“Is this the guy?”

“Yeah, it’s him. I can smell him from a mile away.”

The voices break me out of my sleep. I find myself in a familiar wood makeshift shelter. I managed to make a hut out of bog, mud, vines, and logs. It’s not as appealing and it doesn’t smell great but at least it keeps me out of the sun. I’ve been biding my time here for a week now, trying to think of a way out of here. At a certain point, I accepted my fate and told myself I would be fine staying here as long as there was a source of water.

I think I regret it now, I think as the encroaching footsteps grow closer.

I peek my head out to heavy greenery outside. The moon glows through the thick leaves above me as owls and insects chirp loudly at every corner. It would be a peaceful night if it weren’t for the gruff voices sounding behind my tiny home.

“Tracker, I thought you were good at this. I haven't seen him yet.”

“Calm down, Gale. He’s right ahead. Just a couple more paces. Now shush, he may have just as keen hearing as we do.”

Too late.

I bolt from my cover, running away from the voices behind me. Thick branches and webs hit my face as I transverse the woods. I know these parts well since I’ve been exploring for the past few days. I know that right up ahead there’s a waterfall. Behind that waterfall is a cave full of Razor Wolves. I’ve seen them walking in and out on my trips to drink water.

If I lead them to their den, they can distract them while I escape.

Hopefully one of them can die from the barrage of beasts.

The lake ahead of me is massive. Clear, crystalline water flows gently from the mid-sized waterfall behind it. I run around the sandy arches of the lake toward the cave sitting furthest away. I spot a bush next to the edges of where the cave and water meets and try to wedge myself behind it.

Hopefully none of them are awake at this time.

Or worse, they catch wind of me and try to ambush.

I wait for some time with no issues. It takes minutes to hear the two footsteps reach leagues from my position. I try to make myself seem smaller behind the bush by scrunching my body together but I don’t think it did much.

“He’s here,” Tracker mutters, his voice ringing out across the clearing. “Somewhere.”

“Tracker, I see a cave. Do you think he’s hiding in there?” Gale asks, impatience teetering at the edge of his voice.

“The footprints lead here, so it’s most likely the case.”

“Good,” he laughs. “Let’s kill him. Avalon said he stole his ability. Maybe killing him will help get them back?”

“Avalon wants to capture him, not kill him.”

Gale growls. “If I blast ice on you, will it melt away if I was struck down?”

“We don’t know that for sure. That incident happened only once.”

Their footsteps grow closer. My heart beats into my throat. I have the urge to run but I know that will only end badly. If they wake the Razor Wolves with their loud bickering, maybe that will deter them. Or they think I’m dead. Hopeful thinking.

“I smell something foul,” Tracker whispers.

“Like what?”

“Razor Wolves.”

“Are you telling me he went in with a bunch of beasts?”

“Or they killed him.”

“Well the only way to find out is if we check.”

Their footsteps reach next to my bush. I shrink deeper within hoping that the Tracker guy doesn’t catch a whiff of me.

“Wait-“ Tracker’s footsteps stop. I hear him sniff the air and I tense with the expectation of an upcoming fight.“I smell something…”

“Watch out!” Gale calls.

I hear a resonating growl as a large thorny shadow jumps through the waterfall. I hear Gale grunt and water splash.

“Gale!” Tracker cries.

More growls enveloped the space and I assume that all the Razor Wolves have awoken.

“Shit,” I hear him whisper. “I’m sorry, Gale. I can only do so much!”

I hear feet run further away from my bush and fade away into the grassy distance.

“Damn you, Tracker! I’ll kill you for this!” I hear a Razor Wolf whine and another loud splash along with it.

Barking erupts as I hear claws scraping against the surface of the rock. Gale cries out in rage as I listen to the man tear through flesh and bone snapping. With my wildest imaginations, I assume he’s winning the fight with some struggle.

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He’s probably weakened. Now’s my chance to move.

