Skreeeeeeee—SMASH! CRASH! SHATTER.
Remember…
Colin bolted upright in his bedroll, sweat trickling down his face and back. The remnants of a dream—or was it a memory?—were already fading, leaving behind only a gnawing sense of dread. Something bad had happened. Not here, not now, but somewhere.
He took a shaky breath and glanced around. The sun was high, signaling midday. The forest was peaceful, the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, and a cool breeze swept through the camp. Most of the others were already awake, many of them packing up for their departure at dusk. Only Sskarin and Kae still had their tarps and bedrolls set up.
Sskarin stood apart from the main group, holding a pair of sticks. Her sharp, reptilian eyes locked onto Colin’s, and she gave him a toothy smirk, motioning toward the sticks. Colin sighed, resigned, and walked over. He knew what this meant—another afternoon of training.
The hours flew by as they ran through stances. Unlike before, Sskarin’s focus wasn’t on hitting him but rather on his weapon. Thwack after thwack echoed through the clearing as her stick struck his.
When his stance was correct, the stick held firm. Most of the time, though, Colin felt the painful sting of his weapon being slapped into him—on his shoulders, his legs, his abdomen, even his head. His body ached from the repeated reminders of his mistakes.
“A valuable lesssson isss learned today, Colin,” Sskarin said, her voice softer than usual, though her sharp eyes held no leniency. “Your sssstances are improving. I’m impressssed.”
Just as she spoke, a familiar notification appeared before Colin.
[Ding]
[You have leveled up! You are now Level 3!]
[Free points allotted: 7]
Colin froze, momentarily stunned. He hadn’t seen a system notification since his conversation with Bram. Opening his menu, he felt another jolt of surprise at the changes.
____________________________________________________________________________
[STATS]STR: 10
DEX: 17
VIT: 13
INT: 5
WIS: 4
WIL: 11
LUC: 15
CHA: 6
FRE: 7
[SKILLS]
* Deception: Level 3
* Calm Mind: Level 3
* Unarmed Combat: Level 3
* Taunt: Level 1
* Combat Time: Level 1
* Identify: Level 4
* Perception: Level 3
* Stealth: Level 1
* Swordsmanship: Level 3
----------------------------------------
His stats had increased since the last time he checked, likely boosted by the gear Bram had given him. Now, faced with seven free points to distribute, Colin pondered his next move.
His first instinct was to balance out his stats. The disparity between his physical and intellectual attributes nagged at him—something that always bothered him when playing games back on Earth.
After a moment’s deliberation, he decided to allocate four points to Charisma and three to Strength.
----------------------------------------
[Free points assigned:]
4 points - Charisma
3 points - Strength
Is this correct? Y/N
“Yes,” Colin thought.
----------------------------------------
[Points assigned. Please review:]STR: 13
DEX: 17
VIT: 13
INT: 5
WIS: 4
WIL: 11
LUC: 15
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
CHA: 10
FRE: 0
----------------------------------------
Just as he finished assigning his points—THWACK!—a sharp blow struck his ribs, and the air rushed out of his lungs. Colin dropped to one knee, clutching his side, and looked up at Sskarin. She grinned, clearly pleased with herself.
“Congratsss on the level up,” she hissed, her tone amused. “But don’t let it disssstract you.”
She extended a hand, and Colin grasped it, using her support to stand. His arm stayed wrapped protectively around his midsection, but he managed a strained smile.
“Thanks. It’s nice to see progress,” he said, still catching his breath. “I’m glad this system doesn’t rely solely on fighting to level up. That seems... dangerous.”
From a nearby tree, Kae scoffed but remained silent.
Sskarin handed him a firm look. “Your level upsss will aid you in combat too. You’ll get sssstronger and fassster asss you grow.” She held out her hand again, and Colin obediently returned the practice stick. “Now, go pack up. We leave for the caravan after thisss meal.”
____________________________________________________________________________
The group packed up quickly, and within fifteen minutes, they were gathered beside the caravan as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the road.
Grayne stood at the front, addressing them with his usual stern composure. He outlined the plan for the night, warning them they’d be traveling through territory known for bandits and Goblins.
