Levi turned tail and ran as fast as his legs could take him. He was prepared, of course, but that didn’t stop the jitters from taking hold of his limbs. The hounds howled and chased. Levi felt the hunt weigh down on his shoulders.
Lunging into his pocket, Levi grabbed hold of a handful of razor sharp metal scraps. Ignoring the pain digging into his palm, Levi scattered them behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the monsters trip and fall and whimper in pain.
Arriving to where he placed his traps; both the tripwires and caltrops, Levi dashed through them before spinning around and firing his crossbow at the first thing that moved: a stumbling hound. The bolt swished through the air and thudded against its thick pelt. The tip of the bolt disappeared into its chest as it fell face first into sharpened metal.
Levi reloaded his crossbow as fast as he could amidst the snarling and barking and whimpers. The hounds tripped against the metal line he had placed as a tripwire–courtesy of the mine's debris–and planted face first into the caltrops he had scattered.
However, it was evident these hounds were a little older than the previous, a little stronger. The cuts and lacerations on their paws only slowed them down. Filled by bestial frenzy, one of the beasts shook off the pain and lurched forwards. Levi replied by shooting it dead with an arrow.
Two down, four to go.
Killing two more, he was caught out of time. The last two remaining hounds had found their footing. They avoided the other shards of metal hidden amongst the dirt, and dashed right for Levi. His eyes widened. Not succumbing to panic just yet, Levi dropped his crossbow on the floor and hoisted his spear in front of him.
“Jump,” Levi commanded, hoping to control the beast how he wanted. It listened.
The first hound leapt in the air, savage maw opened wide, wanting nothing more than to chomp down on Levi’s skull. But with it being in the air, there was nowhere to dodge. Levi caught a glimpse of the other hound dashing from underneath, right for him, but Levi could only grit his teeth.
Thrusting his spear forwards, the tip sunk into the beast's chest. He felt the density of the beast's fur. Levi strained, and only then did the spear tip disappear into its furry flesh. Perhaps it had only managed to penetrate because of his Hound slaying Title.
Levi ignored the kill notification as the forward momentum of the beast slammed right into him. They both crashed to the ground.
Then arrived the last hound. It latched its jaws onto the hound that had fallen atop Levi. Noticing that it had bit the wrong target, it let go, then found Levi’s leg. Teeth sunk into his flesh. His skin ran hot. It was strange. Levi felt not one iota of pain. He felt the forceful tug of the hounds teeth against his limb, felt its hot breath, but there was no pain. His heart throbbed, he could hear it beat harshly against his chest like a war drum.
Levi snapped out of it. With a great struggle, he pushed the dead beast off of his chest. The last remaining hound pulled him a few feet as he kicked at its nose with his free foot. Levi saw the blood pooling from his leg.
“Let go!” He yelled, his words thrumming with mana.
The hound winced, its jaws loosening. Levi repeated his commands, but the beast simply shrugged it off, still dragging Levi. His back raked across the caltrops he had scattered around the cave’s floor. Levi yelped in pain.
Mind spinning, he thought of his Skill: Incite. It wasn’t a simple mental command. The very description of the skill was to sway one's thoughts in the direction he wanted it to move.
“Relax,” Levi said calmer this time, his words more focused than before.
Once more, the hounds jaw relaxed. Right at that moment, Levi kicked its face, releasing his leg from the jaws of the monster.
Levi wanted to run away, to get out of the way of the flesh hungry beast. But strangely, only a deep anger burned within his chest. He wouldn’t run. This was his new life.
I’m different now, Levi chanted within. Plucking up his courage, he snatched the dagger from his waist, leapt forward, and plunged it into the beast's face. He grabbed its neck so it couldn’t bite him again, but when the hound moved, it was clear the hound was a notch stronger than himself. It snapped its jaws down at his hand. Levi barely dodged in time.
Grabbing his dagger with whitened and scratched knuckles, Levi forced the knife into the monster's torso. The blade glided past the ribs, entering soft flesh.
I’m different now, Levi chanted once more.
Levi wasn’t done there. He punched, kicked, stabbed, and then opened his mouth, and bit down onto the beast's ear. Biting down as hard as he could, he ripped the tip of the beast's ear off. Spitting it out, he plunged his dagger into its chest one final time, before the kill notification rang out in his head.
