They all jumped up, adrenaline surging, and began frantically packing their belongings.
Rushing to the door Scott was hoping to escape the rising flood, but the crew's hopes were dashed. "Fuck, guys the door is wedged, and I can't get it open!" Scott yelled, yanking desperately on the heavy door. "Give me a hand, would you?"
George and Scott threw their weight against the door, but it was so well-made that it didn't budge. By now, the water was ankle-deep in the cave. Scott peered through the narrow opening and spotted the problem: a large log was jammed between the door and the river rocks below. "Hey David, could you transform into a bird, fly out there, and try to pull the stump out?"
"Got it," David replied, transforming into his shrike form and squeezing through the door's opening. Once outside, David could see the waterfall was twice the size of what it normally is. He turned around and shifted back into his human form and began tugging at the log, but it wouldn't budge. The water inside the cave was rising rapidly, now reaching their waists.
Osia was struggling to hold Sir Puggelsworth and Onyxiah in her arms, while Peter was carrying Terran and the two kids.
David, realizing brute force wasn't working, pulled out his axe and began chopping at the log with all his might, but the ironwood barely chipped.
Scott, still fighting the door, yelled over the rising water as he scanned the log through the gap [Ironwood Log]. pull it out!" Then, remembering David's new ability, he added, "Now is as good a time as any to use that new form!"
David sheathed his axe, reached behind him, and pulled out his staff. He cast a quick spell and transformed into a massive Owlbear. The water was now chest-deep. Rick picked up the feverish Tomas, holding him high to keep him from the water. David, in his Owlbear form, leaned over, grabbed the log, and pulled with all his immense strength. Finally, with a loud crack, the log shifted.
Scott, George, and Peter threw their combined weight against the door, and it creaked open slowly as they used all of their combined strength to open the door fully. Scott, grabbing Geist, bolted through the opening. The waterfall was cascading down with incredible force, and he was immediately swept away by the raging current.
He fought his way to the surface, dodging rocks, and finally shifted into Beast Mode to swim to the side of the river. Gasping for breath, he set Geist down and scanned the churning water with his enhanced vision. He spotted Rick and Tomas struggling to swim towards him. Scott dove back into the river and pulled them both to safety just as Bones and the Overlord chick swam out behind them.
Seconds later, he saw a large walrus – David – swimming towards the shore, with Osia and two of the wolf pups clinging to his back for dear life. Finally, George emerged from the torrent, swimming strongly with Momma Glow Horn and her two kids.
"Where's Peter?" Scott yelled over the roar of the waterfall as George reached the shore, coughing and sputtering.
"They were right behind me!" George gasped, catching his breath. “I think he hit his head on something since the glow horns were floating down the river without him. But when I asked him if he was alright he said yes.”
A moment later, Scott spotted Peter struggling to stay afloat in the raging current, still clutching Terran. Without hesitation, Scott launched himself back into the raging river and swam as fast as he could, until he finally caught them swimming them both to safety further down river.
Just as they reached the shore, a large tree, dislodged from the opposite bank, crashed into the river, the force of its impact knocking Scott back under the churning water.
"We've been searching for hours, David, and have found nothing," Peter said, his voice heavy with exhaustion as he leaned against a tree holding his aching head.
David, in his bird form, turned and spoke. "He risked his life to pull you from the river, and yet you want to quit the search?"
"No, you're right, we don't want to stop, but we need to find cover and rest. As you can see, Tomas is shaking," Osia said, sitting against a tree, her face pale with worry.
"I'm alright, guys. We can keep going," Tomas insisted, though he was clearly going in and out of consciousness, barely able to stand.
"Okay, let's find cover and rest first. After that, we'll search for Scott," David decided, his tone firm.
They pressed on for another hour or so until the rain finally subsided. David, with his enhanced senses, located another cave, this one situated further from the river and higher up on the side of a small mountain, almost hidden from view. Osia found some sturdy sticks and set up a makeshift drying rack for their soaked bedrolls, while Peter and Rick went out to gather food and firewood.
After about an hour and a half, they returned with a few rabbits. The enticing aroma of roasting rabbit filled the cave, and they fashioned a crude door to provide some protection. The night passed, with David tirelessly healing Tomas, using his magic and potions in rapid succession until Tomas was finally restored to his former self. The following day, while Osia tended to the animals, Tomas, David, and Peter went out hunting, eager to replenish their supplies and ease the lingering tension before looking for Scott.
