I pulled out some food and my canteen and ate and drank. How long had I been here? I didn’t really know. Without the sun and a day-night cycle, I couldn’t really tell. I am pretty sure it is longer than a week.

I got up and got my axe in my hand and a rock in the other and set off at a steady jog toward the ruins I could see. It was going to take me several hours to get there, and I assumed I would be attacked. I really like this Free Runner Skill.

I was attacked about half an hour later, and I never saw it coming. Wide open spaces, dirt landscape with no vegetation, and the Observant Eye Skill and I was still ambushed.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a large cat creature was jumping at me with claws and teeth ready. Its coat was the same colour as the dirt, and it must have had good camouflage skills. While it took me by surprise, I had good and well-trained reflexes. I dodged to the side and swung with my axe, slicing it down the side of its body.

The large cat, which was about the size of a mountain lion in my area, also had good reflexes, and my strike only cut a thin line down its body, drawing blood. It landed on its feet and immediately turned to pounce again when my thrown rock smashed against its head, and I came in with a chop of the axe, removing its head.

Wait a minute. This thing is bleeding. The Undead don’t bleed. I Identified it before it disappeared. It was an Infernal Lynx. Infernal means demonic, not undead. I know some trials have different creatures on different floors. Is this a different floor for this trial? I don’t know.

Ho, ho, ho, this is awesome. Trial, you have stuffed up big time. Infernal is not undead. Infernal creatures are susceptible to my illusions and light abilities. They can be cut and bleed. I pulled out my knives. Yes. Now, I was in business. My Basic Small Blades skill was on the verge of maxing out. Yes, I knew this dance.

I felt like a new man. I didn’t put away the axe just yet. A single infernal creature did not mean there were no undead.

Now, I looked around carefully. I need to train my Observant Eyes to detect the Infernal Lynx’s camouflage. Yes, this is where I am good. This is where I excel.

I picked up the few copper coins, the meat and Monster Core. The core didn’t give me anything, but that was fine.

Before moving off, I engaged in some major illusions for the first time in the Trial. Project Image created a copy of me standing next to me and slightly ahead of where I was. The image was wearing a different outfit than I was, as I had spent a lot of time with a lot of mirrors to create this image with the Copy Image Spell. I then used light manipulation to wrap light around me so I could become invisible. I left two small gaps for my eyes so I could see, but with all my practice, I was very hard to spot.

I was very aware that not all creatures hunt with their eyes, but for most, it is a big part of their hunt. Prince Seth’s guard dogs taught me that in a painful lesson. The large image was also mana-intensive, and I couldn’t keep it up for a long time, but that was not the intention. The intention was to bait out the Infernal Lynxes and train my Observant Eyes.

Then, we set off at a steady jog. I was slightly behind and to the left of my copy, close enough that my stink would appear to be his stink, and most attacks would miss or at least be miss-timed.

I used the Skill Animate Image to make it look like it was running. There was no dust rising from his feet like mine, and I could have tweaked the image to make it appear that there was, but if I was just dealing with animals, there was no need.

In the next attack, there were two of them. One pounced from the side and the other from the front. My observant eyes caught the second one, and there was a slight distortion from the coat and the background. I dispatched the first with a knife and a stab to the eye with the Thrust Skill. The second flew straight through the image without disturbing it, and I think it was quite confused. I used a throwing knife and Precision Throw to end its life. One strike kills. These are fairly low levels animals. A few more, and I will be able to pick them out well enough to dismiss the copy.

After the fifth attack, I was confident I could spot the Lynxes, and I dismissed my copy. I was about halfway to the hill with the palisade on it. I cast the Self-Clean charm to get rid of my stink. It was now time to hunt.

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I left the Light Manipulation on, so the light bent around me and moved forward. I could keep this up for hours. I didn’t bother to go into stealth but jogged quietly forward, looking for my prey. I equipped a knife in each hand. The hunted had turned into the hunter.

The first Lynx I found was larger than the previous and alone. I slipped into stealth and snuck behind it, then dashed forward and sliced and diced, with my Clever Hands supported by my dexterity. It didn’t even realise what hit it.

