Adirondack Park: 2.6 million acres, includes Hamilton and Essex counties, home to a plethora of fauna. Some of which include a surprisingly high amount of Jackalopes and Grass Slimes.

These are things I looked up on my phone in the back of a taxi. However, I got distracted, and am now watching one of Thomas's recorded lectures.

"That's how our stats really work. They only show our average limit, something we can't really reach. It took quite a lot of testing, but we found that the average, twenty-five-year-old male will have about a hundred Power, but he can't use all of it."

He pauses for a breath. "If he were to punch someone—untrained on both sides— he would hit with about 800 Newtons. If he knew to put his weight behind and much muscles to twist, he could hit with 1200. Yet, on both accounts, he'd still be at one hundred Power. Of course, training does raise this limit—"

"Hey, do you mind turning that down a little?" The cab driver asks.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Sure," I say, turning off my phone. "Any idea how long until we get there?"

"I'd say five minutes."

Thanking him, I sit back in my seat. My phone buzzes, indicating that someone's messaged me.

Aria: Aren't you supposed to be studying right now?

Alice: A little break is fine.

Aria: …

Aria: …

Aria:

Oh, she just…

Aria: Fine. Your funeral. Dad will probably be only a little mad though; he get's distracted easily.

[ Through repeated actions you have unlocked the skill: Procrastination(Minimum, Passive) ]

[ Procrastination — Allows the user to put off activities until the last moment, then completing them to a varying degree of success. ]

That's just rubbing salt in the wound. At least I had the foresight to grab some tools from the Hero's Guild Quartermaster.

On a side note, there are a lot of departments I didn't know about in the labyrinth of the Hero's Guild. Like the Quartermaster's store, for an unrelated example.

"I'll be honest; I don't get many wolf-kin in my cab, especially coming up this way," the cab driver chuckles. His attempts at humor fall flat though, and he decides to stop. I'm sorry for the guy, but I have not laughed in a while, and it'll take a lot more to get even a chortle out of me.

After arriving, I pay the cab and watch as he speeds off. Now, I'm at the Ranger building…place, and there's a small, single-stalled bathroom. I guess this is where I have to change. Maybe I shouldn't have picked up so much equipment; some's kind of cumbersome.

————————————————————————————————————

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

I walk into what is supposed to be their main office, but what I see is a gothic, renaissance-style gaggle. I know I'm not helping, what with my outfit being black leather—should ask Thomas about changing that—but, I mean…c'mon!

The silence is palpable. The stares that we share just add to the tension between all of us. "Uh, are you the hero?" Bandit-like man number one asks.

"Yes," I state, matter-of-factly. "Are you the Rangers?"

"Yes," he states, matter-of-factly.

It returns. Neither of us want to address the elephant in the room, but it needs to be done. "So what's with the outfits? You look like you rob carriages for a not-so-honest living."

One of them scratches the back of their head. "Well, we aren't into LARPing if that's what you're implying…UGH!" He's smacked across the backside of his head by his friend.

"Right…" On second thought, let's ignore this specific elephant. "So, can you give me specifics on the issue you're having?"

Thankfully, Bandit-like Ranger number one picks up on the sudden change in subject. "Yes! Of course. We typically stay out of the forest as our job is to preserve the natural order of things. Our job is to get involved only if other sapient creatures get involved.

Anyway, it all started when Mike noticed smoke coming from the east. At first, we thought it was a forest fire, but then something interesting happened; it stopped. Like someone doused the flames.

We were all accounted for at the lodge, which meant that someone was out there, and we didn't know about them. It's all fine to go out there and camp, since a good half of it is public land, but some is privatized. Another thing is that a permit is needed, for safety reasons.

Anyway, Mike and Cecil head to where the smoke came from, and they find an abandoned fire, still smoking; a wood and brick shelter, which breaks the rule of 'Leave no trace'; and some bear pelts hanging on a spit over the fire pit."

"So let's see… unattended fire, building a shelter on private land, trespassing on private land, and essentially poaching," I sum up, counting on each finger.

