plucking out a small mound of soil and depositing it to the side. Before Sarah could ask what he was doing, Jack repeated the process. Again. And again. Then a fourth time. Fifth. Each time, he got a little faster, his enhanced strength assisting him in the process. Ten minutes later, flanked by two mounds of upended earth rested two makeshift graves. ¡°Do we have time for this?¡± Sarah asked, worriedly, while keeping a vigilant eye on her surroundings. ¡°Perhaps not,¡± Jack replied, walking over to Trent''s limp body. ¡°Then why-¡± ¡°I will do what it takes to survive,¡± Jack solemnly replied, as he pressed the Loot option that appeared before him. The loot that had originally belonged to Andrew, then was brutally stolen by Trent now fell in his possession in an equally brutal manner. The cycle of blood and death only reinforced the understanding Jack had gained after having taken the life of another himself. He was a part of that cycle. Tomorrow, if another killed him, they would claim his loot for themselves and the cycle would continue. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to break the cycle, but Jack would choose to believe that his destiny was his own to forge. The blood that had spilt over the loot would be granted the reverence it was due and Jack would claim it for himself. The survivalist within him was delighted at his actions, but it was not enough to drive him to them. No, Jack would claim the loot, just as he would kill those who tried to kill him, to break himself free from the cycle. ¡°This trial, this world, is designed to break and reforge us, a cycle of blood and death that will continue until we are indistinguishable from weapons of war,¡± Jack muttered, his gaze furiously angled towards the sky. ¡°I will do what it takes to survive, but survival alone will matter little in such a callous world. I will live and move forward, I will face the next day with as much determination as I did the last, but it will not be at the cost of my humanity,¡± He declared, his intention steeped in every word. Humanity wasn¡¯t just the good, it also came with the bad, the ugly and the grotesque. Trent¡¯s death had been ugly and Andrew¡¯s grotesque, the pain that had preceded his demise both unnatural and unnecessarily cruel. But Jack wouldn¡¯t turn away from it, he would not shirk away from the truth and only choose to believe it¡¯s convenient and noble sides. In accepting the loot that had passed from the creatures they had hunted, to Andrew and then to Trent, he had also accepted their humanity. They had done what they had to do, just like Jack had. He was the one that had lived to tell the tale, so he would accept who they had been and direct their humanity to the chains that still bound Jack. And one day, Jack would shatter those chains. His hands sinking into the soil, he began to cover the graves. Perhaps his actions were no more than a symbolic defiance, but he would follow them through to the end. Not long thereafter, Sarah and Jack departed, leaving behind two gravestones partially embedded within the ground. Scrawled upon them in rough, abrasive writing, was a single line: Here lie Andrew and Trent, two humans. 18: Carpe Diem [You have slain a Level 3 Male Silvercrest Wolf. You have received 1194 Soul Experience!] [You have slain Level 3 Cultivator with an awakened Dao Mark. You have received 1577 Soul Experience.] [You have looted the following items: 1198 Tutorial Points. Greater Recovery Pill (Adept Grade Alchemical Pill) x 1 Lupine Core x1 Silvercrest Cape (Uncommon, Qi Gathering Stage) x1] [For slaying a Cultivator that had successfully awakened his Dao Mark, you are awarded Feat: Dao Slayer] [Feat: Dao Slayer Description: A Dao Mark allows many recently integrated cultivators to attain heights that they normally would not have, but it¡¯s potency and true potential can only be unearthed by the worthy. Let this be both a reminder and a mark of your courage¡ª and most of all, a reminder¡ª be it your allies or enemies, no foe in the three realms is infallible. +1 to Qi Pool] [Class: Swordsman (Basic) has reached level 4! +5 Free Points, +1 Qi Pool has been awarded. ] [Name: Jack Anderson Cultivation Stage: Qi Gathering Race: Human [Unrefined] Class: Swordsman [Basic] Class Level: 4 (1450 /5000) Feat: Dao Slayer Dao Mark: Inert Minor Dao Fragment: - Skills: Inspect (Lv.3), Qi Blade (Lv.4), Qi Pulse (Lv. 3) Statistics: Strength: 9 Constitution:9 Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 7 Dexterity: 8 Perception: 12 Free Points: 5 Qi Pool: 2/14 Tutorial Points: 1468] Even guilt had not stopped Jack from being surprised at the deluge of notifications that were waiting for him. His expression had cycled through a variety of emotions, from confused, to conflicted, letting the tension build up to the point of anger before letting it all go with a weary sigh. There was much that infuriated him. There was equally as much that confused him. Jack had believed that the purpose of this trial was to create an army of ruthless soldiers; a supposition that he was quite inclined to believe in. Yet, he had just slain someone who had awakened their Dao Mark and instead of being punished for his impudence, he was rewarded. The feat he had been granted revolted him to his very core but ultimately he was helpless to do anything about it. Even if he could remove the feat from his status screen and consequently his body, the survivalist within him would never allow it. Not unless he had given up and accepted his fate. The Tutorial Points had to be the combined total of Andrew and Trent''s points after they had slain the Silvercrest Wolf, along with the Tutorial Points from his own wolf kill. They had combined into quite an impressive sum. That, however, could not raise a candle to the Silvercrest Cape he had looted. [Silvercrest Cape, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact (Uncommon). Description: This cape was crafted from the hide of a Silvercrest Wolf, Evolved Earth Predator. The Cape exhibits strong resistance to slashing attacks and increases the movement speed of the wielder by a notable degree. Artifact Ability: Cast a Silver Aura ensconcing the wielder that significantly increases movement speed. Requires 5 Qi Points for a maximum of one minute¡¯s use. Ability resets every day. Requirements not met]. ¡®Two in dexterity, one in strength, one in constitution, one in intelligence¡¯ [Statistics: Strength: 10 Constitution: 10 Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 7 Dexterity: 10 Perception: 12 Qi Pool: 2/14 Tutorial Points: 1468] [Silvercrest Cape requirements met]This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Jack felt a strong gust of wind buffeting against his visage, his silver-furred cape fluttering as he moved forth with swift, unencumbered steps. Though Jack very well knew the importance of traversing hostile territory silently, his improved dexterity stats coupled with the sublime airiness to his movements the Silvercrest Cape provided meant that he could limit any noise pollution to a minimum. Sarah trailed behind him, a distance of roughly ten meters separating the two individuals. There was no particular strategy behind this peculiar formation and neither was Jack heading towards any specific destination. Such aimlessness was in conflict with his meticulous personality but there were two reasons why he had chosen, or rather, requested it. Besides the fact that Jack, with his class at level four and the Silvercrest Cape was simply more agile and had the capability to run faster for longer periods of time, the first reason boiled down to a matter of convenience. With him leading, he could swing his sword freely, without the thought of accidentally hurting Sarah weighing him down. The second, well, the second was something he had to test. The final threshold a warrior needed to cross before they entered the realm of true combat readiness was an elusive one; a rubicon that could cause even the most talented and skilled of fighters to miserably falter. An hour had passed since he and Sarah had departed from the site of their former teammates¡¯ resting place, so Jack wasn¡¯t entirely surprised when he caught the glint of a blade concealed in an unassuming thicket in the midst of changing stance. Lashing itself forward, a deep violet-skinned humanoid creature revealed itself, roughly four feet in height, characterized by three small, red-tipped horns jutting from it¡¯s skull, spindly arms and legs connected by a thin layering of muscle and most notably, a serrated metal dagger it rushed towards Jack with. [You have successfully inspected a Level 3 Lesser Rift Goblin Assassin, Trial Classification: Rift Beast.] The notification flickered away from his mind¡¯s eye almost as soon as it materialized, since Jack made the conscious decision to ignore it. The first moment was spent taking in the enemy¡¯s movements and general appearance, just enough to distinguish it¡¯s shape and a few characteristics. Jack¡¯s Qi Blade arced in a wide sweep, his movements carrying a natural effortlessness that they had lacked before, one that could only be attained by crossing the rubicon. It was a fact that Jack had killed a man, whether his actions were justified or not, whether he deserved punishment for his sins or he had legally acted in self defense, all that did not matter in the heat of the moment. What mattered was that Jack¡¯s blade had lost the hesitation no amount of training or theoretical study could disavow. It now echoed forth with the conviction to cut down any enemy that threw themselves at him, even if his purported foe were to be a human. Azure and silver sparks flashed in the air as the Lesser Rift Goblin caught Jack¡¯s blow between two of the dagger¡¯s teeth, surprise flashing in his gaze upon realizing that he could not push the spindly armed creature back anymore than it could for him backwards. The silver sparks caused him to narrow his eyes, helping him reach a conclusion. The Rift Goblin had its own way to empower its blade, though there was a marked difference; while his enhancement was an offensive, cutting one, the Rift Goblin seemed to be internally reinforcing his blade somehow, perhaps it was an ability of the dagger itself. More than that though, Jack was surprised by the strength contained in those frail-looking arms, its muscles containing a wiry, tightly corded tensile strength that was simply inhumane for its small, unassuming stature. So we¡¯re roughly equals in strength, he noted, his expression unfazed. Pulling back his blade, Jack disengaged only to strike from a different angle seconds later. This time, he imposed his right foot forward, managing to impress more of his body weight into the arcing slash. He almost winced as his blade sent a strong vibration quaking down his arm, gritting his teeth as he pushed back against the serrated blade. Fast reflexes too, a step faster than me. Disengage. Step-forward-strike. Parried. Repeat. Jack pushed the Rift Goblin back by five whole steps, stitching together the glimpses of its visage he had gotten during the battle in his mind¡¯s eye to form a cohesive idea of how his movements were being tracked. Twice now, he had caught the Rift Goblin¡¯s gaze tracking his sword intently, almost certain that sight was the only real source of it¡¯s agile reaction time. With a grunt, Jack disengaged. It was only the goblin¡¯s smaller stature and limited reach with its dagger that let him do so without risking an opening, but Jack had come no closer to killing the alien creature than his first attempt. Instead, he had set an expectation, a tempo that his opponent was now dancing to. Again, Jack swung his sword with intent, though his attention was focused more on the Rift Goblin¡¯s visage over his blade¡¯s arc. Now. Jack¡¯s leg lashed forward, but instead of leaning his body weight into the attack he sent a powerful kick that crashed against the side of the Rift Goblin¡¯s knee joint. He audibly winced at the sensory feedback, the experience akin to kicking a metal totem pole. A moment later he inwardly smiled as he felt the Rift Goblin¡¯s right knee buckle from the impact. The Rift Goblin let out a sound that sounded like a choked gurgle as it tried to regain its footing. Jack planted the same foot he had used to deliver the kick forward, thrusting his sword in a vicious lunge that stretched his body to the fullest. The tip of his blade penetrated the Rift Goblin¡¯s ribcage before protruding out from its back, the blow dealing instant death. Panting, Jack withdrew his sword from the Rift Goblin¡¯s carcass, angling his gaze towards Sarah, who arrived seconds after he¡¯d finished the creature off. ¡°What is that?¡± She asked, her tone evenly split between morbid curiosity and surprise. Taking a few more seconds to catch his breath, Jack replied, ¡°A Rift Beast, the second classification of enemies we can encounter in this Quest.¡± Jack and Sarah discussed the characteristics of the Rift Beast as he looted the creature, both their vigilant gazes looking out for any sign of the creature¡¯s allies. Fifteen minutes later, they resumed their journey, but this time Sarah moved alongside Jack. ¡°So, did you test what you needed to?¡± The brunette asked, a hint of confusion carried forward in her question. ¡°I did,¡± Jack answered. ¡°I was expecting a new skill or something along those lines. Though the way you fought, it felt different for some reason,¡± She muttered aloud. ¡°Precise. Almost clinical.¡± Thoughtful, Jack paused to collect his thoughts before he gave her a response, ¡°Skills are only as powerful as the resolve of the one wielding them. If the level difference is too large, it likely won''t make a difference but if both the opponents wield a similar level of power, then the one with greater combat awareness and presence of mind will come out on top. I can''t force the system to grant me newer, more powerful skills, but I can sharpen my mind in preparation for that moment." Letting Sarah ruminate over his words, Jack tuned his mind back to a state of combat readiness. The next twelve or so hours were a blur in Jack¡¯s mind, fuelled by adrenaline and the intoxication of strengthening his levels and skills. He had let Sarah have the second Rift Goblin kill, that one a berserker variant, which meant that it had come charging at them with a burly greataxe that neither Jack nor Sarah could parry. By the end of the day, they had slain nine Rift Goblins in total, convincing Jack that they had stepped into their territory. They had debated turning back, but so far the Goblins had only approached them on their lonesome; as if they, too, had been scattered at random like the humans of Earth had. Regardless of the specifics of their encounters, there was one fact that shone through above all. They had survived the first day. 19: Respite 19: Jack offered Sarah a hand, which she hurriedly accepted in an effort to maintain her balance. Climbing the staggeringly tall Anarix Trees was an idea that the survivalist within Jack was staunchly against, but so far, none of the attacks they had faced came from aerial vectors and both of them were tired. The cruel forest seemed to stretch on for miles on end, offering no guarantee of finding decent cover and camping on the forest floor itself wasn¡¯t even in consideration. Not when they were in what Jack suspected to be Rift Goblin territory. Thankfully, the Rift Beasts they had encountered so far had been limited to Level 3. Two of the people that they had arrived into this new iteration of earth with were dead and while Jack individually was far stronger than he had ever been, he did not believe that his own strength made up for the difference that numbers provided. Not yet. ¡°Thanks,¡± Sarah whispered as she gingerly stepped onto the branch Jack was sitting on. It didn¡¯t so much as creak under her weight, though that didn¡¯t stop him from knocking on its surface to reassure her. A metallic clink sounded out as Jack knocked on the Anarix Tree¡¯s branch, only to get a sensory response that suggested that the tree was more rock than wood. Convinced, Sarah held on to his hand as she seated herself before letting go. ¡°So,¡± Sarah began, her tone weary with exhaustion even though the nourishment pill they had consumed an hour ago had satiated them, the hydration pill kept the thirst away and the need for sleep had not been a problem for Jack at least, since his body was reforged by the Divine Flames. ¡°What now?¡± She asked, her earlier boldness having given way to a pervasive weariness. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Jack replied, his tone solemn as he turned to face Sarah. Their gazes met and for a brief moment, they studied each other. Their faces were covered in a layer of perspiration, dust and grime. Sarah¡¯s originally pristine tunic was marred by splotches of dried blood, while Jack¡¯s Twilight Chest Piece had done a good job at keeping blood from sticking, the same couldn¡¯t be said about his leggings. Dirt and dried blood painted a grisly picture of his previous day and the awakening quest had barely begun. ¡°About what?¡± Sarah asked. Jack sobered, before shaking his head and pressing forward with a reply, ¡°When I dealt with Trent, I was given a feat for my actions.¡± Sarah¡¯s expression sobered up at mention of Trent, the weariness fleeing from her eyes, ¡°A feat, huh? I have a slot on my statistics screen that mentions it, but it¡¯s blank. What does it do?¡± She cautiously asked, her tone as soothing as she could make it. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s called Dao Slayer,¡± Jack replied after a moment. ¡°Its effect in itself is nothing stellar. It adds one point to my Qi Pool. What I¡¯m worried about is what it means for us and for this quest.¡± ¡°Tell me more,¡± Sarah replied, her tone taking on that same intensity it had when she¡¯d counselled him. ¡°The way the quest was worded, its emphasis on the so-called awakening, I thought that this Arrenis Shen or the three realms he represents, wanted a large number of people to unlock their Dao Marks. Maybe take the awakened ones somewhere else, recruit them into an intergalactic army or train them to participate in their civilization. But I killed one of their precious Dao Marked individuals and it rewarded me for it,¡± Jack explained, his tone solemn. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Sarah asked, her intrigue only balanced by confusion as she tried to decipher Jack¡¯s implication. ¡°What comes after this, Sarah?¡± Jack asked. ¡°When I met Arrenis Shen in the dreamscape, he laid claim to this planet. And after the effort they¡¯ve gone to in remodelling it, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to just go away. If we take this as a sixty day sojourn, we¡¯re going to be crushed when we finally face whatever it is they¡¯re granting us this training opportunity for.¡± ¡°A training opportunity?¡± Sarah asked, her tone sounding wronged. Two of their group members had already died on the first day and regardless of how it had happened, calling something this cruel an opportunity was going too far. ¡°I didn¡¯t make the rules, Sarah,¡± Jack replied with a sad smile. ¡°You offered me strength when I needed it the most, so I won¡¯t mince words or try to sugarcoat it. I respect you, Sarah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to tell you what you need to hear.¡± Sarah¡¯s lips were pressed together, before she bit back a response and waited for Jack to finish. ¡°This is our reality now,¡± Jack said, as his gaze swept across the landscape in search for threats. ¡°You told me that I wasn¡¯t your leader. I wasn¡¯t Trent or Andrew¡¯s leader. And that was true. In this new world, we all make our own decisions. And those decisions come with consequences. Don¡¯t try to go back to the way things used to be and accept them as they are now and move forward. If you do not fall on your path, others will. Instead of letting their deaths go in vain, use them as fuel to survive. Fight for more than just seeing the next day, become strong enough that no one can force you to choose between their life and your own. Become strong enough to stay human.¡± Sarah met Jack¡¯s gaze and they held eye contact for moments on end, before Sarah¡¯s eyes began to water. Jack offered her and arm and she leaned into it, silently sobbing as she let the built up emotions that the system and it¡¯s damned quest had forced onto her. ¡°Do you think¡­,¡± Sarah whispered, only to break out into a sob before recovered, ¡°are my parents truly exempt from the trial? Or did that masked alien lie to me?¡± She asked with a quivering voice, her tone barely above a whisper. ¡°Arrenis Shen mentioned something about children below the age of eighteen being exempt from the quest,¡± Jack replied softly, his tone gentle. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that the same holds true for those past a certain age. For what my opinion¡¯s worth, I don¡¯t think beings this powerful have any reason to lie to us.¡± Sarah nodded, sniffling as she fought back any more tears that were on their way, before pulling away from Jack. ¡°I understand,¡± Sarah said with another small nod. ¡°If fighting is what I need to do to see them again, then¡­,¡± Her grip over her spear, that was held with left hand and balanced on the Anarix¡¯s tree¡¯s band. ¡°I¡¯ll give them hell.¡± Jack wanted to continue the conversation, but both of them were interrupted by a uninvited system prompt. [The Tutorial Shop is now active.] 20: The Tutorial Shop 20: Jack blinked. While he hadn¡¯t forgotten about the Tutorial Shop, so much had happened in the past twenty four hours that it was hard to keep it at the forefront of his mind. He¡¯d ended up changing more in a day than he had in the preceding decade, but the trial he was facing had only begun. Show me, Jack thought-commanded. [Tutorial Shop
  1. Recovery Pill (Basic Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 100 TP
  1. Qi Gathering Pill (Basic Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 150 TP
  2. Greater Recovery Pill (Adept Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 500 TP
  1. Body Refinement Stone (Uncommon, Qi Gathering Stage) ¡ª 1000 TP (249,922/250,000)
  1. Bloodsong Sabre (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (99,991/100,000)
  1. Moonsword (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (99,999/100,000)
  1. Hoarfrost¡¯s Edge (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (99,986/100,000)
  1. Naga Armor Set (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact Set 3/3) ¡ª 7500 TP (74,995/75,000)
  1. Jade Guard Armor Set (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact Set 3/3) ¡ª 7500 TP ( 74,990/75,000)
  1. Juvenile Wyrm¡¯s Breath Armor Set (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact Set 3/3) ¡ª 7500 TP (74,998/75,000)
  1. Cultivation Technique: Essence Renewal Art (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage¡ª Foundation Establishment Stage) ¡ª 10,000 TP [ 49,998/50,000]
  1. Cultivation Technique: Tenfold Strike (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage¡ª Foundation Establishment Stage) ¡ª 15,000 TP [49,999/50,000]
  1. Cultivation Technique: Essence Syphon Art (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage¡ª Foundation Establishment Stage) ¡ª 20,000 TP [30,000/30,000]
  1. Foundation Establishment Pill (Advanced Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 25,000 TP (25,000/25,000)
More items will be added to the shop in twenty four hour intervals. Available TP: 3566] Jack wasn¡¯t surprised to find that his available reserve of TP had gone to over four thousand points. While he had been in a bit of a trance after Trent¡¯s death and admittedly hadn¡¯t been paying too much attention to the TP and loot he was getting for his kills, it was in line with what he remembered. With him taking the lead and his Qi Pulse having reached level 3 then, Jack had taken out one berserker variant Rift Goblin and five Rift Goblin assassins. Sarah had dealt with the other three, working in tandem with him. Letting Sarah trail behind him did focus most of the risk onto him, but he had advantages in the form of the Twilight Armor¡¯s Chest Piece, his Silvercrest Cape and the Greater Recovery Pill that he was pretty sure he¡¯d looted from Trent. And it had paid off. Sarah had contributed greatly to the fight with the deadlier Rift Goblin Berserkers. The dangerous part about fighting them was their own disregard for their safety, as they charged through the forest after spotting him without fear of ranged attacks with a hefty greataxe. She had killed the first one after Jack had dodged the Rift Goblin Berserker¡¯s strike by throwing himself to the side. It¡¯s greataxe had cleaved through the earth where Jack had been standing a mere moment ago, embedding itself halfway through. Sarah had taken advantage of that opening by thrusting her Qi spear towards the back of the Rift Goblin Berserker¡¯s skull, felling it in a single blow. It was a testament to her growth that she¡¯d managed to fell it so effortlessly and Jack suspected that not even Sarah was aware of just how much her demeanour, her body language, all encompassed by a single term that was her aura, had changed in a mere day. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Unfortunately, the second time Sarah tried the same gambit, the Rift Goblin Berserker managed to instinctively dodge to the left, reducing what should¡¯ve been a fatal wound to a scrape. Jack felled that one eventually, relying on baiting and dodging to chip away at its stamina before he unleashed a kesagiri cut from the hasso-no-kamae stance. The strength behind his diagonal cut was enough to carve a deep gash into the Rift Goblin Berserker¡¯s chest, to the point where its innards had been exposed to the air. Jack had retreated because he expected it to keep going with its frenzied charge, but the damage had been enough to fell it. Sarah¡¯s final tally had been two Rift Goblin Assassins and one berserker, putting their total count at nine. Jack was pretty sure that Sarah had gotten a similar number of experience and tutorial points as he had, even though his final kill count was double hers, because he was fighting Rift Beasts that were one level lower than him and he¡¯d only gotten about 500 soul experience per kill versus the whopping near 1200 he¡¯d gotten for killing a male Silvercrest Wolf. For that same reason, his tutorial points haul was lower than he had expected. Thankfully, his skills were not dependent on the soul experience he got, as far as Jack coil;d tell. So far, the more he had used them, the faster they had levelled up. After the end of the fighting, Inspect and Qi Pulse had reached level 4 while Qi Blade had reached level 5. His class was also pretty close to reaching the next level, where if he was lucky, Jack would unlock a new skill. ¡°Did you get the notification too?¡± Sarah asked, snapping him out of his reverie. Jack nodded, sucking a cool breath of air before he replied, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s almost overwhelming.¡± ¡°What is?¡± Sarah asked, sending a puzzled look his way. ¡°I know that there¡¯s always someone better out there, but the fact that there¡¯s someone who can already throw around fifteen thousand tutorial points rankles,¡± Jack admitted with a frown. ¡°Fifteen thousand?¡± Sarah repeated, the question in her tone evident. ¡°He bought a cultivation technique called Tenfold Strike,¡± Jack replied. ¡°System, what does it do?¡± He asked. A moment passed and no blue box popped up to clarify. Oh, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me, Jack thought sourly. ¡°Sarah, can you try and ask the system what any of the items in the tutorial shop do?¡± ¡°On it,¡± Sarah teresly replied, her attention shifting to a screen that was invisible for all but her. ¡°It¡¯s not letting me see any of the descriptions,¡± Sarah answered a few moments later. ¡°I even tried to use inspect on it, but it just told me that I was looking at a System Avatar and that my inspect skill was too low to be granted access to any further information.¡± ¡°Damn it,¡± Jack grumbled under his breath. ¡°They made a trial out of the tutorial shop,¡± He said sourly. ¡°What do you think? What¡¯s worth buying?¡± Sarah asked, an undeniable intrigue audible in her tone. ¡°How many tutorial points do you have?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Nineteen hundred.¡± Jack nodded, before he pulled a Greater Recovery Pill from his pocket and used his Level 4 Inspect upon it. [Greater Recovery Pill, Adept Ranked Alchemical Pill Description: A Greater Recovery Pill refined by a competent alchemist. Heals flesh wounds 75% faster than a regular Recovery Pill. Capable of healing damage to bones without leaving any scarring or inefficiencies in the healing process. Seals off open wounds 100% faster than a regular recovery pill on a priority basis.] ¡°I don¡¯t have an exact benchmark for you,¡± Jack explained. ¡°But I just used inspect on a Greater Recovery Pill and that gives me a benchmark for what 500 TP buys.¡± Jack then proceeded to repeat the system¡¯s description to Sarah, who¡¯s eyes widened as she gazed at the Greater Recovery Pill with newfound respect. ¡°That is lifesaving,¡± Sarah replied, with an ordinary recovery pill in her hand. Jack had used inspect on it as well and had found himself largely underwhelmed. It did heal non-lethal wounds, sure, but it was slow and crude when it came to healing the bone. At level 4, Inspect even told him that repeated use of the ordinary recovery pill to heal bone damage would cause his bones to become brittle. ¡°It is,¡± Jack said. ¡°Which means that the tenfold strike cultivation technique probably means exactly what it says and that¡­sounds like a nightmare to fight.¡± Sarah shuddered, before shaking her head. Only one person had bought the tenfold strike cultivation technique and the odds of them running into them were negligible. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to get one body refinement stone and three Qi Gathering Pills,¡± Jack said. ¡°The stone?¡± Sarah asked, sounding confused. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Our Race,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I think it¡¯s a hint. Human¡ª Unrefined. If the Body Refinement Stone unlocks a path towards improving my genetic makeup somehow, it might be invaluable. Or I¡¯m wrong and I end up buying something completely worthless for a thousand TP.¡± Sarah fell silent as she deliberated on Jack¡¯s words, while he sweeped the surroundings again. Jack didn¡¯t know if it was because of his 12 in perception, his repeated use of Qi Pulse making him better at sensing things or simply a matter of luck that he spotted a glint of light reflecting off a metallic surface from within a dense patch of shrubbery beneath them. But the fact of the matter was that he¡¯d seen it. Jack lunged forward, his hands wrapping around Sarah¡¯s back as they tumbled down the Anarix tree they had climbed. A moment later, a metal tipped arrow that was now ensconced in a layer of Qi when whirring past where Sarah had been sitting. 21: Ambushed 21: Jack eased his grip around Sarah as he poised himself to brace for the fall, confident that Sarah was capable of doing the same for herself. Sure enough, the free points she had invested into strength and constitution paid off as she arched her hands and knees before herself to muffle the fall¡¯s impact. On the other hand, Jack extended his hands outwards, relying on the overall movement speed buff the Silvercrest Cape gave coupled with his ten points in dexterity to roll forward twice and break the momentum of the fall. He was back on his feet before Sarah and he didn¡¯t hesitate to move closer towards the trunk of the tree for cover. A moment later, a panting Sarah joined him, her expression one of complete shock as she pressed her back against the tree for cover. Her spear was protectively held before her, but it would do her little good against a skilled archer. The same was true for Jack, his unsheathed blade clenched in his right hand insufficient to deal with their ambusher unless he found a way to close the distance between them. His expression was tense, but then his widened in clarity. Hurriedly, he opened the tutorial shop and asked the system to sell him three Qi Gathering Pills and one body refinement stone. [Qi Gathering Pill x3, Body Refinement Stone x1 has been deposited into your inventory. 1450 TP has been subtracted. Available TP: 2116] Without hesitating, Jack reached for his spatial inventory and yanked more than pulled out two Qi Gathering Pills. He popped one in his mouth before offering the other to Sarah, who understood his intentions and did the same. The fight with the Rift Goblins had left their Qi Pool¡¯s drained, which was why they had sought shelter on the tree¡¯s branch in the first place. The blasted system had not taken long to show them why that was a bad idea and Jack had even considered avoiding it, but they had desperately needed that break. Their bodies might be capable of marching onwards without sleep or rest for far longer, but their minds remained human. ¡°Volzk!¡± An unfamiliar word was called out with a recognizable edge of command to it, spoken in a tone that was as guttural as it was discordant. Multiple grunts sounded out in response, as if they were acknowledging what the first voice had said, causing Jack¡¯s expression to turn grim. He was down to five points in his Qi Pool and they were facing multiple enemies, likely of the non-human variety. ¡°I think we both need to pulse,¡± Jack whispered under his breath, even as the sounds of muffled footsteps approaching them sounded out. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Sarah gritted her teeth, before offering him a firm nod. If they were being ambushed, one person knowing the location of all the enemies wouldn¡¯t be enough. If they wanted to survive, they would need to act in consort while understanding the nature of the threat. Jack¡¯s vision was enshrouded by darkness. He wasn¡¯t deterred as he willing strands of Qi to shoot forward in the general direction the arrow had been fired from along with the footfall of approaching creatures that he had detected. He made sure to curve the strands around where knew Sarah to be standing, seeing no reason to add another variable to account for and split his focus while maintaining Qi Pulse. He had to be fast and he had to be efficient to keep the drain on his SP minimal. It didn¡¯t take him long for his first hit. One of the Qi strands had made contact with a venous network that could not be more than four feet in height. He wasn¡¯t surprised to find that the network of veins congregated near the centre of the chest, a diamond shaped beast core nestled behind the protection of the ribcage like a human heart. The observation was consistent with the two Rift Goblin Assassins he had pulsed earlier, so Jack wasn¡¯t surprised. However, his expression turned increasingly grim as he pinged three more Rift Goblins, who were planning on flanking Jack and Sarah from opposing directions in groups of two. He had found what he had been searching for, yet Jack¡¯s instinct wasn¡¯t satisfied. The Rift Goblin that had ambushed them had shown a novel level of craftiness and it didn¡¯t make sense for an opponent capable of planning an ambush like this to try and flank him, when it could simply pick them off from a distance. Yet, Qi Pulse could not pick up on any more Rift Goblins. Am I overestimating these creatures, Jack wondered, before an errant thought struck him. The whole point of an archer was mobility. To be able to attack in almost any direction from a place of one¡¯s choosing at range was one aspect of that mobility. Another was the possibility of relocating after firing a single shot. Jack had neither the time nor the Qi Pool reserves to scour the trees in his vicinity. So he called the threads of Qi back to him, but instead of cutting back in a straight line, Jack willed them into an arc that took them sailing through the Anarix Trees. He didn¡¯t know if it was luck or if his strategy had great merit to it, but Jack got a hit. The venous network that appeared in the world of darkness was taller and wider than the Rift Goblin Assassins, but considering how cunning the creature had been so far, it could not be a Rift Goblin Berserker. It¡¯s diamond shaped core was larger than the Goblin Assassins and unfortunately, Jack hadn¡¯t gotten to pulse the berserkers so he couldn¡¯t say how their beast cores looked like, but it was getting clear that he was dealing with something new. To make matters worse, he discovered a runic symbol that seemed to be implanted in the right side of the creature¡¯s skull, most likely in his eye. The venous network was denser near that region as well, marking it as a weakness alongside the beast core. But without a ranged weapon to reach it, Jack had no idea how he was supposed to take advantage of the fact. A pang of sorrow arose in his mind at the thought of Trent, their former archer, who would¡¯ve made this encounter a lot easier. Jack crushed the emotion before snapping off his Qi Pulse skill. Only to find Sarah waiting for him, their gazes meeting as Jack opened his eyes. 22: 2 v 1 22: Sarah raised four fingers in Jack¡¯s direction, signalling the number of enemies she had detected. Jack shook his head grimly. Sarah blinked in confusion. ¡°Archer,¡± Jack whispered. ¡°The one that shot the arrow is hiding in a tree. It climbed up after taking the shot,¡± He hurriedly explained, knowing that time was running out. ¡°What do we do?¡± Sarah asked, as urgency creeped up in her tone. ¡°We need to use the cover we have,¡± Jack said. ¡°Take the right flank, I¡¯ll take left. It¡¯s two against one, but we can deal with Rift Goblins. Try to go for a kill, but if you can¡¯t, just use your spear to keep the Rift Goblins at bay. The Rift Goblin archer that attacked us has a rune embedded in his eye, like the Silvercrest Wolves. Probably lets it aim better. Make sure you don¡¯t peek out of cover.¡± Gritting her teeth, Sarah nodded. There was no time to strategize and talking amongst themselves would only expose themselves faster. Standing back to back, Jack had drawn his sword, his expression tense but not panicked while Sarah had protectively placed the spear before her, its point a sufficient counter against any foe that mindlessly charged at her. The footsteps drew closer and Jack caught himself wishing that he had more Qi to work with. He was down to a mere four points in his Qi Pool, the earlier pulse having cost him an entire point. That didn¡¯t stop two goblins from entering his field of vision, as they jogged side by side. Sure enough, they were the same Rift Goblin Assassins he had encountered earlier, albeit with a minute difference. One of them wielded a shortsword that it held before him, while the other wielded a dagger that was smeared in a bright green fluid. If the fact that these Rift Goblin Assassins were being marshalled by the archer wasn¡¯t clear before, Jack was almost completely certain now. A certainty that would do him no good if he didn¡¯t act upon it. Jack charged, not bothering to glance behind him. Sarah would hold the Rift Goblins on her side back long enough for him to act. Second guessing her now would only distract him from what had to be done. ¡°Zaggash!¡± The shortsword wielding rift goblin exclaimed in surprise, but that didn¡¯t deter Jack. His blade cut down in a diagonal arc, his form too messy for it to resemble anywhere near a kesagiri strike but he couldn¡¯t care less. All he wanted was to incapacitate the likely poisoned dagger wielding Rift Goblin before either of them knew what had hit them. Unfortunately for Jack, his strategy to minimise activating Qi Blade until the moment before he made contact with flesh backfired, as the poisoned dagger wielding goblin parried his blade with a flick of its own. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Without Qi Blade to empower his strike, Jack was forced to confront the limitations of his strength despite having reached a total of ten in strength as his blade was deflected with an angry grunt from the Rift Goblin. ¡°Grrak!¡± The shortsword wielding rift goblin issued a battlecry and charged Jack, with it¡¯s shortsword menacingly held above it¡¯s head. Jack hurriedly backpedalled as the shortsword wielding rift goblin hacked downwards, the height difference meaning that the blow would land square in his chest if he didn¡¯t parry. His instincts told him to activate Qi Blade, but Jack doggedly resisted. He braced for a parry and a loud clang rang out as their blades met. The sound of metal grinding against metal rang out as Jack pushed back against the force of the overhead strike with a grunt and this time, Jack wouldn¡¯t accept a loss. His leg shot forward in a lancing kick and although his boot strike wasn¡¯t enough to make the Rift Goblin buckle, it distracted it¡¯s attention. A primal roar escaped Jack¡¯s lips as he sent the Rift Goblin staggering backwards by more than a few steps, finally winning the contest of strength without relying on Qi Blade. His attention turned towards the poisoned dagger wielding Rift Goblin, who had been trying to sneak past his side to likely launch a sneak attack. Instead of adopting a sword stance, Jack let his sword rest on his right shoulder before he broke out into a sprint that would take him down the fastest route to the rift goblin, a straight line. Then, Jack leapt with all the might his enhanced stats could offer him. The last of the distance separating him from the Rift Goblin was covered sailing through the air, before Jack¡¯s blade took on the characteristic blue glow of Qi blade. ¡°Zornhau,¡± Jack whispered as his brought his blade down in a sweeping two seventy degree arc that near maximised the amount of momentum he could put behind the blade. The Rift Goblin Assassin once again chose self-preservation over retaliation in choosing to defend itself in an attempt to parry, but this time, when their blades made contact, the diminutive dagger was sent flying along with its head. Qi Blade¡¯s light flickered out as Jack rolled past the goblin before getting back onto his feet, his gaze that of a hunter seeking his prey. Without any hesitation, he bolted after the second rift goblin who had recovered its footing. If he allowed it to reach Sarah, she would be overwhelmed. That wouldn¡¯t happen. Not under his watch. No more mistakes, Jack thought as he initiated a deadly clash of blades with the remaining Rift Goblin Assassin. Even as he was pushed back, he refused to use Qi Blade. He could still hear the sounds of battle from Sarah¡¯s side and it was devoid of calls for help, so he allowed himself to conserve what remained of his Qi Pool. He couldn¡¯t tell if their duel had been going on for minutes or if it had only been a couple dozen seconds, but Jack finally found an opening as he sidestepped an angry lunge instead of parrying it. Jack took a step forward and swung his blade in a wide arc, his expression firm as he refused to avert his gaze. His blade sliced open the Rift Goblin¡¯s right eye, causing the creature to screech out in a bone-chilling cry that would¡¯ve made Jack wince if he hadn¡¯t hardened his resolve. He dodged the wild strikes it unleashed, finding them both poorly aimed and improperly balanced. Seeing no reason to drag out the fight, Jack finished it off with another quick flare of Qi Blade. 23: Preparing the bait 23: [You have slain a Level 3 Rift Goblin Assassin. You have received 422 Soul Experience!] [You have slain a Level 3 Rift Goblin Assassin. You have received 431 Soul Experience!] [Congratulations, Class: Swordsman (Basic) has reached level 5! +5 Free Points, +1 Qi Pool has been awarded. ] [Congratulations, you have been awarded a new skill: Qi Projection (Lv.1)] The ingrained instinct he had come to associate with a new skill flowed into his mind at a pace that was faster than ever before and Jack had barely registered the process before it was over. The set of instructions that had been registered in a neural pathway were now something he could call upon like he¡¯d spent years practising the ability to project Qi outwards of his immediate sphere of control without it deforming easily. The Qi Projection skill had been downloaded into his mind and had it been at any other moment, Jack would¡¯ve spent time marveling at the plethora of tactical options the skill had unlocked for him. Instead, Jack ran towards Sarah, only to be greeted by an unexpected sight. Sarah was unarmed as she ran away from a rift goblin who was giving her chase, her spear nowhere to be seen upon her person. Tom¡¯s gaze shifted to the second rift goblin, which lay inert on the ground, a spear having penetrated through its skull and come out the other end, painting the ground in violet blood and viscera. Unfortunately for Sarah, that had also meant that the spear had been embedded in the poor Rift Goblin¡¯s skull and it seemed like its comrade in arms had taken advantage of that fact. ¡°Sarah!¡± Jack called out as the second Rift Goblin got closer to her, it¡¯s dagger held in a reverse grip with the blade pointed in her direction. Sarah¡¯s gaze snapped towards Jack, the panic within her gaze held at bay by a steely determination to survive as she gazed at him with clarity. She only hesitated for a moment before she angled her upper body forward, bending her knees before kicking off with all the strength she could muster. Which was a decent amount, considering that she had specced points into strength. As Sarah tumbled into a bed of grass next to him, Jack took the initiative to throw himself into combat with a sweeping arc of his blade. The Rift Goblin Assassin only just about managed to control the momentum behind it¡¯s charge and block the strike with the dagger. It was sent stumbling back a few steps, the force behind Jack¡¯s strike causing the dagger to nearly vibrate out of it¡¯s grip. ¡°I¡¯m strong enough, am I?¡± Jack asked the Rift Goblin with a snarl. ¡°Not yet,¡± Jack said, as he grit his teeth and issued the system a command. Put all five free points into strength. A golden spark was ignited in Jack¡¯s Dantian, dyeing it golden for a few moments as his muscles began to writhe and spasm. The Qi that was touched by the golden glow was dispersed to every inch of his body through the venous network that he now knew as the Meridians, thanks to his newly acquired Qi Projection skill giving him that tidbit of information. The itch had returned stronger than before, but Jack bore it without flinching. It was uncomfortable, but there was no pain and now he knew that the process was entirely beneficial to him. Sure enough, it ceased just as the Rift Goblin Assassin committed to a second, angry charge that was accompanied by a ¡°Grrak!¡± This time would be different. Jack tightened his grip around his blade, flexing his right arm¡¯s muscles. He could feel the strength contained within, now that he had hit a total of fifteen points in the strength stat. He swung his blade to meet the Rift Goblin¡¯s charge, finding himself unsurprised by the creature¡¯s swagger in challenging him again, now that it had reinstated a normal grip over its sharp dagger. It had taken a gauge of Jack¡¯s strength and had no reason to believe that parameter had changed. Their blades clashed. ¡°Urk!¡± A pained grunt escaped the Rift Goblin as it¡¯s dagger wielding hand was blown backwards, a muted crunch sounding out as the creature finally relented in it¡¯s instinctive desire to hold on to its blade. That didn¡¯t make its wrist any less broken, but now the creature was wounded and disarmed. Jack had iron in his gaze as he shifted to the hasso-no-kamae or high guard stance, his sword pointed high towards the skies. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Kesagiri,¡± Jack whispered as he brought his sword down in a brutal diagonal cut that was empowered by his newfound strength. The threat of the descending blade was enough to rouse the Rift Goblin from it¡¯s reverie, the creature seemingly not being used to getting disarmed. It tried to retreat, to scamper backwards in an effort to preserve it¡¯s life, but Jack¡¯s blade was already there. The Rift Goblin¡¯s two bisected halves slicked away in opposing directions, drenching Jack in a spray of violet blood. He didn¡¯t¡ª no, he refused to flinch. Whatever the creature¡¯s motivations were, anything that ambushed him had to die. Panting, Jack realised that he¡¯d spent more stamina than he¡¯d thought. Wearily, he turned his gaze to Sarah. ¡°Get your spear,¡± Jack said. ¡°Then we¡¯ll get to looting these Rift Goblins and see if we can scavenge something useful.¡± A largely spent Sarah looked like she was on the verge of tears, only for her gaze to harden as she nodded at Jack and once again found the strength to stand. They¡¯d won the battle, but the war was still ongoing. Jack didn¡¯t try to peek from behind the cover of the tree, instead choosing to inspect his sides and the opposite direction to see if the archer was trying to flank them. His heart was still hammering in his chest, the adrenaline from his previous battle not having faded yet. Would the archer simply cut its losses and retreat or was it vengeful enough to come after them for vengeance? It was cunning enough for both. But first, Jack needed to claim his loot.
