I slow to a stop on the dirt road covered in overgrowth, leaning forward while gripping my knees as I try to catch my breath after the minutes of desperate fleeing I just did. I probably didn't need to run till I was ragged, but I didn't want to risk it after how easily the {Rusalka} and its undead guardian manhandled me in that encounter. Yes, I was taken by surprise, but that only emphasizes the fact that she went easy on me to make me suffer more, as if she let the former guard captain just strike me with its war hammer in its initial attack, I would've most likely died immediately. Honestly, I should've fled after I was first thrown instead of trying to fight back, since being tossed dozens of yards in the air would have clued me in to how much strength my attacker had if I bothered to give it any thought. Granted, I wasn't in the best state of mind at the time, but I guess I was also a bit too confident after winning all of my fights, with only one of those posing any real threat to my life, and even then I swiftly dispatched of my foe once I got through its layer of ice armor. Thinking about it again, the {Ice-forged Skeleton Construct} probably could've killed me if it went for a more lethal blow instead of trying to choke me out, and in my last encounter the Rusalka tried to drag me into the river, so I guess when she said she wanted me to suffer, that meant by having me suffocate to death, and she was worryingly close to succeeding in that endeavor.

A chill runs down my spine and through what's left of my tail as I recall the hateful silver eyes directed at me by the gaunt woman. I shake my head to try and get the image out of my head, which only manages to make me dizzy due to the head injury I received from a gauntlet to the back of the head. Deciding to try and find someplace to rest, I turn off [Light Of Justice] since my tail stopped bleeding and I don't want to attract too much attention, and I walk over to the treeline and walk a few paces in so I'm not out in the open. Once I find a decent enough spot, I slump down against one of the trees, clutching the axe covered in black blood in a two handed grip that is in hands that are only slightly darker in color than the rest of my skin with only a dull stinging pain remaining, having healed a decent amount during my sprint. I survey my surroundings looking for any dangerous nightlife that might attack me, but I must be in a safe enough spot to be considered out of danger, as an unexpected message appears before me in the usual partially-transparent window.

[You Are Now In Relative Safety, Rewards From Combat Shall Now Be Distributed]

[For Surviving An Assault By An Opponent Much More Powerful Than You, You Have Been Granted Experience!]

[{Temiskyr Imp} Has Risen To Level 18! (+1 Recovery +2 Dexterity +1 Magic Power +2 Mana Control +2 Stat Points)]

[Skill [Eyes Of Aspirations] Has Reached Level 10!]

[Skill [Light Of Justice] Has Reached Level 19!]

[Skill [Light Of Justice] Has Reached Level 20!]

[You Have Reached The Maximum Level For [Light Of Justice], If You Wish To Increase It Further, You Must Increase It To The Second Tier. Remaining Tier 2 General Points: 0]

[Skill [Holy Affinity] Has Reached Level 13!]

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

[Skill [Brawling] Has Reached Level 12!]

[Skill [Ice Resistance] Has Reached Level 2!]

[Skill [From The Brink] Has Reached Level 2!]

[Skill [From The Brink] Has Reached Level 3!]

[Due To A Special Action, You Have Learned The Active General Skill [Power Slash] Level 1!]

While I was expecting some skill increases, the new skill, as well as learning that I can gain experience from sources other than defeating things in combat, came as a nice surprise to me. After a bit of thought, I put my free points into Endurance to start getting it back to matching Strength, then I check out the new term that came up after I apparently maxed out my [Light Of Justice] skill.

(Tier):

Once a user reaches the requisite level, they can increase their Class/Subspecies to the next Tier, changing it to a better version, and allowing for the Class/Subspecies Skills to increase in Tier as well, allowing for them to level past the maximum level of the previous Tier and gain additional effects. Additionally, the user will receive General Points equivalent to the number of available Skill Slots in the Class/Subspecies that increased in Tier that will allow the user to increase the Tier of a General Skill.

That's good to know, but I have no clue when I will reach the requisite level for {Temiskyr Imp}. Hopefully it will be similar to the Skill cap of 20, but for all I know, I will have to reach Level 100 or something ridiculous like that. Speaking of skills though, I'm excited to check out what my new one does, especially since I haven't gotten an Active General Skill besides [Light Of Justice] until now.

[Power Slash]:

Allows the user to enhance an attack’s slashing power, increasing its sharpness and force exerted.

Nice, simple effect, but basically just lets me do more damage. I should be able to add it to my [Light Of Justice] and [Tail Whip] combo once my tail grows back, which is ironic since I'm pretty sure cutting off my tail with the axe is what let me get the Skill in the first place, as its the only thing related to slashing something that I did effectively in the encounter. Well, I can still use it with the axe itself while the tail is healing, which it should eventually if [From The Brink] is to be believed. I should probably practice with it to test out its effects later when I'm not worried about the noise attracting too much attention. On that note, I should probably find somewhere better to camp out for the night, as even though I'm not as tired as I thought I would be, I'm still starting to get a little sleepy, and I don't want to be out in the open when I do go to sleep.

On that note, I get up and look around for any notable points of interest I could head towards, and upon not seeing anything in particular, I head towards one of the trees with a decent amount of branches, and start climbing up it to get a better vantage point. It takes me a while to get the hang of it, but I lift myself up with relative ease due to all the points I panic dumped into Strength, and after a couple minutes, I reach high enough that I can check my horizon for anything I can head towards.

The first two things I note are the road I came from extending out far past my sight can see, and the outline of the town of Littlecreek off in the distance a ways, then I notice a fairly large hill deeper into the woods illuminated by the moon in the clear sky, so I decide to head towards that next since I can't see any other real landmarks to go for, and its elevated height might help me see more of the surroundings if I need to. As I climb back down, I consider using [Light Of Justice] to help me see, but eventually decide against it to remain hidden as much as possible. Besides, the starry sky above illuminates enough light through the treetops that I can see decently enough. With a destination in mind, I start heading over to the hill, keeping wary for any nocturnal threats while gripping my axe tightly in both hands.