Chapter Four- Zone One- The Forest

Eric made for a brisk walk through the trees, it was midday and wasn’t anywhere near as cold as it had been. Light slipped through the branches of thetrees illuminating Eric’s’ surrounding.

The trees and ground seemed to blend together into dull browns, a grim view indeed.

After a few minutes, Eric found a the path with two deep inclines on either side of it. In that time he noticed a number of animals: squirrels, and a fox,both of which avoided him entirely. In the distance, he could hear the squawking of a flock of crows.

When he finally reached the path, Eric took a moment to consider which way to go. With any luck the path would lead to the safe zone Tim had mentioned.Shit, Eric thought, if I stick to the path that fucker might find me.

Almost on queue, the sky flashed red. Eric looked around desperately and found the echo causing it. With a sigh of relief, he pointed his sword at themonster.

The fox monster craned its head, as if it was considering the best way to rip into its new toy. Its fur was slick and thinnest around its black legs whilethick over the bulk of its body. Its legs, where the fur was thinnest, boasted a number of robust and defined muscles. At the end of those legs wheredisastrous yellow claws. Its eyes where a carnal yellow and its teeth looked more like nails.

There was no running from this thing. Eric could see that much also, his stamina was low and there was no way he last very long. This had to end quickly.At least he wouldn’t feel bad, killing something so despicable looking.

The beast dashed at him, before he even realised, the beast was on top of him. Eric threw himself back, but it quickly closed the space between them byleaping towards Eric.

In that moment, Eric reeled the sword back to his side and tightened his grip. As the space between him and the monster closed, Eric pulled with his leftarm, and twisting at his hips as the stick wiped around and hit the beast in its side. A loud smack was made audible and the monster fell back to theground, rolling down the incline to the left of the path, before finally hitting a tree that solidly caught the beast. Eric watched as it picked itself up.

It glared up at Eric, growling. Climbing up the hill and leaping at Eric it gave a sharp bark before closing its fangs Eric’s’ leg. Seeing this, he triedto pull his leg back, smacking downwards at the beast as he did so.

Despite his efforts, the fox managed to catch his leg in its jaw.

[health has fallen to 9]

Shit, Eric’s’ blow hit its neck and it let go of his leg, retreating before quickly recovering. Eric could barely keep track of it as it literally rancircles around it before lashing out at Eric’s’ side again.

[health has fallen to 2]

Fuck, Eric, now holding the stick in one hand, started desperately pounding against the fox. Striking at it once, knocking its head down towards theground, it tried to retreat but Eric didn’t let up, striking it again, this time bouncing it against hard floor.

[stamina has fallen to 4]

With this Eric was huffing and puffing, feeling awfully light-headed. His leg was bleeding, and while it hurt like hell, he could still put weight on it,so probably wasn’t broken.

The fox wasn’t looking too good either. Its head was hanging low and kept bobbing, as if it was having a hard time staying conscious, that and it wasbleeding from the top of its head. It never stopped staring at Eric, though it was clear that it was backing away.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“DON’T YOU DARE RUN AWAY!” Eric screamed, running at the beast- or rather limping at it. The fox started to turn around, but Eric caught with his bloodystick first, whacking the beast into the ground but he didn’t stop there, as Eric continued to bludgeon the fox into the ground, causing blood to spray andsplatter as the beast slowly went limp. Finally it died, breaking Eric’s’ stick in the process.

[unequipped: makeshift wooden short-sword]

The corpse dissolved into light and the sky faded back into the blue of the day.

[your level has increased to 2]

[your level has increased to 3]

[Max Health has increased from 25 to 38]

[Max Mana has increased from 24 to 35]

[Max Stamina has increased from 22 to 27]

[Base Attack has increased from 26 to 38]

[Base Defence has increased from 25 to 47]

[Base Magic Attack has increased from 19 to 32]

[Base Magic Defence has increased from 18 to 31]

[Base Speed has increased from 17 to 30]

[Base Luck has increased from 20 to 35]

[Health, Stamina and Status has been reset]

Eric saw this and gave a sigh of relief. The bleeding had stopped and the scars had already closed up, leaving his leg feeling almost as good as new.

He looked down at his broken bloody stick and found himself tearing up, remembering the way it tried to run away from him, and how easily he had condemnedit to death. He cleared the tears from his face and started down a random side of the path.

Still, at least he learned something from all this, as long as he keeps fighting and levelling up, Eric wouldn’t need to eat or sleep.

Eric followed the path, watching his surroundings intently.

It wasn’t long before he caught the attention of yet another echo, this time a crow much like the one he faced earlier.

It soared over the red sky before swooping down as a black blur. It was certainly faster, faster then Eric, realising that there was no way he could keeptrack of it, much less attack the far more mobile opponent. Eric simply waited. During this time he caught himself thinking about how different thismonster was, from the previous echo crow he had killed.

It swooped down and mauled at his face, in very much the same way the last crow had. It flapped its wings and stayed in place as its sharp talons startedripping into Eric’s’ head. And while it definitely hurt, it only managed to make shallow cuts.

[health had fallen to 37]

Eric took this chance to reach up at the monsters wings and grabbing clumps of its feathers. It squawked rapidly and Eric struggled to hold it in place. Ina matter of seconds, it had managed to rip itself free from the feathers that Eric had in his hands.

It retreated altogether and the sky faded back to blue.

Eric frowned at that and started feeling his wounded forehead again, why do they keep going for my forehead, Eric asked for himself.

He started back on the path, it would only be a matter of time before he found someone or something that could explain what the hell it going on.