[You have looted the following items from Rift Goblin Assassin x3: Goblin-Make Armored Tunic (Uncommon, Qi Gathering Stage) Goblin-Make Poisoned Dagger (Uncommon, Qi Gathering Stage) Goblin-Make Metal Helm (Common, Qi Gathering Stage) Greater Recovery Pill (Adept rank alchemical pill) 1151 Tutorial Points] Jack didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d ever get used to pulling things out of a tear in the void, but for now he couldn¡¯t care less about its mechanics as he pulled out a Greater Recovery Pill. He already had one of his own, so this one would go to Sarah. ¡°Here,¡± Jack offered. ¡°It¡¯s an upgraded version of the Recovery Pill. Don¡¯t hesitate to use it if you suffer a serious wound.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Sarah asked, her tone tinged with surprise. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve already got one on me,¡± Jack replied, as he scanned their surroundings without peeking behind cover to prepare for a possible flank. ¡°Thank you,¡± Sarah replied, her tone quivering with emotion. ¡°Truly, thank you.¡± ¡°Thank me if we survive this,¡± Jack replied, as he reached for a tear in the void again, pulling out the Armored Tunic he had received for killing one of the Rift Goblins. Jack held it before him, giving the piece of equipment an odd look as he activated his level 4 inspect. [Goblin-Made Armored Tunic, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact (Uncommon) Requirements: 6 STR 5 DEX Description: This chest piece was crafted with the aid of a Rift Goblin Shaman for a Rift Goblin Berserker. The base material used is a variety of leather that appears to be both durable and flexible, on top of which a metal chainmail has been overlaid. The armor exhibits strong resistance to slashing attacks, medium resistance to stabbing attacks and mild resistance to Qi Empowered Attacks. Artifact Ability: Generate a halo of Qi that empowers the chainmail, granting it medium resistance to Qi Empowered attacks.. Channel 1 Qi Point into the Goblin-Made Armored Tunic for every second the shield is active. Shield can negate Basic Qi Empowered attacks for its duration. Requirements met.] It was not the description itself that threw Jack off, but rather, the armor¡¯s size. The system¡¯s translations had been spot on so far, but while it called the Goblin-Made Chest Piece a tunic, it didn¡¯t even reach his waist. Moreover, it was far too narrow for him to have any hope of wearing it. ¡°Sarah, do you think you can use this?¡± Jack asked. ¡°It¡¯s armor,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to part with it, I¡¯ll make it fit. I can buy something of the store for you in exchange, if you want,¡± She offered, her voice tinged by desperation. Jack had underestimated how vulnerable she had been feeling without armor of her own to protect her and he couldn¡¯t blame her. A single lapse in concentration and she could die. While there was no guarantee that chest armor would change that reality, psychologically, it could make a world of difference. ¡°Take it,¡± Jack said, as he tossed the surprisingly light armored tunic in her direction. He then pulled out the helm. [Goblin-Made Metal Helm, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact (Common) Requirements: 3 CON, 2 DEX Description: An ordinary metal helmet crafted for the average Rift Goblin. Requirements met.] The helmet was way too small for either him or Sarah, but the gears in Jack¡¯s mind began to turn as a potential use struck him. His gaze turned upwards, towards the lowest hanging branch on the Anarix Tree he could find. From there, he leapt to a higher one, just in case they needed to climb the tree later on, hanging from it by a single hand. Using his sword, Jack began to hack away at the branch he was hanging out of, his own weight helping him cut through the ridiculously robust branch. It gave in merely a minute later and Jack fell down, finding it no challenge to land upright on his feet. Scooping the helmet up from where he¡¯d left it on the ground, he slotted it into the freshly cut end of the branch. His bait was ready. 24: The Plan 24: Jack held on to the cut branch from its other end, unbothered by the twigs brushing against his hand as he held it aloft. He turned his gaze to Sarah, who was crouched near the opposing bend of the Anarix Tree¡¯s trunk, trying to be as diminutive as she could be. A few moments later, Sarah realized that she was being stared at and met Jack¡¯s gaze. She nodded her head before mouthing the words, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Jack nodded back, before refocusing his attention towards the branch held in his hand. If his theory was correct and the archer he¡¯d detected earlier truly had a rune that enhanced eyesight, which would be a godsend for any archer, then there was no chance in hell he¡¯d miss a polished metallic surface peeking around from behind the tree where he¡¯d sent four of it¡¯s Rift Goblins in expectations of one sided murder only to receive stillness instead. Slowly, as if it was Jack himself that was planning on bolting out of cover, he inched the helmet towards the bend of the tree, stopping after it was half peeking out of cover. A few seconds passed without reaction. Jack waited. A muted twang of a bow that Jack¡¯s perception barely managed to hear was all the warning he got before the helmet he had before the helmet he¡¯d been balancing on a tree branch literally exploded into dozens of small pieces, a trail of light blue Qi his only hint at what had happened. Instinctively, Jack had let go of the branch and crossed his arms before himself protectively. A wince escaped his lips as a few shards of metal, or atleast, what he suspected to be shards of metal dug into his arms. For a few moments, Jack remained there, taking deep breaths to calm himself before he lowered his guard. It seemed like the points he had invested in constitution hadn¡¯t been for naught, as the three light shards of metal that had embedded themselves, two in his left and one in his right, had only drawn a few superficial streaks of blood. Jack didn¡¯t hesitate to pluck out the shards before tossing them aside, feeling incredibly lucky to find three cuts that were lengthier than they were deep. Had the Goblin-Made Helm been made out of a denser metal, Jack wouldn¡¯t have fared nearly as well. Though, perhaps it wouldn¡¯t have shattered in that case either. Nevertheless, Jack didn¡¯t feel the need to expend a Recovery Pill, not just yet. He turned his gaze to Sarah, who panickedly scrambled backwards from where she had been attempting to peek at the archer. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Any luck?¡± Jack asked, his lips pursed as he fought back the tingle of pain stemming from his arms. ¡°What in damnation was that?¡± Sarah asked in a heaved whisper, her tone winded. ¡°The blasted thing can use Qi Arrow, by the looks of it,¡± Jack replied with a grimace, as he found himself thinking back on how easily the damn helmet had exploded. It was more of a gunshot than an aimed arrow. Sarah was about to reply, when she noticed the open scratches on Jack¡¯s arm and caught herself. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked, her worry temporarily forgotten in the favor of concern. ¡°Just a scratch,¡± Jack replied, his tone laced with urgency. ¡°Listen, did you manage to get a pulse out?¡± ¡°I did,¡± She replied. ¡°Once I heard a whooshing sound, I assumed that the bait had been taken so I peeked out in the direction you had mentioned earlier. It wasn¡¯t exactly a trail, but the arrow was basically a streak of blue and it was arcing downwards, so I just focused my pulse where you said it¡¯d be and I found the creature.¡± Jack nodded, before saying, ¡°Yeah, uh, let¡¯s not do that again. Look, I¡¯ve got a plan. That Goblin has no intentions of letting us leave unscathed. And even if it bought our little bait, it knows that there are two of us and I have no more helmets to spare. And that¡¯s an if, I don¡¯t know how its rune works. You see that tree over there?¡± Jack asked, pointing at an Anarix Tree that was positioned behind the one they were taking cover against, a little to it¡¯s left. ¡°I do,¡± Sarah hurriedly replied. ¡°We need to run and take cover behind it,¡± Jack said, his voice calm as opposed to the utter madness he was proposing. ¡°What?¡± Sarah asked, her tone heavy with skepticism. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If we wait here long enough, we give the archer an open invitation to flank us. If we try to charge the damn creature, we¡¯re dead. Our tree here should obscure most of our movements. We¡¯ll only be exposed once we step outside the line of sight it''s obfuscating. A few seconds of risk buys us more time to recharge our Qi Pools,¡± Jack explained. ¡°What will that change, though?¡± Sarah asked, not sounding convinced at all. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to just try and make a break for it?¡± ¡°I just need five points,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Five points and I¡¯ll have a way to counter it. I unlocked a new skill,¡± He said, before explaining the specifics of Qi Projection as briefly as he could. Sarah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, before she replied, ¡°That could work but¡­ are you sure you¡¯ll be able to aim it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Qi Arrow is no longer a surprise. The damned creature held off from using it the first time around because it wanted to conserve Qi. Or maybe it wanted to hold off the trump card in case we dodged it. Dive, duck, weave¡ª if you hear the twang of the bowstring or the whooshing of the arrow, do whatever it takes to get out of its way. I don¡¯t know how this creature found us and I don¡¯t know if it can do it again. We need to kill it, because if nothing else, it¡¯ll make us stronger.¡± Sarah let a long, weary sigh escape her, but she didn¡¯t deny Jack¡¯s words. Instead, she nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I used to think security compliance meetings were the worst part of my day,¡± She joked, before shaking her head. ¡°Ready to go, at your call.¡± 25: Run, Jack, Run 25: Jack knew that he could run faster than Sarah if he wanted to. But if he did that, he would be leaving her behind as the obvious target. He had no intention of doing that and it was there that both the survivalist within him and his own personality were in complete agreement. Jack suspected that there was a reason why the system had clumped them into groups of four and given the increase in difficulty only a day in, he could see why. Unless Jack managed to awaken a power like Trent had, he needed to work together with Sarah. Even on a personal level, Jack owed her just for being there. Used to solitude as he was, he could still appreciate the importance of having someone to talk to in the environment of constant danger they found himself in. So, Jack had reduced his sprinting speed just enough so he matched Sarah, as they left behind the safety of the cover provided by the Anarix Tree in a mad dash towards the next one. Trying to outrun an archer wasn¡¯t the greatest of strategies, but if they managed to pull it off and keep the darn thing¡¯s attention, Jack could counter it. Life had become a gamble in the new world and regardless of how it panned out, Jack did not intend to disappoint the persona he had adopted. After years of pretending to be a wildly eccentric doomsday prepper, he¡¯d come to enjoy the lot in life he¡¯d chosen for himself. He had come to respect the modern weapons in his hand, because their history was stored in his bunker and every time he studied his historical artifact collection, he could not help but be awed at the ingenuity of man both in the past and the present. Just like that, he would come to honor this new power that the system had thrust upon him, he just needed to survive long enough first. This time, Jack didn¡¯t hear the twang of a bowstring, and even the whooshing of the arrow was more like a muted hiss as it plummeted towards them in a downward arc as they were three fourths of the way to their target. Jack couldn¡¯t help but let raw instinct take over as he pushed Sarah forward in case the arrow was targeting her before he dove in a hard right away from where they had been standing a mere moment ago. If the archer had somehow accounted for their reactions, then, well, Jack had no choice but to accept that outcome. But he chose to move forward with the hope that it¡¯s rune did not have such an outlandish power, as he used his dive¡¯s momentum to roll forward not once or twice, but three times before landing on a crouched position on his feet. A muffled thunk rang out and Jack simply had no time to check on Sarah as he willed strength into his legs to stand back up before taking three long steps in quick succession that were buildup for a dive that had all his fifteen strength behind it as he aimed for the tree trunk¡¯s curvature. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Jack flew through the air, realizing that he¡¯d underestimated how strong he had gotten by a degree or two. He was forced to roll to try and restrain the momentum behind his leap but when even that didn¡¯t prove enough, Jack slammed his feet to come to a stop behind cover. His eyes focused only to find a heavily panting Sarah staring right back at him, the adrenaline rush having caused her pupils to dilate. ¡°Thanks,¡± She whispered in between a pant, before breaking out into a manic chuckle. Jack suspected that the arrow had been aimed for Sarah, given her reaction. He offered her a nod, before checking his Qi Pool. He just about managed to hold back a grimace. He still needed two more Qi in his Pool to hit the requisite number of five. Though it was tricky to estimate how long it took to normally charge, he had a rough estimate of about three and a half hours, back when his Qi Pool was smaller. It was only a suspicion of his, but Jack¡¯s intuition was telling him that the base rate of regeneration had improved as his Qi Pool expanded in size. Still, if he wanted to be conservative in his estimates, Jack would say that it took him anywhere from fifteen to twenty minutes to regenerate a point of Qi, which was why allowing it to fall low was so damn risky. With the Qi Gathering Pill¡¯s double the regeneration rate, that was anywhere from a total of fourteen to twenty minutes total that they had to survive before Jack had a counter. It was not an easy task, but it was doable given that Jack intended to hide behind the cover they¡¯d fought so hard for, for at least ten of those minutes. The forest had fallen eerily silent and Jack found that doubts had begun to creep up. Gritting his teeth, he thrust his hand out from behind cover, his palm outstretched for one long second before he yanked it back. And thank whoever was listening that he did, because this time Jack¡¯s sense of sound and instinct both failed him as an arrow, a normal arrow at that, softly whizzed past where his hand had been a moment ago. This arrow did not have the Qi enhancement and it had come from a position diagonal to them, as it lodged itself in the grass before Jack. Fucker¡¯s trying to flank us, Jack thought, his gaze turning to Sarah before he said, ¡°Like we discussed.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°Three, two, one¡­ go!¡± Jack and Sarah sprinted like their lives depended on it, crossing the one half of the distance between them and the next tree in what felt like the blink of an eye, even after Jack matched her pace. Then, they split apart after crossing the midpoint, arcing towards the tree from two different arcs. Jack stopped holding back his speed and Sarah used her strength stat investment to dive the last of the distance. The Anarix tree they¡¯d barely managed to get behind in time vibrated lightly as a Qi empowered arrow slammed into it¡¯s trunk, near it¡¯s curvature as Sarah had dived for safety. For some reason, the goblin archer really wanted Sarah dead. Thankfully, a mere two minutes later, Jack¡¯s counter was ready. Now, all that was remaining was to execute the riskiest plan of them all. 26: Rift Goblin Commander 26: Jack activated Qi Blade from behind cover, his expression determined as he watched his blade light up with the characteristic blue glow of the skill. Before it could so much as siphon a single Qi Point, Jack activated his newly acquired Qi projection skill and the rippling azure Qi that was ensconcing his blade froze in place. Jack¡¯s eyes flickered back to the system screen and he waited a few seconds. His Qi Pool remained frozen at five points. His counter was ready. He turned his gaze towards Sarah, noticing her quivering lower lip as she met his gaze and shakily nodded. It was far from an ideal plan and in all honesty, Jack didn¡¯t like it. But if they kept stalling for time, then the archer would flank them and they would have nowhere left to dodge. Jack nodded back, his gaze lingering on her own as he once again found himself considering the ask he had made of her. It was the only way for him to counter, but the burden of the risk fell on Sarah. If things went awry, it could be the last time they talked. ¡°Go,¡± Jack mouthed, his grip on his blade tightening as he issued the direction. Sarah, who had positioned herself a little before the Anarix Tree¡¯s curvature had deposited her spear in her inventory, leaving her lithe form crouching behind cover. She was positioned opposite the spot she had originally dove for cover, with the intention of giving her a starting point that was as far away from the archer as it could be. Given that the archer was trying to flank them from their north-west, directing Sarah eastward would force it to strike both diagonally and from a further distance. Sarah kicked off the ground with a jerky start, before stabilizing her footing and breaking into a wild sprint that had every ounce of momentum her body could generate behind it. Dried branches and leaves crunched beneath her steps as she zipped forward in what appeared to be a straight line before pivoting right hard in an effort to escape the archer¡¯s line of sight as she rushed towards an Anarix tree. Meanwhile Jack, who still held on to his blade that was ensconced in Qi Blade¡¯s characteristic blue glow, peeked from the other end of the Anarix tree. Sarah had volunteered to act as bait for the opening Jack needed and he would be damned if he didn¡¯t use it to its fullest extent. His eyes shifted from one location to the next as he desperately tried to figure out where the archer was hiding. A pinprick of light blue in a sea of green finally arrived as his salvation, as Jack noticed the archer¡¯s arrowtip flare with the azure energy that Qi manifested as for him from a low hanging branch. The archer¡¯s form was partially obfuscated by a curtain of leaves that it was crouched beneath, but Jack didn¡¯t miss the deep-violet skin tone that was contained behind a layer of leather armor. Please survive, Jack issued a silent prayer for Sarah as the Rift Goblin released its arrow, the damn thing blurring away so quickly that Jack had no hope of closing the distance to stop it. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Then, he charged forward. A few seconds time was all he could hope for and there was almost no chance that the Rift Goblin would not notice his approach. The survivalist within him was galled by his audacity, his belligerence in charging towards an opponent with ranged capabilities head-on, not even trying to weave or run cover to cover. Jack¡¯s heart rate had begun to pick up as he found himself confronted by the prospect of death. From such a close distance, there would be no dodging the arrow and certainly no parrying it. But if Jack allowed himself to give in to his fear, they would be hunted across the forest by an enemy that had a rune augmenting their eyesight on top of being able to use Qi arrow. Instead of slowly bleeding out supplies, Jack had to take the initiative and end the damn thing, to claim it¡¯s experience for himself so he could defeat the next archer he came across with far greater ease. The thirty meters separating him from the Rift Goblin were reduced to twenty in what felt like the blink of an eye, but his approach was too flashy for the blasted creature to have not noticed. Jack gripped his sword even tighter as he fought the urge to either attack or dive for cover. Once the Qi arrow was fired, there was no dodging it. And from this distance, it would be fatal. No, Jack thought, a single word suppressing both terror and instinct as he continued charging. ¡°Zaggash!¡± The Rift Goblin swore in surprise, clearly not having expected Jack to be closing in his direction. The creature hurriedly angled the bow in Jack¡¯s direction, but it had no arrow strung. Its free hand reached for its back, plucking an arrow from a quiver and hurriedly nocking it. Before it drew the arrow, it activated the Qi Arrow skill, causing the metal arrow tip to erupt in a blue glow. Not yet, Jack thought behind gritted teeth as he closed into the fifteen meter mark, his entire body profusely sweating while his heart was beating at the pace of a runaway horse. Finally, the Rift Goblin pulled back the arrow to build tension on the string. Now, Jack thought, a mere twelve meters away from the Rift Goblin. He brought his sword, that had been held outwards at his side, upwards at an angle. He had exactly one shot at this and Jack could not miss. Unlike a regular slash, Jack¡¯s upward slash had no real force behind it. He was only lining it up with the Rift Goblin and his blade stopped when it was aligned with the Rift Goblin¡¯s body. Jack activated the second half of the Qi Projection skill and the Qi Sword that had been ensconcing the blade was released as an arc of dense blue energy that scythed towards the Rift Goblin. His Qi Pool fell to zero. Almost instantly, Jack realized that he¡¯d miscalculated. He hadn¡¯t taken into account the arcing nature of Qi Projection and instead of bisecting the Rift Goblin in half, the arc of solidified Qi scythed through the rift goblin¡¯s right arm along with the branch it was standing upon. A loud crash followed as the bow slipped out of the rift goblin¡¯s hand, a bone-chilling wail escaping its mouth as it roughly landed on the ground on it¡¯s back. A frustrated snarl escaped Jack as he switched to a reverse grip, closing the distance between himself and rift goblin in a matter of seconds before slamming down with the point of his blade. One through its ribcage, which caused the beast¡¯s mouth to gurgle with blood. Another to slash open its throat. The notification followed, confirmed the Rift Goblin Commander¡¯s death. Jack didn¡¯t even bother to read through the system notifications or loot the body, before he began jogging towards where he¡¯d last seen Sarah. 27: Social Pariah, Doomsday Prepper 27: ¡°Sarah!¡± Jack called out, not giving a damn about his voice attracting any enemies to them. The damage was already done when he¡¯d brought down a tree branch that was denser than ordinary steel and worrying about further consequences now would be hypocritical of him. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He called out. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ hurt,¡± Sarah croaked out, her voice barely above a whisper yet Jack¡¯s enhanced sense of hearing managed to pick up on it. Without hesitating, he angled his charge to zero in on her location. The distance that separated them was covered in a matter of moments, as Jack¡¯s features tightened with concern. He came to a grinding stop, digging his feet against the earth to come to a stop besides an Anarix Tree. Sarah¡¯s form was resting against the trunk of the tree, her expression warped in pain as she applied pressure to the left side of her abdomen. Thankfully, her complexion still had a natural, even tone to it, indicating that perhaps Sarah had already used a healing pill. ¡°It was¡­ close,¡± Sarah whispered, as she slowly pulled away her hand from where she was applying pressure on the wound. The Rift Goblin Commander¡¯s arrow had torn through both layers of the Goblin-Made Armored tunic, sundering both chainmail and the leather underneath to tear a deep gash in Sarah¡¯s abdomen that could have caused her to bleed out to death if it wasn¡¯t stitched with medically sanitized tools. Instead, it had almost completely scabbed over, a thin rivulet of blood the only visible sign that the wound was new instead of one that had been healing for days. ¡°Thankfully, I didn¡¯t hesitate to go for the Greater Recovery Pill. At the rate it¡¯s healing, I might be rid of the wound in an hour¡¯s time,¡± Sarah explained, before she began to greedily gulp mouthfuls of air, clearly not fully healed just yet. Jack somberly nodded, before revealing, ¡°The damn goblin is dead.¡± A sigh of relief escaped Sarah¡¯s lips, as her entire demeanor eased and her body sagged against the tree trunk. ¡°You really managed to take out the archer with a sword. What has the world come to,¡± She continued, before breaking out into a mirthful laugh that masked the terror the archer had instilled in her. ¡°A magical sword,¡± Jack corrected, as a wry smile of his own tugged at his lips. ¡°Makes all the difference, you know?¡± Sarah just shook her head before she reached out into the void and pulled out her spear. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this but,¡± Sarah paused, as she looked at her spear with a newfound respect. ¡°This weapon of war from medieval times makes me feel safe. As safe as I can feel in this blasted forest.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Jack nodded in agreement, knowing just how much of the pivotal fight had boiled down to a single chance, one that had almost slipped by him. Luck had been on his side this time. It wouldn¡¯t always. He needed to find a way to master Qi Projection, his only way of countering enemies at range or it would end up heavily costing him sooner rather than later. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°You saved my life,¡± Sarah said, her lips quivering as she found herself recalling the helplessness she had felt after being grazed by the Qi Arrow. ¡°I was¡­ in my mind, I had prepared myself for the possibility of getting hurt. But when that scorching hot pain erupted in the side of my abdomen, arriving from seemingly nowhere and with no warning, all that planning was ripped to shreds. I was splayed on the ground and it took all I had not to break down crying from the pain. If I had my wits about me, I would¡¯ve rolled to cover behind the tree but¡­,¡± She trailed off, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. ¡°...I just lay there for I don¡¯t even know how long, before deciding to crawl to cover, my vision blurry with tears. Then, my thoughts finally started forming right and I gathered all the strength I had left and leapt for cover, biting down on the greater recovery pill just a moment before. There was no thinking around it, no reasoning around the pain. I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª I need to be stronger than this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± Jack replied gently but firmly. ¡°You did admirably, Sarah. Without your bravery, there was not a shot in hell I was killing that bastard. Almost didn¡¯t, if I¡¯m being honest.¡± Slowly, Sarah raised her head and turned to look Jack in the eyes. For a moment, neither of them said anything as Jack in her tear-streaked visage while Sarah tried to scrutinize his gaze for any signs of dishonesty. Then she nodded once, before saying, ¡°Thank you,¡± She sniffled and blinked away the tears that were beginning to build up. ¡°I needed that.¡± A genuine smile tugged at the corner of his lips, a spot of warmth in the otherwise frigidly cold game they had gotten caught up in. ¡°Do you think you can walk?¡± Jack asked. Sarah began to respond, before she bit into her lower lip to hold back the instinctive response. ¡°I will walk,¡± She replied a moment later, the steel in her tone disavowing any notions Jack had of saying otherwise. She got back up on her feet using the butt of her spear as a walking stick she could leverage weight on, taking a moment to dust herself off before she took a testing step forward. Then another. A third. She winced, but shook her head and went for a fourth. ¡°Where to,¡± Sarah asked, her breathing a little winded but Jack wisely chose not to comment. ¡°I need to loot the Rift Goblin. Apparently, it was a commander amongst its race. That¡¯s why it could send those damn goblins after us. Its intelligence was definitely higher than the others amongst its race we¡¯ve seen, for it to do that. We killed four of its platoon members, yet it did not lose composure and try to attack from a closer range that would put it at risk. Most people in our positions would not have survived an ambush this vicious,¡± Jack explained, holding no information back from Sarah. ¡°After that?¡± Sarah asked, not surprised by Jack¡¯s revelations. He supposed that she¡¯d seen the Goblin¡¯s vicious, cunning nature for herself. ¡°After that, we make our way away from this place and keep walking until we recover our Qi Pools and in your case, your health. If we¡¯re going to get sniped out of trees, then I¡¯d rather take my chances on the ground.¡± Sarah nodded, as she slowly but surely walked alongside him, before asking, ¡°How are you so calm?¡± She asked. It was a question that had come across as unexpected to Jack, but he supposed that it should¡¯ve been an obvious thing to ask. ¡°I¡¯m not, I just pretend like I am,¡± Jack candidly replied, a small chuckle escaping him even in the dreary, oppressive environment that was weighing down upon them. ¡°Do you know what I used to do back on Earth, Sarah?¡± ¡°What?¡± She asked, clearly intrigued. ¡°You¡¯re going to laugh if I tell you.¡± ¡°I could use the laugh,¡± Sarah wryly replied. ¡°And your ability to be so darn placid. So just tell me. Did you serve or something?¡± Jack chuckled again, before replying, ¡°Nope. Just your average social pariah doomsday prepper.¡± 28: Hidden Piece 28: [You have received 3587 experience for successfully slaying a Level 5 Rift Goblin Commander!] [You have looted the following items: 1755 Tutorial Points Agaresh¡¯s Map Shield of Greater Deflection (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage) Greater Recovery Pill (Adept Rank Alchemic Pill) x 2] ¡°Oh shit,¡± Jack muttered under his breath, after having returned with Sarah to claim his loot. ¡°Everything okay?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack hurriedly replied. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. I was just impressed.¡± Sarah raised an eyebrow at that statement. Jack could¡¯ve chosen to explain, but instead he decided to go for a demonstration. Seeing no reason to deny himself any longer, Jack pulled out the shield he¡¯d gotten for felling the Rift Goblin Commander. It was an odd feeling, to first have a very visceral fear of long ranged weapons carved into him, only to then be offered freedom from that terror by the very foe that had been the source of it. What his left hand ended up strapping into turned out to be a heater shield, its shape roughly triangular, with a flat top, pointed bottom and rounded sides. Forged out a dull bronze metal, Jack noticed that two sheets of metal that shared the same dimensions had been hammered together, a series of metal bolts running across the shield¡¯s perimeter aiding him in reaching that conclusion. In a nutshell, the Shield of Greater Deflection was a more compact version of a kiteshield that had been forged with some method that was unfamiliar to him. It was also, plausibly, capable of exhibiting more arcane abilities as well. Jack didn¡¯t hesitate to use Inspect. [Shield of Greater Deflection, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact (Rare) Description: Crafted from {unknown} metal, the Shield of Greater Deflection is designed to offer the wielder protection from both melee and ranged attacks without sacrificing their mobility. Offers very strong resistance to slashing, stabbing, melee and ranged based attacks and moderate resistance to Basic Qi Empowered attacks. Artifact Ability: Empower: Allows the wielder of the Shield of Greater Deflection to invest up to twenty points from their Qi Pool at maximum capacity. The invested unattuned Qi will automatically be converted into Wind Qi and stored within the artifact. Upon making contact with an enemy¡¯s attack, the Shield of Greater Deflection shall automatically call upon this reserve of Wind Qi to deflect or repel any manner of attack, whether it a be melee, ranged or Qi Empowered attack until the reserves within the shield last unless the wielder cancels the auto-retaliation. ]Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Well, I guess we won¡¯t need to worry about archers too much,¡± Jack muttered as he strapped his left arm into the shield while Sarah watched him with a glimmer of relief in her gaze. She wouldn¡¯t have to repeat the stunt that had been asked of her given the shield that had just been added to Jack¡¯s repertoire. ¡°No, we won¡¯t,¡± Jack stated with an air of finality, his tone carrying more confidence than he felt. In truth, the fight had been close and the rewards Jack had gotten for slaying the creature showed that. If they still had been in a group of four, Jack was certain that they would¡¯ve walked away with at least one casualty. But those were words the injured Sarah needed to hear right now and Jack had no qualms in saying them. Jack sheathed his blade to free up his right hand, before he pulled out another Greater Recovery Pill from his inventory. ¡°Here,¡± He offered the pill to Sarah. ¡°Is this a reward from this creature?¡± Sarah asked, her gaze locking on to his expression as she watched him closely. ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Then I can accept it,¡± Sarah replied, gingerly plucking the pill from his palms. ¡°Otherwise I was going to buy one.¡± Jack nodded, understanding her line of reasoning. If she did not want items from his share of tutorial points, Jack could respect that. She had certainly earned a share in the Rift Goblin Commander¡¯s Loot though, by putting her life on the line for it. ¡°We also got a map,¡± Jack said. ¡°A map?¡± Sarah asked, sounding perplexed. ¡°To where?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find out, I guess?¡± Jack offered, pulling out the map from his inventory. It was a furled scroll, held together by a thin rope knot. Jack tugged the knot open before unfurling the scroll and holding it before him, a movement that was made awkward by the shield weighing down his left arm. Whatever Jack had been expecting, a children¡¯s drawing or atleast one at that level in terms of artistic accuracy, drawn with a rough chalk of some variety was not what he had been expecting. It was a map, an incredibly rough one at that. One half of the map was covered in a symbol consisting of one horizontal and three vertical lines intersecting it from top to three fourths of the way to the bottom. Jack assumed those were trees, with an uneven line demarcating their boundary, or he supposed what was the end of the forest. A sacrilegious thought, given that Jack had begun to believe that there was no end to the damnable forest. A pair of diagonal lines were filled in roughly with the chalk, their angle suggesting that a downward slope awaited him at the edge of the forest. The trees were far sparser beyond the forest¡¯s supposed reach, but that wasn¡¯t the thing that had caught Jack¡¯s interest. There was an oval drawn just a little beyond the forest¡¯s edge, it¡¯s perimeter demarcated by jagged scribbles that were hastily drawn. Triangles dotted the oval, with a few more symbols like a cauldron, a hammer, a square box and a pile of sticks marked inside. Jack¡¯s curiosity won out and he used inspect on the map. [You have discovered a clue to Hidden Piece: Rift Goblin Camp. An optional quest has been allocated to you. You may choose to complete or ignore this quest. If you choose to complete it, you will only be rewarded if you do so within the duration allocated.] [Quest: Rescue Duration: 48 hours from the receipt of this message Description: Your conquest of a Rift Goblin Commander tasked with surveying the new lands they have found themselves in has lead you to discover the Rift Goblin Camp. Many cultivators from earth have already fallen to the hands of these Rift Beasts that hail from within the corrupted Void Realm. Currently, three surviving humans are trapped within the Rift Goblin Camp, captured and headed towards a gruesome fate. Free your fellow humans from Rift Goblin Captivity within the next forty eight hours in the spirit of unity or their fate is sealed. This is a sharable quest. You may share this quest with upto a total of three people. Rewards: 20,000 TP per party member.] 29: Three Blades 29: ¡°Can¡¯t say I expected this,¡± Jack muttered aloud, his expression pensive as he stared at the transparent blue arrow hovering in the sky not too far away from them, pointing downwards in a clear indication of the location. ¡°Expected what?¡± Sarah asked, her expression heavy as she leaned on the flat of her spear to catch her breath. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if I let the system explain,¡± Jack replied, before he asked the System to share the quest he had received. Sarah¡¯s eyes went wide in surprise as she considered the system pop-up that had appeared before her. A few moments later she turned her head in the direction the translucent blue arrow was hovering above the purported location. Biting her lower lip in trepidation, Sarah slowly turned towards Jack before speaking, ¡°I¡¯m not in any condition to fight.¡± ¡°Neither am I,¡± Jack reassuringly replied, able to see why Sarah was concerned. He had made a pledge earlier, after what had happened with Trent, swearing that he would not allow himself to lose his humanity. A pledge that had partly been driven by emotion, by the rage he felt towards the system¡¯s machinations. A rage that had given way to a defiance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sarah. I¡¯m not going to give up my humanity, but having morals doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m going to rush into certain death,¡± He explained, knowing that he''d never reallly gotten the time to fully explain his new world view to Sarah and even then, it wasn''t as if she had to subscribe to it. ¡°That¡¯s not what I was thinking,¡± Sarah softly replied with a shake of her head. ¡°I was just¡­ this might sound like I¡¯m a terrible person and maybe I am, but a part of me thinks that it would¡¯ve been better if I didn¡¯t know this. Because, now that I do¡­,¡± She trailed off, her voice quivering. ¡°Do you want to save them?¡± Jack asked, his voice barely above a whisper. ¡°I¡­,¡± Sarah¡¯s voice cracked as she tried to formulate a response, before she tried again, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Being captured by those vile creatures, I just can¡¯t imagine what it would feel like. If I was in their position, I¡¯d be praying to anyone and everyone in the hope of rescue. To know and do nothing about it feels¡­wrong.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Jack replied, offering a nod in her direction. ¡°But for now, we need to recuperate. All hope is not lost though, we have forty eight hours to work with. We do not need to sleep anymore and our basic sustenance has been ensured by the system. I cannot guarantee anything, but if we commit to growing stronger from here on out, then the location is worth checking out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s¡ª you¡¯ve already done so much for me. It¡¯s unfair to burden you with another responsibility. I¡¯m not thinking clearly right now. We¡¯re not trained to rescue people and it sounds like we¡¯ll be up against an entire camp. It¡¯s madness to even consider it.¡± ¡°In adversity lies opportunity,¡± Jack thoughtfully replied. ¡°The system could¡¯ve forced us into this quest. It didn¡¯t, because this isn¡¯t a punishment. It¡¯s a reward, in a twisted way. For now though, the best thing we can do is move away from both here and the direction of the camp. Knowing where the rift goblins are coming from has given us a chance to avoid immediate danger unless we turn out very unlucky.¡± ¡°I could use some breathing room,¡± Sarah replied, her tone heavy with exhaustion. For the next hour, they continued walking away from the place where the rift goblin commander had fallen, cutting a diagonal line across the forest as they retreated away from the transparent blue arrow. Jack watched his Qi Pool tick back up as they tread across the forest, keeping a close watch over Sarah only to be relieved as the color returned to her cheeks. His Qi Pool wasn¡¯t even half way full, but thanks to the Qi Gathering Pill offering him a double regeneration rate, he was in a position to fight back with the 6 points he had recovered. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± Sarah declared, prompting Jack¡¯s attention to shift to the tear in her armor. He noted that the scab that had formed had given way to raw, pinkish-red skin, with no trace of blood remaining. ¡°Those greater recovery pills are worth their weight in gold,¡± Jack remarked, finding it hard not to be impressed by how quickly Sarah had ended up healing from the wound. ¡°Can we stop there?¡± Sarah asked, pointing to a wide-trunked tree. ¡°I know it¡¯s not the most reassuring cover, but I need to check the tutorial shop.¡± ¡°I was about to suggest the same thing,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I think I might have enough tutorial points to get something good.¡± ¡°Let''s go over then.¡± Jack nodded and jogged to keep pace with the now healed Sarah. Behind the tree¡¯s cover, he and Sarah had their backs facing each other, standing within arms reach of each other. If they were targeted by a ranged attack, Jack was close enough to shield them, as long as his reaction time was quick enough and this way, they visually covered the 180 degrees they were exposed to the best they could. How many TP do I currently have? Jack mentally asked the system. [Available TP: 5022] Immediately, Jack exhaled the breath he had been holding onto. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d made the cutoff he was seeking, but it seemed like killing three Rift Goblin Assassins and one commander had proven to be just enough. Give me a list of items I can buy at or under five thousand and twenty two TP, Jack issued the thought-command. [Tutorial Shop 1. Recovery Pill (Basic Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 100 TP 2. Qi Gathering Pill (Basic Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 150 TP 3. Greater Recovery Pill (Adept Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 500 TP 4. Body Refinement Stone (Uncommon, Qi Gathering Stage) ¡ª Not available for sale (99,341/250,000) 5. Bloodsong Sabre (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (82,541/100,000) 6. Moonsword (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (89,241,/100,000) 7. Hoarfrost¡¯s Edge (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (85,433/100,000)] Jack¡¯s brows were furrowed in concentration as he hurriedly read through the relevant parts of the list. The first thing that surprised him was the fact that a massive number of Body Refinement Stones had been sold, even though it came with no description attached to it. It hadn¡¯t even been a few hours since the Tutorial Shop had been opened and no new items would be added before another twenty four hours elapsed, yet Jack suspected that the Body Refinement Stones would go out of stock before that happened. Thankfully, he had already gotten one, so it wasn¡¯t his concern. He was stocked up on Recovery and Qi Gathering pills for the next few days and had held on to one Greater Recovery Pill for emergencies, so there was no immediate need for him to reserve funds for it. That left the blades. There was no description, so Jack had no way of telling which blade was the deadliest. However, it seemed like he had been beaten to the punch, as thousands of blades had already been sold. The Bloodsong Sabre was the most popular, an observation that more worried Jack than surprised him. What mental states had people been warped into, to choose such an ominous sounding weapon? Or perhaps, they had reached the conclusion that violence and bloodshed was what was rewarded in this blood and thus, anything associated with it had to be powerful. Jack wasn¡¯t so sure of that. The system hadn¡¯t been fair, by no means. Andrew had a build that would¡¯ve trounced Trent in close quarters, while Trent had his archery skills that had eventually led to the former¡¯s demise. But the system had its own perverse sense of justice, or more accurately, of balance. He refused to believe that it would let sheer luck decide between a powerful artifact and a weak one when they cost the same amount of TP. Hoarfrost¡¯s Edge was only beaten out by the Bloodsong Sabre and Jack could see the appeal if it lived up to the name. Though he already owned a Rare Artifact of the Qi Gathering Stage and using it as a reference, he didn¡¯t think the blade anywhere near powerful enough to freeze an entire basecamp full of goblins. His shield needed his own Qi as a reserve, which it converted into Wind energy, or he supposed, Wind Qi was the technical term there and drew upon it to defend him automatically. It was fantastic, but it also had very clearly defined limits and for its defense to activate, the shield needed to be struck. That left the Moonsword, the most unassuming of the bunch and consequently, the least picked. It didn¡¯t take long for Jack to make his decision, one that was rooted in pragmatism rather than hope. As far as he was concerned, Sabres were single-edged blades that focused on slashing, their curved length making thrusting and stabbing awkward. Hoarfrost¡¯s edge was a mystery and as far as Jack was concerned, it could be anything from a one-handed scimitar to a long knife or even a stiletto. Picking wrong would mean adapting to a new style of weapon, acclimatization that would be needed to be done in the midst of battle. In comparison, Moonsword would¡­hopefully end up being a sword. It might not be the most glamorous sounding of the bunch, but Jack had gotten too used to the versatility of a sword to give it up for the perhaps quicker Sabre or gamble on the unknown. 30: Moonsword 30: [Moonsword (Qi Gathering Stage Artifact, Rare) and Moonsword Sheathe (-) has been deposited into your inventory. 5000 TP has been subtracted. Available TP: 22] Jack didn¡¯t hesitate any further as he reached for a tear in the void and pulled out the sword he had so heavily invested in. Its hilt was wrapped in a soft, felt touch leather, the noticeable lack of a knuckle guard allowing him to adjust his grip comfortably before he pulled the blade out. His gaze ran along the length of the blade, noticing the cruciform hilt, the white marble-like stone that the double-edged blade was chiselled out of and the smoky gray crystal with a blue sheen emanating from its core that comprised the tapering, roughly triangular pommel, it¡¯s tip pointing towards the wielder. If Jack had to guess, the blade was roughly thirty inches long, give or take a few in either direction. It was too long to be called a shortsword, but it was a single-handed blade and nearly not the length one would expect from a longsword. An arming sword, then. Jack immediately used inspect on the sword. [Moonsword, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact (Rare) Description: Chiselled out of {unknown} ore, the Moonsword excels at thrusting and slashing attacks while offering the wielder versatility as a single-handed sword that offers superior range to the shortsword while being easier to navigate in battle compared to a longsword. The Moonsword exhibits a minor enhancement effect to any unattuned Qi being channeled through it. Artifact Ability: Moon-flow: Allows the wielder of Moonsword to invest up to twenty points from their Qi Pool at maximum capacity. The invested unattuned Qi can be stored within the artifact to be called upon to launch attacks or converted into Moon Qi. The wielder of Moonsword can call upon Moon Qi as an aura that ensconces the sword, greatly reducing the weight of the blade for the wielder while enhancing both the force and speed behind Moonsword for as long as the store of Moon Qi lasts. Wielder can add and convert unattuned Qi into Moon Qi even while the sword is being used for active combat.] ¡®Now we¡¯re talking,¡¯ Jack thought as he finished reading through the description. Even without using the Moon-flow ability, the system seemed to think that the Moonsword excelled at thrusting and slashing attacks. He didn¡¯t have any Qi to spare at the moment and in all honesty, while the edges of the white-marble like material seemed to be sharpened well, they didn¡¯t seem like much. Jack walked a few steps away from Sarah and swung his blade, swiping at an Anarix Tree¡¯s branch that he could just about reach with the tip of his blade. It normally would take him a minute to saw through the branch, but the moonsword practically glided through the Qi-enhanced branches of the Anarix Tree. Jack had to drop his blade to the side and catch the falling branch with both his hands, to muffle the noise from the impact as much as he could. A muted thump sounded out, much to his relief and Jack gently placed the severed branch onto the ground before reaching for his sword. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± Sarah remarked, a tone of surprise audible in her voice. ¡°It is,¡± Jack replied as he picked up his sword with a new-found respect in his gaze. It had come with a sheathe of its own that he pulled out from his inventory, before tossing his old blade back into the void. In case he lost or got separated from his Moonblade, it would serve as a valuable backup, though Jack hoped the situation wouldn¡¯t come to that. Once his newly acquired Moonsword sheathe was clipped to his waist, blade held within, Jack turned to face Sarah. She hadn¡¯t bothered to hide the interest in her gaze as she studied the hilt of the blade he had sheathed to his waist. ¡°Did you spend five thousand points on that?¡± Sarah asked, her tone tinged with surprise as she voiced her theory. ¡°How¡¯d you know that?¡± Jack asked, not denying her claim. It wouldn¡¯t make sense to offer a sword in the tutorial shop to someone who had chosen the Spearwoman (Basic) class and he certainly hadn¡¯t been offered any items from different classes. ¡°You already got that shield for killing the commander and that sword is beyond anything a random Rift Goblin would¡¯ve gotten you. The only spears offered by the Tutorial Shop right now cost 5000 TP, so I just assumed it would be the same for you,¡± Sarah explained, her tone sounding thoughtful. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°The weapon?¡± Jack asked, waiting for Sarah to confirm the line of her inquiry. She nodded. ¡°Fantastic,¡± Jack replied. ¡°The shield offers me more utility, because I can use it to defend both myself and you, but the sword is going to help me cut down these beasts faster and more efficiently.¡± ¡°I could save up for it,¡± Sarah mused. ¡°But at the rate they¡¯re selling, there¡¯s no guarantee I¡¯ll have enough before they¡¯re sold out. After what happened with the commander, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in a position to afford the wait. Investing in strength and constitution isn¡¯t going to keep me alive if I don¡¯t start taking more initiative.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already taking initiative, Sarah,¡± Jack reassured her. ¡°Without the courage you displayed, both of us would¡¯ve fallen to the commander. I might¡¯ve killed the creature, but it was you who gave me that opening. Honestly, thinking back on it, a part of me feels like we weren¡¯t supposed to survive that encounter. The reward I got only sells me on that theory. But we did.¡± ¡°I..,¡± Sarah began, only to falter as her voice cracked. ¡°I just don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m doing enough.¡± A small smile crept up on Jack¡¯s visage before he replied, ¡°Hey, if you don¡¯t want to hear it from yourself, listen to the doomsday prepper who had a fallout bunker equipped with enough weapons to fund a police department. You did phenomenally well.¡± ¡°You had a what?¡± Sarah asked, clearly taken aback by the revelation. ¡°Did I not tell you that I was a doomsday prepper?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Well yeah, sure, but I assumed you meant your, uh, room had I don¡¯t know, a small collection of guns, some edgy armageddon posters, a camping tent or two and maybe you raided the local hypermarket for their entire stock of MRE¡¯s, maybe? Not a¡­ how am I even supposed to know¡ª wait, you had a fallout bunker in this economy?¡± She asked, her conflicted thoughts spilling out in a moment of amused relief. ¡°Only cost about three quarters of a mill,¡± Jack nonchalantly replied. ¡°What in the..,¡± Sarah sputtered, before a chuckle interrupted her protest. A moment later, Sarah had broken out into full blown laughter that she was muffling by keeping a hand over her mouth. Jack offered her a winning smile. ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Sarah took deep breaths to get rid of the bouts of laughter. ¡°So, did you figure out what that Body Refinement Stone does?¡± She asked. ¡°No,¡± Jack replied, blinking repeatedly a few times in succession as he was reminded of his purchase. ¡°With everything going on, it kind of slipped my mind.¡± ¡°Do you think you can test it now?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°They¡¯re selling quickly and if I can get an inkling on what it does, I can make a decision.¡± ¡°That¡¯s smart,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Can you watch over me, make sure nothing creeps up while I fiddle with the stone?¡± ¡°I will,¡± Sarah replied, determination etched on her features. 31: Body Refinement Stone 31: The moment Jack pulled the Body Refinement Stone out of the inventory and into his palm, with his digits wrapped around the ovular, amber gemstone, he had to resist the instinctive response to throw it. It was as if the inert stone held in his hand was trying to establish a connection with him, like an invisible vein that was seeking to burrow into his radial artery. Denying it was a simple, instinctive matter, but the thousand TP he¡¯d spent on the stone told him that he wasn¡¯t supposed to do that. Still, it wasn¡¯t as if Jack would grant another alien object access to his veins without knowing what it would do, not if he had an option. Inspect, Jack thought. [Inspect has reached Level 5! Additional details are now available. Would you like to be notified of them?] Yes, Jack mentally replied. [You have failed to inspect the Body Refinement Stone.] What the hell, Jack thought, wondering what had just happened. Merely using inspect on the Body Refinement Stone had caused the invaluable skill to go up by a level, only to fail. Jack didn¡¯t think that repeating the Inspect skill would change the outcome, but there was no harm in being through when it would only cost him a second. Sure enough, the skill unceremoniously failed again. Inspect could reveal the properties of Rare artifacts in the Qi Gathering Stage even while it was level four, but when it came to the Body Refinement Stone it refused to divulge any details. Not a hint to its purpose or use besides what the name itself suggested, a complete refusal. That, in itself, was a source of knowledge. Either the body refinement stone was protected by the system from prying, an error of sorts in the inspect skill maybe, but the odds of that just seemed wrong when the system was capable of subjugating his entire planet in a blink of an eye and was the entity that had given him his set of skills in the first place, or there was something much more fascinating going on. It was possible that the Body Refinement Stone was something that was beyond the value or threshold of his Rare Artifacts, the material it was fashioned out of simply beyond his current or even near-future ability to Inspect. There was also the possibility that he was misreading the situation entirely and coming to the wrong judgement because he simply did not have enough information, but if that wasn¡¯t the case, then it was possible that the Body Refinement Stones that were being offered to them were subsidized for some reason. A thought struck Jack and he hurriedly opened the Tutorial Shop. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Jack mumbled a few moments later, chills running down his spine. He had spent five thousand TP on his Moonsword, yet the system hadn¡¯t greyed out the option to buy another. He had also bought three Qi Gathering Pills and nothing seemed to suggest that he couldn¡¯t buy more. As for Body Refinement Stones though, there were still thousands in stock, yet the option for Jack to buy a second one was¡­ refused in clear writing and greyed out. