Alaster lifted his head to look over the snow berm.

Scratching its back against a tall tree, A large hairy Bugbear. Alaster had seen Bugbears in pictures.

Appearing as a large brown bear standing up on two legs and with thumbs. Standing at over two meters tall, and with razor sharp claws and teeth. They typically lived in tribes numbering from one to two dozen, led by a Tribal Chief who could use Tribal Magic.

However, luckily for Alaster, Bugbears were much less active during the winter months. Otherwise, there would be at least two or three.

Alaster sensed that Gobi wanted to attack. After all, he had given the Skeleton orders to protect him. He had not declared that order finished, but the most recent order was to sit against the tree and pretend to be dead. Apparently, the most recent order took precedence. Alaster mentally begged Gobi not to move, not really expecting it to work. But the feeling he got from Gobi ended, almost, in acknowledgement.

Alaster had heard that Bugbears were slow, but extremely hard to kill and strong. A party of consisting more than thirty Adepts was needed to clear out a tribe of Bugbears. Alaster doubted being able to kill a single Bugbear, even if he had four Goblin Skeletons.

The Bugbear finished scratching its back and stumbled away, closer to Alaster's shelter. The boy quickly ducked down and put a few sticks over the hole of the fire, covering the light. Alaster heard the monster come closer, its large feet crushing the snow beneath it.

Alaster scrambled to the snow wall and laid there, hoping that if the Bugbear looked into his little shelter, it wouldn't see him right underneath it. However, the young man ensured that one of his hands were free and pointed up, ready to cast a Necrotic Bolt into its face if needed. If the Bugbear wanted to eat him, Alaster would at least give it a fight, even if it was guaranteed to end badly for him.

The wind began to accelerate, kicking up snow, obscuring everything. Alaster had already struggled to see the massive monster in the very dim and spotty light of the moon peeking out through the clouds, but now he was completely unable to see anything.

As Alaster could hear the Bugbear, and even feel it through the vibrations in the ground, getting closer, he could also feel the little Goblin Skeleton become agitated, in a way. It was a simple Undead, it had no mind or emotions, but Alaster could feel that with every step the Bugbear took closer to its master, Gobi desired to fight.

Luckily for Alaster, the Skeleton seemed to be able to dim the sickly light from its eyes and veins, though it seemed to become weaker and more oblivious as it did.

The Bugbear finally reached the small shelter. Its towering form was forced to hold branches apart to see into it as it leaned over. Unfortunately, Alaster had not accounted for it leaning over, and it saw him.

It growled as it found its prey, but Alaster had been ready. He immediately cast [Necrotic Bolt]. The force of the spell slamming into the right eye of the Monster and throwing its head back. A small part of Alaster hoped that the single bolt would kill the beast. After all, the book had stated that the bolt was extremely effective against flesh, and the Bugbear had taken it right to the face.

But it was not that easy. The Bugbear was simply too strong for a single spell from a Level one mage to do much. The more cautious side of Alaster knew that, and in this instance, it won out. As Alaster had fired the [Necrotic Bolt], he also ordered for Gobi to rush forward and hack at the back of the Bugbear's ankle.

The Goblin Skeleton was weak, even for a level one Undead, but the hatchet excelled at heavy slashes. However, it still only barely dug into the muscle. Not severing it as Alaster had hoped, but damaging it enough for the Bugbear to fall on its back when paired with the surprise bolt.

The Bugbear roared, shaking the snow from the nearby tree branches and forcing Alaster to clamp his hands over his ears. But an Undead didn't have ears. Unaffected, it swung its hatchet into the throat of the Bugbear. The little Skeleton swung down with all its might, biting deep.

The Bugbear's roar turned wet, and it blindly swung at its attacker, slamming into the Skeleton and sending it flying into a snow bank several meters away. But Alaster had not just laid there. The moment the Bugbear fell back, he had jumped to his feet. As the Hatchet fell, Alaster cast another bolt, this time aiming for Monster's other knee.

Even as Gobi was launched away, it had not let go of its Hatchet, being yanked out of the Bugbear's throat and widening the wound. Compared to the massive size of the Bugbear, it was a tiny and pathetic injury.

Alaster did not stop to watch his second bolt eat the flesh of the Monster's knee. He continued to cast bolts at each of the Bugbear's limbs, hoping to immobilize it. Previously, Alaster had noted that the [Necrotic Bolt] seemed to also eat any blood, making it a fairly clean affair, even if it was disgusting. However, as the bolts ate the flesh of the Monster, blood seemed to flood out and melt the snow in large quantities until it cooled enough to simply paint it.

However, even with the barrage, the Bugbear was simply too large and too powerful. It was in severe pain from the numerous critical areas. But with its initial surprise over, it rolled over and tried to rise to its feet, but found its legs unable to support its massive weight. Even as a new [Necrotic Bolt] slammed into it every five seconds, it did minimal damage.

