The night was restless. All the noises that sounded familiar yet so foreign were enough to keep Eric alert and awake for hours. Most nights were easy to sleep as Eric had created a pattern of daily discipline. After dinner, some quick finish of any outstanding choirs that didn’t take more than 10 min, ensuring clothes were folded and put away and the kitchen tidied up. Nights were peaceful with a glass of sweet tea and a book until he was ready to sleep.
Yet this night was terror for Eric. He had escaped death a few times today, that he was aware of, yet how many more deadly creatures were out there?
“It is like a nightmare.” A memory floods through to the front of Eric’s thoughts.
“What’s a nightmare?” young Eric asks as he sits in his grandfather’s lap after being woken up from a bad dream.
The warm smile on his grandfather’s face was comforting to him as he felt the gentle squeeze from his grandfather.
“A nightmare is like this,” Eric said shaking the memory from the front of his attention. He wasn’t sure where he should begin, but he needed to get some sleep and learn as much as he could about where he was, what he could do in this game-like place, and hopefully get stronger to either wake up in reality or win at whatever game he might be stuck in.
———
“This isn’t a game Eric!” His grandfather’s voice was strong and filled with anger.
Eric stood still as he turned his head and looked right at his grandfather who was covered in sweat and looked very concerned, almost scared.
“Eric, you stay still and right there, if you scare that creature..” His grandfather paused as he looked at the large dog in front of young Eric.
“But if I kill it then I get to level up Grandpa! Then I can be big and strong like you!” Eric said as he turned and charged at the dog. Hope and fun were all lost when the wolf opened its mouth and bit down.
You have been surprised by a lesser wolf infused with nature mana. Additional absorption of nature mana will heal the wound inflicted before being converted to growth.
Being woken up by a wolf biting your leg while asleep was a very rude way to wake up. And instead of confusion, the first emotion Eric brought to the surface as he looked at the wolf as it jumped backward seeing its prey awake instead of being dead, was anger. Anger that his grandfather was gone and that he was taken from the dream of seeing him again.
Grabbing the dagger and standing quickly, Eric took a quick inventory of his situation. The fire had gone out that he put together after killing and gutting the squirrel. The stream he found was still on his back and he could see only a single creature in front of him.
Death was not going to take him today, his anger of losing sight of his grandfather was too strong. And that anger was allowing him to react with the swiftness needed to jump and roll to the right as the wolf lunged forward and past Eric in an attempt to attack.
Spinning around and facing the wolf, Eric grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at the wolf’s face, hoping to cause enough confusion that he could either run or strike. Unfortunately for the wolf, or for Eric, running wasn’t a thought in either mind as they both lunged forward.
———
The fire cracked and sizzled as it seared the meat being held aloft in its tender and delicate flames. The smell was a very welcome smell to Eric as he stared at his torn clothes that he could no longer use. He was slowly chewing on a meager portion of the wolf meat that he cut off the beast after stabbing the wolf over 3 times in the neck and head after it grabbed him by the arm in the lunge that Eric now realized he should have thought of better.
“At least the mana healed me, but you ruined the only article of clothing I had!” Eric nearly spat at the burning body of the wolf a few yards away. He knew he could only carry so much of the meat and it had to be cooked so the rest of the body he skinned and then burned it.
He had been spending the early morning scrapping the blood and flesh off of the partially successfully skinned wolf hide he acquired. Unfortunately, the fight was not enough to grant any level increases but he was able to acquire enough wolf skin to fasten himself something he hopped to use as protection for his feet and his exposure he still was embarrassed to be in the state of.
“With hope, I can get somewhere safer and get something better to wear, or I’ll be forced to learn how to work leather and how to turn hide into leather.” Taking his last bite of the meat he had cooked before the night he looked at the wolf meat as it continued to sizzle and cook in the spit he makeshifted in an attempt to cook the wolf meat he cut off the creature. “Let's get some sleep.” He said as he kicked dirt into the fire to put it out and he wrapped the freshly cooked meat in some of the larger leaves he was able to find.
Laying back down on the wolf hide he had cleaned earlier in the stream, Eric closed his eyes in hopes of getting some rest before having to move again.
———
Eric woke with a quick shake as he felt as if he was falling and only realized he must have scared himself awake with a dream or kicked around too much. Taking a quick look and listening at the surroundings, Eric went to the stream to get a drink and rinse off any of the dirt and dried blood from his fight with the lesser wolf. Bringing up the messages he got from the wolf fight, Eric spent a few minutes cleaning himself as he read through them each.
You have slain a Lesser Wolf (Level 5)!
Nature mana has been absorbed and converted to healing automatically.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
You can change the default behavior for mana absorption priority at will.
Current priority for absorption.
1 Health
2 Growth
3 Mana
4 ????? (learn more to unlock)
5 ????? (learn more to unlock)
Well at least he could go straight to growth if he wanted, but it was nice to know that any mana that was valid for health would be converted to health before leveling him up, which could be nice in any fight. Unfortunately with how things have gone, he has only managed to absorb mana by killing creatures that had abnormal amounts to it. Going through scenarios in his head he was able to utilize the interface to answer some additional questions he had.