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. There¡¯s something special about this stone, Jack thought. But I won¡¯t know what it is unless I take the gamble. And being real, no amount of doomsday prepping is going to outmaneuver an entity that can read my literal mind if even its rewards are traps. Jack¡¯s gut told him that the system wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, because none of this would make even the little amount of sense that it did. But he wasn¡¯t sure if he was willing to bet his life on that presumption. Still though, what choice did he have? A thousand TP had already been invested into the Body Refinement Stone and Jack was down to a meagre twenty two. It wasn¡¯t just the currency cost that he¡¯d invested into it, but also the opportunity cost and if he passed up ways to get stronger, he would regret it when he found himself pitted against someone who had embraced all that the system had to offer. The doomsday prepper within him, the once act that had ended up becoming a part of him, could not possibly accept such an outcome. Jack allowed the vein access to his body. It took Jack a second to even register what had happened. An intense heat flooded into his arm in what felt like a fraction of a second, as if molten lava from the heart of a volcano had been contained within the Body Refinement Stone and was now flooding his body by using his arm as a conduit. Pain, of an unimaginable magnitude engulfed his entire body, a mass of white-hot intensity that should have liquified every inch of bone and sinew, every inch of himself from the inside. Tears ran down Jack¡¯s eyes as he rapidly approached his breaking point, only for the pain to shift. It was as if the liquid lava flowing within him had rapidly cooled down, reduced to a warmth that was suffusing his entire body, embracing his bones, musculature and skin, as if it intended to undo the harm it had inflicted upon his body. Jack¡¯s mouth was open in a silent scream, his tears having run dry as his thoughts finally began to flow with enough coherence for him to drop the accursed stone. ¡°I¡­,¡± Jack trailed off, his mouth feeling dry and his voice heavy with emotion as he felt his legs give, jerkily landing on his rear. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Sarah whispered, as she crouched down before Jack, her gaze betraying her worry. ¡°What¡­happened?¡± Jack drawled the question. ¡°You held on to that stone for¡­ a minute, I think and then you began crying with your mouth open before collapsing to the ground. Are you¡ª what did that stone do to you?¡± Sarah asked, her concern matched only by the fear her flickering gaze was directing to the stone that had fallen a small distance away from Jack. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­,¡± Jack had begun to respond, only to pause as he realized that a system notification was hovering before him. [Congratulations on refining your Race Human (Unrefined) -> Human [Mortal Tier 1 (1.2%)] [Congratulations of being awarded Feat: Body Cultivator for being among the first hundred thousand cultivators on a recently awakened planet to refine your physical body to the next available tier. +1 STR + 1 CON] ¡°Oh,¡± Jack muttered as he read through the notifications. ¡°Well¡­damn.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Sarah asked. Instead of replying, Jack slowly clenched and unclenched both his wrists, trying to feel for the differences. It was subtle, but his skin felt more rugged, his grip strength a notch above what it had been and perhaps most pronounced of all, his body felt lighter even though he hadn¡¯t invested any points into Dexterity. Had refining his body improved it across the board. Or was it just the effect of one point extra in strength and constitution. Jack didn¡¯t know yet, but it was clear that the Body Refinement Stone was a boon¡­ if one had the willpower to suffer through it. His gaze turned to the amber gemstone, noticing that it was still intact and retained it¡¯s original hue. It felt slightly duller to Jack, but he didn¡¯t know if he was imagining or misremembering that distinction. Regardless, the stone had been worth getting. The Feat alone had justified the thousand TP cost, anything that came after was a boon. ¡°I think¡­ the body refinement stone might be a way to get stronger,¡± Jack revealed. ¡°A very painful way, at that.¡± 32: Vulnerability 32: Sarah¡¯s expression was visibly uneasy as she studied the amber stone that was resting in her cupped palms. Jack stood next to her, with his heater shield strapped to his left arm, his newly acquired Moonsword sheathed at his side and a cylindrical piece of what was originally a thin branch that he had sliced away from the one he had felled earlier. ¡°I think I¡¯m as ready as I¡¯m going to be,¡± Sarah softly declared, her expression tense. Jack offered her the cylindrical stick, prompting Sarah¡¯s gaze to focus upon it. ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± She asked. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know how I stopped myself from screaming at the top of my lungs. Maybe the fear of being raided by a contingent of Rift Goblins helped, but it¡¯s not something I want to chance a second time,¡± Jack explained. Sarah winced, before slowly nodding as she accepted the cylindrical stick and bit down on it. ¡°Just once?¡± She asked, her words coming out muffled and hazy. ¡°Then I get the feat?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack replied. Sarah nodded, more to herself than Jack, as her attention returned to the Body Refinement Stone. A few moments passed in silence, before Sarah unceremoniously dropped to her knees, a muffled whimper that gave way to a sob escaping her as she let go of the Body Refinement Stone, with tears cascading down her cheeks. The cylindrical stick fell out of her mouth as Sarah shifted her posture to sit down more comfortably. Then she started sobbing again, her nails digging into her palm as she tried to distract herself from the torrential pain that she had just endured, the phantom pain that still lingered. Jack watched silently, not interfering in a journey he knew that Sarah had to endure on her own. Each of them did if they wanted to survive the next two months. ¡°It''s¡­,¡± Sarah began, her voice hoarse. ¡°Done,¡± She declared, before wiping the tears away with her right hand. Sarah shook her head as she moved to get up. Jack offered her a hand, which she took, to get back onto her feet. ¡°I got the feat,¡± She explained, her voice shaky. ¡°I did it,¡± She stated, her tone quivering with elation and a hint of pride. ¡°You did,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Thank you,¡± Sarah replied, her tone heavy with gratitude even though it hadn¡¯t fully recovered. ¡°I showed you the method, that¡¯s all. You were the one who endured the pain for the reward and you should be proud of that.¡± Out of all the possible ways Sarah could respond, he hadn¡¯t expected her to step into his personal space. Initially, his mind was led to the worst conclusion, but Sarah¡¯s spear was still leaning against the tree and her movements were too slow and soft to be an attack. So he didn¡¯t resist as Sarah wrapped her arms around him, her auburn hair dominating his line of sight as her form pressed against his own. He could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat even through the armor, the warmth contained in her every breath. To say that Jack was stunned would have been an understatement. For years he had made sure to distance himself from other people, from once friends and extended family, because he had come to learn just how dangerous those that had come for his parents were, how vicious they would be if they came to realize that he was investigating the events that had come to pass, the assassination that had forever changed his life. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Relationships, whether it be a friend, a lover or family, were vulnerabilities Jack couldn¡¯t afford. Not a second time. ¡°Thank you for everything. Really,¡± Sarah whispered, her tone as soft as it was gentle, snapping Jack out of his reverie. Unsure how to respond, Jack gently patted her on the back, his touch so delicate it was as if he feared she would shatter to a harder touch. Then the moment passed and Sarah quickly pulled away. ¡°I-uh, sorry I¡¯m not sure what came over me,¡± She awkwardly explained. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine,¡± Jack sheepishly replied, his usual composure nowhere to be found. ¡°And thank you too, I¡¯ve learned a lot from you.¡± Jack wasn¡¯t sure if he was imagining it, but Sarah¡¯s cheeks appeared a touch redder than they usually were as she turned to reach for her spear. ¡°Should we get going?¡± Sarah asked, her face still turned away from him as she tugged at her chest armor to adjust it. ¡°Yeah, uh, just make sure to pick up the stone,¡± Jack reminded. ¡°Right,¡± Sarah muttered under breath before walking over to him, looking a little embarrassed as she picked up both the stone and the stick and tossed them into her inventory. ¡°Let''s go then,¡± Jack said after Sarah was ready and then they were off. As Jack had discovered in the last twenty four hours, there was a rhythm to the apocalypse, the end of known civilization and the advent of a new one. It wasn¡¯t necessarily a rhythm he could adapt to, one whose tempo, meter and beat eluded his attempts to decipher, but there was an undeniable pattern to it all. The forest they were in was full of hunters and they were, or had been, the prey. However, once Jack had stumbled upon the location of the Rift Goblin camp, the main enemies in the vicinity as far as he knew, he could proceed in a way that, theoretically at least, should reduce risk and give him and Sarah time to recuperate. So far, it had worked. In all honesty, Jack had expected the system to perhaps, betray his location to the rift goblins or lure in some other archetype of enemy, but so far that hadn¡¯t happened. Of course, they hadn¡¯t gotten around without encountering no enemies at all, but three Rift Goblin Assassins, two of which they had gotten a drop on, hardly proved to be a challenge. The Qi Points they¡¯d expended proved to be negligible in the grand scheme of things, given that even at the regular regeneration rate, Jack got back 3 Qi Points every hour, meaning that even without any Qi Gathering Pills, he would regenerate a total of 72 Qi Points as long as he didn¡¯t let his Qi Pool fill up. Jack couldn¡¯t let his Qi Pool fall dangerously low in the event that he encountered a dangerous enemy either, so Jack had decided to maintain a minimum of 6 Qi Points in his Qi Pool at any given time. The rest was funnelled into his shield and sword artifacts, with the latter being more of a priority. In the end though, Jack had managed to fill both his artifacts to the twenty Qi Point maximum and he could practically feel them pulsing with energy. ¡°It¡¯s time to make a decision, Sarah,¡± Jack stated even as he swung his Moonsword to slice away a patch of shrubbery that was in their path before continuing to walk forward. ¡°How much longer do we have?¡± Sarah asked, her tone heavy. ¡°Twenty three hours, forty eight minutes and a few seconds,¡± Jack replied, reading off the system screen. Sarah stopped walking. Jack turned to face her. ¡°As much as I hate to admit it,¡± Sarah began, her expression tense and her free hand balled up unto a fist. ¡°We¡¯re falling behind. All the Body Refinement Stones sold out and a whole new tier of items we¡¯re way too far from affording was added. On top of that, more than half of each spear on my list has sold. That¡¯s a hundred and fifty thousand spears out there and each cost five thousand TP.¡± Jack nodded, not surprised by Sarah¡¯s revelations. Seven billions out there meant that this was bound to happen, but it was a price Jack had been willing to pay. Now, he had two artifacts that were charged to the brim and both him and Sarah had gotten some valuable time to both get a breather and adapt their psyche to the tasks that were laid out ahead of them if they wished to survive. ¡°I say we go for it,¡± Sarah declared, her grip on her spear tightening with her right hand. ¡°We save those people and we get rewarded for our efforts. That¡¯ll make up for lost time and more. The next time I run across someone that¡¯s willing to cross the line, someone like¡­ Trent, I don¡¯t want to feel that fear and panic. I want to be able to defend myself.¡± ¡°Then we go for it,¡± Jack replied without skipping a beat. He was as ready as he could get, given the circumstances and the anticipation he¡¯d been reigning in for Sarah¡¯s sake made it¡¯s return. It was time for some real action, Jack thought with a grin. 33: Approach 33: Jack was the strongest he had ever been. An observation that was rooted completely in fact, yet one that did nothing to reassure him as he and Sarah moved closer to the transparent blue arrow pointing downwards, towards the destination of their quest. His fully charged Moonsword was sheathed at his side while his Shield of Greater Reflection was strapped to his left, held close to his chest in a manner that would not obscure his vision. Jack had dropped to a crouch as he led the way and Sarah had mirrored his actions, as they slowly but surely inched towards their destination. Taking the vanguard position had been Jack¡¯s call and given that he was the only one amongst the two capable of defending them from ranged attacks, Sarah had readily agreed to his strategy. As they continued forth, more light filtered through widening gaps in the canopy, an observation that caused a twinge of unease in his gut. They had travelled for dozens upon dozens of miles in search for their salvation, yet the eerily pure white light that filtered in through the sweeping branches and vibrant leaves had never abated. Never left their side in favor of the moon, if it remained intact. Without the sun or the moon, Earth could not exist as a live-giving planet, yet it would be obstinate of him to cling to the knowledge of the old world. Everything they knew to be true had been overturned, thousands of years of amassed human knowledge and wisdom coming up short against the vastness of the divine system. Are we still in the solar system? Jack thought, only to shake his head and blink to clear his mind. Whether they were in the solar system or not, what could he do about it? No, the more important matter was what knowledge he could extract from the observation. Hours had turned into days, forcing Jack to the conclusion that the light would not stop beating down upon him, at least for the length of the trial. In most situations, that would end up working to his advantage, in this particular scenario, Jack would much rather have preferred the cover of the night, even if it meant fighting Rift Goblins under diminished visual acuity. Jack came to an abrupt halt as his enhanced hearing detected the clash of metal against metal. He raised his open palm in the air, signalling Sarah to stop. His eyes narrowed in the direction of the Rift Goblin Camp as the sharp, metallic clang cut through the air repeatedly in equal intervals, a constant hum that could not be attributed to battle. He found himself recalling the hammer icon that had been inscribed onto the map, concluding that the sound was most likely to be that of a hammer striking an anvil. As he focused on his sense of hearing, Jack caught onto more sounds, albeit ones that were far more distorted due to the distance. The garbled chatter of Rift Goblins, the crackle of a distant flame as more firewood was added to it and just barely, a soft, muffled weeping that Jack wasn¡¯t sure if he was imagining, as it disappeared in the throng of sounds a moment later. His features hardened as he shifted his open palm to point forward, signalling for Sarah to continue. Minutes ticked away in tense silence and with every step they took, the myriad sounds and smells gained increasing definition. The rancid smell of unwashed bodies hung in the air, only to be outdone by the nauseating scent of sulphur that grew in intensity along with the bubbling of a liquid, what Jack suspected to be linked to the cauldron icon he had noticed on the map. The chatter of Rift Goblins grew clearer, even if it remained indecipherable to him, the rhythmic pulse of flames now clearly audible to Jack. The gaps between Anarix Trees grew wider, the canopy thinner as light cascaded through without restraint and Jack¡¯s heart began to race. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Then, almost abruptly, the forest, which had been both a cage and a shield, came to an end. Jack dropped prone and Sarah mirrored his actions, both slowly crawling towards the gentle escarpment. Signalling for Sarah to halt, Jack volunteered to be the one to peek downwards. First, his gaze fell upon a wooden palisade with spiked tops that encircled the ovular perimeter of the camp. Jack noted that the lone entrance to the camp, a wooden door with metal hinges that glinted under the unnatural light, was barred from inside with a wooden beam. One, two, three, four¡­, Jack¡¯s gaze shifted from tent to tent, noting that they had been put together from animal hide that was patched together, counting a total of fourteen before he pulled back. A few moments later Jack peeked out again, confirming that there were no unnatural movements from the camp before he continued scanning the camp. A large, blackened metal pot bubbled, a fire pit underneath it crackling as it heated the greenish-brown mixture that had an inconsistent texture. He judged that to be the source of the sulphur-like smell, forcing down a wave of nausea that hit him to focus outwards. A Rift Goblin that fell somewhere between an Assassin and a Berserker, sharing the four foot height of the former while boasting a musculature that was a far-cry from the spindly arms and legs of a Rift Goblin Assassin and approached a Berserker¡¯s, hammered down upon a heavy, flat slab of metal, aiming for a a red-hot ingot which rested upon it. Jack blinked in confusion as he searched for a forge, some means of heating the metal to reveal itself, only to find nothing that vaguely resembled any forge he knew in the camp. The wooden shed he¡¯d noticed on the map lacked a door and Jack could see clearly that it was stacked with lumber, woven baskets whose contents where shielded from his sight by coarse hide, more animal hide bags crowded full of sheathed weapons half poking out that were currently not in use alongside other bags that were pulled taut, leaving him unable to discern their contents. His gaze then narrowed on an odd goblin that he had noticed earlier, standing next to the smith. Its head was wreathed in what appeared to be a tribal crown of some manner, a black cloth bandana wrapped around the creature¡¯s head that was adorned by a bouquet of vibrant red feathers. In its right hand, it held onto a wooden staff with a gnarled top half, it¡¯s surface lined with painted letters that were arranged in straight horizontal lines. The staff-wielding goblin was taller than the smith, but its physique was neither overly muscled nor could it be called spindly, falling perfectly within the realm of well-toned. While the smith was well-protected in his studded leather armor and metal tassets over his leather leggings, the staff-wielding goblin was only clad in flowing gray robes and small soft leather boots. Jack¡¯s gaze shifted from the staff-wielding goblin to the largest tent in the camp, positioned in the far corner opposite to the entrance. Then he focused the storehouse shack that was a little distance away from the largest tent but still adjacent to it, before turning his gaze on the cauldron, positioned in the centre of the camp and surrounded by tents, before his attention returned to the staff wielding goblin and the smith that were positioned near the entrance to one side, almost hugging the palisade. Jack noted that two guards were still positioned next to the barred entrance and his expression dropped. Then, the muffled weeping returned and from such proximity, Jack¡¯s enhanced hearing was able to narrow down its source to the large tent. His gaze swept across the camp a final time, as he took note of the only advantage he had. Besides the two guards on duty near the entrance, the staff-wielding goblin and the smith with his hammer, the rest of the goblins seemed unarmed as they milled about. More than a few goblins had gathered around the cauldron, both for it¡¯s heat and the bowl of stew in their hands, while others walked towards the store room, worked on sharpening knives against flat stones or butchered the remains of what Jack was certain was a Silvercrest Wolf. There had to be two dozen goblins in the camp if not more and that wasn¡¯t accounting for any that might have been sent on missions and could return at any time. The rewards for the Hidden Piece suddenly seemed a lot less generous. 34: A way out 34: Jack slowly pulled away from the escarpment, taking deep breaths to calm his racing pulse as he did so. He gestured to Sarah with a push of his open palms for her to retreat as he crawled backwards himself, sweat beading his forehead as he made sure not to let any sound but the bare minimum escape his movements. Lifting himself up into a crouch once they were what Jack deemed a safe distance away from the escarpment, Jack took the lead and Sarah followed him along into the security of the forest¡¯s canopy, thin as it was. The irony of viewing a place that had shown him nothing but violence and death as a place of security wasn¡¯t lost on him, but it was still better than what had to be two dozen rift goblins in an encampment. ¡°What did you see?¡± Sarah asked, her gaze boring into his own and for that matter, seeing enough, judging by her worried expression. ¡°What we expected,¡± Jack curtly replied, the words leaving his mouth before he could phrase them more delicately. ¡°Except seeing it for myself¡­ it¡¯s different. Killing the Rift Goblin Commander almost cost both of us everything. There¡¯s an entire camp full of those creatures, fourteen tents that are wide enough to house four, maybe five rift goblins each.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me there¡¯s dozens of goblins in that camp?¡± Sarah asked with wide eyes, not having expected such a revelation. ¡°Not dozens,¡± Jack hurriedly corrected, realizing that he was more shaken up by the sight than he¡¯d realized. The muffled cries of the likely captives had gotten to him in a way the constant adrenaline and violence couldn¡¯t, reminding him that there were fates out there that were worse than death. ¡°Given that the Commander and its platoon belonged to this encampment and it¡¯s unlikely that they were the only ones sent out for reconnaissance, I¡¯d bet that more than a few are outside right now. From up above, I could peek into more than a few tents and most were empty, as the rift goblins milled about or attended to tasks. I didn¡¯t dare linger long enough for a headcount, but I don¡¯t expect their numbers to be much beyond two dozen.¡± ¡°Two dozen,¡± Sarah repeated with a gulp, her lips pressed thin as she regarded the new information. ¡°Did you spot the captives?¡± Jack hesitated and it must have shown on his expression, because Sarah pinned him down with an intense stare before he replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t see them, but I think I heard them.¡± ¡°Explain,¡± Sarah pressed. ¡°It sounded like muffled weeping, though I could¡¯ve misheard. It was coming from the largest tent, one that¡¯s positioned near the far corner of the camp, pressed up against the wooden palisade and exactly opposite the lone entrance,¡± Jack revealed, his earlier hesitation quashed by a firm tone. Sarah¡¯s face fell at that revelation and Jack couldn¡¯t blame her. ¡°Was the entrance guarded?¡± Sarah finally asked, her tone heavy. ¡°Two guards, though it¡¯s kind of a moot point. It¡¯s barred from the inside with a wooden beam and while we can force through it, that¡¯s going to rouse the entire encampment in a matter of seconds,¡± Jack replied. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Then we need to fight through two dozen goblins, reach the other end of the camp and get out with three likely injured or worse people,¡± Sarah finished his thought process for him, having had access to the camp¡¯s map as much as he had. Jack was about to reply when a realization hit him with the intensity of a lightning bolt. As true as Sarah¡¯s words rang, her perspective had been too human where they had become something greater. His Moonsword and Shield of Greater Deflection were fully charged, which meant that he didn¡¯t need to completely rely on his Qi Pool for combat. Given that they had the advantage of the high ground that let him peek over the palisade, Jack could deploy two Qi Projections in rapid succession. It would leave him with precious little Qi to work with, but Moonsword would be more than just a lethal weapon while Moon Qi remained stored within it and the Shield of Greater Deflection would keep him alive if he kept it pointed in the right direction. If he chose his targets correctly, mayhem would consume the rift goblin camp. If the Rift Goblins wanted to get him, they would have to climb up the escarpment. Their lithe forms would lend well to the climb, but if Jack was bold enough, he could score a few easy kills. Sarah on the other hand, wasn¡¯t needed for the fighting. The goal wasn¡¯t to kill every last Rift Goblin, it was to help the captives escape. Normally, even with the mayhem engulfing the camp, that would be an impossible task. However, in the chaos, if Sarah were to use Qi Spear to shave off a part of the wooden palisade on the opposite end of the camp, then she wouldn¡¯t be noticed. Jack would make sure of that. If the din of the footfall of rift goblins wasn¡¯t enough to mask her approach, then he would yell out taunts to the Rift Goblins. But they would all still die or get separated unless Jack made it a mission to outrun the Rift Goblin army and he wasn¡¯t willing to martyr himself for a group of strangers. No, for this plan to have any shot at all, they needed a place to run to, where the rift goblins wouldn¡¯t be able to follow them easily, like a choke point in a tunnel or a narrow ledge on a mountainous region. Otherwise it was a suicide mission and Jack liked living, perhaps more than most. Come to think of it, what lies beyond the camp and why haven¡¯t I¡­, Jack lost that train of thought as he stumbled backwards, his mouth going agape at the sight before him. Sarah held out her spear protectively before her, sweeping it from Jack to the escarpment and back to Jack again, finding nothing of note. ¡°What happened?¡± She whispered, the confusion in her gaze only matched by a panic. Jack had studied her carefully and he had noticed how her gaze hadn¡¯t ventured beyond the beginning of the slope that made up the escarpment. His eyes narrowed as the initial shock ebbed. ¡°Just bear with me for a moment,¡± Jack said as he walked over to her and cupped her cheeks in her hands. ¡°What are you¡ª-,¡± Sarah¡¯s words were cut off as he angled her gaze towards what lay beyond the escarpment, a thick blanket of gray fog that stretched out as far as the eye could see. A shudder ran down Sarah¡¯s back before Jack pulled away from her, gazing out into what should have been open plains awaiting them. ¡°What is this?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°More trickery,¡± Jack replied with distaste. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice the fog until I actively thought about it. But there wasn¡¯t any fog blanketing the goblin camp, I could make it out as clear as day. I think you¡¯re not supposed to notice it until you¡¯re within it,¡± He grimly mused. ¡°This is a death trap,¡± Sarah muttered under her breath as she took a few steps back in trepidation. ¡°Actually,¡± Jack began, as the adrenaline rush caused his lips to curl up into an almost manic smile. ¡°If we¡¯re doing this, that might be our way out.¡± 35: Honor 35: ¡°There¡¯s just one question left, then,¡± Sarah muttered under her breath as she peeked out to get another glimpse of the rift goblin encampment below. ¡°Just one,¡± Jack repeated solemnly. ¡°Are we really doing this?¡± Sarah asked, turning away from the encampment and gazing directly into his eyes. ¡°Every fiber of my being wants to say no,¡± Jack honestly replied, not turning away from her piercing gaze. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a doomsday prepper to tell you the odds we¡¯re fighting here. Not to mention, whatever it is that lies within that fog.¡± ¡°Then why are you still here?¡± Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Jack watched her closely, only to notice that the spear loosely held to the side in her right hand was quivering alongside her grip. She was scared, terrified even and she had every right to be. ¡°I told you before that this world wants to break us, to reforge us into weapons of war,¡± Jack slowly recalled, his every word weighing upon him as he confronted the challenge he was about to take on upon himself. ¡°I also told you that I would not let it take my humanity from me. As much as I want to survive, I know that avoiding challenges now will only lead to a gruesome death later. Twenty thousand TP though, if we manage it, it would mean an advantage from the tutorial shop that would only snowball with time. And if we can earn those points while committing to a noble cause, well then¡­ if I die, I will die human.¡± Sarah continued looking him in the eyes, searching for something that she appeared to have found when she turned away and nodded. ¡°Dying human,¡± She softly repeated, her gaze hardening as she turned to look in the direction of the rift goblin encampment. ¡°That sounds a great deal better than running. I am tired, Jack. I¡¯m sick and tired of running for my life, of being hunted down relentlessly by these foul creatures. No more. I¡¯m either going to die human or become the hunter here and now.¡± Jack offered her an understanding nod, before his expression reverted to a state of calm. ¡°Take your position, then,¡± Jack said, his tone gentle yet firm. ¡°Jack.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°If this is how it ends,¡± She managed the shadow of a smile. ¡°It¡¯s been an honor.¡± ¡°The honor was all mine,¡± Jack replied softly, as his features warmed with a genuine smile that stood in stark contrast to what he was going to do to the camp of rift goblins.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Jack stood crouched before the escarpment, his unsheathed Moonsword held in his right hand and his Shield of Greater Reflection held defensively before his chest in his left. His gaze turned to his left, down the edge of the plateau they were looking down upon the goblins from, finding Sarah lying prone a distance away from him, the length of the rift goblin camp separating them. Her moment to act would come, but first Jack needed to create the distraction of a lifetime. He had long deliberated the target he should choose with his two Qi Projections. Logically, it made sense to target the area near the cauldron, where the rift goblins were clumped together as they gorged on whatever horrid stew that was bubbling. That would give him the most kills, at least two and maybe even three if he got lucky with his shot. The second Qi Projection he could use on the storehouse shack. It wouldn¡¯t take much to bring down the wooden shack and with it, Jack hoped a good chunk of the rift goblins¡¯ weapons would be damaged if not outright destroyed. As logically sound as his decision was, his instincts didn¡¯t agree as his Moonsword lit up with the glow of Qi Blade. The fact that there was no heat source the smith could rely upon to heat the red-hot metal ingot bothered him to no end and the proximity of the staff-wielding goblin that was crowned in a feathered bandana was scratching at the back of his mind. While Jack couldn¡¯t be sure and leaping to conclusions without the entire facts wasn¡¯t something he was fond of given the mystery surrounding his own origins, the only thing that could substitute a forge and bellows while evading his sight was Qi. The Rift Goblin Commander had used Qi Arrows to harry him and Sarah, but that had still been a known element as one of the starter classes. The staff on the other hand, one that could heat a metal ingot until it was red-hot, that was an unknown and a terrifying one at that. He couldn¡¯t leave such a foe to follow him and from the looks of it, it was the only one that carried a staff. If the staff-wielding goblin could heat metal until it was ready to be forged, what could it do to flesh? As Jack rose to his full height, knowing that it would be mere seconds before the rift goblin camp would spot him and his glowing sword, he hoped not to find out as he raised his sword above his left shoulder, taking a moment to confirm that the staff-wielding goblin was in the same spot he¡¯d seen him minutes before and angle his blade, before cutting downwards in a diagonal slash. To Jack, it felt like the world went still besides his own Qi Projection and he watched as the arc of azure energy blur downwards in what felt like a straight line. As his Qi Projection cut through the goblin smith who was positioned before the ingot, Jack activated Qi Blade again. But the staff-wielding goblin¡¯s movements kept his eyes locked onto it, as the creature raised its staff in the air before him as if it could shield him from an arc of concentrated Qi¡ª even as the goblin smith¡¯s body was scythed open in a spray of blood and viscera. Jack watched in abject surprise as a convex dome formed entirely out of Qi materialized before the staff-wielding goblin, shielding it from both the spray of blood and his scything arc of Qi. He watched with rapt focus as the shield formed out of Qi defended the rift goblin from an attack that was yet to fail Jack. Cracks spiderwebbed across the concave dome¡¯s surface, yet it was his arc of projected Qi that grew smaller and smaller before winking out of existence. Jack¡¯s sword arm was instinctively moving before he¡¯d even realized it, a single thought permeating in his mind. This creature has to die, He thought as he unleashed a second arc of scything Qi headed right in it¡¯s direction. This time, it was the shield that shattered. [Congratulations, Class: Swordsman (Basic) has reached level 6! +5 Free Points, +1 Qi Pool has been awarded. ] 36: Timing 36: Jack hadn¡¯t expected to earn a level from just killing two rift goblins. Last he had checked, he wasn¡¯t even past the half-way mark to Level 6. No rift goblin he¡¯d encountered so far had given him such a massive amount of experience , which meant that Jack¡¯s earlier theory about the staff-wielding goblin that was crowned in a feathered bandana was correct. It was special and the fact that it had summoned an aegis formed out of Qi to defend itself from his Qi Projection in the nick of time lended a lot of credence to that theory. But Jack didn¡¯t have time to gloat about his triumph. Leveling up to Level 6 had granted him an additional point in his Qi Pool, which not only pushed his total Qi Pool to 15, but also increased his remaining Qi reserves by 1 point. Normally, a single point would mean nothing, but he had gone from 4 to 5 remaining points in his Qi Pool, which happened to be the exact number required to cast Qi Projection. Jack had swore not to deplete his Qi Pool if he could avoid it, but there were still simply too many rift goblins to give them time to arm themselves. So he let his instincts take over, feeling the hum of Qi Blade in the air as he brought it down in an arcing slash and sent it careening towards the storehouse shack, depleting the last of his Qi Pool. Surprised cries and calls for alarm rang out from the rift goblins, but no one remaining had the ability or means to interfere with a descending arc of scything Qi. Jack watched as his Qi Projection sliced through the roof of the wooden shed, causing it to cave inwards even as the thrumming energy carved through both supplies and stored weapons with an equal degree of viciousness. A loud crack was followed by the clattering of metal and the thudding of sheared away wooden planks along with the whistling of dust and debris. A cloud of dust had enveloped the shed by the time Jack turned away from it and faced the chaos that had enveloped the encampment. A few goblins had split away from the gathering at the cauldron, one wildly gesticulating to the splinter group in the direction of the storage shed. The remaining goblins near the cauldron had gotten to their feet, some heading for their personal tents in haste while others spoke in their guttural language, trying to make sense of what was happening. A small group had collected near the staff-wielding goblin¡¯s deceased form, their panicked expressions and exaggerated gesticulation a good deal more distressed than the goblins heading for the storage shed had been. Letting the camp succumb to chaos benefitted Jack, but one glance to his left showed him Sarah, as she slid down the escarpment¡¯s slope with as much grace as she could manage. While the din of stomping feed and loud, panicked conversations did drown out some noise, it wasn¡¯t enough for Sarah to accomplish what she needed to do. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Jack needed to act. The sound of metal clashing against metal sounded out as Jack slapped his shield with the flat of his blade, holding back the Wind Qi within from automatically retaliating against the attack. Thrice the shrill sound echoed and Jack¡¯s heart almost skipped a beat as the head of every rift goblin in the vicinity swivelled in his direction. ¡°Well, come on then!¡± Jack bellowed with way more bravado than necessary, as his heart started to pump blood at the pace of a runaway freight train. Furious roars and snarls that promised violence sounded out across the encampment in response. Jack¡¯s keen eyesight singled out a rift goblin that stepped out of one of the fourteen tents scattered within the encampment, with a longbow in hand. Its gaze fell upon him and it reached for an arrow even as it¡¯s compatriots ran past it in their frenzied rage. Just as the Rift Goblin nocked an arrow, Jack ducked. An azure blur flitted past where his head had been up until moments ago, causing his features to twist in both disgust. There was another commander amongst their ranks, one that had been keeping to it¡¯s tent. The difficulty involved in surviving went up by a notch and in turn, Jack needed more stats to work with. While Strength, Constitution and Dexterity were always valuable additions, right now what Jack needed was the ability to keep track of the numerous opponents that were rallied against him and find a way to stay alive. All five points in perception, Jack thought-commanded with a grave expression. The uncomfortable sensations brought on by the change lasted about half a second, which was half a second too much as Jack¡¯s sense of hearing caught onto the frontrunners amongst the charging goblins scrambling past the now open gates, a total of four by his count who were stomping towards the escarpment¡¯s slope. As it turned out, 17 perception was nothing to scoff at, given that he could hear the footfall of the approaching goblins and judge how many were approaching by it, not to mention that even the minor vibrations left behind in the wake of their approach was something that he could just barely discern. The cacophony of agitated goblins that were approaching him with the grace of a pack of starving rabid wolves was certainly loud and dissonant enough. Now, Jack could do little else but wait for their approach and hope his newly enhanced senses would let him find an opening in the mayhem. As the first of the goblins ensued it¡¯s climb up the escarpment, it used it¡¯s shortsword as an ice pick, driving it into the hard packed earth and wedging it firmly for leverage to climb up, supporting it¡¯s ascent with it¡¯s free hand before tugging the shortsword free and repeating the process. The rift goblin¡¯s limber frames allowed them to climb the escarpment efficiently and probably faster than he could. Anytime now, Jack thought, as he primed his body to be ready to explode into action. 37: Fight 37: Jack felt like he could close his eyes and it would not hinder his reaction time against the approaching band of rift goblins in the slightest. Of course, while he was still a ways away from having that feeling bleed into reality, that didn¡¯t change the fact that he could clearly hear the efforts of the four rift goblins that were closest to conquering the escarpment, feel the scrape of their hands and blades as they dug into the earth to leverage their climb. The time to act had come. As the lead rift goblin¡¯s hand landed upon the edge of the plateau he was standing upon, Jack didn¡¯t hesitate. The new world had taught him to go for experience, to kill any creature that he attacked if he wanted to survive the next encounters. Ironically, if he wanted to have any hope of reuniting with Sarah, that was precisely what he couldn¡¯t do. There was no need to waste Moon Qi to deal with the opponent when precision would do, so Jack didn¡¯t hesitate as two quick steps bridged the gap between him and the rift goblin before he sliced it¡¯s hand off with a downward arc of his blade. The Moonsword had lived up to the expectations that Jack had for the expensive blade, as it sliced through the goblin¡¯s wrist, bone, sinew and all, with so little resistance that Jack had ended up misjudging the force required, causing his sword to bite into the earth beneath. A bone-chilling howl escaped the rift goblin, but Jack paid the creature¡¯s emotions no heed as he kicked down with his right foot hanging over the escarpment. The goblin tumbled back to the ground, taking another of its brethren below it that wasn¡¯t even half way up the escarpment to the earth below in a tangle of limbs. But in the short time Jack had invested into ridding himself of one rift goblin, two more were in the process of hoisting themselves onto the plateau. Jack broke into a sprint that had him breaking out of the crouch, requiring the full extension of his leg muscles to cover the distance in the shortest amount of time possible. He didn¡¯t hesitate to activate his sword¡¯s artifact ability, Moon-flow. A gentle, silvery glow enveloped his blade, its ethereal radiance clearly visible even under the artificial light beating down upon them no matter the time of the day, yet not at all stinging to his eyes. If anything, it was cool and refreshing to the touch. The weight of the double-edged, white marble blade had exceeded that of the basic sword artifact he¡¯d started off with by a fair degree, roughly fifty percent if he had to guess, but with his own strength increasing at a faster pace, it had only been a calculation to account for and a hindrance if he overexerted himself beyond the supernatural capabilities of his body. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! So as Jack lunged, it felt more like he was holding onto a speeding arrow for dear life than he was executing a maneuver that could leave him vulnerable. He stumbled forward, just barely managing to keep himself upright as the tip of his blade buried itself in a rift goblin¡¯s neck with such force that it sent the detached head whipping away into the air while the body, which had just about managed to lift itself over the edge of the plateau, was ruthlessly sent crashing back down into two goblins at the base of the escarpment. The crooked angle he had fallen into the lunge at had even enabled such a vicious execution, well that and the relatively slender neck of the rift goblin. Had this been a battle amongst humans, his display of prowess would¡¯ve given his enemies pause, dampening the morale and striking fear into their hearts. Unfortunately, the rift goblin adjacent to it had finished hoisting itself over the platform, a furious snarl escaping it¡¯s lips as it raised it¡¯s shortsword in the air as it prepared to charge. A glimmer of azure flashed in the distance, an observation only made possible by his heavy investment in perception. Jack immediately ducked, having done so none too soon as he felt the displacement in the air above him as the Qi-empowered arrow whizzed past the spot his head had been a second before. Jack was glad that they had chosen subterfuge for the hidden quest, or at least for the captive rescue part. He had no doubt that the rift goblin commander in the distance would¡¯ve found the back of likely injured captives with such ease that even if they survived, the captives would be dead and the purpose of risking their lives would be completely defeated. Thankfully, the commander seemed to be content to fire its arrows from the safety of the goblin encampment, which meant that Sarah¡¯s position along with the captives would be in its blindspot. His too, if he somehow managed to survive the next couple of minutes. Jack¡¯s leg muscles coiled as he exploded into forward momentum, heading right for the rift goblin that still had its sword raised in the air. The commander would need a few seconds to nock another arrow, set the tip alight with Qi and shoot, which gave Jack enough of a window to operate in. As the distance between him and the goblin melted away, Jack thrust his blade with a speed that he still wasn¡¯t entirely used to. He missed. Jack wasn¡¯t sure if it was his own inexperience with moon-flow¡¯s speed and strength, the creature¡¯s reflexes or simply luck, but his blade whistled past the rift goblin¡¯s skull, missing it only by a finger¡¯s length. As the rift goblin slashed his sword in an attempt to slash at his throat, Jack¡¯s reflexes took over as he brought his shield close to his visage at an inward angle with a flex of his wrist. Get fucked, Jack thought as a gale of wind unexpectedly burst forth from his shield the moment the rift goblin¡¯s blade made contact with it. Not only was the sword knocked off the rift goblin¡¯s hand, but it was sent stumbling back by the ambushing Wind Qi. Even more unfortunately for the offending rift goblin, there wasn¡¯t enough of the plateau left to support it¡¯s stumbling, so it too went plummeting down the escarpment with a befuddled expression on its visage. 38: Flow 38: Jack found himself flanked by goblins both before and behind him. He had managed to deter any new climbers from finding their way up by kicking, stabbing and shield punching them back to the bottom of the escarpment, but he knew that his efforts had brought him a minute, maybe two at best. Still, he had problems of a more immediate nature to deal with first. Three, in fact. Two goblins blocked his path forward as they stood side by side, a single-sided axe in one¡¯s hand while the other wielded a curved scimitar that had been crudely serrated. Behind him, a single rift goblin leered at him with a set of small yet no doubt deadly hammers. Jack himself stood wedged in the middle, with his feet spread apart and held parallel to each other towards the left, away from the edge of the plateau. Confronting his opponents with his sides facing them wasn¡¯t the most ideal of battle stances, but it was the only way Jack could keep track of the threats that he was facing visually, with his shield defending him from an attack from the dual-hammer wielding goblin while his Moonsword was pointed in the direction of the two rift goblins. Sweat beaded his forehead as Jack wondered how he¡¯d landed in the precarious position, but the truth was that battle moved too quickly for him to keep track of every rift goblin that was arrayed against him. If he didn¡¯t act, Jack was dead anyway, so he feigned a charge with his shield arm, bashing it forward even though he knew that there was no way for him to bridge the distance without breaking the impasse and being skewered from behind. The dual-hammer wielding rift goblin saw the opening in his guard and chose to accept it for a stroke of good fortune as Jack¡¯s wide swing revealed a path to his vulnerable chest. As the dual-hammer wielding goblin thanked it¡¯s lucky stars and advanced, Jack let loose the tension in his elbow before willing it to swing to his defense, using the weight of the shield to aid in the pendulum-like momentum. The Shield of Greater Deflection crashed against the hammer artifact that could not match it in rarity and a burst of Wind Qi was sent whipping outwards. As the rift goblin was sent tumbling backwards, both its hammers slipped out of its grip. One dug into the ground while the other was sent careening down to the escarpment¡¯s base. Unluckily for Jack, the rift goblin¡¯s charge hadn¡¯t positioned it to fall back down the escarpment like it¡¯s hammer had and it was only sent stumbling upon it¡¯s backside. Still, it brought Jack a few more seconds to deal with the two rift goblins that were approaching from the front. Jack met the serrated scimitar that was viciously swung at him in a wide-arc with a quick flick of his own blade, the best maneuver he could manage in the moment he had to react to the attack. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. He could tell that the scimitar-wielding rift goblin was surprised when Jack¡¯s moonsword managed to hold off the full strength of it¡¯s attack at bay with what seemed like a casual swipe of his blade, as the screeching of metal against metal rang out in testament to the unexpected sight. Jack didn¡¯t stop there however and started to push back against the rift goblin¡¯s serrated scimitar, which caused its eyes to widen in surprise, until Jack abruptly stopped applying the pressure. That hadn¡¯t been a maneuver the rift goblin had been expecting and as it found itself pushing Jack¡¯s blade back easily, it stopped in fear of overextending itself. That moment of hesitation was what Jack had been aiming for, as he pulled his blade back just enough to free itself from the jaws of the serrated blade and with a flick of his blade and a one-step lunge, buried the tip of his moonsword in the rift goblin¡¯s neck. His instincts went haywire as his gaze caught onto the glint of metal on his right. He abruptly pulled back his blade as quickly as he could, but the axe blow that it caught on it¡¯s length caused powerful tremors to make their way to the hilt of his blade. If he lost his grip over his moonsword, Jack was dead, so he clenched his teeth and just about managed to hold onto it. By the time Jack had repositioned himself in a combat stance, he found an axe head hurling towards him for the second time. Parrying an axe wasn¡¯t the wisest of ideas, but Jack was confident that both his axe and his grip over it would survive the blow. Still, he found himself wincing as he parried the axe, pushing both their weapon artifacts back. Jack used the precious moment he had earned by forcing an impasse to take two steps to circle his opponent from the left. The axe-wielding rift goblin reacted before Jack could flank him, but he had never intended to in the first place. This time, when the deep purple skinned creature swung it¡¯s axe, Jack positioned his shield before it. When the axe blade met the shield of Greater Deflection, both it and it¡¯s wielder were sent flying off the edge of the plateau, its confused yelp carrying a melange of terror and sheer stupefaction. The sound of feet thumping against the earth behind him alerted him to the presence of the approaching hammer-wielding rift goblin, that had recovered a single hammer and was planning on embedding it in his unguarded back. Jack pivoted on the ball of his right foot and swung Moonsword in the widest arc he could manage, channeling every ounce of strength he could manage along with the added momentum from the swing. A sharp, metallic sound rang out as Moonsword sheared everything below the goblin¡¯s neck from its above, drenching Jack¡¯s already blood slicked armor with more splotches of dense red. Heavily panting, Jack felt like every muscle in his body was burning from the exertion, but even his superhuman feats hadn¡¯t deterred the remaining rift goblins. He could hear their approach, their pace a little slower, perhaps more cautious, but they climbed the escarpment none the less. Jack whipped his neck to the left without being prompted and just about managed to evade a regular arrow that wasn¡¯t attuned to Qi. Almost. Even as he broke into a sprint, Jack felt the burn in his right earlobe, his peripheral vision just about catching the steady trickle of blood dripping down his chin. He had been grazed and the bastard commander hadn¡¯t used Qi so he wouldn¡¯t see it coming. Hoping against the dire circumstances he found himself in, he gazed in the direction he expected to find Sarah, unsure what would greet him in turn. 39: Fly 39. Jack ran as if his life depended on it, mostly because it in fact, did. Two more rift goblins were scrambling up the edge of the plateau and it would be seconds before they came crashing down upon him with weapons drawn. That was precisely why Jack didn¡¯t intend on being anywhere near them when they did. As he cut off his Moonsword¡¯s artifact ability, Moon-flow, Jack judged that he had a little under a quarter of the original Moon Qi reserve he had taken the time to build up. It wasn¡¯t the best outcome he could¡¯ve imagined, but it was still better than running out of Moon Qi in the midst of battle. His Shield of Greater Deflection had fared significantly better, with more half the Wind Qi reserves still intact, which made sense that the activation condition for the shield artifact was a good deal trickier than the weapon artifact. He couldn¡¯t simply bash his shield into the face of a rift goblin and send it flying with a burst of Wind Qi, because the shield needed to make contact with an enemy¡¯s attack for it to activate the effect. Honestly, a part of him was tempted to put that theory to the test and confirm if the purple fleshed creatures¡¯ visage counted as an attack, the affront to nature that they were, but flinging his shield and exposing his chest to confirm such a long shot wasn¡¯t worth the tradeoff. He could experiment more with the shield artifact if he survived the day. Feral cries and guttural commands rang out behind him as more rift goblins followed after the initial two. The light thumps of the rift goblins footfall sounded out behind him, the agility granted by their limber frames thankfully balanced with their shorter reach. But instead of sneaking a peek behind, Jack¡¯s gaze scoured the camp in search of the rift goblin commander. The treacherous bastard was still concealed behind the camp door¡¯s body, but the metal glint of the arrowhead was something his enhanced perception managed to hone onto, now that he knew what to look for. Given the advantage of elevation Jack had, the distance separating them and the fact that he was moving as fast as he could, there was a small chance that the rift goblin commander would actually manage the shot from such a distance. Because if the commander was capable of such feats, then both he and Sarah would¡¯ve died in their first encounter with the variant. Still, Jack was committed to keeping an eye on the creature as he ran. Had he dodged the earlier arrow by a thinner margin, it was an entire ear he would¡¯ve lost instead of a small wound. Moments ticked away and Jack had begun to believe that he would reach his destination without incident when he noticed a subtle change in his immediate surroundings. Where he could hear multiple pairs of lithe rift goblins in pursuit earlier, now he could only hear the footfall of one. That anomaly was more worrying than the commander at the moment, so Jack risked it and peeked behind him. What he saw almost broke the rhythm of his rushing footsteps. The two rift goblins that had been in the lead had stopped dead in their tracks and were now instead facing each other, with their cupped palms held together and layered one on top of the other. