Instinctively Tyrone wanted to refuse the offerings, but deep down he knew she was right. All he had to name now was a magical spear and the clothes on his back, even the money in his wallet was basically useless now. Apparently, the world would now run on the currency known as credits, which probably made his crypto wallet utterly useless as well. Those cryptocurrency folks were going to be pissed.

After perhaps too long a moment, Tyrone finally managed to pry Jenny off, and bid them all farewell. He truly hoped he’d see them again, well maybe except Ericka.

He figured he’d follow along the highway; it should take him a little over two hours to get to his mother’s apartment. Though it’d be smart to find somewhere to hunker down before the sun set, that way he could set off in the early morning. In all the books and video games he played, it was at night when the bad boys came out to play.

Tyrone scanned the road ahead of him. “Well looks like it’s just me and you, Botnik.” He looked down at the still loading screen on Botnik’s face. “Hmm, for starters we have to find somewhere to lay low. There’s a gas station a few blocks from here, with any luck we might be able to get some supplies, and if its empty stay there for the night.”

The road was a narrow two lane, on the left was the barrier wall of the highway, and to the right there were a few small office buildings. None of the businesses would have anything he’d need; most were hardly standing anyway due to the quake.

Speaking of which, the quake seemed to have done a lot of damage to the roads as well as the buildings. Quite a few times Tyrone had to jump over split apart asphalt and flipped vehicles. There was no one in the vehicles, but there was a considerable amount of blood around the driver side window of one SUV. The bloody trail led to a parking ramp that was connected to one of the buildings and Tyrone dutifully noted that down in his “none of my damn business” category.

Pulling up the time on his status, which he was surprised he could even do, Tyrone noticed it was a bit past 6pm. At the pace he was going now, he’d reach the station in half an hour. But it’d also be well past dark by then. His eyes widened as he remembered something, digging in his pocket he pulled out the small hunk of demon dog meat.

The pungent smell of it made his nose scrunch up and he nearly gagged at the thought of attempting to even take a nibble out of it. It smelled like a wet dog that rolled in a kiddie pool of rotten eggs and then keeled over on the side of the road. No one said the path to power would be an easy one, he just didn’t know it’d stink so bad.

Shoving the fetid meat in his mouth, he tried to chew and swallow as fast as he could without tasting it. As soon as he gulped it down a small window popped into his vision. This one was very different from the other prompts, instead of being a soft neon green, this one was a dark red and the words looked to be in the papyrus font.

“Oh, it’s so edgy!”

You have tasted the flesh of a slain foe. The beasts’ soul cries in agony as it is reminded in the afterlife of how easily you conquered it. Through its flesh, you sense power. Choose which gift to seize to empower you further!

Ability Available: Thermal Vision: With this ability you gain the power to see the heat signatures of those around you, even in the pitch of night. Cost: None. Recast: N/A. Range: 50m. Duration: This ability can be activated and deactivated at will. Current Level: Mastered.

Skill Available: Rallying Howl Level 1: Belting out a powerful howl, this has the effect of boosting your allies Damage by 5%. Cost: Minimum Mana to use. Recast: 60 seconds. Range: Within immediate earshot of self. Duration: 10 seconds. Current Level: 1.

Physical Trait Available: Demonic Fangs: Your bite becomes far deadlier than your bark. With these fangs you’ll not only be able to bite more savagely, you’ll also be able to intimidate foes. Bite Damage: +100%. Chance to intimidate foe: +25%

Looking over the descriptions, Tyrone tried to think of which gift would be of the best help to him in the long run. The Rallying Howl skill did sound pretty good, a little extra damage in a battle could make all the difference in a fight. But it was the Thermal Vision ability that was calling to him, with that power he’d be able to see any monster that might be creeping up on him, and he wouldn’t have to rely upon Botnik’s light which would draw more attention.