I take this opportunity to stand up from my hiding spot but as I do I lock eyes with him.

His eyes are red with rage and blood. He’s burly, tanned. Short, drenched, brown hair with white ends sits on top of their head. Blood and gore is splattered all over his torn, leather armor. He sneers at me, showing his teeth. They’re very different from my own. Both canines are so long they poke over his bottom lip. He’s like a monster of nightmares as he stands in the mist of floating bodies in the middle of the lake.

“There you are…” a cruel grin appears on his face.

Shit.

My spine runs cold with fear. I immediately dart to the right, turning away from the waterfall and into the forest.

“You can’t run, new blood!” I hear him cry.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

I should have waited until he left!

As I run through thick vines and jump over fallen logs, I hear crackling in the air and a chill on my back. I instinctively duck into the earthy floor, feeling hot pain cut into my shoulder. Landing on my stomach, I watch as a large ice shard whizzes by. It breaks apart into a nearby tree before it can embed itself.

He can throw ice?

I feel sharp claws dig into my back. I feel myself being flung into a nearby tree and fall to the ground. Grunting in pain, I stand but two hands grab me by my tattered robe and lift me. I watch as a glacier blue ice shard forms in front of my face. Red eyes glint in the dark behind it.

“This is your payment for ruining our leader.”

For a hierarchy based on strength, what did Avalon ever do to deserve so much respect?

Wrapping my hands around his wrists, I bring a pained smile to my lips.

He gives me a confused look. “What are you grinning about?”

Activate!

Ding!

[Activation: Soul Eater!]

[Analyzing…]

[Failed!]

[Reason: Target Is A Higher Level Than You!]

[Exception: Target Takes One-sixth Damage!]

How strong is this guy?

“What the hell?” Gale’s face pales as he briefly loses his grip against me. The ice shard melts away and I use this opportunity to kick him away.

“Gah!” He stumbles back but doesn’t fall.

I run, feeling my energy slowly draining from the ordeal.

One-sixth? Does that mean I have to land a touch on him five separate times? Between that period, he has the ability to do long range attacks. I'll most likely die before then. This isn’t a battle worth winning. I need to find a way out.

The ground shakes as two pillars of ice shoot themselves from the floor in front of me. Trees tear apart as birds scatter upon the impact. I halt in front of them, a cold mist wafting off the large, almost transparent sickles. Hearing his footsteps behind me, I notice that the wall only goes a few feet and dart to the left. Just as soon as I do so, another large shard rises from the ground. It was a couple inches from impaling me but thankfully I jump back with agile speed.

“Neat trick you got there,” Gale announces.

I spin to face him. I can already see an ice wall forming around us. Frost changes the atmosphere, making the trees turn white and the ground freeze over. As I move back against the ice wall, I feel the frozen grass crunch under my feet.

I just need to touch him five more times. He trapped us together so maybe that’ll make close combat more effective.

With newfound determination I leap at him. Ice forms into large needles seemingly out of nowhere and launches at me in retaliation.

Shit! Bad idea! I can’t dodge them mid-air!

I attempt to change momentum but the three shards of ice still hit. I feel myself fall abruptly from the force, fiery pain shooting in my chest and abdomen. I land on my back with a gasp. The ice shards quickly melt away, leaving two gaping holes in my stomach and one lung filled with water and blood.

Hopefully I can level up after this.

I hear a crackle in the air and widen my eyes as a large block of ice forms over me. Rolling out of the way with a heaving cough, I dodge the block attack. It smashes into the ground so hard that the frozen soil underneath breaks apart into shrapnel, propelling at me with numbers of speed. I feel pieces embed themselves into my face and arms as I put my hands up to my eyes.

“Agility can only get you so far,” Gale says.

My senses tells me he’s running at me. I turn to face him, holding out my hand in preparation. He has a shard in his hand shaped like a thin sword, hilt and all. It’s too late as he hurls into me, an intense pain spreading where my liver used to be.

