Ali comes back to my hiding spot hours later after the sun has finally set and risen again, pointing upwards. “We’re clear. It’s gone.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, my hands trembling slightly from the accumulated adrenaline finally subsiding. I rest my head on my arms, forcing myself to breathe slower, pushing the fear back down after a moment. That Drake had been tenacious, unwilling to leave even after it lost track of me. If I hadn’t the QSM to lose it initially, I would have been Drake chow. I was lucky, so damn lucky…
Once I have control of myself again, I take a quick glance at the inbuilt compass in my helmet and I take off towards Whitehorse through the forest, figuring I’ll eventually meet up with the road. Best to give it a few more hours before I risk the road again.
Ali seems unusually quiet for a few minutes as I sneak through the forest, just floating beside me and not even humming an annoying tune. “I am bigger. Told you, as you grow stronger, so do I and I’ll eventually be able to manifest a real body.”
“You said at Level 2 you gained the ability to sense the System monster’s around us. How did the Drake get so damn close?” I gripe at him.
“Shadow Drake. Stealth abilities affect my ability to sense them through the System since the System dictates the skills themselves,” Ali explains and I make a mental note to start paying more attention myself. It seems like I can’t just rely on him.
“What’d you get for the other levels?”
“More access to the system. It’s why the information I’ve been displaying has been getting more and more accurate. I’ve also extended the range of my spot function and I can manifest longer too.” Ali explains, “If you hit level 10 my affinity will be something you can gain, if you spend some time practicing it.”
I nod, happy. Finally, some real information.
After a few hours of walking off the road, I get back on it and head in at speed. Most of the rest of the journey to Whitehorse goes by relatively peacefully and fast, the closer I get to the city the lower the level of monsters go. In fact, the latest monster that I deal with is a giant brown bear whose level sits at a measly 35. At Ali’s insistence, I kill it and loot it. Poor thing stood no chance as I just sniped it to death from a distance. I don’t get a level and I feel somewhat bad about leaving the rest of the meat to rot, but I just don’t have the ability to carry the non-System generated body. Something to think about for the future – getting some form of inter-dimensional storage.
When I get within a kilometer of the Takhini cutoff, a bare 20 minutes away by bike to Whitehorse, Ali starts jabbering. “Pedal to the metal boy-o, unless you want to re-run of the Junction.”
I snarl, gunning the bike. Sabre roars, the mana battery ticking down as I pull more power than the engine can recharge. Not the time to worry about it. I can’t see the problem till I take the last corner, easing off the throttle enough to let me ascertain the situation.
Troll (Level 32)
HP: 1673/1842
The Troll is the aggressor here, all 13 feet of gangly, warty green skin facing off directly against a diminutive Japanese woman who wields a polearm-like weapon. Even as I pull to a stop behind them, she slips a strike, spins the blade to slice open the Troll’s arm and then reverses the cut immediately to slash open its throat. As she makes the last strike, a white glow seems to envelop the blade itself, making the second cut pass through the Troll’s body much easier. She has the Troll outclassed in sheer speed and skill, but it doesn’t seem to matter as the Troll is already regenerating the damage, old and new wounds closing. Unlike the Troll, the woman isn’t regenerating damage and blood drips from the scalp wound she has already received.
Mikito Sato (Level 27)
HP: 282/420
As interesting as the fight is, the giant Huskies that dart in and out to annoy and distract the Troll are more so. Those creatures are nearly the size of a small pony each, varying in colouring and size by only a small amount. Controlling their actions with barked orders are a pair of redheaded humans, their owners I’d presume.
Richard Pearson (Level 24)
HP: 210 / 210
Lana Pearson (Level 24)
HP: 230/230
Further behind are a crowd of non-combatants, children and more. I don’t pay attention to them as I struggle to get the rifle out of its holster. I curse myself for not practising drawing the weapon when I had the time, fumbling the motion and costing precious seconds. Mikito misses a dodge, blood from her wound blinding her for a crucial second and it is all the Troll needs to smash her down. The killing blow is delayed for a precious second at the cost of a Husky’s body, thrown at its raised arm and then my rifle is free.
I aim high, figuring a missed shot will stay missed that way and pull the trigger. The first shot catches it on the shoulder, burning and then cauterising the flesh as the beam weapon punches a hole through it. The Troll hunches down, making a smaller target as it then sprints towards me on all fours.
Rather than run, I line up a proper shot, this one smashes the left collarbone and keeps going, right through its body to dig into the earth behind it. The Troll crashes to the ground, momentum keeping it rolling to me. When it recovers, it launches itself in a straight lunge which I meet with a boot to its face. Unfortunately, I forgot about that bitch physics which still has some control over our lives.
Instead of throwing the Troll back, I’m the one who goes flying backwards and into the ground. I take the fall and roll, a part of me marvelling at the fact that I can even do this kind of crazy acrobatics, the other, larger and smarter part snapping another shot off at the Troll.
This one completely misses, but it does make the Troll pause long enough to let me stand up. Again, I make a mistake, forgetting how long the creature’s arms are and it smashes the rifle aside, nearly taking my head with it except for a quick reflexive jerk backwards. My arms throb, but none of its claws get through the armor. Seeing me disarmed, it launches itself forward with little care.
Too bad an Erethran Honor Guard (stolen class and all) is never truly unarmed. I pivot and drop, letting instinct guide me as my sword appears in my hands and I let the Troll disembowel itself. I’m already stepping out from its shadow, a downward slice severing tendons in the back of the knee before my hands join together at the hilt for a hard block that disarms the Troll. Literally.
The Troll’s strike with its remaining arm is dodged and then help arrives, the Huskies bearing down on the wounded creature. I take the time to help lop off its other arm while the Huskies and Mikito keep it busy before I retrieve my rifle to end the fight and start blasting away at it. I grin behind my helmet, watching it fry and die.
Troll (Level 37) Slain
+3700 XP
“Whoa! That was amazing,” Richard walks up and claps me on the shoulder. Danger over, I pull my helmet off and nod back to him, reeling internally at how easy that was. I mean, sure I screwed up a bit, but that thing was significantly stronger than me in terms of Levels. Yet, I have a feeling with just a little more experience I could have kicked its ass all by my lonesome.
“Richard! Hilda needs some help,” Lana calls out, bent over the injured husky. As I look over, my eyes lock on the buxom redhead whose green blouse is slightly parted, leaning over the dog and my breath catches for a moment. Good lord, she’s gorgeous. Pulling my gaze away, I look at the dog on the ground, spotting its low health . Hmmm…
“Let me try something…” I walk over, calling forth the memory of the spell that I’ve gained and place hands on the creature, ignoring its labored breathing. I chant Minor Healing in my mind, my hand glowing from the mana that infuses it before spilling out onto the husky to begin the recovery process. I have to wait for a minute each time before I can recast the spell, but I eventually prop her health above the two-third mark. In between waiting, I loot the Troll gaining some Troll Blood and hide, being the slayer and the only one able to do so. I also check out the non-combatants who number just under 8, a split of 6 adults and 2 kids. With nothing better to do after all that, I review my spell again.