You have defeated: Crypt-Hound Newborn (Level 20)
| You can’t Level up. First Evolve to Tier 2.
“Bite me, I’ll bite you back, bastard,” Levi spat, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Levi was battered, bloody, and exhausted. But he didn’t pause. He tended to the wound on his leg. It was bad. The flesh was mangled, and he could see clearly where the beast's teeth used its teeth to take his skin. Levi grimaced. Ripping his shirt until he was bare chested, he ignored the cold, and wrapped it tight across his leg. Thankfully, the blood wasn’t spurting out, which meant the monster hadn’t ruptured a vein, or an artery.
Forcing himself to stand up, Levi didn’t retreat. No, he hobbled towards his prize, regardless of how much pain each step took.
Returning to the small room that was only around 15 metres by 15 metres, Levi let out a breath of relief when he saw the small golden fire beetle on the floor beside the skeleton. Levi rushed forward–as fast as he could with a dumb leg–and crouched in front of it.
“There, there,” Levi said with mana intertwined. The fire of the beetle reflected against his iris’s. “Let me pick you up. Join me. Together, we can travel this new world.”
The beetle listened to his words, and then the fire spinning across its back dwindled. Is it letting me take it? Levi thought, confused. Not wanting to waste time, Levi picked up the beetle. He got a closer look at it. It was a big bug. Levi thought it looked like a rhinoceros beetle from Earth, but it had a golden carapace that fought against the darkness of the Deep Dark. Even with it being under Levi’s spell, he could tell the little insect was strong. Even a small twitch of its legs sent Levi’s hand reeling.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Wow, that’s awesome, Levi thought in amazement.
It was exactly what he wanted. Toughness, strength, and it also held magical fire attributes. It was perfect. But did he really want to go down that path? He placed it safely in his pocket. It didn’t move, thankfully.
With the thoughts of his future in mind, Levi noticed the leather satchel by the still decomposing skeleton's side.
Opening it, his excitement crashed when he realised it wasn't some relic or artefact; it was just a journal and a pitch-black dip pen. He peeled back the leather cover and gazed at the first page. It was tattered beyond reading comprehension. Most of the other pages were in the same condition. He kept flicking through until he reached the end. Words, scribbled in black ink, seemed almost life-like. Levi felt the emotion etched onto the page. The raw sentiment choked him the moment he laid eyes upon them. They were words of profound loneliness.
‘I am a wanderer. Travel is in my blood. This is a new world, but it is the first time I have experienced such a deep, true darkness. I fear I may not live for much longer. To make matters worse, I keep hearing words; a woman’s words. She reminds me I am not welcome here. Even if I live through this darkness and the monsters it brings… I doubt she will let me live much longer–
Levi shivered. Was it the same words he had heard before? But how could that be? The woman’s voice had told him that he was welcome, that he was the same as her. She wanted him to go inside the crypt. What the hell did it mean?
How did the wanderer get here?
Levi wasn’t sure if his questions would ever be answered. All he knew was that he wanted out of this cave, away from that crypt—rewards be damned.
He stumbled further up the tunnel, his mind in a daze from the burning questions and the relentless pain. The words from the journal haunted him, but he forced them to the back of his mind. Instead, he focused on his future and the Ingredients he had collected. The fire stone was a sure decision; it would grant him fire magic. Fireballs, he thought, resisting the urge to lick his smoky lips. He could even set up traps, using his magic as a base. The possibilities were endless, and the promise of power was a tantalising distraction from his current ordeal.
The lantern, Levi suddenly thought. Both were of Rare quality, and the lantern would help him within the krag. But the fire gem obviously held more destructive capabilities. If he was left with just a light source as his only power, he’d be screwed.
He decided against using that. For now, anyway. For his 3rd Tier, if he was going to be in the krag–in the crypts–more often, then he’d possibly go that route. But that was for the future.
The only thing he was hesitant on, was whether he wanted to go in the direction of stealth based powers, or upfront might for his second Ingredient.
Levi was certain he didn’t want to go a pure magical route, focusing on Incite. That was putting far too much trust in other people protecting him. If things got close, stronger monsters that resisted his words, he’d be royally screwed. So a pure spellslinger–as much as he fantasised about throwing apocalyptic magic–was out of the question. He may be able to throw nukes, but that would be no good if he died to a gust of wind.
