Moaning shook him from his daze and wetness slicked the hairs about his eyes and down his cheeks. His body felt so strong that he kept opening and closing his forepaws feeling the strength surge in his limbs. Who was weeping so piteously? Will they not shut up? Did he leave a weasel cruelly wounded, pained and dying? He shook himself, feeling the vibration in his throat go still. The moaning came from him. Embarrassment made that near all-encompassing lost a bit smaller, easier to shove down into a corner of his mind. Lam watched him with a wistful expression on his face, everybeast around them did, as if they were all drinking in his strength. No! That was not it! They know what it feels like. By the Hound in the Sky it was likely they felt that…bliss, more than once. Ogre shivered then pushed it back down. Borhelm was different than the others, a smirk of understanding contorted his great tusked face rather than vicarious memory. If he was truly a level 1000 hero, he would have felt that goodness a thousand times over.

The fox was no longer holding his side. And the blood that painted him, likely both his and the beasts he killed was gone. All the blood that spilled in pools, which did not sink into the strange grass and flagstones, was gone. Ogre recalled dimly watching the brown and fresh red gore evaporate from his body when he leveled up. The dog considered the chaotic body shivering, muscle blistering battle he just had. Images of the brutality, both committed upon him and by him flashed behind his eyes. It should have made him fold under pressure of ending so many, just to save his own life. However, he felt nothing. There was nothing but a longing for the bliss. You must decide now, Ogre! The dog said to himself. It’s too strong, too wonderful to pursue such a sweet prize, without trying to control it. I must control it! Ogre blinked, then scanned the area. The bodies of the fallen were also gone. Did they fade into smoke just like the blood? Are there no corpses left in this world? What about meat?

The banner appeared summoned by his thought. And the thought of meat, the image of it floating his head, made his belly growl like distant thunder. Lam started at the sound, it was so loud so insistent that some of the others, mostly otters, and a pair of foxes must have heard it. Ogre recalled some of the other beasts eating bread and dried meat and cheese as Borhelm first spoke to him. But he did not want to wait to ask the long-winded boar.

Ogre willed the dripping deep red meat into his paws. It was a thighbone but the meat on it had been striped from an entire body, nearly half a weasels full weight. It was wrapped tight around the bone and still it was a mound of glossy red flesh. From the corner of his eye, the dog saw Borhelm turn away from the sight. Lam sided up close to Ogre as he tore into the bloody meat.

“It’s a wonder that we survived this…more so that you were able to conquer that ridiculous bleed damage.”

Ogre growled at the fox for how near it was to his food. Then stopped embarrassed once again when the fox quickly stepped back.

“I’m sorry,” He said, between great mouthfuls, “I feel like I haven’t eaten for a month!”

“It’s alright, I should know better than to get between a dog his evening bone,”

“Dhu wuu want anme?” Ogre asked, holding up the empty bone, before blinking at it, then looking suspiciously at the fox. “I thought there was more.”

“Fresh meat is a luxury, at least from what I have seen in the tutorial levels and out here before you joined us, if you don’t dress the meat or just eat it from the source, the body fades quickly after death.” Said Lam pulling up his Status Mirror and positioning his body so that only Ogre could see. “However, I am fine for now, the tower gave us vittles. Meat, bread, cheese, and some sweet-tasting wine-elixir. It should be there in your inventory.”

I need to check that thing in full it seems to be bursting with things I might want or need. Ogre summoned another leg wrapped with meat, after cracking the first and sucking the marrow from the bone.

“How do I cook this?”

A fire abruptly appeared, it was ringed by smooth round stones and had two forked poles on either side of it. The thighbone with meat was replaced in Ogre’s paws with a long iron bar through it’s center that had a hand crank attached to one end. After a second of thought the dog placed the spit in its holders and began to turn it. A timer of 30 seconds ticked off in one corner of his eye, as transparent circles with a plus or minus sign appeared and vanished, indicating the speed at which he needed to turn the spit. Roasting meat filled his nose, and everybeast, including Borhelm, leaned in where they stood, fascinated by the process. The timer flashed red, but Ogre was a second too slow in pulling it from the spit. The meat went from glossy, pinkish brown to burnt at the edges with a fan of black painting it.

Ogre quickly absorbed the information that the banners showed him but paused as he got an indication that his movement speed was down. The cooked meat had a different texture, but did not have the same natural flavor that the raw meat had. Still, the meat of the mustels had a strong odor associated with them and cooking helped to mitigate that. Also, there were different benefits just as the banners indicated. The dog ignored Lam’s status, though he appreciated the trust the fox displayed by showing it to him.

“I will trust you to tell me what you will about your status mirror. You saved my life at the peril of your life and for that you have my trust.”