Meanwhile, some distance away, two women stood over the mutilated corpses of ten goblins. A dark-haired, fit 17-year-old young man, 6 feet tall, approached them from behind the trees.
"That should do it for the day," Catherine said to Anastasia. Anastasia, a fair-skinned woman 5 feet 6 inches, with extra fluffy, shoulder-length brown hair, hazel eyes, and a commanding presence, sheathed her two-handed longsword and knelt down wearily.
"We need more experience to gain as much power as quickly as possible," Anastasia replied.
"Eh, Mom, there's more incoming, and Christy and I can only hold them back for so long," Hunter warned, pulling out another arrow and knocking it to his bow.
"Let's grab the boys and keep moving," Catherine decided, healing the wounds on Anastasia's back with a soft glow of light. Anastasia moved towards a nearby thicket and retrieved two frightened boys hidden beneath the leaves.
"Pull yourselves together. It's going to be a long night if we don't make it back to camp in one piece," Anastasia said, gently wiping the tears, dirt, and grime from the boys' faces.
"We have to be strong. Can you be strong for us?" Catherine added, kneeling down to look at Victor and Riley.
The two boys nodded, their small hands gripping their makeshift weapons, and they bravely joined the group as they continued down the trail. Christy and Hunter, the last two in line, stopped to set another trap.
Boom a sound echoed through the woods with screams of terror and goblins shouting.
"One of the traps just went off about a hundred yards away," Christy said quietly as they walked briskly along the path.
"One more trap, and that should do it," Hunter whispered, retrieving a handful of glowing red magic berries inside a leaf and a length of thin string from Christy's pouch to set up a new snare.
"Ha ha ha!" Hunter laughed, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he stood up to move further down the trail.
"Whaaaaaat now?" Christy asked, a patient sigh escaping her lips as she carefully plucked a mushroom from the side of the trail and placed it in her bag.
"How many goblins would fit in a U-Haul truck?" Hunter grinned, checking his gear with a practiced hand.
"This again? Do you remember what I said last time?" Christy said, her face a mask of mild exasperation.
"Yeah, these are intrusive thoughts, and we keep them to ourselves. But these are , not zombies, this time," Hunter argued, trying to justify his morbid curiosity.
"But I would estimate around 232 goblins, give or take," Christy replied, rolling her eyes but suppressing a smile.
"Yessss! Ha ha ha!" Hunter laughed even louder, clearly pleased with her answer.
Christy gave him a serious look, then her lips twitched upwards. Another one of her "boom berries traps," small explosive devices she crafted from an ability she chose, detonated nearby with a muffled . "You know, you laugh like Dad," she commented casually.
"Eh," Hunter shrugged, his laughter subsiding slightly.
"I'm just saying, I wonder where he is now?" Christy said, her tone tinged with a hint of longing as she picked up more herbs, trying to quicken her pace.
"You know Dad is probably flying around in bird form, gathering ingredients like you. He'll be fine. I mean, it's Dad. He's probably having a blast," Hunter reassured Christy, trying to lighten the mood.
"But we're going to need to pick up the pace if we want to catch up to Mom," Hunter added. Christy nodded, transformed into a squirrel, and scampered up onto his shoulder. Hunter took off running down the trail with surprising speed, a few more explosions echoing behind them as they left their traps behind.
After catching up to Catherine, Anastasia, and the two boys, they encountered an unexpected obstacle: a troll sitting near a cave entrance. The troll was a formidable sight, standing nearly 8 feet tall with arms as thick as tree trunks.
[Fire Troll Variant (lvl 7)]
The troll stood up, its eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. "It looks like dinner has arrived," it growled, its voice like the grinding of stones.
Catherine stepped forward, her expression firm, adopting her best "mom voice." "Excuse me, , you have the wrong dinner. See, the next troll's dinner down the way," she said, hoping to confuse the creature. "Now, you can let us go, or deal with the consequences of the one."
"Oh, the bigger one?" the troll repeated, its brow furrowed in confusion. It looked down at its massive hands, counting its thick fingers a few times, then back up at Catherine.
Anastasia, her hand resting on the hilt of her two-handed longsword, leaned close to Catherine and whispered impatiently, "We can take him."
