Before Tanner left into the woods with his group of four, the got together and went over their abilities and experience with the hope that they could find some familiarity and be a little more prepared. Luckily, Sarah was a member of his group, so he at least had someone he was already building a connection with to continue fostering. He also learned the other two members of their group were Ahmed and Trystin. Before they set out, they had shared the highlights of their abilities and histories. Sarah had selected the Shield Strand and had predictably chosen the shield instead of an actual weapon. Her first ability was called ‘Shield Bash’, which allowed her to make a short-range dash forward and enhanced the power of her next attack made with her shield. Her second ability was called ‘Thick Skin’ which just increased her resilience stat by a few points.

Ahmed had a history of Wushu from when he was a teenager and young adult, his parents wanted him to learn to defend himself and his family because they didn’t believe in keeping a gun in their home and had impressed the same belief onto him. Due to this he did have some experience wielding a blade but none of it was from real combat, mostly just training with wooden swords and stylized combat for performances. He had selected the Swift strand, which also gave him a dash but it seemed to be a slightly farther distance than Sarahs. He also unlocked an ability that gave him a passive stat boost to agility.

Trystin was the only one any complex abilities while also being the party’s ranger. He held a crossbow and had a quiver over his shoulder. He looked like he was just a kid, maybe 18 at best. He explained that he was an all-state wrestler still in his senior year of high school. He had selected the Karma strand. This caught Tanner’s interest because it was sure to come with some interesting abilities, and he wasn’t disappointed. His first ability, ‘Truth and Lies’, gave him the instincts to tell if someone lied to him. If they did lie, it gave him a temporary boost to his Aura and Strength stats when used against the person whom lied. His other ability wasn’t quite as exciting but just as potent. He could deflect incoming damage to an ally onto himself and provide that person with a small heal.

“I’m really sorry you’re here kid, but I’m glad you have you around. Those powers seem potent, just don’t make the sacrifice play with that power of yours, you’ve got too much life ahead of you.” Ahmed warned.

“I think I can make that decision for myself thanks. Worry about surviving and doing your part, ill worry about my powers.”

“Alright, no need to get hostile with each other. Let’s just do this.” Tanner said, trying to bring down the tension.

“I’m not getting hostile, just don’t call me or treat me like a kid. I’m not going to be looked down on for my age.”

“Alright, sorry ki… Trystin. I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“Its fine, let’s just go.”

_ _ _ _

The team entered the woods opposite where Tanner had arrived. If they continued directly outward from the center in that direction, they would exit to the same desert that Sarah had appeared in. They didn’t plan on leaving the forest though. They zig-zagged through the dense brush in a line with about 5 feet between each of them. Tanner had volunteered to lead the group as he was the only person with a directly combat enhancing skill. He didn’t yet mention his high stats as he was worried about the implications people might draw from the achievements he had gotten. This, however, also contributed to his willingness to lead the pack. He could feel the effect they had on his body, he felt faster and stronger. He also felt like he processed information faster and, as he discovered after walking through a thorn bush, like he couldn’t even be hurt. As the thorns scraped his arms and legs, they healed over in just a few seconds and he barely felt any pain. Only noticing it had even happed when Ahmed, who was right behind him, got cut and warned the others. He had also healed up but it took almost a full minute before there was no signs remaining.

The group had passed through a few small clearings in their first section of wood, they had collected a few edible plans and berries that Sarah identified for them but hadn’t found a lot. Sarah stored them in her NAGS and the quickly pressed on. Tanner had felt a few times as they walked that there was something else out there, but every time he mentioned it no one could see or hear anything so they were forced to keep pressing.

They decided to take a break and make sure they had their bearings, and drink some water from the small creek that ran next to the clearing. As they sat, talking about how they could possibly survive on the small amount of food they had scavenged, Tanner felt something come in come in range of what he decided had to be his aura. It wasn’t a very accurate sense, he couldn’t tell where, how many, how big, or even if they were a threat, but he knew something was out there.

Before he had a chance to warn them, something came flying out of the tree line and scraped Ahmed across the arm. It was a deep laceration that started to bleed heavily almost instantly. Tanner shot to his feet at a speed he didn’t think should be possible for someone that was any less than a professional athlete. As he locked eyes on the creature that had struck, more started falling from the tree tops. Rats, God damn Rats. He couldn’t help but think it was a little cliché. Without thinking, tanner swung his sword at one of the falling rats. His swing didn’t land quite right and he ended up just slapping the monster away, but as he hit the tree, he got his first experience notification.

“Ravenous Rat Mutant has been eliminated; experience earned.”

Tanner felt, Alive. He had stood, and killed something before the others had time to fully register what had happened. Lost in his euphoria of his first kill, his moment was broken from the screams of pain. Ahmed had two rats latched onto him gnawing at his flesh. His face had a large gash and his right arm was shredded. With Tanner still in shock from the gore laid out in from of them, Sarah was the first to act. She rushed to Ahmed and grabbed the rat latched onto his face with her none shield hand and threw it in Tanner direction. Acting on instinct, Tanner swung his sword again.

“Ravenous Rat Mutant has been eliminated; experience earned.”

This action got Tanner out of his shell and back into action. The last rat had moved from Ahmeds arm and was now gnawing on Ahmed chest, dodging Ahmeds attempts and clamping down again and again. As Tanner arrived, it decided it had its fill of Ahmed and leapt at Sarah. Who used the first actual ability any of them had ever seen in combat. She dashed right past the group and slammed herself into a tree. Luckily, the rat went with her. As she slammed into the tree, knocking herself to the ground, the rat had faired even worse. Caught between her shield and the tree, it effectively exploded. Gore rained down, splashing all over her.

