Aidan grunted as he finished off the last of the Razor-Eared Ferrets. He had been hunting them for hours as the sun was starting to get low in the sky. He had needed to replace his log twice as he worked his way through the section of forest he was in. No matter how many he seemed to kill, there was always more waiting.
The forest was never truly quiet. The calls of birds and other animals echoed throughout the forest. Aidan leaned against the closest tree. He looked down at the body of the last Razor-Eared Ferret he had killed. Tears began to run down his face as the reality of what he had done settled in.
Pain clawed at his heart as he relived each one of the Razor-Eared Ferrets deaths. Aidan sobbed as he tried to deal with what he had to do to survive. It might have been a kill-or-be-killed world, but it didn’t make the deaths any easier to face.
Aidan wiped his face as he knelt next to the body. “Forgive me for ending your life. I need to survive this world. I need to get home. Your death was not in vain. I want to survive.” He wiped his eyes again as the tears finally stopped.
“I need to be strong.” Said Aidan to himself as he got back to his feet. “I must kill many more creatures to survive and beat this world. I can’t keep letting this get to me. I know their deaths were necessary. So why does it keep tearing me up inside?”
Aidan remembered the body he had discovered sitting against one of the trees. It had been dead for some time. The body didn’t have much for valuable items, but it did have a flint and a partially full water bottle. He had never been the one to play rough outdoors. Maybe that was why he felt each one of the creature’s deaths more.
“Death is a normal part of this world. I need to stop this,” shouted Aidan to the forest as he slapped his face, hoping it would make him feel better. The wind answered as a cold breeze made him shiver. The chill reminded him how he could never stop fighting now if he wanted to stand up against the ones who were after him. The guild, The stupid gate guard. Everyone. He would need to get stronger than all of them.
His stomach growled as another shiver went up back. “I need to set up a camp.” He muttered to himself. “Hopefully, this flint I found will still work. The only problem is… How the hell do I even set up a camp?”
After many false starts and hours later, the sun was all but set. Aidan sat back and watched the tiny flame flutter as he slowly fed it Kindle. It had taken him ages of procrastination and trial and error before he finally managed to get the fire even to light.
“Glad I remembered that survival game I played. I wouldn’t have had any hope of starting a fire otherwise.” Chuckled Aidan to himself. The tiny flame jumped to the larger twigs and branches he had placed. “Would have been better if I knew any kind of fire magic.”
Thirty minutes later, with the fire crackling happily and a makeshift spit set up, Aidan began to prepare one of the Razor-Eared Ferrets for cooking. His hands trembled slightly as he handled the creature, his mind still wrestling with the emotional aftermath of the day, But hunger gnawed at his stomach, driving him to push aside his qualms and focus on the task at hand.
He hoped he was preparing the creature right. He removed everything he was sure was not edible, leaving what he assumed was the meat that could be eaten.
Aidan’s mouth watered in anticipation as the smells of cooking meat filled the air. He watched intently as the ferret sizzled over the flames, the fat dripping and hissing as it cooked. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to forget the hardships of this world and relish in the simple pleasure of a hot meal.
Just as the ferret was nearing perfection, a low growl rumbled through the forest, causing Aidan to freeze in place. His heart hammered in his chest as he slowly turned to face the source of the sound. Emerging from the shadows, a massive silhouette loomed before him—an overgrown wolf the size of a bear. Its fur bristled with menace as it fixed its predatory gaze on Aidan.
Fear seized Aidan’s chest like a vice as he stumbled backward, his instincts screaming at him to flee. But as the bear-sized wolf advanced, anger coursed through him. “You are not taking my food. I worked too hard and long for you to think I will give it up without a fight.” Shouted Aidan as he tightened his hand around the wooden log.
The Bear-sized wolf let out a deeper growl as Aidan shouted back in response. The wolf pounced and bit into the half-cooked ferret. Aidan charged as his rage boiled over at the thought of losing his meal.
“Damn you!” he shouted, his voice hoarse with fury. “I won’t let you take this from me!” With reckless abandon, Aidan lunged at the wolf, his makeshift club raised high above his head. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he struck out with all his strength, the impact reverberating through his arms as the club connected with the creature’s flank.
The wolf roared in pain and fury, its claws slashing through the air as it retaliated against Aidan’s onslaught. But Aidan refused to back down, his desperation lending him a strength he never knew he possessed. Blow after blow rained down upon the wolf, each strike fueled by a primal instinct to survive.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Aidan’s world narrowed to a singular focus—the relentless drive to overcome this meal-stealing foe and emerge victorious. Blood pounded in his ears as he fought with all his might, his muscles burning with exertion as he refused to yield to the creature’s savage onslaught. Ducking and weaving as he pushed himself, trying to keep up with the wolf’s movements. His only saving grace was the wolf was unable to bite him as its mouth was still full of the ferret.
In a final, desperate gambit, Aidan unleashed a flurry of blows upon the wolf, his determination eclipsing his fear as he fought tooth and nail for survival. Aidan slammed his log onto the wolf’s head as hard as possible as the creature tried to escape with its meal.
