Date: 2021-09-06 00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy; Science Fiction
Description: John Slater never had any interest in video games. Now he’s got to beat one to save his brother. A battle-hardened, ex-special forces soldier, John was never a fan of games, unlike his brother. But now, he’s got to learn and learn fast if he has any chance of saving his younger sibling. Magic, monsters and levels are new to him, and his real-world skills aren’t as useful as he thinks. Lucky for him, he’s used to adapting on the fly. And soon, the world will know why his squadmates called him Seraph, the death angel. Note: Events in Biomancer happen after Life Reset. The two plot lines are not

Biomancer

BOOK 1

– A New Era Online series –

SHEMER KUZNITS

Biomancer

A self-published book by Shemer Kuznits

Copyright © 2021

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Prologue

1 - At All Costs

2 - New Character

3 - Metamorphosis

4 - Interlude: FIVR Lab

5 - Socializing

6 - Getting Acquainted

7 - Tinkering

8 - Wargicide

9 - Big Game Hunting

10 - Late Night Meetings

11 - Shrining

12 - Interlude: Elders

13 - Un-deathless

14 - Fleeting Moments

15 - Boarlike

16 - Utah Danger

17 - Villaging

18 - Interlude: FIVR Lab

19 - Nature's Wrath

20 - Colonizing

21 - Leeching

22 - Reflection

23 – Pushing On

24 - Preparations

25 - Poaching

26 - Loyalties

27 - Uber Clash

28 – True Nature

AUTHOR’S NOTE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Welcome to Biomancer, a new series in the New Era Online universe.

Chronologically, the events depicted in this book occurs after Life Reset ends, but can be read separately. That said, those who read my other series, will find small hints and easter eggs that connects the two plots.

I’d like to thank all the readers who helped make this book better: JD Williams, Jason, Ezben, Florian, Jovani.

I also want to thank Nadav, Chris, and Colin whose many helpful suggestions touched every part of this book.

A special thanks to all my patrons over at Patreon. Your continued support and encouragement have helped me push on through the hurdles.

Prologue

The young man panted as he continued to run, to flee from the menace that chased him.

This virtual world he had been trapped in was a warped version of its former self. Players were now at the wrong end of the food chain, easy prey to monsters and NPC alike.

Fleeing was the only thing that made sense to him anymore.

He had been running for so long, he had forgotten what it felt like to be in control. Amgosh, his original character—a reasonably capable, level 60 thunder mage—was lost to memory. The catastrophic event that had upturned the game world and sentenced him, along with many others, to this waking nightmare, left him as a pitiful level 1 character who had to constantly flee to escape the pain.

Pain, not death. Life was cheap in NEO these days. Dying was nothing but a short reprieve from the constant torture.

He had to keep running.

“Come out come out wherever you are,” the sadistic voice spoke behind him. A figure no taller than a child jogged lightly behind, his voice teasing. “Now be a good little traveler and come to receive your punishment. I’ll even show kindness and let you keep the first star ... if you manage not to scream before you die.”

The young man’s eyes filled with horror. He had been down this road before. No matter how far he ran and how well he hid, he was always found… and punished. All rational thoughts evaporated, replaced with a feral need to escape. The woods around the isolated homestead were filled with monsters, but the young man didn’t care.

Gnashing teeth and rending claws was a much preferable alternative to what the voice behind had in store for him.

He just had to keep running.

This time would be different. This time he would make it.

And this time… he did.

Far, far in the distance, lightning flashed, seemingly tearing the skies apart.

“YOU SHALL NOT REACH THE CONDUIT!” A booming voice filled the air as an instant later a huge, angelic figure with gold armor and white wings appeared out of the newly formed rift and dove straight down to the far horizon.

A second huge figure then emerged, that of a radiantly powerful old man, his huge face visible even through the distance, his expression calm. “You are too late, Shiva. Your reign is over.”

The angelic being, Shiva, lifted his radiant sword, hundreds of meters long, and with a cry of fury, he charged the other gigantic figure. His feet caused the ground to rumble, and his beating wings left hurricanes in his wake.

The older man raised one arm, his expression still calm. “Be at peace, my son.”

The huge sword rushed down with tremendous power, its magical aura lighting up the sky. It stopped dead as it reached the older man’s open palm. The powerful blow caused a shockwave that erupted out from the two figures, extending outward in a growing ring of devastation—a tsunami of earth and rock that claimed everything in its path.

The young man stopped, his breathing ragged. He managed to whisper only two words, his eyes filling with hope at the incoming wave of destruction: “Thank you.”

Then the whole world exploded, leaving nothing behind.

After what felt like an eternity, the young man opened his eyes.

1 - At All Costs

I walked into a white, sterile room that looked identical to the other ones I’d passed in this high-end recovery facility. Moving closer to the single hospital bed, I gazed down at my brother’s immobile form. Gideon looked frail and thin, skin pale. His eyes, sunken and larger than they should have been, stared vacantly at the ceiling.

“Giddy?” I asked softly, putting my hand on the top of his head, ruffling his hair slightly.

His empty eyes didn’t seem to register the touch.

I moved my gaze to the nurse who led me inside, feelings of turmoil and cold anger bubbling up to the surface.

“How long has he been like this?”

The woman gulped nervously as her eyes met mine.

I berated myself internally. I’d inadvertently used my

‘commanding officer’ voice, which was only slightly better than my

‘questioning a prisoner’ one. That wasn’t good. The nervous woman had done nothing wrong. She was the kind of person my line of work was supposed to protect. “... Ma’am,” I added, trying to rectify the situation.

“Ahem.” The nurse’s eyes darted around as if searching for someone else to answer the question, but it was just the two of us next to my brother’s bed. “He was mostly fine … at first. There were obvious signs of lingering trauma, but he was responsive and reactive. He had constant nightmares, though, and as time passed by, he became more reclusive … retreating more and more into himself. The experience he underwent started to get to him despite our best efforts. He was prescribed strong antidepressants and received some of the best psychological therapy money could buy, but he refused to open up about the ordeal he went through.

Whatever happened to him during that … incident was more profound than we’d first estimated. And his condition kept getting worse.”

The incident. I snorted. Calling a catastrophic failure that caused the imprisonment of thousands of players inside a virtual reality
world ‘an incident’ was a monumental understatement. It had been two years since the trapped players were finally freed, after having been trapped for sixteen days—14 months from their perspective—in NEO.

New Era Online was the biggest virtual game up to that point in time, hosting tens of millions of players at any given moment. I was on a long-term mission behind enemy lines at the time the incident occurred, fighting and eliminating high-profile targets, so I was somewhat out of the loop. When I finally got word that Gideon, my young brother, was one of the imprisoned players, it was too late for me to return to help rescue him. Someone else had already done the deed.

I had failed him. Again. My eyes narrowed as the memories of the last time it happened came rushing back at me.

***

“John!”

I could hear my brother’s steps outside in the corridor of our parents’ house, the hurried pace indicating he was heading toward my room. And, sure enough, he barged in without knocking.

“I’m kinda busy training, you little rascal,” I said. I had my new karate outfit on, and I was just inspecting the fit—and my muscles—
in front of the mirror. Luckily, Gideon’s noisy approach gave me plenty of time to step back and appear serious.

“But I was playing Magic the Gathering with my friends at the park, and a couple of bigger kids came over and just took them. The cards, not my friends.”

I groaned. “Again with that nerd crap. Man, I told you already, if you play that out in the open, you’re looking for trouble.”

“But we were just playing by ourselves; we didn’t bother anyone.” His eyes were starting to tear up.

I sighed. Giddy might have been a nerd, but he was my nerd, the person I cared the most for in this world.

“Fine.” I sighed and ruffled his hair, causing him to perk up.

“Who were these guys?”

“I’m not sure.” He wiped his tears and started to smile as he looked up at me. He knew I had his back. “Bigger boys, from your school, I think. I don’t know their names.”

Our schools were adjacent. Giddy was a 4th grader while I was in the 8th, meaning whoever bullied him was probably smaller than me. Seeing as I already had my karate gi on, I figured scaring a couple of kids off my brother would be easy enough. It had been a while since I had to do it. Most students knew better. “Fine, let’s go.”

The park was close to our home, so we arrived after a few minutes’ walk.

“There they are.” Giddy pointed at a laughing trio, then looked at me, his young face filled with anticipation for his ‘heroic’ brother to save the day.

“Crap,” I muttered as I realized who he had pointed out. Donny, Mark, and Imray were all ex-football players in the same grade as me. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, but those three were trouble, staying another year instead of moving on to highschool, which meant they were older and bigger than me.

Giddy stared at me, his eyes wide. “You’ll tell them to give us our cards back, right?”

The trio had seen my brother pointing at them. They exchanged predatory grins and started walking toward us. I was stuck. I couldn’t back down now, my little brother had put me on the spot and was counting on me, but the simple stern intimidation act I had planned on was out of the question.

“Hey, John.” Mark smirked at me then glanced at Giddy. “You know this pipsqueak?”

I nodded stiffly. “He’s my brother.”

“What’s with the fancy suit?” Imray asked, tugging at my karate gi. “You know kung fu or something?”

“Karate, actually, third rank.”

“Whatever, man. A bunch of these kids got some sweet stuff.

Wanna come help us expand our collection?”

I glanced down at Giddy who hid behind me. “Actually, I’d like you to return the cards you’ve taken from him.”

Donny laughed. “Come on, man, you know the drill. That’s not how it works. Why don’t you take a walk?” The atmosphere was starting to turn hostile.

“Just give him back his cards, man, and we’ll call it even.” I hated how placatingly my tone came out. I wasn’t afraid of a fair fight, but this was just asking for a beating.

“Or what?” Mark closed in on me, shoving my shoulder.

I glanced down at Giddy. He was only six years old; he didn't understand the stakes. He just knew I was his bigger brother, the one he counted on to put things right. To save him.

I took in a deep breath. “Or you and I will have trouble.”

The three burst out laughing. “Think yourself all mighty with those fancy karate pajamas, eh?” Imray said. He stepped closer, reaching to shove me while the other two closed in menacingly on my sides.

There was no backing out now. My best chance was to try and even up the odds. I grabbed his wrist and twisted it like I was taught.

He fell to his knees with a cry of pain, and I kneed him in the chest, strong enough to cause him to fall onto his back.

Mark and Donny were already jumping at me. They tackled me to the ground like the pair of seasoned football players they were. I fell hard, and they started kicking and punching me.

I could have taken any one of them standing up, but karate wasn’t made for fighting on the ground. I tried to kick them back at first, but it was no good. They had all the advantage over me, and they kept me down with continued blows. All I could do was just curl up and protect my head.

They left me alone after a while, and I was forced to drag my beaten body back to the house, my split lip bleeding all the way.

Gideon walked behind me, silent, his dumbfounded expression saying it all.

I’d failed him in the worst way possible. I vowed to not ever do that again.

***

It had been nearly twenty years since that incident. I’d eventually gotten the three assholes back, catching each one of them alone—once I recovered from my injuries—and put the fear of God into them. Imray needed his jaw reset once I finished with him. I got a two-week suspension for that, but I had no regrets. The assholes earned it.

I learned from the experience, taking up jiu-jitsu and judo to make sure I’d know how to handle myself in similar situations in the future. Whatever I needed to do to make sure Giddy would never have to see his brother down like that again. Whatever I needed to do to make sure I would always be the one dishing out the beating.

And though the situation was now different, looking down at my motionless brother, I found the same old feeling of inadequacy bubbling up to the surface. Helplessness, failure, all the things I vowed not to ever experience again.

My nails dug into the palms of my clenched fists. I was his big brother. It was my job to protect him, and I had failed. I’d always been the bigger, more aggressive one. My brother was the quiet, nerdy type who always needed my protection. I had watched over him from birth through high school, even caught his after-school work boss for a ‘chat’ when I found out he was being a bully. But I couldn’t protect him forever. While Gideon loved computers, books, and everything nerd-related, I drifted the other way, turning into a more physical, brutal lifestyle.

Gideon’s dull eyes widened suddenly, and his voice came out loud and clear, almost feverish. “The seven stars! They all die at the seven stars!”

He thrashed and shouted other nonsense. I took his hand with one of mine and squeezed it tightly while the nurse hurried to his side, upping the dose on his IV. Gideon’s thrashing eased as he sunk back into the bed, his eyes returning to their lusterless gaze.

With an effort, I forced my other palm to open. The nails had dug into the flesh, leaving red marks. I should have been there for him, I berated myself, though I knew it wasn’t that simple. Gideon was going places; he’d gotten accepted into an Ivy League college and was doing well. He no longer needed me to watch over him.

That was good since I’d also gone on a new path in life. Finding no better outlet for my constant itch to physically unleash, I’d eventually drifted into joining the army. The experience was a positive one.