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Only one rift goblin in the vicinity continued running towards the odd display, while others were hoisting themselves over the edge of the plateau or assisting them with the last part of the climb. Jack didn¡¯t understand what was happening until the running rift goblin closed the distance between him and the two goblins that were standing close together, before leaping forward. The goblin-sized gap the two rift goblins had maintained between them proved to have a purpose as the third rift goblin landed partly on their cupped hands along with their arms. For a moment, it looked like the two rift goblins¡¯ arm would buckle under the new-found weight, but they managed to hold on and stabilize the bridge they had made with their hands. The goblin that stood with its knees bent and a thin double-edged blade that resembled the length of his moonsword pointed forward. You can¡¯t be fucking serious, Jack thought as two strained grunts sounded out. Then, Jack got to bear witness to a sight that was too bizarre even for the reforged supernatural world he found himself in. A flying goblin. Or perhaps, a more accurately, a rage-filled goblin toting a double-edged sword that arced across the air and covered the distance between itself and Jack at a blistering pace. Regardless, that distinction didn¡¯t make him any more or less fucked. Jack wasn¡¯t in any position to parry given that he was running in the opposite direction and he wasn¡¯t confident enough that he would be able to put his shield between himself and the goblin as it sailed across the air. So he positioned his shield to the side and dove forward, hoping to use his improved athleticism to break out into a roll and get himself back up on his feet. Both man and goblin were flying as a searing pain erupted in Jack¡¯s back, as if a nail had been abruptly driven in by a large hammer. A pained cry escaped his lips as the force generated by his own leap saw him sail forward a little longer than the goblin could. Tears pooled in the corners of his eyes as Jack forced himself into a roll, the athleticism required not a challenge, but that did nothing to stall the flare of pain as he rolled on his back once and then twice, before pushing himself back up on his feet. Instead of running, Jack whipped his head around to catch the sword-wielding rift goblin as it tugged its sword, which had been embedded in the earth up until a moment ago and scrambled to its feet. There was no hesitation as Jack lunged forward with a thrust. Unfortunately for him, the rift goblin¡¯s sword matched his own in reach and the creature hadn¡¯t been already been fighting a battle with dozens of its kind. Having his thrust parried, Jack felt the blood rush to his face as he was confronted with the stark reality. Every moment that he wasted here, the two rift goblins that had enabled the leap got a moment to catch up to them. Then he realized where he was standing. Gritting his teeth, Jack raised his blade over his head and charged. He feinted a downwards slash, which prompted the rift goblin to counter with an upward sweep of its blade. Jack grinned as he rammed his shield sideways into a blade that wouldn¡¯t catch him in it¡¯s arc, angling it with a flick of his wrist to point a little more towards the sword. Without warning, the blade was ripped free of the rift goblins grip with a snap and sent skittering behind the foul creature. Now, Jack really brought his blade down with a moon-flow empowered downwards slash, cleaving the rift goblin in half in an explosion of blood and viscera. Heavily panting and injured, Jack braced himself before phe positioned himself at the edge of the plateau, first sitting with his legs dangling over the edge and then hoisting himself over the edge with his arms and navigating the slide with far less grace than Sarah likely had. 40: Captives 40: Jack slid down the escarpment with the grace of a flailing sloth as he skidded more than slided down the slope. His back rattled with every meter he navigated down the incline, if managing to hold onto his sword and pressing against the earth with his feet when needed to avoid being flipped face first into the dirt could be called navigating anything. Thankfully for Jack, it was much easier to go down an escarpment than it was to climb up it and it couldn¡¯t have been more than a few seconds before his feet stamped down on the base of the escarpment. Jack groaned as he felt another flare of pain run up his back. Besides the puncture wound that had been exacerbated by the tumble down the escarpment, Jack was also sure that particular maneuver had earned him a smattering of new bruises across his back and thighs. He pulled out the Greater Recovery Pill that he had kept in his left pocket, grateful that it hadn¡¯t been lost in the melee. He really needed a better way to store pills in the long-term, but given that his bloodthirsty opponents hadn¡¯t even given him the opportunity to use the pill up until now, Jack supposed that there was a lot more he could use in his arsenal. Consuming the pill came as a relief as the warm healing energy suffused his body before focusing on his back and thighs, the area where the energy was needed the most. He got back on his feet, a feat of willpower more than endurance, as the Greater Recovery Pill¡¯s healing did little to the utter exhaustion weighing down upon him, both mentally and physically. The cries of the goblins had grown more distant as he broke into what was more a jog than a sprint, approaching the rear-end of the encampment as fast as he could manage in the moment. His acute hearing could hear no tumbling goblins, so for now it seemed like there was no one amongst the rift goblins that wanted to throw themselves down the escarpment just yet. It wasn¡¯t an impasse he expected would hold, not to mention, there was still a small group of rift goblins waiting at the base of the escarpment in the distance, where Jack had originally been spotted. They would be on his heels soon enough and the distance separating them was the only saving grace. Well, that and the fact that he had entered the bow-wielding rift goblin commander¡¯s blindspot, unless it wanted to shoot through its own encampment or chase after him on foot. Neither seemed like the kind of tactic the commander would take, given that the first one he had fought was more than content to use the goblins under it as an advance party to flush them out of cover, using that time to either line up the perfect shot or flank them and try from a different angle. There weren''t any thick trees for it to hide behind or a dense canopy that it could snipe from, which left the open area surrounding the land and the thick gray fog that stretched out into the distance. If the commander could land a shot from within the fog, well then Jack was probably dead, but besides that, further pursuit seemed unlikely when it was easier to wait for its kin to force him out of cover and then take the shot. A short distance away from him, Sarah stood before three figures that were seated on the ground before her. One look at the wooden palisade that was supposed to shield the rift goblin encampment revealed that a portion of it, namely three wooden stakes worth, had been sheared away near the base and was now lined next to the three seated people. To their right, Sarah had emptied out a small pile of weapon artifacts, their combined haul from slaying multiple rift goblins before their assault on the rift goblin encampment, as they had discussed earlier. Without knowing what class they were in advance, dumping out the weapons was the quickest way to let them pick what suited them. His approach had not gone unnoticed as Sarah met his gaze, stifling the unease that flitted across her expression with firmness as she took in Jack¡¯s own haggard features. Then her face hardened as she looked down upon the captive that sat closest to her, a dark-skinned man that was clad in tattered animal hides that did a poor job of hiding the tapestry of scabbed and a few raw and red surfaces that were visible on his side. No more blood appeared to be leaking from the long, narrow flesh wounds, but his deep-set brown eyes were hollow when they turned to take in Jack¡¯s features, not a flicker of surprise, shock, or for that matter, any emotion at all visible within. Even with his visage matted in dirt and dried blood and dressed in rags, the bald man¡¯s tall frame and well-maintained physique spoke of an athletic and handsome man, his build neither cumbersomely muscled nor particularly lean. ¡°Look,¡± Jack could hear Sarah¡¯s voice clearly as the distance between them had been reduced to a matter of meters. ¡°I understand that you¡¯ve gone through¡­ unspeakable, horrible things. Things I wouldn¡¯t wish on anyone. And I¡¯m sorry about that, for what it¡¯s worth. I¡¯ve torn away the ropes that bound you. The recovery pills have stemmed the bleeding and there¡¯s no risk of the wounds getting infected anymore. But risking my life and the life of my companion is going to mean nothing if you don¡¯t pick up a weapon and run. If we¡¯re going to die today, then let it be with weapons in our hands and the blood of goblins splattered across them. Please¡­,¡± Sarah trailed off with a plea, giving Jack the time to examine the other two captives they had rescued. There were two women seated behind the dark-skinned man. The younger one amongst the two, who looked to be in her early to mid twenties was of asian descent . Her straight black hair appeared like it had been randomly, or perhaps forcibly cut short, giving it an uneven spread that was clumped together due to blood from a head injury coagulating. Her brown eyes still had a spark within them as she looked from Sarah to Jack before turning towards Sarah again, her expression seeming dazed as she did so. Her high cheekbones and lightly tanned skin along with her wiry frame was a physique he would attribute to a runner, but his attention was drawn more to the tattered rags she was clad in, or more specifically to where blood had stained through on her thighs.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The other woman, who had to be in her early thirties, was rocking back and forth as she hugged her knees. Her cinnamon-brown skin tone with light sprinkle of freckles dotting her round face would¡¯ve given Jack the impression of a warm, friendly lady, had her expression not been blank and her eyes lost in trauma. Jack came to a stop before Sarah, his gaze flitting from Sarah, to the former captives, before peeking behind him. ¡°Sarah, we need to leave, otherwise we¡¯re all dead,¡± Jack cut in with a grave expression before turning towards the former captives. ¡°The name¡¯s Jack and I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t do more. I really am. But if you want to keep holding on to the breath you¡¯re drawing, you need to pick up a weapon and run alongside us. I¡¯m not going to paint a rosy picture of the shithole we¡¯re trapped in and neither would I expect you to believe in half-assed platitudes, but I¡¯ll promise you one thing. If you walk alongside us, there will be less of those violet skinned motherfuckers tomorrow than there are today.¡± For a moment, Jack thought that the captives had been broken too thoroughly to cling on to any thoughts of self-preservation. But his words seemed to resonate with the bald man, who slowly but surely rose in his tattered rags. ¡°Marcus,¡± He said with a grunt, before he walked over to the pile and picked up a goblin shortsword that seemed small in his hands, given his physique and a height that was only an inch or two shorter than Jack¡¯s own six-feet-two inches. ¡°I will slit my own throat before I let one of those rodents lay another hand on me,¡± He declared with a grim determination, a steel in his tone that told Jack the man was dead serious. Jack nodded to Marcus, not trying to protest against the man¡¯s resolve. It was a twisted declaration, but so were the horrors this world had subjected upon them. He had no right to judge or try and alter the weight of marcus¡¯ trauma and the resolve that followed after it. The asian woman was the next to rise, standing about five feet and four inches, maybe five feet five inches, which meant that Sarah was still taller than her by around two inches. ¡°Jin,¡± She rasped out through chapped lips as her eyes landed squarely on Jack. ¡°It was near the end, but¡­ I saw you fight,¡± She slowly said, as the spark in her eyes bloomed into a full-blown campfire. ¡°You killed that¡­that despicable¡­,¡± Jin took a deep breath to calm herself as tears threatened to spill out from her eyes. ¡°...that goblin even after it leapt at you. I¡¯ve n-never seen someone fight like that. Will you teach me?¡± She said the last part hurriedly, as if afraid the words would not escape her lips if she didn¡¯t say them fast enough. ¡°I will, Jin,¡± Jack replied as reassuringly as he could manage. ¡°But for now you need to pick up a weapon suited for your class and we need to get out of here.¡± Jin nodded repeatedly as she walked over towards the weapon pile and plucked out a spear that was two-thirds the length of Sarah¡¯s, clearly designed for goblin use over human one. That left the last lady, who was still rocking herself back and forth. Jack¡¯s expression tightened as he walked over to her and crouched before her. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Jack asked as softly as he could, as even the doomsday prepper within him crumbled a little at the sight of the broken woman. She looked him in the eyes and stopped moving, almost as if she had gone limp. ¡°C-Carmen,¡± She replied, the fear in her eyes causing Jack¡¯s lips to stretch into a thin line. ¡°Well Carmen, you don¡¯t have to pick up a weapon. But do you think you can run? We¡¯ll keep you safe. You just need to keep moving and stop for nothing,¡± Jack asked with as much gentleness he could muster. ¡°I¡­I think I can do that,¡± Carmen slowly nodded, as Jack noted her miami accent. ¡°Great,¡± Jack beamed a warm smile at her as he offered her a hand, which she gingerly accepted. Sarah was stashing the unpicked weapons back into her inventory, having heard the compromise Jack and Carmen had reached. Once Carmen was on her feet, Jack addressed the group as swiftly as he could, ¡°Move, now.¡± The footfall of rift goblins didn¡¯t feel too distant in Jack¡¯s enhanced hearing and a peek behind him revealed the charging forms of a group of four, likely the ones that had been waiting at the bottom of the escarpment. Sarah, Marcus and Jin didn¡¯t need any further encouragement as they broke out into a sprint, with Sarah making sure not to take the lead too far beyond Marcus and Jin. Carmen needed a moment longer to compose herself before she broke out into a jog, her frame neither particularly athletic nor muscled, falling on the chubbier side. Jack caught up to her as he broke out into a sprint, having recovered a small chunk of stamina from standing around instead of sprinting non-stop earlier. Sarah knew where to go, as they cleared the encampment and headed right for the gray fog permeating the landscape. There was nowhere else to go but the obvious trap and they could only hope an entire army of rift goblins wasn¡¯t behind it. As they were three fourths of the way towards the wall of gray fog, with Jack and Carmen trailing behind the group, Jack¡¯s heart dropped as the twang of bowstring rang out in the distance. Without hesitation, Jack dived forward into a roll, certain the commander had fired a final shot in an attempt to kill the man that was responsible for the death of so many of its kind. An agonized cry died in the throat it was uttered from, a distinctly feminine cry that caused Jack¡¯s heart to fill with dismay. ¡°No!¡± A cry of his own escaped his lips as he realized that the commander had an angle to shoot at them from it¡¯s spot near the entrance of the encampment given that they had nothing to cover them, he just hadn¡¯t been too worried because he was confident in his newfound ability to evade the arrows. The same couldn¡¯t be said about his companions and as Jack glimpsed back at Carmen¡¯s slumped over form, with an arrow in her back and her eyes glazed over as she looked forward, towards him, a rage unlike anything he had felt before filled Jack¡¯s heart. His parents death had been personal, targeted and more than likely, had a reason behind it. A motive. But this? This was madness, insanity given shape and form. He didn¡¯t want to hunt the goblin down, to tear it from limb to limb. No, Jack wanted to dismantle and destroy the very system that made this possible, that subjected them to this mayhem. Jack charged forth, seeing no reason to limit his speed. Feeling like he was moving faster than he had ever before, he caught up to Sarah¡¯s group in a matter of moments. ¡°Hands!¡± He screamed out as he thrust his own in Jin¡¯s direction. It took a moment for Marcus and Jin to understand what he meant, but Sarah knew what he was talking about and thrust her own free hand in Marcus¡¯s direction as she slowed her pace to fall into a line next to him. Jin grabbed his sword arm and marcus¡¯s short sword holding left, though that was more of an arm grab, while Sarah grabbed marcus¡¯ free right hand with her free left. Then, they ran into the fog and it¡¯s gray form consumed their figures entirely. 41: The Way Forward (1) 41: Jack, Sarah and two other veritable strangers charged into the gray fog and for a few minutes straight, they just focused on blindly running forward as fast as they could. Of course, Jack and Sarah had to keep their pace more manageable to let the former captives keep up with them, which required active focus on their part to make sure that neither they didn¡¯t force Marcus and Jin beyond what the limits of their stamina and physique allowed. Only when they had ventured a good deal into the fog, did Jack come to a realization that he would¡¯ve come to seconds into their charge, had his mind not been so occupied and his physical body not teetering on the verge of complete exhaustion. He could see through the fog, which was the entire reason he suspected Marcus and Jin had been able to keep up the pace without tripping or stumbling, either on their own or into one another. While Jack didn¡¯t have any actual way of knowing what their exact stats were, his perception told them that they weren¡¯t much further beyond what was expected for their builds, unless they had inspected all their points in the Wisdom Stat. ¡°Take a right here,¡± Jack decided to call out, as he noticed Jin¡¯s pace flagging a notch. ¡°Why?¡± Marcus croaked out, his breath winded from the exertion. ¡°Look around you,¡± Jack called in reply, keeping his voice as low as he could while making sure everyone in the group could hear him. He waited for Marcus and Jin to finish a sweep of their surroundings, including taking a peek behind them, before speaking, ¡°Even now, the dense fog obscures our way in every direction, but it has parted around us in a circle. If the same protections are granted to the rift goblins, who are bound to eventually outpace us, then going straight will just lead them right to us.¡± Well, it would outpace Marcus and Jin, A part of him thought, but he didn¡¯t have the heart to part ways. The two would certainly die if they were left on their own, of that Jack had no doubt. They had lost too much valuable time as the days had progressed, which would put them at a disadvantage against both human survivors and the deadlier region they had been forcibly led to after their capture. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why we should keep going until we get out of the fog?¡± Marcus called back, arguing from what Jack realized was a place of fear. Jack couldn¡¯t blame the man for being afraid of the eerie fog and he knew enough about the system at this point to be certain that they weren¡¯t alone within the gray fog. ¡°We will,¡± Jack replied with a conviction he wasn¡¯t entirely feeling. ¡°But there¡¯s not going to be any point if we don¡¯t lose the goblin¡¯s tail. Sarah, on your call,¡± He called out in a firm tone, hoping that the iron in his voice would dissuade Marcus from pushing this any further. ¡°Fine,¡± Marcus grumbled a quick word of agreement, though it was evident that he wasn¡¯t fully convinced. A quick countdown from three to one later, they all veered right with acceptable coordination and continued that way for another seven to ten minutes, not that Jack had any real way to tell for sure, before he called for them to course correct back towards the direction they thought forward. If running in a crooked way towards a single direction opposite the goblin camp wouldn¡¯t see them towards the end of the seemingly never ending stretch of gray fog, Jack wasn¡¯t sure what would. They could double back if all else failed, he supposed, but if they got assaulted by goblins in numbers then Jack and Sarah would find a way to survive, but Marcus and Jin would certainly die. The handsome man had already declared that he would sooner slit his own throat than be taken prisoner and Jack didn¡¯t doubt the weight of the man¡¯s resolve. The fact of the matter was, there was nowhere in this new world where they could escape conflict. There were no old lives to return to and while people like Sarah¡¯s parents were being kept alive and safe for now, there was no telling what would happen after the sixty days elapsed. If Marcus and Jin wanted to survive, they would have to come to terms with that reality, to confront the raw truth that the only way to do so was to keep moving forward, growing stronger and amassing strength as long as they drew breath in their lungs. Jack figured that half an hour had passed since they had set off from the border of the rift goblin camp and stepped into the gray fog and since then, they had encountered no sight, sound or smell that indicated that the rift goblins were pursuing them, or for that matter, there was anything else that lived within the eerie gray fog. But that wasn¡¯t the reason Jack had called for a halt. Jin was the first to drop to the ground, unceremoniously dropping down to her knees as she heaved for breath. She had tried her best to keep up with the pace set by Jack and Sarah and she had done a commendable job at that given the condition they had found her in. Marcus sat down with more grace, as he seated himself with his knees raised and his hands pressed against the earth, greedily inhaling mouthfuls of air. Jack however, remained standing as he looked into Sarah¡¯s eyes, before both of them turned their gazes back to the system notification that had popped up before them. [Congratulations on being awarded Feat: Seeker of Hidden Wisdom for discovering a Hidden Piece¡ª Rift Goblin Camp and completing the Quest attached to the hidden piece. +2 Wisdom]If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. [Congratulations upon partially completing Quest: Rescue. Your conquest of a Rift Goblin Commander tasked with surveying the new lands they have found themselves in led you to the Rift Goblin Camp. Utilizing the tools available in your arsenal, you aided in the rescue of two out of three humans that were captured within the rift goblin camp for the purpose of harvesting their blood, while the third unfortunately succumbed to an arrow during your escape. Calculating rewards based on contribution: Reward for rescuing two hostages from the rift goblin camp: 6666.666x 2= 13,333 TP Demerit for not being able to rescue one hostage from the rift goblin camp: 0 (escaped out of camp boundaries). Additional reward for killing multiple rift goblins during your escape: Total TP in possession of the eight slain rift goblins: 4,000 + 1250+ 550 +487+ 399+445+576+445= 8152. System fee for recovery of TP @ 15%: 6929 TP Total TP transferred: 20,262 Current TP: 20,284] The first thing that Jack noticed immediately after the notification was the effect of the Wisdom stat. He found himself being able to draw conclusions from existing information that he had far quicker than he normally would have been able to, concluding that the bulk of his TP from the goblin kills must¡¯ve come from the staff-wielding goblin that could erect a shield out of Qi to defend itself and the smith that was standing next to it, given their importance to the overall order of the camp, both the source of their weapons and a very powerful vanguard in the form of the staff-wielding goblin. It wasn¡¯t that he was processing information faster, because he wasn¡¯t. It was more akin to a moment of clarity one had after pondering on something for a while, except Jack could tell that the improvement was perfect as threads connected related pieces of information into a larger piece of the puzzle. Simply put, he could reach conclusions faster with the existing information he had. It wouldn¡¯t let him read a book in a minute, but whatever information he did retain, he could extract value out of it better. Twenty thousand TP was an amount he and Sarah had intended to receive in the plan, but in all honesty he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d actually do it. The thirteen thousand TP Sarah would receive was nothing to scoff at, but twenty thousand at this stage could offer him an advantage Jack had to capitalize on this very moment. [Tutorial Shop
  1. Recovery Pill (Basic Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 100 TP
  2. Qi Gathering Pill (Basic Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 150 TP
  3. Greater Recovery Pill (Adept Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 500 TP
  4. Body Refinement Stone (Uncommon, Qi Gathering Stage) ¡ª 1000 TP (1055/250,000)
  5. Bloodsong Sabre (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (19,463/100,000)
  6. Moonsword (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (33,324/100,000)
  7. Hoarfrost¡¯s Edge (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (25,452/100,000)
  8. Naga Armor Set (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact Set 3/3) ¡ª 7500 TP (51,995/75,000)
  9. Jade Guard Armor Set (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact Set 3/3) ¡ª 7500 TP ( 49,554/75,000)
  10. Juvenile Wyrm¡¯s Breath Armor Set (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact Set 3/3) ¡ª 7500 TP (55,436/75,000)
  11. Cultivation Technique: Essence Renewal Art (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage¡ª Foundation Establishment Stage) ¡ª 10,000 TP [46,777/50,000]
  12. Cultivation Technique: Tenfold Strike (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage¡ª Foundation Establishment Stage) ¡ª 15,000 TP [48,992/50,000]
  13. Cultivation Technique: Essence Syphon Art (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage¡ª Foundation Establishment Stage) ¡ª 20,000 TP [29,960/30,000]
  14. Foundation Establishment Pill (Advanced Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 25,000 TP (25,000/25,000)
  15. Flowing Vitality Pill (Advanced Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 2,500 TP
More items will be added to the shop in twenty four hour intervals. Available TP: 20,284] The Flowing Vitality pill was new and from the looks of it, it didn¡¯t have any limitations on the amount of purchases, which meant that it couldn¡¯t be too powerful. His Moonsword had already saved his life more times than he could count and it was an advantage only a fraction of the surviving humans would have access to, which explained the power of limited quantity items. On the other hand, its name seemed to indicate another variant of a healing pill, though Jack wasn¡¯t in any position to gamble on a pill he could purchase at any point in time. His eyes fell upon the cultivation techniques, though Jack would have been lying if he claimed to have not been interested for a while. If he was to be a cultivator in the new world, it wasn¡¯t much of a leap to claim that cultivation techniques would teach him how to hone his power, his Qi, for specific purposes. There had to be more to it than just a simple attack or defense, otherwise it was something his class would¡¯ve seen to. Everyone got a class, but it was clear that these techniques weren¡¯t for everyone¡ª far from it. Only tens of thousands amongst a population of eight billion, or whatever was remaining of that eight billion, would be granted the opportunity to claim one from the tutorial shop and Jack intended to be one of them. He just didn¡¯t know which one to buy. Of the three techniques available, Tenfold strike seemed to be the most offensively inclined. That was precisely why Jack wasn¡¯t enthused by it, irrelevant to the cost. If the name said anything, it was the allure of a single, powerful attack that was being dangled before him. Or it could be more, but how many times would his Qi Pool let him land an attack that was ten times of, hypothetically, what he could manage? Jack couldn¡¯t help but recall his battle with the rift goblins and the desperation he had felt as he battled them. Tenfold strike could reduce one, two, three and maybe four, maybe ten of the goblins to mush, but the end result would still mean that Jack would end up needing to flee from the commander, effectively changing nothing. Might could change a lot many things, but Jack Anderson was up against the unknown. And against the unknown, adaptability was paramount. For the other two cultivation techniques, Jack had come to assume that essence referred to his Qi. The essence of the new world, the essence embedded in the trees and the soil, the essence that kept his own supernatural body going, it was all Qi. One technique let him renew, to resume Qi, whatever that meant, while the other syphoned it, drew it off from somewhere. They were the same rarity, which meant that neither would let him lift mountains and hurt them at his enemies, but Jack had to wonder why there was a ten thousand TP difference. If their value and power was similar, then the only criteria left was their usefulness to his situation. On one hand, Jack knew that the safe play was to buy an armor set for 7500 TP, the Essence Renewal Art for 10,000 TP and a stock of Greater Recovery Pills. It was safe¡­ and that was the problem. It certainly wasn¡¯t what had gotten him this far and as rankled as the doomsday prepper side of him got by that observation, it was the truth. The system hadn¡¯t lied to him so far. The Moonsword had been worth 5,000 TP and Jack knew just how worth it it was. What would 20,000 TP get him? Jack didn¡¯t know, but there was more to his considerations. Besides a Dao Mark, which for all he knew was just another aspect of Qi, Qi itself was clearly the future. It was a source of energy unlike anything the planet Earth had seen and it was capable of feats beyond his wildest expectations. A determination that the doomsday prepper was in inclination with, was that he needed to know more about the energy. The staff-wielding rift goblin had used Qi as a shield and Jack doubted that he would be the only one using the energy in unfamiliar modulations going forward. Jack also hadn¡¯t missed the system¡¯s mention of Carmen¡¯s death and the bloodletting the rift goblins were using the captives for. He also suspected that he knew where the blood and eventually the people would go. As much as it angered him, it was also a reminder of where he would be heading if he made the wrong call. That¡¯s why he needed to know more about Qi. 42: Potential 42: Jack turned his gaze to Sarah, noting that her features seemed far less uncertain than his own were, before he addressed her, ¡°Did you make a decision?¡± He asked, knowing that it wasn''t the first time they had pondered upon the Tutorial Shop¡¯s wares. It was hard to not think about them when amassing the tutorial points and purchasing the right item could mean the difference between life and death and perhaps, even more than that. ¡°Make a decision on what?¡± Marcus cut in, having recovered enough breath in his lungs to cut in before Sarah could respond. Jack¡¯s gaze looked down to meet Marcus¡¯s, noting the glimmer of fear the man¡¯s eyes concealed behind the stony look that he gave him. ¡°On the tutorial shop,¡± Sarah replied calmly, a softness in her tone that intended for her words to be disarming. ¡°Killing those goblins, along with any other creature that we might encounter, gives us tutorial points that we can use in the shop. Those items might be the difference between surviving what we encounter in this fog or¡­¡± She trailed off, not wanting to invite fate to prove her words correct. Marcus¡¯s features seemed to relax a little at the explanation, but there was apparently more the man had on his mind that needed asking, ¡°Before that, how did you two find us in the first place? The only other member in our group that could¡¯ve called for aid died to an arrow wound a few hours into¡­ whatever this is,¡± Marcus gestured to the gray fog around him, but it was clear that he meant the new earth that they had found themselves in. ¡°And you couldn¡¯t have stumbled upon us by accident, given that,¡± He looked to Sarah, needing a moment to recall her name, ¡°Sarah knew exactly what to cut to find us. So¡­ just how did you do it?¡± ¡°The system told us,¡± Jack moved to respond before Sarah could, his tone hardening as he continued. ¡°It told us that there were people trapped in the goblin camp and gave us an option to choose to rescue them. We put our own lives on the line to do so, a choice we made out of our own volition. Now, every moment that we waste talking is another moment we might be inching closer to our deaths,¡± He declared, an iron in his voice that made it clear that he wanted no more interruptions. ¡°Sarah?¡± Knowing that her words were being subject to the scrutiny of four instead of two, she chose her words carefully as she responded, ¡°I have a clear idea of what I want. Given that we don¡¯t know what the items do besides their names, I¡¯m going to play it safe.¡± Jack nodded in understanding, having discussed this with her before. Had she earned a total of twenty thousand TP, he would find it hard to pin down what she was buying, but given that she had about 3000 TP before and received 13,000 TP from the quest, he had an idea. Sarah had seen Jack¡¯s sword in action now and from what she had told him, the spears that she had access to shared the same names. She hadn¡¯t seen him in action with Moonsword before, but that had changed and assuming the Moonspear worked similarly, moon-flow would be even more deadlier with a spear than it was with a sword. Choosing a spear meant that Sarah couldn¡¯t rely on a shield like Jack did, so armor was the natural progression in her immediate need. In truth, if Jack only wanted to bolster his own survivability, buying one of the armor sets was a natural choice. It was certainly the easiest choice, considering it would guard him against blows that he didn¡¯t see coming, giving him enough time to prepare a counter-response, but Jack¡¯s encounter with the group of hostile rift goblins had reshuffled his priorities. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Pieces of armor didn¡¯t feel like they would be hard to come by, but Jack didn¡¯t think any ordinary creature would drop a cultivation technique, if any dropped them at all. He needed a trump card up his sleeve and with that in mind, he addressed Sarah again, ¡°Do you think you can buy me a Greater Recovery Pill?¡± Sarah blinked as she considered the question and then nodded as she answered, ¡°I can. But¡­ why?¡± She asked, her confusion audible in her ask. They had both received a king¡¯s ransom in Tutorial Points and it was safe to say that neither of them should be lacking. Jack took a deep breath, before his expression firmed and he cryptically answered, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a gamble¡±. Sarah gave him an incredulous look, clearly not having expected the answer he had given her. For a moment, she looked like she would just up and ask, but given that they were in the presence of two strangers and perhaps recalling the aftermath of what had happened with Trent and Andrew, she reconsidered before she spoke, ¡°Alright. Do you want me to go first?¡± Jack considered the question as he fought back the urge to send an approving nod in Sarah¡¯s direction. It was wise for Sarah to not mention the specifics of what they were planning on purchases, given that anyone could access the tutorial shop and see the prices of everything on sale. Even if Marcus and Jin didn¡¯t understand the value of Tutorial Points yet, that would change and if they observed keenly enough, they would realize just how difficult, bordering on outlandish it was for a group of two to amass the TP required for the purchases; TP that had been granted to them for rescuing Marcus and Jin. It hadn¡¯t escaped Jack¡¯s attention that the two former captives and now survivors shared the same classes as him and Sarah. ¡°No,¡± Jack replied after giving the matter thought. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to learn anything from your purchases. On the other hand, I can give you the opportunity to make a more informed decision.¡± ¡°I see,¡± She said, before reaching for her left pocket that was hidden beneath her tight-fitting goblin armor, before flicking a pill in Jack¡¯s direction. ¡°I bought another along with a body refinement stone,¡± She explained, as Jack caught the pill with ease. Jack pocketed the pill and then, there was nothing holding him back from the decision. He confirmed and twenty thousand TP were subtracted from his available balance in the blink of an eye. He caught Jin¡¯s curious gaze from where she was seated, but any remark she might be wanting to make was withheld as Jack reached out to his inventory and pulled out a slender canister that was cool to the touch, it¡¯s metallic surface appearing to be a soft gold, with an eye-catching silver etching that his gaze was drawn to. A four-legged serpentine creature with reptilian eyes seemed to be depicted swiping at another of its kind, except the second beast was splayed beneath it with its eyes shut and a hole in its neck. In the clawed hand, the victorious serpentine creature held a gem in between its claws, one that was dotted with small lines. Jack¡¯s gut told him those lines could be veins, making the gem the beast¡¯s heart equivalent. He hoped that the essence syphon art didn¡¯t require ripping out hearts with his bare hands, but Jack was twenty thousand tutorial points in too deep for him to hesitate now. Plucking the lid of the canister open and stashing it in his pocket, Jack reached for the scroll contained within. The scroll¡¯s rollers were cylindrical lengths of silver capped by golden spindles that depicted the serpentine beast¡¯s roar. Jack didn¡¯t hesitate as he unfurled the scroll and held it before him. There were lines upon lines of densely packed words in a language he had no hope of understanding, words that glew in luminescence from an ordinary deep-brown to an ethereal gold that grew in vibrancy with every passing millisecond. Then, they faded away entirely and information flooded his mind with an intensity that surpassed the imprinting process that came with a new skill. That was because it wasn¡¯t one skill, it was parts of multiple bridged together by strings that had come to form something greater than the sum of it¡¯s parts. Something with far more potential. 43: Primordial Claw 43: Jack staggered backwards, managing to stop himself from tripping over his own feet as he tried to navigate the information that had been thrust into his mind. He took a deep breath to calm himself, his gaze sweeping across the others to take in their reactions. He couldn¡¯t believe it. Up until now, Jack had seen Qi as a resource, for resources needed to be consumed to reach a desired effect. Whether it be Qi Blade, Qi Pulse or Qi Projection, they served a purpose for him in exchange for the corresponding amount of Qi. Everything besides his Analyze skill did and Jack felt like that was more an application of the system¡¯s resources than it was of his own Qi. He now knew that there was more to Qi manipulation than the system had let on, an entire sequence of acupuncture points that could be used to modulate Qi as it passed across his body, to increase or decrease its intensity as he desired. Even Qi Pulse hadn¡¯t revealed these acupuncture points to him, though Jack understood why now. A skill was the application of Qi intended to achieve a singular purpose, at least at the basic rarity his swordsman class was. Qi Pulse¡¯s intent was to reveal nearby creatures to him, whether they be human or beast, covering all three hundred and sixty degrees in a wide radius to prevent him from being ambushed or taken by surprise. As such, revealing the network of veins that were responsible for supplying Qi across the body, which he now knew to be called meridians, along with the dantian or the beast core, depending upon the creature, was more than enough to accomplish that purpose. The Runic Symbols he had discovered on the Silvercrest Wolf and the Rift Goblin Commander seemed like an exception to that theory, but they had to have been formed out of dense Qi to be so readily visible to his pulse. The acupuncture points on the other hand, were a different story. In fact, Jack was certain that his own were dormant, since he¡¯d never actively tried to channel Qi into them. The same was true for Sarah and more than likely, all but a small fraction of the humans that were still alive. The skill, Qi Pulse, was designed to detect threats in a radius and get a measure on the weight of the Qi flowing through their dantian or beast cores to allow the cultivator to get a measure of the threats approaching him. It wasn¡¯t intended for continuous use and neither was its aim to scan the cultivator¡¯s body in depth in its current state, especially not dormant acupuncture points. Considering that the meridians flowed through the acupuncture points when carrying Qi from the dantian and distributing it across the body, their location itself wasn¡¯t a mystery. Jack needed to will the Qi into them, but even if that step was achieved, using the acupuncture points to augment the potency of his Qi was too risky without being able to see what was happening and Qi Pulse only granted him a few seconds of such a sight. Relying on feel alone would require a degree of familiarity with acupuncture points that he didn¡¯t yet have. A shortcoming that Jack believed his class would eventually rectify, but at the small cost of twenty thousand TP, he didn¡¯t need to wait any longer. Ignoring the acupuncture points for now, Jack willed his dantian to direct Qi in two opposing directions, funnelling it upward through two main veins that continued running parallel along each until the chest level, before branching off into offshoots that were clustered in the shoulders, neck and head. The Qi he had channeled focused on two offshoot veins that were curving inwards from opposing direction and Jack found himself blinking as the narrow veins leading to the back of his eyeball started flooding the delicate organs with Qi. Jack only stopped after both his eyes were practically immersed in Qi, magnifying their sensitivity to Qi by manifold times, until his eyes had lit up with an azure glow. ¡°Jack?¡± Sarah called out, her tone sounding uncertain. Only then did Jack realize that he was probably grinning like a madman and reigned in his facial expression. First, he inspected his own arms, only to be greeted by a level of detail that was beyond his expectations. Not only could he clearly make out every off-shoot and branching meridians within his hands with a level of detail that Qi Pulse had yet to come even close to, but the residual Qi left behind by his use of Qi Blade and Qi Pulse also revealed two acupuncture points in each arm, two hollow spheres that were half the length of his index finger in width being positioned within his elbow joint and wrist. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Inspecting his body revealed a plethora of acupuncture points, a total of twenty eight revealed by a quick count. There were way too many for him to make use of, so he would need to prioritize filling the acupuncture points in useful positions. Then he turned to Sarah, a quick sweep of his gaze revealing that she looked to have about the same number of dormant acupuncture points. A soft gasp sounded out before Jin muttered, ¡°Your eyes are blue¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Jack reassured, noting that he had taken too long to respond. ¡°Sarah, do you think you can do me another favor?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sarah asked, her tone sounding more curious than disturbed. ¡°I need you to hold out your spear and activate your Qi spear skill,¡± Jack began his explanation. ¡°It might feel weird, but if I¡¯m to test this, you can¡¯t move. You¡¯re going to have to trust me when I say that no harm is going to come to you.¡± Sarah took a deep breath, considering what was being asked of her. Trust was a big ask in a world where you were rewarded for killing another, but they had saved each other¡¯s lives enough times to see any reason for that to change now. That might change in the future, but for now, she nodded, ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Jack replied, giving her an encouraging nod. With her spear pointed towards Jack, but at an upward angle that would see a thrust missing him too large of a margin to be dangerous, she activated Qi spear. Jack only needed a single hand on his blade for Qi Sword, but Sarah¡¯s skill seemed to be a little different as it used two streams of Qi that was funnelled from the main veins that ended at the hand, sending a strong stream of Qi channelling through the spear¡¯s hollow shaft, flowing upwards until it blazed to life, ensconcing the spear tip in its entirety. He wondered what would happen if she reinforced Qi Spear with the acupuncture points in both her arms, whether the tip would erupt into a blazing torrent of Qi or if it would break the limitations of the skill and fizzle out into the environment. Jack moved towards her, his blade still sheathed at his side as he reduced the flow of Qi to his eyes and consequently, their sensitivity dropped. He could still see the Qi flowing through Sarah¡¯s arms, but now with the color returned to his eyes as her skin was overlaid on top of the meridians. The degree of flexibility offered by his new ocular technique, True Sight, was only second to it¡¯s cost. Unlike Qi Pulse, it was an internal technique as opposed to a external skill, which meant that not only could he modulate it freely, but the cost involved was only a fraction of Qi Pulse since he wasn¡¯t losing a large chunk of it to the ambient Qi. Jack suspected that he could keep True Sight up for hours on end without losing more than a handful of Qi Points, but in return, its effect only extended to what was in his line of sight. It would be very valuable to come, but it didn¡¯t explain the siphon part of the technique. Finally, called upon the muscle memory that had been imprinted onto him by the scroll he had unfurled. A wave of Qi erupted outwards from the dantian, sent upwards through two main veins and a plethora of branching ones, before being abruptly pulled back. The process repeated itself again and again and every time his Qi travelled further upwards in the undulating pattern until it covered every branching vein in all five fingers. Then, an azure claw formed out of Qi materialized in reality, a gentle thrum sounding out as a ripple ran along the length of the claw before fading away when it approached his wrist, only for a new ripple to run across its surface. It was as if the Qi flowing through the claw was constantly refreshing itself, a cycle that kept his cost to a little more than True Sight. Jack swiped down with his claw and all four of them watched as the Qi part of his claw swept across Sarah¡¯s left wrist. Sarah flinched and jerked the spear upwards instead of downwards, thankfully for all of them, but Jack¡¯s gaze was fixed on the spear tip, having watched it flicker out. ¡°What did you just¡­. do?¡± Sarah asked, her tone shaken as she brought her spear back down to her side, its end planted in the ground. Jack noted that the claw had grown in length by an inch or maybe an inch and a half and as he dismissed it, he noticed that more Qi that he had invested in the claw returned to him. ¡°Negated your attack, apparently,¡± Jack said, his own tone tinged with an awe that he didn¡¯t want to conceal. The full truth was something he would¡¯ve told Sarah if they were alone, but Marcus and Jin hadn¡¯t earned that level of trust yet. For he hadn¡¯t just negated the attack, he had also stolen the Qi that had been coursing through Sarah¡¯s meridians. Primordial Claw had lived up to the ferocity of it¡¯s name. 44: Incoming 44: As impressive as Jack¡¯s display had been, ultimately, Sarah did not have 20,000 TP to spend. In fact, even if she did, Jack wouldn¡¯t have recommended the Essence Syphon Art to her. He knew that there were more layers to the Essence Syphon Art, information that was encoded into his mind without the knowledge to apply it to the physical world. Jack had a feeling that information would come into play later on, but at the same time, he was certain that trying to use something he was yet to fully understand would be disastrous in combat. The Tutorial Shop had mentioned that the technique would last him until the Foundation Establishment cultivation stage, so Jack wondered if the full extent of the Siphon Art would be revealed then. Still, regardless of whether the technique would become more powerful with time or not, currently he and Sarah were allied. It didn¡¯t make much sense to overlap their techniques even if she had the option available to her and as a spear user, it made more sense for her to keep her enemies at bay instead of lunging at them. Which was why she had ultimately chosen to go with the safe bet. She had seemed interested when Jack had mentioned Tenfold Strike, but ultimately, the allure of having a powerful armor set that could defend her from attacks seen and unseen was simply too much to pass up on. Her Goblin-Made Armored Tunic was tossed back into the void that led to her inventory, leaving Sarah unguarded against both ranged and melee attacks. Jack stood next to her and while his gaze swept across the fog, he was prepared to make a move if Jin and Marcus tried to make a move. Jack had already risked too much to save the duo and he wasn¡¯t going to weigh his and Sarah¡¯s life against two stranger¡¯s morality. The paranoia that had rooted itself deep in Jack¡¯s mind after his parents¡¯s assassination had made him aloof and difficult to approach in the old world, leaving him with few acquaintances and not one he could truly call a friend. Robert might¡¯ve gotten there had things not become so drastically bizarre and now he could only hope that somewhere out there, his British butler was alive. In the new world, it might very well prove to be a gift. The chestpiece of the Jade Guard Armor Set was a curious piece of armor, to say the least. Its base was fashioned out of a thick, deep-green leather that was ridged with small, rounded scales that were packed densely together, loosely resembling alligator hide. Of course, the scales were too consistent for such a thing, but Jack had to wonder if the sharp-toothed creatures had gotten enhanced by the system. He couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the thought, allowing himself a quick prayer for Florida to whoever was listening. It was clear to Jack that the leather base was way too wide and dense for Sarah, but his attention was captivated by the thin sheets of metal that made up the second layer of the armor, having been shaped and fused into the ridged leather. The metal itself was a far lighter hue of green and to Jack, felt too thin to reasonably be able to offer any real protection from a steel blade, let alone a Qi empowered one. He was certain that he would be wrong on that front, but even more curiously, the armor was segmented, offering it¡¯s protection in parts. The abs were guarded by six segments of the light green metal, each a slightly different size to form an ovular shape with its bottom sliced off. The gaps between the metal pieces didn¡¯t make much sense to Jack, but the breastplate that was fused to the ridged leather didn¡¯t connect to the backplate either. The rerebraces and the arm bracers were the only part of the armor that felt complete, with a gap left at the elbow to allow for comfortable movement, where the leather¡¯s defenses would have to suffice. Sarah herself didn¡¯t seem alarmed by the bizarre, if stunningly unique design of the armor, so Jack contented himself to wait as she wore the equally loose legguards over her mundane leggings. A fauld guarded her waist and hips, though it too had that odd separation between the front and the rear parts, while fused greaves guarded her thighs, knee in two segments and legs. One she had fitted it the best she could, she pulled out a pair of sabatons, with the jade metal layered over the leathery hide, covering most of the surface area available besides the sole, where the hide seemed swollen to accommodate the heel. The moment she had fitted into the shoes was nothing special. A few moments later, however, was a different matter. Jack dumbfoundedly watched as the gaps in the armor melded together as the metal began to flow, as if it was a liquid granted sentience. Moulding around Sarah¡¯s form, it wasn¡¯t long before the chestplate had become a single, night seamless unit. The same couldn¡¯t be said about the rerebracers and the arm braces as a gap in the elbows remained and the hands and face were naturally still vulnerable. The legguards too had a very open vulnerability, leaving the back of the knees exposed and a small chink between the fauld and the greaves could be exploited, but in return, it felt seamless otherwise. The boots offered seemingly complete protection as well. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you can get away with calling that armor,¡± Jack muttered, more to himself than Sarah. Her enhanced senses picked up on it though, before she proudly replied, ¡°That¡¯s good, because I don¡¯t intend on sitting on the sidelines the next time we¡¯re up against a horde of enemies.¡± Jack offered her an amused smile in return. After taking a few moments to stretch with her armor, allowing Jack to see how the metal flexed and seemingly even stretched by minute degrees to accommodate her movements, she once again reached out for her inventory. This time, Sarah pulled out a weapon he was acquainted with, a spear that was chiselled out of the same white marble-like material that made his moonsword. With the weapon and armor equipped, Sarah looked every part a warrior as one could and even Jack found himself assessing his odds in a fight against her. ¡°Erm,¡± Jin¡¯s soft voice cut in. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but is there anything for us?¡± She asked, gesturing towards Marcus. Jack remained calm, but Sarah seemed embarrassed as she apologized, ¡°Sorry, I got carried away.¡± Jin nodded in understanding, having gotten back up to her feet after recovering her stamina. ¡°Since you use a spear, I think my old one will serve you better in reach than that goblin-make one can,¡± Sarah said, as she offered the second spear in her hand by it¡¯s rear end. Jin nodded, returning the goblin-made one to her inventory and accepting the basic, but longer spear. ¡°As for armor,¡± Sarah¡¯s eyes glazed over as she accessed the system, before refocusing. Pulling out the goblin-make armored tunic, she held it it her hand, her gaze moving from Marcus to Jin before she spoke, ¡°I think this is too small for Marcus, so you take it Jin,¡± She offered it to the shorter woman, who gingerly accepted it, as if the inert armor would bite if she tugged at it too hard. ¡°Thank you,¡± Jin softly said, her tone quivering as she tried to keep a hold on her emotions. Then Sarah turned towards Jack and asked, ¡°Do you have anything that would fit Marcus?¡± Jack shook his head, before speaking to further clarify, ¡°If I had gotten to loot those rift goblins, I would¡¯ve gotten something. For now though, this chest piece and my shield is the only thing keeping me alive.¡± ¡°Is there nothing you can offer me besides this¡­ dagger?¡± Marcus asked, a note of frustration audible in his voice as he glared squarely at Jack. ¡°There is something,¡± Sarah cut in, her tone assuaging as she reached out for her inventory and pulled out an ovular, amber stone. ¡°A stone?¡± Jin muttered curiously, without any animosity audible in her tone. ¡°Not any stone,¡± Sarah replied, offering it to Marcus. ¡°You need to hold it and let it form a connection. Do it once and it¡¯ll make you stronger.¡± ¡°How?¡± Marcus replied, his expression scrunching up in confusion as he regarded the stone warily. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sarah honestly replied. ¡°It¡¯s just how the system works.¡± Marcus grunted in acknowledgement of her answer, but he didn¡¯t accept the stone. Turning to Jin, he asked her, ¡°Care to try it first?¡± Jin considered the question, her eyes flitting from Marcus to Sarah before she shrugged and answered, ¡°Why not.¡± Sarah was happy to place the stone in Jin¡¯s cupped right palm. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then Jin¡¯s eyes went wide as she staggered backwards, catching herself before she could fall. Her eyes glazed over for a moment as she must¡¯ve checked the system notification, then a smile bloomed on her visage. ¡°It worked,¡± She excitedly said, her trauma and fear forgotten for a moment. Without a word, Marcus snatched the stone out of Jin¡¯s hand. Sarah¡¯s expression soured, while Jack just calmly watched as Marcus claimed the Body Cultivator feat for himself. Pulling the stone away from himself and letting it slip to the floor, Marcus recovered far quicker than Jin had and incredulously asked, ¡°This stone makes you stronger?