It was getting darker, soon they’d be in pitch darkness. Ever since the quake, all modern technology has ceased to work. The streets were peppered with dead vehicles that were abandoned since their batteries died, even the streetlights weren’t working. One would be surprised how dark it can get when not even a dim streetlight was above them.

With a nod, he made his selection.

You have chosen: Thermal Vision! This choice is permanent. Devour has been reset. Next available time in 24hrs.

New skills and abilities can be found in their corresponding tabs next to your status screen.

Opening the abilities tab, Tyrone quickly looked over how to initiate his new power. Apparently, all he had to do was strain his eyes slightly and think of using thermal vision, the process was very similar to how he pulled up the status window.

Flexing his eyes, his vision degraded into a murky grey. It was like night vision, but he couldn’t see the finer details of the pine trees lining the road. It took him a moment, but he quickly learned that he could increase how sensitive the thermal vision was. As he investigated the distance, he could see other hot spots that indicated the birds in the trees, but to Tyrone’s dismay a lot of the birds didn’t look like anything he’d ever seen before.

“Is that a two headed owl, that doesn’t see very aerodynamic at all.”

That made him think of what other strange beast could now be prowling the streets, it still nagged at Tyrone that he didn’t know whether those demonic hounds he fought were created by the system entirely or was someone’s family pet mutated into those abominations. Focusing on his new thermal sight on the path ahead, there was no way he’d get caught off guard by some mutated beastie trying to use the darkness as cover.

“Holy shit, what is that.” He muttered to himself as he caught sight of heat signatures of strange bird-like creatures stalking around him. “Turkeys?”

Way before the apocalypse, Tyrone would travel this way by bike to work before he got his car, and often a few wild turkeys would come wandering out of the woods to peck at the roadside ruffage. They were docile and didn’t bother him, though that may have been because he was speeding by on his bike. He had learned at a young age that some wild birds didn’t like being gawked at, back when he was twelve, he’d been traumatized as a goose snapped at him and chased him down the street because he’d run out of bread from his PB and J sandwich.

There was something way off about these turkeys though, and as they stalked closer, he finally saw what was setting him off ease. Nearly eight feet tall, legs more powerful than ostriches, bald leathery wings, and serpent like glowing eyes. Tyrone gulped as he recognized what the System had mutated these once harmless birds into.

Name: Plucky Cockatrice. Level: 4.

“Hello world!” Botnik chimed the same time it sent the monster’s info.

“Welcome back, Botnik. Got any info for me about the evil emu things?” Tyrone said as he released Botnik, who lazily floated beside me.

“Still getting my files in order after the reset, but I sense more lifeforms around us.” Botnik whirred.

Blinking his eyes into thermal vision, Tyrone scanned around and grimaced as he noticed three other turkey shaped heat signatures lurking behind the bushes and trees. He’d been too busy playing with his new ability to notice that he was being surrounded. Internally screaming at himself, he summoned his spear. Reading the feedback sent to him by Botnik he could see that the rest were a level below the lead cockatrice. This should be fun.

“Despite looking like an oversized chicken, the cockatrice is actually a very deadly creature.” Botnik answered. “They are commonly referred to as “poultry dragons” due to having leathery wings like a dragon and some being able to breathe fire. Some also have snakes for tails, but those are rare.”

“These things can breathe fire!?” Tyrone stood to where his back was to the highway barrier wall.

Botnik shined his light ahead of them as the lead cockatrice squawked its nestmates into action, they were all bearing down on him now, pretty coordinated for a bunch of lizard fowl. “No, these are Plucky Cockatrice. They rely on their powerful kicks to take down their prey. Oh, and they can also expel their own stomach acid to better help dissolve their prey into sizable clumps for consumption.”

“They what!?” Tyrone shouted as the lead cockatrice jumped at him, its powerful legs primed to kick off his head.

He managed to duck from the life ending kick but failed to notice another cockatrice rushing at his side. It tackled him to the ground, but Tyrone rolled with the impact and narrowly dodged its attempt to mount on top of him. Bouncing back on his feet, he snarled as he swiped at the next charging cockatrice with his spear, to his astonishment, the beast caught the weapon in its beak and held it tight.