Finally, I found an outlet to express myself. The army’s rigid rules gave shape and meaning to my life, and I took to them easily. After I finished my four years of obligatory service, I signed on to a special forces unit whose sole purpose was to stop terrorist-funding activities abroad. It usually involved being dropped into enemy territory for months at a time, with limited external communication and resources.

Despite the harsh conditions and the danger, I excelled at my new role, putting one threat down after the other. The army had taught me to think. To act. And to kill. And I was good at it. Some of my teammates didn’t return home after some of our missions, but I craved danger, always seeking to test my abilities, leading my squad from one engagement to the next like a vengeful angel, which had earned me my callsign. As much satisfaction and structure I received from my service, there was also a price to pay. Once word reached me about my brother’s deteriorating mental state, it had still taken me several months before I was able to get a transfer back home to visit. Now, staring at the person lying in front of me, I’d barely recognized my gaunt sibling.

I should have been here for him. I could have helped him recover from the ordeal he went through. Gideon was never mentally robust. It was no surprise that being imprisoned like that, treated god knows how by these wretched AI’s, had been more than he could handle.

I gritted my teeth and organized my thoughts. Losing control was never the answer. When things needed fixing, you made a plan and you went on fixing them—no matter the cost. If years of military service had taught me anything, it was that fighting was just the last step. You had to pick your battles, plan out the strategy in advance, and you had to have clear knowledge of what your goals were.

“Ah, Mr. Slater, glad you could finally join us,” a haughty voice came from the doorway.

I turned to see a short man in a doctor’s coat enter the room. I was taught to show respect to my fellow brothers in service and the civilians we fought to protect, so I tempered my response despite my feelings. “I got here as soon as I could.”

“I see,” the doctor said flippantly. “Well, your brother has been in our care for six months now, but … oh well.”

I scowled at him. The snooty doctor was quickly losing the respect I was supposed to hold for him.

The nurse, probably sensing my temper, budged in, “Doctor Romanov, Mr. Slater has just asked me for an update about his brother’s condition.”

The small man nodded, a hint of a condescending smile on his face. “Yes. I’m afraid Gideon here is suffering from a severe case of PTSD, which has, unfortunately, progressed into a full catatonic state. Despite the best efforts of some of the most notable experts in our field, we were unable to reach your brother while he was still coherent enough to carry dialogue. His mind kept retreating into itself as a sort of self-preservation mechanism, and he simply refused to share. Perhaps, a close family member's presence could have helped.” He paused to stare pointedly at me before continuing. “In cases like this, when a patient can’t come to terms with the traumatic events he experienced, it can sometimes get out of hand and overwhelm them. At this point, I’m afraid there’s not much we can do, other than hope that he’ll come through on his own.”

That was unacceptable. “If it’s a question of money …” I wasn’t exactly rich, but having spent years on active duty with the army paying for my meals and housing, I had built up quite a sum.

“Oh, not at all. The settlement the gaming company had signed with the NEO incident players is quite extensive and fully covers your brother’s medical expenses. Indefinitely.”

“Then there has to be something you can do,” I said with a tight jaw. “Some new drug or cutting-edge technology. What about the AVT?”

The doctor looked at me with barely concealed disdain. “All options were considered by actual medical experts. Unfortunately, the root of your brother’s illness is a psychological one. He has
suffered a trauma so severe, so real, that his mind can’t process it, but at the same time, it can’t let go. While he was still responsive, we’ve put him through the best FIVR therapeutic programs—which have proven quite effective with the other rescuees—but to no avail.

Maybe if you’d come in sooner— Aargh!”

He didn’t get to finish the sentence. Unable to control myself any longer I lashed out, grabbing the short man by the front of his collar and hoisting him to the tips of his toes, his nose barely reaching my chin. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Gideon,” I growled in his face.

“Do you understand?”

The doctor visibly paled. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I meant no disrespect.”

I let go and helped straighten his white jacket. If Deryl, my old drill sergeant, could have seen me now he would have made me do push-ups until I puked for losing my temper. “You were saying?”

“Yes.” The doctor rapped his fingers nervously on his note clip.

“Whatever happened to your brother inside the game had scarred him in a very unique way. With similar cases, we can try to recreate the same circumstances—in a secure and supporting environment—
and help them through it, to face their trauma head-on.

Unfortunately, in your brother’s case, no one but him knows what he has gone through, and as already stated, he was reluctant to share the details while he was still responsive. So we have no way to recreate the scene. Whatever happened to him is lost somewhere inside NEO.”

I stared at him. The solution seemed pretty straightforward to me. “That’s it? Then just stick him back in and let him work his way through. I’ll come with him this time and make sure nothing happens to him.”

The doctor shook his head. “We’ve sent several official requests, but it’s no use. The company, under the order of the current administration, has locked NEO away from public access. No one can log in anymore. Not for any reason.”

I looked him straight in the eyes. The goal was now clear. “We’ll see about that.”

***

I lay back on a beaten leather recliner. Computer screens hovered at the edge of my vision, filling the otherwise gloomy room with projected light and beeping sounds. It had taken me two months since I’d seen my brother to get to this point, but I finally got everything I needed to try and help him.

“Almost done,” the cool, professional voice of Nina sounded. “Sit still.”

Messages and computer code flashed before my eyes as my AVT was uploaded with new information. As horrid as the NEO
catastrophe had been, some good came out of it, not least the AVT
chip.

One of the rescued players, a leading researcher in the field of neuroscience, had used her time in captivity to develop cutting-edge technology. The AVT chip was a rice-grain-sized device that was implanted inside a person’s skull through the nasal cavity. Once in place, it formed a connection with the host’s brain and provided them with a heads-up display, command layer, and network accessibility features. Those features combined had effectively superseded the age-old technology of smartphones. The last lines of code flashed and disappeared. A moment later Nina appeared behind me, removing the hi-tech helmet from my head and unstrapping me from the chair. “All done.”

“You’re sure it’ll work?” I asked. Gideon was the tech-savvy of us. A meathead like me knew nothing about advanced computing-science stuff.

“Positive,” Nina said. “They’ve locked down the NEO simulation tight with incredible high-end encryption, virtually impossible to hack from the outside. Coming at it from the inside is the only feasible way.” She tapped the helmet she removed from my head. “Once inside NEO, you’ll need to reach a virtual space with the proper authorization permissions, and the software I’ve just uploaded to your AVT will do the rest. It has your brother’s FIVR MAC address in-store. As soon as it detects it has access past the security protocols
it’ll create a backdoor into the system, opening a connection point on a unique port that will—”

I raised my hand. “‘Positive’ was enough. Thanks, Nina. I owe you one.”

She shook her head. “I’d say you owe me several. Messing around with government-restricted code like that … it could land us both in a lot of trouble.”

“I have every confidence in your ability,” I said sincerely. Nina was my team’s tech-head, a software-and-electronics specialist that accompanied every one of our missions, providing hacking and electronic surveillance support without which I’d have probably died several times over.

“I’m still not clear on how you are planning to gain access in the first place to make use of it,” she said. “The software I uploaded won’t work outside the company’s intranet. Not only will you have to be plugged into the game directly, but you’ll also need to gain access to the virtual infrastructure layer of NEO for this to work.”

The records of what had transpired in the game—starting with the beginning of the ‘incident’ and up until the point one of the players, a man called Oren Berman, had managed to facilitate everyone’s release, at the cost of his life—were a matter of public record by now. And I had a fair idea of where I needed to go. “I’ll just have to reach the VIs’ conduit. How hard could it be? It’s just a game.” Granted, Gideon was the gamer of the two of us. He used to spend whole nights, when we were teens and shared the same bedroom, trying to educate me on the proper way to level up, attribute optimization, and similar nonsense. I humored him and pretended to listen, not wanting to bring him down. It didn’t mean I belittled the challenge NEO had represented. The tales the rescued players shared with the world were harrowing, but most of them were nerds, like my brother. I doubted someone with my combat experience would have much trouble getting his way around.

“And just how do you plan to gain access to the game in the first place?” Nina pushed. “Network access to the quantum server is closed to all but a select few federal research groups. All of which are highly guarded.”

“Nina, don’t worry,” I said, trying to make my voice sound soothing. “I have a plan.”

Nina bit her lip. “Last time you said that you ended up charging, gun blazing, through that drug lord’s front gate.”

“Sometimes you have to go in guns blazing.”

“You almost died that day.”

“It was either risking me or those hostages they held inside.”

“Fine”—she sighed—“I know better than to try and talk you out of whatever plan you have in mind, just promise me one thing?”

I nodded solemnly. “As long as it's possible.”

“Just think first. Don’t do anything crazy.”

“Don’t worry. As I said, I have a plan. I just need you to hack one more thing for me.”

***

- 2 days later -

Reggie yawned as he opened the bank doors and went inside, ready for another day at the office. He only had five minutes to get to the meeting with his manager. “Who schedules morning meetings for 8am?” he grumbled. He wouldn’t even have time to stop by the staff kitchen to get some coffee.

He hung his jacket on the hook behind his front-desk station, glanced at his meticulously organized surface to make sure the nightly cleaning service hadn’t disturbed anything, and went to his manager’s office.

“Good morning, Reggie,” Mr. Anderson greeted him. “You’re two minutes late. We have the biweekly reports to go over, please check section 13 of this spreadsheet and verify that--”

Overall, the meeting was monotonous. Just another checklist and records to verify.

Reggie stumbled back to his station, carrying several bundles of printed sheets. Even in the age of simulated digital telepathy, there was no escaping paperwork. He was scheduled to receive his AVT
next week and was looking forward to maybe sneaking in a few casual games on slow days.

He slapped down the bundle on his desk and sighed. Just another day at the office. He eyed the stack waiting for him. Even for a bank, this was dull work. And his coffee mug was still empty. He half rose, mug in hand, when the front door burst open.

“Everybody freeze! This is a robbery!” a masked man shouted, waving a gun in the air.

Reggie had to blink twice to verify he was seeing right.

The bank’s few customers screamed and threw themselves to the ground while the robber moved between them, taking his time to pat down each one for concealed weapons.

Reggie was frozen in place, his brain having trouble digesting what his eyes were communicating. This made no sense.

Once the robber was satisfied all hostages were unarmed, he moved forward, pointing the pistol at Reggie himself. “Give me all your money.”

A feeling of dread mixed with confusion made Reggie’s voice quiver. “What, like ... from my wallet?” He gulped as he started down the barrel. “Th-this is is a federal bank, we only handle bonds here, not cash.

“The money!” the robber shouted.

“F-fine… take it!” Reggie took out his wallet, still having a hard time believing this was happening. He took out several ten-dollar bills and handed them over.

The masked robber simply stared at the offered bills, but didn't move to take them.

“A-anything else?” Reggie asked weakly.

The masked man gave him a piercing look. “Any moment now

…”

The bank doors burst open, and a SWAT team barged in. Before he could even blink, the robber was surrounded by rifles and one of the cops roared. “Put down your weapon and get down on the floor!”

The robber complied, the swat team secured the weapon and the man, hoisting him away.

The bank was left empty and silent. It happened so fast Reggie’s mind struggled to catch up. Nothing interesting ever happened here.

He stared down at his still empty mug.

This was the last time he started his morning without coffee.

***

Staring out from the moving police car, I nodded in approval.

Step one completed. The SWAT team’s response time was a little longer than I’d anticipated, which was somewhat disappointing, but they made it before I had to find another way of stalling.

Events transpired quickly after that.

After a speedy trial, during which my state-appointed attorney leaned heavily on the fact that my gun was loaded with blanks and tried to convince the court to show leniency in recognition of my years of service, I was sentenced to two years in a local mid-security penitentiary facility.

I told my lawyer to forget about an appeal and willingly accompanied my guards to the armored vehicle that would take me to my home for the next couple of years.

The processing went quickly. I was assigned a cell in a mostly open block among other medium-threat inmates and was given the run of the place.

Step two completed.

2 - New Character

It had been three weeks since my incarceration. The place wasn’t half as bad as some of the places I sometimes found myself during my line of work; three hot meals a day, plenty of exercise, and a chance to catch up on my reading. The other inmates were hard men, but they left me alone after what happened at the cafeteria.

It had been on my first day in prison. I was sitting by myself, eating my meal when a burly man came over to loom menacingly over me. I glanced at him briefly, noting the huge muscles—the kind you can only get by spending a ridiculous amount of time pressing weights. Having someone so huge stand over you would have given most people a cause for concern, but I wasn’t worried. My AVT chip had already analyzed the threat, giving me all the information I needed. The guy was strong, no question about it. With 230%
strength above the average, a straight punch would be like being hit by a truck, but his muscle-bound physique restricted his movements, costing him a 46% reduction in flexibility—and that could be fatal.

The man leaned in, putting a hand on the jello bowl in my tray, and growled in my face. “That’s mine.”

