Jack understood that by deciding to lead the group, he was putting himself first in the line of fire. All things considered, it was a calculated risk- he didn’t see himself being able to trust another with his survival and safety, and this way he would be able to amass tutorial points faster. Part of preparing for the apocalypse meant understanding when the opportunity outweighed the threat— and from a glance at the [System Shop], Jack had realized that the system seemed to reward initiative the most. Those who regained their composure early on and capitulated on the Trial’s opportunity by showing initiative would be offered rewards beyond their belief, while others would curse themselves later on for realizing the opportunity lost.
The reality was, Jack didn’t see Earth going back to normal. This was their world now, and it was a world without any regulations or consequences— but also without any shackles.
“I’m pulsing now,” Andrew’s whisper interrupted Jack’s train of thought, drawing him back into a state of alertness. It was Sarah’s suggestion to ask the system if it had any way of measuring time, like a stopwatch— Jack himself didn’t think the system would be so friendly, but he suppose being a bit on the cynical side was one of his failings. Sarah's career in IT might offer her a unique perspective, because so far the system acted identical to a form of Artificial Intelligence— which was interesting, to say the least.
Jack tried to outstretch his senses, trying to feel Andrew’s Qi Pulse without actually looking in his direction. It was difficult, feeling as if the surroundings around him was a muddy swamp that actively hindered his senses due to its viscosity, but Jack managed to feel a slight, almost imperceptible tingle blow past him, receding a second later. The feeling was so vague it was hard to attribute it to Andrew’s pulse, but Jack was convinced.
“Anything?” Jack asked in a low whisper, his message likely heard by James who would repeat it.
“Two animals, approaching from the north-east,” Andrew spoke, loudly enough for the group to hear. And then, after he took a breath to compose himself, he added, “Very fast.”
“How far are they?” Jack asked in quick succession, his eyes focused in the north-east with the intensity of a hawk eyeing its prey.
“At the edge of my perception. But they’re heading for us, undoubtedly,” Andrew spoke with certainty, and Jack trusted the man to be accurate when it came to his own life and death.
“It’s only been thirty minutes,” Sarah muttered incredulously, a sense of dismay falling upon her.
“Focus, Sarah. Guys, Formation B,” Jack spoke with certainty in his voice, loud enough for all of them to hear. Jack had devised a few formations in the past thirty minutes, all of them simple enough for them to remember, even in the heat of battle. Formation B was simple— James would find the nearest cover, or if that was not available, a good spot to shoot from without implicating his teammates, and Andrew would move next to him— protecting him and killing anything that got close. He and Sarah would stay in a two-man formation, with Sarah spearing anything that got too close to comfort while he covered her flank.
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Andrew looked towards Jack, and then to the direction he was pointing at. Understanding, he nodded and then patted James on the back.
“Come on, move,” Andrew muttered as he broke out into a jog, ten maybe twelve meters towards the west, where a Douglas-Fir tree towered above them, its thick trunk offering plenty of protection and cover.
James followed behind him, understanding his intentions. Soon, he was positioned behind cover— arrow nocked and aimed in the north-eastern direction.
On the other side, Jack and Sarah stood next to each other, only two meters separating them. Their weapons were drawn and Jack was in his combat stance. Sarah’s grip on the spear trembled slightly, beads of sweat running down her forehead. Her breathing was fast and shallow, which was not a good sign.
“Sarah, you need to relax. Take long, deep breaths. Forget about your past, forget about who you used to be. All you need to know is that if something or someone tries to kill you, you kill them first. Do you know why I asked to be paired up with you?” Jack asked, his tone quite hurried as he knew they didn’t have much time before the impact.
“No?” She replied, curiosity overwhelming tension for a brief instant as she tried to take a deep breath.
“Because I saw you kill the boar. Because when that red-furred monstrosity was charging at you, you fought your instinct to run away, to dive for cover. Because you timed the [Qi Spear] skill perfectly, using it exactly when required. You think the boar just impaled itself on your spear, but tell me? Do you think just about anyone can stare death in the eye and remain standing still?” Jack explained to her, though he had not witnessed the entire thing there was no duplicity in his words— he doubted James would be able to do the same thing.
“I-,” Sarah tried to respond, but she seemed stunned by Jack’s analysis.
“The hard part is already over, Sarah. You can do it,” Jack spoke a few more words of encouragement, knowing how important morale was. If everything seemed hopeless, then he could no longer rely on his teammates.
Sarah nodded, a flicker of resolve visible in her eyes— she tightened the grip on her spear, scanning the woods with newfound determination in her eyes. There was no time left to exchange words of encouragement, but there would be time after. They just had to survive.
Finally, they got visual confirmation of the enemy— two silvery blurs charging towards them at breakneck speeds, the forest cover sparse enough for them to spot the animals from a distance of thirty meters. As they got closer, Jack could make out their features— their canine features, predatory red eyes, sharp milky white teeth and claws clearly indicating that they were wolves, but their majestic silver coat that glimmered under the sunlight was clearly unnatural.
They tore through the landscape with grace, shrubbery, exposed roots and trees offering no impediment to their progress, their speed unhindered. Thirty meters were reduced to twenty, as Qi Empowered Arrow was released from Jack’s left, tearing through the air at an impressively fast speed— targeting the wolf that had a lead on its companion.
They watched with bated breath as the arrow flew through the air, but unfortunately it was off by a meter, harmlessly landing on the ground adjacent to the wolf. To Jack’s surprise, the wolves started strafing, moving left and then right in a zig-zag pattern, using dense patches of shrubbery as cover. While their speed of approach had reduced, Jack’s expression was stern— these animals were intelligent, but even arrows released at them were not enough to quench their bloodthirst.
Jack grew more cautious, while Sarah’s expression also grew focused. Another arrow was fired, but it ended up harmlessly hitting a patch of shrubbery— the wolf walking out unharmed.