After departing the site of our last battle at a steady pace, foregoing loot due to a lack of further carrying capacity, I see Artemis’ sensitive ears perk up!
At my silent query through our bond, the sound of battle suddenly enters my mind’s ears, so to speak, a mental recreation of what she is actually hearing channeled through her mind to mine.
Intrigued by this new utility surrounding the companion Skill, it is forgotten instantly when I realize that the battle we hear has one component missing from all of the other inter-Beast battles we have encountered—the sound of metal striking stone or thick bark and, more importantly, the voices of human beings!
“Finally!” I nearly shout, loping over loam covered ground with the ease of a bounding deer in the old world, although doubtfully even close to a mutated one.
Artemis casually jogs next to me, 4 legs being better than 2 after all, her mental sending fading as we draw close enough to the kerfuffle for my own ears to catch the din.
We enter a massive clearing, the center of which features dozens of what appear to be Viking style longhouses, smack dab in the middle of the forest!
Even more worthy of interest though is the massed battle between what appears to be a veritable tide of rabid woodland critters attacking while defending are a group of humans in ragtag clothing or freshly dried, and stinking, leather armor likely fashioned from harvesting loot.
The defenders seem to be giving ground steadily, weariness apparent in the movement of each and every one of the dozens upon dozens of brave men and women defending this bastion of security in the primal violence of the new world order.
Taking this all in at a glance and passing Artemis my intentions, although I leave it up to her to choose to accompany me or not, I rush headlong into the fray!
The main battle line stretches roughly 50 yards across the clearing, the various small skirmishes making up a cohesive whole of blood and carnage. I head for the worst hit areas, the ones where my fellow humans are losing ground quickest, where the Beasts are stronger and the people are somewhat weaker. As I sprint along, I cast Natural Reinforcement on an errant stone, adding a cast of Blood-Fueled on some of the liberal amounts of spilled blood. Preparations complete, both armored and topped up on Mana, I use my remaining seconds to glance at each available identifier. I try my best to scout for the best place to strike, grouped as they are, as I reach the outer edge of the scrum.
{Rogue Raccoons, Levels between 4 and 5}
{Feral Rats, Levels between 3 and 4}
(Brutal Brown Bear, Lv.6}
{Suicide Squirrels, varying levels between 3 and 5}
Quickly, I take in the human contingent’s identifiers with my last available moment to spare, my weapon already poised to strike at the largest threat, the bear, as my steps take me through the throng. I choose the bear mainly due to the gruesome fact that its strong defense and massive jaws are making swift work of the simple leather armor and even a few crude shields I notice broken and lying upon the grass!
But I can’t say that the greedy idea of earning full, even greater, XP again doesn’t sound so bad…
{Humans, various levels between 2 and 4}
I also notice out of the corner of my eye, a man and a woman with their own single identifiers, marking them out and that are slightly different than usual…
The female, interestingly enough, bearing: {Human, Bulwark(U), Lv.5}.
The man’s reading: {Human, Archer(B), Lv.5}.
Other Classers!
Burying my curiosity, I bring my weapon down just as the Beast notices the danger and moves to turn toward me, but I am quicker, sturdier, and have higher level Skills and Spells compared to my previous battle against its kin.
My ice-pick head slams into the side of the bear’s still turning neck, eliciting a prodigious roar of pain and an attempt to recoil away from my still buried hatchet. But I will not allow that, slipping the sharp implement out with a sickly schnik sound and swinging it back again, blood spraying in a great arc from the wetted blade, nearly spattering Artemis!
My follow up strike lands in nearly the same spot, impaling even further this time before my momentum and the bear’s finishes the job of severing the great creature’s spine with the sound of splintering bone and a suddenly collapsing Beast all the evidence I need to move on to the next target!
As I come upon the center of the line, several shield-bearers, led by the female Bulwark, are fighting a losing battle to stay in a shield wall formation, a number of charging Suicide Squirrels looking to be about to make quick work of them, at least until Artemis, arriving just ahead of me, and then I, intervene.
Artemis merely closes her now massive jaws around one skull after another, annihilating the brain before swinging the creatures away with a flick of her head as she leaps onto the next in a display of agility and savagery. I merely slam down the hatchet head of my blade judiciously, bisecting the lower-level ones and crippling those higher.
I come to a skidding stop, my work boots kicking up grass, just a few feet from the now stunned group of defenders as Artemis comes up next to me, grooming a paw casually as she looks upon the gathered humans with an inquisitive gleam in her eye.
She sends me the image of receiving pets from them and I laugh aloud, it sounding strangely out of place amongst the growls and roars filling the air, before I reply with good humor, “Perhaps later, little one!”
My words earning me even more stunned looks than before as they realize I am responding….to my dog.
