Kenshiro stepped cautiously across the open valley, his eyes drawn to the massive pool of blood that stained the center of the clearing. Sombra followed. Always vigilant, the shadow canine was sniffing the iron flavored air as they moved closer to the gruesome scene.
Not wasting any time, he identified the adze again and activated Skill Eater.
Select a skill to consume:
Skill: Garrote
Attribute: LUC
Type: Passive
Requirements: Piercing or Slashing damage.
Description: Whenever you inflict a moderate wound with a piercing or slashing attack get a 50% chance of inflicting a Bleeding debuff.
Skill: Deliquesce
Attribute: LUC
Type: Passive
Requirements: Piercing or Slashing damage.
Description: Bleeding effects are doubled.
âAlright. Well, thatâs fairly easy. I canât even use the Deliqu⦠delikeess⦠That one. Gahl, I canât even pronounce it. Not like it matters.â Kenshiro chose Garrote as the silver energy left the core of the adze and raced into him. The energy entered his chest flowing into his core.
Walking over to the next adze he activated skill eater again.
Select a skill to consume:
Skill: Chitin-Scales
Attribute: CON
Type: Passive
Requirements: none
Description: Gain the protection of an exoskeleton. -2 Damage from slashing and magic damage.
Skill: Garrote*
Attribute: LUC
Type: Passive
Requirements: Piercing or Slashing damage.
Description: Whenever you inflict a moderate wound with a piercing or slashing attack get a 50% chance of inflicting a Bleeding debuff.
*You already have the ability âGarroteâ selecting it will result in conversion to EXP.
âI have no idea how to even feel about Chitin-Scales. Do I like actually grow scales? Or is it like devour. Either way, being able to see in the dark and heal is too valuable.â
Ken dug through the body of the bug and found the core after rifling through it with Devour. Kenshiro pocketed the core in his jeans pocket and moved over to the giant mess the adze had been hovering over.
Ken's breath caught as he studied the creature before him. He let out a low whistle. Whatever this thing was, it hadnât been killed by the bug-like creatures that had attacked him earlier. The corpse was horrifying â goat-like horns, six human-like arms, hooved feet reminiscent of a horse, and two torn bird-like wings. It was large, easily the size of an elk, but it had been savagely ripped apart, its body a mess of shredded ligaments and torn flesh.
He muttered under his breath, âNo way those bugs did this.â Even without being a tracker, Ken could tell the damage wasnât caused by sharp beaks or mandibles. This thing had been mauled by something far more dangerous.
Kenshiro mentally triggered Identify, waiting for the details to flash before his eyes.
Creature: Bukovac - Shifter
Rank: 2
Description: A dead bukovac. A six-legged water demon with horns, often found in the marshy areas of forests, known for its loud bellow and aggressive nature
Loot: none
Ken stared at the lifeless creature. Rank 2. His stomach tightened. He had barely survived against two rank 1 creatures, and even that had required some incredible luck and his dagger landing just right. He had fought for his life in the temple, wrestling with a rank 1 creature, and even then, it had almost killed him. âBut thisâ¦.â Ken mumbled to himself aghast at the gruesome scene.
There was something out here. Something strong enough to rip a rank 2 creature into pieces. He wasnât sure if he was more relieved that he hadnât run into it or more terrified that it was still lurking nearby.
Kenâs heart pounded. He scanned the treeline, half-expecting the predator to leap out of the shadows. Even with his full HP and SP, he felt vulnerable, exposed. âNope, Iâm out,â he muttered, backing away. âLetâs go, Sombra.â His shadow wolf growled in acknowledgment, staying close to his side as Ken began jogging back toward the river.
The riverâs babble was a welcome sound, but Kenâs pace didnât slow. He kept his focus on the path ahead, trying to push aside the lingering dread. He spoke idly to Sombra as they moved, half to calm himself, half out of habit.
âIf we make it to the city, what do you think we are going to find there? Assuming we donât just die a horrible death here alone in the woods? Iâm guessing solid fantasy book vibes. Dragons and dungeons kinda feel, and food. Iâm hungry as a horse.â
Ken hadnât seen the smoke since that morning, and a new worry started gnawing at him. Had he gotten turned around? He had followed the river the entire way, winding through the forest, and while it had been a steady downhill, he wasnât sure if he was still heading in the right direction.
The forest around him began to change, too. The trees shifted, the foliage growing denser, and the air felt heavier. He passed a particularly twisted bush, identifying it as a âHeathen mulberry bush.â He liked mulberries, but there was no way he was eating something called a heathen mulberry.
