Edge watched the sunrise over the plains, then carefully climbed out of the tree. He made sure that nothing nasty was lurking nearby, then continued his journey to town. He was still absorbing everything that had happened the night before and he wondered what the day held in store.
He knew the grove well enough to find a stream that ran along one side. Fast running water that was safe to drink without boiling it. He drank his fill, refilled his canteen, then washed the gore and grime off his body as best he could.
The stream ran red before he was done. Edge emerged from the water feeling remarkably refreshed, letting the warm sunlight dry him off as he walked. He was thrilled to no longer be covered in dirt and stinking blood, even if his clothing was falling apart.
By the time he was done cleaning himself up, he had come up with a plan.
He would head north toward the Guide’s Fingers before deciding which path he would follow to town. From this corner of the Violet Grove, he could make it back before dark, even if he took it easy.
By the time he woke up tomorrow morning, the power he’d stolen would have finished digesting, giving him his first rare skill and letting him use [Extraction] again. Until then, he would be better off avoiding battle. So, Edge focused on remaining unseen rather than finding fresh prey. He needed to save his mana to take down a beast with the best skill he could find, using his last two slots as wisely as he could.
I want to steal something that will let me disable my opponents first. Then either some manner of defensive magic or a ranged attack. Once I evolve to stage-one, I’ll get five more slots. Then I can choose my skills carefully with the long-term in mind.
He also needed to figure out how to rank-up the skills that he already had, since his core’s trait had shut off the normal path of gradual improvement through use. But that was a problem for after he had a base of operations, geared himself up with proper equipment instead of the garbage he was wearing, and filled his last slots with two juicy new skills.
With any luck, he would cycle-up a few more times along the way. His destination decided, Edge turned toward the fingers and started crossing the plains, sticking to the white grass and avoiding the yellow. While he hiked, he reviewed his performance, from the moment that he’d obtained his core until now.
He’d survived his encounter with the jailbirds through luck alone, which wasn’t his fault considering the circumstances. His victory over the shadowreaver had been an even mix of luck, quick thinking, and the courage to act, which was definitely a major improvement. But he wasn’t satisfied with how his latest fight had gone.
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Looking over his battle with the weasel with the clarity of hindsight, it was easy to see his mistakes. That could have gone a whole lot worse. If it wasn’t so young, it would have kept a level head and sensed the iceblade coming. If it had pulled back at that point, I would have run out of mana and would be worm food by now.
It made him realize that he needed to train, both with his new powers and the old-fashioned way. Trading blows with beasts is the worst way to fight. If the weasel had knocked me out, got my throat, or I lost too much blood, it could have killed me even with a full tank of mana.
Now that Edge had thrown down with his life on the line, he understood that there was a vast chasm between having a skill and using it well. In addition to practicing with my skills, I need to learn how to fight to kill. Ambushes and assassination. Misdirection and deceit. Playing dirty, tricks and traps. It’s all on the table out here.
By now, the sun was high overhead. Edge’s clothes had dried, and the fingers were growing large on the horizon. He was making good time and hadn’t run into anything more dangerous than squirrels and songbirds, although he was careful not to lower his guard.
Around this time, he realized that he already had the resources to obtain a weapon that was better than his knife. The shadowreaver’s claws were virtually swords. He couldn’t just grab them by the base, since both sides were razor sharp. They would cut his hands down to the bone if he tried swinging them like they were, but he could have them crafted once he made it to town.
Maybe I can whip up something temporary along the way. Even a crude hand wrap would let him use the claw in battle. It would offer Edge a tremendous advantage to wield a weapon longer than his knife. Using it put his fingers far too close to his enemies’ claws and the blade was already growing dull.
He was starting to get hungry again. But he had a full tank of mana and was in good shape overall. With any luck, he would find some edible plants to fill his belly, although going a day without food wouldn’t hurt him if he didn’t. As he crossed the grasslands, he passed the time by working on some tactics that would make use of his new skills.
Two hours later, the fingers were looming large. Edge judged that he should be there in another five miles or so. His progress made him optimistic that he could make it to town before long. He pushed himself to pick up his pace, marveling at how strong his body felt with its upgraded attributes.
That was when he felt a cold wind blow over him, carrying a hint of something strange that he had never smelled before. He heard the rumble of thunder in the distance, then again a few seconds later. That was when it dawned on him that over the last five minutes, every living creature had disappeared. Something isn’t right.
When he looked over his shoulder, Edge saw that the sky had changed. The horizon had darkened, and an army of smudges was creeping its way across the southern skyline. Fuzzy patches that seemed to sparkle, glowing with their own inner light.
It took him a few seconds to realize what he was looking at. When he did, a spike of adrenaline went surging through his veins. That’s not just a storm, it’s a living storm. If I don’t find cover before it arrives, I’m dead.
It seemed that Edge’s day was about to get a whole lot more dangerous after all.