So do I want to be stronger, more durable, or attack without being seen?
Levi struggled. Remaining undetected was potent. He could strike without being seen, using his Inciting words as further ambush. Or he could use it as a surprise attack in a full frontal brawl.
The eyes of the hounds flashed in his thoughts. He could see them now, staring back at him with intense, bestial ferocity. He should fear it, but he found himself welcoming it instead, his blood boiling.
Both have their pros and cons. The beetle will give me defence, and if I want some stealth abilities later on, I can do that in the 3rd tier. I could be waiting for ages to receive a stealth Ingredient of the same rarity. Gregory said they are incredibly rare. The fact I have these ones in the first place is a blessing.
Finally convincing himself, Levi decided to feed the Ingredients right this second. He couldn’t wait any longer.
Taking out the Ember Shard, alongside the beetle–which he had to use another command on to calm it down–he summoned his 2nd Birthright seed. The small brown outer shell of the seed ripped away, revealing the white, luminous core. No matter how many times Levi saw it, he couldn’t get over how mystical it was.
“Here goes nothing,” Levi mumbled under his breath, and without further ado, dropped the Ingredients into the white core.
----------------------------------------
“He’s crazy,” Sera’s eyes widened as her mind replayed Levi’s previous battle. Her hands trembled. Blood had painted her face, evidence of the battle they themselves had just gone through moments before. “He had a 2nd Birthright?”
“Aye,” Gregory said grimly, “seems so.”
“We need to stop him,” Bram said, his toes digging into the rock below. “No matter his maturity, there is only so much a child's mind can handle. Forging a 2nd Birthright isn’t one of them. Besides, he’s currently wounded.”
“No, he can do it,” Gregory mumbled.
“He can’t,” Sera shot back. “Having the mental fortitude to deal with death and betrayal is one thing, this is another entirely, Gregory. He won’t be able to handle the pain. He’s trying to refine two Rare grade Ingredients as his 2nd Birthright–at 12 years old, for goodness sake!”
Gregory grinned. “I can count the number of children his age on one hand that have successfully forged their 2nd Birthright in history. Each one of them is the most talented on the planet. Aren’t you a little curious if he can manage it, Sera? If he can ascend to their heights? Surpass them?”
Sera wanted to argue, but she found her gaze resting on the small child sitting in the darkness. Pain had etched across his face, his shoulders trembled, his toes curled. Sera knew what he was going through, as did the others. It wasn’t something that the unprepared could take on. Sera herself had to wait until she was 15 years of age to take a go at it. It took her 3 attempts before she could get used to the pain, torment, and suffering of awakening to higher powers. After all, it was a fight against the very heavens themselves; a brawl to ascend.
Levi started to emit mana.
“Incredible,” Gregory said, his jaws hanging open. “He’s using mana control to reduce the pain and ease the process. He’s bundled it within his Birthright. I’ve heard of experienced magus able to accomplish that, but–” Gregory turned silent.
2 minutes turned to 5. Blood seeped from the corner of his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth–yet the little child continued regardless of how much pain stabbed into him; gnawed into his flesh.
Sera bit her lip, her knuckles turning white from how hard she was squeezing her fists.
“This is incredible,” Gregory gawked. “He’s still going.”
“Captain…” Bram said with struggle.
“Aye, if you feel that his Birthright is about to burst,” Gregory said. “intercept at once.”
Bram grimly nodded.
5 minutes transformed into 10. Disgusting, putrid black squeezed out from Levi’s pores.
"What a terrifying child," Gregory remarked, his lips twitching with a mixture of awe and apprehension. "It should be about time–"
As if on cue, the mana in the air twisted and spiralled, causing Levi's hair to stand on end as if caught in a tempest. Golden scales erupted across his skin, two small horns crowning his forehead like a regal adornment. His pale flesh took on an ethereal translucence, and an aura of scorching fire enveloped him before his devilish transformation vanished as swiftly as it had appeared.
Levi's eyes snapped open, ablaze with a fierce golden energy and intensity that belied his calm exterior.
Gregory, Sera, and Bram’s eyes bulged.
Levi, a child barely the age between 12 and 14, had just awakened to his 2nd Birthright.
A thought tugged in everyone's minds–what powers would he awaken?