Jules tried to stop the sensation, tried to reel his body back under control, but still he moved forward. Closing in on his once friend, like a predator closing in on their prey, Jules mentally screamed, "What am I doing? Why is this happening?" But even as he screamed, the hunger kept growing stronger- turning from a slow trickle to a roaring rapid that crunched against Jules' mind- its power eventually becoming all consuming. With one last almighty roar, the hunger broke through his flimsy willpower. Now in control, the hunger dragged the boy forward as though he was caught on a string, burying his teeth into Andrew's cold side, ripping through flesh, consuming everything. Blood soaked Jules' tear stricken face as he rose to an unusual sound, gone was the high ding of a system notification, replaced by a deep tone of a gong. Looking up from Andrew's mutilated, teeth mark ridden corpse, Jules saw a new system notification.
+1 DEX +2 STR +1 INT +1 WIS
Shocked at the sudden stat boost and the small power rush of additional strength causing him to forget the fear he and pain at what he had just done. Jules stammered out a weak, "St...Status." A second later a small window popped up.
Name: Jules
Race: Ashen Blood Carrier
Class: Ashen Blood Carrier
Level: 1
Stamina: 21/65
Mana: 60/60
Stats:
STR- 11
VIT- 8
DEX- 9
AGI- 11
END- 9
INT- 11
WIS- 12
LUC- 6
Skills:
passive:
Ashen Blood
active:
Identify
Rank: 0
Jules looked over his new stats, his old blue system status replaced by a new red one, his eyes were quickly drawn to the change to his race. His mind attempting to work through the new information, he was no longer human, now he was an Ashen Blood Carrier. He felt elated, he had not only possibly upgraded- no, definitely upgraded- his race, but also had found a way to catch p to the man that had destroyed his sect. However, his joy was short lived as he once again looked down at his dead friend. "Maybe this new race does have some downsides," Jules muttered shamefully, shamefully at what he had just done. He had just disgraced the corpse of the person he had once considered a close friend. Swallowing back the tears that once again threatened to invade his eyes as he truly understood the effects of his new race. "I promise you that I shall take revenge," Jules spoke to Andrew as he slowly closed the glazed over eyes of his friend.
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Walking deeper into the village, he passed by more and more of the same scene, people dead and discarded. he finally reached his damaged home. A small, unassuming building tucked away with many others of the same style, except now it had a hole blown through the roof. Stepping through the door that hung on its hinges, Jules entered his home for what would more than likely be the last time. Quickly darting across the room, he collected his water flask and small pack. He knew he had to get out of the village very shortly, it wouldn't be long before the scavengers arrived- them or the wolves. Packed with everything he deemed needed, Jules journeyed out of the village after saying a last chocked goodbye to the place that had housed him for all his life. It was time to leave and step forward into the dark forest beyond.
10 hour in to the trek, Jules was still smiling. He checked his map again, "at this rate I'll arrive at Iluminous, the great city of light, within 6 days," he joyfully stated out loud, a bit to loud. A cold passed over his spine causing him to shiver. It felt like he was being watched. he turned slowly and tightly, confusion evident on his face, trying to figure out where the sense was coming from. Hearing a sound like a flint being struck across steel, he twisted around. Straight into the direction of the glowing sunset. The glint of light was enough to temporarily blind him, but the blindness was long enough for the wolf to leap from the cracked boulder to towards him. He screamed as three claws broke through his skin, leaving grey blood behind. Jules, sight restored, turned on the wolf. "Identify"
[Iron Wolf (3)]
Cursing at his bad luck to have encountered a beast that wasn't just a common breed, Jules pulled out the small hunting knife that had been given to him by his father. It was made of cool tempered steel, forged into a blade that had weathered the years and proved a useful tool to him many times. Jules raised his head back to the wolf, ignoring his rapidly spiking heartrate. he let out a slow breath as he raised the blade and fell into a comfortable stance. The wolf took a step forward, its claws raking through the ground. With a flash of crazy in its eyes, the wolf dashed forward. Jules slipped past its side, his blade flashing out in a strike that dug into the side of the beast. however this blow didn't come without retribution as the wolf's claw slashed his lower leg in an eruption of blood. Backing away from each other, both favouring their uninjured side. Jules looked down on his injury, "its bad. But it wont kill me." The wolf let out a low rumbling growl as it started forward towards Jules. in a sudden dash of pace, the wolf ponced upon him. startled by the aggressive attack, Jules lifted his blade before him. Yet at the last moment, the wolf's claws took on a metallic glow. Rather than the knife deflecting the paw away, the glowing claws sliced straight through it. They would have done the same to Jules' chest if he hadn't stepped away at the last second. Still the left five gashes across his body and the sheer force behind the blow broke some of his ribs, throwing him backwards. Jules tried to suck in a breath but the pain that racked his body made it almost impossible. "If I get hit by one of those again I'll most likely die," Jules managed to think through the pain that held him down. The now confident wolf prowled forward, with the blade gone there was nothing that could harm it.
Jules had lost, he knew he couldn't win so he just laid there. He closed his eyes, excepting his death, yet the moment he did, he saw Andrew, a fist in his chest, breathing his last breathes. Similar scenes appeared as he lay there, his friends, his family, their bodies turned inside out. He saw organs discarded across the road. He had made a promise hadn't he? His eyes snapped open to stare into the crazed eyes of the wolf that stood above him, its jaw ready to clamp down on his neck. "I intend to keep it!" he spat in the face of the looming beast above him. He rolled over, releasing a pained growl from his throat as he aggravated his broken ribs, and grabbed a broken stick on the ground next to him. His bloodied hand wrapped around the rough bark, lifting it up. The wolf couldn't redirect its missed bite, leaving an opening. Jules knew that the dry stick he held couldn't pierce the thick skin of the foul beast, so he didn't aim for its hide. With a vicious strike reminiscent of a scorpion stinging, Jules -grin plastered to his face- drove the stick into the gap he had made in the wolf's side earlier. The stick plunged through the wolf's insides until it pierced its heart. Falling with a whine of pain, the wolf landed on the ground a couple of meters to the side of Jules. With the beast dead and the adrenalin fading away, Jules truly felt the almost unbearable pain he was in. But before he could collapse, the hunger returned. However this time Jules let it take control. The hunger forced his body to rise, lifting it up even against the pain emanating from his chest and leg. He stumbled forward towards the still warm body of the wolf, falling to the ground as he reached its bleeding side. He reached one hand into its side and pulled from behind its ribs its warm heart. As he plunged his teeth into it, the blood exploded inside and around his mouth, painting his face red. He continued his feast well past sundown. Finally sated, the hunger fled his body. His body felt weak, overworked and overused but he couldn't help the smile that looked awfully predatory in nature from appearing on his face at the newest notification.
"Who wouldn't smile at that?" Jules thought as his body gave way and slumped forward.