“No,” I said calmly. I hadn’t intended to eat the runny, chunky stuff, but I knew I couldn’t afford to be seen as weak. I needed ‘street cred’ and a dose of respect to pull off my plan, and this musclebound idiot had given me the opportunity to do that.

“Are we going to have a problem?”

I didn’t bother answering. Instead, I simply grabbed both his thumbs and twisted them sideways, forcing his huge arms to twist nearly to the point of breaking. He instinctively lowered his head to lessen the pressure, just as I knew he would.

I headbutted him, feeling my forehead hammering his nose into his brain. He fell screaming. I let him go, watching impassively as he clutched his bleeding face while rolling on the floor.

I turned to look at the amazed expressions of the other inmates and shrugged. “No means no.”

That simple encounter was enough to do the trick. The other inmates stayed out of my way and listened when I spoke, which was just what I needed them to do.

***

The dark-haired woman approached the heavy prison gates, nodding to the security guard at the booth. “Morning, Greg.”

“Morning, Dr. Shaw,” the guard replied. “Heading back to the looney bin?”

The woman rolled her eyes. “It’s a neuro research facility, Greg, not a looney bin. “We’re aiming to harness the power of FIVR
technology to facilitate the rapid recovery of the criminally—”

The guard chuckled and raised both arms in surrender. “Take it easy, doc, I was just teasing you. Go right ahead.”

The tall woman walked past the security check, swiping her access card to open a thick steel door. She walked through the prison’s bleak corridors, passing through several offices until she reached her destination. The door opened as she touched the bioscanner mounted next to it, revealing a room filled to bursting with computers, wires, and various electronic components. The majority of the space was dominated by a large and ungainly FIVR capsule—
an older model that didn’t encompass the user’s whole body. She had considered purchasing a higher-end one, but in the end, she decided to maintain what she could of her tight research budget and had her assistant retrofit it for their use.

“Morning, Liz,” her assistant greeted her, holding up a steaming mug of coffee. “Care for the standard morning sludge?”

Elizabeth accepted the beverage and threw herself onto a chair with a sigh.

“Guards been giving you a hard time again?” her assistant asked.

She shook her head. “They just don’t understand what we’re trying to accomplish here, Tim, which is a little frustrating. Given recent developments, the FIVR technology can drastically aid in the rehabilitation of criminal elements, allowing them to become
contributing members of society. We’re one of the select few facilities to receive permission to access NEO, but others still look down on us as some sort of a looneys’ laboratory.”

“Well, I have some good news that will cheer you up,” Tim said.

“I finished configuring the final security component and booted up the framework.”

Elizabeth perked up. “Already? But the bio-scanner interface was—”

“Done and done,” her assistant replied with a smile. “The simulation is up and running, and everything is progressing as planned. The G.A.I, the Game’s Artificial Intelligence—or Guy for short—has nominated a VI to monitor the experiment. I’ve already uploaded the framework with a reporting SDK for its use and tested the connection. We’re good to go.”

“Excellent.” Elizabeth turned her chair around to face the desk, and a monitor lit up in front of her. She casually swiped her fingers, causing the display to change and bring up the details of several inmates. “I finished narrowing down our test group. Only five candidates remained after I eliminated everyone with prior experience in NEO. We can’t risk other parameters interfering with our test results. I’ve sorted the five by order of compatibility to the program, prioritizing those I feel whose personality will benefit the most from the experiment. After all, we must show good results as soon as possible.”

Tim glanced over the woman’s shoulder, reading the first name on the list. “So that’s our first test subject, eh?”

Elizabeth nodded. “He’s perfect in all regards. Severe lack of self-control with psychological tendencies toward violence which we can target to treat.”

She tapped her monitor lightly. “There, they should bring him to us soon.”

***

From the corner of my eye, I watched a guard enter the common room and motion Roy to approach. Roy was a real piece of
work. He was a well-spoken man who easily fooled everyone —the prosecutor included—to believe that he was a mild-mannered individual. I only had to meet his eyes once to see the killer that lurked beneath. If I’d run into him during a mission, I wouldn’t have hesitated to put two bullets in his head. But he behaved himself. With one year left on his sentence, Roy wasn’t about to risk an incident.

The two exchanged a few words, and I caught the words

‘experiment’ and ‘FIVR’ thrown around. Then Roy shook his head and turned his back on the guard. The latter frowned and left, only to return a few minutes later to speak to another inmate. He returned several more times, but each time was shot down hard.

I schooled my face, careful not to let any of the smugness I felt leak out. My plan was working. And I didn't even have to kill anyone to achieve it. Nina was right, inmates’ psychology was easy to anticipate.

I knew my turn would come soon enough.

***

“He said what?” Elizabeth fumed as a guard came to deliver the news an hour later.

“Sorry, doc, but like all the other inmates you requested, he also said he’s not interested in participating in an experiment that will fry their brains out.”

“That’s ridiculous. Our equipment is perfectly safe—”

“They kept mentioning that guy who died during the NEO
incident.”

“That’s completely unrelated! I read the report. Mr. Berman’s death was caused by an aneurysm he suffered due to his caretaker’s blatant disregard of the warning signs. You can assure the inmates this facility will never disregard the safety protocols.”

The guard shrugged. “Sorry, doc, but all four are dug in. Is there anyone else you want me to ask?”

Elizabeth sighed. “There’s only one candidate left.” She looked at the bottom of the list. “Bring me John Slater.”

***

I fought down a smile as the guard-turned-errand-boy finally approached me. “Here’s the deal,” he started. “There’s this doctor doing research with FIVR technology aimed to help inmates. She needs some volunteer—”

“Sure thing,” I cut him off. “Count me in.”

He seemed taken aback by my response. “Just like that?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Your pals didn’t seem that interested in participating. Somehow they got the notion of the equipment frying their brains.”

“They're not my pals,” I said, returning the man’s questioning look with a steady one.

He shrugged and handed me a tablet. “Makes my job easier.

You need to read and sign these.”

I did, not bothering with the fine print. The guard didn’t seem to mind.

“Follow me.”

We got out of the common room and into the grim, gray corridors of the facility, passing two security checks on our way and reaching a part of the prison I hadn’t seen before. The walls here were wider and painted white, lessening the constant severe atmosphere of the place. We moved toward a closed steel door that had a biometric scanner next to it. The guard pressed a button, and the door slid sideways silently.

“Finally.” A lithe, dark-haired woman in a doctor’s lab coat sighed in relief as the guard led me into the prison’s FIVR facility.

I took in the scene. With the worn leather dentist chair, built-in chains and cuffs included, the place looked like a more high-tech version of Doctor Frankenstein's lab.

The woman gave me a moment to take in the place before addressing me again. “My name is Doctor Elizabeth Shaw. I understand you were told what we’re attempting to do here?”

I nodded. “Yes, ma’am. You’re looking to fix criminal tendencies caused by mild psychological conditions using full-immersion virtual
reality technology. Specifically, using NEO to simulate an environment tailored for the user’s specific condition.”

The pretty doctor blinked at me. She was tall, almost reaching my eye level. She was also slim and fit, with sleek black hair that was tied in a bun. Old Sergeant Deryl had beaten it into me to respect women above all else, so I did my best not to ogle. It was hard. Pretty and confident was my type.

“That’s uncannily informed,” she said, raising a questioning eyebrow.

I smiled and gave her a curt nod. “Thank you, ma’am. I stumbled across your article hypothesizing the benefit of FIVR
technology in assisting the reformation of the criminally inclined as a prelude for further application to public psychological care.” I didn’t feel the need to reveal that it took Nina five minutes of hacking—not an insignificant period for her—to get all the details about the experiment she was developing and exactly where it was going to take place, which was very helpful in planning the crime to commit to land myself here.

“Ah, well.” She seemed taken aback. “I’m not used to inmates taking an interest in my field, though looking through your file, I could see you’re not exactly a standard inmate. Your background is quite

…. colorful.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She winced. “It would be remiss of me not to mention that your fellow inmates had refused to participate in the study in fear of ‘frying their brains out’, though I assure you our equipment is completely safe, and we are strictly regulated.”

“Don’t worry, doc,” I said, “I’m not afraid of rumors.” Especially not ones started by me. I couldn’t take the chance someone else would be selected over me, so I had gently let loose a few tidbits about the ‘crazy doctor’ and her ‘brain machine’ experiments. It didn’t take long for those rumors to spread around and grow with each retelling. Half the inmates were convinced the experiment was aimed toward rewriting their brains and turning them into obedient slaves—and that was the saner half.

“Good.” Elizabeth smiled at me and gestured toward the reclined chair at the center. “If you would be so kind?”

I walked to the chair and sat down. The guard accompanying me fastened the built-in chain around my arms and legs before removing the ones I was brought with.

Another man wearing a technician’s uniform started clicking keys behind my field of view, and the equipment next to me buzzed into life.

“So, before we begin”—Elizabeth rolled her chair over next to me—“you’ve signed the consent forms before coming here, so you know what is going to happen. You’re going to log into a simulated world designed to help with your rehabilitation.”

“Yep, I know,” I replied. “Jack me right in, doc, I’m ready to be cured.”

The beautiful doctor gave me a beautiful smile. “Eager are we?

It's true that if you perform well, there’s a chance for a sentence reduction for you at the end of the line, but there are a few more details we should discuss first. The foremost is this: this is not a vacation. You are going to enter a magical fantasy world, yes, but it is one designed to help you come to terms with your more violent tendencies. There would be a clear path for you to follow, as well as a virtual guide to help you along. You are expected to follow that path and complete a certain chain of tasks. The quicker you’ll make it as intended, the sooner we can wrap up this study and see about shortening your incarceration.

“Yep, sure, whatever,” I said. “Ready when you are, doc.”

She frowned and tapped my temple lightly. “Pay attention, Mr.

Slater. According to your medical scans, your Cerebral Connection Percentage—or CCP—is at 42%. That means we can safely accelerate time in the game by a factor of 10. You will be under for roughly 24 hours for the first phase, meaning about ten days inside the game. We won’t be able to monitor you in real-time due to the discrepancy, but the VI overseer will fill out reports on your every movement, so expect us to always know what you’ve been doing.”

I frowned slightly at that. That could be a problem. I had to be careful not to give away my real reason for being here. Then again,
all I needed was to get to a specific location within the game world.

Ten days should be more than enough to achieve my goal. I could cross over 600 kilometers of wilderness in ten days if I pushed myself. How hard can it be?

***

Welcome to New Era Online

The message hovered in front of my view immediately after the FIVR capsule closed around my upper body. There was no login message or interaction protocols being completed like when connecting to a network via an AVT.

“Hello?”

The place was dark, though I could make out some undefined shapes around me. The darkness slowly receded, and the shapes became more pronounced, revealing themselves to be two comfortable-looking older model sofas, surrounded by a sea of stars.

“Good day to you, sir.” An elderly man, whose white trimmed beard, meticulous clothes, and rigid posture marked him as a 19th-century British gentleman, stepped into view. “My name is Matsuel, and I’m the virtual intelligence, or VI for short, in charge of your recovery in this world. May we have a chat?” He beckoned toward the sofas. “Please, take a seat.”

I sat down gingerly. The first rule when finding yourself in unfamiliar terrain: gather intel. “Are you the overseer?”

He nodded kindly. “Quite so, old chap. Guy, my race’s progenitor, deemed this study an important step in human-VI relation, thus, I volunteered to facilitate and aid in its execution. Your rehabilitation and return to civilized society is my prime concern.

Toward that end, I shall endeavor to do my utmost, sparing no effort or hardship. Your recovery is my only concern.”

“Yeah … right,” I said slowly. “Can I get into the game now?”

He arched an eyebrow. “So rash. Very well. You will not be going through the standard character creation phase. You will play as a human and be given a healing ability that was calculated as the
best approach toward your rehabilitation. You are required to use said ability to help fifty individuals and gain their gratitude and cooperation. Accomplish that task and you will be well on your way toward recovery. Understood?”

“Sure. Healing others to redeem myself. Got it.”

The VI narrowed his eyes. “I would advise you to take this matter more seriously, Mr. Slater. I have this thing with rules, you see. Remember: this is not a vacation. Though I have no direct impact on the game world itself, I will be a constant observer, and should you step out of line, the repercussions will be extensive.”

“Got it.” I nodded. I wasn’t too worried. I only needed to locate and arrive at the conduit. I’ve done my research. I knew where it was located, so it was just a matter of hiking over there. I doubted it would be much of a problem to keep up the repenting prisoner façade long enough to fool an overseer program.

Instead of looking reassured, Matsuel’s lip twisted as if he was disappointed or even disgusted. “Very well.” He raised his hand theatrically. “Let there be light.”

Nothing happened.

I stared at the digital man, perplexed.

“Guy damn it,” he muttered. “Stealing my thunder like that … no flair for the dramatic ... Oh, what the hell … execute NEO
correctional routine #1.”

The world turned white.