His current mana absorption determined his ability to level and apparently, he would need another creature to top him over to the next level as according to his summarized profile on the interface he was sitting around 87% mana required to reach level 3.
He was still confused as to why he had to absorb mana and not just use the experience to level up. It was a weird way to level up but each game had their ways. And Eric was still hoping he was stuck in a game and not some actual world full of creatures that wanted to eat him.
That thought sent a shiver through him as he stepped back onto the bank of the stream and grabbed the wolf hide he had carved to work as a loin cloth and shorts at the same time. Sliding them on and gathering the remaining item he crafted before sleeping, a single strap pack using some of the longer strands of the leaves he was using to wrap up the wolf meat as it seemed to also work as the small string for what he needed.
At least now he was partially equipped, with a dagger, hide pants, and a hide pack, Eric was at least ready to move on. Too bad his attempt at making some hide shoes was a failure, but it was his first try at crafting something with the wolf hide and he learned how much tension he could use with the strands of the leaves it wasn’t much, but it did require more strands that he was happy with using.
Taking the stream as his guide, he continued downstream towards the general direction away from the ruined buildings behind him and hopefully also away from those goblins and that ogre.
———
Sundown had come faster than he thought as Eric started setting up his campsite for the night. Gathering the sticks and dry material is easy in these woods and a fire was quickly burning allowing Eric to warm up his meal for the night, some more wolf meat. If he didn’t find something to eat soon, tomorrow would be his last day of food and he needed something, and he needed to find it quickly and without getting bitten this time.
Sitting and listening to the sounds of the woods surrounding him, Eric took a breath and closed his eyes. The sounds of the winds and the birds in the distance were calming. If he didn’t get attacked so much, this would be peaceful. During his hike through the woods, while following the stream, Eric to witness many small creatures and birds in the distance.
But nothing prepared him for what he would witness next. Hearing a grunt, Eric opened his eyes and slowly lowered his vision to look across the stream. Standing an easy 8 feet tall, was a strong and proud Elk. Curious Eric attempted to analyze it to cause the interface to give him some information and was awarded immediately.
Elder Elk
Level 86
Nature Mana Infused
Elder Elk have lived for generations gathering and nurturing the young and inspiring many nature-infused creatures. These creatures are a statement of the time and guidance needed to live as long as they do. Examples of Elder Elk can be found in many folktales and stories of the youth within Sicionia.
An Elk, flitting to find the creature his grandfather likes to call him as his nickname. Yet why would something like this be here? And hopefully where he found himself and this Elk would be a safe place.
Eric stood up and looked at the Elder Elk as it turned its head and stared into Eric.
An Elder Elk has attempted to name you but has found you to already be named as “Elk”.
Since you have been unrecognized until now, the name of ‘Elk’ has been solidified as your Name.
From this point on you have additional abilities granted to you as being a Named entity within Sicionia. With this Naming, you are now able to improve upon your growth in other means besides mana absorption from killing other mana-infused creatures.
You can now attain growth through mana absorption by any means possible.
Eric was confused, he was called Elk by his grandfather and why would he get a message about being named by an Elder creature, let alone an Elk? Eric wasn’t sure how to respond when the Elder Elk bowed its head then turned away and sprinted off into the woods deeper.
“Well, that was strange,” Eric said before realizing he had many more messages awaiting his attention.
You have been Named by an Elder creature. Only other Named entities and Elder entities can Name other creatures.
Since you have been Named, you are now able to Name other entities at a cost of Mana.
Since you have only absorbed Nature Mana, you are now marked permanently by the mana that resided within you when you were Named.
You have gained the following bonuses from being Named while being infused with Nature Mana.
You are now infused with Mana of Life. Life Mana is refined and pure mana that can be created from Nature Mana and many other sources.
+2 Constitution
+1 Strength
+1 Dexterity
You have also received a random bonus due to only have Nature Mana when being Named. You have unlocked the ability to Loot from dead or destroyed creatures or items.
You have already unlocked Dimensional storage. The synergy between Looting and Dimensional Storage was detected. Merging and evolving abilities.
You have been granted the evolved ability of Dimensional Loot. Any loot you acquire through any means can be directly stored in your Dimensional storage and cannot be stolen from you by any means.
Well, this is a cool feature to have, and being Named! But this has to be a game, too many books, games, and movies have stuff like this so he has to be stuck in some super immersive VR RPG right? He wanted to think so, but Eric felt deeply that he was somewhere he had to survive. His last message awaiting for him shocked him even more as he read it. It had to be wrong, he couldn’t be here, right?
You have been Named!
Prove your worth!
You have been selected by an Elder to be given the privilege of a higher calling.
You must complete the following to move on to the next evolution of being a Named entity.
* Search for and secure a sponsor (0/1)
* Absorb additional Mana types (1/3)
* Nature Mana (3)
* Life Mana (1)
* ???? Mana (0/1)
* Evolve your Name!