"Take me where?" the troll asked, looking even more bewildered.
"To your brother," Catherine said, emphasizing the word. She noticed the troll's eyes darting back and forth, its clumsy fingers fidgeting, and realized her tactic was working. The troll's face suddenly went blank, almost scared.
"Oh... brother would be mad if I... ta-took brother's food," the troll stammered, then let out an awkward, nervous laugh.
"Well, I have a better alternative for you. food will be coming next, from down this trail, and we need to get to your brother to feed him as soon as possible," Catherine said, her voice firm and serious as she met the troll's gaze.
The troll nodded slowly, its eyes widening with anticipation. "Yes, yes, my food comes next. Move along, move along," it said excitedly, clapping its large hands with a surprising childlike glee.
Once they had moved further down the trail and confirmed that the troll wasn't following, Catherine let out a huge sigh of relief. "Ha ha, I didn't think that would work. I guess using the 'mom voice,' so to speak, works on trolls like it works on toddlers," she chuckled.
As they continued their journey, distant screams filled the air. They could only assume that the goblins had finally encountered the troll, and the sound spurred them to pick up their pace.
Waking up, Scott violently coughed up water, his body aching as he lay on the bank of the now-raging river. "What the fuck?!" he yelled, pushing himself up and away from the water's edge. The sky was dark, and rain poured down in sheets, punctuated by flashes of lightning that illuminated the churning river.
Checking his gear, he found that nothing was missing, a small mercy in his current predicament. He tried to stand, but a searing pain shot through his left arm as he tried to pull himself up. Looking down, he felt like his arm was broken and pain shot through his arm as he put any type of pressure on it. Gritting his teeth, he cut up a rag with his one hand, using a knife and holding the cloth in his teeth. He looked around and found two sticks and started to create a splint for the broken arm and wrapped the cloth around it.” Why always the left arm?” Scott thought.
He reached into his bag for a healing potion, his fingers trembling. The first bottle he pulled out was broken, the precious liquid wasted. "Fuck!" he roared in frustration, the sound swallowed by the storm. Searching again, he found another potion, this one thankfully intact. He uncorked it and drank deeply, then checked his internal status.
**
His Health Points were a dismal 25/200. "Fuck, fucking fuck!" he yelled again, his voice raw with pain and anger. He had sustained a significant amount of Vitality damage, and his body was pushed to its limits.
He sat there for a long moment, struggling to regain his composure. Then, he closed his eyes and began to concentrate, focusing his will. Time passed, the rain continuing to fall, but his breathing became slow and controlled. He focused on the sounds around him: the roar of the raging river, the drumming of the rain. Gradually, he began to perceive something more, a subtle energy in the air, a warmth and scent like a summer breeze mixed with the faint fragrance of lilacs. It was mana.
Experimentally, he focused on a nearby rock, visualizing it lifting. To his surprise, the rock rose into the air with ease this time, then fell as he released his concentration. "Okay, so while I'm in pain, I can control mana better. Kind of weird, since you need complete concentration to cast most magic," he mused. He repeated the process, lifting and manipulating small objects with the ambient mana, pushing himself for hours until his mana was nearly depleted.
With his arm still healing, he decided to drink another healing potion, carefully stowing the empty bottles back in his bag.
Then, a manic grin spread across his face. He began to sing, his voice hoarse but determined, "Eye of the Tiger!" He started to train. One-armed push-ups were agonizing, but he managed to do fifty. He rolled onto his back and began doing sit-ups until his abs screamed in protest. He pushed himself relentlessly, combining various exercises until his stamina was almost gone and his HP began to drop.
Finally, exhausted but stubbornly alive, he surveyed his surroundings. He cut down a few branches and dragged them under a large pine tree. Using more branches, he fashioned a makeshift bed and then camouflaged it with more foliage. Then, utterly drained, he collapsed into a deep sleep.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Voices began to echo around Scott, two people clearly engaged in a heated argument. Waking abruptly, he instinctively drew his sword, keeping low and still beneath the pine branches, controlling his breathing to remain as silent as possible. Checking his left arm he noticed it was almost back to normal while wiggling his fingers, but he could still feel the bone that wasn't fully healed yet. Then he could see through the branches two figures, a tall burly man and a Short petite woman.
