When Aurelius awoke, he was disoriented. The darkness of the cave, now familiar, was still present. He blinked his eyes open and tried to focus on his surroundings. The air was still damp, but he could sense a faint light coming from somewhere outside the cave. He got up slowly, stretching his aching muscles, and picked up his sword from the ground. Cautiously, Aurelius made his way to the entrance of the cave.
At the entrance of the cave, Aurelius took a long look at his surroundings. The darkness of the previous night had obscured his view, but now he realized that the cave was situated remarkably close to the Silver Peak mountain range, the mountain range he had been seeking all along.
As Aurelius looked at the Silver Peak mountain range, he began to appreciate its natural beauty. The mountain range stood tall, its peaks reaching towards the heavens. Cloaked in rocky crags, vibrant forests, and lush greenery, the range stretched as far as Aurelius’ eyes could see. Time and weather had sculpted rugged slopes, showcasing nature's strength, while snow-capped summits shimmered in the sun's warmth. Inspired by the mountain's beauty, Aurelius rushed towards it with one thought on his mind: food.
Aurelius had once learned that the safest parts of the Silver Peak mountain range were its edges. The further one ventured towards the center, the more perilous the creatures and environment became. With this in mind, Aurelius resolved to stick to the range's edges until he grew stronger.
Navigating the mountain's lush greenery, Aurelius wielded his sword as a makeshift hatchet, clearing the abundant brush along his path. As he ventured through the outskirts of the mountain range, he marveled at the vibrant ecosystem that thrived within. Butterflies, dragonflies, rabbits, squirrels, mice, and an array of other creatures crossed his path during his trek, showcasing the variety of life within the range.
Famished, Aurelius resolved to hunt a squirrel or rabbit for breakfast. Prepared and determined, he readied his sword for the next encounter with the creatures. Suddenly, a squirrel emerged from a nearby thicket, presenting the perfect opportunity to strike. Unfortunately for Aurelius, things didn’t go nearly as planned. Once again, the weight of the sword disrupted his balance, causing his swing to miss the intended target by a wide margin. Moreover, his swing was slow compared to the squirrel's swift agility. By the time Aurelius completed his swing, the squirrel had already vanished into the distance, leaving him empty-handed.
It took Aurelius nearly an hour and 10 attempts before he was even remotely close to harming any of the furry creatures. Frustrated, he paused to take a deep breath, gathering his thoughts and composure. Aurelius realized that his impatience and lack of experience with hunting had caused him to make several mistakes. He needed to be more patient and deliberate in his approach.
Finally, Aurelius spotted another squirrel, and this time he steadied his grip on his sword and approached it slowly, using the terrain to his advantage. The squirrel didn't seem to notice his presence until he was close enough to strike. In one fluid motion, Aurelius swung his sword, catching the squirrel by surprise. The creature let out a sharp squeak, falling to the ground, lifeless.
Aurelius felt a surge of excitement at finally killing an animal. The fluidity of his lunge surprised even himself, leaving him convinced that his relatively high luck stat had played a significant role in his successful kill. As the surge of excitement from his successful kill began to wane, a twinge of guilt crept into Aurelius' consciousness. Being a Chosen, Aurelius knew that he would inevitably have to embrace killing as part of his nature, yet the act still affected him deeply.
However, hunger now consumed Aurelius's thoughts, overpowering his conflicting emotions. With a careful grip on the squirrel, he made his way purposefully towards the stream he had discovered earlier. As Aurelius walked he noticed a blinking red notification that had appeared at the top left of his vision. Curious, Aurelius decided to focus and mentally select the icon.
You have killed
Gazing at his start screen, Aurelius noticed that he possessed 20 overall essence, with an equal amount of 20 unassigned essence. Although it wasn’t enough essense to level up any of his classes, Aurelius wanted to test how to distribute his unassigned essence towards his classes.
Mentally focusing on his chronomage class, Aurelius made his selection. Instantly, another prompt materialized before him, inquiring about the desired distribution of unassigned essence for the class, with a maximum limit of 20. Fascinated, Aurelius eagerly assigned all of his unassigned essence to the chronomage class. Satisfied with his decision, he then turned his attention to the stat screen, eager to observe the effects of his allocation.
