The wolf was still under the tree, growling at me. I hoped it would get bored and leave, but it seemed determined to stick around. Looks like if I wanted to move, I needed to deal with it first. Seeing as I had no weapons and no super-soldier modifications I turned back to my status.

“Okay, let’s see those Spark Skills,” I muttered, scanning through my abilities.

(Night Vision: Ability to see in darkness.)

Thanks for that. Of course, I wouldn’t have figured out what it did without that very detailed explanation.

(Shadow Melt: In any shadow or darkness, User’s presence will be harder to detect.)

Both of them were useless in a fight.

“Well, we’re doing it the old-fashioned way, then.”

With no fireballs or lightning to rely on, I scanned the branches above me. I broke off one of the sturdier-looking ones, gripping it tightly.

“Take the plunge. You won’t die.”

I jumped straight onto the wolf’s back, feeling the adrenaline rush through my veins as I landed with all my weight on its spine. My knees and soles of my feet disliked me jumping down several meters, complaining of pain. I swung the branch down hard onto its head. It yelped in pain as it trashed around to get me off its back, and I fell to the ground, rolling to break my fall. I scrambled back to my feet and smacked it several more times. Its skull felt like stone beneath the branch, and I could feel the impact jarring my bones.

The wolf lunged at me, snapping its jaws around the branch. Knowing well that I couldn’t free it from its jaws without snapping it into two, I let go of the branch. I leaped to its back again, wrapping my arms around its neck and squeezing as tightly as I could. It thrashed and struggled, trying to buck me off, but I held on. My arms burned with the effort, but I didn’t dare let go.

After what felt like an eternity, the wolf finally fell limp, its body going slack. I let out a gasp of relief and slid off its back, panting heavily.

“I can’t believe even this much made me breathe through my ass,” I muttered, checking the wolf to ensure it was really dead. The last thing I needed was for it to wake up and decide to take a bite out of my fine ass.

I gasped for air for half of a minute. Damn. I really need to work on my cardio.

“Can I do anything with its corpse?”

I wondered aloud, glancing at the animal. A wolf wouldn’t be the worst thing I’d ever eaten. But starting a fire would take ages without proper equipment, and skinning and cleaning it without the right tools would be a bloody mess, attracting who-knows-what-else in this forest. I left the body behind and kept wandering.

The forest around me felt alive, thriving with vegetation. Mild weather allowed it to be fertile, with berries and fruits hanging from the branches above.

“Apples?” I spotted a tree laden with ripe fruit. I reached up and grabbed one, biting into it with a grin. “Been at least ten years since I ate an apple.”

The crisp sweetness burst in my mouth, and I inhaled deeply. The air was clean here, not like the polluted atmosphere back on Earth. As I moved through the forest, I couldn’t shake the memory of how most of my world had turned into a barren wasteland, riddled with radiation. We nuked our world in hopes of getting rid of those pests but it didn’t work. The Horde had learned to thrive on the radiation, adapting in ways we never could have imagined.

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Damn, those extra-terrestrial insects of unknown origins.

Lost in thought, I almost didn’t notice the robed figure approaching me until he spoke.

“Hey, you! What are you doing here?”

I raised the half-eaten apple to show him, my voice muffled by the crunching. “Crunch—eating apples—crunch.”

The figure was bald, with strange symbols carved into his scalp like a cultist’s tattoo. He was definitely someone you wouldn’t like close to your kids.

“You must be one of the traitors who sided with those animals!” he accused while pointing his finger.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, pal.” I reached for another apple, biting into it loudly. This one was slightly sour.

“I’ll torture you before sacrificing you to my Lord!” He pulled a curved short sword from his side, and I sighed.

“Do you really want to do this?”

“Shut u—Agh!”

I threw the apple at him, hitting him right in the middle of his forehead. He staggered back, arms flailing, and I charged. I stepped to the side, grabbed his wrist, and was on top of him the next second, kicking the sword away.

“Okay, pal. Let’s make a deal. I’m going to ask you questions, and every time I don’t get an answer, I’m going to break something.”

“You dare do oppo—Argh!” I snapped his little finger back, feeling the crunch of bone beneath my grip.

“Or if you speak out of turn. Understood?”

He whimpered in response.

“I asked if you understood.”

“I understood! I understood!” he cried, fear evident in his voice.

“What’s this place called?”

“Glamour Forest!”

“How close is the nearest town?”

“Ten days by walking!”

“What are you doing here?”

Silence fell, and I grabbed his ring finger.

“I can’t ta—Argh!”

I broke it without waiting for an excuse. I moved to his middle finger next.

“We’re here to make a sacrifice!” he finally blurted.

“To whom?”

“To our Lord Asmoneal! We have beastkin slaves!” His eyes widened in panic, and my heart sank at the mention of slaves. Goddamnit. Nothing good happens with slavery.

“You called me a traitor. What were you talking about?”

“Aren’t you with Black Claw?”

“The fuck’s Black Claw?”

“You really don’t know?” His panic intensified as I squeezed.

“Argh! They’re a beastkin organization! They’re working to free beastkin!”

A freedom movement? My instincts screamed for caution.

“How many are there like you?”

He went silent, so I broke his middle finger, just to make a point.

“You have two fingers left. After that, I’ll move to your wrist. Then your elbow. After that—”

He began shaking violently, and in a moment of desperation, he managed to kick me off. He lunged for his sword, but I quickly grabbed a stone from the ground and hit him right in the eye.

“Good quick thinking, Poyraz,” I muttered to myself, as he stumbled backward, clutching his face. I stepped on his body, grabbing the sword he had dropped. I can’t believe some no-name loser managed to break free of my lock. I should practice my jiujitsu more.

“You’re far too weak to threaten someone talking about sacrificing people.”

“You have no idea who you’re messing with! My brothers will kill you!”

I didn’t need to know anymore. I cut his throat before he could finish. More information would’ve been nice, but he had made too much noise. Even in the muffled sounds of the forest, I didn’t want a crowd of enemies ganging up on me.