¡± ¡°Yes and No,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°From what we know, it¡¯s something you need to use over time.¡± Marcus'' gaze turned to the stone, a flicker of hunger flashing in his gaze as he reached for it. Jack moved with far more swiftness than Marcus was capable of, snatching the stone from under his hand and pulling back with two quick steps. Marcus¡¯s fingers closed over air and as he straightened back up, it looked like he was fighting to keep his anger at bay. ¡°The rest of you have some manner of items to keep yourself safe. Let me borrow the stone for a while, it¡¯s the only chance I have at catching up,¡± Marcus made his cause more civilly than Jack expected, given the rage that had been smouldering in his gaze moments ago. ¡°Sarah fought for that stone,¡± Jack calmly replied. ¡°She bled for it and she was willing to put her life on the line to save you both. The greatest advantage it can offer in the short term has already been granted to you. As for armor, we¡¯re going to encounter enemies sooner than later, so we¡¯ll get you a piece on a priority basis,¡± He declared, as he offered the stone back to Sarah, who deposited it safely in her inventory. ¡°Fine,¡± Marcus gruffly replied, clearly not satisfied by the offer, but not protesting against it either. It was only a matter of chance that he caught Jin¡¯s expression as Marcus relented, her own eyes smouldering with anger as she listened to him speak. But Jin hadn¡¯t been what had caught his attention, it was the flicker of white that now seemed to be speeding towards them. ¡°Incoming,¡± Jack screamed, drawing his sword and positioning his shield even as he shouldered Jin to the side. 45: Stronger than crystal 45: Two tails swished behind the four-legged creature as it blurred forward as a streak of gray. It¡¯s speed was only matched by the sharpness of it¡¯s eerie crystalline teeth that seemed to be more gemstone than enamel or dentin, the row of long and narrow canines backed by a second row of squat molars that looked like they would have no problem crunching through sinew and bone. The initial impression the creature left on Jack suggested a resemblance to a wolf, but the differences were enough to give anyone pause. Its abdomen was shrunken inwards, its ribcage clearly visible under a thin layer of flesh and its limbs, be it forelimbs or hindlimbs, were double-jointed and near double a normal gray wolf¡¯s limbs in length too. Sure, his memories and analysis were based on his visits to the local zoo as a child, but every survival instinct in his bones screamed that the creature before him was no wolf. It was something far more dangerous. As the lupine creature approached with long strides beyond any man and at a speed that surpassed Jack¡¯s own, he was certain that the beast approached with an intention to rip his throat out. Fate, or to be more exact, the system, had other plans. Jack watched as the lupine creature kicked off its hind-limbs in a burst of strength, his high perception the only thing allowing him to keep track of the creature, as it outstretched its right forelimb out. He watched, his emotions a mix of horror and stupefaction, as the lupine creature¡¯s relatively normal claws elongated to a length of his forearm and came crashing down upon him. But watching wasn¡¯t the only thing he was doing, as his instincts, honed through a series of close encounters and the experience of winning battles with his life on the line, had already kicked in. Jack¡¯s shield adjusted to the new variable of the elongated crystalline claws that could probably shred through regular steel as easily as a knife through butter. Then he hoped. The sheer strength contained behind the blow almost caused his wrist to snap as he was pushed back, the shrill scream of metal against something equally tough sounding out in his ears, but thankfully there was a second reserve of strength on his side. A burst of Wind Qi slammed into the lupine creature before Jack¡¯s Moonsword was even half way towards skewering it in the abdomen, violently pushing away the beast and along with it, the weight of its claws backed by its surprising strength for such an emaciated frame. His heart pounded at the speed of a runaway freight train as Jack intently tracked the lupine creature with every ounce of focus he could muster. Both it¡¯s claws had adjusted in length, to about a third of the capacity it had displayed earlier. The creature used its natural endowments to dig a furrow into the earth to combat the kinetic energy that was still pushing it backwards. It came to a stop before the boundary of the circle of clear air that followed them everywhere. A vicious growl escaped its lips as Sarah stepped next to him, her spear pointed towards the creature as it was ensconced by a silvery-white energy, namely, Moon Qi. ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Marcus all but screamed out, his tone conveying his horror at the sight of the creature as his reflexes finally caught up to the danger they found themselves in. ¡°Ssssh,¡± Jin hissed as panic consumed her own features, but she at least had the sense to not yell lest there be other evolved predators nearby. Marcus seemed too preoccupied by his own fear to respond, as he just stood there with his goblin short sword in hand and all but gaped at the beast. Jack couldn¡¯t blame the reaction, but it certainly wasn¡¯t doing them any favours in the heat of the moment. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The lupine creature raised the paw of its right forelimb, pointing it straight in their direction. Jack could almost smell the blood in the air as he resisted the urge to charge it, knowing that the lupine creature¡¯s agility meant that it could circle around him and strike at the other three before he got there with his moonsword. Given that he had been the only one who had been able to react in time to the initial ambush, Jin and Marcus would almost certainly die and he doubted Sarah¡¯s armor would save her from being wounded. But if Jack didn¡¯t move and chose to defend, there would still be casualties. He could move fast enough to shield himself and guard Sarah against fatal blows, but anything more and he would be the one that ended up dying. A fucking nightmare, The thought creeped up in his mind and he couldn¡¯t deny it. His ambition was bold, but only now could he feel the weight of his declaration. He had promised himself that he would hold onto his humanity, but the entire world had been designed by the system to make him choose between lives, between people. Completely unexpectedly, it seemed like that choice would be deferred for now, as the lupine creature pushed off its double-jointed legs backwards, into the gray fog instead of leaping towards them. It was Sarah who recovered from the surprise first, as she called out, ¡°Jin, your back to me now and keep that spear pointed forward. Marcus, your back to Jack and swing that sword at anything besides us that moves,¡± She took a moment to scan the gray fog, before snapping, ¡°Now!¡± Marcus didn¡¯t argue as he all but sprinted in place, his back pressing against his own with a light thump. Jin needed a moment to position her spear so it wouldn¡¯t end up slamming into one of her allies, before taking three quick steps back. With two spears pointed forward and two swords primed for action, they were about as prepared for an ambush as they could be. Seconds passed into minutes and not a word was exchanged between them as they craned their ears to catch onto the slightest hint of a sound, the lightest vibration their senses could hone onto. Nothing. Ten minutes passed by like that and with every passing moment, Jack could feel his own concentration wane. ¡°It¡¯s not going to attack,¡± Jack declared, his lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°Why?¡± Marcus asked in a matter-of-fact tone. ¡°The creature chose to retreat when its ambush failed. It¡¯s intelligent and it doesn¡¯t seem inclined to trade wounds. Its fur also blends in with the fog and my experience with the system tells me that¡¯s no coincidence. We also happen to be the only people stupid enough to charge into a landscape of endless fog, which makes us either reckless idiots or¡­.,¡± Jack trailed off. ¡°Or what?¡± Marcus hurriedly asked. ¡°Or we¡¯re looking for a challenge. And the system loves its damn challenges.¡± ¡°So? We don¡¯t have time for your riddles man, spit it out,¡± Marcus all but snapped. ¡°I was thinking,¡± Jack coldly replied, before deciding it wasn¡¯t worth it, ¡°If it¡¯s not playing with us, then it¡¯s hunting us. We¡¯re in its territory and we can¡¯t get a lay on the land. It¡¯s going to keep harrying us, chipping away at our defenses and pick us off one by one.¡± ¡°None of this would¡¯ve happened if you didn¡¯t lead us here¡­,¡± Marcus grumbled, loud enough for everyone to hear given their proximity to each other. ¡°Shut it, Marcus,¡± Jin snapped. ¡°If it¡¯s anyone¡¯s fault, it¡¯s yours. Takeshi called on us to let the goblins pass, but you rushed out of cover without warning us! You knew Carmen wasn¡¯t ready to fight them and you got Takeshi killed because he jumped into the fight trying to save us all!¡± She managed to keep her voice somewhat contained, but the venom dripping from her words and the blood rushing to her face was enough to give even Marcus pause. ¡°I¡­ you don¡¯t¡­ Shit man, it¡¯s all gone. There¡¯s no way my wife is surviving this hellhole, I knew that an hour into this fucking mess. I wanted to take the fight to them, I¨C I didn¡¯t mean for all this to happen,¡± Marcus¡¯ voice was quivering by the end, choked up by emotions as he stuttered through the explanation. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ just don¡¯t,¡± Jin shook her head vehemently. ¡°If you don¡¯t value your own life, don¡¯t¡­ nevermind just, Sarah, Jack¡ª what do we need to do?¡± She asked with a grave determination that resonated with Jack. ¡°A diamond formation is going to be our best bet,¡± Jack replied. ¡°But for us to live through this, I need the three of you to follow my every command. Jin, Marcus, whatever happened to the both of you, there¡¯s time to unpack those emotions later. I need the both of you to promise me you will listen to and honor every command I have, otherwise it¡¯s best for us to split into two groups and run in different directions.¡± ¡°I will do it,¡± Jin replied with steely determination. ¡°Whatever it takes, I will survive this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not running again,¡± Marcus replied, his tone heavy and riddled with more emotions than Jack had time to unpack. It was the best he¡¯d get from these two and that would just have to be enough. Diamond was stronger than any alien crystal¡ª or atleast, Jack sure fucking hoped so. 46: Tension 46: Sarah agreed to take on the role of the vanguard, positioning herself at the tip of the formation as she led the way forward. After hearing the truth of what had transpired between Marcus, Jin and Takeshi, who Jack assumed to be the fourth member and possibly the former leader of their group, he had decided that Marcus wasn¡¯t someone he wanted to offer his exposed back to. Marcus had shown his combative side to Jack and the fact that he hadn¡¯t refused Jin¡¯s words spoke volumes about the general veracity of her claims. It was possible that there was more nuance to the truth and recklessness in and of itself wasn¡¯t a crime, if anything the system seemed to encourage and reward it. But Jack was certain that in this case, it would only get them killed and the fact that Marcus had already, if inadvertently, caused the death of one of his former group members made him certain of his decision. Marcus couldn¡¯t be trusted with his exposed back and Jack couldn¡¯t let him be a complete loose cannon, because that was what had gotten his group members captured in the first place. The only place left for him in their diamond formation was in the middle and Jack was a lot more comfortable with Marcus walking to his side, where he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape his peripheral vision or do something too reckless without Jack being in a position to react to it. On the other hand, Jin seemed to be a different kind of dangerous. He had seen the red-hot rage simmering beneath her gaze for himself when she had recounted the tale of Marcus¡¯ actions and what it had cost them. Whether it was her time in captivity that had built up that rage, or it was her loathing for a man that had cared little enough for his own life in the heat of the moment that he was willing to risk everyone else''s, it was clear that she had been bottling it up for a while. Jack didn¡¯t want to be subjected to that rage when the dam finally burst through, but at the same time, it was clear that while her defeat and capture by the goblins had changed her, it had not broken her. So far, besides the single outburst at Marcus¡¯s belligerence, she seemed to have been managing to keep her emotions in check. Now, if she was given an outlet that deserved it and managed to harness that rage, well, Jack suspected that she could become a powerful ally to have on their side. The if remained to be seen though and Marcus and Jin had first hand witnessed the disadvantage they were at when compared to Sarah and himself in terms of reaction time. All the fury in the world wouldn¡¯t be enough to deal with an enemy that slit your throat before your sword or spear had made it halfway to them. ¡°Remember, Jin,¡± Jack decided to call out to her, knowing that their survival depended on everyone understanding their roles. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how long the creature¡¯s claws are or how fast it is. You¡¯ve got a spear, make sure it stays between you and anything that comes at you. Don¡¯t try to kill it, you¡¯ll die. Don¡¯t try to evade it, it¡¯s faster than you. Use every bit of focus you can muster and put the spear between you and the creature no matter what it takes. The fact that it abandoned a head-on confrontation means that it fears getting injured or dying if it tries to brute force the encounter,¡± He explained, reiterating points while doing his best to give the grim scenario they found themselves in a silver lining, an upthrust of hope that was rooted in educated guesses. Jin¡¯s goal was to simply buy them time to react to the onslaught and anything more would simply get her killed given her flimsy reflexes and a single piece of armor. In the case Marcus was attacked, he was to react in a similar manner, though given that his odds were even lower than Jin¡¯s, Jack had told the man to dive to safety and trust for him and Sarah to react in time. His own proximity to Marcus meant that if the man fell, he would be next, so Jack had to act regardless if he valued his own life. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. He hoped that Sarah¡¯s willingness to act as vanguard and likely shoulder the most amount of risk and with Jack being a pretty likely target, given that he had ruined the creature¡¯s carefully crafted ambush, would inspire Marcus to join into the melee once one of them managed to get the creature pinned down, but he half expected the man to split off from the group and run off into the gray fog to preserve his own life. If that happened, Jack was certain that the man would die one way or the other given his lack of gear and low stats, so there was nothing to be done there. He only hoped Marcus had meant it when he had declared that he was done running. An eerie silence blanketed the group as Jack flooded his eyeballs with Qi, until they were full to the brim. Jack clicked his tongue as he closed his eyes shut, reducing the intensity of True Sight until he found a middle ground between the physical world and the spiritual world. First Jack scanned his own hands, to make sure that he could see his meridians through his skin, before turning to the gray fog. Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t going to be that easy. Neither was there anything natural about floating clouds of Qi that blanketed the region they were in, slowly but surely shifting under his gaze. His ability to perceive Qi with True Sight only served to scramble his senses upon being surrounded by a sea of Qi that boxed him in from every direction and even worse was the fact that Jack¡¯s ability was linked to his visual acuity. Still, there was still one observation that had the potential of becoming an ace underneath his sleeve. As they walked forward, the clouds of Qi parted around them like water flowing past a boulder in a gentle stream. The clouds of Qi that made up the fog were forced to shift in accordance with their pace, but that had only quickened their flow in a very noticeable pattern. If Jack remained focused, he would notice a disturbance in that rhythm as sure as one would see the ripples in the water if a flailing fish leapt out of it. But why did the unnatural Qi fog part around them in the first place? Jack scanned his meridians and confirmed that there was nothing that had changed, at least not noticeably. Moreover, humans were not immune to the effects of Qi, whether it be that dark-green Qi Trent had tapped into or regular Qi that could empower the properties of their swords and spears. If there was a distinction between the Qi flowing through his meridians and the Qi that empowered the fog, Jack couldn¡¯t tell. Assuming that there wasn¡¯t, mostly because that was the only line of assumption he could follow through with a conclusion, then they weren¡¯t immune to the effects of the fog at all. The system was pushing it back for them in a certain radius and it was the only reason why they were still alive. Even True Sight wouldn¡¯t let him fight in the fog if his vision was completely choked by a thick smattering of diffused Qi in every direction. Perhaps that was the real reason why the lupine beast had chosen to retreat at the first real sign of resistance. Its greatest advantage had been partially stripped away from it and if it wanted to attack, it needed to reveal its form and give them a chance to strike back. Making a decision, Jack adjusted his shield closer to his left elbow, positioning it quite awkwardly as the entirety of his left hand now peeked out of the radius of the shield. It was an odd compromise, but he couldn¡¯t give up his sword to use Primordial Claw and his shield might be the only thing keeping his heart from getting ripped out, so he would have to settle for defending awkwardly at an angle. It was a tighter fit now and there were certain angles he couldn¡¯t defend anymore, but it would have to do for now. As Jack swept his gaze across the fog that parted around them, peeking back every few seconds to make sure the lupine creature didn¡¯t sneak up on him from behind, he found himself hoping that the beast would come for him sooner than later. Maybe more points in wisdom won¡¯t be such a bad idea, after all. 47: True Sight 47: Jack¡¯s perception of time became hazy as the minutes stretched on and on without offering him the slightest hint of a reprieve. Jack suspected that over an hour might have passed since their first encounter with the lupine creature, but with the weight of having to maintain a state of constant, unrelenting vigilance, it could have as easily been twenty or thirty minutes since then. Lapsing for even a few seconds meant giving an opportunity to the lupine creature, for that was enough time for it to cover the distance separating them if it was lurking at the periphery of the shifting dome of clear air that offered them a shelter from the fog, no matter how deeply they encroached into its depths. His enhanced stats and the Greater Recovery Pill that he had consumed earlier meant that his body was primed to explode into combat at a moment¡¯s notice and with every passing moment his Qi Pool recovered more of the spiritual energy from the ambient qi present in the environment. But Jack couldn¡¯t deny the weariness that had begun to set in his bones, having run from one close encounter right into the jaws of another. This impasse couldn¡¯t last forever and he was certain that they would escape the foggy plains if they just kept moving forward, but Jack had noticed no major variance the soft grass they marched across or the rhythm of the fog as it slipped past them. Even the sky had been concealed from them and while it may have been a poor replacement for real sunlight, its absence was still felt. Jack couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was a better idea for all of them to split up and run for their freedom instead of trying to fight the beast in a formation that required mutual trust, skill in execution and a good deal of luck. The protection offered to cultivators in the fog should extend to them individually, but whether it would be as large in diameter as the one currently being offered to them was a matter of consideration. Testing his theory would require one of the four to split off from the formation and charge into the fog outside the periphery of the dome, which almost certainly meant death for any of them. That wasn¡¯t something anyone would volunteer to do and even if they were willing, they wouldn¡¯t be coming back to report it to the group. So the only way, as a last resort perhaps, was for everyone to pick an angle and break off into mad dashes into the fog in unison. That way, one or maybe two people could survive at the sacrifice of the others. Realizing that his thoughts were spiralling into a dark abyss, Jack shook his head and shifted his gaze from the fog, taking a quick glance at Marcus before peeking over his shoulder to see if Jin was doing okay. Then his gaze returned to the fog, as he mused on his observations. There was a hollowness to Marcus¡¯s gaze as he had swept the environment with his gaze, his grip over his blade far too relaxed for the situation they were currently in and his expression more blank than it appeared to be weary. Jack could only hope that Marcus would snap out from the fugue-like state he appeared to be caught up in, but in the midst of what was becoming an increasingly dangerous situation, there was little that he could do for him. On the other hand, Jin seemed to be grappling with different kind of demons. A brief glance at her had been enough to reveal how tightly he was holding onto her spear, her knuckles having gone white as she swivelled her head from left to right, with her spear following in jerky motions. Jack suspected that she would run anyone or anything that approached her in a flurry of motion. He had continued to watch as Jin had pivoted on the ball of her right foot to point the spear behind her. Jack had almost come to her aid thinking that the lupine creature had finally revealed itself, but his True Sight had revealed the truth to him. As Jin turned forward again, Jack had retracted his gaze to conceal the worry in her gaze. If things kept going as they were, the fog would break them before the lupine creature did. Jack¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but take note of Sarah, her expression hidden from him given that she had taken the role of the vanguard and led the way. Fortunately, she also happened to be the group member he had spent the longest time with, making the composure she carried herself with clear to see. Her steps were measured and confident, her spear held in both her hands yet remaining steady as she marched towards what well could be certain death. Given the glimmering Jade armor that had moulded to her form and the white marble spear she carried with her, she looked more like a legendary warrior from the folklore of old rather than an ordinary office worker from Seattle. Neither armor nor a weapon alone could be the source of such confidence, and Jack knew that there was more to the equation. She had fought silvercrest wolves and killed twilight boars and rift goblins before she had set out to rescue captives from the most guarded spot in a camp teeming with rift goblins. It was sufficient to say that she wasn¡¯t the same person he had been merely a few days before. A more mutated version of the silvercrest wolf wouldn¡¯t be able to make her give into despair, but his gut told Jack that the truth wasn¡¯t that simple. It was then, as Jack¡¯s gaze was largely focused in Sarah¡¯s direction, did he notice a disturbance that sent ripples through the clouds of Qi that made up the artificial fog from her right. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The ripples intensified with every passing millisecond, the shifting of the clouds of fog growing more intense by a force that caused the Qi clouds to disperse away from it¡¯s approach. Given the angle and the increasing intensity, if the lupine creature cut a straight line through the fog, its likely target would be¡­ ¡°Sarah!¡± Jack called out, snapping the entire group from the collective reverie they seemed to have fallen to, each mired in a bog made of their own thoughts. ¡°Your right. Incoming!¡± Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, multiple things happened at once. Sarah¡¯s spear began glowing with the silvery-white sheen of Moon Qi, as she raised it before herself and angled herself and consequently, the spear, rightwards. The lupine creature seemed to have wanted that exact moment to claim its entrance, covering the distance between itself and Sarah with ferocious speed. As for Jack himself, he had already called upon Qi Blade and now stood with his sword raised above his head as he tried to angle it to catch the lupine beast in a straight line with his blade. The advantage of a diamond formation was that it could allow Jack to attack an enemy approaching Sarah with a ranged means of attack before they made contact, but unfortunately for him, the lupine creature was way too quick and Sarah couldn¡¯t hesitate to thrust her spear if she wanted to live. And she did, with Moonspear flitting forward as a silvery-white blur, aimed right for the lupine beast¡¯s exposed visage, above the snout and between the eyes. Jack could see the venous structure running underneath the lupine creature¡¯s flesh, noting that almost all the meridians in its body were flooded with Qi. The blasted monstrosity was using Qi to empower its entire body, down to every organ and muscle. The secret behind its enhanced speed and strength was made clear, but Jack almost physically flinched when he noticed the sheer size of its beast core, which was easily the size of a human head and nestled behind its ribcage. He watched with bated breath as Sarah¡¯s spear inched closer and closer to the lupine creature¡¯s skull and for a moment there, given the tremendous speed Moonspear offered and the fact that Sarah hadn¡¯t revealed that ability to the creature yet, Jack believed that her strike would end it right then and there. His eyes went wide in astonishment as what he had originally considered to be double-jointed forelimbs and rear limbs bent sideways, both lowering the creature¡¯s overall height and making Sarah¡¯s thrust puncture nothing but air. A stunned gasp could be heard as Sarah swept her spear in a wide arc to protect herself before the lupine creature ripped her throat out. From his perspective, Jack could see why the lupine beast hadn¡¯t already. Bending it¡¯s knees to the side and fixing them in place had brought its galloping pace down to a trot, so it chose to sidestep the range of the spear and move past her flank with what could still be considered a reasonably fast pace. The lull in the battle didn¡¯t last as it¡¯s double-jointed knees shifted back into their original shape and the lupine creature regained it¡¯s pace, charging directly at Jack with it¡¯s piercing orange eyes locked onto his form. ¡°Marcus, move!¡± Jack called out as he pulled his sword backwards and swiped in a horizontal arc. Qi Projection was a dangerous skill, because it would just about as readily slice through an ally as it would against an enemy. He hadn¡¯t been able to target the lupine creature as it was passing by Sarah for that very reason, but now that he could, Jack wouldn¡¯t take any chances. A horizontal arc of Qi whizzed forth from Jack¡¯s slash, blurring towards the lupine creature¡¯s ribcage with a speed that rivaled its own. It couldn¡¯t dodge towards the left or the right now and even if it chose to leap over it, there was a chance Jack would slice off a forelimb or one of its tails. The lupine creature chose to do none of those things, as all its limbs bent outwards in the shape of an elongated spear point as its upper leg pressed against its lower leg for all four limbs. Jack was stupefied as his attack sailed harmlessly over the lupine creature¡¯s head. However, before he could commit to another one, the tension in its limbs uncoiled in unison and it angled itself forward just in time to be sent flying into the sky. Before Jack knew it, the lupine creature stretched all its limbs outwards and elongated its forelimb claws to the maximum length he had seen earlier. Jack backpedalled as fast as he could without tripping over, but even then, he fell just short of escaping the reach of the right claw that was swiping for his face as the lupine creature was on the verge of landing before him. Moonsword swiped forward to intercept, Jack¡¯s own staggered reaction to due the sheer unexpectedness of the scenario unfolding before him counterbalanced by the Moon Qi ensconcing his blade, giving him both enhanced speed and strength. The screeching clash of metal clashing crystal sounded out in his ears as the lupine creature¡¯s Qi empowered strength clashed against his Moon Qi empowered one. If Jack tried to empower his strength in the raw manner the lupine creature was, he was certain that he would run out of Qi in not minutes, but seconds. Still, the creature needed to find its footing as it landed, managing to balance itself on its hindlimbs without much difficulty beyond a little initial step to stabilize itself. An opening that had allowed Jack to send the creature¡¯s right forelimb whipping backwards. He wanted to press the hard fought advantage, but the lupine creature lashed out with it¡¯s left forelimb before he could, so instead Jack chose to backstep out of its reach. Jack took the moment he had stolen from the lupine creature to observe its form more closely under True Sight. There were two things that stood out to Jack, now that he had an opportunity to inspect the lupine creature with such proximity. The first was the runic symbol that seemed to be nestled in the back of the creature¡¯s head, with his wisdom stat boost paying off as he almost instantly guessed that it might be what allowed the creature to blend in, see through and perhaps, even have created the Qi fog. If the last was the case, then Jack hoped that the sea of fog was vast enough for other lupine creatures to be far away. The second observation was far more interesting to his immediate predicament. It was hard not to study the claws with his True Sight the moment he could without getting his head sheared off, but now that he could, Jack realized that they were constructs of pure Qi. But that couldn¡¯t be true, because Jack had true sight active this entire time and he was certain that he would have caught three elongated lengths of crystalline bone nestled within the creature¡¯s arm, given the sheer amount of Qi that had been packed and compressed within. Unless¡­ An idea rose to the forefront of his mind. 48: Enough 48: The lull in the battle ended as the lupine creature advanced, though Jack supposed it was hard to term it such given that it was now standing on two legs and seemed perfectly content to advance on him. Its left forelimb and with it, its elongated claws were well on their way to flank his right shoulder with a promise to reduce it to ribbons of sinew and bone. Dodging was a possibility but Jack wasn¡¯t sure if he was quick enough to pull back in time to avoid the blur of crystalline bone in time and even if he managed to dodge once, that didn¡¯t change the fact that in it¡¯s two-legged state, the lupine creature¡¯s reach superseded his own. So Jack attempted to parry the oncoming claw strike instead, only to once again find himself embroiled in a clash of strength as neither the force nor the angle of his slash was enough to redirect the claws away from his blade. His enhanced senses caught onto Sarah¡¯s footsteps as she frantically moved to close the distance between herself and the lupine creature while its back was still turned to her. Jack¡¯s expression was pale as he recalled the intelligence the lupine creature had already displayed and juxtaposed it with his awkwardly positioned shield. There were slim odds that the lupine creature wouldn¡¯t use that observation to its advantage. If he didn¡¯t pull his planned counter off, he would lose an arm, but Jack wasn¡¯t sure if he was quick enough to pull off the maneuver he had in mind while the beast¡¯s sole attention was focused on him. Despite having risked his life more times than he could count in the last few days, there was something about the prospect of being torn into ribbons by those crystalline claws that made his stomach churn at the thought. As he found himself on the verge of committing to a maneuver that had about an even chance of working, the whistling of Sarah¡¯s spear as it shot forward with incredible quickness saved him from that choice. Jack was forced two steps back to maintain his footing as the lupine creature intensified the push behind its forelimb with a sudden jerk, giving Jack the space to disengage. Entirely too comfortable with its two-legged form, the lupine creature whipped its head backwards, pivoting on its left hindlimb and placing it¡¯s other hindlimb in Sarah¡¯s direction as it whipped out with its right claw. Sparks of Moon Qi flickered in and out of existence at the sight of impact as the lupine creature stilled the Moonspear¡¯s assault, having caught it in the gap between two of its four elongated claws. It didn¡¯t take long for Jack to reach the same conclusion, even though the lupine creature¡¯s tall form blocked his line of sight from witnessing the clash himself. The sound of metal grating against crystal was familiar to him, having heard it moments before in their own clash. The fact that the lupine creature could block a blow to it¡¯s back with such finesse didn¡¯t lend itself positively to the encounter, but still, Jack didn¡¯t hesitate as he charged back into the fray. Commiting to a running kesagiri slash wasn¡¯t something he would resort to under normal circumstances, given that it was about as ungraceful as it left him wide open to a counter. Still, he had superhuman reflexes now and the lupine creature¡¯s attention was occupied by Sarah. With Moon-flow empowering the strength and speed of his blade, Jack brought his sword down in a diagonal slash that he was certain, could rival the viciousness and quickness of Qi Projection. Once again, the lupine creature repositioned itself. As it turned sideways, Jack noticed Sarah pulling back her Moonspear with a quickness gifted to her by moon-flow before the lupine creature pushed it back with a jerk of its shoulder. As it stood between them, its arms were outstretched in both Jack and Sarah¡¯s direction. His devastating kesagiri slash, that was supposed to cleave the lupine beast¡¯s shoulder off, was caught on the length of all four of its elongated claws on it¡¯s left forelimb, raised like an overhead shield to defend itself from the crippling blow. Jack¡¯s confidence in the attack hadn¡¯t gone unwarranted, as the lupine creature¡¯s arm actually buckled under the weight of his strike, only for it to recover a few inches before he reached it¡¯s shoulder. Damn it! Jack thought, even as he pressed down on the claws, the screeching of metal and claw growing louder. That didn¡¯t stop the downward force he had exerted from leaving him after the moment had passed and once it had, they had entered a contest of strength Jack knew he wouldn¡¯t win. If only its blasted limbs were a little less longer. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. On the other side, Sarah utilized moon-flow with abandon, unleashing a flurry of light but devastatingly quick thrusts that rang out with the whoosh of an arrow. A dance had unfolded on the battlefield, as on one side the lupine beast¡¯s clawed forelimb parried spear thrust after spear thrust at the most awkward of angles, it¡¯s forelimb bending this way and that to block the spearhead between two claws and push back with a firm force before it could so much so as touch it¡¯s fur. On the other, Jack had pulled back and hacked at the lupine creature with reckless abandon, all manner of skill seemingly having left his combat style. It¡¯s not enough, Jack thought. He wasn¡¯t sure if the lupine creature would recognize the Essence Syphon Art, but Jack was sure that it would see the threat it and consequently, he himself, represented. The temptation to use it now at the cost of the risk was heavy, but Jack knew that for the beast, it was a battle of attrition. If he revealed the greatest threat in his arsenal and they failed to kill it, the lupine creature could simply slink back into the fog and opt for a safer approach. ¡°Hey, big ugly!¡± Marcus¡¯s boisterous voice sounded out from somewhere to his side. ¡°Why don¡¯t you turn those butter knives towards someone that slice back!¡± He bellowed at the top of his lungs, surprising all three of the active combatants. Jack¡¯s gaze flickered over to Marcus for an instant, even as he committed to a sideward slash. He wouldn¡¯t have blamed either of them for deciding to stay out of the battle, given that they would get slashed to ribbons if their reactions were even slightly sluggish, though it would have meant that Jack couldn¡¯t trust them when it came to working as a team. Marcus drawing attention and consequently, danger to himself seemed uncharacteristic of the man, so it was worth the split second distraction. As it turned out, Marcus had Qi Sword active as he jogged more than ran towards the heart of the battle, his expression pale but determined as he held his short sword threateningly over his head, even going as far as to shake it for additional effect. What the fuck is he¡ª, The thought left Jack as he heard a different set of rapidly approaching footsteps sound out from Sarah¡¯s quadrant of the battlefield and the query died in his mind. Jack had already committed to the attack, so he refocused on following it through. The lupine creature snarled, it¡¯s chest menacingly rumbling as it shifted it¡¯s claws towards Jack¡¯s blade instead of angling for a parry. As Jack¡¯s blade slipped between two of it¡¯s claws, he realized the enormity of his mistake but it was too late to pull back. With a flick of its wrist immediately followed by an upward thrust of its claws, Jack¡¯s moonsword was yanked from his grip and sent flipping into the air. Instead of finishing him off, the lupine creature turned and in it¡¯s stead, it¡¯s two tails slammed into his side with far more force than Jack had expected. The sheer unexpectedness of it all sent him tumbling into the ground, coming to a stop about a dozen meters away from the lupine creature. Reorienting himself as fast as he could, Jack watched the battle unfold even as he pushed himself to rise to his feet, fighting against the pain he felt in his abdomen. It would bruise and maybe his ribs were a little fractured, but he needed to hold the Greater Recovery Pill for greater injuries. Jack watched as the lupine creature, having recovered the use of both of its claws, unleashed a flurry of swipes and slashes with its claws, all camouflage for a whipping kick with its right hind leg that caught Sarah in the abdomen. Even then, the lupine creature was just a moment too slow to be able to turn around in time to meet Jin¡¯s Qi Spear empowered thrust in time. Instead of skewering the blasted creature in the back, Jin managed a puncture wound in the abdomen as she had caught it mid-turn. For a moment, there seemed to be a disbelief on both sides, then the lupine creature howled in rage and wrapped it¡¯s hooked paws around the spear¡¯s shaft, tugging it free with ease. Purple blood leaked from the wound and splattered onto the ground, but that didn¡¯t stop the lupine creature from flinging the spear away into the distance. Had Jin doggedly tried to hold onto it, she would¡¯ve been pulled directly into the lupine beast¡¯s claws. Instead, she now stood before it, unarmed. Jack was already running towards her, but he knew that he wouldn¡¯t make it in time. Thankfully, there was someone else who hadn¡¯t stopped jogging towards the lupine creature and now, had broken out into a full-bodied sprint. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Marcus roared as he leapt the last of the distance separating him from successfully flanking the lupine creature, with both his hands balled into a fist overhead, clinging onto his shortsword for dear life with Qi Sword active. Jack almost couldn¡¯t believe it when Marcus¡¯ leap actually caught the lupine beast by surprise, his blade digging into the fur and bone of it¡¯s shoulder with such force that only it¡¯s hilt remained visible. Marcus had ended up proving his declaration to be true as he had committed to the single most maniacal charge that Jack had ever witnessed, which was saying a lot considering that they seemed to be his speciality. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t stop the lupine creature from thrashing the arm the injured shoulder was connected to and when Marcus¡¯ ribcage connected with the lupine beast¡¯s elbow, a loud crack rang out as his body tumbled backwards, ragdolling across the earth before falling limp. 49: Rip and Tear 49: Jack¡¯s arm meridians were thrumming with Qi as he charged towards the lupine creature with vengeance written all over his expression. To attempt what he was attempting was madness, yet that was precisely why it had a chance at working. Jin had used the reprieve Marcus¡¯ sacrificial charge had brought her to retreat from the battlefield, though Jack supposed that describing it as a mad, flailing sprint away from the lupine creature would be a more accurate description. She wasn¡¯t going in the direction the lupine creature had tossed her spear and Jack couldn¡¯t blame her for it. The ambush she and Marcus had planned was their only real chance at killing the lupine creature and Jack had to admit that they had come surprisingly close. Even now, Jin¡¯s actions seemed to be the correct one, given that she wasn¡¯t giving the clever lupine creature no reason to chase after her. An unarmed Jin wasn¡¯t a threat to the lupine creature, after all. And that left only one threat standing. The lupine creature¡¯s orange eyes that bordered on incandescence locked onto his form, as it rolled its shoulders in a remarkably human-like fashion before bringing its clawed forelimbs before its skinny chest. The creature clearly wasn¡¯t afraid of an unarmed Jack, its gaze radiating a feral intensity that should¡¯ve sent the unarmed Jack fleeing for his life. It¡¯s not meeting my charge, even though it has me beat in the speed department. It¡¯s confident that without my weapon, there¡¯s little I can do to it, yet even now, it chooses to strategically position its claws before its ribcage, Jack thought, noting that his wisdom stat was assisting him in arranging information into conclusions faster than he normally would. And in this particular case, it was punching above its weight, as knowing the ribcage was the beast¡¯s weak point gave him a target. And Jack very well knew what lay behind its ribcage. The massive beast core that housed its vast reserves was concealed behind it, but its existence was a meta-physical one. Jack theorized that while plunging a blade through the lupine creature¡¯s chest might spill blood, it wasn¡¯t likely to kill it without giving it ample time to retaliate, but if he used a Qi empowered attack, he could crack or even rupture the beast core itself. Less than half the original distance separated them, but Jack didn¡¯t waver. Instead of slowing down, he sped up, blurring forward in a charge that he would never forget. He had made a promise to himself, he had sworn that he would make Andrew, Trent and now, possibly Marcus¡¯s death mean something. He had promised to use the anger, the rage, the fury he felt at the unfairness of it all, the pain of knowing that any connections he formed in the new world could be severed at a moment¡¯s notice and fire that still burned in his heart, the fire that would kill another to preserve his own life, to keep at bay the hopelessness and apathy that threatened to creep into his psyche, faced with an opponent that was far stronger than it had any right to be this soon into the trial. He would use the sacrifices of those that had died in his stead to become strong enough to break away from the cycle of violence, knowing that it was the only way he could hold on to his humanity. Jack felt like the system was asking him to prove his resolve, for words and platitudes were only that. The lupine creature chose to make the first move, which given it¡¯s advantage in reach wasn¡¯t surprising but Jack had hoped that it would underestimate him enough to let him have the first swing. No such luck it seemed. Given the speed Jack was charging at, it seemed like he was heading straight into the beast¡¯s arcing slash. Not yet, Jack reminded himself, even though the temptation to use his trump card was gnawing at him as his mind reminded him just how much danger he was in. Still, even for his superhuman reflexes, halting after having built up such speed would just see his chest shredded into ribbons of viscera. Instead, Jack lunged forward with his right leg, with his left leg folded inward and trailing behind to cushion his fall and stabilize it as he slid across the earth while the lupine creature¡¯s claws raked across the air his body had been charging across merely a moment ago. Using his left leg and hands to bring his slide to a stop, before scrambling to get back onto his feet before the lupine creature inevitably reacted with its superior reflexes. As it pivoted on the ball of it¡¯s right forelimb with unnatural quickness, Jack noticed that the lupine creature was content to turn and reassess the threat with it¡¯s left claw still guarding the rib cage while it¡¯s right had recovered from the wild swing it had committed to and now swung outward in a wide perimeter along with it¡¯s pivot, aiming to catch him lunging for it¡¯s back. Finally, the lupine creature had made a mistake Jack could capitalize on, though it was hard to call it a mistake from the former¡¯s perspective. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The constant buildup of Qi in his arms meridians exploded outwards in a torrential flow as Jack unleashed a beast of his own, as two Primordial Claws superseded both his hands. Charging the beast unarmed had been a strategic decision, though Jack would be the first to admit that he hadn¡¯t been sure if he¡¯d actually get this far. Jack lunged for the skies as if there were springs in his feet, stretching his right hand to its limits to rake across the creature¡¯s paw as it passed by him. A surprised bark escaped the lupine beast¡¯s throat as it attempted to pull back its clawed forelimb, having just had a chunk of its sizable Qi reserves stolen from its paw. Jack had expected the claws to weaken after he executed his maneuver, but he hadn¡¯t expected them to retract inwards, shaving off a third of the original length from the lupine creature¡¯s repertoire in an instant. Every action was supposed to have an equal and opposite reaction and in this case, Jack¡¯s own right claw swelled in length, his ethereal, hooked fingers almost doubling in length. Now that the lupine creature¡¯s guard was up, instead of pushing his advantage it pulled back it¡¯s affected paw, Jack flicked his wrist so his right hand¡¯s elongated claw raked across the lupine creature¡¯s chest. If Jack wasn¡¯t certain that lunging for it¡¯s core would mean having his arm ripped off, he would have. Instead, Jack opted to skim across its chest as fast as he could and in that process, swiped across the lupine creature¡¯s left claw that was still guarding its ribcage. The lupine creature had no reason to defend it¡¯s claw and even if it had tried to, it was hard to resist the encroachment of something formed purely out of Qi. Immediately after, the entire length of the lupine creature¡¯s left claw retracted inwards in the blink of an eye, as Jack fought against a visceral urge to cry out in pain. The Primordial Claw technique in his right hand had swelled to an extraordinary degree, with each digit now carrying the thickness of an Anarix Tree¡¯s branch and matching the length of his sword in length. Blood vessels across his right hand, wrist and arm burst open as Jack¡¯s Essence Syphon Art bound a vast amount of Qi to him, easily surpassing his entire Qi Pool at its peak. Jack did the only thing he could in the heat of the moment, as he pressed both the tips of his Primordial Claws against each other and tried to command the Qi to flow into his left hand¡¯s claw before it burst apart. To his relief, it was working and the Qi he had repossessed control of obeyed his command, but even then it hadn¡¯t been fast enough. Knowing that the battle was rapidly spiralling out of its control, the lupine creature made the wise decision to retreat while it still could. Dropping to four limbs, the creature sent it¡¯s tails whipping towards him to cover it¡¯s retreat. His True Sight told Jack that the tails had the lowest concentration of Qi as they whipped at him, an amount that the lupine creature seemed more than content to sacrifice if it meant escaping in one piece. No! A single word consumed Jack¡¯s psyche, a refusal to allow the lupine creature to escape dominating his every intention as two Primordial Claws finally split the burden of Qi equally amongst themselves. Jack refused to allow the creature to escape. Not only would they all die if it was allowed to escape and plan out its next assault, but even more than that, the creature had injured most and likely killed at least one out of his three companions. For that transgression, it had to pay. Jack would add it¡¯s strength to his own and take a step closer to breaking the chains that trapped him in this endless cycle of violence. So he used the one artifact he had kept close to him and allowed the Shield of Greater Deflection to catch the brunt of the initial tails¡¯ bulk, the awkward angle of his defence almost leading to him getting shield bashed in the face. You already used that move once, asshole, Jack thought as the burst of Wind Qi he had been counting on answered his call, sending the lupine creature tumbling across the earth before the second tail could reach him. Even now, though, all Jack had achieved was disorienting the lupine beast, its injuries having been inflicted upon it by others. If it slipped back into the fog, they were done. Calling upon his inventory wasn¡¯t something that Jack had ever managed before mid-battle, but choice or the lack thereof had a way of convincing people. Even the tear in space seemed to quake as his Primordial Claw reached inside his inventory. Jack sorely hoped that he wouldn¡¯t have to find out what happened if the tear destabilized while his hand was still in there, but thankfully it seemed like the system had sent enough surprises his way for one day. He tugged free his old sword that had been granted to him by the system. While Jack couldn¡¯t use two skills simultaneously unless they were designed to work that way, though he supposed that even then Qi Sword and Qi Projection weren¡¯t working together and more shared an end and a beginning point, neither True Sight nor Primordial Claw was a skill. [Qi Sword] [Qi Projection] The first arc of Qi whizzed across the tip of the creature¡¯s tail, severing it and sending a spray of blood across the earth. But Jack wasn¡¯t done there. The second Qi Projection dug in deep into the creature¡¯s left hindleg, cutting about a third of the way through before fizzling out. The third sliced a deep gash into its hump. By the eighth Qi Projection, the terrifying lupine beast lay inert on the ground, in a pool of it¡¯s own blood. Three of it¡¯s four limbs were bleeding heavily, it¡¯s hump was leaking blood faster than it could replenish, a Qi Projection had found it¡¯s way to the Beast Core, that had now cracked and was leaking Qi at an astonishing rate and one of it¡¯s two tails had been severed while the other was down to a third of it¡¯s length. The Primordial Claw in Jack¡¯s right hand had winked out, but he didn¡¯t stop there. Switching to his left, he unleashed two more Qi Projections, one severing the lupine creature¡¯s head clean off and the second shattering it¡¯s enormous beast core. The notifications that flooded his vision were unlike anything he had seen before. 50: Notifications 50: [You have slain a Level 10 Juvenile Werewolf (Middle-Stage Qi Formation Spiritual Beast). For inflicting the maximum amount of damage and dealing the finishing blow, you have received 12,248 Soul Experience!] [You have discovered a Hidden Piece: The Howling Mist-Vault. Danger abounds but it is not without reward. Each and every enemy within the boundary of the Qi fog is connected to the Mist-Vault, a training relic of a long-forgotten sect, rewarding double soul experience on every kill along with access to the Mist-Vault proportionate to the kill contribution.] [Soul Experience received from killing Level 10 Juvenile Werewolf has been doubled due to a contribution from the Mist-Vault. Original Soul Experience Reward= 10,248, Multiplier= 2 New Soul Experience Reward= 24,496] [For dealing the maximum amount of damage and landing the finishing blow on an evolved Earth Predator that had strengthened to the level of a Spiritual Beast one cultivation layer above you, you are awarded Feat: Core Sunderer. Feat: Core Sunderer Description: Any evolved Earth Predator that has reached the threshold of a Spiritual Beast is faster, stronger and possesses far greater Qi reserves than a cultivator of the same cultivation stage and layer, also possessing naturally granted physiological advantages that are bolstered and reinforced by their Qi reserves over time. To kill an evolved earth predator that has reached the lowest threshold to be considered a Spiritual Beast one layer above you speaks of your ferocious nature as a cultivator, marking you as a rare human that other predators should be wary of. Slaughter Aura: Upon killing the Juvenile Werewolf, you have absorbed a portion of it¡¯s bestial aura. Once in twenty four hours, you can unleash the Slaughter Aura. Any Spiritual Beast at or below your cultivation layer and stage will be assailed by a primal fear upon witnessing the Slaughter Aura.] [Congratulations, Class: Swordsman (Basic) has reached level 7 (5791/50,000),+5 Free Points, +1 Qi Pool has been awarded. ] [Qi Sword has reached Level 9!] [Qi Projection has reached Level 7!] [Inspect has reached Level 7!] Jack had been bombarded with so much information at once that he wasn¡¯t sure what to make of any of it. Apparently, the foggy stretch of land they had plunged into in the hopes of avoiding a hoard of rift goblins that were on their heels and gaining on them had led them into a training area of sort, one that thought it amusing to pit them against half-man half-wolf monstrosities that were enhanced to a step above the evolved earth predators they had faced up until now. The system had described the difference as a threshold, so Jack supposed that it was still a creature from earth that had been warped by such dense reserves of Qi that it was unrecognizable in all but appearance. What was even more puzzling was the revelation that the training area was also linked to a vault that would reward them with additional experience and rewards, another hidden piece that in hindsight, seemed obvious enough for anyone willing to plunge into the unknown. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. It had only been an hour or so since he had hit level 6 and Jack had to maim and kill multiple rift goblins to reach it, while killing a single Juvenile Werewolf in the Howling Mist-Vault had been enough, with the double experience reward active, had been enough to reach Level 7 in one go. Not to mention, the Slaughter Aura he had received had been a truly unexpected benefit, to the point where Jack hadn¡¯t even known such a thing existed. It¡¯s effect didn¡¯t seem to fall under the same category as the dark-green Qi Trent had harnessed, allowing him to inflict a strong, if not deadly poison on his target, nor did it feel like a runic symbol like the one the Juvenile Werewolf had used to traverse the Qi Fog freely. Inflicting fear on beasts wouldn¡¯t physically harm them but if he used the Feat¡¯s reward correctly, he could use it to secure a kill or allow their group to flee a hoard of predators. Seeing such massive jumps in levels to his class skills filled Jack with pride, for only he knew the hell he had endured and the enemies he had slayed by the skin of his teeth to hone them. His class itself seemed to reward new skills to him at random, but the individual skills¡¯ levels were attained by fighting tooth and nail for and repeatedly putting his life on the line¡ª that was something both the Doomsday Prepper and the human within him could be proud of. The additional point in his Qi Pool had already pushed his total capacity to 16 and now Jack had 5 more Free Points to work with. But before he could invest them, a sharp voice shook him out of his reverie. ¡°Marcus!