"You stole my dagger! Give it back!" a tall, burly man with an axe demanded, staring daggers at the woman.
"Why would I steal your knife, love? When all I want is your heart?" the woman replied, her voice smooth and seductive.
"You already my heart, and now my dagger!" the man protested.
"No, I don't have your heart , but I will," she said, slowly approaching the man, a glint of metal flashing as she drew a dagger from beneath her cloak.
Scott found himself in a familiar dilemma, reminiscent of the moral choices in video games. He could remain hidden and watch the scene unfold, or intervene to prevent a potential killing, especially one between humans. With a sigh, he decided to act. He emerged from beneath the tree and grabbed the woman's wrist, stopping her advance.
The burly man raised his axe, startled, and glared at Scott. "Who are you? Let go of my girlfriend!" he barked.
"Who I am is not important. What important is that this woman just pulled a dagger on you from beneath her cloak," Scott said, trying to maintain his grip on the woman's dagger-wielding hand.
"Why would I believe a stranger over my own girlfriend? Now let her go, or I'll you," the man threatened.
Scott twisted the woman's wrist slightly, enough to reveal the blade in her hand. "Baby, you know I would never hurt you. He's hurting me! Please, help me get rid of this guy," she pleaded, her voice taking on a seductive, manipulative tone.
The man swung his axe at Scott's head. Scott leaped back, narrowly avoiding the blow, as the woman slid to the man's side. "Okay, not gonna lie, this seems like a setup, and I was just trying to keep you safe," Scott said, his voice laced with disbelief.
"You don't know Chad," the man, Chad, snarled, gripping his axe with both hands. He charged at Scott like a long-haired biker-viking hybrid, swinging the axe in a wide arc. Scott sidestepped the attack, the axe burying itself in a nearby tree. The woman, meanwhile, charged at Scott with two daggers drawn, executing a slide reminiscent of those seen in modern combat games, aiming for his waist.
Realizing the situation was escalating rapidly, Scott finally became serious. He jumped to the side and drew his sword. "Okay, I don't want to hurt you guys. Could we talk this out?" he asked, but the woman was already upon him, her daggers flashing. He parried one strike, but the other grazed his arm. Unfortunately for her, it was his once broken arm, still bandaged. The stick took the brunt of the blow, but the dagger still managed to cut his forearm, and he felt the bone shift again.
"Yeah, get him, baby!" Chad yelled, finally freeing his axe from the tree.
Scott, feeling a strange tingling sensation from the cut, began to back away. Chad rushed him again, but this time, Chad anticipated his move, sidestepping the attack. Chad's size 15 boot connected solidly with Scott's chest, sending him flying backward through a tangle of branches and into a thorn bush. Scott scrambled to his feet, trying to avoid further lacerations, and realized something was definitely off. His senses felt dulled, his movements sluggish. He suspected some kind of poison.
Chad swung his axe at Scott's head. Scott ducked and rolled back through the thorns, the sharp points tearing at his already semi injured body. The woman, sliding in next to Chad again, stabbed at Scott's gut.
Scott dodged backwards then said, "Bravo, bravo. Now you two will regret this," Scott growled, his eyes flashing as he shifted into his Beast Mode.
Chad leaped over the thorn bush, intending to slam his axe down on Scott, who was still kneeling. But Scott, moving with enhanced speed, slid to the right, and his claws flashed out, cutting Chad's side open in a long, deep gash.
The woman moved around the thorn bush to Scott's left, attempting her slide attack again. This time, Scott was ready. He blocked her attack with his sword, using the momentum of the clash to spin and deliver a powerful backslash to Chad's right calf, opening another significant gash in the large man's leg. She flew back from the block and Scott, with a burst of speed, jumped backward, landing near the trunk of a large tree. As he steadied himself, he saw his life flash before his eyes. Chad, ignoring the pain, stood up and swung his axe at Scott's head again, the blade slamming into the tree trunk with a sickening thud, a mere half-inch from Scott's skull as he ducked below.
Reacting instantly, Scott planted one foot against the base of the tree and launched himself past Chad, slashing at the woman's shoulder, catching her off guard. She stumbled and fell to the ground, momentarily incapacitated as his sword froze her. Chad, seeing his girlfriend lying seemingly lifeless, roared "Natalie!" and wrapped his massive arms around Scott's chest from behind, lifting him off the ground. Scott, who stood 6 feet tall, was dwarfed by the 7-foot-6-inch giant of a man, who lifted him like a child and began to squeeze with immense force. Scott could feel the pressure building in his chest, his ribs creaking. He braced himself, strengthening every muscle to resist the crushing grip.
