“I should have picked a poison skill,” Joe muttered to himself as he ran through the forest like a tsunami, killing anything that crossed his path. The effectiveness of poison as a weapon was far beyond Joe’s wildest expectations. If someone had asked him if he considered poison a viable ability a few days ago, he would have responded with a resounding no. Sure, it had its uses, but most of those would be limited to niche applications. Perhaps shadowy forces lurking in the dark or unhappy spouses.

However, at this moment, Joe couldn't believe just how wrong he had been. Poison wasn't a weak ability. It was effectively a cheat, a weapon of mass destruction. With it, he stalked the forest undaunted. Anything that got into range became a victim of his reign of terror. Each wolf he struck would become paralyzed and then culled with extreme prejudice. Joe felt like a farmer harvesting wheat as he lapped up a mass of free Exp.

By the time Joe reached his destination, he had killed another twelve wolves, gaining an extra 9460 Exp in just one day. A considerable achievement considering the level penalty.

Joe opened his status and admired his progress.

Exp: 9660/15,473

He was halfway to level 13 and would likely hit it in a day.

Joe closed the menu and looked out at the clearing where the giant tree sat. The tree was far vaster up close, making him feel like an ant looking up at a mountain for the first time. The sturdy brown trunk bloomed from the earth like a spear rising to the heavens. Above, Joe could see huge branches covering the sky, thick with dense foliage. It made the surrounding trees look like simple weeds in comparison. It helped explain why it had taken nearly a day to arrive, an unfortunate consequence of underestimating the distance due to its vast size. Joe turned his attention back to the current situation. With the sun setting, there was no way to get back to the cave before nightfall, and he had no desire to travel the forest in low light. He, therefore, began creeping around the edge of the clearing, determined to search the area before finding a place to camp.

The clearing was barren except for a few patches of grass that grew intermittently. Massive roots rose from the ground like small hills, sucking the area dry of nutrients. The site appeared empty, or so he thought. Abruptly, Joe froze. In the distance, he spotted a majestic silver wolf lazing comfortably in the tree's shade. It had luscious silver fur and blue sapphire eyes that shone with a hint of intelligence. A step up from the blood red eyes of its savage brethren. Finally, its stature put it far beyond any normal wolf. If a normal wolf was the size of a lion, then this alpha had to be the size of a rhino or bear.

Joe did his best to avoid the creature's gaze, keeping along the outskirts while searching the area for any signs of attribute fruits nearby. However, after circling the entire clearing, he saw nothing. He considered giving up and bypassing the tree altogether. With no guarantee of treasure, there was no reason to take on another elite beast. However, Joe eventually decided to proceed with his plan. There had to be something here, plus he still needed to confirm his location. However, now was not the time to be reckless. Joe knew he wasn't strong enough to face an elite beast head-on, a lesson he had repeatedly learned, and he had no desire to charge in for a one-on-one contest. He would have to play it smart. Joe slowly hunched back into the forest. Nightfall was about to arrive, and he still had to find a place to set up camp.

Joe found a decent tree nearby with a broad branch he could perch on comfortably. He climbed up to one of the highest branches to give him a clear view of the area, reducing the risk of any surprise attack. He had been worried about sleeping outside without shelter. However, it proved a non-issue. Joe's enhanced Vitality helped him shrug off the wind and cold while keeping him warm. He couldn't help but chuckle in amazement. With enough Vitality, he might one day be able to walk through volcanos or block bullets with his bare skin.

Since there was no need to worry about shelter, Joe thought of ways to tackle the wolf. He could try feeding the beast poisoned meat, but he doubted such a simple strategy would work. The wolves had a keen sense of smell, and the silver wolf would probably smell the poison a mile away. Besides, Joe didn't have an unlimited supply of poison to try out half-baked ideas. He had already used up half of the venom during the day and couldn't afford to waste more.