“I’m not crazy, I assure you.” I say, as convincingly as I can, although it seems I may have fallen short of the mark…
“Ummm, whatever you say…so long as you just keep doing what you’re doing, Mr…?” the Bulwark replies wide-eyed, her cocoa-toned skin a shade pale at our display of vicious might.
You may be thinking, ‘Well, would not they too be used to the viciousness I was exhibiting?’.
Well, I consider that myself and look around, really look, at the tactics being used by my fellow men and woman, only to find that perhaps the most predictable situation, had I thought a little more about my species reactions, occurring.
All of them are fighting defensively, launching arrows or small spells from behind the shield wall or using a shield themselves and playing the turtle, poking out to stab with a roughhewn spear or crude blade. Of course, this is only a viable tactic while they are both in groups and strong enough to hold the line, but also, it is severely limiting their chances of growth, if not in XP, then in Skill and Spell levels.
They do all seem to use Skills and the occasional Spell from time to time at least, strikes suddenly landing harder or a shield holding up beyond when it should, small fire or water balls landing amongst the enemy, even a single person with some sort of healing Skill I see tending to combatants in the rear of the group.
Needless to say, my own fighting style of Artemis and I attacking blade and claw first, both our bodies, assisted by Spell or not, resilient enough to withstand most punishment and quick enough to avoid those hits we can’t, make us veritable titans of war compared to my far more cautious and conservative peers.
Shrugging uncomfortably at my realization, I tell her my name, “Nova.” before nudging Artemis to re-enter the battle while I mentally let her know my intentions to split up to take down the next grouping of Beasts.
We go through a number of more groups before the swarm is vanquished, thankfully stopping any more casualties amongst my endangered brethren.
I can palpably feel a level up notification and some Skill and Spell increases waiting to flood my vision, but I force them to the back of my mind as I walk up to the two Classholders waiting for me at the front of their relieved and battle-weary army.
“Thank you for your help, Mr. Nova. I’m Belina, by the way!” the young lady Bulwark says with a gracious nod of her head and a friendly voice, black-haired pony-tail bobbing as she does.
“We certainly are thankful for the assist there, don’t know what would have become of most us otherwise, Mr. Nova! I’m Grover.” the male Archer introduces himself and reaches out a hand that I shake diligently before continuing as he steps back, “Yes, that swarm really took us by surprise, the notification did say we would be tested each day at noon but none of us expected…this. Luckily, we were able to get the children to safety in time. I do suppose it’s good we learned now that this how things will be, means we can post sentries and prepare in advance each day.” the clearly tired man states.
His voice coming out rather authoritarian, even hoarse with exhaustion and yet bearing more experience than most which makes sense given his apparent middle-age compared to the mainly 20- and 30-year-olds I see filling the ranks both behind him and the young woman next to him.
“What notification??” I ask confusedly, before interjecting quickly, “And it’s just Nova, no Mr.”
The two look at each with something resembling amusement before Belina answers cryptically, “You’ll see as soon as you step into the Viking Village. At least that’s what the System named it.”
“The System named it?” I say with confusion, before asking, “How did it even survive the arrival of the System and escape the Mana-fueled destruction that claimed everything else??”
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“Just walk in, the System will explain everything.” Grover says cryptically, gesturing for me to follow him as he walks leisurely toward a longhouse at the center of town.
I follow behind, curious but also slightly wary, I am giving them the benefit of the doubt, but human nature can be capricious, perhaps even more so now, when everything anyone has ever known is long gone.
But my fears are unfounded, at least for now, as evidenced by the notification that pops up in my vision as I cross some invisible boundary and into the settlement proper.
Congratulations! You have found and entered: The Viking Village. This settlement was created by the Apex System to allow those Players who survived its initial arrival a place to shelter and rest while growing in power. No Beasts will be allowed to enter except for each day at high noon when inhabitants shall be tested to ensure they deserve this reward.
Capacity: 65/200
Well then, isn’t that just something.
I suppose the idea that the System would try and ensure that at least some of us survive to fight in its “Great Contest” makes a large degree of sense. Especially if you consider the long view and the future generations that may need to compete if the competition ends in our side’s victory.
Speaking of, I pull up the time until the start of said contest and stare at the ticking numbers for a moment:
28 days, 22 hours, 43 minutes and 12 seconds remaining until your Apex Leveling System faces the: Essence Cultivation System in this round of The Great Contest!
Hmmm, as much as remains unknown about the System and what its arrival and supposed contest mean, I still feel myself growing excited over the prospect of a massive competition and the accompanying rewards. My blood pumps faster at the prospect of hunting for the best rewards and the toughest enemies to truly test my mettle and provide a service to mankind in the process.
But most of all, to ensure our world’s very survival.
