Ben grinned.
He couldn't have hoped for better. The system had learned from his behavior and unlocked something that could benefit him the most in his dire situation. Even that strange feeling he felt earlier started to make sense. He wondered what feats he would be capable of once he learned to use the magic.
He shifted his thoughts back to the system.
What skills are available, then?
***
[Repair Mk.1]:
Once active, this skill uses magic points (MP) to improve the condition of the user’s vehicle. This skill can only be activated through the vehicle system menu. When the user is satisfied with the repair, they may stop the procedure anytime.
Skill Proficiency: 1MP/1% Condition Repaired
Skill Point Cost: 1
***
[Refuel Mk.1]:
Once active, this skill uses magic points (MP) to conjure fuel associated with your vehicle. This skill can only be activated through the vehicle system menu. When the user is satisfied with the fuel level, they may stop the procedure.
Skill Proficiency: 1MP/1% Refueled.
Skill Point Cost: 1
***
What! Only two skills?
He was hoping it would have given him a greater selection.
Well, beggars can't be choosers. Besides, I only have one point to spend anyway. I should be careful where I spend it.
The fuel situation was okay, which he hoped would grant him enough time to level up and gain another skill point. Considering the state of his van, he felt it was a no-brainer not to choose the one that could be used to repair it.
[Repair Mk.1 is now unlocked.]
A new option appeared on the vehicle stat screen, and when he thought about activating it, the magic started to flow out of his body. The entire van had become covered in a blue aura, and small speckles of magic started to blow from its surface like dandelion seeds in the wind. The glow is concentrated, and luminosity increases around the damaged areas. Another great bonus was that it cleaned the van as if going through an automated car wash.
Not bad at all!
Ben wasn’t sure how it worked, but the results put a smile on his face. Most of the van had started to look better than when he first bought it. The only downside of the process was that the magic within him started to fade to the point he could barely feel it was there anymore. He wanted to save what was left if things got hairy and stopped the procedure.
[Vehicle Condition: 64%]
[Vehicle front fender has been regenerated.]
The engine's sluggishness had gone, and the suspension didn’t feel like it was driving over multiple potholes. According to the notification, the van's fender had been replaced. But he couldn’t see it from where he was sitting. He lifted his butt off the seat and leaned forward to discover it did look like it had been replaced. He made a mental note to check it once he wasn’t being chased properly.
Looking through the now shiny mirror, he turned his attention to the horde, where he noticed dust emerging from where they scurried. There was some distance between them and him, but not near enough for him to be safe.
Ben sighed in frustration. He was sick and tired of their behavior. It was beyond annoying.
I guess there’s no other way to end this chase. I’ll have to mow them all down!
Since using the repair skill, he wondered if he could simultaneously run them over and use the ability perpetually. That would allow him to dispose of them all and get a much-needed break from the madness he found himself in. He turned the van around and headed directly for the horde.
Once again, knocks shook the van as the scorpions' chitin bodies crashed into the fender. Some bounced and spun around the van's sides, clanking every time they contacted metal panels. Blue goo once again flew around like confetti and splattered all over the hood.
Ben's heart raced like a rocket, and his clothes were soaked in warm sweat. Every time he contacted them, the steering wheel bounced, forcing him to hold it tighter. The palms of his hands were hurting so much that all he wanted was to let go.
One of the scorpions somehow rolled up the hood and bounced off the windscreen, causing it to crack. The suddenness of it caused Ben to blink.
Oh, shit! That was a close call.
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With the magic inside of him buzzing back to life, it was the right time to start the repair function before he lost any vital parts of the van. The blue aura filled every inch of the van before he pressed harder on the gas to finish them off. The closer Ben got to his goal, the sicker it made him feel. The relentless murder run had taken its toll. At that moment, he just wanted to be done with it all.
Come on! Hang on a little longer!
The van's condition still depreciated, but did so at a slower speed than his first run. As great of a skill it was, he knew he couldn’t keep it up for much longer as his pool of magic was starting to diminish faster than the van was being repaired. Maybe later, he could upgrade it to improve its proficiency, as the system had stated in the notification.
Scorpion carcasses littered the salt. Around them, the ground had soaked in the goo like a sponge and started to look the same light blue as the sky. However, a few creatures remained but were behind him as he had missed them during the run.
[Total Experience Gained: +160XP]
They just wouldn’t let up their chase and kept at it as if they were programmed like machines.
“How can such creatures even exist?” He sighed in frustration.