He continued racking his brain until rays of light broke through the canopy, signaling the arrival of a new day. There was only one viable plan that had any chance of success, but it would take time and effort. Fortunately for Joe, he had both. With strategy decided, he climbed down the tree and quickly set off. He had a long week ahead.

***

Joe sprinted through the shrubbery, unfazed by the twigs and branches that cut across his face. Five wolves were on his tail, snarling as they attempted to claw at the gaps between his armor. In one hand was his sword, and in the other was a small circular makeshift shield he had created using the spider's carapace. It had taken a few days to get the design right, but he was pretty happy with the final result since none of the wolves had managed to leave a dent in it. Joe suddenly swerved to the left, careful to avoid an errant root he had missed. A wolf pounced in an attempt to take advantage of his distraction. But with a quick step, Joe avoided the beast's swipe and followed up with a slash of his own. He tore a giant gash into its shoulder, causing the beast to collapse on the forest floor, whimpering in pain.

The other wolves used the opportunity to jump in, desperate to get revenge for their fallen pack member. This time, Joe didn't panic. He calmly observed the situation before charging toward the right and cutting down another wolf with pinpoint precision. One wolf tried to grab his leg, but he shrugged off the pain and quickly ended it with a chop to the neck. Joe breezed through the remaining two wolves in no time at all until all five wolves lay on the ground, dead or incapacitated. The familiar burst of energy rushed through Joe's body, confirming he had gained another level.

"Finally," Joe exclaimed. He opened his status menu and swiftly placed 2 points in Agility and another in strength while continuing his practice of saving 2 free points per level, giving him 10 free points in total. Once done, he took a moment to admire his progress.

Name: Joe Heraldson

Level: 15

Experience Points: 38/23,987

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Race: Human (F)

Grade: Mortal

Blessings: Heaven's Chosen

Strength: 42

Vitality: 36

Agility: 44

Will: 31

Spirit: 15

Free Stats: 10

It had been two weeks since he had reached the clearing, and since that time, he had made decent progress leveling up, gaining three levels in total. At first, the fights had proven difficult. His inexperience resulted in his body becoming marred with numerous scars and cuts, to the point where he looked like a recovering victim of a deadly animal mauling. Not even the healing potions could fix his now disfigured skin. Yet over time, he slowly refined his skill. Now Joe could take on multiple wolves at a time with minimal to no injuries. The only time he had been close to death was when he traveled too far and got ambushed by a large pack of eight wolves. A fight he had quickly fled without looking back.

Joe closed his stats menu, stood up, and continued his trek through the forest. Today was the day he would challenge the alpha, and if everything went well, he wouldn't even have to unsheathe his sword. Finally, Joe reached the large tree and spotted the silver wolf lying in the shade, enjoying a midday nap. For the last week, Joe had observed the beast and noticed it rarely left the clearing. Instead, other wolves brought it food, strengthening his belief that the alpha was protecting something.

He snuck back into the undergrowth after confirming the wolf's position and slowly made his way to the grove where he had set up a temporary base camp.

Joe pulled off a tarp made of leaves, revealing his latest creation. It was a 5ft tall rectangular chitin shield with large black spikes protruding in front. He hefted it up, admiring his craftsmanship. It was constructed from the carapace of the Spider Queen.

The small circular shield he had used earlier was a prototype he had created to test the material's strength. Inside the large shield was a leather strap to help lift it. Joe had even added Wolf's fur to the inside to prevent chafing. The six spikes on the outside, also made of carapace, had been whittled down to make sure they were sharp enough to pierce the hide of any beast.

Shaping and linking the pieces together had taken the longest time, and in total, it had taken over a week to complete. It wasn't pretty to look at, but Joe had faith it would work. The final step was to pour venom over the spikes and wait for the wolf to attack.

Satisfied he had completed his preparations, Joe walked back towards the clearing. He inched up to the thicket and crouched low behind a bush to ensure the silver wolf couldn't see him. Any closer and Joe would be in full sight of the wolf.