As the defenders stream tiredly back into the village, a number of children and younger teens rush out from one of the longhouses to greet them while a middle-aged woman stands with an older teenage boy watching on from the stoop of the building with tight smiles. Smiles that grow much more relaxed and real as they see Grover next to me and he jogs up to them, sweeping both up in a hug while the rest of the men and women do the same with their children.
I walk up to the still embracing pair and Grover pulls back, leaving one arm wrapped around the woman, as he introduces us, “Nova, this is my wife, Anna and my son, Daniel. Nova here saved a lot of lives today, him and his dog over there mopped up most of the attackers. We are lucky they found us when they did.” He says in a voice thick with emotion as he points out Artemis who is even now being swarmed by small children like a carnival ride in the dead of summer, all eager to pet and play with her.
“Nice to meet you, Daniel, ma’am.” I say with a warm smile and respectful nod, my spirit somewhat lifted from their reunion and clear devotion to each other before continuing in an amused voice, “Yeah, she really enjoys getting her quota of pets from new people, ha! But anyway, I’m glad to see these children are all okay. I am curious though; they don’t seem to get identified by the System?” I ask curiously.
“Yes, the System informed all of the children, verbally in the cases of those that can’t read yet, that they would not be eligible for System activity until their 16th birthday, to ensure a proper chance of survival.” Anna, a {Human, Lv.3} according to her identifier, so low I assume from being the babysitter, “I confess to being a bit relieved though, Daniel still has 3 months until his birthday. Apparently, they are unable to enter any Dungeons or engage any System amenities until then, although regular Beasts can still target them, which is why we hid them as quick as we could.”
Daniel’s face gets a bit pinched as she details his birth date.
‘Ahh, family squabbles, how I miss it….and a mother to worry over me…’ I think to myself with a bittersweet emotion tingling my mind.
I’m pulled from my unfortunate train of thought as another of the defenders jogs up breathlessly and announces to Grover, “We can add a building to the village! The mess hall had an interface pop up as soon as the ‘test’ was completed!”
Grover’s eyes shoot open and, at his wife’s nod of assent, races off to do some city-building, leaving me in the care of a bemused Belina as Anna walks off as well, shooing children back toward the longhouses as she does.
“So, would you care to find a bunk? Dinner should be served in an hour or so, all Beast meat of course, the mess hall requires us to input the meat and that’s it. Best meals I’ve ever had, actually…” the young woman says, nearly drooling at the imagined meal, apparently.
“Sure! I don’t know yet how long or often I’ll stay here but a bed for at least tonight sounds lovely!” I reply, head going back and forth to take everything in as she leads me through the settlement, Artemis disengaging from her pet-fest to amble along at my side, canine head swinging side to side and nostrils flaring to take everything in.
The buildings all seem brand new but crafted using techniques humans moved away from following the industrial revolution, only these techniques were clearly implemented by a master of building!
Each log, board and thatching matches up exactly to all of its neighbors and yet, clearly shows signs of being hand-carved somehow!
Putting this intriguing phenomenon to the back of my mind for a moment, I listen as Belina details the ‘rules’ of living here.
“We’re all in this together now so basically, just don’t be a dick. Simple enough, right?” she asks rhetorically before continuing with a real question, tinged with a large deal of curiosity, “By the way, where do you plan to go, since you mentioned leaving at some point?”
“Well, we came across a system of caves but I wanted to find other people before we explored them, I have a Skill that detailed how large it is and it will take quite a while to go through.” I answer, before continuing at her inquisitive look, “Truthfully, I wouldn’t bother investigating but my Skill came across an area pretty deep in it that it couldn’t penetrate, as if it was being shielded somehow! I think it could be a Dungeon or an ‘Object of Interest’ mentioned in the system arrival notification, whatever that is, since nothing should be at the level of my Skill yet. Meaning it’s likely the System itself that blocked the Skill.”
I see her eyes light up at the prospect my words present, before she turns suddenly somewhat bashful, asking in a quiet voice with a somewhat pleading note and shying away from eye contact, “Would you, maybe, please, let me come with you? Grover has everything in hand around here and I would really like to be of more use than just as another member of the shield wall each day.”
I pause and consider her request, torn between the freedom Artemis and I have alone and the efficiency we may gain by having her along, but also there is the concern that she may not be able to keep up. I realize now after seeing and interacting with other people, that I am something of an outlier, both in terms of ability and capability.
Many may not see a distinction between the two, but to me, my ability is my personal power, strength, Skills, Spells and my connection to companion, while capability is the effect of said ability in practice and the willingness and success in doing so. Therein lies my advantage, my willingness to push my limits and that of my ability, my hunger for growth that I even now realize is growing itself with every step forward I take into this new world…
She raises her eyes to meet mine as I deliberate, ultimately making my decision easier, as her conviction, her desire for her own growth and advancement are clearly evident in a way I haven’t seen before.
“Yes,” I reply earnestly but with a slight caveat, “you can join us, but please try and listen to me. I have a little more experience in exploring out there, at least so far.”