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The short fight was sudden and quickly handled, but not without damage. Ahmeds arm, chest, and face were in ribbons. It looked like he was healing slowly but he had obviously taken severe damage. All of the information he was collecting with a glance was drowned out by the screams though. Ahmed had taken what would normally be life changing physical damage, that without quick intervention would almost certainly lead to death. It was Trystin that was doing most of the screaming though. His eyes were so wide that they were probably in pain from the act of keeping them that way alone. He was covered in blood, which had been thrown on him while last rat was freely clawing at Ahmeds arm.

“Water, now.” Sarah said, staring at Tanner.

“Right.” Tanner replied, moving on from his worry about Trystin. The poor kid would never forget the fear he just felt, but right now they needed to ensure Ahmed would survive to have the memory too.

Trystin just sat in the same place he had been when the ambush happened, sobbing quietly while Sarah washed the wounds Ahmed had sustained. Tanner had removed a large piece of bark from a tree that slightly curved to hand over the creek, making an effective bowl to carry water with. Sarah had instructed him what to do and it had been easier than expected with his newly improved strength and impressively sharp sword. Meanwhile, Sarah rinsed the wounds and tried to lay the skin back into its proper place. That had a very short conversation about if the water would be safe to use, but they had no idea if germs were even a thing in this place and they didn’t have time to boil or find any other way to purify it. After about an hour, the skin had lightly mended itself back into place giving them confidence in his survival.

“We need to get back, but I don’t think I have the energy to walk right now. I hate to do this, but can one of you carry me?”

“Yea, I get you back man. Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you’re feeling better. Its lucky we had Sarah in the group who has experience with wounds. This could have gone a lot worse.”

Sarah blushed a little at the sudden compliment but pushed past it and thanked him.

“Trystin, are you gonna be okay to walk?”

“Yes… I’m… I’m really sorry Ahmed… I just froze up, that was horrifying.”

“It’s alright, I’m afraid this place is going to continue to be filled with horrors. No one can be prepared. We are all alive and mostly alright. You will be okay in time, just as I will.”

They slowly made their way back to camp, Tanner focusing on his aura scenes and trying to not bash Ahmeds head on a tree. Either there weren’t anymore rats in the immediate area, or they had learned from the last interaction that the group wouldn’t be easy prey. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for all the other groups. They arrived back at the clearing to see that they had been the last group to return. Most groups, including Austins, had people killed or seriously wounded. After a full head count, Tanner and Derrick had realized they had lost a total of 12 people were missing including the full team that had been sent to scout the southeastern path. Tanner wanted to get a group of people and go searching for the missing team, but Derrick wasn’t so keen to explore the risk. The entire group of, now, 25 stood around and watched Derrick and Tanner argue about what to do. They were slowly splitting off into their own quite arguments amongst themselves, careful not to interrupt the two whom had stepped up and taken leading roles in this cursed place.

“We need to go find them, for all we know they are trapped somewhere waiting for help.”

“Or they all got brutally murdered and we would be sending even more people to the slaughter.”

“So, we should just let people die when there’s a chance we could save them?”

“That’s exactly my point, people can die out there. More people. As safe as we thought we were playing this, people died. We underestimated the threat and could very well be sending more people to their deaths.”

“Austin, are you with me?”

“Till death do we part.”

“Always gotta make it weird.”

“Then we don’t send anyone, Austin and I are going. Anyone who wants to join is welcome, but I won’t leave people out there to die alone and scared. Now or ever."

“Good luck with that. I like you, you seem like a good man, but what you’re trying to do is risky at best. It’s more likely just fucking suicide though.”

“I understand where you’re coming from, I know you mean well too. It doesn’t change my resolve; I’m going no matter if anyone helps or not. Those people deserve a chance at life and if no one else is willing to risk everything to give it to them, I will.”

After the arguing simmered down, Derrick and Tanner both realizing neither would waver. It was obvious that they didn’t hold resentment for each other, just differing and equally valid opinions. Derrick didn’t want to lose anyone else, and Tanner wouldn’t give up hope on the lives presumed lost. This very public argument actually served to strengthen the respect they had for one another. Unfortunately for Tanner, the crowd didn’t seem to split so evenly. Almost everyone fell to the side of self-preservation, some even going to far as to express their expectation that whoever joined Tanner and Austin in the search were certain to perish.

Most people that supported a team going, we also to afraid to actually volunteer to join the expedition. Sarah broke the bickering by standing up from the improvised chair made of a log the group that stayed behind had rolled into the clearing.

“I’m coming, I dedicated a large part of my past life going into dangerous situations to drag the wounded and dead out. Now that everything has changed, the best I can do to deal with all this is try and stay true to the women I was before.”

Tanner looked into the crowd, trying to discern if anyone else would volunteer but no one would meet his gaze.

“Alright, it isn’t much, but we can do this.”

“We can do this right” Tanner thought in Austins direction.

“Probably not, but I’d rather be the person that tried than the one who sat here afraid waiting to die.”

“Sarah, you ready?”

“No, but fuck it.”

As they started to walk in the direction of the path the lost explorers had taken, the entire congregation of survivors watch on. As they got about thirty Yards away from the camp, Trystin spoke up.

“Wait!” he yelled.

“I was too afraid to help before, Ahmed almost died due to my fear. Sarah is right, that isn’t the person I want to be. Can I join you?”

“Are you sure?” Austin jumped in. “They said you completely froze up last time, its going to be dangerous. Are you sure you won’t freeze up again?”

“No, I’m honestly not sure. I’m making a choice about who I want to be, despite my fear.”