Once in place, he flipped over the shield and began to pour the remaining venom over the spikes, making sure each tip got coated with a generous dose. He had made sure he was blowing directly downwind of the alpha to avoid it catching his scent. His biggest fear was if the beast's intelligence prevented it from fighting him head-on.

An ordinary opponent would never be foolish enough to rush into a shield of Spikes. Still, Joe was betting on its instinct to protect whatever it was trying to keep hidden. Joe's heart palpitated rapidly, but his hands were steady. He knew it was now or never.

With the wolf lazing around, he wouldn't have a better chance. Joe got to his feet, shield in one hand and sword in the other. He rushed into the clearing at full speed. His enhanced Agility allowed him to bound across the distance with an acceleration faster than a cheetah.

The wolf was approximately 50 feet away, yet it instantly sensed the intruder. It stood up and locked eyes with Joe. At first, it tilted its head in confusion. However, once it saw Joe heading straight for its position, it let out a primal roar and shot toward Joe like a bullet.

Both sides charged at each other like runaway trains. At first, Joe smiled with glee. He hadn't expected the alpha to take the bait so easily. Whatever it was protecting had to be located nearby. However, Joe's smile quickly turned into a frown. The speed of the alpha was way beyond anything he expected. Joe promptly stopped and brought his shield to bear, bracing for impact.

The alpha, mad with aggression, took no notice of the sharp spikes and thundered ahead, slamming into the shield with the force of a bulldozer. Multiple tips pierced the beast, causing blood to gush from several wounds. However, the momentum of the impact still transferred over to Joe. Even with strength four times greater than the average human, he still got sent flying back, coughing up mouthfuls of blood. He managed to hold onto his sword, but the shield got ripped out of his hand. He crashed and rolled across the ground several feet away.

Pain shot through his entire body as he spat out another mouthful of blood. The world spun, and a sense of nausea caused him to throw up to the side. He was pretty sure he had a concussion and a few broken ribs. The worst was his shield arm which felt like a wrecking ball had shattered it. However, Joe still managed to push himself up while turning his head towards the alpha.

The alpha was thrashing across the floor, going wild in pain. Blood fell like rain from multiple stab wounds. However, it soon regained its senses and stood back up. Any hint of intelligence from its sapphire eyes was gone, replaced with pure blood-curdling rage.

Joe grabbed his sword and did his best to ignore the pain pulsing across his whole body. He took out his last potion and gulped it down. The energy flowed through his body, helping to repair the worst damage. However, he didn’t have time to relax. He needed to get ready for the next attack. The alpha growled and began to limp towards Joe, each step causing a gallon of blood to flow out of its wounds.

Joe's thoughts raced. Was the paralysis not effective? Should he retreat? He opened up his stats, ready to allocate his free points. He couldn’t afford to be picky now. He pondered which stat he should place them in when the alpha suddenly stopped in its tracks. Joe looked up, mystified at the sudden change. He shifted his position to prepare for whatever was to come. Instead, the Alpa stopped and released a guttural howl, far louder than before. The echo spread out across the clearing and into the forest. Afterward, it sputtered, coughing out a mouthful of blood, then collapsed to the ground in a bloody heap.

Joe stood there stunned. Was that it? Had he succeeded? Joe didn’t want to take any chances. He quickly searched for his shield, discovering it a couple of feet away. He hobbled over and grabbed it.

A quick check of his status showed he hadn't received any exp, meaning the alpha was still alive. Joe slowly shifted closer until he was only a foot away. Its breath was shallow and weak. It tried to move, but the paralysis had finally come into effect. Joe didn’t waver. He lifted his sword and lunged it into the alpha's neck with a single thrust.

The alpha squirmed in its last moment of defiance until it finally went still. Joe checked his exp, and there it was, an increase of 2000 exp. Joe let out a breath of relief and sat back down. He had won.

However, his victory was short-lived. The eerie silence in the clearing soon broke, roars and howls could be heard from every direction, signaling the arrival of reinforcements coming.