I came to in a dark room. My memories of what happened were very unclear in my mind. I remember going to the tavern with Cadmael before it all starts to go fuzzy. I move to sit up as I remember what happened with the vampire but I barely get my head up more than a few inches off my pillow before my strength leaves me and I crash back down.

I am tucked in nicely in my bed at Tom’s house. Looking outside I see no light coming in from the window telling me it's night time. Beside the weakness in my body I also feel a pretty strong fever, luckily one I can feel starting to lower. How did I survive? I move my right arm, the arm I remember getting torn off.

I move to drag it out from under the covers but I feel some resistance at moving them. Looking closely I can see the silhouette of someone sitting on a chair and sleeping with their head and arms on the bed. Despite only having just woken up I start to feel sleepy all over again so I open my status to see what has changed.

Name : Ajax

Level :14

Experience : 650/14600

Traits: Prodigal Apprentice , Divine Witness

Health: 210/210

Mana: 290/290

Stamina :290/290

Vitality : 21.30

Strength :23.88

Endurance : 29.36

Dexterity :23.35

Intellect : 38.77

Wisdom :30.45

Mind : 29.19

Perception : 21.30

Stat Points : 286

Skills :

* Common :[Mathematics Lvl 22] [Stealth Lvl 21][Drawing Lvl 30][Athleticism Lvl 20] [Running Lvl 22][Reading Lvl 20][Writing Lvl 20][Cooking Lvl 20][Sewing Lvl 20] [Cleaning Lvl 13][Haggling Lvl 19][Gardening Lvl 20][Axes Lvl 30][Hammers Lvl 24] [Deception Lvl 16][Sword Lvl 14][Shield Lvl 12][Bow Lvl 10][Spear Lvl 11][Throwing Lvl 10][Persuasion Lvl 10][Unarmed Combat Lvl 13][Knives 21][Skinning Lvl 10][Tanning Lvl 10][Dismantle Lvl 10][Climbing Lvl 5][Tracking Lvl 4][Heat Resistance Lvl 3] [Poison Resistance Lvl 16]

* Uncommon :[Meditation Lvl 38][Sense Mana Lvl 41][Expel Mana Lvl 39][Sprinting Lvl 13][Mining Lvl 10][Lumberjack Lvl 10][Smelting Lvl 10][Blacksmithing Lvl 10] [Chanting Lvl 10][Mana Farming Lvl 10][Increase Price Lvl 10][Lower Price Lvl 10][Danger sense Lvl 5][Leatherworking Lvl 10][Alchemy Lvl 10][Mana Milling Lvl 6]Precise Cut Lvl 13][Precise Blow Lvl 11][Judge Threat Lvl 2][Piercing Shot Lvl 1]

* Rare : [Manipulate Mana Lvl 18][Water Aspect Mana Lvl 11][Fire Aspect Mana Lvl 11] [Air Aspect Mana Lvl 12][Earth Aspect Mana Lvl 14][Inject Mana Lvl 14][Spot Weakness Lvl 4][Residue Recognition Lvl 3] [Light Aspect Mana Lvl 1][Shadow Aspect Mana Lvl 1]

* Epic : [Mana Augmentation Lvl 6]

* Legendary : [Mana Syphon Lvl 1]

New :

Mana Syphon 0 -> 1

Upgrades :

Poison Resistance 5 -> 16

I am shocked at what I found. So many things are vying for my attention. A legendary skill, the kind of skill that can turn a war. Getting 11 levels in [Poison Resistance]. Having my Endurance and Vitality go up by almost 2 each. Not to mention gaining more than a full level’s worth of experience. This was unprecedented. Not even as a child did I make such gains. Try as I might though sleep took me.

I woke up feeling refreshed. My fever was gone and despite some weakness still lingering I moved to get out of bed. My efforts didn’t go unnoticed as they woke up the other resident sleeping here.

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“YOU’RE AWAKE!” Alana practically yells.

“Yes, good morning to you too.” I say.

“You have no idea how much you scared us” she says as she wraps me up in a hug, this makes me very self aware of the clothes damp with sweat that I am wearing and my need for a bath.

“What is with the ye- “ Tom says as he comes into the room but freezes as he sees me looking back at him.

“You’re alive” he barely whispers before he also joins in the yelling. “You’re alive. Kate get in here.”

He takes over from Alana in giving me a hug while both Kate and Judy come in through the door and both give me the same treatment.

