For hours Dave walked in no particular direction. A confidence filled him and a purpose drove him. He kept his ears open for any sound yet the forest of warped and deformed trees was silent as always. He had managed some makeshift repairs of the armor’s breastplate by tearing off his sleeves for straps. It still had long gashes running through it, but it would do until he could use his Abyssal Foundry once more.

Small pangs of hunger hit him and he realized he hadn’t eaten since yesterday. However, it was nothing he couldn’t ignore. Now that he gave it more thought it was likely still the same day as when he left, as it should have still been around morning when he passed out. Tree coverage blocked out most of the light, yet he could still make out the unnaturally white sky without cloud in sight.

The rustling of sound brought him back into the moment. It was close. He ducked down as he followed the sound. It was the sound of dirt being sent flying and the tugging on something that would not give. He rounded a small hill but was blocked from sight by the overgrown roots of a tree that broke from the earth. There at the bottom he saw his prey.

Name: Lesser Witiko

Level: 4 [400/6,500 ]

Stamina: 160

Mana: 80

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 21

Wisdom: 8

Endurance: 16

Charisma: 2

Intelligence: 3

It faced away from him as it continued to dig at something just out of his view. Dirt flew each time it’s claw dug into the earth and the guttural sound of irritation escaped the creature’s maw. It was stronger than the last one he faced, not weighted down with a debuff. Yet he felt no fear, only the anticipation of the moment.

He considered attacking while it’s back was turned. He was itching to try his new Dark Slice, however, apart of him wanted to see just how strong his new class was. He stood from his perch and jumped over the roots, landing with a thud behind the creature. He made not attempt to hide his presence yet the Witiko acted as if he heard nothing.

Dave was about to call out to him when his eyes fell on the half buried leg of a corpse, as the Witiko’s jagged teeth sunk into the calf and ripped a chuck of meat off. It swallow it down with barely any chewing and the sight made Dave gag. He could see more partially uncovered bodies from the hole the Witiko dug, yet with how tightly the dirt was packed it would take a lot of work to remove any of them let alone see how many were there.

Was it some kind of mass grave? But why out in the middle of no where. The question would have to wait as the Witiko finally turned to face him, gore dripping from his maw. Dave in turn readied his halberd.

As if not taking kindly to a weapon being pointed at him, the Witiko let out a scream before lunging at him. Both of his claws in the air and aiming to comedown on top of him. Dave remained calm and his body moved like this was his thousandth battle. He leaped back and quickly brought the axehead back, yet the Witiko was faster and evaded to the side and closed the gap in the same moment.

He remembered how the last Witiko like to use hit and run tactics, but Dave had little interest in playing that game a second time. He brought his halberd low and with an upwards swing he cast his skill with a cry “Dark Slice.” The black wave of smoky energy launched forth, stopping the Witiko in its tracks with raised arms the impact forced the Witiko back a step, leaving deep gashes along both arms that oozed with oily blood. A bit disappointing. He had hoped that skill would cut the beast in half. But he was likely expecting too much from a level one skill.

However, he had other method of accomplishing that. He thrust out with the halberd’s spear point before the beast could recover and pierced though an arm. He kept the momentum going and pushed, slamming the Witiko against a tree. The Witiko grabbed the halberd’s shaft and tried to keep the spear from piercing into his body more than it already had. He put his strength behind his push, sinking the spear point into the creature’s chest slowly. The Witiko writhe as it tired fruitlessly to pull the halberd free, it’s strength wasn’t enough. Yet, it wouldn’t stop and attack him less the spear run him through.

So focused and determined to let the spear finish the job, Dave forgot to watch all of his opponent. The breath was knocked from his lungs and the fragile metal of his chest plate dented in as a kick sent him flying back. The halberd was ripped from the Witiko as he kept a death grip on it. He rolled onto his back and his head hit hard against the roots of a tree, nonetheless, he swung out with his halberd the moment this body stopped moving. “Dark Slice!”

It flew above him, right into the creature that was descending down upon him. The Witiko tried to avoid the attack by twisting it’s body in mid air , yet even a glancing hit cut deep wounds into it.

Dave launched another Dark Slice to buy him time to get back to his feet, yet this one missed as the Witiko bounced between tree as It used it’s speed to circle around him.

“Dark Slice, Dark Slice, Dark Slice” He threw off his skill one after the next but the Witiko was getting used to the skill, causing to first two Slices to miss and cut into trees and the last one was yet another glancing hit. He breath was starting to come heaving and he wasn’t sure if spamming that attack was a good idea anymore.

Warning: Stamina low

50/180

He needed to finish this fight now. If he was feeling that out of breath at a mere fifty stamina he couldn’t image this fight going well for him once it hit zero.

He could hear the Witiko running between the trees, closing on him. Yet he turned his back on the creature and held his halberd firmly. There was a moment of silence as if the Witiko couldn’t believe he would turn away from it. But it didn’t last as the sound of broken twigs and tearing earth grew in intensity as the Witiko raced on all fours.

“Not yet.” Dave spoke to the beading drum of his heart. The pounding of the earth echoed the swift end for one of them. And yet he waited, his eyes close and his ears concentrating on the sound. And for just a brief moment the sound stopped.

“NOW!” He turned in one fluid motion and swung the axehead at the Witiko leaping through the air towards him. Axehead met out stretched claws in a test of strength and the claws were found wanting. The Axehead continued on his path and separated the head from the beast’s body. The Witiko’s body smashed into the ground and wrapped itself around a tree.