Now!

I grab the hand still pushing the shard into my body. We both fall to the ground, the heavy man knocking the wind out of me with his weight.

Activate!

[Analyzing…]

[Overriding…]

Overriding what?

The shard is quickly pulled out. He holds me down by my shoulder, raising his ice sword in the air for the final blow.

[Activation: Soul Manipulation]

[Analyzing…]

[Partial Success!]

[Exception: Target Is Above Your Level! Target Will Be Dealt Massive Damage Based Percentage Of Exhaustion!]

Eh?

Gale suddenly stops, his eyes bulging out of his head. His grip weakens as the sword melts from his hand. He begins to shake, bringing his hands to his face and staring at his palm.

“What did you do?” He gasps, blood rolling from the corner of his lips. His eyes begin to redden with blood as it leaks from his tear ducts. “What are you?” He coughs blood onto me and I cringe. He rolls onto the ground and lies on his stomach, coughing up concerning amounts of it.

What did I just do?

I begin to stand but I don’t make it far. I collapse back on my bottom, my hands shaking and covered in my own fluids. I hold my open wounds, the rhythmic stinging sending shivers down my body, and a hollow, windy cough sending shivers of pain in my chest.

I’ll die from this, surely.

I wait for a notification from the voice to say that I leveled up but nothing happens. A drowsiness takes over my vision and I have the urge to lay down and fall asleep.

Does it only level me up if I kill?

I look over to Gale. He’s still convulsing, blood leaking out of every orifice of his face. His ears and nose are even caked in it. He looks up at me with bloody eyes, anger still evident in his gaze.

“Are you going to kill me or what?” He croaks. “It’s cruel to leave a dying man to suffer.”

I look at him, my brows knitting together in a concentrated line. “I’m okay leaving you here,” I lie. “I could say the same for you with the amount of holes you put through me.”

The man makes a gurgled chuckle, his eyes painfully closing for a few seconds. “But you can still sit up. I can barely move. You have a chance.”

I shake my head. “I might let you marinate first.”

He let out another laugh. “You’re truly evil, you know that? No wonder Avalon sees you as a threat.With that ability of yours, whatever that was, the whole continent of Agath should put you down.”

Agath? Is that the name of this place? I wonder what other countries reside here besides Trinity and Aralith. Maybe there’s countries more accepting of monsters?

I frown, “that was an accident.”

Gale’s face scrunches in a weak grimace. “What new blood comes out of nowhere and attacks our leader! You took his ability! Surely you plan to do something vile with it!”

I don’t even know how to use the damn thing much less control my abilities!

“And what you did earlier… what was that?” He continues, his eyes harden accusingly. “You have stolen more than just Avalon’s power? You’re planning more than what meets the eye, I know it!”

He knows nothing. It’s almost infuriating how much people assume! But I guess I am an odd case if I have more than one ability compared to everyone else.

This is so annoying.

I keep the comment to myself and shake my head once again. “There’s no point explaining it to a dead man,” I sigh.

He laughs weakly, “you’re right.”

With shaking legs I crawl over to him on my knees. He watches me carefully, his body shuddering every few seconds.

“I’ll kill you but it’s only for my benefit, not your mercy.”

He shakes his head, closing his eyes and letting out another shuddering breath. “Fair,” he huffs. “Do it. Just promise me this, don’t kill Tracker when you find him.”

“Why not? He was with you, wasn’t he?”

“He’s innocent,” he heaves, his eyes closing as his breath grows shallow.

Sure.

I want to roll my eyes at the dying man’s last words. I’ll see that he’s innocent with my eyes alone. As far as I know, everyone in this area is out to kill me in one way, shape, or form.

I bring my hands to his back, willing my power to course through me.

Ding!

[Activation: Soul Eater!]

[Success!]

Ding!

[LEVEL 5!]

Ding!

[LEVEL 6!]

[New Skills: [Intimidation], [Dominance]!]