Lam nodded. “I’m…I’m level 22, I have enough insight to reach level 25, now. I think if you haven’t already that you should learn as much as you can about your mirror and whatever information it can give you by asking it. Once I recover from leveling up I can give you a rundown of everything I know so far. I’m guessing that you have no memory of what happened during your Tutorial Levels?”

Ogre hesitated only a second. I thought as much, I don’t know why I am the only one that does not recall but either the other beasts including Lam did not lost their memory or that great Boar told them everything they needed to know. “I do not, do you, Lam?”

“For what I heard, all beasts here can recall what happened in the tutorial levels, but none of us remembers what came before. I just wanted to confirm that you did not remember, I’ll just be a few minutes.”

The dog nodded feeling sluggish.

The hint in the explanation of the skill: Glutton said I should sleep or meditate. Perhaps it will help mitigate the status debuff I got from overeating? I will try to see If I can nap after receiving my weapons, class, and nature. Let me check my inventory first. Ogre willed every weapon that could be in his inventory before him. A pile of daggers, axes, swords, shields, spears, a greatsword, a great axe, and maul rested in the grass at his feet. He looked at the weapons and sorted them based on their damage, ore-type, and kind. He paired specific weapons with the beasts that did the most damage to him and looked closer at them.

(S) Pig Iron Twin Axes [Hack]

Dmg: 175 (x2)

Req:

Wt: 23 (x2)

(S) Pig Iron Sword [Pierce + Slash]

Dmg: 135

Req: Str/Dex 15

Wt: 18

(S) Pig Iron Spear [Pierce]

Dmg: 165

Req: 20

Wt: 22

(S) Banded Pig Iron Shield & Short Sword [Blunt/Crush/Pierce/Slash]

Dmg: -563/105

Req: Str 200

Wt: 100/15

(E) Pig Iron Giant Great Sword [Cleave + Lance + Blunt]

Dmg: 200

Req: Str 500

Wt: 200

Ogre listed off his skills in his head asked the mirror to explain each one. The dog yawned mightily, feeling a lethargy spread over his body like a thick oil. His eyes became lidded, and he thought that a nap might do him some good. After hearing what the system said concerning each skill, he summed it up so that he could recall it later. Work-Hymn is a song that allows one to put fatigue to zero during the song and after, it slows the accumulation of fatigue. Fatigue is an after affect of vigor consumption, which occurs with each action above normal activity.

The voice told him that battle was so intense that it was by far the greatest contributor to fatigue, and that only near-death experiences effected the body more. Fatigue is that important? Ogre considered. The voice explained that like severe bleeding and other status debuffs high fatigue affects one’s status to extreme levels, from making one be more susceptible to ailments, debuffs, and negative status, up to death by sheer exhaustion. So sleep, meditation and specific skills can reduce fatigue. I will need to keep an eye on fatigue as it will impact my ability to fight, and I can’t readily see it. I can feel it though. Bloodlust I know by experience, I used it and it was used on me by that carcajou. Battle-Cry can also reduce fatigue, but I do think it is temporary. It also debuffs foes and buffs me and my allies. I’ll have to use it to see exactly how. Telescopic-Eye is useful for ranged attacks and scouting as it can increase eyesight to an incredible degree. Silver-Tongue allows me to get better deals when dealing with merchants or in any exchange of goods, services, or jules. Ogre sniffed. It’s value will be made evident later when we get to a town or city.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

The passive skills activate automatically so I don’t need to memorize how they work to use them but knowing what they do will allow me to understand how my body will respond to certain stimulus. Mule affects fatigue so much that even being on death’s door will only affect me about half as much. That is likely why I could perform so well when fighting so many mustels. Workhorse, allows me to operate at extremely high levels, such as during battle, for as long as my super compensated fatigue holds out. Constitution increases my ability to weather fatigue, effectively doubling how long I can operate with fatigue inducing activities. Lethal-Paws allows an object to become as deadly a weapon as a sword in the paws one who does not have this passive. Charismatic may be the reason why Lam helped me. Hand-Eye-Coordination gives great control over my limbs. Veteran's-Itch, gives an extra sense that reacts to danger. Durable makes me tougher to kill. Every one of those skills seems to fine tune me to battle. Ogre recalled his status mirror, the vocation and classes shown there. So that is what they are for they allow you to fight better with little to no training. It’s powerful and very useful.

