Blake held his spear at the ready as he was ejected from the void and onto the Ursa’s world. He immediately surveyed his surroundings to ensure he was alone. Once his safety was confirmed, he searched the surrounding terrain for the supplies they needed.

Well, there’s plenty of rock. Hopefully there’s some wood around here too.

The sun beat down onto his position at the bottom of a gorge. The gray rock sides were almost vertical and rose over thirty feet above his head, while a trickle of water cascaded down the boulder field. A drop of sweat dripped down his forehead and he absently wiped it away.

Yeah, that’s enough of that.

Blake immediately began the complex chain of gestures required to summon his Flame Shield. His left hand’s range of motion had improved greatly during his break. Ten seconds later, the heat dissipated with the completion of the spell form.

So much better. And I’m not even hungry!

The temperature was nowhere near high enough to harm him, as it was far cooler than the Mander caves. However, it was uncomfortable, and was something he could easily remedy.

The night prior, Blake had taken a shower, had a nice home cooked meal with his family, and then slept in a nice bed. After that luxury, he was unwilling to suffer without a good reason. He almost felt like a normal human again, rather than some savage in survival mode.

Almost.

He also did not mind increasing the spell’s experience. He would need to cast it quite a bit before it could be evolved.

Okay, now how the hell do I get out of here now?

After a moment, Blake realized he would be forced to scale the rock walls. “Of course I do,” he muttered as he searched for a potential line to the top.

Wait a minute!

Suddenly, Blake grinned and eagerly rubbed his hands together with glee. He had gone years without access to anything but chi, and almost forgotten his new shiny teleportation spell. With but a moment of concentration, he focused on a two-foot ledge around fifteen feet above him and activated Spatial Shift.

The world blurred, and he suffered a brief moment of vertigo as his surroundings dramatically changed. He placed both hands against the cool rock surface to steady himself.

Woah, that was way different.

Not only had he traveled much farther than he had in his test within the faction hall the day before, but he also changed his elevation. When the rock wall appeared just inches before his eyes, he almost panicked, lost his balance, and fell backward.

Blake waited impatiently on the outcropping for his spell’s cooldown to expire. Once the sixty seconds passed, he searched for a good location to teleport to and reactivated the spell. His world shifted and then opened up before him. This time, he remained balanced.

Thank God. Trees.

He feared he would need to complete two separate scenarios to gather all the necessary materials. Without higher attributes, he did not dare go against level two Ursa. And, against the level ones he would face here, he would receive five times less nano.

The ten million or so he would gain from killing everything within the scenario was not even enough to upgrade a single attribute. It felt like a waste of time to him, but he reminded himself that it was the materials he was after, not nano. The tree cover was not thick, but would provide plenty of lumber for their needs.

He would need to figure out how to get his faction members up above the portal level.

With great caution, he set off through the sparse forest. While the burns on his face and arms had healed, his left hand had yet to recover fully. It was tender, and could not yet support his old buckler. Regardless, if he could spot his enemy and remain unseen, he could utilize his new spells to perform a devastating ambush.

Unfortunately, a few minutes later, despite his caution, a distant roar dashed his hopes.

It sure would’ve been nice to have Fade or Mind Sense right about now.

Blake had chosen his new spells to counter the Manders, not Ursa. While they would still aid him in his fight, he would not have an overwhelming advantage.

With a shake of his head, he spun around and searched for the source of the howl. Movement appeared in his peripheral vision, and he located the Ursa. It galloped toward him at full speed as it circled around the distant arbors. Immediately, he inspected the monster and confirmed it used chi.

Okay now, what’s the plan?

He paused as countless options flashes through his mind. However, by the time the Ursa was thirty feet away, he had already decided on his plan of action and tightened his painful grip on the shaft of his spear.

Blake activated Spatial Shift and teleported directly in front of the charging Ursa. Instantly, before he even recovered from the sudden change of location, he cast Mind Blast for the first time. The spell took effect instantly and assaulted the Ursa’s mind.

He confirmed the spell’s success when his target let loose a howl of agony.

It did no damage to the creature, but that was not his intent. Instead, it distracted the beast long enough for Blake to plant his spear into the rocky ground and ready himself. Despite a brief flinch, the monster’s charge continued unabated until it impaled itself directly through the chest.

