Right outside of Denjib

A hot bed of combat existed.

The sun boiled down on a man-made desert.

All the vegitation was scorched and pushed back for miles,

making any encrouching threat readily visible On the black sands.

Lowly monsters smarmed in mass on the walls.

Mostly smaller beasts and insects types.

About Half a mile out you started to see rusty metalic husks.

Sometimes bent and warped.

Though the weapons were sharp and deadly.

They looked like pieces of armor molded together controlled by invisible puppeteers.

These were Crucibles.

Monster formed thier own ecosystems.

With food chains. And factions.

Weaker monsters tend to group up in twos and threes.

While stronger species of monsters were usually more solitary.

If a strong enough monster came along. With ambitous and cunning under its belt.

All who didnt fall in line died.

For that is what ruled the monster world

"I move through it all like a wreath, ignored by monster and man alike" Ancil mused to himself.

All around him battles took place.

Some people faught like their lives were on the line

Ancil caught alot of others treating this just like an outing with friends. Slacking or laughing at the people who were really trying suffered injury or looked comical while thier bodies and minds still adjusted

to the concepts of battle

The worst were cases of asshats doing things to break your concentration at crucial times.

All though many complaints went out this kind of harsh hazzing.

It was frown upon but allowed.

If your concentration broken so easily.

Ancil guessed one really would die.

His father trained him while throwing rocks at him.

At first he got hit alot.

But eventually he adjusted to deflecting or dodging stones while still training or trading blows with his father.

His skill was strong but his body was weak

It felt like he was part of a seprate world.

Motherfuckers his age all gleefully came together in groups.

Thirsty for their first kill.

Hungry for blood.

Techinques and abilities activated around him constantly. It was like a mini warzone

This was more like a beginner zone.

It could be savage.

With an ever rising learning curve.

That flew up as soon as you got out of spitting range of the walls

Nowhere with out other people around was really safe. Ever.

Watchers on the wall kept the mortality rate at almost zero.

Anything deemed to dangerous was killed on sight.

Anyone seriously wounded was rushed to the medicinals.

put into perspective a normal human drew in about 1 world energy a day. 365 since birth.

at age 18 that would equal 6,570 points of world energy. Only about half of which is usable for combat. Or life in general.

Wanna concentrate energy in your legs to run faster?

Dont think about it just do it!

Ancil had about 100. Period.

So only about 50 usable for living out his life.

Anymore and he would behave as a fish out of water.

Thanks to his mom and dad's thankless efforts.

He had about 2,000 in an artificial Worldpool.

To little to test out his techniques.

He first victims were choosen carefully.

They had to be.

Thats why he left home. He was halting his parents progress and they were starting to age because of it.

If he wasnt around they could have more children.

His view might sound immature and insensitive to some.

But besides the one taken in on a daily.

His parents progression had stagnated.

All the proceeds of their personally training and meditation had went to him for almost 18 years. Enough was enough.

The upside of his worldpool being so small,

With him being unable to actively absorb WorldE on his own.

Most monsters didnt even notice him or care.

To Ancil he wasnt a blip on their radar.

They werent drawn to his presence.

Ancil wasnt delusional.

He knew anything he attacked would defend itself.

On the earth ancil lived on at one point three fifts of the worlds entire population was exterminated by the hands of monsters, circumstances like hunger.

Or commited suicide because they couldnt cope.

The survivor's sired and trained a whole generation of paranoid. Active.battle junkies.

And unleashed them upon the world.

And the survivors of that generation

Did the same.

That was about 500 or so years ago.

He was mentally prepared for a life or death struggle.

Ancil entered into a ground eating lope

Intent on hunting small rodents hyped up on world energy.

Avoiding the fights and shitkickers and monsters around Denjib altogether.

Certain species died out.

Those that continued to live on evolved.

Became more feral.

Squirrels were one of them.

Gaining three times the girth.

Extended Fangs, claws and an additional pair of legs.

More pack creatures that anything.

For him they were pretty dangerous.

But worth the risk.

For others it wasnt.

The ambient world energy was stronger.

Allowing for more variants of monster life and move advanved(stronger) ones at that.

It wasnt a good starting point for most people

If he could kill a bunch of them fuirrels.

(Thats the name he came up with for ferral squirrels = fuirrels. It wasnt officially endorsed or anything)

He could steadily increase and cultivate a worldpool

The specialists assured him.

Although severe,

worst cases have been documented.

His was bad but not the worst.

If Ancil could create an influx of 90,000 worldE.

His body would start to stabilize.

Funtioning like it should have since birth.

It might even function better than average.

Right now his dantian was the sized of a small pea.

But dantians were like strange ballons.

On a regular human being.

The more inflated the dantian became with world energy or essence.

The bigger it was forced to grow.

As big as it was as full as it could be.

His only worry was attracting the attention of Feral alphas.

Strong enough to form a "core".

The Alpha's devloped peculiar powers.

Were unpredictable and able to command its lessers.

Ancil didnt consider the core of Alpha Ferrals worth one of his 13.

Didnt mean one of those skills couldnt take his one life.

Ancil could feel tireless working in the background.

The sun beaming down on him filled him with what felt like limitless vigour.

Something he never experienced before.

He was the kid who could never run too hard or to far. In fact he was advised against anything strenuous like playing with the regular kids.

This was fucking awesome posem!

Although tempted to try out "SkySon"

if his WorldE dropped to zero.

He would drop dead instantly.

Faster refilling wouldnt help if one of his abilities ate it all up in one go.