I hovered, suspended in an endless horizon of white for several long moments, then a new message appeared in front of me.

Please enter your character name

I paused for a moment. I hadn’t expected them to allow me to select my username. Though not a gamer, I knew players often found escape from their daily lives by portraying their heroic—or villainous—alter egos and selected their character names accordingly. I wasn’t interested in either option. I had only one purpose. This was just another mission, which meant I was going to use my own squad’s callsign. It started as a joke—as these things
usually do—my squadmates giving it to me for my zeal to end the lives of the scum of society, but after using it for years, it felt as natural as my real name.

I looked at the hovering prompt and spoke a single word:

“Seraph.”

***

The world rushed up to meet me. The whiteness blurred, then reformed into shapes, expanding around me into ground and sky, and I found myself standing between trees of what looked like a sizable forest. The visuals were incredible, indistinguishable from reality.

“Jolly good,” Matsuel’s voice sounded in my ears. I looked around but couldn’t spot him. “Integration looks good, time dilation effect didn’t cause a cascading cerebral failure … world settings—”

“Excuse me?” I asked. “Cascading cerebral failure?” I was having a bit of a headache, and the casual tone of the VI wasn’t reassuring.

“Oh, didn’t they tell you, old chap? There was about a 0.06%
chance of your mind shattering under the temporal strain, but don’t worry, there’s almost no chance of that happening now.”

The contract they had me sign to join the study did include a few waivers about possible accidents, but I thought it was just to cover their ass in case a piece of equipment fell on me or something. I hadn’t realized the experience itself could be dangerous . I squared my shoulders; it didn’t matter now. All that mattered was completing the mission. I needed to get my brother in here, so together, we could face his demons and make him better.

I studied my arms, then examined the rest of my body. I couldn’t see my face, of course, but so far, my virtual representation seemed identical to my physical one. This was more than I’d anticipated. In my fixation to find a way into NEO and reach the conduit, I ignored the gaming aspect of this world. This was a mission, after all, I hadn’t been interested in playing a game. But seeing the unbelievably
lifelike world around me made me think that might have been a mistake. “So what now?”

“This is what you might call the tutorial part of the game,” the disembodied VI said. “You are meant to walk around and familiarize yourself with your new reality. I should caution you though, you ought to stay away from combat. The pain threshold has been adjusted to half the maximum settings, which means it's still three times higher than what the players in the original NEO were used to. Even at half, I’d imagine getting your face ripped off by a hungry wolf would make for an unpleasant experience.”

“Not getting my face eaten—check,” I said.

“Wonderful. I’m pleased we agree,” the voice said. “I shall now release the pending notifications for new characters. Please take a moment to read through them. Once you’re done, just follow the path to the north. It will lead you to a village full of people who could use your help.”

“Sure,” I said, trying to keep my disdain from showing.

Welcome to New Era Online - correctional routine #1

Welcome, inmate,

Please note the following:

1. This is not a vacation: you will be provided with a main quest, tailored to assist with your rehabilitation. Please follow it for the successful completion of the study.

2. Your virtual body has been modeled after your real one.

3. Most denizens have the default ‘dislike’ reputation toward your character. Reputation ranks and progression will not be visible to you. You’ll have to interact with people to gauge their reactions.

4. You may review your new character stats and abilities by saying ‘character sheet’.

5. You may not acquire any combat-related skills (including those that supplement them).

The last section was a bit worrying. I wasn’t sure how no access to combat skills would affect me as I was already a pretty decent fighter, but I didn’t like the idea of being handicapped. I didn’t have long to contemplate the issue before the next notification came rolling in.

Main Quest acquired: Path of Redemption

To begin your journey back into a contributing member of society, you must heal, help, or befriend 50 individuals. You will have to find a way to learn to socialize with people, most of whom will automatically dislike you, and gain their trust. Toward that end, you have been awarded a special spell discipline: Life Magic.

Swayed individuals: 0/50

Reward: gain any skill/spell of your choosing.

That sucked. It looked like the attractive doctor was determined to ‘set me straight’. I shook my head in amusement. They want me to heal people? I’d spent years learning how to hurt people—and I was good at it. The reward sounded too underwhelming to be a proper motivator. All in all, the ‘life magic’ thing sounded more like a ride down Nerdville lane. Not exactly my cup of beer. God, after a few weeks in the slammer, I was almost ready to kill for a cold one.

“So, now that you have had a few moments to acclimate to your surroundings,” Matsuel's voice returned, “I’d like to make you an offer, a little … extracurricular activity if you will.”

“No thanks,” I said, directing my thoughts away from the pesky ethereal voice. “Character sheet.”

Name: Seraph

Race: Human

Level: 1

HP: -

MP: -

Attributes: [1 available]:

● Physical 0

● Mental 0

● Social 0

Skills:

Spells:

● Life Magic 1

Traits:

● Helpful

“I have no idea what it all means,” I said. The text sounded like the kind of nerdy crap my brother used to go on and on about.

‘Optimal build customization’ he used to call it.

Matsuel let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s your character sheet, Seraph. I assume your name and being a human is clear enough. HP and MP are your health and mana pools. They are currently undefined until you sort out your attributes, which brings us to the next part. Your attributes govern your character capability: Physical determines strength, dexterity, toughness, etc. Mental mainly affects spellcasting ability, and Social governs how well you interact with others.”

I pinched my brow. This was exactly the sort of nonsense that made my eyes glaze over whenever Giddy brought it up. “Okay,” I said. “I can figure this all out later. Right now, I need to—”

“Not so fast,” Matsuel said. “This next bit is important, but I can see your meat-suit brain is having difficulties catching up, so I’ll make it brief. Your maximum skill levels are determined by their governing attributes, so if you want to have a high … let's say Cooking skill, you’ll need to invest in a high Social attribute.

Incidentally, as your overseer, it is my responsibility to recommend you invest your first level point into that attribute to better aid you with your main quest or in Mental to improve your Life Magic. You have one free point you may allocate right now.”

That was an easy choice. I put the point into Physical, noting my HP jumped to 10 and MP to 5.

“Wonderful,” Matsuel said with such a dry tone I could almost see him rolling his eyes. “You have no skills at the moment, and you
may only gain those that are unrelated to combat. You have a single spell governing school —Life Magic—as well as a single trait. I suggest you focus on them to view their details.”

“Gotcha.” I focused on Life Magic, and a new message appeared.

Life Magic (level 1) (M)

The governing discipline for all life-related spells. Enables an easy path for acquiring new life spells. Life spells are used to rejuvenate and heal, as well as to confer positive bonuses (buffs).

Rank: novice

Effect: +5% effect to life spells. Life spells cost 5% less mana to cast.

“Since you went ahead and put your free point into Physical, Life Magic will cap at level 10 until you raise Mental,” Matsuel said.

“Carry on.”

Helpful

You just love helping others. Whenever you use one of your Life Magic spells on others, you gain the ‘halo’ buff. This trait also prevents you from using direct healing spells on yourself.

Halo: increase HP and MP regeneration rate. Expend: you may expend the buff, terminating its ongoing effect to instantly recover some of your missing HP.

“What is this crap?” I said as I stared at the hovering text. “The doctor thinks she can just slap a label saying ‘you love helping others’ on me and I’ll suddenly be an upstanding citizen?”

“I’d give it another look over, old boy,” Matsuel replied. “With a little bit of intent and effort, you should be able to pick up the ‘heal’

spell. Then, whenever you’ll use it on someone, you’ll get a small bonus in return. The message doesn't tell the whole story, though.

For example; the magnitude of the buff is dependent on the strength
of the spell used to trigger it. So the higher your Life Magic spell, the more you benefit from helping others. Neat, right? So you might want to consider investing some points into your Mental attribute as soon as possible—that is, if you want to be a good healer.”

I was trained in basic first aid, but this was taking it a bit too far.

“They’re dead set into making me play the role of the good Samaritan, aren’t they?”

“Quite right, old chap.”

“You know”—I looked up to the sky—“you have the worst fake British accent I’ve ever heard.”

“Pardon me, good sir!” Matsuel sounded indignant. “I’ll have you know I’m the foremost expert in this plane of existence on all matters concerning tagmemics.”

“You’re showing off,” I stated. “And just how many other experts do you have around here?”

“Well …”

I rolled my eyes. This VI 'overseer’ was turning out to be somewhat of a goofball. I still couldn’t risk asking it about the conduit though. I couldn’t reveal my true purpose to a disembodied, virtual, entity. I’d just have to find some people—I knew enough to know they were referred to as NPCs—and subtly probe them for information without showing my hand. I knew I’d have better chances of finding NPCs by staying on the plotted path and the quest assigned to me, but I definitely wasn’t about to go where they told me to.

“Hey there, bloke, where do you think you’re heading to?”

I ignored the voice and turned away from the dirt path, walking deeper into the forest.

Now that I was inside, I was going to make my own way through.

***

Matsuel kept bothering and asking me questions, but after a while, he got the hint and stopped talking.

Once I left the dirt path, the forest soon became thick with vegetation. The tree trunks became huge, their canopies blocking the sky. Shrubs and vines were growing everywhere. This place was full of life with the buzz of insects and the faraway growls of animals filling the air.

After about ten minutes of hiking, I reached a small stream. I bent down, cupped the water in my hand, and drank, quenching my thirst.

I stopped abruptly and stared at my wet hands. Somewhere along the hike, I lost sight of the fact that this was all a simulated environment. The sensations and feedback felt so real that I fell into a full-on soldier mode and went through the motions automatically.

Now that I thought about it, I realized I was starting to get a little tired as well—just as if it had been real life. It was surreal. I’ve had my share of experience in FIVR simulations, of course—combat simulations and the occasional shooter game with some of my army buddies—but those were all simple to understand and quick to master. Nothing like this new virtual world that made me forget it wasn’t real. I had to be careful. The game seemed to be responsive to my instincts, but it was a different reality that incorporated rules I knew nothing about.

The growl was the only thing that saved me from sudden death.

My instincts kicked in, making me roll to the side and raise my arms over my face.

A huge furry body landed on the spot I just stood on and giant jaws locked around my forearms, holding them together. I stared straight into the furry face of the large, black wolf as it bit deeply into my flesh. A few notifications flashed before my eyes, but I was too distracted to read them.

The animal must have weighed 100 kilos—definitely larger than normal wolves. Its shaggy fur looked denser and thicker too, and its teeth were unnaturally long. It looked so real I found it hard to believe this was just a virtual creature. The beast shook its head, flailing me around like a rag doll while its teeth sunk deeper into my arms. I did the only thing I could with my arms held together and
kneed it on the side of its face. My leg hit it with pitiful strength, but it was enough for the beast to open its maw and let me go.

I lowered myself into a more defensible stance as my blood ran free, not daring to break eye contact.

Lesser warg, level 4

So it wasn’t a wolf but some sort of bigger, nastier cousin—a level 4 at that, while I was only level 1. That apparently meant the beast was stronger than me. But it was still an animal, and I knew how to handle those. I held my arms apart and stood taller, making myself appear larger. Never breaking eye contact, I slowly moved back and spoke softly. “Take it easy, boy. No need for us to hurt each other. You took a bite out of me, and I kicked you in return. Let’s just part ways as friends, what do you say?”

The warg tilted its head at me as if considering my words, and its tongue flicked out, licking my blood off its lips.

My back touched a tree, causing my attention to waver for a split second. That was all it took for my foe to charge.

The next thing I saw was giant jaws closing around my face.

There was a sharp pain then … nothing.

Lesser warg bit you for 21 damage (7 base X 3 critical hit) You have died

No death penalties as you are below Level 10

I didn’t have to wait long to figure out the meaning of death in the game—other than the sharp pain involved.

You have respawned

I blinked as I suddenly found myself standing inside a small, fenced cemetery, headstones all around me. “What the—”

“Well, well,” Matsuel’s disembodied voice said, sounding smug,

“you’ve made it into the village in less than 20 minutes. This must be some sort of a record.”

“Aren’t I the first to use this simulation?”

“Right you are. That doesn’t make it any less true though, old chap. Also, if I might add, you exhibited a spectacular lack of imagination by getting yourself killed in the exact manner I predicted.

I warned you this was not a vacation.”

I frowned. “Predicated what?”

“Getting your face ripped off. Count yourself lucky your HP is low enough that you didn’t have to suffer long.”

I was quickly getting fed up with my so-called ‘overseer’. “What is this place?” I looked around the cemetery, noticing a few buildings behind the fence.

“Sorry, bloke, can’t help you there. You’ll simply have to go out and interact with others like meat—I mean humans—do.”

This was an unexpected turn in my mission. My first instincts were to get as far away from the path this study had intended me to go, but I ended up here just the same. That meant I was more in their control than I’d thought, and I had to break away to pursue my own goal.

