Marcus was still backing away, his now rather inadequate feeling pistol gripped tight in his right hand. He was about thirty feet away when the monster came smashing through the side of the barn. It was big, white, and incredibly pissed off.
“What the fuck is that!”
Undead War Bear: This reanimated Polar Bear has one thing on its mind and one thing only, your destruction. It is heavily armoured with massive claws and teeth, it’s also surprisingly fast. It has no weaknesses, try not to die.
“Sonofabitch!”
With no other options Marcus did the bravest thing he could think of. He leapt into a nearby bush and crouched low. As he watched his skin and clothes changed to match the bush he was currently cowering in.
While Marcus was playing chameleon, the angry, undead killer bear continued to roar like a dragon with a stubbed toe, looking for the fool that disturbed it’s slumber. A little bigger than the Jeep Gladiator covered in white fur and off white bone armour with a mouth the size of a dinner plate filled with teeth the size of combat knives.
While the beast raged about looking for its lost prey Marcus did a mental inventory of his weapons. He had no combat abilities, a super sharp magical sword, a pistol that fired magic bullets, and a non magical Ka-Bar Combat Kukri. He didn’t like his chances with any of those options.
In the Jeep he had a non magic 30-30 lever action rifle, a combat tomahawk, a tactical spear, and a sapper shovel. Oh, and a Corgi named Peyton with no discernable supernatural abilities. Marcus could see no outcome where he didn’t die.
“Well, shit.” Marcus tapped the fire symbol on his pistol and aimed at the unmissable target.
With a not so subtle boom the 9MM fireball rocketed out of the barrel and streaked like a flare towards the giant murder bear. It exploded against the monster’s side, setting its fur ablaze. This succeeded only in making it more made and exposings Marcus’ hiding spot.
Marcus tapped the lighting bolt and fired again, a small caliber Thor’s hammer slamming into the giant’s chest. While not doing any serious damage the mini lightning bolt did cause the undead ursine goliath to stumble momentarily. Marcus took the distraction and went running towards his Jeep, boots kicking up snow with each step.
Marcus plowed into the side of Goliath and threw open the back door. He had no illusions about escaping the monster zombie bear in the Jeep, so he went for the next best thing. He grabbed his lever action rifle and dashed away from the Jeep, not wanting the Golden Compass reject to damage his only mode of transportation.
Marcus turned to see the now panda coloured monster bear thundering through the snow, a massive vortex blowing in its wake.
“Enchant weapon!”
You have enchanted Mossberg 464-SPX, 464-SPX has gained the Expanding Bullet and Silent Firing abilities. You can expend Mana to either enlarge a bullet after it leaves the barrel or to silence both the combustion and sonic boom of a fired round.
Marcus aimed the tactical lever action towards the charging bear train and pulled the trigger. “Expand!”
With a sonic boom that left Marcus’ ears ringing a bullet the size of a cannon round blasted out of the rifle and slammed into the bear’s face like it had been fired from a battleship. In a blizzard of blood, bone, and bear hair the creature's dome disintegrated, leaving nothing but a ragged hole. The big ursine body still had a lot of momentum, forcing Marcus to dive out the way as the now dead undead monster’s body continued towards and past him before crashing into a copse of trees.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
Your Mana has increased.
Mana 22/40
PASSIVE ABILITY UNLOCKED
SURE FOOTED
PASSIVE ABILITY
RANGER CLASS
“You always know where to put your foot next no matter how fast you run or how treacherous the terrain. You can balance on a knife edge while sprinting. You are still going to run into counter edges and door frames if you don’t pay attention.”
Good job not dying, knew you could do it.
“CIND are you a person?” Marcus brushed snow off himself as he got back to his feet.”
No, I am an interface created to help guide you through this world, kind of like the dog, but you won’t trip over me and I won’t pee in the Jeep.
“Pee in the… Oh, shit, Peyton!” It was at this point Marcus realized he could hear the dog’s voice coming from the Gladiator.
“Out, out, out, out.” The fact that Marcus could hear both barking and words still weirded him out to no end as he rushed to the Jeep and yanked the front door open. Peyton nearly bowled Marcus over as she fired out the open door and into the snow like a furry missile. As the dog did her business Marcus decided to ask CIND some questions.
“So do you know how I got here?”
I do not have that information in my database, I’m guessing you drove.
“You know you remind me of someone. Do you know why I’m here?”
Think of my database more like a skill sheet than a quest list.
“Fine, so how come I don’t have any of your usual stats like a typical RPG?”
You do have those stats but you don’t level up or get skill points. This isn’t an RPG, you are who you are, and you can augment your stats the normal way but you will never be a superhero, you’re limited by human physiology. Would you like to see your stats?
“Sure?”
Marcus Rogers
HEALTH - Good
MANA - 23/40
Constitution - 9
Strength - 11
Dexterity - 9
Intelligence - 10
Charisma - 6
Wisdom - 6
Luck - ?
“Are those any good?”
As far as a basic human goes you’re above average but your blunt nature and high risk tolerance don’t help you. You’re no super soldier serum savante but you definitely aren’t a couch potato, too bad about your personality.
“Well that’s just hurtful, what about my luck stat? Why is that a question mark?”
Luck is not technically quantifiable, but between the Forest Elemental and Undead War Bear I’d say yours is rather on the bad side.
“That sounds about right.”
Although you have been quite lucky with your enchantments so maybe there is a balance. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
“I guess we will. Time to get some sleep. Come on Peyton, back in the truck.”
“Coming!” The stubby legged dog once again making the surprising leap into the Gladiator with ease.
Marcus climbed into the driver's seat, pulling off his boots and pulling on his sleeping bag. “Good night Peyton, good night CIND.”
“Good night!” Came on half asleep barked reply.
Good night Marcus