“How are you feeling?” Kate asks after casting a few spells on me.

“A little weak but other than that I feel fine.” I say.

“That’s to be expected after you spent the last two weeks laid out, you feel strong enough to go wash up?”

“ Yeah I’ll be fine.” I answer and move off the bed before I process what she said “What do you mean two weeks?”

“How much do you remember?” Tom asked gently.

“I passed out after the vampire ripped my ark from my socket.”

He nodded at that. “He bit you after that. Was most likely going to kill you but after you smashed his concealment stone the eighth got a lock on him and killed him before he managed to. He did pump you full of a magical poison that can’t be cleansed. According to their healer it was supposed to kill you, I think your poison resistance saved you.”

Well now everything makes more sense. Two weeks of constant near death struggle explains the increases to my stats, skill and level. I went to wash up while everyone else went down to the kitchen and got breakfast ready.

As I sat down to eat we heard a knock at the door. Kate got up to go answer. She opened the door and exchanged a few words I couldn’t hear with a cloaked stranger. Whoever he or she was must have shocked her quite a bit as she stepped aside to invite them in with a look of disbelief. One I very much shared once Cadmael’s older brother removed his cloak from over his face as my brother approached him.

“I am sorry for not reaching out sooner. But it was for your safety.” His voice was as stern as I remember it but he did have a sympathetic look as he addressed Tom. “ I am sorry about yo…”

He stopped speaking as he caught sight of me. I must have cut a pretty sorry sight as after a few moments his look of shock turned to one of worry.

“You survived.” he addressed me and his shock gave way to a smile.

It was now my brother’s turn to be shocked as he barely got out the words. “You know what happened?”

“Yes, I was informed of what really happened that very night. Sadly I had to wait so long before coming here just because of the problem that could arise.”

“What problems?” I asked.

The future viscount threw my brother a confused look. “He only woke up less than twenty minutes ago. I haven’t had a chance to explain everything to him.”

“Understandable.” he said before turning to explain. “Cadmael died in the vampire attack. A noble dieing and a commoner surviving is not something some nobles would have approved of so your implication in the events of that night have been swept under the rug.”

“I’m sorry about this being the case. My father has been trying for years to make reforms about how commoners are treated in his lands but he hasn’t had much success outside our family. Most of the barons in and around our lands are second or third generation of people who got their titles from courts in the capital. They have a need to make themselves feel more important and above someone and commoners are the only ones they are above.”

“I came here today to express my thanks, my apologies seems to not be necessary as your brother survived.” he then took out a rather sizable bag and put it in front of me. “ I know you at least tried to help my brother, and your efforts at least avenged him. I would urge you to leave the city for a while to remove any suspicion.”

With that he politely left. That was not something I was expecting from what my first impression of him was. I picked up the bag and opened it to find 100 gold coins inside. This was a fortune. With this I might actually be able to get a decent start of some elemental ores.

“I was going to wait until after breakfast but he is right. It would be best if you returned to the village.” Tom said with Kate nodding along.

“Did the soldiers return already?”

“Yeah they made it back three days ago. You should join us on the caravan leaving this afternoon.” Judy said.

“You’ve not even been here a month and are already going back?” This was surprising as she usually stayed for a few months at least every other time.

“This is a special exception.” she said.

“You don’t have to go back just for my sake” I try to talk her out of it.

“It’s not for your sake.” Alana interrupts me. “ The army stayed in the village and took provisions for the road after they left. We will leave with a heavier food load and have a three day stay to get everything stocked up in the village before we return.”

“Yeah, if we don’t go, other merchants will just overcharge the village since they need the food.”

After that it didn’t take much convincing and I was on my way back home after all this time. It certainly felt a lot longer than five weeks.

The road was very much the same. I stuck around the caravan for the first two days building up my strength but on the third day the boredom got to me and I went off to restart my training in the woods.

As I made it to a small clearing a small bird went for a few laps around my head before landing on my shoulder, turning into a puppy and started licking my face.

“Shifter? What are you doing here?” I asked knowing he couldn’t answer.

“He is here to thank you, as am I” a voice came from nowhere.

I then felt a strong amount of mana gather as a woman with scaly skiing, slit pupils and horns appeared not more than five feet from me. The most shocking thing was that I recognized the mana, it was the same mana I felt after the vampire swatted shifter, if a lot less of it.”

“I owe you a debt, human.” she said.