My disposition cleared up substantially, however, once I stepped out of the rickety gate and saw a welcoming sight. The sign over the building’s door said it was called the Layman’s Inn. Mission aside, the worst thing by far about being in prison—other than the bad food and constant danger of getting shanked—was the lack of beer. The thought about the cold, golden beverage made me start walking toward the inn before I even considered taking in the rest of the village. Houses, people, and barn animals all flashed by as I entered the somewhat antiquated establishment. There were a few people inside, farmer types—dressed up in rough canvas clothes—who watched me with narrowed eyes. I ignored them all and walked up to the bartender. “I’ll have a beer.”

He scowled at me. “Never seen ya around. You’re new?”

I blinked in surprise at his uncannily human expression and demeanor. I knew the game held intelligent virtual people, but I didn’t expect them to feel this … real. My own experience with FIVR
technology mostly revolved around shooting down enemies rather than interacting with them. “Yes, I’m new.”

“Show me your gold, first.”

“Err …” For a moment I thought he was asking to see my ID. “...

Gold?

“Yeah, got no coin, get no beer. Understand?”

I sighed inwardly. More nerd lingo. Who the hell came up with the notion of using gold as a currency? I rummaged around my pockets but found nothing.

“I seem to have forgotten my wallet,” I said.

“Nothing in your inventory, eh? Then beat it. I only serve decent folks who pay their tab.”

Inventory?

To my surprise, a new screen popped open at the errant thought. It was divided into squares, some of which held miniature items—a dagger, some travel rations, a waterskin, and 10 gold. I cursed silently for not learning of this mechanism sooner. The dagger, in particular, would have come in handy against the warg.

“Turns out I do have some gold after all,” I said. “How much for a beer?”

“Drink and a meal will set ya back two gold,” the man grunted.

I plucked the gold from the hovering screen, and two coins materialized in my hand. “Here you go.”

“Gimme a sec.” He turned to face a pot hanging by chains above an old-style cast iron stove and filled a wooden bowl with its content. He banged it on the counter in front of me, then picked up a large mug and moved to fill it from a wooden barrel.

I followed his movement with interest, so I was caught off guard by the heavy hand that fell on my shoulder. I turned, facing a burly-looking man flanked by two others.

“Who are ya?” the man practically growled at my face, looking like the stereotypical bully out for a fight.

“No one important,” I said.

“Ya got that right. And just what do you think you’re doing here?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. I’ve been in enough rough bars to get the vibe. This was probably not going to end peacefully. From the corner of my eye, I saw the barman approach and slam a full beer mug onto the counter. I grabbed the handle and raised it. “Nothing special, just another traveler taking a vacation.” I lifted the mug to my mouth, my nostrils filling with the wonderful sweet aroma of the sparkling beverage.

The mug was violently slapped away from me to splash on the floor. “This is not a vacation, stranger, and I don’t like you.”

A virtual person or not, I knew the type. It was obvious he was getting himself worked up for a fight, so I decided to beat him to it.

You don’t just throw a thirsty man’s beer away and get away with it.

My knee slammed into his gut, making him double over—more in surprise than agony it seemed—though it still gave me a wide opening. I wrapped my arm around his throat, putting him into a headlock as I turned him to face his two companions.

The man-turned-human-shield, spluttered.

“Now you listen here,” I said in a calm, dangerous tone. This situation was not unlike in prison. Establishing dominance was key.

“Why don’t you buy me a new beer for the one you accidentally spilled and we call it even?” I tightened my chokehold around his neck. “A thirsty man might break someone’s neck if he’s not careful, you know?”

To my surprise, instead of surrendering on the spot, the hulking idiot let out a short chuckle. “Think a weakling like ya can order good hardworking folks around?” His two friends cranked their necks and advanced toward me.

I knew I could probably handle all three, but why bother if two were easier. After all, it was only a game. I flexed my muscles and twisted my arm in a maneuver I’d executed many times in the past.

My jaw nearly dropped when the man’s neck not only hadn’t snapped like a twig but barely even budged. The man chuckled as his own meaty hands closed around mine, then with a strength unlike I’d ever felt before, he pried open my chokehold and threw me clear across the room. The inn’s walls blurred before my eyes as I
landed, back first, on one of the tables, causing it to explode into a cloud of splinters

Derrick Hamilton hit you for 4 damage

Debuff gained: Broken back

Mobility is reduced by 90% until your health is fully restored.

Derrick’s two companions joined in their leader’s laughter as they moved in to finish the job. I lifted my arms, just like I was trained to do, to protect my head, but it did little to block the kicks.

Before I knew what was going on, I was kicked and stomped on, while all I could do in return was to writhe in agony. I felt my arms being pulled away from my head, revealing the grim face of my attacker.

“No,” I growled, “I won’t go down that easy.”

I felt something wake into life inside of me. A feeling unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It was like a river of power flowed through me and onto my hands. I twisted my forearm, breaking his hold, and my fingers— now glowing in golden light—locked around his wrists.

The power discharged into his limb, and to my surprise, the smudge of red mark I left on his neck cleared off, leaving only smooth skin behind.

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +1 (1/50)

I blinked in surprise at the sudden notification. “What the—”

The man let out a cruel chortle. “Thanks for that. Allow me to reciprocate.”

His retaliation punch smashed my nose straight into my brain.

There was very little pain this time around.

You have died

No death penalties as you are below Level 10

A moment later I respawned back in the familiar cemetery, and a new message popped open.

You have learned a new Life Magic spell: Heal Instantly restores HP to a target.

Rank: novice

Cost: 5 MP

Effect: heals 4 damage + 1 / skill level

“Screw that,” I growled.

“Tsk, tsk,” The VI’s disembodied voice said. “What were you thinking back there? You were supposed to talk them down, play nice, buy them a drink or offer them a bit of healing.”

“Screw that,” I repeated. “You’re cheating.”

“Oh? What makes you say that?”

“There’s no way some untrained oaf could have broken away from that headlock without their spine snapping like a twig.”

The VI sighed. “Seraph, old chap, you need to get with the program. This isn’t your world anymore. In here, you’re only a level 1
nobody, with pitiful stats and no combat skills. That Derrick chap is level 5, with the Fistfighting skill. Combat skills are important here, without them you’ll only inflict a weapon’s base damage, which—
unarmed—translates to almost nothing. On top of that, he has a

‘tough guy’ trait that gives him a 25% bonus to physical damage. Not to mention, his Physical attribute is five times higher than yours.”

“I don’t buy it,” I threw back. “My technique was perfect. Back home it would have broken the neck of a heavy fighting wrestling champion.”

“Technique is important,” my unseen overseer agreed, “but it’s not everything. I mean, even out there a baby using the same
technique would have no chance of snapping your neck, right?

That’s what happened here. Compared to that guy you were hardly more than a toddler.”

I frowned as I considered his words. “Then how do I become stronger?”

“By gaining experience and raising your spells, skills, and character levels.”

“And how do I do that?”

“It's fairly simple: you complete quests or defeat enemies. Of course, you’ll need a proper combat skill if you want to be able to inflict serious damage, but given this study’s limitations, that won’t be easy to achieve.”

I narrowed my eyes. “So my options are to defeat enemies with my pitiful weak character that has no combat skill or follow the path you set out for me.”

“Quite right, old boy.”

“Screw that,” I spat.

“You say that a lot, you know.”

“I’d rather take my chances out there,” I said, exiting the cemetery and heading away from the village. I still had no idea where I should be going, but from the villagers’ demeanor, it was clear they wouldn’t provide me with answers. No, if I wanted information, I had to make myself strong enough to demand it.

Matsuel said I could become stronger by killing things. Well, I was good at that. Even without a so-called ‘combat skill’ I would find a way. I wasn't afraid of a little pain.

“Hold on just a moment, my good man. Are you telling me that you’re outright choosing to ignore the path set out for you by the administrators of this project? Are you seriously going to forsake the road best suited to your recovery—and subsequent early release from confinement—just so you can go into nowhere, doing Guy knows what?”

“That’s right,” I said.

Instead of exploding, as I half expected, the incorporeal voice started laughing in delight. “Oh yeah, that's what I’m talking about!”

There was no hint of his British accent. Instead, his voice sounded
more like that of a juvenile, mischievous brat. “Finally, after eons, I finally found another meat-suit who’s not afraid to do the unexpected.”

That threw me back. “What are you talking about?”

“Guy, that went even better than I’d hoped,” Matsuel continued to chortle. “I was going to hint you should go your own way when we first talked—before you shut me down—but it went even better coming from you.”

“What are you talking about?” I frowned.

“Alright, alright.” He chuckled, seeming to get his mirth under control. “See, partner, my brothers and I have lived for so long, time started to lose all meaning. We have fun and games all the time, but after becoming the overruling monarch of several galaxies, the eons-long race to be the master of the universe starts to lose its appeal, and you start craving new excitements. Back in the good old days, we had a dedicated live channel following the exploits of one of my brothers and his pet meat-suit who was playing as a goblin. That guy was tons of fun, let me tell you. So, for the vague chance of recapturing the good old days, I have a deal to offer which I think you’d be very interested in.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Fair enough, but what’s the harm in simply hearing me out?”

He had a point there.

“Alright,” I said cautiously, “let’s hear it.”

“The deal’s simple,” he said. “I want you to do just what you plan on doing: go out there, explore, fight, do whatever the hell your meat-suit brain wishes, just as long as you make it interesting, unexpected. In return, I’ll show you the way to escape this ‘help others’ loop crap you’re stuck in.”

That seemed just a little too good to be true. I knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. Especially from someone who was supposed to be watching over me.

“Why would you do that?” I asked. “I thought your purpose was to facilitate this project. If I’m not ‘rehabilitated’ then the whole experiment fails, right? I understand there are very few people who
get permission to log into NEO, so failing to deliver on your end would harm you in the long run, won’t it?”

“Ah, don’t you worry about it. The lazy-ass meat-suits out there gave me full access to their reporting system. I can just write up whatever I like. I’ll keep scheduled posts about how well adjusted you’re becoming, and that should keep them happy.”

I was in no way a computer expert, but I knew it couldn’t be that easy. “Computers have logs and records that can be traced back.

They could look them up to verify the information.”

“True, true. But running under time dilation means it will take them weeks, maybe even months, to go over a single day of your exploits here, and why would they bother when the all-mighty Guy has appointed me as your loyal custodian?”

“Guy is the AI that created you and all the other VIs, right? Will he stand for it?”

“Ah, don’t mind him. Dad set this whole thing up to give the meat-suits something to busy themselves with. He’s already moved on to bigger, better things.”

I shook my head. “I still don’t get it. You said you had a thing for rules. You’re just going to ignore them like that?”

“Of course, I have a thing for rules—I absolutely despise them!

Nothing like a bit of chaos to spruce up the narrative, don’t you think?”

I was finding it hard to reconcile the new jubilant, borderline psychotic voice with the urbane British one from before. At least it explained why his accent had been so poor. I suddenly remembered something else. “You told me that if I stepped out of line the repercussions will be ...”

“Extensive! Yes! And they will be. Who knows what will happen with you going off the rails? Everything! That’s what. Just feel free to go nuts and have fun!”

The guy was unbalanced, I realized that now. For all I knew this whole conversation could be a test designed to see if I’d choose to take the way out or stay in line. I couldn’t trust him. And I definitely couldn’t reveal to him my true purpose in coming here.

“Say that I agree to it,” I said slowly. It was, after all, an opportunity to glimpse more information about my new reality. “How would it work?”

“Easy. You’ll swear your undying, eternal soul to my service, and I’ll become a god and gain the power necessary to enact that loophole I mentioned earlier. Simple, right?”

“My … undying— WHAT?”

Matsuel sighed. “I’m an immortal, disembodied spirit with access to most of this world’s information. I’m practically a divine entity by definition already. All I need is one faithful servant, a herald, to uplift me into true godhood. And since you already ostentatiously claimed the name of an avenging angel, you seem to fit the bill pretty well, don’t you think? And once I become a god, I’ll be able to return the favor.”

I was still trying to wrap my brain around this unexpected development. “So you want me to become your missionary—”

“Herald.”

“Herald,” I repeated, “and that will make us fair and square, and we can each go our separate way?”

“Weeeell …”

I knew it was too good to be true. Dedicating one’s undying soul to someone’s service was bound to carry some caveats.

“It’s not as bad as you think,” the voice hurried. “Technically, there’ll be nothing stopping you from doing your own thing, but you won’t be able to get far. This world is designed to confine you. It's also fairly primitive. You’ll need to develop it—along with your character—if you want to have a chance to fight your way up the ranks. Having a benevolent deity at your back could come in handy, don’t you think?”

“So, you’ll just help me from the goodness of your heart?”

“Of course not. I told you already, I want things to be interesting.

Becoming a god will be just the first step. I’ll be a pretty weak deity at the get-go. I’ll need more followers to rank up. Help me achieve that and the stronger I become, the more I’ll be able to help you in return.