¡± Jin shouted as she ran towards him, more collapsing than kneeling down at his side as she tore open his tunic to assess the wounds. Reminded of his own injuries, Jack pulled out his Greater Recovery Pill and swallowed it. Now that he knew that the entire area covered by the Qi Fog was a Hidden Piece, Jack knew that there was no way that there was only a single beast concealed within. ¡°He¡¯s alive!¡± Jin declared with a quivering tone, only surprise audible in her tone. Jack noted the noticeable lack of relief in Jin¡¯s tone, which didn¡¯t bode well for Marcus¡¯ continued survival. Before he rushed over to them, he scanned the circular clearing that the Howling Mist-Vault had allowed them as a reprieve from the Qi Fog that blanketed their sight. Where the Juvenile Werewolf¡¯s body had been moments ago, now stood a chest that had been sculpted out of the gray fog that ensconced them, it¡¯s ethereal, wispy form was constantly shifting, yet the curved lid and rectangular base clarified it¡¯s intended purpose well enough. If the system¡¯s revelation upon the Hidden Piece they had discovered was to be believed, then that chest was connected to the Mist-Vault and the rewards they would receive would be proportional to their contribution towards the kill. Jack had neither the intention nor a reason to rush to hit, his gaze shifting further into the distance and coming to a stop only after he laid eyes on Sarah. She was limping on the butt of her Moonspear as she walked and Jack¡¯s keen eyesight managed to pick up on a thin trail of blood trickling down from the corners of her mouth down to her chin, but her Jade Guard Armor Set¡¯s chestplate seemed to have escaped the Juvenile Werewolf¡¯s whipping kick with a small dent in the abdominal region, an ovular lump that had been stomped into the flexible light green metal. That had to have left more than a bruise, but it spoke volumes about the thin metal¡¯s resilience that it was able to take a direct hit from the Juvenile Werewolf¡¯s hindlimb and withstand it without shattering. Jack¡¯s own Twilight Armor Chest Piece certainly couldn¡¯t manage such a feat, the same way an actual Twilight Boar would find its flesh pierced and bone crumpled upon taking a direct hit from the Spiritual Beast. Jack had felt the corded strength contained within the Juvenile Werewolf¡¯s tails as they had whipped him across the earth, sending him scrambling for purchase a dozen meters away from where he had originally been and that was its least Qi Reinforced body part. That had not been the case for its limbs. Inferring that Sarah had already taken a Greater Recovery Pill from the relief etched upon Sarah¡¯s visage as she limped towards Marcus and Jin, Jack nodded to her before breaking out into a jog in the duo¡¯s direction. 51: Oath 51: Jack dropped to a crouch opposite Jin, making sure to keep his still bleeding right hand angled away from Marcus¡¯s supine form. The Greater Recovery Pill had staunched the bleeding in his wrist¡¯s radial artery, eliminating the risk of him bleeding out before it healed the other burst blood vessels. He didn¡¯t want Marcus¡¯s wound getting infected, but from the looks of it, he might be too late for such concerns. Jin had ripped open Marcus¡¯ tattered tunic to reveal a fist sized depression in his chest that had gone black and blue from having the ribcage¡¯s bone shattered inward, ringed by a wall of deep red that was expanding outwards at a noticeable rate, indicating serious hemorrhaging. He held himself back from wincing at the sight as he realized the true depth of the force Sarah¡¯s Jade Guard Armor Set had saved her from. The Doomsday Prepper within him, a once act that had mired itself in reality, couldn¡¯t believe Marcus¡¯s audacity in charging the Juvenile Werewolf head on whilst lacking both reach and a means to defend himself, whilst his human-side couldn¡¯t help but respect the grit Marcus had displayed by not only standing up to the beast, but also injuring it long enough for Jin to survive. ¡°I¡­,¡± Jin began in a shaky tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª I couldn¡¯t have known, no, this wasn¡¯t what I meant to happen. Marcus¡­ he did make a mistake, yes, but if we had committed to the attack, if we had been strong enough, it was the goblins that would¡¯ve died that day. It wasn¡¯t¡ª isn¡¯t my place to judge him¡­,¡± She trailed off as two streaks of warm tears trailed down her cheeks, a soft sob wracking her wiry frame. Marcus¡¯ wet, rattling breathing spoke of his lungs¡¯ losing battle against his shattered ribcage and pulmonary hemorrhage, the wheezing growing increasingly worse with every passing second. Before Jack could respond, Sarah¡¯s voice cut into the conversation from a short distance away, ¡°Jack!¡± His gaze shifted to Sarah¡¯s approaching form as she gestured with her free hand, her thumb and index finger pinching together a small, spherical pill within as she made a throwing gesture with it, ¡°Here!¡± Only after Jack nodded in confirmation did Sarah lob the pill across the air in a descending arc. Jack snatched it from the air well before it could roll away into the grass and without hesitation, fed it to Marcus. A minute passed by them and Jin had sniffled away her sobbing, instead watching with rapt focus as the wave of deep-red internal bleeding ceased in its expansion, even diminishing slightly from its approach towards Marcus¡¯s neck and pelvic region. A hacking cough escaped Marcus, causing him to spit out a glob of phlegm and blood before he breathed a little easier than before, but the depression in his chest remained unaffected by the Greater Recovery Pill¡¯s healing when it should have been the first site to be targeted by it. Jack had thought as much. The Greater Recovery Pill wasn¡¯t designed to heal fatal wounds and it would have been absurd for the price if it could. ¡°No¡­,¡± Jin softly muttered, an air of resignation to her tone. Jack¡¯s attention was held captive by the status of Marcus¡¯s wound, before his eyes glazed over as he called upon the system. A moment later, he replied, ¡°There might be a way to save him.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Jin¡¯s gaze snapped onto his own, her voice carrying an intensity to it that made the earlier sorrow almost feel like an act. ¡°Tell me, please.¡± Jack¡¯s gaze turned to the treasure chest that was supposedly connected to the Mist-Vault, before he spoke, ¡°Open that chest. It should reward you for our efforts here and hopefully, one of those rewards will be Tutorial Points. If you have enough, use them to buy a Flowing Vitality Pill. Otherwise, I¡¯ll give it a shot next.¡± Jin hurriedly nodded, not asking for more information or clarification as to why or how Jack knew that information to be true, as she got up and rushed towards the direction of the chest. To him, it seemed like Jin didn¡¯t care much about the specifics as long as Marcus lived, though whether that was because she cared more for the man than she¡¯d let on or didn¡¯t want his death to be on her account, remained to be seen. Sarah reached him before Jin got to the chest, albeit from a different direction. Her limp was gone as she walked with slow but steady steps, coming to a stop next to him before dropping down to the hard-packed earth beneath them as she finally allowed exhaustion to claim her. A sombre silence fell into place between them, as neither felt the need to articulate on the recent battle that had stretched them all to the limits. The fourth member of their group lying supine before them, with his chest crumpled and drawing what very well could be his last few breaths spoke enough on the matter. If the strength of the enemies kept increasing at what felt like an exponential rate, they were bound to slip up eventually and then it would be either Jack or Sarah lying splayed across the ground with a mortal wound, helpless to alter their fate. Thankfully, the system prompt he had gotten after slaying the Juvenile Werewolf told a different story, given that Hidden Pieces meant elevated risk balanced with elevated rewards. Once they stepped out of the Howling Mist-Vault, they would have an easier time, or at least, that was the best educated guess he could make with the knowledge he had access to. Now that I think of it, Sarah might not have noticed yet, Jack thought, having noticed how utterly exhausted she seemed, not to mention the disorientation that came with taking a superhuman strength empowered kick to the gut probably wasn¡¯t too conducive to drawing inferences. He had something to tell her, after all. Before Jack managed to get the words out of his mouth, his attention was drawn by Jin touching the fog-wrought chest. She didn¡¯t have to do anything else as the chest swung open, stayed that way for a second, before slamming shut again. Jack assumed that her reward had been transferred over to her inventory, so he watched closely as her eyes glazed over as she accessed the system. A moment later, she reached out towards a tear in the void and pulled out a small lacquered wooden box that was roughly the size of his clenched fist. Hurriedly pulling it open, Jin plucked the largest pill Jack had ever seen, it¡¯s hue a menacing deep-red and its size matching that of a human eyeball. Locking her gaze with Jack¡¯s, she chucked the pill at him after he offered her a quick nod. Jack caught it, but this time he didn¡¯t rush to feed it to Marcus. Instead, he used the Inspect skill upon it. [Flowing Vitality Pill, Advanced Ranked Alchemical Pill Description: A Flowing Vitality Pill refined by an Alchemist Designate that is suitable for use upto Peak Layer, Qi Gathering Stage. Draws from and enhances the effect of the cultivator¡¯s lifeblood, using it to heal any major wounds inflicted upon the wielder at a greatly accelerated rate for the next fifteen minutes after consumption of the Flowing Vitality Pill (up to 700% more potent than a Greater Recovery Pill). By drawing upon the cultivator¡¯s lifeblood, the Flowing Vitality Pill transfers vitality from the future into the present, shortening the cultivator¡¯s lifespan in exchange for extremely powerful healing that is generally inaccessible at the Qi Gathering Stage. Note: Using more than one Flowing Vitality Pill within the span of one month will lead to Pill Toxicity. Potential Side-effects: Cripping of Dantian, weakening and potential shattering of meridians, destruction of Dao Mark, Death.] The newly levelled version of Inspect he now had access to, having reached Level 7 in the skill, seemed willing to reveal a lot more information to him. The Flowing Vitality Pill had ended up being a lot different than he¡¯d imagined it to be based on the name. He had been expecting a more potent healing pill, but drawing from your own lifespan to fight for fifteen minutes without worrying about wounds wasn¡¯t a tradeoff most would make. Still, it was a great last-ditch resort and that was exactly what they needed. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Jack didn¡¯t hesitate in giving it to Marcus. For a moment, there was no change and Jack found himself wondering if the pill needed Marcus to be conscious to take effect. Then Marcus¡¯s chest began to convulse, his lungs expanding and contracting rapidly as his hands curled inwards and his feet were stretched outwards to the fullest extent as his back thrashed against the hard-packed earth beneath him. Instead of interfering, Jack and Sarah, who seemed more shocked than horrified, pulled away with their enhanced reflexes lest they be caught up in Marcus¡¯s thrashing. From an outside perspective, it felt like Marcus was short on air despite inhaling and exhaling by the second, as if he were being choked by an unseen force. However, the truth was drastically different, as Jack witnessed the hemorrhaging that had spilled onto Marcus¡¯ entire chest pull back by the moment. Two or three minutes in, Marcus¡¯ wound was limited to the depression in his chest. Having witnessed the power of the Flowing Vitality Pill¡¯s healing potency, Jack had expected Marcus to recover in another three minutes, but it spoke to the devastating strength the Juvenile Werewolf was capable of that it took over ten minutes. Near the half-way mark, after hearing pops and cracks sounding out from Marcus¡¯s ribcage for the dozenth time, Jack was wondering if he¡¯d be able to heal fully within the fifteen minute timeline at all, but it seemed like the earlier healing had been focused on the internals, before Marcus¡¯s shattered rib cage was given priority. Though near the end of the fifteen minutes, the efficacy of the Flowing Vitality Pill was on clear display. The colour had returned to Marcus¡¯s cheeks and his chest was made whole, though Jack had to wonder just how steep a price he¡¯d paid to his lifespan. Jin collapsed to her knees with a relieved sigh at seeing Marcus hale while Jack couldn¡¯t help but be awed at the display of such a powerful healing effect. Sarah on the other hand, just opted to ask directly, ¡°Just what was in that pill?¡± ¡°Very powerful healing,¡± Jack replied. ¡°But at a cost.¡± Sarah wasn¡¯t given the opportunity to clarify her question as Marcus¡¯s eyes snapped open without warning. His reflexes kicked in before any explanation could as he rose to a seated position before flailing his blade in a wide arc aimed to decapitate anyone or anything near him. Of course, there was no blade in his hand and neither was any enemy left alive for him to kill. Marcus¡¯ eyes widened in confusion as he looked from Jack, to Sarah before his gaze stopped at Jin, the panic in his gaze enough to send a chill down anyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°Where is it? Where¡¯s that damn wolf?¡± He asked as he tried to scramble to his feet. Jack put a shoulder on his hand, as he spoke, ¡°Relax, Marcus. The wolf is dead.¡± ¡°The wolf?¡± Marcus dumbly repeated, as if he could not understand the word. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­,¡± He trailed off, allowing himself to be kept from rising as his eyes narrowed in understanding, ¡°You killed it?¡± ¡°I did, Marcus,¡± Jack replied. Collapsing back onto his rear, Marcus angled his gaze downwards towards his bare chest, noticing the lack of even scar wounds, ¡°This¡­I¡¯m dreaming, aren¡¯t I? Fuck, I¡¯m probably in a coma, dying or entirely dead. Damn if I didn¡¯t get close though, if that creature had let me stay on its back for a few more seconds I would¡¯ve melted its skull off its back. Damn this Dao Mark for unlocking late¡­¡± Jack¡¯s eyebrows rose and with it, his caution. If Marcus didn¡¯t seem to have said his piece, he would¡¯ve been content to let him keep going. After his experience with Trent, Jack knew exactly how capable someone with a mark was of killing him before he even identified the threat and that¡¯s exactly what Marcus was now. ¡°You aren¡¯t dead, Marcus,¡± Jin cut into the conversation. ¡°We healed you with a pill from the tutorial shop.¡± That revelation seemed to have an effect on the resignation etched on Marcus¡¯s visage, as he looked up to Jin with hopeful eyes that wanted to be convinced, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Look around you, Marcus. We¡¯re in the same place, with the same fog blocking our sight. Only difference is the wolf is dead and Jin used up a few thousand TP to buy a pill that managed to save you,¡± Jack matter-of-factly explained, knowing that every moment they spent in the fog was another moment they could be at the mercy of their enemy. ¡°Really?¡± Marcus turned to Jin, his expression softening. ¡°I owe you my life¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± Jin replied, with a curtness to her tone that stood at odds with the concern she had been displaying for him when his life was in the lurch. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to die for me, Marcus. There were four of us in the beginning, Marcus. Takeshi died fighting the rift goblins. Carmen died trying to escape the camp. And you should¡¯ve died here, taking an attack that was meant for me. No more of this,¡± Jin vehemently shook her head as she turned towards Jack and Sarah, who was standing next to him. She continued, ¡°You might¡¯ve rescued us because the system told you where we were, but I¡¯m certain there¡¯s no obligation towards you two to let us tag along. You could¡¯ve forced us out of the group and we would¡¯ve been powerless to resist and I am not sure if I could blame you for it, seeing what I have seen now. But¡­,¡± Jin took a moment to reign in her emotions before she made her case, ¡°Knowing what I know, seeing what I have seen, witnessing the difficulty of keeping just myself alive, let alone another in face of the apocalypse, I will still selfishly ask you to train me. To teach me what you know and what you can. In return, I will promise to fight by your side, bleed for you and see this through to the end, one way or the other. I swear it on my life and on the system, if it means anything.¡± Sarah seemed flabbergasted by Jin¡¯s sudden outburst of both emotions and feelings, but Jin¡¯s actions made sense to Jack. She had blamed Marcus for Takeshi, her former group member¡¯s, death, but Marcus had tried to make amends for it by charging into the fray and saving her life and the near cost of his own. She hadn¡¯t wanted Marcus to die because his death would have been spurred on by her own words, but at the same time, the wound Marcus¡¯ actions had left on her heart and indirectly caused Carmen¡¯s death, wasn¡¯t something that could be healed by wishing it away. That left only one thing for her to rely on and it wasn¡¯t him or Sarah¡ª- it was her own strength. If there were two factions amongst the four, then Jin had shifted sides from the camp survivors¡¯ side to Jack and Sarah¡¯s. It was a remarkably human decision from Jin¡¯s side. Was it Jack and Sarah¡¯s character that had moved her, or was it her decision to prioritize her strength above all that led her to the stronger side? Was there any truth to her oath? Would she choose a third party over them tomorrow, if they proved to be stronger? Jack didn¡¯t know and he had no way of knowing until it happened. But did he have any reason to turn Jin away after they had fought side by side? Jack was a human, no more or less than any other. He would do the same thing to survive and he had reached the same conclusion Jin had far faster than her. ¡°I¡¯m okay with it,¡± Jack replied, turning to Sarah. Sarah nodded, still seeming more confused than anything else. ¡°Don¡¯t make us regret this, Jin,¡± Jack softly added, knowing precisely what happened when parties fell apart. Jin bowed before standing tall and walking over to their side. Jack¡¯s gaze turned to Marcus, quick enough to catch the ugly scowl on his visage. ¡°What about you, Marcus?¡± Jack asked. ¡°What about me?¡± Marcus replied, just about managing to have schooled his expression. ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow us,¡± Jack calmly replied, knowing that Marcus had been having problems with his authority for a while now. ¡°That¡¯s a death sentence!¡± Marcus protested angrily, his expression tensing as he exclaimed. ¡°Not quite,¡± Jack replied. ¡°There¡¯s a reward waiting for your contribution to the Werewolf¡¯s kill right there,¡± He pointed to the chest and Marcus¡¯ gaze followed. ¡°How many TP were in there, Jin?¡± ¡°Seventy-five hundred.¡± Jack nodded in understanding, before continuing, ¡°You might get more TP than that, but it won¡¯t be less. That¡¯s an armor set right there, giving you as much of a chance as anyone here.¡± ¡°And if I want to stay?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Then you need to understand that someone needs to lead and it isn¡¯t going to be you,¡± Jack declared, his gaze flitting over to Sarah, who gave him the nod he needed to keep going, ¡°We can¡¯t have friction in the group when there are literal man-wolf hybrids prowling this fog. So you can either listen to what I say for the cohesion of the group or make your own way through, either way I think we¡¯ve done right by you,¡± He stated, an iron to his tone that made it very clear that this was the final offer he was extending. Slowly, Marcus got back up onto his feet, deflating a little as he nodded with a curt, ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jack gave him a searching look. Marcus nodded. ¡°Great. Show me your Dao Mark, please?¡± Jack requested. ¡°W-What?¡± Marcus sputtered, the sheer unexpectedness of the request catching him off-guard. ¡°If we can¡¯t trust each other, this doesn¡¯t work. If you¡¯ve got a weapon you can point at the enemies, all three of us need to be aware of it before you unleash it on the battlefield.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Marcus deflected, his tone about as even as he could manage it as he looked Jack dead in the eye. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a Dao Mark before, Marcus. And when I say seen, I really mean it. Up close, an inch from plunging into my gut. Show me your Dao Mark or leave.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit too late to deny it, all of us heard you Marcus,¡± Sarah added, not bothering to hide that she knew what a Dao Mark was as well. His expression falling, Marcus did a good job of balling his fury up into two fists. Then he unclenched them and his shoulders sagged a little, before he replied with a dull ¡°Fine.¡± Bringing his palm forward and keeping it pointing upwards, Marcus revealed the flame icon that had been engraved into the side of his arm before he activated it. Jack didn¡¯t really know how Dao Marks worked yet so conjecture on that matter was pointless. He wasn¡¯t even sure if Marcus or Trent would have been able to explain how their Dao Marks worked, given that Jack was far from understanding the nuances that were involved in the way he himself manipulated Qi. His Essence Syphon Art had given him a glimpse into the underlying mechanics but he was still a ways off from making them his own. Still, Jack watched with rapt focus as Marcus¡¯s open palm burst into flames, the heat emanating from it as real as the juvenile werewolf they had slain. Jack called upon the Primordial Claw he had been secretly preparing and lunge forward before anyone could understand why. There was something Jack had to test. 52: Show of Strength 52: To say that Dao Mark users were the greatest threat Jack had encountered in his time in the new world would, surprisingly enough, not be an exaggeration. It was a belief he was willing to hold onto, even after his encounter with the terrifying Juvenile Werewolf, whose speed, strength, endurance and qi reserves outclassed Marcus¡¯s by many times, so much so that it wasn¡¯t anywhere near a competition. Yet, even the Juvenile Werewolf¡¯s feather-touch reflexes and blinding speed, coupled with it¡¯s clever maneuvers when it came to dodging and charging due to its unique physiology, were something Jack could scheme against and adapt to. Had it not been for his Essence Syphon Art, all four of his group members, including him, would¡¯ve died to the Juvenile Werewolf. That was an undeniable fact. Yet it was not so much so the nature of its powers that instilled terror and panic on the battlefield, but the sheer magnitude of its stat and qi reserve dominance that had allowed it to tear through their diamond formation coupled with the battlefield advantage that it so heavily exploited. The Dao Mark had let James call upon a deadly poison, but back then, Jack didn¡¯t have True Sight to discern its nature. Sure, he¡¯d had his conjectures, but assumptions would have gotten him nowhere when there were such wide lacunae in his understanding of the energy source that Qi was. When Marcus had called upon his flames though, which seemed to be in an entirely different classification compared to that poisonous energy that had played a role in Andrew¡¯s death, Jack hadn¡¯t hesitated to use True Sight to discern its true nature. Until the Qi flowing through Marcus¡¯s meridians reached his left arm, it appeared in a standard azure hue, no different from the Qi flowing through his own dantian. However, the moment it crossed from his left shoulder to arm, making contact with the flame symbol, its nature was invariably altered. Incandescent orange energy that seemed to be nimbler than regular Qi zipped down his meridians and in what felt like the blink of an eye, had made their way to the meridians mapping his left hand. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible for Qi to just change like that, for its form to just be altered upon making contact with the flame symbol. There had to be more at work here, some form of energy that either his True Sight wasn¡¯t capable of discerning because of a limitation in scope or because of the changes being so microscopic in nature that True Sight¡¯s sensitivity wasn¡¯t high enough to register them. Or maybe the answer was simply beyond his current level of knowledge that he had no hope at even guessing a reason. It was frustrating to be able to observe a Dao Mark in action from such proximity and not be able to discern the secret that allowed it to transform regular Qi into an elemental variant like fire, but there were still questions that Jack could have answered. He wondered if Marcus was capable of calling upon the Qi Fire on his other hand, given the absence of a mark on the other arm. Trent had been able to lash the poisonous energy onto his arrow tip as if it was second nature, so the Dao Mark didn¡¯t need to be connected to the cultivator to still retain its effect. Andrew, rest his soul, had been testament to that fact. Even if he asked Marcus the question, if he was smart, there was no way he would answer honestly. Marcus¡¯s immunity to his own Qi Fire seemed like a given, but Jack still found himself wondering how far it stretched. Would his tattered clothes and artifacts burn if he pointed his Qi Fire at them, or would they be exempt the same way his own body appeared to be? The poisonous Qi seemed very different in form and function from Marcus¡¯s Qi Fire and Jack hadn¡¯t forgotten about the Qi Fog that surrounded them. Perhaps it was foolish of him to try and solve the mysteries surrounding a power that the system was willing to plunge the entire world in chaos to awaken but there was still one question Jack needed answered at all costs. As Jack¡¯s Primordial Claw swiped across the flames dancing across Marcus¡¯s palm before the latter could react to it, an action he was determined to follow through even if his hand blistered from the exposure. To his surprise, his Primordial Claw caused the flames dancing on Marcus¡¯s open palm to wink out as it raked across his hand. His fingers had never actually made contact with Marcus¡¯s palm, just his Qi that comprised the claw-shaped construct overlaid on his hand. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He had expected it to outright fail, but instead the Qi Fire began to use his Primordial Claw¡¯s Qi Reserve to fan its own flames, spreading across the claw-shaped Qi Construct in the matter of seconds. ¡°What the fuck!?¡± Marcus exclaimed in shock as he staggered backwards, gazing at Jack with disbelief and a glimmer of fear. Jack¡¯s expression remained calm as he studied the flaming claw that now wreathed his right hand, though inwardly he was anything but. Firstly, Marcus¡¯s flames were consuming the Qi that made up his Primordial Claw, which was requiring him to supply more Qi to the technique. Secondly, unlike Marcus, Jack wasn¡¯t immune to the heat emanating from the Qi Fire, which meant that even though a layer of Qi was separating him from making contact from the flames, his hand still felt like it was being scalded in a pot of boiling water. The solution though, was simple enough. Jack simply let go of the Qi that made up the Primordial Claw, letting the Qi already outside his body return to the ambient qi that had transformed earth into the new world. The Qi Fire naturally followed the concentration of Qi, causing the flames to continue burning mid-air for a few seconds until they ran out of Qi to combust. Jack¡¯s hand had turned a shade of red and inwardly, he was wincing in pain, but he let none of it show as his gaze squarely met Marcus¡¯s own. ¡°Not bad,¡± Jack declared with a nonchalant grunt, even as he inwardly acted on a decision he¡¯d made a while ago. Two points into Constitution, Two points into Dexterity and One into Wisdom, Jack thought-commanded, making his decision clear to the system. Strength and Perception had been stats that had paid their dividends, but after unlocking the Essence Syphon Art, his fighting style had changed quite considerably. True Sight augmented his perception more than raw stat bonuses could do in the short term and Primordial Claw was more efficient than trying to hit harder than Spiritual Beasts. Constitution was something Jack felt like he could use more of if he was going to keep inadvertently finding himself in one on one battles. Jack doubted that two points alone would have made much of a difference if he had been the one to catch the Juvenile Werewolf¡¯s elbow in the chest in Marcus¡¯s stead, but if it kept him alive even a few minutes longer, then that was minutes he could use to access the tutorial shop and buy himself the Flowing Vitality Pill. It was better to live till forty than to not live at all, after all. Dexterity was a stat he hadn¡¯t gotten to invest in much so far and being able to react to a threat was as important as being able to perceive it, though circumstances had forced him to lean in favour of the latter. True Sight had changed that and Jack intended on capitalizing on the opportunity. Wisdom was a stat that had spoken for itself, even though the two points he had gotten came from the Seeker of Hidden Wisdom Feat he had earned. Given that they now lived in a world of constant combat, Jack imagined that the stat wasn¡¯t a high priority for other survivors or well, cultivators now, that were out there trying to eke out their survival. Even Jack couldn¡¯t invest too heavily in it yet, but when it came to Wisdom, even a single point could make a difference between drawing a vague connection between two events and reaching a startling conclusion. The changes to his body had gotten subtler from an overt perspective as his overall stats has increased, but that didn¡¯t stop his right arm from returning to a healthy tone as his skin was pulled taut, his muscles spasming beneath the surface as they were corded tighter and his blood rippling as what felt like a wave of purifying energy spread outwards from his dantian. ¡°You should keep experimenting with this ability of yours, see if you can get it to apply to your sword,¡± Jack nonchalantly continued, as if he just hadn¡¯t recovered from a burn in a matter of moments. If Marcus thought it through, he¡¯d realize what had happened, but the healing could just as easily be attributed to his Essence Syphon Art ¡ª not like Marcus knew the extent or limits of the cultivation technique. ¡°I¡­ what¡ª how did you¡­,¡± Marcus awkwardly trailed off, his tone too discombobulated to be angry. ¡°I killed the Werewolf, this should hardly be surprising,¡± Jack dismissively replied. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to claim our rewards and get moving. I might¡¯ve killed one, but if we run into another there¡¯s going to be casualties. If anyone disagrees, they can stay behind,¡± He declared with an air of finality to his tone, indicating very clearly that it wasn¡¯t up for debate. Only time would tell if trouncing Marcus¡¯s new ability with his Primordial Claw had crushed his ego enough to quench any rebellious thoughts, but until the Dao Mark wielder earned his trust Jack would keep his guard up around him. As was the case with the trial itself, the unknown inspired the greatest of fears and Marcus didn¡¯t have a way of confirming the limits of his abilities, whereas Jack had an idea when it came to Dao Marks. As he turned and walked past Jin and Sarah towards the chest, he noticed Jin¡¯s surprised look and Sarah¡¯s intrigued expression with some amount of amusement, before continuing onwards to the chest. It was time to claim his rewards. 53: Escape 53: [You have looted the following items: 17,500 TP Bracelet of the Mist-Vault (Qi Gathering Stage Artifact, Rare) Pendant of the Miststalker (Qi Gathering Stage, Epic)] Jack had known that his TP reward would end up being higher than Jin¡¯s, given that he had dealt not only the final blow to the Juvenile Werewolf, but had also dealt an absurd amount of damage to it. So much so that he wasn¡¯t even sure how anyone was supposed to deal with the damned monstrosity besides outrunning it outside the Qi Fog, where it shouldn¡¯t follow given that it seemed to be physically connected to the Howling Mist-Vault, but then again, his assessment didn¡¯t include Dao Mark users like Marcus and people like him who had discovered other paths to power. The Essence Syphon Art felt like a bargain for all that it was capable of now that he understood what it could do for him in battle and the fact that it could disrupt the Dao Mark Qi of other cultivators made it invaluable for Jack. Still, he had not expected the system to judge his contribution to the battle so highly that it would give him an Epic artifact, which definitely had to be a step or two above Rare. His Moonsword had been instrumental in allowing him to keep up with the Juvenile Werewolf in the clash of swords against claws and that artifact was only considered Rare. What could an Epic artifact do? Jack would be lying if he claimed that he didn¡¯t want to find out immediately, but anything connected to the Mist-Vault had to be given priority. After stepping away from the chest so Sarah and Marcus could collect their loot, Jack reached for a tear in the void only to notice that Jin was doing the same thing. Has she made a purchase already, or did she get something more from the chest as well? Jack wondered, certain that her reward couldn¡¯t be better than his own, but still curious. Come to think of it, I never asked us what she got, just how many TP she had earned. It was a question that would be answered soon, one way or the other, so Jack simply pushed the thought away as he reached for a circular band whose surface was cool and metallic to the touch. Pulling it free from his inventory space, Jack brought it up close before him on his open palm. A thumb-sized gap separated the otherwise circular metal band¡¯s two ends, likely to allow the band to adjust for wrist-size, but more notable was the Werewolf head that had been engraved in the centre of the metal band, facing him. Jack didn¡¯t hesitate to use Inspect upon it. [Bracelet of the Mist-Vault, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact (Rare) Description: The Bracelet of the Mist-Vault is an artifact that is obtained upon slaying one¡¯s first enemy within the territory of the Howling Mist-Vault, allowing its wielder to hunt more efficiently and with a greater degree of visibility across its lands. Artifact Ability: Wolf-sight: Allows the wielder of the Bracelet of the Mist-Vault to see through the Mist Qi that permeates the Howling Mist-Vault in a wide radius that scales with their Perception Stat. Roll-Table: Increases the chances of acquiring valuable loot while slaying enemies in the Howling Mist-Vault as long as the Bracelet is equipped while doing so]. As Jack immediately moved to slip the band onto his left wrist, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the curious look Jin was giving him. Turning to meet her gaze, Jack realized that pinched in between her fingers, was a bracelet identical to the one he had pulled out from his inventory. I suppose assisting towards a kill counts as slaying in this instance. Everyone should get one then, Jack thought as he slipped the bracelet onto his left wrist. It made sense, now that he considered the matter¨C-- he had played the most important role in slaying the Juvenile Werewolf, but were it not for the others¡¯ efforts when it came to splitting the Spiritual Beast¡¯s attention, he would never have been able to pin it down long enough to use Primordial Claw upon it. A moment later, the world transformed under his gaze as the thick layer of what was apparently called Mist Qi faded away from his sight. Jack blinked in disbelief as he took in the plain grasslands that had terrorized his group, but it was the sea of sand dunes that stretched out into the distance past it that was the source of his shock. Jack supposed that he shouldn¡¯t have been surprised at the variety in terrain given that Earth had been cleared of all traces of civilization in the span of an hour or less, but it was still a bit surreal to come across sand dunes when he knew them to be three or four hours on foot away from a lush forest with the tallest trees he¡¯d ever come across. Like the Anarix Tree Forest, the sea of sand dunes seemed to be natural terrain augmented by Qi instead of a cultivator-made construct like the Howling Mist-Vault. For one, desert landscape was too vast to be considered a Hidden Piece by any means of the definition and more importantly, Jack¡¯s True Sight confirmed for him that the dunes weren¡¯t a mirage formed by Qi or any other such manner of construct. As far as Jack could tell, the Bracelet of the Mist-Vault wasn¡¯t responsible for any ocular ability that let him see through the Mist Qi, but rather, seemed to mark him in some manner that made him immune to the obscuring effects of the Mist Qi instead of nullifying the Mist Qi itself or giving him a way to see through its effects. So Jack couldn¡¯t use the bracelet to see through the effects of Mist Qi itself, meaning that if he ran into someone with a Dao Mark capable of calling upon Mist Qi, it would do nothing to let him see through it. His single point in Wisdom had pushed his total in the stat to ten, an investment that paid dividends as Jack considered the purpose of giving every member of his group a Bracelet that¡¯s greatest and only value lay within the Howling Mist-Vault. They had experienced what it felt like to be doggedly hunted down when the enemy had a terrifying advantage when it came to the terrain and now, the Mist-Vault had given them a way to bypass that advantage. They were meant to hunt the Juvenile Werewolves down with their greatest advantage taken from them, but Jin and Marcus were nowhere near such a challenge, not to mention that it had taken Jack everything he had in his arsenal just to kill one of the Spiritual Beasts. The Howling Mist-Vault was too dangerous for them to remain in any longer than they had to, but neither the Bracelet nor the Mist-Vault was going anywhere. With no little amount of trepidation, Jack swept his gaze across his full field of view before pivoting on his right foot to continue his search for any threats. Knowing that he had the highest amount of Perception amongst his group members, his gaze was clear for a few miles in every direction. The sigh of relief that escaped his lips was palpable, as Jack visually confirmed that there were no more Werewolves, Juvenile or otherwise, near them. Ironically enough, their reprieve was only a mile away from their current location, which explained why the Juvenile Werewolf had decided to finally go for the kill after seeming content with harrying them. If Jack or one of his other group members had chosen to break away from the group and run without looking back, there was a real chance they would have escaped before the Juvenile Werewolf got to them. That realization only made Jack loathe the system even more. And knowing the system, if they tried to push their luck, they¡¯d end up getting exactly what they asked for. ¡°You both should¡¯ve gotten a bracelet like me and Jin have,¡± Jack addressed Sarah and Marcus, his tone commanding. ¡°Equip it and let''s be on our way. It¡¯ll let you see through the Mist Qi that¡¯s surrounding us¡ª¡± ¡°Oh wow,¡± Jin absentmindedly muttered, her gaze transfixed by something in the distance. Sarah and Marcus didn¡¯t need any more convincing, as they reached out for their inventories and pulled out their own bracelets, slipping them on with as much haste as they could manage. An incredulous chortle escaped Sarah before she collected herself enough to voice her thoughts, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I thought Alki Beach was sandy. How did we even get here?¡± Marcus grunted in agreement, as eyes scoured what he could see of the desert with no little amount of caution, his expression bunched up into a frown. It seemed like everyone present had enough in perception to make out the mile to the desert and a little beyond, though Jack supposed that he didn¡¯t know the bare minimum sensing range the Bracelet offered to conclude anything. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take a desert over a land of mist claimed by Werewolves. I¡¯m as certain as one can be that they won¡¯t follow us into the sand, so unless someone wants to take their chances with the Spiritual Beasts, I¡¯d recommend getting a move on,¡± Jack stated, as he began to move towards the desert. Sarah was the first to follow, catching up to him with a few quick strides. Jin was next before Marcus fell in line, not a word of protest escaping his mouth. ¡°What kind of dangerous animals can we expect from a desert?¡± Sarah asked, loud enough for Jin and Marcus to be able to hear as they caught up. ¡°Normally I mean.¡± Jack took a few moments to consider her question, before answering, ¡°Honestly? Depends on the desert. It¡¯s pretty much the last place you¡¯d want to find yourself in during the apocalypse, though. I mean, if civilization fell and everything wasn¡¯t reduced to an irradiated wasteland, then even in a collapse of law and order you¡¯d be able to find a way to food if you were willing to fight for it. Canned supplies can last for years and there¡¯d be other sources of food from the wildlife and flora,¡± He mused aloud, certain that all four of them were past needing to be coddled about their situation. ¡°But in a desert? There¡¯s little water to be found, the temperature fluctuates in extremes and most of the animals have adapted to the environment, so they¡¯re going to be aggressive, frequently venomous and have little meat on their bones half the time.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± Sarah idly replied, her tone entirely conversational instead of afraid. ¡°No, but it¡¯s not grim either. Anything I say is speculation at best, but I¡¯ll throw out the possibility of snakes, scorpions, coyotes and other desert canids, lizards and a few types of spiders,¡± Jack continued. ¡°How is that not grim?¡± Jin asked, her tone shaken by the revelation. ¡°This area is a hidden piece,¡± Jack replied in answer. ¡°That means its difficulty is way beyond the norm. The Rift Goblin Camp we saved you both from was a hidden piece too, hence the difficulty in getting out of there. I mean think about it, if everyone on earth is going to be fighting Werewolf level threats out there, ninety nine percent of humans would already be dead.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the point?¡± Marcus sardonically asked. ¡°Watching us all die in hideous and twisted ways for this system¡¯s entertainment?¡± ¡°So you think they¡¯re weaker?¡± Jin asked, side-stepping Marcus¡¯s remark. ¡°Should be, otherwise we¡¯re all done anyway,¡± Jack replied with a shrug, before continuing, ¡°I think the reason why the system allowed animals from earth to be evolved into these predators is so we have a degree of familiarity with the enemies we¡¯re fighting instead of giving into fear and despair from the beginning. Don¡¯t take this as gospel, but standard knowledge like knowing the danger of a snake¡¯s fangs, a scorpion¡¯s tail, a lizard¡¯s teeth¡ª a rare few can be venomous, is going to be wise. Remember, we¡¯re not entirely human ourselves now, we¡¯re cultivators.¡± A short silence fell over the group before Marcus spoke, ¡°What¡¯s your armor called, Sarah?¡± Sarah took a moment to consider the question, before answering, ¡°Jade Guard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be buying that once we¡¯re out of here,¡± Marcus revealed, being more forthright with information than he was before. ¡°Don¡¯t want a repeat of what happened here and your armor seems to have held up well enough.¡± ¡°Wise choice,¡± Sarah replied in an approving tone. ¡°It¡¯s light, surprisingly flexible and durable enough. I don¡¯t think the other armor choices are going to be very different when it comes to function, but the risk doesn¡¯t seem worth it in our current circumstances,¡± She analyzed. ¡°Thanks,¡± Marcus softly muttered, before falling into silence. That¡¯s new, Jack thought. Though it probably won¡¯t last. Jin might not have gotten the time to inspect the pill, but such a powerful medicine is going to be brought up again. When Marcus realizes that I made the decision of sacrificing his lifespan to bring him back, well, humans are far from perfectly rational creatures. ¡°What stats do you think I should invest in, Jack?¡± Jin asked, a strong note of inquisitiveness enduring in her tone where urgency would have been understandable. It was clear that Jack had the knowledge she needed and knowing it could be the difference between life and death, yet she hadn¡¯t demanded it out of him like he was sure Marcus would have no qualms in doing, had he been stronger than Jack. I need to give her an answer without revealing my own stat distribution, Jack¡¯s pragmatic side reminded him. ¡°Did you level up?¡± Jack asked conversationally, trying to mask his own curiosity. ¡°Twice,¡± Jin said with a nod. ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± Jack earnestly replied, suspecting that she had most likely gone from level 3 to 5 in a single leap. ¡°Do you have an idea of what each stat does? Being honest, so far I¡¯ve just been investing in the stat that I need the most in the heat of the moment. If there is an optimal distribution, it requires trial and error on a much larger scale than four.¡± ¡°I have a few questions, actually,¡± Jin replied. ¡°Go on,¡± Jack encouraged. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between Dexterity and Perception? And Intelligence versus Wisdom?¡± She asked. Jack could see that even Marcus perked up at Jin¡¯s question, while Sarah seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts as she walked next to him. Having likely experienced every stat for herself by now, there was little Jack could reveal to her on the topic. ¡°Perception and Dexterity is a simple one. The former enhances your five senses, letting you perceive both yourself and anyone in the vicinity in progressively greater depth as you invest more free points into the stat. Having the strength to react to a threat is valuable, but if you take too long to perceive it, you will find yourself either trading injuries or worse. Dexterity, on the other hand, gives you the reflexes to react to the threat once it¡¯s revealed itself. Whether that takes the form of enhancing your muscle tissue to be more flexible or making the synaptic connections that govern reaction time more sensitive, it is a valuable stat either way,¡± Jack earnestly explained. ¡°Those are tough options to choose from,¡± Jin muttered, more to herself than Jack, but loud enough his senses to pick up on. ¡°I¡¯d focus on the encounters you¡¯d want to be most insulated from,¡± Jack said, having decided to offer a little more advice on the topic. ¡°Investing more in perception might give you the opportunity to evade an enemy attack even with lower dexterity, while quick reflexes would aid you to strike back against the enemy and possibly neutralize it before it can be of any more danger to you. Remember though, it¡¯s not supposed to be a choice¡ª these statistics are synergistic, not adversarial,¡± Jack reminded. ¡°Right. Though it¡¯s tough to think that way when the future won¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t make the correct choices today,¡± Jin replied, her tone more thoughtful than resigned. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been winging it,¡± Jack replied honestly before moving on. ¡°The difference between Intelligence and Wisdom is subtle, but neither will make you smarter, or at least, hasn¡¯t done so yet for me.¡± ¡°How do you define ¡®smarter¡¯?¡± Jin asked. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty rudimentary way to do it, but I¡¯m limiting the definition to raw I.Q for now.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Jin mused. ¡°That¡¯s a bit disappointing,¡± She admitted. ¡°Is it?¡± Jack asked. ¡°If the intelligence stat was linked to my I.Q., I¡¯d be investing heavily into it. But would it still be me after thirty points? Fifty points? A hundred? At what point would I be doomed to follow the most rational path in any scenario or encounter?¡± He let the question hang in the air for a moment, having contemplated the matter more than once. ¡°What if I come to see other cultivators as nothing more than pure sources of experience in my objective of surviving this? Would there even be a point to such a survival?¡± He concluded, realizing as he explained that the mere possibility of such an existence revolted him to his very core. He was willing to kill other cultivators to defend himself and he would carry the weight of every life he took to his grave, but Jack would never view human life as numbers on a balance sheet, never let himself kill those who had done him or the world no wrong for experience, even if the system relished in such misery. He would stay human or die trying. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of it that way,¡± Jin admitted, the curiosity in her tone tempered by the heaviness of Jack¡¯s consideration. ¡°Your words do make me wonder though. There are people out there that would¡­ kill for less out there, like violent inmates in high-security prisons and mercenaries that will wage wars in foreign countries as long as they¡¯re paid enough. What are they doing out there? What happens if we run into them?¡± She asked. ¡°Same thing that happened to the Werewolf, if they try anything,¡± Jack firmly replied, his composure returning to him as he made the declaration. Had it been the old world, Jack¡¯s pragmatic nature would have judged him to have little chance against trained mercenaries and the like unless both parties were armed and he had foreknowledge that they were moving against him. But Jack had experience in real world combat now and the source of his combat ability was rooted in the opportunities he had leapt headfirst into. No mercenary or violent killer would leap at a chance of rescuing three people from the heart of enemy territory the same way no one with military training would run into a foggy land with seemingly little to no visibility, no intel on the enemies they would find within and no known escape route besides a camp teeming with rift goblins. Jack had snowballed an advantage for himself by rushing into scenarios few would and now he just had to hold onto it by continuing to push himself. Silence fell over the group as the boldness of Jack¡¯s declaration held in the air, lasting almost a minute before Jin followed up with another question, ¡°So what do the two stats do, exactly?¡± ¡°As far as I can tell, the Intelligence stat bolsters my memory, letting me retain and recall events, knowledge and memories far more efficiently than usual. There¡¯s not a lot of books to read in the apocalypse, but if I get my hands on one, I¡¯d bet that I¡¯d be able to compartmentalize and retain its knowledge in a matter that lets me call upon the relevant parts when I actually need it. The stat also helps you recall the past in greater detail, but I think you¡¯d require a sizable investment in it to recite your old science textbooks word for word, if that¡¯s even possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different from what I imagined, but still interesting.¡± ¡°As for Wisdom,¡± Jack paused, taking a moment to formulate his reply before answering, ¡°It works very well with intelligence, because it lets you draw conclusions based on existing information you have access to by flagging related information, in a manner of speaking. It won¡¯t let you derive the scientific formula behind the energy source that Qi is merely by knowing more about it, but it will allow you to draw conclusions you¡¯d eventually reach yourself if you thought about it long enough far quicker than usual. It doesn¡¯t sound like much, but when you¡¯re in battle and you realize that using a certain skill in a novel manner might be the only thing that wins you the battle, well, it seems pretty worth it then.¡± ¡°Is that how you beat the Juvenile Werewolf?¡± She asked. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re no stranger to the Wisdom department yourself,¡± Jack replied with an amused smile. ¡°Though the full answer is rooted in my recklessness paying off, the credit in no small part going to my luck,¡± He added, with a small chuckle, before his expression turned more somber. ¡°Out-thinking your opponent is a great strategy, but it can also matter little when their physical parameters exceed yours. I could just as easily have died trying to get to the beast.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Jin firmly replied, an undercurrent of resolve audible in her tone. It appeared that she had reached a decision, an informed one at that. It was more than Jack had been offered in face of the apocalypse, but he didn¡¯t mind trading this particular advantage away when investing a point or two at most in any stat would reveal the truth to her. Jack felt like he had done enough for Jin to earn her trust and he doubted that any amount of intelligence or wisdom would let him know what exactly what it was that was going through her mind¡ª- he just hoped that she would stay true to her words and he had gained an ally instead of an opportunist. Marcus opted against contributing to the conversation, though that could have been because Jack had shared everything that was required when it came to stat distribution. Strength and Constitution were self-explanatory stats and likely to have been the initial picks of most cultivators along with maybe dexterity, so the Fire Dao-Mark cultivator had all the information he needed as well. Silence was not an unwelcome companion for Jack as they covered the last of the distance towards the end of the Howling Mist-Vault¡¯s territory, as he dedicated his entire focus to peeking behind him every few seconds to make sure there was no Werewolf creeping up on them from within the misty territory. ¡°Stop,¡± Jack called out before they could walk outside the Mist-Vault¡¯s territory and step onto the sandy dunes, the first of which sloped upwards before them. Sarah came to a halt next to him, while Jin and Marcus, who had been following close behind them, halted as well. ¡°Why?¡± Marcus quietly asked, his usual annoyance with Jack¡¯s commands absent in his tone. ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s hiding on the other side, so it¡¯s best to face it together,¡± Jack replied calmly. ¡°Marcus, stand beside me. Jin, next to Sarah. Weapons drawn and facing forward.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Marcus replied, in an uncharacteristically subdued response. ¡°Sure,¡± Jin said with a nod. Once everyone had complied with his instructions, Jack continued, ¡°I might have a way to force anything hiding in the sand out and into a retreat once, so I don¡¯t want anyone to panic if it actually ends up working. Instead, use your inspect on anything that moves as fast as you can, so we can get an idea of what we¡¯re up against. Retreating back into the mists is best left as a last resort.¡± ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± Sarah remarked, her tone not concealing her interest. ¡°It is, that¡¯s why I have no idea how it¡¯ll work. This Mist Qi has tormented us quite a bit, but this backfires at least we can fall back and re-enter the desert from a different point down the line,¡± Jack explained. ¡°Now, if everyone is ready, we take two steps forward at the count of three. That cool?¡± ¡°Ready,¡± Sarah replied. Jin nodded and Marcus grunted in affirmation. Jack began the count down and at the call of three, all four of them left the Howling Mist-Vault behind and stepped into the desert. And as they did, Jack activated the [Slaughter Aura] he could only use once in twenty four hours. 