Chapter 11 Fear Outside

I had run for ten minutes. The only reason why I had even an inkling of an idea where I was, laid squarely on the sun. Certainty was rife in me that I was running away from my shelter and the only fire. Still I ran.

If that Giant Frost Sabre-tooth tiger got out, I had no chance of making it back to my shelter. The only problem with running away was that my exposure bar was getting too low for comfort. If I reached zero health out here, I would drop unconscious and if I did so in the snow, death would follow within minutes. That didn’t even start going over the fact that if anything hostile in area found me unconscious... And since, I have not been to a starter town or any town for that matter, who knew what the AI would do with me? ... And with that frikken crystals taking over outside the game, I could not begin to imagine if the respawn function still functioned 100%. I had to stay alive...

I shook my head wildly and slapped my cheeks. There was nothing to gain thinking like that.

Glancing up, I cringed at my exposure bar, it only had less than a tenth left. In day time, that gave me tens of minutes.

As I crunched through the snow, a drop down a hillside revealed a meadow. I swallowed heavily and slowed down. There was two other Sabre-tooths down there. By some mercy, they had not detected me.

Carefully, I went higher up onto the hill to the crest and moved behind the edge, with it, I started running again.

Ten minutes later my exposure bar got dangerously low. I had to do something. Looking around I spotted a tree with leaking tree sap. I scrambled to it. As I touched it, I blew out a breath of relief. Resin.

Without waiting, I broke a branch from the tree and smeared the top half in as much resin as I could find.

84 health left

I groaned, already on borrowed time. I pulled out my skinning knife, started tearing bark from the tree, and shaved off wood chippings to use for tinder.

83 health left

At least it was not dropping as insanely fast as that first night, and my extra levels and attributes gave me an extra buffer. I glanced up at the sun. I had maybe a few hours before sunset. Then I needed to be inside, a torch wouldn’t cut it at night in the snow.

I held the makeshift torch between my legs and started striking my flint. It wasn’t long before the resin and tinder erupted in small flames, I blew on it to increase the size.

70 health left

As I felt the warm from the torch, my exposure bar increased to a tenth and then stopped. Well, I couldn’t expect any more.

Ping!

[Success in crafting your first torch!][Bonus for using Resin]

+1 Wildcraft

+1 Insight

Torch [Primitive] (+1)

You created your first torch! Made by primitive means, by smartly using Resin. It is useful for lighting the way in the dark and giving some warmth. It doesn’t last too long, however.

[Extra Info] Some Monsters and animals fear light and/or fire.

[??]

4 metre Light radius

+5% warmth.

Durability: 5/5

At least it was something. I looked around. My path before me was clear, but I knew to find some of my old gear and maybe even my sword, the risk of running into monsters would go up.

Shrugging, I held up the torch and set off in that direction. The cold wind brushing by me made me feel much more alone in the dangerous wilds. The crunching of my Dire Ermine boots were scarce companions. As I ran, tinkling sounds filled the air. I looked to the side and could see the glow of wisps in the forest to the right.

If their summer cousins were anything to go by, they were harmless. Yet, I still called out,

“Identify.”

White Breeze Wisp

[Critter] Level 30

These peaceful entities roam the forest, even giving off light at night for weary travellers. They often travel in groups and their calls have been observed to make some of the smaller monsters to shy away.

[Extra Info]

They give off twenty metres of light.

[??]

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

[Non-hostile even when attacked]

The information made a smile tug at my mouth. My heartbeat eased as I watched the wisps float through the trees.

Taking a deep breath, I moved on. Happy to have witnessed such a peaceful sight. I just hoped it was a sign of things changing to something manageable. The trees became denser, but I saw no other sign of the monsters. Not yet. I pressed through, more slowly, however.

A branch cracked.

I stopped in my tracks and listened.

Just the sound of the cold breeze filled my ears. There wasn’t even any bird life to fill in the surrounding air. It was nothing. But, it was not wise to not be too mindful of what was happening around me. My heart couldn’t take much more of it. I stepped forward, the trees giving way. As they opened up, I could see the hill drop in a clear area of about hundred metres.

At the end of it, there was a big complex built out of stone. It somewhat looked like a really, really old abandoned town. With a lot of the structures broken. The light ebbing away in the afternoon gave it more of an epic lighting theme, I was impressed. My foot slid just a little bit as I started towards—

A crunch of snow behind me sent a chill up my spine.

I looked around and jerked.

Inside the thicket of trees stood the same Giant Frost Sabre-tooth tiger. My spear was snapped in half, but the point still stuck in its shoulder.

As I turned around as slowly as I could, something caught my eye. Icicles adorned its entire body. The creature had fallen completely in that lake.

That didn’t help me one bit! It was back! This time there was no cliff to clamber up.

I glanced down at the stone structures a ways away. My chances of reaching that was zero. But, I had to try, the chances of survival in that forest was way less than that.