Still, Learned, Visionary, and Eidetic fascinated him more. To Ogre it seemed that the kingdoms, empires, and high realms were just as deadly as creatures he was supposed to slay. That was embodied by what the cat said, what the boar explained and the fact that other adventurers tried to kill him. Learned gave him basic knowledge of all maps and advanced knowledge of all rulers, nations, and lands. It must only activate outside of this tower, as I cannot recall anything about any land right now. Eidetic allowed Ogre to have a perfect recall of what he saw. Visionary was a bit special; it was supposedly a passive skill, but it did not unduly affect his vision as the explanation of the skill indicated. Visionary is supposed to allow me to imagine in three-dimensional space and on top of that see everything around me precisely for ten paces, even if it is behind me. Perhaps looking behind me without turning my head is the active skill? Ogre turned his back to Lam and closed his eyes. Darkness and a small version of the status mirror waited behind his eyelids. He rolled his eyes in their sockets for a few minutes and was about to give up, when he sensed the small pin-print of light floating at the bottom corner of his eyes. It was hard to distinguish with the elaborate and bright status so readily available. When he peered into it the world opened to him. A circle of space opened to his questing mind, twenty paces across, with a radius of ten paces from where he stood in the center. At the periphery of this sight, a border vanished into darkness similar to the black of his eyelids, capping his new world. With a thought he could move his mind around in his bubble and even through the ground itself. Ogre could even change his perspective from a panoramic view that stretched and warped his sight to a top-down bird’s eye view. This will be useful…especially being able to see through solid objects.

Ogre opened his eyes and smiled. During the battle with the mustels he took more than a few wounds when some of them attacked him from behind. With this skill he could see the battlefield around him so well that no one should be able to sneak behind him if he were careful. With a thought Ogre allowed the piles of weapons to vanish back into his inventory save for three. The axes felt good in his paws, but the greatsword had a weight to it that felt right. During the battle Ogre knew that he moved and fought as if he had more than a little experience in fighting. Even if he did not directly remember his time in the Tutorial Tower Levels, it seemed that his body had muscle memory associated with battle. The axes felt comfortable in his paws. Would any weapon feel the same? What did I get up to in those levels? Ogre thought.

The dog switched both axes to one paw before picking up the greatsword. It was heavy in one hand, hard to bring the tip up from the ground, holding the pommel of the sword. It weighs as much as I do, barring the weight of the food in my belly. Ogre had a thought. The dog placed the hilt of the greatsword between his teeth. In his jaws it was easy to lift. It should be no wonder I’m sure strength has something to do with damage. And If I’m right about that my neck and jaws are stronger than my arms and even legs. Ogre touched his head, self-consciously. Both Tulron and Borhelm commented on the size of my head. If it is truly monstrous, I will use it to my strength. Ogre realized that he had already done just that. Both wolverines fell to him by fatal bites. Ogre dropped the greatsword from his mouth, and sent the axes to his inventory. He then picked up the greatsword with his paws. The other beasts were still watching him. They did not attack with the mustels, but they did not lend a paw to help either. He would not trust them. Should I trust them? Is there a lesson to be learned from what happened? Should I be more trusting? Lam obviously saved my life. Even if his warning did not stop the attack, he did join in the battle to help me. I know for certain without his help I would be dead! I had no idea about the elixir. The dog felt a strange warmth for the beast. He bled for me. He, at least I can trust. Plus, I need the fox. Borhelm barely gave me any good information concerning this place.

Ogre sought Lam out by looking over the space. The area was spacious enough that even the vast crystal square close to the trunk, easily a hundred paces high and wide did not make the area feel cramped. So, the thirty or so beasts spread over the alcove needed to be observed with more than one sweep of his eyes. If I could increase the range of Visionary by one hundred-fold then I can watch them all at once. Ogre thought. The dog knew that given the impossible size of the tree, he should not be surprised at grandness of the alcove near it. The opening to this place did not do it justice! Borhelm stood close to center of the statues watching them, primarily Ogre and mumbling to himself. Ogre ignored the words. His battle took him all about the center of the space, which in turn pushed the others to the edges, near the mountainous wall of roots. Lam was where Ogre left him, just twenty paces behind him, opposite where the boar waited. He looked to be done with his leveling, but his eyes had that glazed look to him and when Ogre sniffed in his direction his nose filled with the scent of unmitigated joy. The smell nearly made him feel sad. It would be a long time before he could feel that pleasure again. Be careful, Ogre! Even that cat told you to be careful! Ogre took a deep breath and looked away from Lam.

The dog steeled himself and then strode for Borhelm.

“That was quite impressive, dog, I was not sure you would make it even when you defeated them all. Especially when you did not immediately level up to heal yourself!” The boar said.

The words surprised Ogre. They were probing words, seeking answers to questions that Borhelm did not want to ask directly. Why? He is powerful enough that I cannot do anything to him, right? Why the charade?

“I am…lacking information that the others have, Master Borhelm.”

“That is an answer that I did not think you had the wit for, Ogreen.” Said Borhelm, he ground one of the spikes on his giant mace into the flagstones.

