Ever since I left the Monarch Oalek’s clearing, the stench of decay clinging to my body had only intensified. A thick, rancid sludge oozed from my pores, a tar-like substance that coated my skin in a grimy sheen. I suspected this vile muck was linked to the changes I had made to the flow of my Qi, a side effect I hadn’t anticipated. Cultivation had its perks, undoubtedly making me stronger, but I was still fumbling through this arcane practice with nothing but gut instincts. It was high time I focused on leveling up instead.
I trudged through the dense forest for hours, the oppressive canopy above barely allowing slivers of sunlight to pierce the gloom. Finally, I stumbled upon a river that dwarfed the small, meandering stream I had encountered earlier. The absence of wildlife during my trek was unusual, but perhaps not surprising given the overwhelming stench that surrounded me like a shroud of repulsion. With a weary grunt, I dumped my gear haphazardly by the riverbank and plunged into the cool, inviting water.
Beneath the surface, I was greeted by a vibrant aquatic world. The riverbed was encrusted with vivid orange algae, glowing like molten lava that undulated with the gentle current. Swarms of brilliantly colored fish darted among the algae, their rapid movements transforming the water into a shimmering dance of silvery flashes, like a school of quarters in a swirling vortex.
There it was again—a word I didn’t fully understand. I wasn’t sure what a “quarter” was, but it must be something small and shiny, as my thoughts connected to it. Ignoring the gaps in my fleeting memories, I concentrated on the dark cloud of muck that was slowly clouding the water around me.
Emerging from the depths, I scrubbed my body with relentless fervor, the friction reddening my skin to a raw, pinkish hue. When I finally felt somewhat clean, I waded back to the shore. As I looked down at the water, I saw my reflection—a face both familiar and foreign. Angular but not gaunt, my jawline was sharply defined, exuding a sense of severity. A faint beard dusted my chin, though a cleft chin peeked through the stubble. My eyes, a piercing turquoise with flecks of gold, stared back at me from beneath a mop of tangled blonde hair. It was strange to see a face I recognized yet felt alien, a stark reminder of how disconnected I was from my own identity.
Determined to resolve the void in my memories, I turned back to the forest. The changes wrought by my Qi had transformed me from prey to predator, and the forest denizens would soon learn that lesson the hard way.
Blending into the deepening shadows of the afternoon, I pushed my stealth skills to their limits, relying on instinct to guide my steps. My feet barely made a sound as they sunk into the soft, leaf-strewn soil, each step absorbed by the forest floor. With meticulous care, I honed my awareness, making fewer mistakes with each passing moment. Soon, my vigilance paid off, and I spotted my first target. I activated Identify, observing the beast from the sanctuary of the shadows.
Species: Mortelk
Level: 4
Mortelk are herbivores that are rarely aggressive; however, if threatened, this animal will use its powerful hoofs and antlers to defend itself.
Standing at least five feet tall on all fours, the Mortelk was a hulking beast, its rippling muscles a testament to raw power. Its dark, matted fur bristled with every subtle movement, each sinew beneath its skin a coiled spring of potential violence. The creature’s eyes, glinting like molten gold, scanned the underbrush with a prey's keen alertness. Despite its imposing presence, I was emboldened by the surge of strength from my cultivation, compensating for my lower level.
Hidden in the dense shadows, the challenge of approaching the Mortelk with only melee weapons became glaringly evident. I glanced up at the towering tree beside me, a nascent plan forming in my mind. Abandoning my club at the tree's base, I clenched the blade of my knife between my teeth, its edge cold and reassuring against my lips. With a swift, albeit silent scramble, I ascended the tree, every movement executed with the precision of a phantom, my stealth skill cloaking me in near invisibility. Perched on a sturdy branch that extended over the Mortelk like a dark, looming specter, I moved with ghostly grace, my breath held in anticipation.
A shiver of apprehension gripped me as I eyed the Mortelk’s formidable antlers, sharp as obsidian daggers and crowned like a regal death mask. Should it notice me mid-fall, those lethal appendages could spell the end of my quest at Redemption. Banishing the insidious thoughts of failure, I steeled myself, focusing on keeping the Mortelk oblivious to my impending descent. Drawing a silent, shuddering breath, I gathered my courage and launched myself from the branch, the rustling leaves and the whispering wind masking the sounds of my fall.
Time seemed to stretch and contract as I plummeted toward the beast. My knife carved a grisly, red streak along the Mortelk’s neck, the blade slicing through flesh with a chilling ease. Simultaneously, my body slammed into the rear of the beast, the force of impact expelling a sharp gasp from my lungs. The Mortelk’s guttural, agonized cry pierced the air, a haunting sound of impending death. Yet nature was cruelly unsympathetic, and the Mortelk, its rage ignited, turned its fury toward me. Its eyes, blazing with defiant anger, locked onto my prone form. The beast’s antlers, now a weapon of revenge, lowered in a deadly charge.
Desperation surged through me as I wheezed, struggling to roll away from the charging menace. The agony that flared in my left arm was immediate and piercing—a sharp, searing impact followed by an unsettling numbness. Ignoring the pain as best I could, I continued to roll, my movement clumsy and frantic. When I finally came to a halt, I turned my gaze toward the Mortelk, its once proud and defiant stance now faltering. The regal creature’s strength ebbed away, its movements growing sluggish and weak. With a final, tremulous breath, the Mortelk knelt, its head bowing to the ground with a mournful, bone-chilling finality.