Thinking quickly, Scott grew his fangs and bit down repeatedly on Chad's arm, the sharp teeth tearing into the flesh. Chad, in pain, began to slam his forehead into the back of Scott's head, each impact sending jolts of agony through his skull. Finally, he threw Scott off to the side, sending him crashing to the ground. Scott landed with a thud, his head ringing, and saw Chad hobbling towards his axe, which was still embedded in the tree.
Scott tried to swing his sword, but realized it was no longer in his hand. He resorted to a desperate punch, connecting solidly with Chad's jaw. "Ha ha ha, puny little punk, you're going to die!" Chad roared, finally freeing his axe from the tree and raising it high to bring it down on Scott.
Scott jumped up, delivering a knee strike to Chad's face dodging the ax, staggering him back a few steps. As soon as he landed, he launched himself into another knee strike, but this time, Chad grabbed him with one arm, pulling him close and slamming his forehead into Scott's face, the impact blurring Scott's vision.
Stunned but refusing to give up, Scott brought both elbows up above his head and back down hard onto the top of Chad's head, the force making him release his grip. As Scott fell to the ground, he followed up with a jumping front kick to Chad's abdomen, shoving him back a few more steps. Scott landed and immediately pressed his attack. He moved in, feinting another knee strike, but instead spun around into a powerful roundhouse kick, connecting with Chad's good leg and cracking his knee with an audible snap. Chad fell to both knees, his face contorted in pain.
Scott leaped into the air, intending to finish the fight with a palm heel strike to Chad's face. But Chad, with surprising speed, caught Scott's neck in his massive hand and slammed him to the ground, his heavy body landing on top of Scott's chest, crushing the air from his lungs. Chad, now straddling Scott, grasped his throat with both hands, choking the life out of him.
Luckily, Scott had trained for this type of hold. He slammed his arms into Chad's cubital fossa, bending both arms at the elbows and pulling Chad's head closer. Then, with a surge of adrenaline, he thrust his hips upwards, launching Chad over him. Scott slid out from between Chad's legs, rolled over, and jumped onto his back. He wrapped his arm around Chad's throat in a full Nelson hold and bit into the side of his neck, the sharp teeth tearing into the flesh. Chad thrashed and struggled, but eventually, he passed out, his body going limp on the ground.
Gasping for breath, Scott looked around and finally spotted his sword. He saw Natalie, moaning and struggling to her feet as the ice started to wear off, reaching for her daggers. As soon as Scott had his sword in hand, he sprinted towards her. He executed the same slide she had used on him so many times, the world seeming to slow as the two blades flashed harmlessly over him. His sword, however, found its mark, slicing across her gut. Natalie fell to her knees, clutching her stomach, before finally collapsing onto the ground.
Scott stood for a moment, catching his breath and surveying the aftermath of the brutal fight. Then, he sheathed his sword and began to loot the bodies. He started with the woman, finding a surprising number of daggers – not just the one she'd initially revealed, but five in total. One, in particular, caught his eye:
[Blade of Venom(Rare)]
This blade is coated in a potent venom. Six times daily, the poison affects any creature it cuts, significantly impairing their senses. If a creature is struck six times by the same blade, they can fall unconscious for a short period. +30 Agil
Scott realized, a shiver running down his spine.