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Enraged by the attack and the pain, the Bugbear spun around on all fours to face Alaster, who had caused it so much hurt in such a small amount of time. As it did so, Alaster saw the damage his first bolt had done to its face. Paired against the Bugbear's large CON, it had done very little, but it had done enough to completely melt its right eye and part of its ear.

Unable to lunge for the boy due to it wounded back legs, it instead dug into the ground with its front paws, but as it put all its weight on them, Alaster aimed his next bolt for the elbow joint. It did minimal damage once more, but that was not its purpose. The bolt slammed into the joint with enough force to buckle it, sending the Bugbear into the snow once more.

By this point, Gobi had returned and swung its hatchet into the back of the Monster's back right leg. Stunned, the Bugbear was unable to react as another [Necrotic Bolt] was cast into his right eye socket. Alaster did not know if the beast would be able to find him even without its vision, so he had instead hoped the Bolt would dig deep enough to destroy its mind.

It did not.

The Monster roared in agony, making the gaping hole in its throat even worse as blood began to fill its lungs. Its eye stared fiercely at Alaster, wanting nothing more than to rip the boy apart. But its body was unable. Alaster's [Necrotic Bolts] were unable to deal enough damage to kill the Bugbear, but it was enough to cripple it. And paired with Gobi's hatchet, it had been enough.

Alaster's heart raced. He had just done the impossible. He had beat a Bugbear, while he was only a Level one Novice. Granted, the monster was still alive and Alaster understood that he had not actually fought the bear and had only disabled it. But most considered a Bugbear to be a Monster only a pair of Adepts to be able to handle.

Alaster slumped forward, putting his hands on his knees, and gasped for breath.

"None of this would have happened if you had just left me alone." Alaster told the bear, even as it glared at him with fire in its eye.

"I would not have attacked you if you had simply walked away." Alaster stepped high to get over the Shelter's berm. Once out, he stood tall, even as the wind and snow battered him.

"So now, here are the consequences."

Alaster raised his hand once more and fired another bolt at the gaping hole that was the Bugbears right eye. And this time, it dug in deep enough. The Bugbear didn't even roar or move, it had been nearly instant as the Bolt destroyed the brain of the Bugbear through pure concussive force, then melted.

[Level up]

Alaster saw the words appear before his eyes, but he waved them away, focusing on Gobi.

Gobi stood tall before its master, even as its rib cage was shattered. Even as Alaster watched, a small fragment of bone fell. The bony hand the held the hatchet was covered in blood, as was the hatchet. The small Skeleton's large eyes burned brightly with its signature green.

Alaster summoned the Goblin Skeleton's status.

[Goblin Skeleton

Health: 19/55

Strength: 8

Dexterity: 12

Constitution: 6]

That single blow from the surprised and panicked Bugbear had wiped off thirty six health. Had Gobi been a living creature, it would be paralyzed with pain or even knocked out. But Undead felt no pain, and would serve its master until its second death. A death that had very nearly come for it.

However, the Goblin Skeleton was unable to heal itself, and Alaster did not have any way to heal it.

Alaster instead brought up his own Status.

[Class: Death Mage

Level: 2

EXP: 54%

Health: 130/130

Health Regeneration: 5/min

Mana: 50/130

Mana Regeneration: 1/min

Spells: Necrotic Bolt, Raise Undead, Bone Crafting

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 11

Constitution: 14

Wisdom: 19

Intelligence: 16

Stat Points: 5]

Alaster did not really think too deeply about it. He immediately put another point into WIS, to get it to 20 and granting him an increase in Mana Regeneration.

He then put two in both CON and INT.

[Class: Death Mage

Level: 2

EXP: 54%

Health: 140/140

Health Regeneration: 5/min

Mana: 50/140

Mana Regeneration: 2/min

Spells: Necrotic Bolt, Raise Undead, Bone Crafting

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 11

Constitution: 16

Wisdom: 20

Intelligence: 18]

[Necrotic Bolt

Level 2: 45%

Fires a single bolt of condensed Necrotic energy

Mana Cost: 10]

[Raise Undead

Level 2: 30%

Raise a small corpse to serve as your servant

Max Minion: 1/1

Mana Cost: 48]

However, while it was great to level up, it was really not nearly as great as the Bugbear corpse, which would help him directly in his current situation. As tired as he was, Alaster took the bloody hatchet from Gobi and set to work on the hide of the Bugbear.

Alaster's [Necrotic Bolts] had destroyed the limbs and face of the Bugbear, but its chest was practically unharmed. And it was massive.

Alaster was almost drooling at how warm the thick fur would be.