Blake was barely able to maintain grip on his spear as it pierced through thick hide and slipped between its ribs. However, that mortal wound was not enough to immediately kill the monster. It roared and blindly swiped with its front claws as it fell on its side and slid.

He released his spear and deftly leapt away from the dangerous creature. The Ursa’s sharp talons raked through the empty air, and came within an inch of his skull.

Blake unsheathed his longsword as the monster’s head slammed into a boulder. He raced forward with his weapon raised high above his head, and unleashed another Mind Blast just as the blade descended.

A sharp pain flared within his own mind, and he felt hot liquid drip from his nose. However, he ignored the pain as his sword bit into the toughened hide of the beast’s neck and continued on until it became lodged against its spine.

Immediately, the creature slumped to its side and lay still. No update appeared in his display.

Wary of a trap, Blake sawed his long sword back and forth as he checked his logs. Once its death was confirmed, he breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the blood from beneath his nose.

Much easier this way. Although, I don’t think the second Mind Blast was necessary. Damn that hurt.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Blake winced and rubbed his temples to relieve the built-up pressure. He wiped the blood from his upper lip. The first Mind Blast was effortless, and created no side effects. However, without sufficient time between casts, the second caused an instant migraine.

Now I know how Jeff felt. No wonder he barely talked, he was probably in constant agony.

His friend had dealt with the pain from overuse of Psionic energy without complaint for years. Each and every time his nose began to bleed, he waved away Blake and Montgomery’s concerns. This new appreciation for Jeff’s resolve only increased the respect Blake had for the man.

I really do need to recruit my old team sooner rather than later. Maybe I’ll take a trip to Phoenix in a few days and find them.

With a heave, Blake retrieved his spear from the monster’s corpse and set off through the woods to find his next prey. His new spells had proven themselves against the level one Ursa, and as a result, his confidence soared.

----------------------------------------

You have successfully completed the Combat Scenario. Would you like to choose your reward now?

No.

Blake grunted with effort and shifted the heavy Ursa off of his leg with his good hand. His plan to defeat the last monster had worked almost flawlessly. Almost, however, was the key word.

I can’t believe it tried to crush me.

Blake had been forced to run the empowered Ursa out of chi before he could safely confront it. With prodigious use of Spatial Step and Mind Blast, he barely avoided the Alacrity fueled monster until its reserves were run dry. Only then did he fight it head on.

He wiped the blood from his nose.

I’m going to have this headache for weeks.

When he mortally wounded the large monster, it expended the last of its energy to crush him beneath it. Luckily, Blake was able to react in time and only ended up with a bruised shin.

Lord Blake Summers, Scion of Humanity: Okay guys, you can come through the portal now. I’ll meet you at the entrance.

With the message sent, he retrieved his spear from the dead Ursa before him and set off at a jog towards the canyon where he entered this world.

Ten minutes later, Blake heard a rhythmic clanking as he neared the exit back to Earth. When he approached the edge and looked down, he saw Kuruk and Jason below, gathered around Owen as the man exhausted himself against the hardened stone. Their voices echoed across the stone walls.

Owen slumped down and panted to recover his breath. “How the hell am I supposed to break a chunk off this stone? It feels like it’s harder than steel.”

“Ya gotta put your back in it, fam,” Jason advised, sagely.

Owen threw the pick on the ground. “Okay BRO, you try it and see what happens.”

Jason shook his head and grinned widely. “No can do. I’m a woodworker,” he pointed at the chipped stone cliff. “And that’s not wood.”

Blake announced himself with a yell as Owen muttered curses under his breath. “Don’t worry, I figured I’d have to mine everything anyway.”

Every head shot up in surprise as people were finally made aware of his presence.

“How the hell did you get up there?” Jason asked.

“Dude, he obviously climbed,” Owen replied.

“Actually, I teleported up,” he replied.

“No cap?” Jason blurted.

Blake snorted at his childhood slang and then confirmed, “No cap.”

“Actually, stand back a bit,” Blake ordered. “I want to try something.”

When they cleared the area, he took a deep breath and then focused on Spatial Step. Everything blurred as he appeared twenty feet below his previous position.

However, that was not the bottom of the canyon. He quickly picked up momentum as he fell the remaining ten feet and then slammed into the hard rock. Blake did his best to soften his landing by bending his knees, but he could only do so much. The joints in his legs were strained, and he already regretted his decision.

The gravity on this planet is insane.