The most valuable dagger he found was:
[Dagger of Reckoning(Rare)]
This dagger is a grim-looking weapon with a bone-white hilt and a blade of dull, unpolished steel. Its surface seems to absorb the light around it, and when held, the blade feels cold and hungry, as if it is waiting to feed. As it pierces an enemy, it hums with a faint, low thrum, gathering the creature's life force and mana. Abilities: Mana Siphon (Passive): When the dagger is used to deal piercing damage, it siphons a small portion of the target's mana and stores it within the blade. The amount of mana stored is dependent on the target's power. Reckoning (Active): Once per day, the wielder can unleash all of the mana stored within the blade. The dagger will release a powerful explosion of raw magical energy directly into the stabbed creature, dealing massive damage based on the amount of mana stored. +30 Agil
The remaining three daggers were mundane, so Scott tossed them into his bag. He also found:
[Cloak of Whispers(Rare)]
This cloak is made of fine, dark silk that feels as light as a feather. When worn, the wearer feels a faint vibration in their ears, as if the air itself is humming with information. The cloak's fabric seems to absorb sound, making the wearer's movements almost silent. Abilities: Enhanced Hearing (Passive): The cloak's magical properties enhance your hearing, allowing you to locate nearby creatures with incredible precision. This grants you a significant advantage in detecting foes, even those attempting to remain hidden. Aura of Silence (Passive): The cloak subtly dampens the sound of your movements, making you more difficult to detect by sound. This grants you a minor bonus to stealth. +30 Agil, +30 End.
Scott mused.
Searching through her bag, he found a healing potion and immediately drank it, feeling some of his strength return. He added the empty bottle to his bag and continued his search, discovering three more potions: a [Potion of Fire Breathing] and two [Potion of Mana (Inferior)].
Next, he turned his attention to Chad. He found the massive two-handed axe:
[Cold iron Axe (Rare)]
This axe is a brutal and deceptively simple weapon. Its head is a single, unadorned piece of dark, unpolished steel that feels unnaturally cold to the touch. The edge is so keen it seems to drink the light, and it has no hilt or ornamentation, giving it a purely utilitarian and menacing feel. Abilities: Unstoppable Edge: The axe's blade is enchanted to cut through almost any material with ease, making it highly effective against most armor and shields. Its unnatural sharpness is said to be the result of a secret dwarven forging process, and it cannot be dulled by conventional means. Ironwood's Bane: Despite its immense cutting power, the axe is uniquely powerless against ironwood. It will simply bounce off the wood, unable to leave a mark. This peculiar weakness is a testament to the ironwood's unique, almost magical resilience. +30 Str, +30 End.
Scott looked at the surrounding trees and realized that many of them were indeed ironwood. he thought, impressed despite the circumstances.
Chad also possessed some remarkable gear:
[Leather Chest guard of the Badger(Rare)]
This chest guard is crafted from the tanned hide of an Iron Badger, a creature renowned for its unyielding resilience. The leather is surprisingly supple and light to the touch, with a subtle, earthy scent, but it holds a stubborn, unyielding strength that feels as solid as forged iron. Abilities: Iron Hide (Passive): The chestguard provides an exceptional degree of physical protection. Despite its light weight, it offers the toughness and durability of plate armor, making it a formidable defense against physical attacks. Badger's Resilience (Passive): This armor's unique properties grant the wearer an innate stubbornness and resilience, making them less susceptible to being moved by force. +30 Vit, +30 End, +30 Tough.
[Ironwood Viper's Gloves(Rare)]
These gloves are a fearsome blend of the natural world's deadliest elements. They are crafted from a combination of resilient ironwood bark and the supple, scaled skin of a viper. The gloves feel unnaturally light, yet they possess a quiet, unyielding strength. When worn, the user feels a surge of primal speed, as if the viper's reflexes have become their own. Abilities: Viper's Reflexes (Passive): The gloves grant the wearer supernatural agility and speed. Your reflexes are so enhanced that you can react to incoming projectiles with incredible swiftness, making it seem as though you can effortlessly snatch incoming arrows and other small projectiles right out of the air. Ironwood's Durability (Passive): The ironwood bark woven into the gloves provides a surprising amount of protection, granting them a minor resistance to physical damage and durability against bladed attacks. +30 Agil
[Pants of the Lunging Jaguar(Rare)]
These pants are fashioned from the sleek, spotted hide of a jaguar, giving them a supple yet sturdy feel. The material is so light and flexible that it feels like a second skin, allowing for incredible freedom of movement. A faint, primal pattern of muscle and sinew seems to ripple beneath the surface of the leather as you move. Abilities: Hunter's Lunge (Passive): These pants are enchanted with the spirit of the jaguar, a master of the ambush. When you perform a lunge, the pants' magic propels you forward with unnatural speed, doubling your normal lunge distance. +30 Agil, +30 End.