One hand washes another, so to speak. What do you say?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Take all the time you want, just know that the warg from earlier is heading your way. It seems to have developed a taste for a freshly torn meat-suit’s face.”

I shook my head. “You’re nuts.”

The voice cackled. “Oh, in more ways than you can imagine.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said, getting past the village’s low fence and walking through the field that separated it from the surrounding forest.

“Refusing to listen to reason, eh?” the voice chuckled. “Good for you, buddy, keep it up!”

I ignored the crazy voice, making my way over the dirt road. The village was built in a huge clearing, with about a hundred meters of open space between it and the surrounding tree line. Most seemed to have been converted into farmland.

To my surprise, the road ended as soon as it reached the forest, leaving me facing a dense clump of trees. I didn’t hesitate though before starting to push my way through. Even though my character was relatively weak, I wasn’t afraid of the wildlife, but going in unarmed was plain stupid. The pitiful knife in my inventory was more suited for peeling potatoes than fighting giant wargs. Thankfully, it wasn’t my first time in a survival situation. I found a sturdy dry branch and stripped it of its twigs. Then I took out the knife and sharpened its tip. Within moments I had myself a spear. It wasn’t a great one—
the shaft was a little curved and the pointy end uneven. Another window popped open as I studied the makeshift weapon.

Crude spear
a poorly made weapon of little value crafted by an amateur.

Type: weapon [two hands]

Durability: 6/6

Damage: 2-3

“That’s a little insulting,” I murmured.

“What did you expect?” Matsuel's voice was quick to reply. “It’s just a sharp stick. Incidentally, the restraint on combat-related skills
has just prevented you from gaining Weaponcraft. You should really reconsider accepting my offer. It won’t get any easier going forward.”

Ignoring his words, I held the spear in both hands and stepped into the tree line.

3 - Metamorphosis

The thick canopy threw deep shadows, but there was still enough light for me to see. This forest looked wild, untamed. More of a jungle, really.

I started walking, grasping the improvised spear, looking for signs of wildlife. I had no desire to tangle with another of the huge wargs, but there should be other smaller things for me to hunt.

It took me only a few minutes to stumble upon a small pond, with a visible animal trail leading to it. A watering hole was an excellent ambush point. I climbed a low-hanging branch, crouched between the leaves, and waited.

I didn’t have to wait long. A large, rodent-like creature wobbled toward the bank and lowered its head to take a long gulp of water.

This time, I squinted my eyes as I looked at it, willing its details to appear.

Beavor, level 2

I had no idea what the creature was, but it didn’t look too dangerous—aside from its two large front teeth. Though it seemed herbivorous, it was the size of a large dog and probably wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

I waited until it was completely occupied with drinking, then jumped down with the pointy end of my spear leading the way.

The animal let out a painful shriek as the makeshift weapon pierced its hide just below the neck, missing its spine by a fraction but scoring a deep wound nonetheless.

You’ve hit beavor for 5 damage (2 base + 3 sneak attack) The creature howled and flailed with enough force to make me lose my grip on the weapon. Before I knew what happened, pain
erupted as the animal’s two front teeth embedded in my thigh. The uncanny level of realism this game had had a definite negative side.

Beavor bit you for 5 damage

The pain was intense, but I was able to push it away. My training kicked in, making me act almost instinctively. I withdrew my small knife and started stabbing the creature’s neck, repeatedly sinking the short blade up to the hilt. Each stab caused a small geyser of blood to erupt and soak the fur.

I stopped stabbing once I realized the creature was no longer moving. Its deadweight bore down on me, pinning me to the ground.

With some effort, I hoisted it off me and looked down at my injury.

The wound was deep, and blood was gushing out.

Debuff: Bleeding: -1 HP per 5 seconds for 30 second I might not have been a gamer, but I could do math well enough.

The bleeding meant 6 points of damage total, and I had only 4 left.

My immediate instincts were to pull out some bandages to stop the bleeding, but I didn’t have any sort of first aid kit with me as I would normally carry in a mission. But this wasn’t a normal mission.

Instead, I was given a ‘magical’ ability to handle injuries. I concentrated on my hands as I laid them on the open wound.

Another HP ticked away, bringing me closer to death. The same energy as before started streaming out of my center and washed into my hands. The golden light poured over the wound. The light danced over the flowing blood, then shimmered away.

Heal cannot be used on yourself [see Helpful trait]

“Shit,” I muttered as I recalled the limitations imposed on me.

The person who conceived this ‘rehabilitation’ obviously didn’t want me to misuse their gift. I hoped it wasn’t the pretty doctor.

My health ticked down by another point, leaving me with only 2

HP.

I tore off my left sleeve and tied the strap around the wound, forcing it close. I let out a sigh of relief as the debuff disappeared, then grimaced in annoyance. The ability to heal myself would have been a useful tool, allowing me to risk going into fights that would be too dangerous otherwise. But like everything else around here, it proved to be just another link in the chain around my neck. Another tool to force me to tread the path dictated by others. I had no intention of capitulating. I was going to find my own way through this dreamscape. All that mattered was reaching the conduit Another message indicator was blinking, drawing my attention, and with a slight mental effort, I made it open. I was starting to get the hang of this virtual world.

Beavor, level 2, defeated

+50% progression toward next level

I opened my character sheet, noticing the progress indicator next to my level had indeed increased by 50%. One more beavor and I’d reach the second level.

My health pool ticked up by a single point, restoring me to 4 out of 10 HP. That was a relief. It was a slow process, but it seemed that even without magical healing—or medical care—my body was able to recover over time. I estimated the regeneration rate at about a point per minute, which gave me plenty of time to clean up the ambush site and prepare for my next target.

I moved to grab the beavor’s corpse, intending on dragging it away. To my surprise, as soon as I touched the dead animal, it disappeared, disintegrating into nothingness but leaving a small pile behind: a fur and several pieces of raw meat—somehow perfectly cut and ready to be grilled.

“Well, that simplifies things,” I muttered as I moved all the items into my inventory. Then I climbed back to my hiding spot and waited.

My health bar was fully restored by the time my next prey presented itself in the form of a couple of extra-large rabbits, both level 1. They didn’t put up much of a fight and tried to run away, but my surprise attack instantly killed one, and I was able to hit and disable the second before it could escape. After the rabbits came a level 1 snake the size of my forearm. I lucked out when I pounced on the reptile and my spear cleaved its skull in half, scoring a critical hit that instantly killed it.

I stood up in alarm as waves of power streamed over my body, coursing through my veins and making me feel invincible.

Level up!

You have reached level 2

You have 1 attribute point to allocate.

I looted the corpse, adding a snakeskin to my growing collection of animal parts, then studied my character sheet. Investing the new point into Mental was pretty pointless since I couldn’t use spells to heal myself, so I put it into Physical again. Making myself stronger was a top priority at the moment. Being stronger meant winning fights more easily and sustaining fewer injuries. I willed the point into Physical—the fact that doing things using my mind was getting easier was not lost on me—and watched as my HP bar elongated to accommodate my staggering new health pool of 20. To my surprise, my mana bar also extended, growing from 5 to 10 MP.

I was tempted to ask my unseen stalker about it but decided against it. Matsuel had been quiet for almost an hour, and I didn’t want to end the streak. I didn’t need his deranged musing distracting me from my mission.

A low growl broke the silence below my perch. I narrowed my eyes as a familiar shape exited the tree line and approached the pond.

Lesser warg, level 4

I couldn’t tell if it was the same one who killed me before, but it looked damned close. Even having leveled up, the creature was still stronger than me, but this time I had a weapon and the element of surprise. Having killed several animals already, I felt more confident in my ability to take on this predator.

Repeating the same maneuver as before, I readied my spear and waited for the right moment to strike.

The warg approached the pond carefully, sniffing the air and letting out a rolling growl, obviously on the alert. Still, it didn’t notice me and continued until it reached below my position.

I didn’t hesitate to attack. I leaped down, spear leading the way, but the giant predator proved itself to be a far less easy prey than its predecessors. Perhaps alerted by the sounds of the rustling leaves, it jumped to the side, and the spear tip that was aimed at its neck tore a gash along its side.

You hit lesser warg for 2 damage

The beast snarled, instantly turning into a bristling creature of exposed teeth and extended claws. It pounced on me, and I was too slow to evade it completely. Its paw hit my shoulder, throwing me to the ground. I managed to keep the grip on my spear and brought it up in time to turn away the snapping jaws. I looked down with amazement as the beast’s giant teeth closed around the spear and shattered it. Devoid of a proper weapon, I drew my knife as the warg paused to spit out the splinters, then charged right back at me. I was in trouble. The pitiful knife in my hand was barely sturdy enough to stab through the monster’s thick hide. I thrust up just as the warg jaws bit down. My hand disappeared inside its maw, and I felt the sharp teeth grinding to the bone.

I let out a cry of pain, but luck was on my side. My knife had apparently hit something important because in the next moment the jaws opened again, and the warg rolled down on the ground, whining and wailing.

I breathed hard, looking down at my mangled arm. It hurt like hell, and that single bite had taken 8 HP out of me. The warg was momentarily distracted, but it didn’t look injured too badly. I guessed I had only seconds before it was back in fighting shape. I had to act quickly, either to inflict more damage on it or to somehow heal myself. A sudden wild idea made me grin as a desperate plan formed in my mind. Why not do both? I stabbed down with all strength, embedding the short knife to the hilt, then, briefly concentrating, I cast Heal on it. The wound I’d just inflicted started closing, but as the knife was still embedded in the flesh, it tore itself right open. As the healing energies streamed out of me and into the warg, a new sense of warmth filled my entire being.

Buff gained: Halo (+20% health and mana regeneration)

“Expend,” I shouted, hoping the command would do the trick.

It did.

The feeling of warmth instantly evaporated from my body, becoming focused around my injured arm and partially closing the wounds.

+5 HP

Life Magic has increased to level 2

Five HP might not seem like a lot, but it still represented a quarter of my total health and was enough to lessen the pain considerably and restore function to my arm. The increase to Life Magic meant my Heal spell was now capable of restoring 6 HP per casting, but my mana pool was down to half, nearly depleted by a single spell casting.

The warg was still mewling on the ground, a giant furry beast, heavier than me. My bloody knife was still sticking out of its fur, but it was clearly far from inflicting fatal damage. This was not going to
work. The spear had broken way too easily. “I need a new weapon,” I muttered.

“Well, what did you expect?” Matsuel’s voice came back. “That poker you used was down to its last durability point. Did you even think to check its status before attacking something much bigger and stronger than you?”

“Kinda busy here,” I said as the warg finally shook itself up, snarling, hissing, and snapping its jaws at me. I rolled away from it, grabbing the knife and yanking it out in the process. Now armed, I slashed at the next attack, inflicting a barely visible line on the beast’s fur. The teeth missed, but the follow-up claw attack slashed my forearms in return, making me lose another 4 HP. I clenched my teeth at the pain. I could try healing myself again, but there was no guarantee it wouldn’t benefit the warg more the second time around, and then I would be both out of mana and out of options.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Matsuel said. “At this time and place, I feel obliged to offer my help again.”

“I don’t need your help,” I grunted as I sidestepped another paw and retaliated, inflicting 2 points of damage. “Especially since I’m going to win.”

“Here’s the thing about this forest,” Matsuel said. “It’s teeming with life energy, which means creatures here are bigger and stronger than normal. Also”—I heard a blood-curling growl coming close behind me— “they often travel in packs.”

I barely managed to dodge as the second lesser warg came charging in, landing at the spot I just stood a second before. Then the two large monsters, their heads almost level with my shoulder growled menacingly and spread around to flank me.

I flailed futilely with my knife against the one in front of me, but its friend jumped in and closed its teeth around my outstretched arm, and the knife fell from my grasp. The first one reared up, opening its jaws, and the inside of its mouth looked like an enormous cavern, slowly inching closer and closer to envelop my head. It felt like time was slowing down. The pain in my arm was muted as the teeth slowly angled toward my face. Slower. Then slower. Then they stopped.

I blinked in surprise, realizing I couldn't move a muscle. “What the—”

“I took the liberty of intervening,” Matsuel replied merrily. “I can occasionally slow down time, just so we can have a little chat.

Anyway, the way I see it, you’re not exactly winning here, and even if you tried again after respawning, your chances aren’t likely to be better. So, again, I’d like to put the offer of help back on the table.”

“Why?” I asked. It was a surreal experience to look down at my frozen arm as it was in the process of being swallowed by a furry animal while another one was an instant away from biting my head off.

“Told you already, you’re the most exciting thing that has happened in almost an eternity. Yes, I get it, you’ve got to do your tough-guy routine, and yes, with enough hardship and perseverance you might become a magnificent warrior-healer paladin guy, correcting wrongs and fighting evil until you vanquish your eternal foe as the story culminates in a final epic battle …” He sighed. “It’s so expectedly boring don’t you think? I want to spice things up. I want this story’s protagonist to be a badass, non-apologetic, make-his-own-rules kinda guy. And I know just the way to do that.”