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==========Stat Screen==========
Name:Aurelius LusamRace:High ElfAge:18Health:70/70
==========Level==========
Overall Level:0Overall Essence:20Attribute Points:0Unassigned Essence:0Next Level Progress:Essence (20/200)
==========Classes==========
Chronomage
Level:0Progress:20/100Description:Harness the power of time and spaceAbility:At level 0, you can teleport yourself 7 feet away for 20 manaAttributes:Each level grants +1 to Intelligence and +1 to Wisdom
Arcane Artificer
Level:0Progress:0/100Description:Carve mystic symbols into objects, granting the objects enhanced abilities and elemental effects.Ability:At level 0, you can expertly carve and empower common-level runes onto objects.Attributes:Each level grants +1 to Constitution and +1 to Perception.
==========Attributes==========
Strength:8Constitution:7Intelligence:11Wisdom:10Agility:11Perception:12Luck:14Charisma:11
==========Mana==========
Mana:110/110Mana Regen:1/sec
==========Skills==========
None
Examining the screen, Aurelius absorbed the details of his current status. Despite the lack of significant progress, he felt a surge of anticipation for the future.
Once again distracted by the nagging thaw of his hunger, Aurelius refocused his thoughts on his immediate needs. Cradling the lifeless squirrel in his hands, he moved purposefully toward the stream he had discovered earlier. The prospect of preparing and consuming the creature beckoned to him, though a new challenge loomed before him—he had no idea how to prepare it. Additionally, the realization struck him that he had no idea how to make a fire, which was obviously crucial for cooking the squirrel.
Surveying his surroundings, Aurelius spotted several fallen branches and dried leaves scattered nearby. An idea sparked in his mind as he recalled a survival technique he had heard about. Gathering the dry leaves and branches, he arranged them in a small mound, hoping to create enough friction to ignite a fire.
Using his sword as a makeshift tool, Aurelius began rubbing the end of a thick branch against a groove in a larger piece of wood, applying pressure and friction in a controlled manner. After several attempts, a faint wisp of smoke appeared, accompanied by a glimmer of hope with Aurelius.
Refusing to give up, Aurelius continued his efforts, maintaining a steady rhythm and increasing the intensity of his movements. Minutes passed, but Aurelius’ determination never wavered. Suddenly, a small ember ignited, flickering with the promise of warmth and sustenance.
It was then that Aurelius's memory flashed back to the bustling streets of the city, where he had spent a lot of time watching skilled market vendors expertly preparing various meats, salivating over food he knew he couldn’t afford. Their nimble fingers deftly carved, sliced, and seasoned with precision, turning raw ingredients into edible food. The vision of those skilled hands guided him as he contemplated how he would prepare the squirrel.
Carefully nurturing the ember, Aurelius added dry leaves and twigs to encourage its growth. With patience and perseverance, the ember transformed into a small flame, providing him with the means to cook the squirrel.
Now, drawing inspiration from the market vendors' techniques, Aurelius firmly seized the motionless creature and proceeded to gut and skin it. Despite the gruesome nature of the task, Aurelius did his best to swiftly and efficiently remove its entrails, delicately separating them from the carcass.
He monitored the progress, adjusting the distance from the flame to avoid scorching the meat. The scent of roasting squirrel wafted through the air, intensifying his hunger and making him even more impatient.
Finally, the squirrel was cooked to a satisfactory level, its juices sizzling over the fire. Aurelius carefully removed the improvised spit, now charred and fragrant. Sitting beside the crackling flames, he relished the moment and took his first bite of the roasted squirrel. The taste was unlike anything Aurelius had experienced before—gamey, slightly smoky, and infused with the flavors of the wilderness.
Satiated from his meal, Aurelius reclined on the bank, gazing skyward as sunlight filtered through the canopy above. For the first time in a while, Aurelius felt satisfied and eager to meet the future that awaited him.