I jogged forward. I knew the trial was out to get me, so it wouldn’t let me get away with this for long. I had to make the most of it. I killed my way to the palisade wall, and then I hunted my way around it, inspecting it. There were a lot of gaps in the wall that I could have gotten through. If I can get through them, so can lynxes and other creatures.

I hunted my way around and found the broken gates. The Lynxes were becoming a higher level, and there were often several close together. I was surprised when dispatching two large lynxes and got pounced on by two more. It was a frantic few moments, but I had illusions ready to go, and one lynx mistakenly pounced on me drinking a cup of tea. It was not the first time I had been surprised and needed emergency illusions.

I took some scratches, and Minor Regeneration handled it. I had to get used to it operating in a fight. It was like any skill, and I could turn it off, but I didn’t want to. It only used mana when it was healing, and I wanted to get used to it. I also had to judge how much mana it used and how long it would take for various healings. Mana management was critical. Poor Mana management was the death of the Skeletal Knight, and I would do my best for it not to be the death of me.

That fight was enough to max out my Basic Small Blades Skill. I knew it was on the brink. I got an attribute point in agility for it and a number of more advanced knife-fighting techniques I could choose. My normal style was a mobile fighter, and mostly, I just did enough to run away. People hunt murderers a lot more ruthlessly than they hunt thieves.

This meant I was not really interested in learning the Death Knife Technique. The Razors Edge, though, looked good. It focused on precise, lightning-fast slashes at vulnerable parts of the body. In my mind, I could use this to kill or disable. I was all about precision, and this suited me.

Time to see what the dilapidated village held. I waited in stealth by the broken gate and watched me walk through into the village. My images don’t do sound, unfortunately, but a tossed rock was like knocking on the door.

The copy did not get far past the gate when two small arrows went through it, and three small creatures pounced with knives and short swords. They also went through the image, and I stopped projecting before they realised what had happened.

It was Infernal Imps, and it was quite a large infestation. I wouldn’t be surprised to have some Lynxes in there as well.

I didn’t have to go in, of course. I could bypass it and carry on my way. This was like an optional quest, and the quest suddenly appeared in my status.

Infernal Infestation, (Optional)

Clear the village of infernal creatures.

Reward: 2 Free Skill Points, Two Armour Pieces, ???.

Yeah, this trial knows how to entice me. If I hadn’t learned the Minor Regeneration, I would have needed those skill points for the Minor Healing Skill. I would also still be wounded. The pieces of armour is also enticing. They are probably part of a set, and if I can get them all, there are usually bonuses. This won’t be rusty chainmail or a clunky helmet.

I still want those points. Shadow Dance has my eye now, and for that, I need five points. I withdrew the longsword from my bag. I also need sword skills. Optional places likely also hide other treasures, and I am good at finding hiding places.

There is another reason to go in. This is a known risk. If I bypass it, the trial will throw something else at me, probably something I am not ready for. That will come eventually, but I can manage this. I will get skills and levels as well as, hopefully, treasure. I can also manage the pace.

I don’t know how long I have to be in this place or what the criteria are for getting out. Maybe I have to kill a certain number of creatures? Maybe it is to survive for a month? Maybe it is to find hidden areas? Maybe it is killing the boss? Complete a certain number of Quests? I don’t know. A quest when I entered with information would have been very helpful. I didn’t get that.

If I do this, it is a managed risk, and I am in a better state than I could have been. The Trial probably knows this and has made this harder, but it is still a risk I can manage.

Infernal imps are about the size of a human child, about 8-10 years old. They have longer arms with claws and tough, leathery skin. Their face is shaped like a monkey, and they have sharp teeth. The worst part is they know how to use weapons—knives, swords, and bows. They also have small bows and light weapons, but they are dangerous in numbers. There are numbers here, so the key to doing this is not to let myself be swamped or surrounded.

That is OK. I excel at fast, mobile fights in complicated environments. I hefted the longsword, but it felt awkward in my hands. Is this really the time to break in a new dance partner? The trouble is I don’t think I am going to get a better time. The Trial won’t stop. I will be thrown into new and more challenging tasks. To survive, I need new dance moves.

I hefted the sword again. Come on, darling, show me your moves. I stepped into the village.