The forest floor was a mysterious place:

vibrant and verdant.

Filled with rare herbs and ingredients ready for the harvesting.

Ripe tangy fruits. Sweet berries filled with worldE.

Herbs that were highly sought after grew right where he could spot them.

But Ancil didnt come for that.

Although a beneficial way to make money.

Of course He could keep what he refused to sell. It wasnt worth it on his on unless he seen something ultra-rare.

It sometimes entitled alot of inactive moments towards ones surrounding which could lead to

×.×...(death)

It was better to harvest in small groups.

Look outs and defenders,

while gatherer's gathered.

The trees started to rise immediately when Ancil crossed into their territory.

The trees were sentient.

But not carnivorous. silently majestic. White bark with bluffy bushes.

If the like you when you lean against them at night. They sing a song that keeps monsters away.

You left them alone. They did the same.

The offspring of the trees on the other had could be dangerous.

Low level ents (stick figures)

to barklings.

Sprigans and dryads (very deep within not always hostile)

Manarchs: monsterous small low-flying men that had butterfly features.

Ancil ignore the temptation.

No known medicinal cure existed for his problem.

He wouldnt delude himself into believing he'd be the one to figure it all out.

No longer running,

He was more moving with the land

Paying attention to where he placed he feet. Staying on his P's and Q's.

Trying to make as little noise as possible.

Ancil glipsed a large shaped moving through the trees in his left.

The heavy thuds of its footfalls wound up not leading towards him. He couldnt identify it.

Still.

He pressed himself against the nearest tree.

Trying to stay outside its field of vision.

Just because he couldn't be sensed didnt mean he couldnt become a snack.

It passed quickly taking the tense moment with it.

Ancil wasnt sure what that was.

But wasnt exactly starving to know either.

He gave the tree some room.

Opting to jot in the opposite direction of that juggernaut.

He crept through the forest well like a creep.

Ancil often chanced upon a few scenes of conflict.

Monsters battling each other.

Unless he found one half dead he wouldnt bother. He swore.

That is until

Drawn to the sound of a small scale skirmish taking place

Off to his left Ancil spotted a group of his prey.

Locked in battle with a small white and brown creature.

Although he said to himself he wouldnt get involved.

Ancil was moved by the sight of the obviously outdone little monster's struggle.

It had heart.

The lil thing was rocking and rolling.

Its offense wasnt that great.

But its defense was on point.

Dodging and counter attacking with skill that was on the borderline of the natural.

Even so the damage started to accumulate.

The white scales slowly dyed scarlet in a whirlwind of claws and teeth.

On a whim Ancil decided to intervene.

Coming from behind the tree he was

In position to flank.

With out hesitating once his mind was made up. Ancil rushed over.

Sweeping his sword leff to right.

The blade cutting into the soft underside of two of the Ferals.

In a rising streak on the left and descending strike on the right.

Like a sharp sun cutting into the horizon.

Ancil Attacked the one glaring weakness they had.

It was easily exploitable. The underbelly.

Deeply wounded they weakly made wimpering noises.

Turning meek once greatly wounded.

Ancil ignored them.

Pulling WorldE from the artificial dantian on his belt. He actived one of his blessings from the Opening Orb.

Hia palm started to grow warm.

Then produced light.

Heating up rapidly.

Firing a bright beam of light.

Concentrated right between the eyes of the nearest Ferral.

"Bullseye"

the sharp wave of light pierced deep into the brain pan.

Leaving a crater in its small thick skull.

Not as dangerous as he expected, But effective.

He fired off another lightbeam.

But the Ferrals adapted instantly.

Easily dodging the might of the tight light ray.

It wasnt fast enough.

Nor strong enough.

Ancil almost started to fret.

Irritated that his special move was a little crapola.

What looked like a small geeko.

White scales with brown tiger stripe patterns.

Took advantage of the Ferrals lapse of attenention.

Slicing into the neck with queer precision.

dodging Ancil lightbeam placed it perfectly in position for a slice already in execution.

It died on arrival.

That left two more.

One for each of us.

Convinced that it was a done-doda.

Ancil briefly glanced over.

He observed the geeko. Collapsing.

The Ferral it faced,

about to bite its head off-clean off.

Fustrated,

Ancil ran toward the descending fangs.

Intercepted them with his the flat of sword.

Returning the favor.

When his parry became a push that knocked it over with its mouth hanging open, Ancil swiftly stabbed his sword into its gullet.

Victorious feelings were short lived

When he felt a savage pain slicing down his back.

His response was quick and brutal

In saving a monster.

He'd left himself open for attack

Enraged. Mostly with himself.

He shook the little bastard loose.

Turn to get it with sword already swinging.

The trajectory aimed at its head.

In anger he forgot that little fucks had tough outer fur for protection.

With a muffled clang the sword rebounded.

Taking the blow in stride.

The little bugger pounced towards Ancil face

Intent on goring.

Possibly tearing his eyes out in passing.

On reflex he rolled away from its face raping attack.

He came up in a crouch.

Sword in a defensive posture incase it was going to spring on him again.

The Feral was just preparing its springing assault.

Ancil decided to go for what he knew worked.

Counter attacking after parrying the lounge.

When it lept toward him expecting to tear into flesh.

It only met steel.

Pushing against the monsters weight.

He jerked his sword upwards.

Flipping the ferral on its ass.

Before it could right itself.

Ancil did a jump of his own landing with his feet besides its head.

And his sword rammed through its neck.

Instantly killing the last Ferral.