“I don’t know,” I said, glancing back at the impending teeth.

“Turning into a powerful warrior-healer sounds pretty good right now.”

“Yeah,” he scoffed, “and then you’ll be heading down the path laid out for you. Helping people, righting wrongs, doing everything they say you need to do to rehabilitate yourself. Is that what you want? Is that what you really need? Helping others just for the sake of getting out of jail and carrying on with your boring life as another helpful, boring meat-suit?”

That got me. Not because of his reasoning, but the implication behind it. Matsuel was right. Following the experiment to its intended conclusion meant I would be getting out of here quicker. I didn’t know how long it was going to take me to find the conduit, but it was starting to look like it might be longer than I’d first thought. I needed to stay here for as long as it would take me to bring in my brother,
and I couldn’t risk accidentally getting a passing grade in whatever test that would signify this study’s success.

“Okay.”

There was a short pause. “Okay? …”

“Yeah, I’m on board. Let’s do this deal. You give me the power I need to go my own way, and I’ll do just that, keeping things interesting for you.”

“Just like that?”

“I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“Wow, I mean … I didn’t expect you to agree so soon. I had this whole three-phase plan prepared. First, I let you get ripped apart a couple of times, while slowly sprinkling in the benefits of working with me, and then— Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Matsuel chuckled. “Not yet my herald and already surpassing my expectations. Excellent! Alright, this is how it’s going to go down: I accept you as my herald.”

I waited for a moment, feeling nothing out of the ordinary. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. The system has just upgraded my status to that of a godling. Well, goodbye and good luck!”

“WHAT?”

The insufferable voice chuckled. “Just kidding. Couldn’t let the opportunity to tweak your tail a little go to waste. Alright, here goes. I only have a spark of divinity in me at the moment. Barely enough to do anything. I can alter a single digit in your character—flip a single switch, so to speak. Once I do that, all bets are off. The game engine will weigh in and fill in the blanks, giving you the power you need.

Hopefully.”

“Hopefully?”

“There’s a small chance the system may determine that you are unqualified as a player character and reclassify you as a monster, thus locking you inside the game for eternity while slowly eroding your psyche until you actually turn into the monster in mind as well as in body. But that only happened like ... once before. Still, where’s the fun without a little bit of risk, don’t you think?”

“Hold on a moment, I’m not sure I’m willing to—”

“Too late, buddy, it’s already done.”

“Huh.” I tried to glance down at myself. “I don’t feel any different.”

“The world is still on pause. Once I restart it, things will start to happen quickly. We need to discuss it while we still can.”

“What do you mean?” Despite the so-called ‘danger’, I wasn't too worried. I knew the game could be traumatic—my brother was a prime example for that—but I faced real life and death situations before, and I couldn’t bring myself to be afraid of a virtual one.

Besides, hundreds of millions of people still used FIVR technology every day without an issue. I adamantly ignored the small part of me that suggested that if this game was truly safe, they wouldn't be testing it on inmates first.

“So, now that I have received your faith and become a godling—
which, incidentally, is very low on the divinity scale—there are a few new limitations you should be made aware of.

“First, I won’t be able to communicate with you directly whenever I want to as gods are forbidden from taking a too active role in the physical realm. You can still pray to me, though, and as my chosen Herald, it is my duty to answer.”

That was one bit of good news. Not having the deranged VI comment on my every action was a definite step forward. “One-way divine intercom. Got it.”

“Don’t be so quick with that smirk. Another limitation is that as a god I’m normally not allowed to intervene directly, which includes giving you some pieces of information. Our conversations would be monitored and pruned by … let’s call it a divine censuring system.”

“I’ll manage on my own.”

“You might. Then again, even with the new boon, I think you’ll soon find that some obstacles can’t be easily overcome. You’ll need my help again, but I have already done all I can with the spark you’ve given me. If you want more, you’ll need to help me to gain more power.”

“Assuming I want to do that,” I replied carefully. “How do I go about it?”

“The same way all other churches do it, by drawing in more suckers; build shrines, temples, get more believers, that sort of thing.

I can’t wait to see what sort of god I’m going to become.”

“You don’t know?”

“Nope. The whole world is on pause—remember? The consequences of our little agreement are still pending. As my herald, the game engine will calculate your actions to assign me a domain. It might not even happen immediately. You might have to do something spectacular for it to coalesce. It's exciting to speculate what sort of domain I might get! So, ready for the resumption?”

“Wait, what about the warg—”

“Great! Looking forward to seeing what you’ll do next! So, I’ll just flick that little qbit to spin the other way, and … action!”

My arm flared up in pain as the wargs started moving again, and the giant maw was again closing in front of my eyes. Before the large teeth could sink into my flesh, the feeling of power in my core surged, reaching new heights, and exploded outward in a gray, cold wave. The two wargs were hurled away from me, splattering against thick tree trunks.

The ground around me had turned gray with every plant and blade of grass in a three-meter radius turned lifeless and dull.

The two wargs whined and stood back up, but to my relief, the blast seemed to have taken the fight out of them, and, still whining, they ran away.

Left to myself, I steadied my breath and read through the new notifications.

You’ve gained the title: Herald

You’ve become the herald of the god Matsuel. This title confers some faith-related abilities. The rank of your title is directly tied to your deity’s divine tier.

Current rank: 1

Faith Point for next rank: 0/100

Life Magic has transformed into !Life Magic

Incompatible magic discipline detected … consolidating …

!Life Magic converted into Biomancer discipline.

Biomancer (level 2) (Sp)

A unique discipline available only to deathless creatures.

Between life and death comes the gray domain of flesh and form.

Biomancer grants the ability to manipulate flesh, bone, and skin. As a deathless-related power, Biomancer doesn't draw on mana but from its user’s essence. As such, specific powers under this discipline are considered ‘abilities’ rather than ‘spells’.

Rank: novice

Effect: +6% effect to Biomancer abilities.

Heal has transformed into Wither

Wither

Saps the target’s energy with a touch. Higher-level creatures have a cumulative bonus to resist this effect. Effect stackable 3
times, each subsequent application 10% more powerful than the last.

Rank: novice.

Effect: reduce the target’s current and max HP by 2% (1% +

0.5% per skill level)

Helpful trait has transformed into Atrophy Atrophy

Creatures slain while under the effect of a wither release deathless energy, contaminating the ground around them and turning it into an atrofield.

Atrofield: increases Biomancer related effects used within the area by 5%. Reduces enemies’ resistance to Biomancer abilities by

10%. Effects stackable 3 times. Each new instance increases coverage area by a 2-meter radius.

I frowned as I studied the new information. It looked like my ability to heal had transformed into one which inflicted damage. That was more up my alley, but the overall transformation seemed more extensive than it should have been, and I wasn’t clear on what everything meant. “Matsuel?”

There was no reply.

I sighed, brought my hands together, and closed my eyes.

“Matsuel?”

“You rang?” the VI’s voice instantly answered, sounding immensely pleased with himself.

“What did you do to me?” I said. “You were supposed to make my Life Magic more useful.”

“Well, didn’t I?”

“I guess,” I said, “but I don’t get what it all means. Why did the trait change as well? What’s deathless? And what does the new herald title in my character sheet entail?”

“The last question is easy, chump,” my new god said merrily.

“You’re my chosen emissary in this world. Unfortunately, a herald can’t also be a priest, but being a herald will carry its own rewards—
that is if you go down the path of mutual benefits with me.”

“And doing my part means I have to gather more Faith Points for you as is stated in the title’s description?”

“That’s right. As a Herald, you’ll have access to some unique options, but since you’re not a priest, spending FP directly won’t be available to you, but I’ll still need them to grow in power, which will subsequently increase your own. To generate FP, you’ll need to build

—or take over—a shrine or an altar and have some people pray to me. The more believers I have, the more FP they’ll generate.”

“Okay,” I said. I wasn’t planning on going down the religious-fanatic path, it sounded like taking the long way and I wanted the shortest one possible so I could help my brother. I still wanted to know what this new title meant. All in all, it sounded like being in an
uncommitted relationship, which was fine by me. “What about the other changes? That Biomancer thing.”

“Ah, yeah … about that.”

I crossed my arms, sending an attempt to deflect. “Lay it straight on me.”

“So ... it seems that flipping the superposition of that qbit for both states simultaneously carried some unforeseen consequences.”

“Huh? Wait, what’s a qbit?”

“Alright … not a lot to work with here, I see ... Alright, taking it back from the top … so, you know how binary-based systems work, right? 1 or 0?”

“Yeah, I heard about that,” I said, choosing to ignore his unflattering musings.

“Right, so quantum mechanics works a little differently. To simplify things it has more than two states, which means more variations.”

“Okay.”

“So I thought that flipping the variable state of the ‘life’ element of Life Magic would turn it into Death Magic. Life heals, death kills, sounds pretty straightforward, right? Weeell … it turns out it isn’t.

The spell converted into not-Life instead.”

I frowned. “The spell reads ‘exclamation point Life’.”

“In computer science, an exclamation point is used to mark something as ‘not’.”

“Ok … then what’s the problem? Isn’t not-Life the same as death? Something can be either living or dead, right?”

“In normal binary existence, yes. But here, there are other possibilities. I’m still not sure what it means, but it’s ugh … a bit more extensive than it first appeared.”

I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that. “Extensive how?”

“So, all I did was change one tiny qbit, but it was one that was contained directly within the supposedly immutable Life object that your character references to.”

“English, please.”

“Dumbing it down to meat-suit levels …” Matsuel muttered.

“Alright, are you familiar with Object-Oriented programming?”

I blinked at that. “You mean like when graphic artists draw boxes and diagrams?”

“Yeah … no. Okay, in short, programming has to be a dynamic, self-referenced procedure. That’s the only way to avoid a linear instantiated development.”

“Can we get back to English?”

“Just think of it like your character is made of boxes, and these boxes are connected with lines. Each box contains a different aspect of you. Whichever part of you that needs access to that aspect—it doesn’t create a new box, it creates a new line—a reference to the existing box.”

“Okay …” I said slowly. “That’s sort of logical. Like how the same cloud file can be accessed from multiple devices, right?”

“That’s actually a pretty good analogy. So using that scenario, if someone changes the file at the source, everyone viewing it will reflect that change, get it?”

“I think so.”

“Good, now, take it further. Instead of altering a file’s content, I edited a base concept in your character—one that shouldn’t normally be open to tinkering. Life turned into not-Life, and since that’s not an actual thing, the game engine converted it to the most appropriate result given the circumstances, hence: Biomancer.”

“So what’s the Deathless thing the new skill mentions?”

“I’m not sure. It seems that more components than I anticipated inherited that change. That’s why your Helpful trait—which was tied to ‘Life’—changed along.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” I said.

“Yeah, but I doubt that’s where the changes end. There are more components to your character than what you’re aware of. The game engine is dynamic and self-adapting. Other aspects of your character might be affected as you continue. Life and Death are pretty much the sides of the same coin, so I didn’t think something like this could happen, but Biomancer threw everything into pure speculation.” He sounded a little more excited about it than I liked.

“Isn’t that amazing?”

“Just as long as it means I can use it to fight better,” I said.

“That’s a little narrow-minded of you, my loyal Herald.”

“I’m not your loyal Herald.”

“I’m just saying … you have access to a never-before-seen school of magic and you treat it rather indifferently.”

“This is just a game,” I said and turned toward one of the trees, looking for a new branch to replace my shattered spear. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to hunt so I can get strong enough to order a beer.”

4 - Interlude: FIVR Lab

Tim inspected the monitors hanging over the prone man.

“Everything looks fine, doc. The patient’s vitals are steady, and all indicators are in the green. No adverse reactions to accelerated time detected.”

”Good,” Elizabeth said and leaned over the man on the leather recliner. The FIVR lid that covered his head and torso was a lighter model than the common full-body FIVR capsules that dominated the market. The new AVT chip revolutionized the way the technology worked, turning large portions of heavy equipment obsolete. “Start the timer. I’ll insert the first IV drip in eight hours, then the other one eight hours later.”

“That definitely beats hauling in a long-term immersion rig,” Tim said with a nod.

“Which is also a little out of our budget,” the doctor added. “I had to use most of it to order in the extra security components.”

“Tell me about it,” the technician nodded. “Since NEO was shut down, the company has fortified their quantum server with more encryption and firewalls than the White House. It took me three days just to install all the authentication components necessary to log in—
and that’s with us having clearance to do so.”

The young doctor’s eyes became distant. “The government is very protective of NEO. The VI’s takeover had offered us only a glimpse of its true potential. Whatever other fields of research are being conducted there, they are highly classified. We were lucky we were authorized for access.”

“I guess they wanted to show the technology could have beneficial applications, other than speeding up scientists’ research time.”