“Thank you!” Belina says, now beaming before gushing out questions rapid-fire, “Should I bring anything with me? When do you want to leave? How far will we be traveling?”
“Ha-ha, hold on, hold on, one at a time! Beyond your equipment, just rations and maybe a blanket and pillow for yourself. Let’s leave at first light, that way we can get there by late-morning, I want to have as much daylight as possible outside the cave in case we need to make a run for it.” I rattle off, just as we arrive at the door to a long house, which she opens and leads us into.
“That all sounds good to me, I’ll be ready to go!” she says exuberantly, before gesturing to a bunk toward the back of the building, clearly un-chosen thus far, neatly made as it is, “You can take that one and the one next to it as well, for your pup if she wants it. I’m going to go prep some items for tomorrow, I’ll see you at dinner?”
I give her a nod and she eagerly rushes off, leaving us alone with time enough before dinner to at last go through my notifications.
I sprawl out on the bunk, Artemis foregoing her own to crawl up at the foot of mine, nearly dislodging me with her giant form in the process before finally getting comfortable.
Then, with but a mental impulse, my notifications populate in my vision, my intention to have Artemis’ come first.
Congratulations! Your Animal Companion, Artemis, has increased her Skills!
Arctic Claws(B): Lv.1--5
Stubborn(B): Lv.1--3
I hadn’t yet checked her Skill increases, so they have seen a sharp jump, especially Stubborn, surprisingly enough, as she only had for the swarm battle outside the village to level it, so she must have used it a good deal.
Congratulations! Your Animal Companion, Artemis, has killed an assortment of Beasts for a total of 1500 XP and has leveled up! She has 1 free Attribute point available!
After a moment’s thought, I place her point into Strength, bringing all of her stats(minus the locked Soul) to 4, just below the human threshold. She is already at the peak of her race from before the System, quite impressive, I must say. Next, I feel more notifications for her, unexpectedly enough!
Congratulations! Artemis, through the confluence of the Animal Companion Skill, the Player’s Rare Class, and the loyal and affectionate relationship between you both, has unlocked the Class: Helhound(U)!
Eyebrows climbing to my hairline, I mentally unfold the explanation for the Class and its accompanying ability, holding my breath in anticipation.
Helhound(U): This Class, not to be confused with the fire-aligned Hellhound Class, traces its roots back to Norse mythology as well as the Fae. Hel, the Norse land of the dead, is an icy wasteland of the damned and demonic, where even the bravest heroes fear to tread. Yet, these Helhounds venture deep into its phantasmal depths to defend the wrongfully slain from molestation by monsters and demons. Vicious fighters yet gifted with hearts of gold, these hounds are the ultimate in companion, which the Wild Hunt was to find out as they employed them as hunting hounds and even mounts after they fully matured(Lv. 10). Unlocks the Class ability, Call of the Forgotten. Those lost in the darkest lands need the warmth of heart of man’s best friend, but also the cold brutality of a Beast’s aggression in order to protect them.
Call of the Forgotten: Grants a +2 buff to all allies’ stats, -2 debuff to all enemies' stats. Originates from defending wayward young souls and giving them the stats to run by taking from the attacker(s).
Wow! That is a seriously cool class, and at Lv. 10 I can even ride her?!
“Damn, girl, how big are you going to get??” I ask her, ice blue eyes slitting open as she hears my voice in her slumber, before shutting them again after seeing nothing of interest happening, or just as likely, any food around.
Finally, her last notification comes up, one that is nearly as amazing as the last!
Top 100 World Achievement! Artemis is only the 95th Beast to unlock the requirements for a Class! As a reward, she earns the Title: Beast in Class!
Beast in Class: +1 to all physical stats
That is a pretty solid increase for sure! I pull up her PAID to get an idea of all of the monumental changes she is about go through. As the final notification fades and her Class change goes into effect, her body goes rigid for a second as energy suffuses her and her stats increase before she releases a deep breath and falls into an even deeper sleep from exhaustion brought on through growth.
PAID
Player: Artemis
Age: 4
Race: Canine
Subspecies: Siberian Husky
Level: 6
Class: Helhound(U)
Class Ability: Call of the Forgotten
870/2560 XP to level 7
Attributes (Canine range between 1 and 5, dependent of Subspecies size):
Strength 3--5
Dexterity 4--5
Constitution 4--5
Intelligence 4
Soul(Now unlocked by Class) 1
Mana: 4
HP: 25
Skills: Arctic Claws, Stubborn
Unlock next free Skill point at Lv.10
Items: None
Titles: Companion Beast, Beast in Class
Happy with her gains and slightly relieved that she received some extra stats and even a Party buffing ability since those caves could hold anything, I make ready for the next bit of items to go through before dinner…
My own advancements!