When Nick saw another cat fifteen minutes later, he realized that he was being stalked. This feline was a size larger than the first, with dark stripes running along its coat of tawny fur. It looked a bit like a bobcat from back on Earth, although anything tough enough to survive on the bog likely had a few tricks up its furry sleeves.
Sure enough, when Nick tried sizing it up, the skill reported that the beast was dangerous for its size. That it was agile and perceptive, adapted to the local terrain. He was sure that he could take it in a straight fight without much risk. But if he had already seen two of the stealthy creatures, there were likely more that he had not. He thought he could handle three or four, but if there were more, it was going to be bad news.
His heart began to race, and his adrenaline started to flow. It seemed like Nick might be in for a spot of trouble after all. A fight against multiple small opponents was a bad matchup for him with his present skills and spells.
It would be easy to blow through his mana conjuring enough darts to drive them off, and they could strike from behind every time that he turned to face a fresh attack, taking advantage of their low profiles. He had no desire to have the fuzzy little critters ambush him while he was distracted either. Further complicating matters, who knew how long the beasts would pursue him now that they had decided Nick was on the menu?
After a moment of contemplation, he figured that his best bet was to frighten them off, rather than concocting an elaborate scheme to kill them all. It would require too much effort and take time that he couldn’t afford to squander. In short, it was time to come up with a plan before he ran out of time and the beasts attacked. Now, how can I scare away these adorable little predators…
The next time that he saw a marsh cat duck behind a nearby tree stump, Nick conjured a mana dart and picked up a rock. Concentrating on his timing, he fired the dart high, arcing the missile up to its maximum range before coming back down. He took aim and let loose with the rock in his hand, throwing the stone a few feet wide of where the little cat was hiding, an intentional miss on Nick’s part.
The rock came crashing to the earth with a hearty thud, half a heartbeat before his mana dart descended on the stump from above. He had been gambling that even if the beast could sense the mana in his spell, a facility that seemed to be relatively common in the multiverse, the loud noise would serve to distract it, increasing the odds of the dart striking true.
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Nick knew that his plan had succeeded when a pained yowl resounded across the bog. The moment that he heard the little cat cry out, he unleashed a thunderous roar of his own, charging straight for the stunned feline as aggressively as he could. He did his best to look big and scary, staring right into the eyes of the diminutive beast.
The marsh cat recovered well before he could close the distance, running for its life in the opposite direction… followed by six of its friends. Nick could tell from their behavior that the beasts no longer considered him to be prey, otherwise the rest wouldn’t have given away their positions. He came to a stop and let out a long sigh of relief, glad that he had decided to bluff his way out of this situation. He had managed to avoid a fight that he might not have won and had gotten some practice with his throwing skill in the process.
The encounter was a timely reminder that raw strength wasn’t the only thing that made a creature dangerous. Teamwork, ambushes, and other basic strategies could allow a beast to take down prey with higher attributes, at least some of the time. Let alone the wildcard that magic introduced into the mix. Nick pondered the matter as he resumed his trek across the marsh, curious to discover what the bog had in store for him next.
Enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on his skin, he reviewed what he had learned, laying down fresh plans for what he would do in a similar situation. Next time, I’ll drive them off right from the start, but if I get the chance, I need to pick up a power that can hurt multiple opponents at once. I’ll be in real trouble if I run into opponents like that who aren’t willing to back down.
At least it shouldn’t be as much of a problem once I run into someone and form a party. Someone to watch my back and help compensate for my weaknesses. With any luck, it won’t be too much longer.
The rest of the day was blessedly uneventful, and he stopped for the night when he spotted a ruined building ahead. Only two walls remained upright, forming a corner where Nick could set his back. After setting his alarms and checking his gear he decided to call it an early night, worn out from having run for so much of the day. When he checked his menus, he had a pair of notifications awaiting his perusal.
Through rigorous training, you have conditioned your body and improved the following baseline attribute:
Toughness has increased from [7] to [8].
Through use you have improved the following skills:
Throwing has increased from [2] to [3].
Nick nodded to himself as he closed his eyes, spreading his cloak over him like a blanket. Watching the numbers go up is always a perfect way to end the day. But I have a bad feeling that things are about to get worse.