The giant bronze gate to foul Ur-Kadesh behind me felt rather warm compared to the ever-snow ahead. I took my first few steps out into the wilderness, following the vague instructions I’d been given by Kikiara, and suddenly dropped six inches into the snow with a yelp. Freezing and sodden, I lifted my foot out, but realised I didn’t feel the cold as acutely as I had on Earth.
Courtesy of that starting 10 Constitution and the buff from the Stonebear Cloak, I guess.
Eager to push my luck to the absolute breaking point, I shouldered my shield, lifted my Bronze Spear to my shoulder, and set off at a jog. I felt the exertion normally, and was a little let down, until I felt a well of energy within me. Like glimpsing something shiny between stones at the bottom of a shallow river, just within reach. I pushed towards that glint inside my mind’s eye and felt something click. My [Vigour] Skill came into play.
A massive headrush like fiery nicotine powered from somewhere in my chest to my extremities. Instantly, I felt the ground moving at a constant pace beneath my pumping thighs. I felt good.
I feel bloody incredible!
Nearing a fallen rune-covered pillar, long-since vandalised, I leapt and covered easily three yards in a single bound. I couldn’t help but punch the air and laugh. I picked up the pace even more, running — sprinting across the open ground, tundra, small grey grasses, the frightened quickly-disappeared ears of some wintry prey — all went past in an instant as I sped over the ground.
Imagine levelling this Skill! Kikiara has Level 3 — what must that feel like, or Level 10! I have to get stronger. I have to improve my Stats and level up my Skills!
The frozen waste, the biting cold, even the terrifying, twisted peaks that loomed over me on either sides like a closing ribcage, all became just blurs of meaningless colour or movement as I tore across the land, made to the milestone, span round the corner, found the goat path Kikiara had told me about, spied the frozen lake in the distance, and continued to sprint.
My first step onto the lake, I heard the final echo-bounce of a howl. I skidded to a halt over some ten feet, digging my sandals in and kicking up ice. Kikiara’s advice to duck for cover and hide spun around in my mind, but I refused. I stood my ground and scanned the banks of the lake.
Between two bent, leafless trees, pressed against the shadow of a cleft boulder, was the hunched shape of a wolf. Then another made itself known with a slow step onto the ice. Then another crested the boulder and stood stark black against the white blanket all around.
The stand-off lasted a few moments. I felt that river-like energy within me again and reached in. Something urged me forwards. Kikiara’s warning repeated in my head: anything other than a single warg, and I should run. Nonsense!
Ignoring her advice, I found [Battle Tactics] within me, and I suddenly knew that predators like this are rarely confronted, let alone by a single enemy while they travelled as a pack. I set off at a sprint instantly. My feet struggled to find purchase on the ice for a moment, but then with [Vigour], each heel-kick propelled me forwards; the second reach for the Skill took a few moments longer.
Closing the distance rapidly, I raised my spear and pushed my unburdened hand into the pouch to clasp around the Analysis Card. Even at my pace, SYS appeared beside me, and even at the distance — more than a hundred yards — the boxes popped up as I glanced between the wargs and were easy to read.
Fiend :
Warg A, Level 3
Stats :
Str 6, Dex 6, Con 8, Mnd 1
Attacks :
Claw, Bite, Pin
Loot :
Ragged Pelt, Broken Fang
Weakness :
Fearful for allies
XP :
18
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Fiend :
Warg B, Level 3
Weakness :
Blind in left eye
Fiend :
Warg C, Level 3
Weakness :
Flees when alone
While running, I reached in for [Battle Tactics] and processed the information, and a plan came to my mind almost fully-formed. Simply put, it went: B, A, C.
The wargs turned to face one-another then slunk slowly out of the shadows. Their haunches were thin and gaunt and their bodies were elongated and thick with black fur — they were just weird, ugly wolves in all ways but one; their faces were pale and hairless, their snouts were short and . . . unsettlingly human-like. Human-seeming eyes, but yellow and savage, followed my rush as they paced very cautiously forwards onto the ice.