"That's about it. Except for the fact that Mike and Cecil both got singed with a fireball, which luckily missed them, but it blasted apart a rock nearby. Those two aren't capable of dealing with that stuff!"

"Might be assault then, possible first degree."

"That's about it. Um, anything we can do to help you? Like maybe take that big box off your chest?"

I shake my head. "No, that's a camera. I would like a map though."

————————————————————————————————————

A map is not useful when one is navigationally challenged. A map is useful when one has a Mapping skill to cross-reference with the map.

Unlike the web that is the Hero's Guild, Mapping has no issue figuring out where I am, and where everything else is. Presence Detection and Danger Sense are working overtime with Mapping, giving me small dots on the map of where some small critters are. For example, the Jackalopes are a yellow dot, smaller than some green dotted deer, mainly because the Jackalopes will attack if one gets too close to their burrows.

[ Jackalope — This rabbit with antelope horns occupies northern climates. They are typically passive as omnivores with a preference for plants, but approaching them may cause them to retaliate with their teeth capable of biting through steel. If angered, they can be pacified with whiskey. During the night, the vocal cords are empowered, allowing the Jackalope to mimic sapient speech. ]

Yeah, like parrots of the night. I wonder if they can mimic stuff they heard through the day at night. That'd be creepy.

I eventually find the clearing marked on the map, and boy did those Rangers understate this place. It's like somebody decided to live here, and they absolutely trashed the place. Pelts and corpses everywhere, no doubt attracting bears, and a small shack. Space looks to be about six by three feet.

Now all I have to do is just find this guy, then bring him in. Wait, a regular officer wouldn't do this, right? But I do have expanded powers…

Holy shit! Am I a bounty hunter? Probably not. I think I have more funding than those guys, as in, I have funding.

Career thoughts for another day. I have a criminal, magically-empowered, probably homeless guy to catch.

Now, where did he go off to? I'd bet that freshly trodden path that leads towards the sound of running water would be a good guess. Backed up with the scent of a human: teenager, about 140 pounds, heavy seafood diet.

[ Through repeated actions skill: Enhanced Senses(Maximum, Passive) has evolved into Empowered Senses(Minimum, Passive) ]

[ Empowered Senses — Allows the user to expand the power of not just the five senses, but any other natural or skilled sense available. Power can be limited individually for each sense. More information can be grappled than what could normally be found. ]

WOW. That's an upgrade if I've ever seen one. Since I can limit any and all senses, I guess I could easily level Pain Resistance now, huh? Can probably use this with Presence Detection and Danger Sense, 'cause they are sensory skills, and increase the power of Mapping.

What great timing! Sometimes, just sometimes, I feel like the System ranks up my skills just to make fun of me.

…

No? Nothing? Great.

On a second smell, one, I look really awkward with how close I am to the ground right now. Two, this kid, aged 16, seems to be of Japanese descent. He might have a tapeworm, too.

This feels awesome, if not nauseating and headache inducing when the senses are pushed to their absolute limits. Might need more ranks, an evolution, or a processing skill to help with THAT.

Now, let's see what happens if I boost my sense of temperature…

…

Well, fuck. The SUN, if you didn't know, is HOT. I'm not physically dying, but my skin sure does feel like it. I planned to see if I could feel how hot the path was, but the sun seems to want me to not do that.

Walking down the twisting, brambly path, I eventually find a stream. Wait, no, river. It's a small river. On the opposite side, in a drenched school uniform, is a kid trying to catch a red fox…with a carved spear. They said he could use magic. Where is the magic?

I don't want to watch this sad show of incompetence any longer, so I charge up a Lightning Bolt. I don't get to use this much, but now I have a moderately net-positive Mana Regen. Ozone fills the air and hair stands on its ends as I release the bolt, instantly killing the fox and blasting part of shoreline.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?!" I demand, intentions clear. He whispers something. I would've barely heard it even with Enhanced Senses, but now—

"Holy shit. I really am in another world."

I've found something interesting.