With a final gurgle, the wolf finally fell beneath his relentless assault. Aidan stood triumphant amidst the chaos, his chest heaving with exertion as he surveyed the aftermath of his victory.
The fire he had worked so hard on was still burning, though most was scattered. The ferret was lost, chewed beyond any hope of saving. Aidan sat down as the familiar ping sounded.
Aidan rubbed his face as he let out a chuckle. “Huh. Guess that wolf was worth the trouble, at least.”
‘Level UP!’
“Hmm. I was hoping for a little more computer. Like, I don’t know, maybe magic! Seriously, I’m a battle mage. With frigging no magic.” Cursed Aidan as he fumed. “Status card.”
Status Card:
Name: Aidan Thornheart
Class: Battlemage.
Level: 4
Experience Points (XP): 413
Ability Points (AP): 3
Health Points (HP): 28 / 28
Mana Points (MP):16 / 16
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 19
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 14
Skills:
Combat Skills:
* Melee Combat - Club: Level one
Magic:
No magic is available.
Equipment:
* Pen (Mythic)
* Log (Poor)
Abilities/Talents:
* Flee. (can only be used once per encounter. Gives a boost of 25% to strength and dexterity for 60 seconds.)
* Resilient Endurance. - Passive - Stackable - (adds increased resistance to damage multiplier of 15% for five minutes. Activates upon injury.)
* Agile Strike. - Passive - Imbues user with heightened agility and precision. Permanent +2 to dexterity.
Aidan studied the card information and tried to figure out how each level worked. “Ok, so the EXP shown is the total I have earned. My health seems to go up in different amounts each time. The same with my mana. Each of my attributes, however, only seems to go up one point at each level, with a few exceptions. Might depend on what creatures I fight, maybe.”
Closing the window, Aidan looked around the camp and built the fire back up. “Wonder if Wolf tastes ok.” Mused Aidan as he eyed the body. “Only one way to find out.”
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Aidan groaned as he stretched his back; the early morning sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead as the campfire from the night before let out a small trail of smoke. Aidan picked up his log, looked it over, and stamped the last of the fire out.
Cracking his neck as he thought about what he would do for the day. Aidan made his mind up. “Ok. The goal for today is to reach level five. Hopefully, I don’t come across any more wolves.”
As Aidan continued his journey through the dense forest, he remained vigilant, his senses heightened in anticipation of encountering new dangers. The absence of the once-plentiful Razor-Eared Ferrets left him on edge as he scanned the surroundings for any signs of movement.
After a short while, a rustling in the underbrush caught Aidan’s attention. He froze, his gaze narrowing as he tried to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. Emerging from the shadows, a group of small, wiry creatures appeared.
Standing about three feet tall, they moved with remarkable agility, quickly darting in and out of the foliage. Aidan observed them closely, noting their mottled green skin that blended seamlessly with the forest surroundings. Their sharp claws and teeth gleamed in the dappled sunlight.
“They look like Goblins… “Said Aidan as he watched them. His heart pounded in his chest as more of the wiry creatures emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming. He didn’t want to fight them; they reminded him in some ways of humans. Aidan knew he wouldn’t have a choice, but he still struggled with the thought of killing these Goblins.
Aidan’s grip tightened on his makeshift club as he braced himself for the impending fight. The first goblin lunged at him with a snarl, claws slashing through the air. Aidan managed to dodge the attack, but not without consequence. His hesitation had cost him. A searing pain shot through his side as the goblin’s claws grazed his skin, leaving behind a trail of blood.
With a grunt of pain, Aidan stopped thinking as he retaliated, swinging his club with all his might. The impact reverberated through his arms as the weapon connected with the goblin’s skull, sending it crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.
Aidan couldn’t dwell on his victory as two more goblins surged forward; their swift and seemingly coordinated movements caught Aidan off guard as he fought with a desperate fury, his club a blur of motion as he fended off their relentless assaults. The forest echoed with the sounds of battle—the clash of wood against flesh, the guttural cries of the goblins, and Aidan’s ragged breaths as he struggled to keep pace.
Despite his best efforts, the goblins proved far more worthy of an opponent than the Razor-Eared Ferrets. Their claws tore through his clothes and left shallow cuts across his arms and legs, each wound serving as a painful reminder of how out of his depth he was.
Aidan refused to back down, his determination fueling his need to emerge victorious. He knew the only other option was death, and he didn’t want to die anytime soon. The battle grew more intense as Aidan’s muscles screamed in protest as he pushed himself beyond his limits, his mind consumed by the primal urge to survive. In a final, desperate gambit, he unleashed a flurry of blows upon the remaining goblins, his club striking out with relentless fury.
He collapsed as the last goblins fell at his feet, their bodies motionless amidst the tangled undergrowth. Aidan sank to his knees, his chest heaving with exhaustion and his body throbbing with pain. But despite the toll the battle had taken on him, a sense of triumph surged through his veins. He had faced the goblins head-on and emerged victorious. The small group of seven had challenged him.
Breathing heavily, Aidan looked around to see if any other goblins were hiding before he sank to the ground, leaning back against a tree trunk. Aidan shook his head as he began to process the fight. “I’m glad there wasn’t more of them. They are so much faster than I expected. I… I can’t believe I won…”