The last few yards were closed and I felt my face beam in an unbidden grimace. Warg C held back, as I’d expected, and the other two bared bestial fangs from within their otherwise human jaws and leapt forwards. As I’d done before, I lunged forwards and skidded low across the ice.
Warg A made a wild swipe at me with a long, yellowed set of claws, which passed over my head as I slid — that beast could wait! In a flash I was in the blindside of Warg B, before it could turn. With full momentum and a dip into [Weapon Mastery] I brought my spear round and STABBED forwards, catching the beast full in its neck. A spray of crimson put the beast down instantly.
The effect was instant, as their Weaknesses had shown — Warg A yelped and turned to its fallen companion. After a beat, I pushed back with one powerful jump, [Vigour] took a little longer still to kick in, but the delay in its reaction was enough! I threw my whole weight into the warg, shield-shoulder first, and met the side of its human face with a CRUNCH. It howled pain like an awful mockery of a human’s speech, and sprawled on the ice.
In the same movement I adjusted my grip on the spear and brought it down hard, through the beast’s side, with a CRACK through bone and into the ice. Its death throes were short and merciful, but I felt absolutely savage — in fact, I felt powerful.
Suddenly alone, seeing its two fallen, Warg C’s eyes were filled with recognisable fear. Its slender thews worked as they could to pull itself backwards in a panic over the ice. I was upon it while its dark paws slid and slipped for a second too long. My spearhead flashed and the sharp bronze blade cut across its side, and [Weapon Mastery] opened the patchy coat. A steaming red mess spilled onto the ice and its frantic eyes went dark.
Panting over my spoils, I gulped air heavily. The heat of the sprint and the sudden movement hit me all at once and I swayed where I stood as [Vigour] wore off a third time, and the aftereffects of the other Skills vibrated through my blood.
Triumphant, I pointed my spear to the sky and roared out the truth that overcame my brain: “I am alive!”
My vision was spotty with exertion and my muscles trembled with adrenaline. The stink of wet fur and the copper of blood filled my nose. I blinked against the searing whiteness of the overcast sky and dizzily fell to one knee, then for a short while, I basked in the sheer reality of it all.
Hunter! Victorious! A Warrior!
Righting my breathing, steadying myself, I brought myself back to my feet and approached the three fallen.
“SYS, how do I loot them?”
Bzz.
// SYS : Remove the hide with a sharp knife, you can choose to start from the lower lip or the anus— //
“Thanks, I get the picture!”
I stomped over to one of the beasts. No way was my first incredible win going to be marred by me trying to skin an animal for the first time using a spear. . . . I lifted one of the warg’s heads and saw its dead-eyed human face staring back at me. I couldn’t bring myself to pull a tooth out of its jaw, either. The Experience would have to be enough for me.
“How much do I need to level up?”
// SYS : You are Level 1. To reach Level 2, you need 75 Experience Points. Then for Level 3, you will need to gain a further 82 XP, then for Level 4, 88 XP. This increases with the following easy-to-remember formula: y = 0.02x^3 + 3.06x^2 + 66.6x - 895. //
My eyes glazed over as the spoken numbers also popped up in a text box with the next few lots of Experience needed.
“Just tell me each time I gain XP. So I’m almost there, right?”
// SYS : You gained 54 XP for defeating the three Wargs. You now have 54 and need 75 total for the next Level. //
“Makes me want to find some more. . . .”
// SYS : It is unheard of that a new player with starting equipment could take on a pack of three Wargs and live to tell the tale. //
“Flatterer.”
// SYS : Pace yourself. Even knowing an enemy’s weakness, the monsters in this area of the world are well beyond your ability. You are not advised to grind XP here. //
“Please, I’m the Chosen One, remember, and besides —”
// SYS : I never used that phrase. //
“— you wouldn’t’ve put me here if it was that dangerous.”
Puffing out my chest, I looked out slowly over the horizon, but couldn’t see any other fiends about. A little crestfallen, I took one last look at the dead monsters at my feet.
“Sorry — you’re just XP to me, now.”