My breath started coming out in fast puffs as I stared at the transfixed eyes of the Sabre-tooth.

Tensing my core, I levelled my torch to the tiger. As I did, it growled threateningly. Yup, the torch would help me nothing. Just great.

It stalked closer, bearing its really scary looking teeth even more. Naturally, I eased backwards, sliding a bit down the hill.

I was careful not to lose my balance. Yet, my mind was reeling, no ways out of this presented itself. It was the Sabre-tooth and little ol’ me, that was it. No waterfall to climb. No water to use between us.

I so missed having a class. My Swift Leap ability would have given me a chance to dodge the monster every three seconds. No use dreaming about it! I shook my head.

I could see the shoulders of the monster dropping. It was readying to pounce at me. Even just hitting me with a jump would kill me.

Without giving it time to attack first, I did the only thing I could think off. I threw the burning torch at its face.

The only thing I saw before I turned and ran, was the Sabre-tooth falling over and frantically swiping at its face.

My arms were pumping at my sides as I stormed down the hill. Two or three times, I almost lost my balance. Yet, I didn’t slow down even one bit. I heard what sounded like a truly frustrated and angry growl. But, oh, I did not dare look behind me. Twenty seconds since I threw the torch and the clear sounds of a tiger charging at me at full speed was so evident.

Within another ten seconds, the fast crunch of something very large running at me was close behind me. The stone ruins, were still twenty metres away at least. I wasn’t going to make it.

Not able to ignore the Sabre-tooth, I turned and saw it coming at me in great leap and bounds. I ripped my shirt off my body. The cold snapped at my torso, but I didn’t pay it any heed as I jumped to the side to dodge the tiger as best I could. The tiger was mid air on its bound and luckily could not turn with my movement. As I tumbled into the freezing snow, I held up my shirt. Not sure what I wanted to do with it. Then I got an idea.

I quickly reached down filled the shirt with snow as the tiger landed and turned with a ferocious snarl. A second later it burst forward. I threw my snow filled shirt at the seared face.

The snow hit it square in its face. Even with the shirt giving me more volume, it barely covered the face of the Giant tiger.

I got out of dodge! Not waiting a second, I ran from the very temporarily blinded monster.

All I had left was my skinning knife now, the Dire Ermine fangs meant nothing in this battle. If I lost my knife... I wouldn’t be able to strike a flint to make another torch. Then I would be dead anyway.

Yet, I had to try and survive. I had to. The alternative was just too uncertain.

Ten metres away from the stone ruins! The hackles on my neck rose and I desperately jumped to the left and forward. A loud woosh filled the air behind me.

12 health left!

The scrape sent me sailing through the air. My health bar flashed dangerously as I skidded through the snow and hit cold stone. Shaking my head to clear it, I glanced around, some sort of entrance was right there!

Yet, as I started towards it, the Sabre-tooth filled my peripheral vision. I looked at it and grimaced.

I threw my knife at it.

It sunk into the leg harbouring my shattered spear. It let out a howling roar.

Yet, I could see it only took of a sliver of its health. All I could do was slip into the maze of stonework and I hoped I could find some hiding place.

As I ran through the stonework, the blood dribbled from the wound in my back. It cooled down going down.

The scraping of claws filled my ears. The Sabre-tooth was somewhere in these narrow alleyways. But I still had a chance...

As soon as I thought that, I looked up and my heart sank.

My exposure bar was just about empty. I had to find heat, yet I also had a frikken monster hunting me!

Still, I ran.

A bigger diagonal building came into view as I took a left. Snow covered its entire face. I looked right and then left. Which way?

I stumbled over a stone and almost fell on my face, but barely got my balance under me.

Then, as I got up right. I looked straight at the severely limping, but still crazily dangerous monster glaring at me. A truly last resort, I picked up the stone and in a hurry I tossed it.

And missed the tiger.

Teary eyed, I watched hopelessly as it sailed over the Giant Sabre-tooth’s head. If I could get minus points I would have gotten one for Marksman.

Just as the tiger lifted its right leg to swipe at me. A deluge of snow poured over it and buried it.

I hardly paid it any mind, as I scrambled away. I turned the corner and ran down the alleyway as fast I could.

5 health left!

I ripped out my flint, and started ripping off a piece of my pants, but then sickeningly I remembered throwing my knife.

Frantically I looked around for something to strike the flint. There was only small rocks. I was maybe twenty seconds away from falling unconscious. After that, I would stay alive for minutes at most. But by then either the Sabre-tooth or my inaction while unconscious in a the frozen ruins will kill me.

I picked up a rock and hurriedly struck it against the flint.

Nothing.

I tried again.

Nothing.

My hand shook as I struck it harder.

2 health left!

With that I felt a heavy weight drop onto me and my body slumped over.

Blackness embraced me.