“Holy shit! That was a superhero landing!” Jason yelled.

“Badass!” Owen agreed.

Kuruk rolled his eyes and muttered, “Show off.”

Blake stood slowly, careful to hide the pain, pleased at their response. “Hey Kuruk, please tell me you made that pick and Jason’s ax.”

“Yup,” the native affirmed.

“Good, then hopefully it won’t break this time.” He extended his hand toward Owen. “Hand over the pick, I want to speed this up.”

“Sure,” Owen gratefully agreed. “You said it’s safe now, right?”

Blake nodded.

“Cool, then I’m gonna go explore. No offense, but it’s not every day I get to see an alien planet.”

“Oh, I’m coming too,” Jason agreed.

The two men set off down the canyon floor, while Kuruk silently trailed behind. As they navigated the boulders, he could clearly hear their wheezes. The increased gravity dramatically increased the effort required to traverse the rocky ground, and they were not considered ‘in-shape’ to begin with.

Whatever, the quicker I can break off this rock, the quicker we can get out of here.

He swung the pick with his full strength, despite his still injured hand, at an outcropping, and grinned as it produced a spider-web of cracks. After three more attempts, a large section the size of his torso fell to the ground. The newly exposed rock was lined with a reddish hue.

Nice! Some good luck for once.

Blake recognized the veins of iron layered within. Unlike the original buildings, their upgrades required iron mined from off world. They could not use a collection of sledgehammers and other implements purchased from Builder Depot as they tried before. It was the only reason Kuruk was present. As a metalworker, only he could teleport the material back to the warehouse on Earth. Otherwise, Blake would be forced to carry the heavy supplies by hand.

His pick nicked the vein and bounced away with a hard vibration.

This is harder than it looks. How did they mine so quickly when they’re so much weaker than me? Does the Architect assist them in some way?

In his past life, he had never used a pick or ax himself and mined resources. When the scenario was safe, they messaged the non-combatants and left once their job was done. He had never stayed behind to watch. The call of a cold beer was too strong.

Distant screams suddenly alerted him. He could not make out what was yelled, so he immediately sprinted toward the noise. When he hurdled over a particularly large boulder, he was finally able to decipher their voices.

“... telling you, there’s something special about this rock!” Owen insisted.

“Of COURSE there is,” Jason rolled his eyes. “It’s on another planet!”

Owen shook his head. “No, I mean special compared to all the others,” he insisted.

Jason snorted. “Sure it is, sure it is.”

Owen’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t do that. Don’t act like you know what you’re talking about.”

“Like you do?!”

Blake sighed and interrupted. “What’s going on?”

Owen glanced over his shoulder and then pointed down at a rock near his feet. “Maybe you can tell me why this rock looks so much different than the others.”

Blake stepped forward and leaned down to examine the large stone. As far as he could tell, it was identical to its neighbors. He glanced up and shrugged. “I don’t see anything different about it.”

“See! I told you!” Jason gloated. “I think the sun’s getting to ya, man.”

“I swear! It has a soft glow to it or something,” Owen insisted.

“Well, let’s see what happens if I take a pick to it. You may want to move,” he advised.

After they backed away, he hefted the tool into the air and slammed it into the rock Owen claimed was special. The metal head shattered the stone into hundreds of pieces and a cavity was revealed.

What the hell?

Blake reached down into the now exposed cleft, and retrieved a small, hard object. After he wiped away the dirt which coated it, a gold, shiny object was revealed. He immediately inspected the treasure.

“Wow! Nice find, Owen.”

“What is it?” the skinny man rushed over.

“It looks like you found a hidden treasure”

“Really?” However, when he laid his eyes on the earring, he frowned in disappointment. “Oh. I thought it’d be something special.”

“It IS special,” Blake corrected. “If you wear this thing, it’ll increase your Physical Power by two.”

“Wait, that stupid earring will make me stronger somehow?”

Blake nodded.

Owen grinned. “Then I love it!” He reached out to accept his prize.

“Hey! Why does he get to keep it?” Jason complained.

“Because he found it. If you ever find a tree that looks special, let me know. It may be a hidden treasure.”

“You never told us we could find crap like this!” Owen complained.

He shrugged. “I didn’t know you guys could see them. I never stayed behind to watch people work.”

I wonder what else I’ll learn. How much of what I know is wrong? How much else is there to discover?