Meera activated her Night Vision, and it was exactly like how she had seen night vision in the movies. But instead of her vision turning green, it turned pale blue like the eyes of the Nightcrawler Monkeys. A thought occurred to her, and she also activated Eagle Eye. The effect of Eagle Eye and Night Vision compounded to ensure that she could see everything move. She could easily see the paw prints left behind by her prey. Then if that wasn't enough, she also activated Nimble Ears. Now, she could hear which direction the wolves had gone in, thanks to their huffing.
A slow smile split her lips. She could never have done this back on earth. Pulling a chakram off in each hand, she finally ran after her prey. She focused on the prints left behind by the wolves, and it was almost like they were glowing in the dark. But that might have been Mirithia's light shining down upon them.
A huff to her right, and she pivoted and took off in that direction. Her ears told her that the wolves were still on the move. They must have heard her coming, but it was no matter. Humans were expert hunters in their own right. She saw a documentary once that they hunted their prey to exhaustion by making it run and run while they continued to follow them at their own pace. Even though she was much faster than before, she had no skill related to running.
My skills from the wolves I just killed!
She almost stopped to check her notifications, but if she did that, then her prey would get away. The prints and her hearing told her the wolves had pivoted again and were on the climb. She had always thought of crossing the hill in daylight, but she could do it now and save some time.
Cresting the hill took far more out of her than she thought. The ground reminded her of the Forest of Rothedom, which had uneven ground, with roots sticking out everywhere. Her stamina took a substantial beating after keeping so many skills active simultaneously. She turned off Eagle Eye, as that was the one that drank the most stamina. Her vision returned to normal, meaning the colors were mostly blue, but lost their crispness.
But her Night Vision and Nimble Ears still gave her more than enough information needed. She came over the hill, and the first thing that hit her was the smell. It was like something was burning—the smell of smoke. There was a haziness in the air.
She slowed down to a jog, turned off Night Vision, and continued slowly on foot, the wolves forgotten. She only had to travel a few meters when she saw the smoke drifting through the trees.
What is this? Did someone burn an area of the forest?
She traveled forward toward the smoke with just her Nimble Ears. She heard some growling, followed by whimpering and the sound of running. Something was coming towards her. She took up position and got ready with her chakrams.
A second later, the three wolves, her quary, came running for her. She threw her chakram toward them, and they ripped through the first two. She didn't have time to call them back or get the third one off before the final wolf was on her.
He was hardly arm's length away. The wolf would pounce at any moment, but instead of attacking, it ran past her, whimpering. She frowned as she looked at its back. He jumped through the bushes and was gone.
She recalled her two chakrams and activated Eagle Eyes. They would let her see through the smoke and inform her of any coming danger. Thanks to her advanced ears, she could hear the crackling of burning wood.
She stepped lightly and even pondered, climbing up a tree. As she got closer, the smoke got thicker, and she had to resist the urge to cough. Ultimately, she had to climb a tree, hoping for fresh air.
She used her Climbing and Tree Walker skills to navigate through the trees and arrive at the source of the smoke and the cause of the wolves' fear.
It was a burnt-out collection of huts. Meera frowned, as most had been burnt to the ground while some still stood, charred, and a few still burned. These were the cause of the smoke, but the cause of the wolves' fear was something else altogether.
They were beasts of a sort who walked on all fours, with sharp claws which must've been four inches long, if not longer. They had charred black skin—if it could be called skin, it felt more like scales. Their back rose in jagged spikes, and a small fire burned at the top. Their faces were the worst thing of them all. Sharp fangs and two small burning coals for eyes. Meera wondered how they could even see.
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[Hound of Rothedon – Level 25]
There were three of them, all at the same level, roaming about the burnt huts. With a gasp, Meera realized what she was looking at was the village of Ebonton. These things were the reason why the village did not show up for the celebration in Belacre.
Why was this village burnt? And by whom?
She stared at the beast, and the name stuck out to her. Her eyes widened. Rothedon was the same name as the forest she had found herself in after coming out from the mirror. Then there was Rothedon's fist, beyond which the demons called Rakineyes were confined.
Who is this Rothedon?
She had to find out, but before that, she had to look for survivors, and to do that, she had to kill these things. But even before that, she had to find out what she had earned from killing the wolves.
*ding!*
[You have killed 4 Wolves and their Pack Leader]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 28. You have been awarded 3 stat points]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 19. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 21% boost]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Night Vision has reached Level 2]
[Congratulations. Night Vision has reached Level 3]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 2]
[Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 3]
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill, Wolf Speed. Wolf Speed - Type: Active. You can run like the wind and tap into the wolf's inherent swiftness and agility, allowing you to move with remarkable speed and grace. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
Finally, a running-related skill. Yes, please.
[You have acquired the skill Wolf Speed – Level 1]
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Tracking Scent. Tracking Scent – Type: Passive. Your sense of smell becomes extraordinary, allowing you to track targets over long distances, detect hidden enemies, or locate valuable items. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
Meera gave a quick nod, and as it turned out, the system understood.
[You have acquired the skill Tracking Scent – Level 1]
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Feral Bite. Feral Bite – Type: Active. Your teeth become sharp as fangs with you can inflict deep wounds and cause bleeding damage over time. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
Sure. At this point, I might as well grow fur and complete my transformation into a wolf.
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill—Alpha Aura. You emit an aura of leadership and confidence, which boosts the morale and combat abilities of nearby allies, granting them increased strength and resilience. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
Meera raised an eyebrow at that one. She figured she got that one from the Alpha that she killed. This could come in handy but given that she had no allies to speak of at the moment, it could just sit dormant in her general skills section. So, she accepted the skill.
[You have acquired the general skill Alpha Aura – Level 1]
She hoped that was it, but it looked like the system was extra generous on her today.
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Wild Instincts. You tap into your primal instincts, sharpening your senses and gaining heightened perception, allowing you to detect danger. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
With all these skills, how are wolves not at the top of the food chain? She wondered.
[You have acquired the general skill Wild Instincts – Level 1]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 11]
She quickly put two points into Agility and one point into Endurance, and she was ready to take on the Hounds. She located the three hounds. They were not doing anything, just walking about as if ordered to keep watch, but keep watch over what. Why leave these behind when you've turned the place to ash?
Meera watched them do their rounds a couple of times while Ambush Tactics formulated a plan of attack. She saw all the possibilities in her head. Where they could attack from, she had to assume they had some flamethrower or fireball attack.
Oh, I would so love a fireball skill. Even if it did not go with the stealth-based class she hoped to create.
After reviewing all her options, Ambush Tactics did its trick. I've got it. She rubbed her hands and smiled. I wonder what skills I'll get from them.