54: Connection 54: Jack watched as a gray aura not unlike the Mist Qi they had been trapped in merely a few hours ago ensconced his form, overlapping over his silhouette without any margin for error. Unlike the Mist Qi, the aura was not formed out of Qi and neither did it impede any of his five senses in the slightest, even it¡¯s hue being a lighter touch of gray, with a weightless, ethereal quality to it that seemed completely unlike any manipulation of Qi he had come across so far. Before them stood a sea of sand dunes, but the extreme heat or cold you¡¯d expect from a desert was noticeably absent. Given the absence of the celestial cycle of the sun and the moon, with the hydration pills they had been offered, coupled with the overall resilience just by having Qi flow through one¡¯s meridians offered, not to mention investments in the constitution stat, Jack didn¡¯t think it would be any real challenge for them to weather the elements unless they were trapped within a desert landscape for years. The ambient temperature might not be a problem, but that didn¡¯t mean the terrain itself was safe to traverse. The upward sloping dune before him blocked him from taking in a full, sweeping view of the desert for any signs of movement, but even from up close Jack could see enough to confirm that the desert stretched out for miles into the horizon, with no signs of its progress slowing down. Jack caught Marcus giving him an expectant look, his gaze searching his silhouette for any signs of activity. Given that Marcus¡¯s relationship with Jack had been a rocky one so far, he had expected him to react with wariness or caution at the revelation of another new purported skill in his toolkit. Jack¡¯s gaze flickered over to Sarah, noting that her gaze was sweeping across the stretches of desert laid bare for her. She hadn¡¯t paid any attention to the ethereal light gray aura ensconcing him either. They can¡¯t see it, The revelation dawned on Jack as he focused his gaze back towards the desert, waiting for any proof that the Slaughter Aura was working. If it worked on Spiritual Beasts at or below his cultivation stage and layer, then it was logical to assume that evolved earth predators that didn¡¯t even reach the standards of a Spiritual Beast would flee upon sensing it. But can they even sense it? Are their senses so weak that the aura can¡¯t reach them? Jack wondered, as he considered the possibility that he¡¯d been too optimistic in his inferences. Until over a dozen sand dunes erupted in a spray of sand almost at the same moment, each only a little distance into the desert, revealing sleek, polished black forms that were a deadly amalgamation of natural evolution meeting the system¡¯s foreign energy source that Jack had come to know as Qi. Jack waited for a few seconds, making sure that the dune before him wasn¡¯t about to explode outwards into a spray of sand to reveal another alligator-sized scorpion, it¡¯s small pincers evolved into two large, serrated ones that menacingly gleamed under the gentle light beating down upon them, each the size of a blacksmith¡¯s anvil. When nothing happened, Jack broke rank and advanced, scaling the dune in a matter of seconds before cresting it. As Jack¡¯s gaze landed on the fleeing giant scorpions, he noticed that their chitinous exoskeleton was formed of layered obsidian plates that carried the tell-tale sheen of metal while their stingers, plural because whilst a majority of the giant scorpions had one tail, there were three or four with two, were dripping with a sickly emerald venom that possibly couldn¡¯t be good news. Still, that didn¡¯t stop Jack from using Inspect on as many as he could before they either disappeared behind a few particularly large dunes or buried themselves deep within the sand and chose to traverse distance underneath the dunes. [You have successfully inspected a Level 4 Sand Stalker, Trial Classification: Evolved predators from Earth¡¯s fauna.] [You have successfully inspected a Level 5 Sand Stalker, Trial Classification: Evolved predators from Earth¡¯s fauna.] [You have successfully inspected a Level 3 Sand Stalker, Trial Classification: Evolved predators from Earth¡¯s fauna.] ¡­ Jack blinked, in an attempt to make sure that he wasn¡¯t misreading the data from Inspect. Compared to the Level ten Juvenile Werewolf they had fought, Level fours and fives hardly seemed anywhere near as terrifying in comparison, which seemed to be most of the Sand Stalkers levels, but Jack had also found a Sand Stalker as weak as level three within the pack. The difficulty falling was something he was counting on, but for it to fall this drastically didn¡¯t make sense if the system¡¯s goal was to challenge them. Jack called upon the Sand Stalker¡¯s description again to make sure he wasn¡¯t missing anything. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. [Level 5 Sand-Stalker, Early-Layer Qi Gathering Stage Trial Classification: Evolved Earth Predator Description: Evolved from a variety of desert-dwelling scorpions due to exposure to the divine flames, a new subspecies named Sand Stalkers has been born. The Sand Stalker enjoys greater physical defenses in the form of qi-reinforced chitinous plates and pincers, enhanced strength that allows the Sand Stalker to traverse across the desert environment both above and beneath the sand to adjust for it¡¯s greater size and contains a unique toxin in it¡¯s stinger that confuses the senses of a cultivator, causing the Qi contained within their dantian to be released into the ambient environment and making them incapable of gathering more Qi for up to six hours. Sand Stalkers possess an innate feel for the desert environment and are capable of using said terrain to coordinate attacks or loosen the sand holding up targeted dunes. However, their intellect remains limited.] The Sand Stalkers were terrifying in appearance and had displayed their ability to move quickly enough, not to mention their ability to effortlessly hide in sand dunes in such large numbers and relatively close proximity. Their toxin was perhaps even more trickier than anything the Juvenile Werewolf had in its arsenal and Jack honestly found himself wondering if there was a way to harvest it for himself, given its usefulness. That said, their low levels meant that Jack had enough ways of dealing with the creatures and even if any of his members got stung, the toxin wouldn¡¯t kill them. Reaching a high level on Inspect was truly paying off with the detailed descriptions he was now getting, especially the mention of coordinated attacks, which he had witnessed first hand as a tactic at least one or two clumps of Sand Stalkers were willing to use and weakening the structure of sand dunes, a possibility that Jack hadn¡¯t considered. Falling into a hollowed out pit with only an oversized scorpion as company was a terrifying thought, stats or no stats. If Jack had to draw a comparison to the gathering of Sand Stalkers, then the closest ones that came to mind were the goblins stationed at the rift goblin camp. There were fewer Sand Stalkers and they might have been weaker overall, but now that Jack thought about it, hiding beneath the sand gave them a massive advantage over an above ground camp that practically advertised their location to anyone in the vicinity. Had he not unlocked his Slaughter Aura from the Core Sunderer feat, it was entirely possible that his group would have come into siege from a dozen Sand Scorpions with little warning. Jack¡¯s mind began to tingle as he saw a connection between the two encounters that was too tangible to ignore. Both the entrance and exit to the Howling Mist-Vault was guarded by a sizable force and even getting to the rift goblin camp back in the Anarix Tree forest hadn¡¯t been an easy task to begin with. Had he not killed the rift goblin commander and acquired the map, Jack wouldn¡¯t have ventured into the heart of their territory to begin with. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to claim that there were other exits to the Anarix Tree Forest that didn¡¯t involve charging headlong into the misty stretch of land that was an obvious trap. Had Jack and Sarah taken those exits instead, would they have faced a different set of enemies upon leaving the forest? The forest had been too large for just two groups to explore, so it wouldn¡¯t be an unreasonable assumption if he considered the possibility of more groups that had been teleported into the forested land, more survivors that he and Sarah could have run into. Instead, Jack and his group had traversed the Howling Mist-Vault and ran into another set of guardians that blocked the way to the Hidden Piece. It was too much of a coincidence for it to happen twice, given that dozens of enemies were involved in total count and the value of the Howling Mist-Vault, for those willing to plunge themselves into danger, was immense. Have we ended up crossing into a different starting location instead of going where we were supposed to? Jack considered the matter, his wisdom telling him that was very likely the case. Then, any cultivators still lurking in the area shouldn¡¯t be too strong, while the Sand Stalkers will be perfect fodder for Jin and Marcus to get their levels up. I¡¯ll need to be wary of Marcus though, there¡¯s no telling how his Dao Mark grows with increased levels and if he¡¯s smart, he¡¯s not going to advertise any major increases in potency. Damn, I¡¯m caught up in a balancing act. Jack hadn¡¯t given Marcus any reason to move against him, but the apocalypse had changed them all in ways that they had yet to fully understand themselves. The man had displayed his valor in battle and it was his sacrifice that had saved Jin¡¯s life while also giving Jack the opening he needed to turn the tides of battle. He could be a competent ally, but if he surpassed Jack in battle prowess, it was him that would be at Marcus¡¯s mercy. The Doomsday Prepper in him couldn¡¯t stand such a thing and he had no hope of holding onto his own humanity if he would be tethered to another¡¯s commands. Yet, Jack had no reason for banishing Marcus and it might even be foolish to do such a thing, given that the man owed him his life. Relying on his own Dao Mark manifesting was a possibility, but given that Jack had no idea how to begin to do so, blind luck didn¡¯t make for good strategy. Neither could he start banishing people who unlocked their Dao Marks, given how useful they could be in dealing with enemies. No, what Jack had to do was use the pressure of Marcus possessing a Dao Mark to hone his own willpower, a stat that couldn¡¯t be bought from the system. His goal wasn¡¯t to beat Marcus tomorrow or to hold onto the leadership of his group for years on end, no, his ambitions far exceeded anything as mundane as that. If he wanted to become powerful enough to not be shackled to the system¡¯s whims and fancies, then Jack couldn¡¯t let his fears and anxieties cloud his judgement. If Marcus grew strong due to his Dao Mark, all Jack had to do was grow even stronger. And now that the sand dunes were temporarily freed of the Sand Stalker threat, Jack could begin doing so by calling upon the tutorial shop. 55: Upgrades 55: ¡°How did you do that?¡± Sarah asked him as she watched the rest of the Sand Stalkers escape their line of sight, her tone laden with unfiltered awe. Jin and Marcus reached their side before Jack could respond, their gazes a mix of confusion and shock as they watched the Sand Stalkers get beaten back into retreat by an unseen force, as if they had been confronted by a Werewolf instead of a man. ¡°The giant scorpions, or Sand Stalkers I suppose, mistakenly think that I¡¯m the juvenile werewolf we fought earlier. It¡¯ll work for now, but they¡¯ll be back sooner or later if there was something keeping them in this area. Don¡¯t count on me to push them back again, I don¡¯t think this will work twice,¡± Jack explained, only offering half the truth he could. The Slaughter Aura was effective, there was no doubt about it, but it had a cooldown of once in twenty four hours. If they came across more enemies before his Slaughter Aura was primed for use again, then he couldn¡¯t have his group becoming complacent after having seen the collective threat the desert environment could pose to them. The exact depths of his abilities wasn¡¯t something Jack was willing to let the group in on as a whole yet, either, though he would tell Sarah the moment they found an opportunity to converse without being overheard. It¡¯s best to keep the Slaughter Aura as a last resort, especially because it won¡¯t work if we run into something stronger than me. The temptation of safety, even if a temporary one, is a very tantalizing prospect, but if I slow down, the advantage I¡¯ve built up will be eroded away and I¡¯ll be at the mercy of the next Dao Mark user I run into, Jack grimly thought, as the doomsday prepper within him didn¡¯t let him count on a magical power unlocking within him that would level the playing field. It was best to assume it wouldn¡¯t happen and move forward by seizing every advantage he could. That said, for now, we could all use some rest. ¡°Why don¡¯t you appear any different to us?¡± Jin asked, as Jack caught her giving him a scrutinizing look. ¡°Not sure,¡± Jack admitted as his gaze returned to scanning the sea of wind-sculpted dunes that stretched out for as far as his eyes could see. ¡°If I had to guess, I would say that it¡¯s likely for the Sand Stalkers to have sensory abilities that surpass our own in certain parameters, like being able to hear at higher frequencies or being able to see ultraviolet light. Regular scorpions can actually do the latter, but I don¡¯t know what Sand Stalkers can and cannot do.¡± ¡°Most animals'' senses already exceeded ours, it¡¯s disturbing to think about how that difference has widened even further,¡± Jin thoughtfully replied, taking his theory in her stride. ¡°The difference is that now we can catch up,¡± Sarah joined the conversation, her tone one of unmasked conviction. ¡°How long do we have before they return?¡± Marcus asked, his tone mellow and contemplative as he scanned the dunes for any sign of a threat. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Jack admitted. ¡°But the way they retreated left some hints.¡± Marcus seemed surprised at that revelation, then his expression fell a little as he clenched his sword a little more forcefully before asking, ¡°What hints?¡± ¡°Tricking the Sand Stalkers into believing that I was a Werewolf wasn¡¯t actively harming them in any manner, it just made them afraid. If they were confident in their speeds through the sand, then they would have burrowed deeper into the dunes instead of revealing themselves in their frenzied charge,¡± Jack explained. ¡°The fact that they didn¡¯t tells me that either they can¡¯t travel too deep into in the earth for some reason or more likely, while they can hide in the sand and even hollow it out to create traps, their movement speed is too restricted while travelling underneath it.¡± ¡°Traps?¡± Jin cut into the conversation, her tone of alarm not going by unnoticed. ¡°Using Inspect on the Sand Stalkers told me that it was a thing they did. Definitely something to watch out for.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that if they approach, we should see them coming?¡± Marcus asked, sounding a little annoyed at having his conversation derailed. ¡°Hopefully,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take hope,¡± Marcus said with a grunt. Jack nodded, ¡°This is as good as a time we¡¯ll get to get our equipment in order and get anything else we need from the Tutorial Shop. Use it wisely.¡± Sarah and Jin nodded at his words, while Marcus trudged back down the dune, stopping at the half-way mark before unceremoniously dropping onto his behind and seating himself on the dune¡¯s incline. Marcus¡¯s actions reminded Jack just how tired he was before he decided to do the same. Sarah seated herself next to him, while Jin remained standing as her eyes glazed over, clearly accessing the system and most likely, the tutorial shop at that. That¡¯s right, conversations can wait, Jack thought, as he called upon the tutorial shop himself. [Tutorial Shop
  1. Recovery Pill (Basic Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 100 TP
  2. Qi Gathering Pill (Basic Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 150 TP
  3. Greater Recovery Pill (Adept Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 500 TP
  4. Body Refinement Stone (Uncommon, Qi Gathering Stage) ¡ªSold out
  5. Bloodsong Sabre (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (1,491/100,000)
  6. Moonsword (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª Not Available for Sale (4,711/100,000)
  7. Hoarfrost¡¯s Edge (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 5000 TP (3,341/100,000)
  8. Naga Armor Set (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact Set 3/3) ¡ª 7500 TP (13,545/75,000)
  9. Jade Guard Armor Set (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact Set 3/3) ¡ª 7500 TP ( 7,545/75,000)
  10. Juvenile Wyrm¡¯s Breath Armor Set (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact Set 3/3) ¡ª 7500 TP (14,002/75,000)
  11. Cultivation Technique: Essence Renewal Art (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage¡ª Foundation Establishment Stage) ¡ª 10,000 TP [32,776/50,000]
  12. Cultivation Technique: Tenfold Strike (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage¡ª Foundation Establishment Stage) ¡ª 15,000 TP [44,992/50,000]
  13. Cultivation Technique: Essence Syphon Art (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage¡ª Foundation Establishment Stage) ¡ª Not Available for Sale [28,001/30,000]
  14. Foundation Establishment Pill (Advanced Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 25,000 TP (24,921/25,000)
  15. Flowing Vitality Pill (Advanced Rank Alchemic Pill) ¡ª 2,500 TP
  16. Portable Cloud Pavilion Shelter (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact) ¡ª 9,500 TP]
More items will be added to the shop in twenty four hour intervals. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Available TP: 17,785] ¡°Sarah, is spending five thousand points on a Rare Spear Artifact worth it?¡± Jin asked in a hasty tone. ¡°They¡¯re running out really quickly so I have to make a decision now,¡± She added. ¡°Absolutely. The Moonspear let me fight against the Juvenile Werewolf and you saw just how quick that beast was,¡± Sarah replied, though she seemed distracted if her gaze flitting between Jin and the space before her where Jack was sure a system screen was staring back at her said anything. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer if you¡¯re uncomfortable, but in case you don¡¯t mind, can I know what the Moonspear does, exactly?¡± Jin asked, the way she pursed her lips and fidgeted with her free hand¡¯s fingers revealing her hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Sarah replied reassuringly. ¡°The gist of it is that if you feed it Qi, the spear weighs less and gets an augmentation to the force and velocity it can generate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s in line with what I thought,¡± Jin muttered thoughtfully, more to herself than to Sarah. ¡°If you and Jack have got speed covered, then maybe I should approach it from a different angle¡­,¡± She trailed off, but her gaze lit up with clarity as she turned to the front to face the system¡¯s tutorial shop. Jack had barely been paying attention to Sarah and Jin¡¯s conversation, just about enough to get the gist of it while his focus remained on the Tutorial Shop. In truth, he hadn¡¯t expected to amass such a vast sum of TP as quickly as he had and Jack had made the decision to buy the Essence Syphon Art fully expecting that by the next time he managed to amass a similar reserve, every cultivation technique in the Tutorial Shop would be sold out. The new addition to the tutorial shop wasn¡¯t an item he¡¯d missed and Jack found it pretty interesting that the system would be willing to sell a Rare Qi Gathering Stage Artifact without putting any limits on it, but the prohibitive cost coupled with the presumably non-combat focus of the Portable Shelter made it an item very few cultivators would consider purchasing. Still, a portable shelter sounds like heaven, especially if it comes with a few defenses, He thought. If there were individuals in a group that prioritized the overall survival of the people in the group over their own, I can see the portable camp being an item that they¡¯d purchase. That¡¯s still an unlikely thing to do, since the system saw fit to pair us up with strangers, unless¡­ someone stronger forced you to purchase it. It wasn¡¯t a facet of the tutorial shop that Jack had considered before, but nothing had stopped Sarah from offering her Body Refinement Stone to Marcus and Jin to get the Feat for it, which also meant that if Jack was willing to coerce the weaker members of their group with threats or displays of force, then he could force them to buy items for him with the only cost being his humanity. The only counterbalance to such a realization was that for someone to amass TP, they needed to get stronger and in most cases, it was just easier to do it yourself, but Jack was certain that there were people out there that were forcing others, perhaps even targeting other groups and subordinating them into buying items for them, or just plain killing them with the downside that they would only get one of the items in their inventory¡ª Jack was certain that after killing Andrew, Trent should have more items in his inventory, but he had only recovered a single item from looting him, a Greater Recovery Pill. Admittedly, the sequence of events involving Andrew and Trent had unfolded before the Tutorial Shop was active, which had made the Pill very valuable to him, making him wonder if a cultivator got the most valuable item from another after killing them, or if the item was chosen at random and Jack had just gotten lucky. Focus. What do you need right now? Jack asked himself, thinking back to the encounter with the Juvenile Werewolf, only for the answer to come to him in a matter of moments. Armor. I need armor, Jack determined, finding that his judgement was absent of any lingering doubts. Two more items had been added into the system shop, yet neither of them seemed to be combat oriented items and the Flowing Vitality Pill had also came with a frankly terrifying side-effect and the existing supply of armor sets was depleting at an alarming rate. If he passed up on a chance to acquire an armor set now, there was a very real possibility that he wouldn¡¯t get one until the end of the Awakening Quest unless he got lucky with looting beasts. What do I want, though? As Jack asked himself the question, his gaze zeroed in one the most expensive cultivation art he could afford with his TP balance. Cultivation Technique: Tenfold Strike could either be a single, powerful strike that would require a lot of Qi or a sequence of strikes that were plausibly stronger than the last. Or the cultivation technique could be something else entirely. Any cultivation technique that would let him convert his Qi to powerful strikes was naturally powerful and if he had that technique in his battle against the Juvenile Werewolf, he might not have had to risk his life multiple times to use Primordial Claw on the incredibly quick beast to steal it¡¯s Qi and use it against the beast. Yet, surprisingly enough, Jack wasn¡¯t too interested in the technique. Tenfold strike might be powerful, sure, but the difference between a skill and a cultivation technique was something Jack now understood. Had tenfold strike been a skill, he would only need to input a known amount of Qi into it to get the desired results, but it was a cultivation technique, a framework that allowed him to understand and modulate Qi to devise an approach to the result. Using Primordial Claw on the Juvenile Werewolf¡¯s paw had nearly caused his hand to burst open, because he was trying to subsume a quantity and concentration of Qi that far surpassed his own and using it on Marcus still burned him, because while regular Qi was something his Primordial Claw could devour, a Dao Mark¡¯s Qi seemed to be attuned to the one the mark belonged to as such, a foreign energy that offered no immunity to him. A cultivation technique like Tenfold strike sounded like it would drain his Qi reserves at exaggerated paces, which didn¡¯t interest him because Jack could already replicate that effect with the Essence Syphon Art against powerful opponents. Depleting his own Qi didn¡¯t make sense when he could use his enemy¡¯s, but more importantly, it wasn¡¯t cultivation techniques Jack was chasing, but rather knowledge itself. The Essence Renewal Art was a lot more interesting to him. Anything that could let him renew his Qi was very valuable, but the lower cost told Jack that he shouldn¡¯t be expecting too much from the cultivation technique. Still, the only other alternative available were Qi Gathering Pills and they were pretty terrible when it came due to the 24 hour cooldown and the 5 Qi Point limitation. If the Essence Renewal Art let him maintain his Qi Reserves, then Jack could use Qi Pulse at longer distances and more frequently without worrying about them dipping and he wouldn¡¯t have to fight every battle as recklessly as the one he did with the Juvenile Werewolf. There was also the limitations of the Essence Syphon Art itself¡ª Jack had used the Qi he stole from the Juvenile Werewolf to use Qi Sword and Qi Projection, but those had been external applications of Qi. Not only could he feel a resistance from the Qi when he had used it to fire off one Qi Projection after the next, but Primordial Claw wasn¡¯t designed to regenerate his Qi reserves in the first place. The Essence Syphon Art¡¯s Primordial Claw took regular Qi from the opponent, used it to increase the range of his claw while robbing the opponent of the Qi they had committed to the attack and finally, if Jack wanted to, he could either dismiss the excess Qi into the ambient environment or funnel it into an external skill. There was no instruction on how to add the stolen Qi to his own reserves, so Jack could either shove it down his meridians to see what happened or maintain the Primordial Claw for hours and days on end to see if the resistance from the Qi faded. Neither were options feasible for battle. Maybe there¡¯s a possibility of Primordial Claw synergizing with Tenfold strike, but giving up a set of armor for only a single cultivation technique crosses the line of recklessness and becomes stupidity when I can get both, Jack thought, his decision made. [Cultivation Technique: Essence Renewal Art (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage¡ª Foundation Establishment Stage) and Jade Guard Armor Set (Rare, Qi Gathering Stage Artifact Set 3/3) has been deposited into your inventory. 17500 TP has been subtracted. Available TP: 285] ¡°Jack,¡± Sarah addressed him. ¡°Do you think I should get the Tenfold Strike Cultivation Technique?¡± She asked. Jack turned to face her, his gaze doing a poor job of concealing his surprise, ¡°Do you have enough TP for that?¡± ¡°Just barely,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°Huh,¡± Jack muttered. ¡°Walk with me?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jin had either the tact not to follow them or was lost in her own musings as she considered the system screen before reaching out to the void, likely in search of her newly purchased spear, as Jack and Sarah walked along the dune¡¯s crest. ¡°I bought the Essence Renewal Art. If you can look out for me, I¡¯ll tell you what it does right now,¡± Jack explained once they had walked a reasonable enough distance from Jin. There were still chances that her enhanced senses would pick up on his words, but Jack wasn¡¯t exactly going out of his way to hide it¡ª if it worked anything like the Essence Syphon Art, it¡¯s usage would be obvious enough. ¡°Another one?¡± Sarah asked, her interest piqued. ¡°I can¡¯t pass up on any chances of growing stronger in the here and now, even if it means missing out on future opportunities,¡± Jack replied. Sarah nodded, before speaking, ¡°I¡¯ll look out for you.¡± Jack didn¡¯t hesitate after receiving confirmation from Sarah, as he reached out for the void and pulled out a platinum canister that had a vivid gold etching upon it that immediately caught his eye. The depiction of a cultivator sitting cross legged with his eyes closed and his palms pressed against each other in a gesture of devotion didn¡¯t give him much of a hint as he scrutinized it for any hints. Oh well, Jack thought as he tugged the lid of the canister free and tossed it back into his inventory before gently reaching for the scroll. There was no interference as Jack unfurled the scroll. 56: Jack Anderson 56: The Essence Renewal Art was a great deal more simpler than Jack was expecting, but in some ways it turned out to be even more useful than the Essence Syphon Art. Jack took a deep breath to recenter himself, as the deluge of knowledge flooding his mind drastically ebbed in intensity before winking out entirely, leaving behind an instinctive yearning that he had to work to suppress. So that¡¯s how it works, Jack¡¯s eyes widened in understanding. He understood why he had felt resistance from the Juvenile Werewolf¡¯s Qi when he had siphoned it with his primordial claw and why he had instinctively felt that trying to force the siphoned Qi into his dantain would not work. As it turned out, there were three types of Qi at a basic level of categorization, namely, Ambient Qi, Unattuned Qi and Attuned Qi. When the system had claimed sovereignty over earth and transformed the planet with its blue flames, it had not only flooded Earth with an immense amount of Qi, it had also transformed the existing fauna into evolved predators that possessed a Beast Core. Ambient Qi was the Qi that suffused the environment around him, from the air that he breathed in to the minute amount of Qi trapped in every grain of sand in the expanse of the desert-like landscape they had found themselves in¡ª only in such minute quantities that True Sight could not detect it, just like the human eye had not been able to detect pollutants in the air back in the old world. There was only a single difference between Ambient Qi and Unattuned Qi, which manifested as the same azure-hued energy and that was ownership. Ambient Qi belonged to no one but the planet, or the system, depending upon how one looked at it, while Unattuned Qi belonged to a being that was capable of regenerating Qi on their own, whether that be through a Beast Core or a Dantian. There was a will attached to Unattuned Qi that made it less pliable, which was why the Essence Syphon Art¡¯s Primordial Claw was designed to disrupt and counter instead of replenishing one¡¯s own Qi Pool, a discovery that also told him that using his Primordial Claw to directly target a dantian or beast core might have disastrous results for himself instead of the intended opponent. The final type of Qi, Attuned Qi, was a form of Qi that quite literally happened to be affixed to a Universal Truth, or namely, a Dao. Had Jack not seen Trent¡¯s poisonous energy or Marcus¡¯s flames first hand, he would not be as wary of the energy as he now was. Unfortunately, the Essence Renewal Art only concerned itself with the first two types of Qi, so Jack didn¡¯t get to know much more about Dao-Attuned Qi besides the information he already had. Self-Aura was the most interesting technique Jack had encountered so far and ironically enough, there was no Qi manipulation that he could tell of being involved. There had been something to old-world meditation after all, for the Self-Aura technique was essentially a more profound branch of the same. When Jack recalled the knowledge he had been bestowed upon by the system and put it into action, he was imposing his sense of being onto the world. ¡°Give me a moment,¡± Jack said, gesturing with his open palm for added emphasis before he retreated inwards, into the confines of his own mind. To use Self-Aura, Jack needed to juxtapose who he was with who he was becoming and in doing so, be honest with who he always will be. I am Jack Anderson, He thought. I am a cultivator- The technique crumbed. I am Jack Anderson, Jack tried again. I will have revenge for my parents. Jack waited, but the person-shaped image he was building in his mind held, so he continued, I was a doomsday prepper as an act, but aspects of that personality have clung to me. I want to survive and to do that, I will do what it takes- The technique crumbled again. A dozen more times, Jack tried only for the technique to crumble at progressively latter stages in his self-affirmations. With each failed attempt, Jack got closer to the truth¡ª his truth. My name is Jack Anderson. I will have revenge for my parents. The lessons that I have learned from my life as a doomsday prepper, as a practitioner of the martial arts, as a victim and beneficiary of power and wealth¡ª- I will use it all towards a singular purpose. I will not run, neither will I hide. Instead, I will do everything in my power to stay human, I will fight with every fiber of my being to prove to this twisted, damned world that it cannot break me. Cultivators will fall to my blade, as will beasts and all manners of foul creations. Their sacrifices will become my strength, a strength that I will use to break the shackles that bind me¡ª I am Jack Anderson, a human. This time, Self-Aura activated. Jack¡¯s eyes were wide open, but it was not through them that he perceived the world. In imposing his sense of self upon the world, Jack felt like he no longer remained in the confines of his body¡ª instead, it was as if his very soul had been suffused into the immediate environment, as if he had become one with the ambient Qi permeating the environment. He felt it now, the delicate tendrils of Qi wafting and shifting across the landscape, the slightest of disturbances enough to change their ethereal patterns, which were too diffused for True Sight to pick up. This was an Aura. Jack understood now, why the System could bestow upon him the Juvenile Werewolf¡¯s aura, even if it came with a cooldown. Any cultivator or evolved beast could impose their aura onto the world, however insignificant it may be in comparison to the vastness of the reforged planet¡¯s. Jack was certain that Sarah, Marcus and Jin had auras of their own, even if they lacked the capability to access it. However, expanding his Aura beyond the silhouette of his physical body was no easy feat and every moment required Jack to actively expend his concentration at an alarming rate. If Self-Aura, as a technique, was limited to merely making him aware of his Aura, then it would not have been a very useful one. Thankfully, the drain on his concentration drastically fell as soon as Jack had managed to expand his aura in a sphere of perception that was wide enough to cover Marcus and Jin then going on to extend outwards for a dozen more meters. Curious, Jack thought, as he realized that unlike True Sight or Qi Pulse that revealed the meridians and dantians in the physical world, Self-Aura only saw the external appearances of Sarah, Marcus and Jin despite being able to sense Qi at a much more minute level. Ambient Qi, He realized a moment later. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Qi that belonged to no one but the world. With a thought, Jack was returned to his physical body, the only difference being his capability to temporarily sense ambient Qi. Of course, Jack still needed to expend a portion of his focus on keeping his aura diffused in the environment, a continuous distraction that could prove to be a major hindrance in battle unless he got used to it, but what the Essence Renewal Art, a collection of two cultivation techniques, offered was still worth more to him. However, before testing the new art, Jack tried to see if he could activate True Sight while Self-Aura was still active, the prospect of tracking Qi at both a macro and a nigh microscoping scale at once was too tantalizing not to attempt. Unfortunately, Jack felt his focus on Self-Aura rapidly fray as he tried to use the ocular True Sight technique in tandem and immediately pulled back on his attempt¡ª he was already quite drained from expanding his Aura once, a second time in short succession would result in a headache or worse. It was with some regret that Jack moved onto the Second Cultivation Technique, Qi Membrane, which turned out to be the simplest technique he had encountered so far. The Azure Glow of Qi now ensconced his external form in a silhouette that covered him from head to toe. Jack studied his hands, noting that the layer of Qi that had been overlaid upon his form had barely dented his Qi Pool. The technique was not a defensive one, for any enhancement that such a thin layer of Qi could provide was minimal and Jack certainly didn¡¯t feel any stronger or faster than before. No, the membrane of Qi that had embraced his form only served a singular purpose. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Sarah asked, her tone sounding genuinely worried. Only then did Jack realize that Sarah had retreated a few steps away from his side, her expression one of startled concern. Right, if I push Qi outside my body, other people can see it too. I suppose a glowing human isn¡¯t the most reassuring sight, Jack sardonically thought, before replying to Sarah, ¡°Yeah, sorry¡ª I¡¯m completely fine. Just give me a few moments, I¡¯m almost done testing this technique.¡± Sarah¡¯s eyes flashed with recognition, before she nodded. Jack noticed that she didn¡¯t step closer to him again and he supposed that was fair enough, in case he somehow blew himself up testing the Essence Renewal Art. Jack took a deep breath, honed his focus and then he issued a command to his sphere of perception. Targeting two floating tendrils of Qi that were loosely tethered to each other, Jack¡¯s command manifested in the form of a gentle wave, as his aura tried to give direction to the two tendrils of Qi. One tendril dissipated on contact, but the other, denser one managed to hold as it was pushed in Jack¡¯s direction. When it made contact with his chest, or more accurately, the Qi Membrane coating it, it passed through as easily as water would through a sieve, not the slightest hint of resistance to be found. Once the Ambient Qi entered his meridians, guiding it to the dantian was achieved instinctively, as natural as one breathed air in and out Jack opened up his statistics and sure enough, his Qi Pool hadn¡¯t even gone up by one. But it had gone up. Minutes passed as Jack painstakingly corralled tendrils of Qi towards him, diffusing many in the process as he prioritized speed over efficiency, his concern more towards the pull on his focus than it was on his Qi Pool. It took him a total of roughly twenty minutes to clear out every tendril in his sphere of perception, increasing his Qi Pool by a total of three points not counting the single point that had naturally been rejuvenated. Jack took a few steps along the dune¡¯s crest and sure enough, more tendrils revealed themselves to him at the periphery of his sphere of perception. There was no worry of ambient Qi running out, though the drain on his focus was a very real concern. He didn¡¯t hesitate to retract his Aura, making sure he didn¡¯t flinch as a wave of weariness swept across his body before ebbing, but even that wasn¡¯t enough to stop him from cracking a smile. Jack turned to face Sarah. ¡°Are you finished?¡± Sarah asked, her tone practically dripping with curiosity. ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect for it to take so long. Got the answer you need, though.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Put simply, the Essence Renewal Art does what it says. It lets me take Qi from the atmosphere and add it to my reserves, well, slowly at that,¡± Jack explained. ¡°It¡¯s slow, but you can keep it going while you¡¯re walking, especially out of combat. Good way to keep the reserves up,¡± Jack whispered the second part, having made sure that his back was to Jin and Marcus had no clear front view of him. If either of the two could pick up on his whispering, there was nothing to be done, but this was an advantage Jack was content to keep to himself until Jin or Marcus could afford a cultivation technique. Sarah¡¯s eyes widened a little in realization of what he was trying to do, before she nodded. ¡°So it¡¯s not designed for combat, then?¡± Sarah asked in a normal tone, not asking him anything about the technique¡¯s usefulness. ¡°Not as far as I can tell,¡± Jack admitted, seeing why the technique was priced at ten thousand TP. Being able to fire off Qi Projections more frequently was pretty damn valuable, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as disruptive as stealing Qi from an opponent¡¯s attack and practically negating it. ¡°I finally unlocked Qi Projection, but¡­ let me show you,¡± Sarah replied, before turning to face the sea of sand dunes. Her grip over her spear tightened as she angled it towards the arid desert, the spearhead igniting with a burst of Qi as she called upon her Qi Spear skill. Then Sarah thrust forward and her version of Qi Projection shot forward in the shape of a conical mass of Qi, whizzing away into the distance. ¡°That¡¯s dangerous,¡± Jack remarked, for it was exactly that¡ª dangerous to both evolved predators and anyone unlucky enough to step into Sarah¡¯s line of fire. In exchange for a shorter impact surface area, the conical mass of Qi seemed faster and denser than his own Qi Projection. ¡°But is it enough? Would firing off one or two more of these let me kill the Juvenile Werewolf?¡± Sarah asked. It took Jack only a moment to realize the point she was trying to make, before he replied, ¡°It would probably dodge half of your Qi Projections. The other half wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill it, no.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t settle for it. The next time a Werewolf tries to maul me, I want something strong enough to swipe back at it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t disagree with your logic there. It¡¯s as sound as sound gets.¡± Jack replied with a shrug. A small smile made its way to Sarah¡¯s face, before her expression hardened and her gaze turned away to face the system¡¯s screen. It took Sarah a few seconds to absorb the scroll¡¯s contents, but as it turned out, there was little she could do to experiment with the Tenfold Strike Technique. From what she had told him, the technique required more Qi than she currently had and it involved flooding her dominant arm with Qi, compressing it to its limits and then channeling more Qi into the arm, repeating the process with each cycle up to a maximum of tenfold. The technique had a build up time and from the looks of it, suffered from a very visual display, which would make it easy to avoid, but at the same time, Sarah had got what she had wanted. A close quarters technique that she could count on when her spear failed her and she was down to her fists or a surprise attack that she could set up with feint with her spear¡ª either way, she had gotten a trump card that could keep her alive and her enemies very dead. With Sarah¡¯s upgrades done, there was nothing stopping Jack from equipping his new Jade Guard Armor Set and in doing so, palming his Epic pendant with the intent to use inspect upon it before hoping to hide it beneath his chest plate¡¯s gorget. 57: Preparation 57: [Pendant of the Miststalker, Qi Gathering Stage (Epic) Description: The Pendant of the Mistwalker is a valuable artifact that has a small chance of being received as a reward upon slaying an enemy within the territory of the Howling Mist-Vault. Artifact Ability: Mist-Walk: The Pendant of the Miststalker converts Unattuned Qi into Mist Qi that is automatically stored by the artifact for a maximum of 25 Charges. Upon activating the Mist-Walk ability, will the stored Mist Qi will expand into a cloud that ensconces the wielder¡¯s physical form before expanding outwards into a trail that visually obfuscates their form, dulls or eliminates bodily scents that can be used to track the wielder, greatly increases movement speed while the wielder remains within the Mist Qi¡¯s spread while offering full immunity to Mist Qi¡¯s negative effect on visual acuity. Cost: 1 charge per minute Self-Charge: The Pendant of the Mistwalker will automatically draw ambient Qi from the environment and automatically convert it to Mist Qi until it reaches capacity or the wielder activates Mist-Walk. For the duration of Mist-Walk, the Recharge ability is deactivated. Current Charges: 0/25] Jack hurriedly wrapped his hand around the pendant, the sliver he¡¯d exposed having been enough for his inspect skill to work its magic. Besides the tremble that ran up his left arm, Jack felt like he did a decent enough job of hiding his shock. He had expected there to be a step-up from a Rare Artifact to an Epic one, but Jack was still flabbergasted when he realized that the pendant was offering him most, if not all of the abilities the Juvenile Werewolf had displayed in its battle against his group. The immunity to Mist Qi¡¯s negative effects would let him fight like the Juvenile Werewolf had, except his enemies wouldn¡¯t be granted the grace of seeing where the attack was coming from while he saw their movement with perfect clarity from the cover of the Mist Qi cloud. Had the Bracelet of the Mist-Vault worked against Mist Qi in general instead of being operable only in the Vault¡¯s territory, his group members would be immune to the effects of the obfuscating Qi too, making the pendant perfect for group ambushes. Unfortunately, as it stood, the effects of the pendant only applied to him, meaning that if Jack used it in the midst of combat then his own group members would be as visually discombobulated as any enemies they were fighting. It hadn¡¯t slipped by Jack that the cloud of Mist Qi that the pendant would generate would suppress his scents, which could potentially be very valuable against evolved earth predators that relied on their sense of smell to hunt. Telling his group members about his new artifact would allow them to come up with strategies to revolve around his fighting style, but Jack knew just how valuable the pendant was. The doomsday prepper within him told him that it was best to keep the pendant in reserve for now and Jack was inclined to agree¡ª if he couldn¡¯t rely on a Dao Mark to save him when the situation got dire, then the pendant would have to be the next best thing. Jack hadn¡¯t forgotten that Marcus¡¯s emotional state was volatile and that was before he had unlocked a Dao Mark in a particularly destructive element, nor had he missed Jin¡¯s motivations in switching over to his and Sarah¡¯s side. Jin had done nothing wrong by choosing the side that offered her a clearer path to survival, but it was hard to trust a person whose allegiances shifted with the calculus of power until Jack was given a reason to believe that there was more to her. If Jin became the second person to unlock her Dao Mark while Jack and Sarah hadn¡¯t, would she slowly come to side with Marcus? Would they leave the group? Or would they do something worse? Jack didn¡¯t know and it frustrated him. Even Sarah, the person he had known for the longest amongst the group, shared a relationship with him that could be counted in days, a few days at that. However, the line between preparation and paranoia was a thin one, as Jack had learned through personal experience in the years after his parents assassination. There had been assassins hidden in every shadow, snipers on every rooftop and stalkers in every crowded area for a good deal of those years and that had taught Jack that trying to prepare himself against every possibility was no different from giving in to the ones he had the power to influence, being reduced to a prisoner in his own mind. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Sarah had given him no reason to distrust her and they had been through multiple life and death experiences together that had immutably changed them both, perhaps more in a few days than the preceding few years ever could have. Everything seemed to move faster in the apocalypse and in a few days multiple alliances had been forged, be that between Jack and Trent, Trent and Andrew or Marcus and his former group¡¯s leader, Takeshi had formed and fallen through. Jack might not have known Sarah for long, but their alliance benefitted both of them so far¡ª they had saved each other''s lives multiple times and Sarah had also offered him guidance when he had been lost, after Trent¡¯s death. She could be trusted and if Sarah asked him about the pendant after he used it in combat, he¡¯d tell her the truth. On the other hand, Marcus and Jin were not entitled to his secrets and to them, Jack had no qualms doing what a doomsday prepper did best. Preparation was the key to survival and to that end, Jack had no problem telling them both that the Mist Qi came from his Dao Mark instead of an extremely precious artifact that could be taken from him, either physically snatched or looted from his body. Making his decision, Jack reached into his inventory and pulled out the Jade Guard Armor Set¡¯s chest piece, having already equipped the legguards and the sabatons. Jack had to admit that he was excited about finally getting his hands on a proper set of armor, especially since when he¡¯d made the decision to purchase the Essence Syphon Art he was prepared for the armor sets to be sold out in the Tutorial Shop by the time he amassed enough TP to get it. The animal-hide inner layer made the chest piece far easier to slip it on than one wrought out of metal would be and as Jack pushed down on both sides of the chest plate so his head could poke through, he made sure to keep his thumbs wrapped around the pendant that he had concealed along the circumference of the gorget. So as Jack pushed his hands through the length of the supple leather¡¯s full sleeves and six segments of light green metal fell into place over his abdomen, he had also managed to equip his Epic pendant artifact without anyone noticing. Had Sarah not seemed so lost in her internal musings on the new cultivation technique she had acquired, she might have gotten a glimpse as Jack made his attempt at a little sleight of hand, but one could hardly blame her for that. Almost immediately, Jack felt a connection form between him and the artifact, confirming both his ownership and his command over the pendant. Jack didn¡¯t hesitate as he began to channel his Unattuned Qi directly into the artifact, channeling the three Qi Points he¡¯d recovered by using his Essence Renewal Art. He felt only a minute amount of resistance as he imbued Qi into the artifact, as the connection between him and the artifact strengthened. A single thought command would be all that was required to release the Mist Qi that was compressed within the pendant in a burst. A part of him was eager to see the artifact in action, not to mention how satisfying it would be to see a power that had tormented him to now become a part of his strength, but Jack would have to wait for the right moment to reveal his greatest trump card. While Jack had been imbuing the pendant with Qi, the Jade Guard Armor Set had finished moulding to his form, as it had done for Sarah. Now that Jack had all three pieces equipped, he used Inspect on the armor set to discern its complete properties. [Complete Jade Guard Armor Set (Chest Piece, Legguards, Sabatons), Qi Gathering Stage (Rare) Description: The Jade Guard Armor Set is a set of armor forged by a young blacksmith, it¡¯s elegant design where flexibility meets seamless protection paying homage to the natural defenses of the Spiritual Beast, Jade Serpent. Using the hide of the beast, Two-headed Grass Salamander, known for its soft yet durable leather as the base, upon which a mesh of forged pieces of Qi-Gathering Tier Jadeite Ore, known for it¡¯s high Qi Conductivity and low resistance to intent, have been strategically overlaid, with the Qi and intent of the blacksmith serving as the final ingredient, the Jade Guard Armor Set shines the most when worn as a complete set. Artifact Ability: Jade Reflection (Set): When all three armor pieces belonging to the Jade Guard Armor Set are equipped by the wielder in unison, the Jade Reflection Ability is shared across all the three armor pieces. This ability allows the wielder to channel unattuned Qi to any of the Jade Guard Armor Set¡¯s pieces up to a maximum of 30 Charges. Upon taking damage or stress from a physical or unattuned/attuned Qi attack, the Armor Set¡¯s Qi Pool will be channeled to the affected plates of Jadeite Metal to resist or dampen the effect of the impact. Seamless Armor (Set): When all three armor pieces belonging to the Jade Guard Armor set are equipped by the wielder in unison, the plates and fragments of Jadeite Ore employed in the construction of this armor set will mould to the wielder¡¯s physical form, offering them the flexibility of cloth armor while providing the defenses of plate armor.] So that¡¯s why Sarah¡¯s armor held against the werewolf¡¯s strike, Jack thought, not at all surprised by the revelation. Ironically enough, it was not the Qi-Empowered defenses that had drawn Jack towards zeroing in on the armor set, but rather its second ability. It was hard not to appreciate the beauty and elegance of an armor set that could employ metal in it¡¯s construction yet still manage to offer the flexibility of cloth and Jack couldn¡¯t help but wonder how his former Historical European Martial Arts instructor, Victor Aldridge, would feel upon witnessing such form-fitting beauty¡ª well, if he was still alive. Jack began to stretch his arms out in preparation for what was to come. For now, Jack Anderson, a Doomsday Prepper among other things, lacked nothing in his arsenal when it came to fighting. That¡¯s why, it was time to hunt. 58: Sand Stalker 58: It had been a while since Jack had felt armed and armored to the teeth and he had to admit, it felt good. With his Jade Guard Armor Set guarding most of his vitals besides his exposed head, his Shield of Greater Deflection on hand to deflect ranged attacks and his moonsword to strike at any approaching threat with a speed and strength that went beyond his physical limits, he felt powerful in a way that even wielding his prized katana from the Heian era could not match. After all, there was a difference between studying history and living it. Travelling across the sea of sand dunes had been the only option available to them, unless they were willing to brave the Howling Mist-Vault¡¯s challenges again. There was no doubt in Jack¡¯s mind that he would be back to face the Mist-Vault¡¯s challenges for the rewards being offered were too lucrative to pass up on, but at the same time, Jack knew that he was still underleveled for the Mist-Vault¡¯s challenges, especially when it came to raw strength. It had taken him too many Qi Projections through the Spiritual Beast¡¯s physical defenses and the Jade Guard Armor Set or the Essence Cultivation Art would not be enough to bridge that gap. Not to mention, his group members were not ready yet. If he was going to step into the Mist-Vault again, he needed to be prepared to confront two or more Juvenile Werewolves at once, not to mention the possibility of a more powerful evolution of the Spiritual Beast lurking within the Mist-Vault. Marcus and Jin were still too underleveled to face even a single Juvenile Werewolf in combat, their encounter having proved that well enough and Sarah needed more time and experience to practise her Cultivation Technique, Tenfold Strike, if she wanted to pull it¡¯s use off against enemies that surpassed her in speed and reaction time. All four of them had been given the Bracelet of the Mist-Vault for a reason and Jack had to admit that it would be a tall order for him to gain enough levels that he would be confident in taking on the Mist-Vault on his own even if he actively prioritized his own experience gain over the others, given that the desert environment they had stepped into seemed to be populated by lower level evolved earth predators. No, for now, the logical choice was to keep moving forward. The Howling Mist-Vault was conspicuous enough for them to find their way back to and Jack didn¡¯t intend on leaving the desert environment until they made a second attempt at the Mist-Vault and it¡¯s treasures, but before they could get there, they needed more levels, equipment and most of all, teamwork. That was why they were twenty minutes deep into their expedition into the desert environment, their path so far a messy zig-zag that prioritized crossing over the dune with the lowest height even if it required them to a longer, more winding path. Jack hadn¡¯t forgotten that Sand Stalkers were capable of hollowing out sand dunes from within and he had figured that it would be easier for them to target the larger dunes, both because their greater mass meant better structural integrity and because the deeper the target fell the harder it would be for them to escape. Still, venturing into the desert hadn¡¯t been a decision made lightly and they had agreed on using Qi Pulse in five minute intervals, giving each person a twenty minute break before they had to expend their Qi again. A minute or two had passed since Marcus had used his own Qi Pulse and given them the all clear, which meant that there was still time before Jack was duty-bound to use the skill. So far, they were yet to encounter a single Sand Stalker, the only sound to be heard being the susurration of shifting sand as their feet sunk into the sand dune only to rise a moment later and further disturb the face of the dune. While a small part of him still felt like it was a bit surreal to be walking across a desert, a good deal of his appreciation for the natural environment had been replaced by annoyance, as he was coming to terms with how each step requires conscious effort to navigate as the sand gave way to his feet, leaving him unable to find steady purchase against the ever-changing curve of the dune and generate the momentum he needed to run at his usual pace, let alone fight with the fluidity he had displayed in the battle against the Sand Stalkers. No, the environment was part of the challenge and the silence unsettled Jack too much not to be wary of his surroundings. That was why he had secretly been more liberal with his use of Qi Pulses, limiting their scope to their immediate surroundings; not going much further beyond the close-knit triangle formation Jack had proposed they adhere to. With him taking vanguard, Sarah behind him and Jin and Marcus on her left and right flank, with half a dozen footsteps separating each of them, Jack had chosen an aggressive formation that prioritized gaining ground over securing each flank. It was a riskier strategy than the usual ones he opted for, but when the terrain was against them and enemies could appear from beneath the ground, prioritizing mobility and lowering the risk of any member of the group being cut off from the rest made sense to Jack, especially because anyone given the role of the rearguard would be very reluctant to follow through with their duties. Of course, Jack¡¯s reasons weren¡¯t limited to the ones that he had explained and from the look Sarah had given him, he felt like her thoughts weren¡¯t very different on the matter. If Jack was forced into a situation where he needed to use his Epic Artifact, Pendant of the Miststalker, then he would have to fight alone and the best way to do that was charging headlong towards the enemy. The absence of the vanguard could cause the formation to lose its effectiveness, that was why he had recommended Sarah to a position directly behind him, which would let her take vanguard in his stead and make sure that the formation would hold, just a three-man triangle formation in place of a four-man one. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Another reason why he had chosen the triangle formation was because Jack hoped that they¡¯d be able to detect the threat before it revealed it¡¯s physical form, which was why he didn¡¯t hesitate as he called upon a short-range Qi Pulse before the time it was due. A dozen tendrils of Qi were sent from his dantian, across his meridians before stretching outwards into the physical world from his feet and through his sabatons before penetrating the sand dune they were descending. At his command, the Qi threads that were still tethered to his dantian shot downwards at a dozen different angles that he chose at random. A moment later, Jack¡¯s eyes snapped open, glimmering with surprise and he was already pivoting off the ball of his right foot as he shouted, ¡°Jin, move back. Now!¡± Just as Jack concluded his pivot and was now facing Sarah, he noticed Jin scurrying backwards with her Bloodsong Spear¡¯s shaft clenched tightly with both her hands and she had done so not a moment too soon, as a serrated, glimmering black pincer clawed its way to freedom in an outward spray of sand. Sarah instinctively retreated a step even as she adjusted her stance, primarily bringing her Moonspear before her in a defensive motion while Marcus turned in Jin¡¯s direction, but didn¡¯t immediately abandon his post as he brought his sword in a defensive stance before his chest. With the Jade Guard Armor Set donned, Marcus was no longer anywhere near as vulnerable as he had been, if anything, his armor was a few realms above anything one should expect in an apocalypse. Having witnessed the Juvenile Werewolf¡¯s strength and how it had managed to leave a dent in a set of armor that surpassed anything the old world was capable of, Marcus had to have been wondering how it was that he was alive, but thankfully for Jack, that particular topic hadn¡¯t been brought up yet. A second pincer revealed itself with the Sand Stalker¡¯s body soon to follow, but it was Jin who took offense to that. Her spear, a striking construction of a crimson red spearhead and a polished black wood shaft, shot forward into the sand where she estimated the Sand Stalker to be and from the thrashing of it¡¯s pincers, she appeared to have struck true. Jack found himself taken aback by Jin¡¯s reaction time, an observation that he initially chalked down to her investing heavily in the perception stat only to realize that there might be more to it. Jin was the only one amongst them that still did not have access to an armor set that she would have been able to buy if she hadn¡¯t bought Marcus a Flowing Vitality Pill for 2,500 TP and it appeared that she understood just how vulnerable she was. The continued thrashing of the Sand Stalkers pincers meant that it wasn¡¯t dead yet, but Sarah, who had her spear pointed at the evolved earth predator with the glow of Qi Spear active, didn¡¯t commit to a strike just yet. Jin was going to benefit way more from the kill than Sarah would, she had gotten the first strike off and Sarah knew the kind of enmity kill stealing could earn. Jin pulled back her Bloodsong Spear instead of trying to pin the Sand Stalker down and as she did, Jack noticed that there was no blood dripping from the Qi Spear empowered spearhead. Instead, the spearhead was now ensconced by a crimson aura that bled into the Qi Spear¡¯s azure. The Sand Stalker didn¡¯t hesitate to capitalize on the reprieve it had been offered, as it managed to thrash it¡¯s way to the surface this time around, revealing it¡¯s chitinous exoskeleton that was now marred by a fist-sized puncture wound in one of the obsidian plates that formed it¡¯s carapace along with its venom dripping stinger. Jack¡¯s sword arm twitched, yearning to move into action, but he fought back against the impulse. Even if Jin needed help, Sarah was best positioned to aid her, given her superior reach due to her Moonspear. The Sand Stalker¡¯s stingers were worth being wary of and Jack would benefit the least from killing it anyway¡ª- it was better to wait to out their group¡¯s first encounter and observe the Sand Stalker¡¯s movements while he could unless someone was going to get injured. Once again though, it was Jin who took the initiative before Sarah, her spear already thrust at a downward angle, seemingly aiming at the hole she had opened up in the Sand Stalker¡¯s carapace earlier. Due to the Sand Stalker¡¯s thrashing, Jin¡¯s aim didn¡¯t land true, but the tip of the spear still managed to land within an inch or two of the hole she had opened up in its carapace. Jack watched as the entire spearhead disappeared beneath the Sand Stalker¡¯s carapace with a wet crack that was followed by a sickening squelching as the force continued forth to ravage its internals. The force contained behind the attack had clearly been a few notches above the previous one and Jack couldn¡¯t help but be impressed now an opening as wide as his Shield of Greater Deflection had been punched open. The previous hole creating a structural weakness in the carapace might have contributed to the devastating impact, but most of it still had to be attributed to Jin¡¯s thrust. Improved penetrating power, Jack thought and Jin had said as much when Sarah had asked her what her new spear did, but the effect seemed more pronounced than his Moonsword augmented the force and speed behind his strikes, slashes and thrusts. As a tradeoff, Jin needs to let her spear absorb the enemy¡¯s blood once for the effect to work on it and naturally still needs to pay the Qi cost. It¡¯s not as versatile as the Moonblade, but the people who wanted the bloodsong got it and the Spearhead still absorbs more blood on every subsequent contact with the blood it¡¯s absorbed once and slowly convert it into Qi, so the Sand Stalker is going to grow more sluggish as the fight goes on. Jack watched as the Sand Stalker began to thrash around even more violently, but before it¡¯s stinger could flail around, a Qi Spear Projection whizzed forth from the tip of Sarah¡¯s Moonspear and slammed into the base of it¡¯s metasoma. Sarah followed up with one more Qi Projection and the tail-like structure that connected the Sand Stalker¡¯s body to the stinger snapped and went limp on the ground. A few moments later, the Sand Stalker that was still held into place by Jin¡¯s Bloodsong Spear finally stopped moving. The edgy-sounding weapons are unsurprisingly, a good deal more brutal, Jack wryly thought to himself as the group¡¯s first encounter with a Sand Stinger came to an end. 59: Hunting Season 59: Half a day had passed since Jack and his group had stepped into the desert and Jack had come to the realization that he had still underestimated the toll the environment was going to take on his group. Their strategy of zig-zagging across the desert environment, prioritizing crossing the lowest elevation dunes in their line of sight above covering distance was seemingly paying off, as they had yet to encounter more than one Sand Stalker at once. The concentration of Sand Stalkers they had borne witness to minutes out of stepping out of the Howling Mist-Vault and stepping into the periphery of the desert environment had clearly been unnatural, which only served to provide more evidence to Jack¡¯s theory¡ª they had stepped into a different starting area and the Sand Stalkers had been placed there to guard the entrance to the Howling Mist-Vault. It wasn¡¯t as if cultivators that weren¡¯t powerful enough to beat the Sand Stalkers wouldn¡¯t be able to last in the Mist-Vault, so Jack supposed that it also served as a warning. Still, there seemed to be no end to the number of Sand Stalkers in the desert and it wasn¡¯t as if Jack¡¯s group had any means of hunting the creatures beneath the sand, so even investing in long range Qi Pulses wouldn¡¯t do them much good given that the creatures could move freely beneath the sand and a Qi Pulse only lasted for a minute at most. The need for constant vigilance had begun to weigh on the group and the terrain disadvantage meant that they hadn¡¯t taken a break yet, none of them too willing to make camp on a sand dune when a Sand Stalker, with it¡¯s serrated pincers and venomous stinger, could erupt out of it at any moment. However, it was the same adversity that had pushed the new additions to their group to work together with a cohesion that had been missing in the Juvenile Werewolf battle. Marcus seemed to have taken the near-fatal lesson the Werewolf had given him to heart, as he adhered to his place in the formation and even called out his attacks when he could, a decision that had let Sarah coordinate with him and pincer the offending Sand Stalker from the other side at least twice. Marcus clearly wasn¡¯t skilled with a blade and he still swung with his arm instead of his body, which limited the momentum he could generate with his strikes, but Jack could hardly blame him for it. He had considered telling Marcus, but real combat was a terrible place to practice new techniques and a bit more selfishly, Jack still didn¡¯t know where Marcus¡¯s loyalties lay. One could call it a pragmatic way of thinking, or a selfish and cruel one, but he simply saw it as a human one. Andrew and Trent had taught him that alliances ran thin in face of the apocalypse and Jack¡¯s doomsday prepper side wouldn¡¯t allow him to not prepare contingencies for a mistake he¡¯d already made once. He would much rather prefer Marcus as an ally instead of an enemy, but if the man disagreed, then Jack would not be the one scrambling to survive¡ª Dao Mark or not. Especially because the rate of improvement Marcus was showing was impressive. His guard wasn¡¯t perfect, far from it and Marcus had already caught slashing pincers on his Jade Guard Armor Set a few times, which would¡¯ve come with bruises or cuts had he not been wearing the impressive set of armor, yet despite Marcus having evolved his sword style to a more cautious, observant one, it hadn¡¯t given in to fear. Despite all that had happened, Marcus¡¯s sword style hadn¡¯t turned into an overly defensive one; he wasn¡¯t trying to guard himself against every blow from every angle, which was a pursuit in futility and if he kept going, what he lacked in skill could be bridged by investments in statistics and perhaps the acquisition of cultivation techniques in the future. Jin¡¯s fighting style had gained definition as well, a lot of it for that matter. Jack didn¡¯t know if it was because she still lacked full body armor and that made her feel exposed or if she always had it in her, but the only word he had to describe her style was vicious. The Bloodsong Spear felt like a perfect match for her as she lashed out within moments of a Sand Stalker revealing itself on her side of the triangle formation, thrusting her spear based on estimating where it¡¯s body was hidden beneath sand like she had during her first encounter with the Sand Stalkers or more commonly, just going for whatever body part that was protruding above the sand. Seeing Jin skewer open a left pincer to absorb the Sand Stalker¡¯s blood before tugging it free and using the improved penetrating power to rip the pincer free from it¡¯s body on her second strike was quite a sight, but even that display paled in comparison to the viciousness with which she had driven her spear between it¡¯s pincers and through its head, catching it in the center of its body and ripping apart it¡¯s thorax from the inside in a display of pure instinct, without even relying upon her Bloodsong Spear¡¯s enhancement. Jin¡¯s battle philosophy seemed to have become ending the enemy before it got a chance to strike back and that was how they had discovered that the Sand Stalker¡¯s weak point was their prosoma, the fused head and thorax that made up the front of the hideous creature. Sarah¡¯s battle style seemed to have changed a little as well, as she focused on precise movements as she landed spear blows to disrupt and disable the Sand Stalkers instead of going for the kill from the get-go like Jin was. Where Jin was seeking to end the battle as quickly as possible with instinctive attacks that were as swift as they were brutal, Sarah¡¯s focus seemed to be on making her attacks increasingly more willful than reactive. She hadn¡¯t used the tenfold strike cultivation technique in combat yet and Jack had to laud her restraint. Jack wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d be able to wait this long himself, but on the other hand it would be pretty foolish to give up the reach advantage and try to punch an enemy that had a venomous stinger attached. Jack had been keeping count and until now, they had felled a total of twenty-six Sand Stalkers as a group, with him having slain six personally. Unfortunately, the reward distribution was not nearly as equal, with Jin and Marcus levelling up once by their own admission and reaching level 5 and Sarah reaching level 6, while Jack himself found the experience gain to be a steady yet slow trickle that would require him to kill dozens upon dozens of the Sand Stalkers to reach level 8. After earning jaw-dropping sums of TP in remarkably short amounts of time, Jack had to admit that he was quite disappointed by the dismal sums of TP he earned for every Sand Stalker kill. A thousand TP after twelve hours of travelling the desert environment was a pretty pitiful showing and by the time Jack managed to amass a decent reserve of TP again, the valuable artifacts would just be sold out by then. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. He needed to find a way to increase his TP inflow, but even if he monopolized every kill from now on, it would still take him days of relentless hunting to match what he had earned in a single day, a rate that was simply too slow for him to keep pace with the frontrunners. Yet, splitting off from the group just to monopolize the kills of weak evolved earth predators could not justify the reward, especially when they could tackle the Howling Mist-Vault together and reap its rewards. Ultimately, he was at the mercy of the environment and what challenges it deigned to throw in his direction. Jack was certain that there had to be predators stronger than the Sand Stalkers waiting to reveal themselves, but in all honesty, he was more concerned about other cultivators. Twelve hours and they had yet to come across a single other cultivator group, which was an observation that bothered him and weakened his theory by no small margin. If this was a new starting location, then where were the people? It had made sense that they hadn¡¯t encountered more than one other group in the forest region, given that the threat of roaming bands of rift goblins and evolved earth predators incentivized moving as silently as possible through the forest and there was enough cover to be found that two groups could miss each other despite being a dozen or so meters of each other. But the same could not be said for the desert, where even crossing a low dune could offer peripheral vision that stretched on for miles on end, a view that admittedly could be blocked by the occasional large dune, but still nowhere large enough to explain why they hadn¡¯t spotted another group yet. Climbing across only the smaller dunes had managed to limit the danger to a manageable degree, though even then Jack could see the weariness etched on his group members faces. While the Sand Stalkers weren¡¯t particularly difficult to fight as long as a set of precautions were kept in mind, their terrain advantage meant that any member of the group could be called upon to fight at a moment¡¯s notice. Even if Jack could go an hour without needing to fight, it was hard to consider that a reprieve when he had to keep his body primed to burst into motion at a moment¡¯s notice. Even after using his Essence Renewal Art to recoup three more Qi Points, there was only so many times Jack could use Qi Pulse to try and detect any approaching Sand Stalker before it surfaced. Had his True Sight allowed him to see through the minute amounts of Qi diffused in each grain of sand and see what lay between the dunes, it would have been a different story, but unfortunately the technique remained limited to his line of sight. His contribution to the group, besides the additional Qi Pulses he was sending out without being asked to and calling out the threat, was killing three Sand Stalkers that had escaped the group¡¯s detection net himself. He supposed that the vicious battle style Jin was developing made even more sense, given that Jack, Marcus and Sarah were still likely to survive if they didn¡¯t react in time to the ambush, an assessment that none of them wished to test; while Jin was likely to be grievously injured or worse if her focus wavered. Am I making a mistake? Jack wondered. Limiting the group to climbing smaller dunes meant that they were giving up on vantage points that they could use to scan the rolling expanse of sand for signs of other cultivators. Is cresting a larger dune worth the risk? He considered, his gaze centered on one in the distance that was roughly double the height of the ones they usually traversed, yet still nowhere near the tallest one in his line of sight. There could be two Sand Stalkers hiding within that dune with room to spare and Jack would be no wiser about it until he noticed a shift in the sand, one that his True Sight would probably catch before his instincts did admittedly. It wasn¡¯t the possibility of fending off two Sand Stalkers that troubled him, for those his group was strong enough to fight off. But if they ended up trying to crest a dune that had been hollowed out, then the consequences could be disastrous for all of them. There was a difference between fighting on unstable terrain and flailing about in sand trying to escape being buried alive. ¡°Jack,¡± Marcus¡¯s voice seemed uncharacteristically subdued as he called out his name, snapping him out of his reverie. ¡°Marcus,¡± Jack acknowledged without looking back, his focus kept on scanning for threats as they descended the dune they were traversing. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Marcus continued, his tone soft and contemplative. ¡°About what happened with Takeshi¡­ that was my fault. My¡­ wife has always been my better half. Being forced into this place, well, it¡¯s something I could¡¯ve dealt with if I had Nicole with me,¡± Marcus winced, his visage crinkling as he tried to blink away the sheer hurt coursing through his veins. ¡°Nicole¡¯s always been a fighter man, always¡ª but in spirit. She¡¯s five-two and a hundred and ten pounds. Fifteen minutes into this thing¡­ I knew it man. I fucking knew it. Knowing that no matter how hard I swing this damned blade I couldn¡¯t save the one person I¡¯d give anything for¡­ it broke something in me man¡­¡± Marcus trailed off, his voice quivering and his expression haunted as he revealed more in minutes than he had given to Jin in days. Jack remained quiet as he contemplated Marcus¡¯s words, having a feeling that the big man had more to say. ¡°I¡¯ve been throwing myself into battle expecting to die¡­ maybe even wanting to,¡± Marcus revealed, his tone recovering some of its usual strength as he continued speaking. ¡°What I¡¯ve been doing¡­ the way I¡¯ve been treating you folk after what you did for me¡­ after you saved me from that hell pit, Nicole would¡¯ve been ashamed, man. Shit, I¡¯m not gonna delude myself into believing that she¡¯s alive but¡­ I need to live, man. I need to keep swinging my sword until I find out what happened to her or I cut down the person that did her in. ¡®Cause that¡¯s who Nicole married and I¡¯ll be damned if I let this system break our vows.¡± While Marcus¡¯s experience wasn¡¯t surprising and objectively, Jack knew that it couldn¡¯t be a particularly uncommon one, given that millions of families across the globe were ripped apart and placed into the trial without giving them a say in it, Jack had to admit that he was a little moved by it. He wouldn¡¯t let Marcus¡¯s personal experiences influence his judgement, but he could and did sympathise with him. ¡°So I guess what I¡¯m saying is¡­,¡± Marcus took a deep breath to compose himself, before continuing, ¡°It was my rash actions that got Takeshi killed. I wasn¡¯t the one that stabbed him with the knife and I wasn¡¯t the one that planned the ambush, but if I hadn¡¯t blindly charged into the fray, it¡¯s possible that there¡¯d be four of us left instead of two. Jin, for what it''s worth, I¡¯m sorry. Jack, I know that words can¡¯t make up for actions and you¡¯ve been upfront about the kind of man you are. So I¡¯ll give it to you straight¡ª if you need me gone, I understand. You both have done enough for me and with this armor set, I¡¯ll survive most things,¡± Marcus declared, the nervousness in his tone palpable as he wore his deepest vulnerabilities on his sleeve. After noting that Jack hadn¡¯t said anything, positive or negative, Marcus pushing on, ¡°But if you want me here, I¡¯ll fight. I¡¯ll play this game to win and I¡¯ll swing my sword until there¡¯s nothing on the other side left to swing back at me. I¡¯m done¡ª moping around, feeling sorry for myself. That¡¯s not who I was and that isn¡¯t going to be who I become. I¡¯ll follow your lead, Jack, if that¡¯s what it takes to get there.¡± A silence fell over the group as they contemplated Marcus¡¯s words and Jack could almost feel the expectant gazes on his back, waiting for him to respond. Of course, that had to be when the the twang of multiple bowstrings being released sounded out in the distance, his enhanced hearing just barely sharp enough to catch onto it. 60: Outnumbered, not outgunned 60: ¡°Archers!¡± Jack screamed the only word of warning he could get out even as his left arm that had the Shield of Greater Deflection strapped onto it was instinctively placed before his exposed head, even if it required him to tightly place his arm above his eyes and limit his field of view because the arrows were coming from somewhere to his right, likely from one of the larger dunes that he had noted earlier. Jack dove forward, his dexterity aiding him as he converted his wild forward momentum into a controlled roll. His enhanced senses meant that Jack could feel the air the Qi-empowered arrow displaced as it blurred forward, a weak yet chilly breeze that kissed the back of his neck as sure as death would have if he had not reacted to the situation with an evasive maneuver. A dull thump followed as the arrow sunk into the sand, the burgeoning momentum behind it likely having caused it to have submerged under the sand completely. As Jack landed on his feet, he pushed himself back upwards with explosive force, back standing before the moment could pass. The tell tale glow of Qi Sword lit up as Jack pulled back his shield just enough to get a clear view in the direction the arrows had come from. There, Jack thought, as he caught sight of three archers that appeared to still be in their starter tunic, peeking out from behind the crest of the dune so that only their chest-level was exposed to any counter attacks. His enhanced sense of sight meant that Jack could discern that their bows were already drawn and their arrows primed for a second shot, but they hadn¡¯t fired yet. Having survived the initial ambush, Jack was confident that he could dodge the next volley of arrows, but the fact that they hadn¡¯t fired yet was a little disconcerting. Still, questions could wait until his Qi Projection bisected the enemy archers in half. ¡°Surrender now!¡± A gruff voice boomed from a different direction and instinctively, Jack knew it had to be from the largest dune in the vicinity, one that was a little to his left but still prevented their group from going straight ahead, as they planned to navigate around it. ¡°Throw your weapons on the ground and you keep your lives,¡± He declared and Jack followed the sound to catch sight of a lone man that was standing at the crest of the imposing dune. Clad in a crimson leather coat beneath which he was wearing a cuirass fashioned out of the same material, its surface studded with pearl-white tetrahedron teeth whose pointed tips looked like they were sharper than his sword. The leggings too seemed unique, in that they covered the feet completely unlike his Jade Guard ones, eliminating the need for sabatons. The man appeared to be in his early-forties, his piercing brown eyes focused in Jack¡¯s direction as he regarded them with a scorching intensity. His hair was kept short in a military buzz-cut, peppered with streaks of gray that were harder to spot on the layer of stubble covering his chin. From his squared shoulders to his ramrod straight posture as he held onto his Bloodsong Spear, not to mention the boisterous confidence with which he had confronted them, spoke of a man that was not unaccustomed to command, one that he had almost certainly learned in the military If I had to guess, that¡¯s probably the Juvenile Wyrm¡¯s breath armor set, Jack thought, his expression not wavering at the sight of a clearly skilled opponent. Still, what gives him the confidence to step out from behind cover and confront us like this? No one with military training would be foolish enough to do something like that, unless¡­ Jack held off firing Qi Projection long enough to catch onto the motion behind the middle-aged man. Unless he has overwhelming force to back him up, Jack grimly thought as more people lined up to his side, two clad in Jade Green Armor Sets that flanked him on either side, a black-haired wielding an icy white dagger in his hand while the other, a woman with short brown hair, wielded a familiar Moonsword. What was more surprising was the four individuals that followed, falling in line in twos on either side of the two well-armored people. These new entrants wore much less impressive armor, while one was still clad in the starter tunic like the archers had been. Jack would be surprised if any of the four men and women were wearing anything beyond common armor and their weapons too seemed as mediocre as their equipment. Besides the middle-aged man, none were bold enough to stand on the dune¡¯s crest and expose themselves fully to an attack, but the odds of Jack managing to aim at his head while taking into account the distance and the elevation was low enough to begin with and he would only get one shot before the three archers and however many cultivators on the largest dune that were capable of using Qi Projection answered back with a flurry of their own ranged attacks. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. It didn¡¯t take much deduction to understand why the middle-aged man, who was clearly the leader of the group, hadn¡¯t aimed to kill and instead intended to subdue. There was safety in numbers and from the group dynamics he had witnessed, it seemed much more likely that the middle-aged man and two of his close aides had forced what seemed like the amalgamation of multiple groups into purchasing equipment for them. If Jack and his group surrendered, the first thing these vultures would do would be to strip them of their equipment and then they would be reduced to meat-shields until they died or the trial came to an end. Jack was fighting animals who had lost sight of their humanity, people who had fallen to killing out of convenience instead of survival. Trent had been a human and so had Andrew, but Jack could not extend the same privilege to the three that lorded over the groups they had won their conquest over. How many people they had already killed, because they had refused to bend the knee? How many more would they kill, not to survive but because it made things easier for them? Yet, Jack wasn¡¯t powerful enough to kill only the three offenders without harming the other seven, not without his own group suffering multiple casualties. Once again, the system¡¯s machinations were bringing his own resolve up for the test. One day, I¡¯ll become strong enough to show mercy on the battlefield. Today is not that day, Jack thought as he made his decision. ¡°What happens if we refuse?¡± Jack asked, his voice as loud and boisterous as he could make it in an attempt to buy time as he chanced a quick glance behind him. To his relief, there was no blood dyeing the sand. Sarah was already back on her feet behind him, while Marcus looked like he had just gotten back up on his feet, his position in the formation abandoned as he seemed to have thrown himself forward, now being closer to him then he was to Sarah as his jade guard armor¡¯s surface was littered with sand. Jin was still crouching on the ground and from the sand dripping from her chest armor, Jack suspected that he had gone prone after hearing his warning. The middle-aged man¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t moved by his question, his response delivered with the same confidence he had displayed earlier, ¡°Then my archers stop holding back their arrows from skewering you four.¡± A chilly silence hung in the air as a few seconds passed, before Jack slowly pulled away his shield from guarding his head and openly glared at the middle-aged man. ¡°Give my group a minute to decide,¡± Jack asked, his tone as firm as steel as he fearlessly pointed the tip of his sword at the man¡¯s head, not paying any heed to the distance separating them. ¡°Or I swear to whatever god that is listening, I will kill more of your men than you can afford to lose.¡± They were outnumbered more than 2 to 1 and they had zero archers on their side while the enemy had three, yet Jack stood there with his head exposed to archer fire, pointing his sword at the enemy leader. Seconds ticked away with no response besides a gasp that escaped Jin, but Jack remained rooted to the spot, unfazed. Finally, the middle-aged man turned to his archers in the distance and called out loudly enough for them to hear, ¡°They have a minute to decide if they want to live or die. If that one,¡± He pointed at Jack, ¡°Doesn¡¯t get me a reply by then, fire.¡± Jack lowered his sword, his gaze flitting from the top of the largest dune to the smaller one the archers were hiding behind. He didn¡¯t have to say anything as Jin inched closer while the others were already close enough for them to hear anything he wanted to be heard only by the four of them. ¡°If we surrender, we¡¯re as good as dead,¡± Jack bluntly stated, his tone just above a whisper. ¡°Do we have another choice?¡± Marcus asked, his tone curious instead of adversarial. ¡°Yes,¡± Jack hurriedly replied. ¡°Remember the fog from the Mist-Vault? I can summon it for a while.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Sarah asked, the tension in her voice audible. ¡°Your bracelets won¡¯t let you see through my fog, but I¡¯m going to run in a straight line to the dune we were already headed towards. It doesn¡¯t matter if you stumble or even fall, just follow me and cut through to that dune,¡± Jack explained. ¡°And then?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°That dune will keep us out of the line of sight of the main group, but the archers will still have us in their line of sight. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to continue onwards to their dune and take them out.¡± ¡°What about us?¡± Jin asked, trying hard to keep the quivering out of her voice but still failing a little. ¡°Stay behind the dune. They¡¯re going to come down from the largest dune if they want to save the archers and from their line of sight, they¡¯ll think all four of us are hidden in the fog and on our way to the archers.¡± ¡°A counter-ambush?¡± Marcus threw his thoughts out. ¡°You get the gist of it. Now, when I say surrender, get ready to move and don¡¯t panic because of the fog,¡± Jack declared, before facing forward again and feigning a resigned nod. ¡°Fine!¡± Jack exclaimed as he took two steps in the direction of the dune, that was still to his right. He hoped that it would look like an attempt to address the main group and the archers at once, but he had no choice but to do it. ¡°We¡¯re not going to fight you,¡± Jack declared, his tone tinged with dismay. ¡°Then throw down your weapons!¡± The middle-aged man shouted back. ¡°Okay, okay, we surrender!¡± Jack declared as his right hand blurred outwards in a flurry of motion, releasing a Qi Projection in the direction of the archers quicker than the blink of an eye. Before either of the enemy parties could react to his attack, a cloud of Mist Qi enveloped him and his party. 61: Run for your life 60: Jack had to admit that he had underestimated the effect of the Pendant of the Miststalker despite knowing that it was an Epic ranked artifact. Not only had the Mist Qi engulfed his group entirely, but it had continued to unevenly expand outwards, its current shape that of a misshapen cloud that was as large as the sand dune their group had descended before they were attacked. [You have slain Level 4 Unawakened Cultivator. You have received 445 Soul Experience.] Jack dismissed the notification almost as soon as it arrived, but it was hard to keep the surprise out of his face. He had intended the Qi Projection he had fired off to be a distraction at best, given that all the archers had to do was duck behind cover they had already chosen in advance. Two of the three archers appeared to have managed it, but it seemed like one archer was either not paying attention or had his guard down, not having expected Jack to retaliate as he had when it was clear that the group of four was outnumbered and outmaneuvered the moment they had started their descent of the dune they had been crossing. It didn¡¯t take Jack much inference to conclude that since the group had experience in hunting cultivators, either to force them to comply with their demands or kill them for experience, they had most likely just been scouting from the top of the highest dune in the vicinity, where the main group was still positioned. They must¡¯ve been spotted as long ago as half an hour ago and had the middle-aged man¡¯s intention been to outright kill them all in one fell sweep, Jack suspected that injuries would have been the best case scenario and casualties would not have been an unexpected one. It was frustrating because Jack still felt like he had made the correct decision with the information he had on hand and unless the middle-aged man¡¯s group had a means of detecting Sand Stalkers and hollowed out patches in sand dunes, which he doubted, then they were subjecting themselves to unnecessary risk. Jack doubted that the middle-aged man, as impressive as a figure he might cut, had such means and given that he knew what all three cultivation techniques in the store did, he was as certain of his deduction as a man could be in the face of the apocalypse. Then again, the middle-aged man didn¡¯t actually care for the wellbeing of most of the cultivators in his group. Jack had been looking at a complex solution to a simple problem, so instead he employed a principle that could be as dangerous as it was useful when faced with too many sets of information¡ª Occam¡¯s razor suggested that the middle-aged man could simply place members of groups that he had forcibly absorbed on the front line, solving both the problem of Sand Stalker ambushes and hollowed out dunes in one fell swoop. It made even more sense when Jack considered that anyone with military training wouldn¡¯t want their back exposed to people they had subjugated through duress. If considered solely from an objective standpoint without accounting for human emotions or morality, Jack had to admit that if anything, the middle-aged man¡¯s strategy was superior to his own when it came to traversing the desert. Cruelty was beating his strategy and Jack was once again reminded of what he considered the very basics of true doomsday preparation. No plan survives contact with the enemy and no amount of preparation can account for every variable on a dynamic battlefield. Choosing the safety of himself and group while traversing the desert hadn¡¯t been a mistake, but a more ruthless and vicious enemy had outmaneuvered him on the battlefield. Jack felt like he was being tested, both as a leader and as a human. True leaders showed their mettle when plans and contingencies failed and if Jack lost and allowed himself to be captured or killed by the enemy, he would have lost to a man who had abandoned his humanity. Even if he managed to survive, his resolve and with it, the oath he had made standing over Trent¡¯s grave, would never be the same. The first test came in the form of an onslaught of ranged attackers. With Jack being the only one capable of seeing through the fog and see through it he did, his gaze flickered from the four Qi Projections being fired from the largest dunes in the vicinity, notably a Qi Spear Projection from the middle-aged man, a Qi Sword Projection from the brown-haired woman¡¯s Moonsword and two more Qi Spear Projections from the poorly armored cultivators that were standing to her side. Jack assessed the situation long enough to notice that the black-haired man wielding the icy dagger hadn¡¯t contributed with a projection of his own, which was surprising considering that he should atleast have reached level five considering that he owned a full set of Jade Guard Armor and the dagger version of Hoarfrost¡¯s edge, to the two archers that had found their morale as they pulled their bowstrings taut despite their faces and tunic being splattered with blood. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Merely standing within the Mist Qi released by his Pendant of the Mistwalker made Jack feel like he was gliding across the sand instead of jogging across it, any impediment the sand¡¯s malleable nature made on his speed negated by the sheer weightlessness he felt, as if he weighed twenty pounds instead of two hundred. In fact, Jack had to actively suppress his speed to make sure that he didn¡¯t leave his companions behind in the dust. He had told them to run in a straight line and running they were, even if it meant not being able to see what lay before them and with marcus already avoiding having a stumble become a fall, but that version of the plan hadn¡¯t accounted for six projectiles and they were all still clustered relatively close to each other. Despite how fast Jack had gotten, constructs formed out of Qi were still way faster. Jack¡¯s perception stat hadn¡¯t increased in any meaningful way due to the Mist Qi so there was no way he could calculate the trajectory of all the attacks and he wasn¡¯t even close to becoming fast enough to block every one of them. So instead, Jack issued orders based on a melange of intuition and guesswork based on the trajectories he¡¯d seen, ¡°Marcus, dive hard to the right and then keep going straight as you were! Sarah, stop running now! Jin, veer off to the left and keep going until I say stop!¡± Jack peeked behind him and watched as his group members tried to adhere to his commands without the slightest of hesitation. Marcus dived to the right and apparently he had not been neglecting his dexterity stat, as he rolled back onto his feet and remained crouching for a few seconds, no doubt having felt the whistle of the arrow that had slammed in close proximity to the patch of sand he had been standing on moments ago. Jin had banked hard to the left and she was fast approaching the periphery of the cloud of MIst Qi, while Sarah had completely stilled her momentum and dropped to a crouch with her hands guarding her head and her armor doing the rest. Since Jack had never stopped moving, it meant that Sarah too was approaching the periphery of the misshapen cloud of Mist Qi that ensconced the group. Fortunately for them both, Jack had made the right call as a barrage of Qi Projection attacks slammed into the centre of the Mist Qi cloud with the force of sniper fire, the sound of each impact sounding out as muffled thumps. ¡°Jin, stop! Go back to running in straight, but try to curve inwards a little. Sarah, start sprinting straight and break into a jog when I tell you to slow! Marcus, continue on as you were,¡± Jack called out as he traced the second arrow¡¯s path into the distance, as it overshot the entire group completely. The next few minutes passed in such a manner, though Jack honestly couldn¡¯t tell if it was five minutes that had passed or fifteen. He kept relentlessly calling out commands and the group¡¯s formation, or what little semblance of it remained, adjusted themselves accordingly. Thankfully, the Qi Projection attacks stopped after the second volley, which Jack considered a wise decision on the middle-aged man¡¯s part, assuming he was the leader and his imposing entrance hadn¡¯t been some elaborate feint. The cost involved in firing off Qi Projections was quite high even for Jack and he could recover Qi with his Essence Cultivation Art and a few more would bottom out their Qi Pool. Thus, for a longer stretch of their journey, they were harried continuously by the two remaining archers with their infinity quivers. To make their Qi Pool stretch across a longer timeframe, they added Qi Arrow to about one in four arrows and made speed of firing shots their priority, likely intimidated by the mass of mist that was approaching in their directions. That was the reason why Marcus got off without even a bruise as a regular arrow plinked off his armor, not able to penetrate the Jadeite Ore that his armor was in part, forged out of. ¡°All of you, stop!¡± Jack called out. ¡°Why?¡± Marcus asked, panting from either the exertion or the stress of it. ¡°We¡¯re behind the dune,¡± Jack revealed. ¡°Thank god,¡± Jin exclaimed, the relief in her tone palpable. 62: Perception 61: ¡°After I deal with the archers, I won¡¯t be able to come back until the fight begins,¡± Jack explained as quickly as he could, knowing that every second he delayed leaving for the archers¡¯ dune was another chance their ploy could be suspected. ¡°To keep their attention on you?¡± Sarah asked, a tinge of worry revealed in her tone. ¡°In part,¡± Jack replied. ¡°If I hunker down on the archer¡¯s dune, they¡¯re not going to walk into what is obviously enemy territory. If their leader has half the military training that he looks to have had, then he won¡¯t hesitate to cut his losses and retreat if the scales look like they''re tipping against him. As it stands, he is in a perfect position to retreat. He won¡¯t though, because they still have seven to our four and the three that make up the command are unscathed.¡± ¡°What do you think they¡¯re going to do then?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°The range they¡¯re striking from is making their best cultivators ineffective. If I was their leader, I¡¯d make the approach to the nearest vantage point, where my Qi Projections would have the best chance of hitting if I committed to more, my assassin would have ample opportunity to sneak around and try to hit the enemy from their flank and where my group would be able to both defend themselves and retreat if needed,¡± Jack explained. ¡°You mean the dune we¡¯re hiding behind,¡± Sarah all but exclaimed, a euphoric excitement spilling out into her tone as she was hit by the realization. ¡°It¡¯s a modestly sized dune, but that makes it easier to climb. And it offers a direct line of sight to the archer¡¯s dune, where I will be,¡± Jack explained. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we tried to make them retreat?¡± Jin asked, a light tremble running across her tone. Jack couldn¡¯t blame her for that, being ambushed by a group of ten cultivators and then considering fighting them off wasn¡¯t a matter of bravery anymore, it was a fight for survival. ¡°We¡¯re not dealing with beasts here,¡± Jack replied, his voice strained as he felt the seconds he was wasting tick by him. ¡°Sarah, duck.¡± Sarah did as she was told, falling prone to the ground as an arrow whizzed overhead. It would¡¯ve missed her, but only by a foot or two. ¡°Remember that the enemy is a person and assume they have more knowledge and training than you,¡± Jack continued on, unfazed by the near miss. ¡°No, I¡¯ve already killed one of their archers. Leaders who rule through force cannot let challenges to their authorities go unanswered, otherwise people start getting ideas. He will be on the lookout for signs of deception and we still don¡¯t know what artifacts they might have up their sleeve. There is no surrender beyond this point and letting them leave is to invite another ambush deeper into the desert. They started it and if we want to live, we need to end it.¡± The silence after his statement only lingered for a second or two, before Sarah asked, ¡°When do we ambush them?¡± ¡°Wait for as long as you can and use your Qi Projections as the opening salvo. Marcus, if you think your Dao Mark can do more damage, use that instead. Once you begin the ambush, fight as recklessly as you can¡ª remember that I can still offer protection with Qi Projections of my own. Simply put, once you start, don¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°Do we¡ª uh, have to kill them?¡± Jin asked, before she let go of the deep breath she was holding onto. ¡°None of us are strong enough to offer mercy in the battlefield,¡± Jack replied, his tone stern. ¡°If you hesitate, you will die. Don¡¯t. Now, get ready. Once I leave, you will be exposed to the archers, but their attention will still partially be obscured by the Mist cloud and I¡¯m hoping they don¡¯t have reason to look elsewhere. ¡°Okay,¡± Sarah replied in affirmative. Once again, Jack broke out into a jog. He could move much faster now, with him not needing to limit his speed to offer cover to his group, but if Jack wanted to hold onto the ruse of them moving as a group, he couldn¡¯t. Still, he needed to find a way to keep the archers¡¯ attention on him, otherwise the ruse would be over. It didn¡¯t take a genius to tell why the archers had suddenly stopped firing at the approaching cloud of Mist Qi only to go after an unassuming sand dune instead. So Jack began to move in an erratic, zig-zag motion, the cloud of Mist Qi following him on his path. As he got closer to the archer¡¯s dune, so did their desperation rise and as a consequence, the delay between each fired arrow got shorter and shorter until it felt like they were down to three or four seconds per shot. Through sheer volume of fired arrows alone they should¡¯ve injured one of Jack¡¯s group members by now, had they all been still hiding within the cloud of Mist Qi. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Instead, it was Jack alone that lurked in the mists, his movement speed greatly enhanced by the Mist Qi as he dodged, ducked, weaved, combat rolled and even leapt out of the trajectory of the relentless barrage of arrows, all while feeling like he gliding across the ground instead of actively putting effort in running, so through the movement speed enhancement of the Mist Qi was. Then, as Jack approached the base of the dune, the barrage of arrows stopped. Half a minute later, Jack was well on his navigating around the dune instead of climbing it when he decided that the main group¡¯s line of sight should be obscured enough, given that he could no longer see them at the top of the largest dune and they were likely making their descent down it. So, in case the archers had prepared another trap, Jack decided to stop holding back his speed. Finally, Jack was getting a return on the continuous Qi Point drain he was facing to keep the Pendant of the Mistwalker¡¯s effect going. He blurred forward only to realize that the archers were no longer positioned on the top of their dune and instead found them in the opposite direction, running. ¡°Shit, shit, fuck!¡± One of the archers, a brown-haired man, exclaimed. ¡°I fucking told you Matt. We should¡¯ve killed that bitch, Rachel and made a run for it!¡± He yelled, the rage in his voice a furious storm. ¡°And get our hearts opened up by lances? Fuck, John, just shut it and keep running!¡± The second archer, presumably Matt, shouted back with venom in his tone. Lances? Jack¡¯s eyes narrowed at the archers as he tamped down on the part of him that was conflicted at the sight of the fleeing archers. It was clear that the archers weren¡¯t following orders entirely willingly, but at the same time they could¡¯ve fled way earlier if escape was their sole goal and Jack¡¯s group would in all likelihood still have ended up clashing with the middle-aged man¡¯s group. Instead, they had chosen to relentlessly target him and his group, hunting them down with intent to kill. Had the arrow found Jack¡¯s throat when he was distracted, it would be him that would be lying face down in the sand, with his blood dyeing the sand red. If he let the archers that had come after his group leave, he would not only be betraying his group, given that all four of them had been attacked without any provocation or warning, but he would also expose them all to the archers returning after Jack¡¯s group clashed with the main group to either return to their leader¡¯s side or finish Jack¡¯s group off after they had expended their stamina and Qi reserves. I wish I was strong enough to show mercy, Jack thought, as he blazed forth towards the archers. ¡°Matt, the fog!¡± The first archer, John screamed out in panic. ¡°It¡¯s gaining on us!¡± He cried out in warning. Matt hurriedly sneaked a peek behind him in response and Jack watched as the man¡¯s expression paled in real time, his eyes going wide in shock as he narrowly avoided tripping over his own feet, saving himself from a stumble. ¡°How the fuck did it get so fast!¡± Matt asked, the horror dripping from his tone as his steps grew longer in an effort to speed up. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know¡ª,¡± John trailed off as the misshapen fog cloud swallowed his form whole, followed by Matt. He stumbled and slammed into the sand as his visibility was snatched away from him, more from the shock of having succumbed to the enemy¡¯s trap than it was because he couldn¡¯t maintain balance. ¡°D-Don¡¯t come near me, you fuckers!¡± Matt threatened as he nocked an arrow with trembling hands, waving his bow across his field of vision, as covered by fog as it was, in search for the enemy. The tip of his bow lit up with Qi Arrow¡¯s signature azure glow, making it a very real threat. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll run my arrow right through you!¡± He screamed again. I really do wish I was stronger, Jack thought as he plunged his blade in a clean thrust to the heart, making the archer¡¯s death as painless as he could. Besides a gurgling as the life ebbed out of him and unconsciousness claimed him, with shock the last expression etched on his features, there was no other sound that followed. ¡°Matt?¡± John called out about a minute later. ¡°Matt, are you still¡­,¡± He trailed off, as he pivoted and fired an arrow exactly behind him. The archer¡¯s perception stat was higher than Jack had anticipated and he had feigned his fear so well that Jack had bought into it as he made his approach. Had Jack not instinctively brought his Shield of Greater Deflection to shield his face in time, there was no doubt in his mind that the archer would have been successful in blowing his head off his body. As it stood, the stored Wind Qi in the Shield of Greater Deflection fought against the impressive force of the arrow, before it succeeded in blowing it away. It¡¯s better this way, Jack thought, noting that even as the archer looked shell shocked at Jack managing to defend against his Qi Arrow, it didn¡¯t stop him from nocking another one. Instead of charging at the archer to close the distance, Jack dove forward and committed to a roll, a maneuver that was only possible in armor because his Jade Guard Armor set quite literally moulded to his body. As soon as Jack landed on his feet, he swiped out with the flat of his blade even as he was still crouching and slammed it onto the side of the archer¡¯s right knee, causing it to buckle inwards. A startled yelp escaped the archer as he found himself down on one knee and Jack capitalized on it by calling upon the artifact¡¯s Moon-flow ability. Moon Qi ensconced his blade as Jack thrust forward with enhanced speed and force, catching the archer in his heart. As the strength left the archer¡¯s arms, Jack¡¯s gaze turned upwards, not wishing to avoid witnessing the price he had to pay to hold onto his humanity. Instead, he realized that the archer was offering him a soft smile even as his eyes contained a raging fire of hatred that sent a chill down his spine even as blood dribbled down the archer¡¯s mouth. The archer¡¯s hands had indeed dropped, but he was still holding onto his tensioned bow, the tip of which alighted with one last spark of Qi. Then the strength left the archers hands entirely, releasing his hold over the bow and arrow and letting the tension loose. Fuck. Quick Announcement Won''t take up much of your time (the next chapter is on its way, just got kind of tired after writing 50k+ words in 50-ish days for Born for the Apocalypse (Chapter 62 may or may not be the end of book 1, but it doesn''t really matter for the webserial format) Anyway, if you''ve been enjoying my LITRPG Apocalypse so far, there''s a chance you might be interested in my upcoming Deckbuilder LITRPG launch: The Legendary Fool, coming on Amazon and Audible on April 1st,2025. When I started writing this story two summers ago for the writathon, my goal was to create a concept that I loved (fool/jester), mix it up with a LITRPG system that felt fresh (Deckbuilding) and most importantly of all, create a story that was just fun to read. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. If that seems like something you''d enjoy, here''s the synopsis (Links and cover below): ONE CARD TO RULE THEM ALL... Thomas Lowe was destined for a life of mediocrity as he worked a dead-end job in rural america. But fate seemed to have other plans for him. One card changed everything. A power beyond imagination. A prophecy that put him in the crosshairs of Ancient Clans and Noble Houses that have existed since the dawn of the first era. The name of that card was.... [Card Name: The Fool] [Rank: Ephemeral/ Legendary-Unique]