While the swimming hole was fed by a small tributary some distance to the west of Amber Pastures, to the east was the Snake River itself, so named because it was slow and winding for most of its length. The portion of the Snake nearest the village was wide and slow enough that they called it Snake Lake or just “the Snake,” but as lakes go, it wasn’t much. In years past, the Snake had been used both for fishing and recreation, but more recently the lake had attracted a sizeable slarn population.

Walking by the eastern fields pushing the wheelbarrow, Arn reviewed what he knew about slarns. Growing up to six feet long and as thick as a man’s head, a slarn resembles nothing so much as a fat black snake – with four small but wickedly sharp claws that doubled as flippers, sharp teeth and paralytic poison. In addition to making the Snake largely unusable to the village, the slarns were mobile enough to threaten young animals grazing in the village’s eastern fields. Faster than a rancher over short distances and possessed of caution, keen senses, and a measure of intelligence, hunting slarns on land or by boat was rarely particularly successful – and only a fool would get in the water with them.

Arriving, Arn instantly noticed a number of slarn lazily swimming or drifting near the bank. Arn reflexively checked the daggers sheathed on each leg and the sword on his back – Arn reasoned that his shield was unlikely to be useful and had left it at home. Picking a spot with only a few slarn nearby, Arn laid on his belly 40 feet from the Snake. While he knew a large human on land wouldn’t ordinarily be a target, Arn figured that on his belly this close – and having the Tasty “Achievement” – he would seem a lovely snack.

Time passed with agonizing slowness. As if to tease him, every now and then a slarn would stick its head a bit further out of the water, look in his direction and flick out its tongue, but none came for him. Ok then. Lets see how smart you really are. Arn slowly maneuvered one of his daggers, sliced into his arm and settled back down to bleed and wait.

After what felt like an eternity, a large slarn emerged and very slowly slithered in his direction. Five feet from the lake, the slarn froze. Out of boredom, Arn started to count; at 47, the slarn crept another five feet closer and froze again. Arn fought back a frustrated laugh and did his best to play dead. Without trying too, Arn slipped into mana sight. The book should urge everyone to get bored to tears and . . . Arn’s train of thought was cut off as the slarn started to charge. Arn levered himself to his knees using his left hand and stabbed forward with a dagger in his right, missing the slarn’s eye and ineffectually stabbing its snout. The slarn continued its charge, snapping its head to the side and biting into the meat of the offending arm.

Realizing that his flawed strategy put him in a bad spot, Arn grabbed the slarn’s head with his left and pushed down to help lever himself to his feet. The slarn had other ideas, letting go of Arn’s arm and lunging into his chest claws extended.

Startled, Arn’s effort at evasion led to him falling backwards. Slamming into the grass on his back, Arn dropped the dagger, grabbed the slarn’s head with both hands and tried to put his thumbs into its eyes. The slarn, however, was slippery. With the slarn slashing and writhing on his chest, inching towards his head, Arn bear hugged it to his chest and rolled. With the slarn thrashing underneath his bulk, Arn drew his second dagger with his left hand and started repeatedly stabbing into the slarn until it eventually stilled.

Slarn Slain!

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 4! +4 Constitution and +4 Attribute Points (4). Would you like to go to the Attribute distribution screen?

Arn felt the delicious rush of healing from his level up and clenched his fist in victory. The Mighty Titan Prevails Again! No beast can oppose my… Arn, still lying on his stomach, was interrupted by a sharp pain in his buttocks as another slarn ripped into his backside unopposed. As he gathered himself and rose to his feet, the slarn on his buttocks tore out a chunk. As he turned, Arm was greeted by three more slarn charging at him, and realized he was in deep trouble. The slarn on the left and in the center appeared normal, but the slarn on the right was larger with grey scales intermixed with black. Arn reached for the spot in his soul where the memory of death never left, and Screamed at the three slarns in front, turned to the slarn at his back, now attached to a calf and Screamed again. Arn switched his dagger to his right hand, his main, and stabbed the stunned slarn on his calf squarely in the eye. The slarn let go, and Arn turned to face the other three as they began to stir. Arn dropped his remaining dagger, drew his sword, took a step forward and cleanly decapitated the slarn in the middle of the three.

Slarn Slain!

The slarn on the left fully recovered first and lunged at Arn before he was set for a strike. Arn awkwardly sliced at the slarn with a shortened stroke, biting into the slarn’s side as it latched onto his thigh. Arn brought his sword up and smashed it point down into the slarn’s head with all his strength, penetrating deeply.

White hot agony shot through Arn and his entire body seized as the uninjured grey-scaled slarn bit deeply into his testicles. Waves of pain smashed his senses and physically staggered him for what felt like forever.

Slarn Slain!

CONGRATULATIONS! Pain Resistance is now level 6. You will feel less pain when injured.

As growing numbness from the slarn poison finally over-powered the pain, Arn came to his senses and realized that the grey-scaled slarn had retreated to the lake. Arn felt muted rage through the numbness, but it faded quickly as numbness continued to sweep through him. I’m still in trouble. I need to get further back. Arn, turned took a wobbly step and fell to the ground. Uh, maybe I’ll just rest a bit. Arn managed to turn slightly and crane his head to watch the lake.

CONGRATULATIONS! Poison Resistance is now level two! You are less susceptible to poison’s effects and will recover more quickly.

After a few minutes, Arn stumbled to his feet and gathered his weapons while wobbling. After almost cutting himself sheathing a dagger, Arn sat back down facing the lake. Dannis was wrong! The damn poison will definitely get me killed if I get swarmed in the water. I need a new strategy.

Suddenly, Arn paused, and his jaw dropped, horror spreading through him like wildfire. Eaten. Stoned. Stabbed. Arn had toughened . . . but this . . . Gods no!

Arn prayed. He hardly recalled which God was which, and didn’t believe they answered prayers . . . but if ever there was a time for prayer, this was it. Slowly, reluctantly, Arn untied the drawstring on his pants and forced himself to look. Thank you, thank you! I’ll slaughter a pig to each of you! Relief flooding through him, Arn thought about his strategy. Deep thoughts were elusive, but after a moment he had a genius idea, and stood up knowing what to do. “Lunch!”

Arn: Level Four Revenant

Attributes:

Constitution: 20 (+4)

Dexterity 10

Strength: 14

Intelligence: 10

Will: 10

Charisma: 8

Unallocated: 4

Skills:

Block (5)

Death’s Scream (1)

Dodge (5)

Head Butt (1)

Focus (1)

Pain Resistance (6) (+1)

Poison Resistance (2) (+1)

Shield Bash (1)

Sword Mastery (3)

Achievements:

Survivor

Tasty!

Masochist