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Hours passed, and his idle conversations with Sombra died off. His stamina was dangerously low. The sun had started its descent, casting long shadows across the path. His SP hovered just above empty, forcing him to stop frequently to recover. He was beyond exhausted, his hoodie long since torn from the undergrowth, and his body was scraped up from the rough terrain. Still, he pushed on, driven by the faint hope of reaching civilization.
Ken rifled through his bag, looking for anything to replenish his stamina. His gaze fell on the last piece of metal he hadâa copper cup heâd been using to drink from the river. With a reluctant sigh, he activated his Devour skill and consumed it, his SP ticking back up just enough to keep him moving. It wasnât much, but it would have to do. While Devour allowed him to restore SP and HP, there was just something about imbibing actual food. Maybe it was a mental thing, but he didnât know. The other thing that was starting to bother him, was for some reason or another he hadnât pooped since he left the temple. Was that also due to his Devour skill?
He marched on, deeper into the forest. Strange creatures scurried in the underbrush, and once or twice, he spotted odd heat waves shimmering in the distance. He avoided these areas, trusting his instincts. Somra remained close, alerting him to dangers as they attempted to navigate the riverbank, moving ever downhill and downstream.
Trying to entertain himself a bit, Kenshiro opened his character sheet as he walked. He was curious about the Level up error, and wanted to use his attribute point, which he added into intelligence.
Character Name
Kenshiro Perez
Race
Outrworlder
Rank
1
Class
Skill Eater
Profession
None
Title
Conduit of Souls - Tara's Chosen
Level
2
Recovery Rate
HP
43
44
2.1
Day
MP
20
20
2
MIN
SP
4
20
1
HR
Experience Points
1783
1000
Free Attribute Points
1
Attributes
Level
Modifier
SLOTS
Vital
STR
12
1
2
CON
20
2
Grace
SPR
5
1
1
DEX
13
1
Insight
INT
13
1
2
WIL
12
1
Karma
LUC
10
1
2
FAT
21
2
Class Skills
Description
Skill Eater
Absorb the skills of defeated/willing creatures. Discarded skills converted to EXP.
Blessings
Rank
Description
Identify (Uncommon) (Outworlder)
1
Assess creatures, objects, and situations; grants basic info based on targetâs complexity.
Fellowship (Uncommon) (Outworlder)
1
Allows the user to Speak, Understand, and Read the languages of Nowhere.
Conduit of Souls (Unique)
1
Allows Basic blessings of a divine being to assist you, costs 10% of all EXP gained.
Slots
Modifier
attribute
Skill
2
1
STR
Diresight
2
CON
Devour
1
1
SPR
Obsequity
1
DEX
2
1
INT
Sombra
1
WIL
2
1
LUC
Garrote
2
FAT
âHuh, I wonder how I got another Insight Slot?â Kenshiro mused, not having the brain power to actually process the question.
Hours passed, and Kenâs exhaustion deepened. He hadnât seen the smoke all day. He sat heavily on a large rock, his SP dangerously low again. Kenshiro trudged on, each step slightly harder than the last. It wasnât as difficult going anymore, the route of following the river had made things a bit easier. Yet, he had been going non-stop for nearly two days and he was spent.
As twilight settled over the forest, a familiar pit of anxiety opened in his stomach. Another night spent in the wilderness.
He glanced up, and his heart skipped a beat. In the distance, beyond the treetops, he thought he saw a faint trail of smoke. âSombra⦠I think weâre close⦠weâve got to be.â The wolf raised her head, sniffing the air. Ken forced himself to stand, hope pushing through the fatigue. He moved toward the smoke, his steps shaky but determined.
âWhen we get there, Sombra,â Ken muttered, his voice thick with exhaustion, âdo you think theyâll have, like, a steak? Or pancakes? Hell, Iâd kill for a burger right now. Three beersâno, four. Iâd fight another adze for a steak and some fries.â
âSpeaking of eating, what do you think of the thing the adze were eating?â
âLike, do you⦠Oh Sombra, Iâm an idiot, I didnât even check for a core! You imagine the kind of skill that thing could have given me?! Gah!â Kenshiro wiped the sweat off of his face.
He was so tired.
âNext time I gotta search til I find it. Then, maybe Iâll get a skill that can make it so I can fly or something. That thing had wingsâ¦â
His delirious rambling was cut short as a figure emerged from the bushes ahead. Ken froze. The creatureâan elephantine-skinned druâvenâraised a bow, arrow trained directly on him. A deep, feminine voice, laced with an accent Ken couldnât quite place, called out, âWould you fight me for that steak, lad? Because youâre not getting any of ours.â
Kenâs blood ran cold. His hand instinctively moved toward the dagger in his hoodie pocket, but the druâven womanâs eyes narrowed. âAh-ah,â she said with a smirk. âNo reaching, or this arrow goes straight through your face.â