As Tyrone struggled to free his spear, the lead cockatrice came at him again, this time it sounded like it was gagging on something. His eyes wide as he understood what that gagging meant.

“Fuck!” he hissed as the lead cockatrice projectile vomited a stream of acidic bile from its beak. Tyrone succeeded in avoiding most of it, but some splashed on his legs. The sizzle of the acid droplets burning into his flesh is yet another thing that’ll add to his nightmare cache. In the corner of his vision his health bar began to trickle down.

The cockatrices were circling him now, he only had a few feet of room to move in now. Holding in a scream as the pain set in, he glared at the demonic fowls. They were drooling with anticipation of their meal, or perhaps they were readying another acid vomit attack. Knowing that if they all attacked at once, he’d be a dead man for sure.

A faint semblance of a plan forming in his mind, Tyrone held up his left hand and willed his spear to appear. As soon as the weapon formed into his palm, Tyrone tried his best to urge the lightning within the spear to flash out.

Now blinded by his sudden improvised flashbang attack, the cockatrices flinched back and provided Tyrone a perfect opportunity to strike.

His weapon blinking into his grasp as he took full advantage and swung in a wide circle around himself to get them to back away. As they did so Tyrone lunged after one of the smaller cockatrices, hacking high for its ostrich like neck.

Tyrone's spear dug deep into the shrieking creatures’ neck; red blood sprayed as he danced to the side already expecting another cockatrice to strike from behind. That’s one. A clacking sound was produced as one of the cockatrices tried to snap at him with its beak, if he hadn’t moved when he did it would’ve stabbed right through his back. His security polo shirt would do little to fend off an attack from these monsters.

Calling up the fighting skills that were downloaded into his brain upon choosing the Spear bearer class, his grip on the spear tightened. Tyrone spun around, holding the spear outward to strike at the creatures’ legs, the beast squeaked as it jumped over his attack, flapping its leathery wings to stay in the air longer. Without pausing Tyrone continued the swipe, using the momentum to twirl about and jab at the other cockatrice.

A thrill raced through him as the spear stabbed deep into the stunned beasts’ breast, with a grim plastered on his face Tyrone twisted the spear before yanking it free. There’s two. The lead cockatrice shrilled in anger, then with a hiss it unleashed a flurry of kicks.

Tyrone managed to block a few with the shaft of the spear, but a few blows did get through. The oversized roosters’ dagger like talons tearing his security jacket to ribbons, thankfully the cuts in his flesh were shallow. But that didn’t stop the pain or his health bar from lowering little by little.

Botnik: Your health is at 60%! Is there anything you want me to do?

You: Keep the lights on. Two more to go.

The last lower-level cockatrice stepped forward, shooting its head forward to peck at Tyrone with its sharp beak. With a thought he unsummoned his spear, Once the beast snapped at him again, he grabbed its’ head then mercilessly slammed it on his knee. Tyrone then tried to twist its head, but its long neck rolled like an owl’s making it nearly impossible to break its neck in that way. So instead, he released the now dazed creature, summoned his spear with a flick of his wrist and hacked at its neck in a quick fluid motion.

Its head plopped onto the ground, its body doing a jig while its headless neck spluttered blood. A good amount sprayed onto him, but Tyrone kept his eyes locked on the last cockatrice. Red blood dripped down his face and soaking into his beard, Tyrone grinned at the infuriated beast.

“One more to go.”

The smile on his lips faltered as the large bird squeaked at him in defiance and then ran in the other direction, jumping over a hedge of bushes and disappearing out of sight.

“Huh, I suppose that one really was a big chicken.” Botnik quipped. “Get it, boss? Huh? Boss? Because earlier you referred to it as a turkey, but I'm instead comparing it to another flightless fowl that is known for being easily frightened and...”

“Botnik.”

“Yes buddy?”

“Please shut up.”