At the mention of Goblins, Colin couldn’t suppress a shudder. The memory of his first encounter with one still felt raw—its feral eyes, the gnashing teeth. His hand drifted to his thigh, where he’d been wounded during that desperate fight.
Bram noticed the movement and gave Colin a reassuring nudge with his elbow.
“Don’tcha worry, lad. We’ll gut any beasties that dare show themselves. Goblins are a cowardly bunch. Ye’ only got attacked ‘cause ye’ were alone. No way anything less than a warband would dare hit this caravan—and even they’d think twice ‘bout it.”
Colin managed a weak smile but couldn’t ignore the fact that Bram hadn’t said the same about bandits.
Grayne finished his briefing and strode toward the front of the caravan, leaving the group to take their positions. Colin moved to the wagon his crew was assigned to guard, settling between Nectarine and Lyra as usual.
“There he is! Grumps McGee himself,” Lyra teased, though her voice carried a note of concern. “What happened last night? You were super quiet and went to bed early. That’s not like you.”
“Yeah,” Nectarine chimed in, leaning closer. “You seemed tense. Did something happen?”
“Just a spat with Kae,” Colin replied with a shrug, keeping his tone casual. “Nothing crazy.”
He began stretching to loosen up for the long walk ahead. As he bent to touch his toes, a sharp thunk echoed above his head. Colin tensed in confusion, spotting the crossbow bolt embedded in the wagon wall where his head had just been.
Time seemed to freeze.
Before he could fully process what had happened, a searing pain shot through his shoulder, spinning him sideways. The impact sent him sprawling to the ground and rolling under the wagon.
As Colin lay there staring at the underside of the caravan, his thoughts scrambled, chaos erupted around him. Shouts, the clash of steel, and the unmistakable sound of arrows whizzing through the air filled the night.
All hell had broken loose.
____________________________________________________________________________
Skreeeeeeee—SMASH! CRASH! SHATTER.
The memories hit Colin like a truck. He remembered everything: the morning drive, losing control, the helpless slide off the road. The plummet. The bone-rattling impact as his car slammed into the ground below.
And the pain. The unbearable, all-encompassing pain as every bone in his body shattered. Blood poured from his wounds, pooling around him, warm at first, then chilling. He remembered the cool embrace of death, stealing his last breath.
Colin had died.
The realization sent a fresh wave of shock coursing through him. His chest tightened. His breathing turned shallow and ragged. He was hyperventilating, barely aware of the blood-soaked dirt beneath him or the muffled chaos rising around the wagon.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Arrows slammed into the wooden sides of the wagon, dull impacts barely registering over the ringing in his ears.
Movement flickered in his peripheral vision—shapes darting, clashing. His friends were fighting, maybe even dying, but Colin couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Panic pinned him to the earth like a weight.
A hand clamped onto his arm, yanking him from his stupor. Kae. He hauled Colin to his feet, yelling something Colin couldn’t hear. His mouth moved, sharp and commanding, but the words were drowned by the cacophony of battle and the pounding in Colin’s skull.
Kae turned sharply, his blade flashing. The thin, curved edge sliced through a bandit’s neck. The man crumpled to the ground, blood spurting as his life spilled away. Colin’s eyes locked onto the body, watching the light fade from the man’s eyes.
“Fight, you imbecile. FIGHT!”
Kae’s voice cut through the haze, snapping Colin back just as Kae darted off toward Bram.
Bram was locked in combat with three bandits. He seemed…. diminished, his strength waning as blood streamed from cuts on his face and arms. The attackers circled him, pressing their advantage.
Kae burst into the fray like a storm. His blade slashed across one bandit’s back, causing the man to stumble forward. Without missing a beat, Kae vaulted off the man’s back, launching himself at another bandit. He drove his pommel and fists into the attacker’s face in a brutal flurry, leaving the man crumpled and motionless.
Two attackers down in seconds. Kae moved with lethal precision, an unstoppable force in the chaos.
And Colin? He was frozen. Watching. Helpless.
His hand trembled as it reached for the sword at his belt. The metal felt foreign and heavy in his grasp. He tightened his grip, his knuckles white, but the world still felt distant, unreal.
A piercing scream cut through the night from behind him—a girl’s scream.
Colin’s blood ran cold.