A soft, pulsing glow in the corners of my vision signaled the beast's demise, but my immediate focus was on my wounded arm. The Mortelk had inflicted a deep, jagged gash down my bicep. Normally, such a wound would be a grim reminder of prolonged recovery, but my Blood Control ability offered a crucial reprieve. I willed my blood to coagulate around the wound, watching with grim satisfaction as a scab formed almost instantly. Still caught in an adrenaline-fueled haze, I shuddered, acutely aware of how close I had come to death. The battle, or rather, the swift clash, felt like a fleeting, surreal blur—a dream tainted with mortality.
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Shaking off the unsettling thoughts of my narrow escape, I turned my attention to the new notifications, eager to distract myself from the lingering echoes of danger.
You have killed a level 4 Mortelk. You gain 1250 experience.
Congratulations, you have reached level 3 and have been awarded 10 attribute points!
New skills learned!
Knives: Stabbity, stab, stab! You’re like a weird mix between Tarzan and an assassin (Without the loincloth)! Increases damage dealt with knives by 1% for every level.
The Moment: Live the moment, be the moment, feel the moment. Every level of this skill will increase the likelihood of your mind speeding up drastically when in danger.
After the death of the Mortelk, I took a moment to catch my breath and tend to my wound. The pain in my arm was still sharp, but bearable, thanks to the Blood Control skill. With the gash now scabbed over, I weighed my options for assigning the new attribute points.
More dexterity might have helped me land better when I fell onto the Mortelk, avoiding some of the damage. Greater strength could have given my attack more force, perhaps ending the fight before it even began. A higher mental attribute might have sharpened my strategy, allowing me to plan my approach more effectively. Endurance seemed to have done its part in minimizing the injury to my arm. There were countless reasons to justify any choice, and I found myself caught in a loop of indecision—until an itch in my mind demanded attention.
I opened my status and gazed upon the even numbers of my attributes, basking in their symmetry and balance.
Status
Name: Rune
Level: 3 (500/2000)
Health: 721/1100
Affinities: Nature, Primal
Qi Body: Forming
Status Effects: Bleeding -.28H/M
Free Attribute Points: 0
Attributes
Strength: 18
Mental: 18
Dexterity: 18
Endurance: 22
Skills
Blunt Weapons: 2, Poison Resistance: 4, Falling: 8, Meditation: 10, Pain Resistance: 6, Blood Control: 11, Will: 10, Identify: 7, Stealth: 9, Qi Sense: 7, Qi Control: 5, Knives: 2, The Moment: 1
Titles
Qi Body
I had raised all my attributes to 18, except for Endurance, bringing a satisfying equilibrium to my status sheet. Yet, as I glanced over the numbers, a surprising change caught my eye—something new that hadn’t been there before. Previously, my affinities had been listed as "none," but now two distinct identifiers had appeared. Intrigued, I concentrated on them, and additional screens materialized before me.
Affinity: Nature
This affinity embodies the delicate balance between life and decay, growth and ruin, capturing the dual nature of the wild—both nurturing and merciless. Those with a Nature affinity wield the power of the wild, commanding flora and fauna to their will, communing with beasts, and unleashing the fury of the natural world upon those who dare trespass.
Affinity: Primal
This affinity embodies the untamed instincts that fuel survival, thriving on raw emotion and the inherent chaos of the world. Those who possess a Primal affinity draw power from the pure, unrestrained essence of existence, becoming forces of nature themselves—relentless, savage, and free from the shackles of civilization.
Well… that sounded nothing short of epic. I had no idea how I’d earned these latest additions to my character sheet, but I was damn sure I’d make the most of them once I figured out how to actually use them. Which, considering I had zero clue on that front and a more pressing need to stay alive, needed to wait. Standing around, lost in thought next to a carcass still leaking warm blood wasn’t exactly the smartest move right now.
After absorbing the details of my Nature and Primal affinities, my gaze fell upon the lifeless form of the Mortelk. Its blood pooled around my feet, still warm and slowly sinking into the earth. The creature’s once-tensed limbs now lay slack and serene, a stark contrast to the fierce wrath it had unleashed moments earlier. A strange sensation tugged at my chest—neither pity nor simple empathy, but a quiet reverence. Even in its final, desperate struggle, the Mortelk had embodied the primal drive for survival that pulses through every living being.
Around me, the forest breathed with a life of its own—the whisper of rustling leaves, the creak of ancient branches, and the subtle stirrings of hidden creatures. Everything moved with a rhythm, an indifferent pulse that cared little for individual destinies. Life thrived in its relentless cycle: growth nourished by decay, birth rising from death, and the strong preying on the weak. The Mortelk had been a part of this unending cycle, as was I, and for a fleeting moment, I pondered my place within this wild expanse. Was I merely another creature fighting for survival? Or was there a deeper truth hidden in the forest’s roots and shadows, waiting to unveil my role in its grand design?
The carcass beneath me seemed to resonate with the echo of its former vitality, and a flicker of something primal stirred within. The Nature affinity spoke of life and death, of growth and destruction, but standing here, I sensed that there was far more to unravel. The forest was not merely a backdrop to my journey; it was a living entity with its own secrets. And I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before those secrets began to reveal themselves to me, one step at a time.