[Boots of Steady Sure foot(Rare)]
These simple, well-worn leather boots show no signs of their immense magical power. They have a surprisingly firm grip on any surface, and the soles are almost impossibly thin, allowing the wearer to feel every subtle shift beneath their feet. Abilities: Unwavering Balance (Passive): The boots' magic ensures you can maintain perfect balance on any surface, no matter how small or unstable. You can stand on a dagger's edge or a narrow rope as if you were on solid ground. This ability also grants you immunity to effects that would cause you to become unbalanced or fall. +30 Agil, +30 End.
Scott found that magical items, when worn, magically resized themselves to fit the wearer, a feature he found quite impressive. He examined the remaining contents of their bags, finding two [Potion of Healing(Uncommon)] [Potion of Stamina (Uncommon)][Potion of Bull’s Strength (Common)].
After re-bandaging his arm, Scott sat for a while, watching his injuries heal in real-time. His skin knitted back together, and even the damage to the trees caused by Chad began to mend. He decided to meditate, deactivating his Beast Mode and focusing his mind to embrace the exhaustion. He drew the ambient mana towards himself, attempting to use it to refresh his body and accelerate his healing. At first, he could pull the mana in, but it wouldn't flow through him, as if he were a dam blocking its path.
He persisted, and finally, he opened his mouth wide and inhaled deeply. The sensation was intense, like drinking several energy drinks at once. His heart raced, and he could see the muscles and tissues in his left arm mending rapidly, the broken bone snapping back into place. What would have taken months of natural healing was accomplished in a few hours of focused meditation.
His concentration was broken by the sound of small rodents that looked like a rat mixed with a badger eating the carcasses. He realized that he needed to get rid of the bodies so he wouldn't attract any unwanted predators.
In a grim act, he slaughtered the few [Rattanicks(lvl 3)]
Scott also noticed that they carried multiple bags, implying they had either made them themselves or, more likely, killed others. he thought, echoing a phrase David often used. The stoic logic helped him push past the initial wave of revulsion and fear.
Mustering his resolve, he dragged the bodies to the river and let them float downstream. If he had a shovel, he would have buried them, but this was the best he could do. As they drifted away, he offered a silent prayer for their souls before returning to his makeshift camp beneath the tree to rest and recover. He gathered his gear and prepared for the night, intending to finally address his Vitality damage. It had been two days since the flood, and he was overdue for an update on his status.
-
-
"Uh, yeah, for sure, I will take that," Scott said, accepting the title.
[Cold iron Axe(Rare)]
[Blade of Venom(Rare)]
[Dagger of Reckoning(Rare)]
[Cloak of Whispers(Rare)]
[Leather Chest guard of the Badger(Rare)]
[Ironwood Viper's Gloves(Rare)]
[Boots of Steady Sure foot(Rare)]
[Pants of the Lunging Jaguar(Rare)]
[Fur Boots of Swift Movement(Rare)]
[Leather Cloak (Common)]
[Medium Bag (Common)]
[Medium Leather Armor(Common)]
[Dagger(Common)]
[Leather Boots(Common)]
[Healing Potion(Common)]
[Waterskin(Common)]
[Short bow(Common)]
[Short Sword (Common)]
[Quiver (Common)]: 19 arrows
[Cloak of Fangs[Rare])
[Wand of Enlarge Person]
[Short Sword of Fire and Ice(Rare)]
[Ring of Flowing Vitality(Rare)]
"Okay, so now I have some idea of what I will use," Scott decided, selecting his preferred equipment:
[Cloak of Fangs(Rare)]
[Leather Chest guard of the Badger(Rare)]
[Ironwood Viper's Gloves(Rare)]
[Pants of the Lunging Jaguar(Rare)]
[Fur Boots of Swift Movement(Rare)]
[Short Sword (Common)]
[Short Sword of Fire and Ice(Rare)]
[Dagger of Reckoning(Rare)]
[Short bow(Common)]
[Quiver (Common)]: 19 arrows
[Ring of Flowing Vitality(Rare)]
Feeling confident with his new gear, Scott resumed his training, performing the same routine as before – push-ups, sit-ups, and squats – but this time, he incorporated some two-weapon fighting, practicing with both short swords. After a few hours of training, dusk began to settle, so he decided to settle in for the night. The first thing on his agenda in the morning was clear: he needed food, and he needed it badly. He was completely out and of course the two bozos didn't have any and the beasts he killed were full of poison.