It seemed to be an unconscious action of boredom. Now, Ogre was not so sure that the affectation was real. The dog forced his breathing to be even. The boar was obnoxious at best, and he gave those beasts leave to slay him.

“Why did you let them…attack me?”

Ogre froze as he said it, then cursed his bubbling anger for making him speak so openly on how he felt. I cannot afford to make this beast mad at me right now. I must get strong first!

Borhelm groaned, then took his beady eyes from Ogre and peered at his mace as if it was more important than Ogre’s question.

“That’s disappointing, dog, why would I stop them? They are not the only beasts with blood on their hooves. Every creature who made it through the Tutorial Levels had to slay their peers, including you. Yet you do not ask, why I didn’t stop you. Did you?”

“They attacked me first, and my name is Ogre, not Ogreen!” Said Ogre, “You let nearly twenty of the beasts attack one? How is that fair? If it is to ensure only the strong is allowed to leave this tower than it should not be determined by such treacherous methods. Another beast would have died.”

“Other beasts have already died…in their hundreds and thousands and much, much more. What do I care about fairness or even strength? I care only if you can survive and if you survive such treachery perhaps you will make it in the world beyond. Perhaps you’ll become the pet of a cat, though I do think you’ll get yourself killed way before then. I see those eyes, dog. You want to slay me right now, even though I’m centuries beyond your capabilities.”

Ogre opened his mouth to deny it, then closed it words left unspoken on his tongue.

Borhelm leaned in close to Ogre. Despite his success with the mustels, just seeing the massive size of the boar was enough to make him want to draw back. Somehow, he held his ground.

“You are brave, you are willing to face death snout-first and you are willing to slay many to save your hide.” Borhelm said, he clasped Ogre on the shoulder with a great metal gauntlet. “I wish to give something to you for the fighting spirit you showed in that battle. Will you accept it, Ogre?”

The dog blinked and looked down. He was still angry at the boar, but if he truly meant to kill Borhelm for the part he played, wouldn’t he have to kill the other beasts who ignored his plight? Ogre told the boar, that the fight was not fair. Was it fair to require them to put their lives on the line for him? They could have warned me! Ogre knew that Lam did warn him. And yet that warning did not stop the ambush from happening.

“I will not accept something unless I know what it is.”

Borhelm smiled broadly displaying his tusks and large blunt teeth in a grisly manner. They were startlingly white. “It is a gift of wisdom and soulweight. One that will multiply your strength if you survive this world as you survived those weasels.”

Is it a wisdom bonus? The bonus from Tulron is one of the best reasons why I had enough to be able to level up and get fully healed of the severe bleeding. Though it was not quite enough. If he’s offering this, wouldn’t I be a fool to past it up?

“What do you want me to do, to acquire this gift, Master Borhelm?”

“You have already done it, dog,” Said the boar, “You have earned my respect. Will you accept a token of it?”

Ogre clenched his teeth and forced his muzzle to stay smooth. He wanted to snarl at Borhelm. But what about Lam? My initial thoughts about him were wrong. He bled for me, he fought for me and gave up precious elixir so that I may live. Perhaps I misjudge Borhelm Son of Bearhand as well? Ogre wanted that logic to be the reason why his heart yearned for the chance to gather wisdom and exp faster. He would not allow it to be for the fact that he sweated when he thought about leveling up again. The thrill, the sheer life of it was…incredible.

“I will.”

The boar nodded before speaking. “The Lord of the Sky is the Godboar, Still, the Godlion hunts true, One tramples the day to night, The other makes the day anew. The end of Night, brings the Beginning of Day. A Noble’s right: Master of Wisdom.”

The words floated red before Ogre’s eyes, like blood and fire intermingled. He accepted it with a thought. Fire scorched him, radiating from where the boar touched his shoulder. Ogre moaned and tried to move away. Borhelm held him fast.

The boar sighed but his smile grew. “They always accept, usually without even asking their mirrors what it means. I’ll tell you, though I have not bothered to tell the others. You will have a three hundred percent increase in wisdom and exp gain, however I will take ninety nine percent of your soulweight and eighty-five percent of all of your insight. In short I offered you a copper jule and you gave me a castle.”

Ogre’s eyes bulged working out the math almost before the boar was finished. He doen’t know that Tulron also gave me that buff. So, he thinks he’s leaving me with just fifteen percent. But even with the one oh five percent that remains…that is…too much! Ogre growled then glaring at the giant boar with eyes of such anger that he had to clench his paws to keep from calling his axes. Still, there was a small part of him, that was rational. He will kill you. And though you may think you will be satisfied that he could not steal from you if you are dead, you would still be dead!

The dog turned away from the boar grinding his teeth before he lifted his muzzle to the root ceiling and once more howled his fury to its vaults.