Ben once again created some distance. With the few that remained, he was certain the next run would be his final. When he turned and was about to accelerate towards the closest one, a loud noise erupted in the distance. It resembled a war horn, like the ones he had heard while watching battle scenes in historical documentaries. He twisted his head towards the mountains, where it came from.
What the heck! That’s unreal!
Three giant scorpions were rushing towards him at speeds he didn’t think were possible. The massive clouds of dirt they threw up were so immense they resembled a dust storm and nearly reached the top of the peaks behind them. What was even more peculiar was that they appeared to look different. It looked like they had riders.
He held his steering wheel and moved closer to the windscreen to see the riders better. They were covered from head to toe in dark, puffed-up robes. In their hands, they held ropes that went all the way to the scorpions' heads, which appeared connected to a collar. One moved an item close to its head before another loud horn blared. As they got closer, the sound shook the surrounding area, causing the van to shake and rattle.
Ben noticed the ones he was about to run over had stopped in their tracks. They paused for only a moment as they turned to face the three approaching mammoths before turning tail and running back toward the dunes. A few of them even tried to burrow themselves in the salt and failed before joining their kin.
Their behavior gave him the chills and a gut-wrenching feeling that he was in danger. Knowing something big would happen, he steered the van the other way and put the pedal to the metal.
Ben’s heart felt like it would explode as he pushed his engine further than he had ever done before. He held the steering wheel as hard as he could until he couldn’t feel his hands anymore. The van started losing control, swerving side to side, and almost spun out of control a few times.
His efforts were all in vain when he was forced to hit the brakes and come to a halt. One of the larger ones had jumped through the air and landed a hundred feet before him. Granules of salt were chucked away in all directions as if a pile of explosives had been detonated. A small shockwave hit the front of the van, rattling its suspension before the salt started to rain down on the windscreen like hailstones. That happened two more times as the others arrived, causing the area to be covered in a white salty fog.
A breeze blew from the side, dispersing it away. First, the silhouettes emerged, and once it was clear, Ben noticed they had stayed in the same position since landing and faced him. The scorpions looked like they wanted to rip him to shreds, snapping their claws and twitching in rage.
Great. Now I’m stuck!
There was no way he could outrun them, and judging from the feats he had witnessed, he knew he had messed up big time. The magic they used to leap great distances was both awe-inspiring and intimidating. It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Are they human?
Do they have access to a system like mine?
Is there a skill that allows them to tame and ride the scorpions?
Ben’s thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the rider in the middle started aggressively pointing at the van. The way its head bobbed back and forth with the other two riders made him think they must have been conversing. One of the other riders joined in with the hostility, while the final one stayed relaxed.
The scorpion mounts appeared to mirror their rider's behavior as if they were telepathically linked. The angry ones twitched and moved about all over the place, the complete opposite of the calm one, who stood as still as a stone.
Suddenly, it felt like the angriest one had enough of talking. The mount sprang forward in a frenzy, stomping its appendages and swinging its gigantic claws. It moved forward a little before hopping toward the van. The ground trembled like an earthquake as the scorpion landed fifty feet away, causing sand to fly in every direction and pelt the windscreen like hailstones.
Damn! I better get out of here!
Not wanting to stay there any longer, Ben put the van into gear and was about to hit the throttle when the other angry rider moved closer. Both of them stood side by side, and before he could react, one launched blue magic towards him. It spread around the van's body like a cobweb before contracting together, forming a strong grip.
Hitting the throttle was useless, as it kicked up the salt beneath his tires before they spun in place. The spell acted like a crane, causing his suspension to creak as he levitated a few meters up.
“Hey! Put me down!” Ben yelled at the top of his voice to no avail.
What am I doing? They probably don’t even understand me!
The one in the middle lifted one of its hands into the air and started charging magic like he was about to make his special move. The energy appeared to condense into a sphere, getting bigger as more magic was forced into it till it reached the size of a football. Small jolts of energy started to pulse out of it.
Even though Ben was new to magic, he could feel the tremors interacting with the magic inside of him. And it told him one thing, that he was about to get ‘Final Flashed’ into oblivion. Ben shot his hand towards the door latch and pulled. When it didn’t open, he knew one of the webs must have covered the panel.
The stress of the situation hit Ben like a ton of bricks. His heart raced like a warhorse at full gallop. Entire waves of sweat radiated from his head, and his gasping became so heavy his chest hurt. His finger poked the window switch with so much force it nearly cracked the plastic.
Hurry up and open, damn it!
It moved slower than he wanted, and as it reached halfway, he held the window frame on both sides. Taking a deep breath, he was about to leap like an Olympic diver when another earth-shattering thud hit the ground.
“Now what?” He snapped, twisting his head.