“It’s over. I won.” The Abyssal Knight class was as strong as he had hoped, yet his inexperience nearly cost him. If he had been low on stamina at the start of the fight, things would not have gone as well for him. Perhaps next time he should start off with that sneak attack. There was no point in being over confident in this land.

You have gained XP: 180

You have leveled up

Multiclassing is not possible. Automatically leveling up.

Skill points gains: 0

Spells gained: Dark vision

Dark vision

Passive: allows the user to see in the dark as if it was daylight.

He would have preferred another offensive skill or even a defensive one. Though a passive that doesn’t require any stamina to work was nice as well.

He had barely finished reading the system notification when a loud thud smashed into the ground next to him. He turned wide-eyed to the broken and clearly dead body of a man who fell out of know where. He was waring the tailcoat suit like those found in the kingdom. Dave used his weapon to turn the body over and stared right into the dead eyes of his own face.

Though covered in blood from a cracked skull, there was no mistake in who that was. He had seen it too many times in the mirror. “What the hell was going on!?” But this was a mystery that he had no time for, as a wail and movement shook the underbrush.

Dave’s eyes filled with horror as yet another Witiko came into view no more than thirty feet away. This one seemed different from the others he had fought. It’s muscles were more pronounced and it walked with a confidence stride as it locked it’s beady eyes on Dave.

Name: Witiko

Level: 10 [2100/64,000]

Stamina: 180

Mana: 100

Strength: 25

Dexterity: 25

Wisdom: 10

Endurance: 18

Charisma: 8

Intelligence: 8

Yet that creature was not what filled him with dread, but the dozens of lesser Witiko’s that followed in the leaders wake. “Oh fuck me!” With a solid grip on his halberd he bolted in the other direction. That was all it seemed to take for the Lesser Witiko’s who lunged forward and fell over each other, to give chase. Even the leader seemed to pick up his pace yet seemed content with letting the underlings do most of the work.

Had his luck run out? He thought to himself as he zipped past the trees without a care for the destination. He was putting his all into this speed, however, even the weakened Lesser Witiko he had first seen in this world had as much speed as he had now. He could only hope that the head start he had would be enough to lose them.

His breathe was becoming heavier along with a slight burning in his chest. He glanced at his status screen and his fear was confirmed. He was down to 45 stamina. Damn it, why was he losing stamina from just running! A quick glance over his shoulder and he could see that not only was the pack there on his trail, but they were closing the distance far too quickly.

Dave quickly looked from side to side, for someplace he could hide. However, there was only twisted trees and— and someone in the distance! The figured was waving, sitting against a tree as he was. As Dave grew closer he saw his all too familiar face staring back at him with a fading look of excitement that quickly turned to fear has even he saw the Witiko’s in pursuit.

But this man could not run. He had survived the fall, but his legs were twisted and unusable. Dave did not slow even for a moment, nor did he allow himself to hear the cries that quickly followed, cries that did not end quickly.

The land began to slope, creating an incline that became steeper and steeper. Dave tried to keep his balance without slowing down, but one well placed root sent him rolling head over foot. He hugged his weapon to his chest both to not lose it and to not be impelled on it. Pain racked his body with each fall and could do nothing as he tumbled down the hill until he landed hard on his back at the bottom.

For several moments disorientation took over him and he could only look up at the cloudless white sky. Apart of him new that even if he got back to his feet now and ran for all he had, the Witiko’s would overtake him before he got to full speed. What could he do now? He could hear the creatures, they would be there any moment.

Crack.

The question was answered for him when the ground broke apart and dropped him into a dark pit. His fall was broken by something soft and wet. Dave looked to the hole thirty feet above him, and if not for the passive Dark Sight, would be the only light source in this place.

Shadows rushed passed the opening, paying no heed to what lays beneath them. Dave let out a breathe he didn’t know he was holding, after several long seconds no more shadows passed. “I’m safe for now.” He said in a mere whisper, less the Witikos hear.

It was the smell that hit him first. The smell had been a familiar companion in this land so much that he had grown used to it, yet it was stronger here. Dave took his eyes off the opening above and looked to where he had fallen. Corpses were laid everywhere, dozens, hundreds, perhaps more took up the cave floor. His passive allowed him to see everything in more detail than he would like, the thick blood that leaked out of the one to break his fall, coating his lower body. The hollow eyes of countless that watched him as if begging for help that would never come.

The cave was like an air bubble in the earth, and along the walls the corpses continued. So tightly packed he couldn’t tell where one started and the other began, like some kind of macabre tapestry. Roots of trees broke through the wall of bodies like stitches holding everything together.

“Has God abandoned this land?”

***

A withered old man in a tattered cloth watched in fascination as a young boy was chased by a pack of roaming Witikos. It had been so long since he had seen such a sight. He wandered over with walking stick in hand to the broken body of another young lad. How he looked similar to the boy who had run off. Oh how similar they were.

The Witiko pack leader stopped and turned his beady eyes to the old man who merely smiled back. The pack leader turned back and followed after his pack, a little faster than before.

The old man picked over the fallen lad’s body but found nothing of note. Disappointing, it was always nice to hear of the outside world. Though, he had a feeling he would be hearing many things from them in the days to come.

“So the cycle has began again. I do wonder if his people will fair better than mine did.”