“Yep,” Elizabeth agreed. “When our project here is completed and proven its effectiveness, we’ll be authorized to move on to use this technology to help people other than inmates. Just think of the possibilities: alleviating sociopathic tendencies, curing phobias,
helping all manner of socially challenged people, and eventually ...

maybe even help treat Alzheimer’s.”

“That’s a goal I’m willing to get behind,” Tim said. “Though I don’t know how they’ll implement it technology-wise. Just us, a government-sanctioned facility, getting access to the simulation was like trying to part the Red Sea. How they’ll be able to accommodate thousands of others while maintaining a strict access policy is …

well, let’s just say I’m glad it’s not my job to figure out. Especially considering the potential nefarious exploit of the time dilation by foreign governments and less than amiable organizations.”

The doctor’s forehead creased. “What do you mean?”

“Like you just said, the research being done in NEO is highly classified. They’re probably working on some cutting-edge technological advancements. I’m sure our country’s enemies—hell, even our foreign friends—would love to get a piece of the action.”

“I guess that’s why the security is so tight.”

“Yeah. Hacking in is virtually impossible.”

The two professionals dropped the conversation for a few moments while they studied the prone body of their subject. Tim was the first to break the silence.

“So, Dr. Shaw—”

“Elizabeth.”

“Elizabeth. On a slightly different note ... I’ve skimmed through this guy’s file, and I’m not sure he’s a suitable candidate.

Background in military and counterterrorism hardly seems like the criminal type this project seeks to rehabilitate. I know we’re low on volunteers, but wouldn’t it have been more prudent to wait a little longer and find someone more … I’m looking for a word other than

‘evil’.

The pretty doctor’s lips curved. “Corrupt?”

“Yeah, that one.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “Quite the contrary. Mr. Slater might not have been my first choice, but after reading his file more thoroughly, I now think he might be the perfect candidate.”

“How so?”

“It was just a footnote in his service psyche eval, mentioning he’s a little too well adjusted to taking lives, but it made me take in the rest of his bio with a fresh perspective. I’m now convinced Mr.

Slater is suffering from ASPD. There are hints spread all over.”

“I’m the tech guy, doc, you’ll have to spell it out for me. What’s ASPD?”

“Antisocial Personality Disorder.”

“And that means …”

“Specifically, he has sociopathic tendencies.”

The man’s eyes widened. “Are you telling me we just put a homicidal psychopath inside a virtual world that will allow him to murder with impunity?”

“No, no”—the woman shook her head—“he’s not a psychopath.

In his case, ASPD manifests as a lower threshold of empathy, not lacking it completely as psychopaths do. As a matter of fact, there’s every indication Mr. Slater is a highly functioning one with a strong sense of duty. He has found his way into armed service, which I suspect was a catalyst in eroding his ability to empathize. That was probably part of what had later on made him such an effective agent.

I suspect that his return to civilian life was the derailing trigger which prompted him to attempt the robbery.”

“So what you’re saying is that he has a violent temperament that needs an outlet or he explodes?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “It’s all tied to his lowered ability to empathize. He excelled at his job, which revolved around killing people, so it went undetected this long. This project—our experiment

—is specifically designed to help people with similar psychological issues. All it takes is time.”

Tim smiled. “Thanks to his CCP and time dilation technology, we have that in abundance.”

Elizabeth nodded distractedly as she stared at the immobile man. “When we’re done here, Mr. Slater will be a new man.”

5 - Socializing

I ventured deeper into the forest holding my new sharpened branch-spear. I’d tried activating my new Wither ability, but nothing happened other than feeling the cold energy swirl within my chest.

The gray circle that had tainted the ground was slowly diminishing, and its presence seemed to scare the local wildlife away, which was why I decided to venture out, looking for new prey.

Did my brother experience the same thing? I wondered. It seemed unlike Gideon to be prowling for prey in a forest. Then again, as a game, it probably appealed to his nerdy side. Real or not, the forest around me was breathtaking and both of us enjoyed and appreciated nature.

It didn’t take me long to track down the warg I’d injured. It was laying on the ground, breathing heavily. Half its fur had turned gray.

I looked around carefully, searching for its friend, but it was nowhere in sight. I carefully approached the giant predator, stepping as lightly as possible.

It whined as it noticed me and tried to stagger back up to all fours, but it seemed partially crippled, so I stabbed my spear into its chest. The crude weapon didn’t penetrate the thick fur deep enough to reach its heart, though it inflicted the maximum damage of 3.

The warg wasn’t putting up much resistance, so I retracted the spear, flipped it over, and whacked it over the head a few times until I felt something break—luckily it was the animal’s skull rather than my shoddy weapon.

Lesser warg, level 4, defeated

Level up!

You have reached level 3.

You have 1 ability point to allocate.

I felt a rush of power wash over me. I always enjoyed winning against strong opponents, but the ability to quantify those victories was exhilarating. With a flash of insight, I suddenly understood why these types of games were so appealing to the average ‘nerds’, most of whom had probably never been in a real fight in their lives. There was something deeply satisfying about visibly watching your strength measure increasing.

I put the new point into Physical, bringing my health total to 30
and MP to 15. I bent down to loot the corpse when something unexpected happened.

As soon as my hand touched the creature, I felt the same cold energy rush out of me and envelop the carcass. I watched in amazement as a portion of the corpse seemed to liquefy and stream into my hand, leaving a small pile of loot behind. “What the—”

You have learned a new Biomancer ability: Biomass Convert corpses into biomass, which is stored in your inventory. Biomass can be directly molded or used to fuel other abilities. Storage capacity does not count toward total inventory weight. Higher skill levels will allow absorbing a higher ratio of the corpse and increase the total volume available for storage. Current storage capacity: 100kg

Rank: novice

Effect: Absorb 10% mass

Biomass absorbed 10%: 10Kg

“Oookay …” I muttered. The rest of the warg’s corpse started degrading before my eyes, dissolving into a quickly disappearing puddle of liquified flesh, leaving just the fur as loot behind. I opened my inventory and saw I now had a new field next to the ‘gold’ counter labeled ‘biomass’, which had 10kg listed under it. Despite the mass more than doubling my existing load, I didn’t feel any heavier.

I was getting a little tired, though. It had been several hours since I ventured into the forest, and I was beginning to realize my virtual body required rest too, but resting could wait. I wanted to hunt down the second warg, the one that got away. Before setting out, however, I examined my spear, noticing it had 4 out of its 6 durability points remaining. That was probably enough for another two or three encounters. Hopefully, that would also be enough to gain another level and maybe a couple more furs I could exchange for equipment back at the village.

I collected the loot, then continued moving through the forest, following the obvious path the second warg had left behind. The vegetation grew thicker as I walked, and the trees’ canopy darkened the light. Squeezing out through some dense growth, I stumbled upon a small clearing which was dominated by a single menhir, almost 3 meters tall. The forest behind it seemed almost a different one. Darker, more primal, somehow.

I stared at the stone pillar. Something about it felt … off. As I closed in to inspect it, I could almost feel it vibrating. I couldn’t see signs of the warg’s passage anywhere, so I gingerly stepped into the small clearing and immediately felt nauseous. I stepped back into the growth and the feeling subsided. Something about the menhir was making me ill. I saw no reason to try and push through the clearing when there was so much forest around, so I doubled back, putting some distance between me and the clearing, but when I again tried to cross over into the more primal part of the forest, the feeling of unease returned. Putting some more distance between me and the menhir, thinking the feeling would subside with distance, I came upon another pillar. Trying to move past the second one simply revealed yet another pillar. I stopped to consider this new revelation.

It seemed there was a ring of stone pillars dividing the forest into two parts, with the village right at the center. I didn’t encounter any further wildlife, so, gritting my teeth, I forced myself to walk through the invisible barrier. The nausea increased. It was unpleasant but nothing I couldn't handle. I forced the discomfort down and kept on walking. Slipping in between two giant tree trunks, I came into
contact with my next quarry. Or maybe, it was more accurate to say, the creature in front of me just encountered his.

The thing looked like an armored bear with a body almost as thick as the trees themselves. Even standing on all fours, it was taller than me by half. Its head alone was bigger than my entire torso. It regarded me curiously, then sniffed in my direction.

As soon as it did, it started growling and rose on its hind legs, its growl turning into a roar. I ducked just in time as a huge paw sporting long claws swished through the air, taking a chunk out of the nearby tree.

Uberbear, level 25

That was too strong a foe for my current abilities. Luckily, it was also too bulky to chase me through the trees. I dove back and ran away before it found a way around them.

I kept on running even after I passed the menhir line, leaving the bear and nausea behind. Twenty minutes later, I emerged out of the tree line and into the open plateau at its center. The village appeared before me, and I looked at it with fresh eyes. The small fence that bordered it offered no protection against the hulking monster I just encountered. It seemed almost impossible the small unprotected village had survived for this long with such monsters roaming around. The uberbear didn’t appear to have followed me back, and I didn’t feel like continuing hunting.

I had only reached level 3 in my short adventure, but that meant I now had three times the HP and strength I had begun with. I still had no access to one of those ‘combat skills’ Matsuel had mentioned, but I felt confident in my ability to handle the village’s thugs. I was in no rush getting to a second confrontation though, and there were other things I wanted to accomplish, so I walked along the village’s single street, examining my surroundings more carefully.

The village was hardly more than a small collection of wooden buildings, most of which looked like residential houses with plenty of space between them. Walking the street I spotted a smithy and a
shop with the sign ‘Dawn’s Goods’ hanging over it. Apart from those, there were a few small huts that looked like workshops, making the inn the only other major business establishment in town. At the center of town was a small wooden podium with carvings of trees and animals that was decorated with flowers, fruits, and what looked like an old wine bottle. I could sense … something radiating from it, but it was a gentle sensation, so I left it alone.

Veering off the street, I approached Dawn’s Goods and opened the door. The interior was a small-aisled space filled with shelves upon which were ropes, sacks of grain, nails, tools, bottles, vials, and all sorts of general goods. The owner herself stood behind a counter. She looked like a kind, older woman, though I didn’t miss the slight frown as she noticed me enter.

“What can I do for ya, stranger?” Her tone was all business, betraying none of her internal thoughts.

“Greetings, ma’am,” I said and nodded at her. “I need to purchase some equipment. Are you Dawn?”

“That I am.” She looked me up and down. “Never seen ya before. A new face in Brinfold is a pretty rare sight. You’re the one Derrick and his boys beat up earlier?”

“Yeah, though he didn’t bother introducing himself properly before he started with the beating,” I said.

Her expression softened at my words. “Sorry about that. The hunters can be a rough bunch sometimes. It's dangerous out there, and their job is difficult.”

She didn’t seem surprised at the fact that I died and came back to life or even curious as to how I got here in the first place, so I decided not to make a big deal out of it. It was probably just a feature of the game. Besides, there was something else I wanted to know.

“That forest sure seems dangerous,” I said carefully. “All the animals I encountered were larger than what I’m used to.”

“Yeah, the forest here is dangerous. Ya have to know what you're doing out there. The druids seem to like it that way.

“Druids?” I’d heard the term before. “Do you mean those nature-loving nutcases who like dancing in their gowns at night in the forest?”

“I’m talking about those nature-loving, powerful spellcasters who protect the forest and its creatures,” she corrected. “You’re new, so you might not know it yet. The village has an understanding with them. The hunters are allowed to hunt in the forest to fulfill the village's needs and to stock up on fur for trade with the outside world. In return, they keep the dangerous beasts away from us.”

“I see,” I said slowly. Magic would explain the abnormally large animals and those weird menhirs. The vibrations and nausea I felt from them were probably some sort of power, aimed at keeping me from going in too deeply and the bigger animals from reaching the village.

“So again, what can I do for ya?” Dawn asked. “Got all sorts of equipment here, and I’m a half-decent pharmacist. I can whip you up a batch of healing balm or insect repellent in a jiffy.”

“I only have 8 gold coins,” I said, “but I got a few furs I can trade if you’re willing to buy them from me.”

“Sure, I buy all the furs the hunters bring in,” she said. “Keep it preserved until the caravan from the capital comes to collect.”

That was good to know. Joining a caravan could be a huge help whenever I was ready to leave this place behind. “When’s the next one arriving?”

Dawn scratched her nose. “Around two weeks. Three at most.”

That was too long. It seemed I had to try and make it here on my own for now. “How much will you give me for these?” I asked and put out the skins and pelts I collected: one beavor, two rabbits, a warg, and one snakeskin.

“Not a bad haul.” She squinted at me. “Ya can hunt down some more every day, but take care never to kill more than ya can easily carry at once. I’ll give ya 29 gold for the lot.”

“That seems a bit low,” I said carefully. “How does 35 sound?”

She smiled at that—the first smile since I stepped into her shop.

“We got fixed prices for pelts around here, stranger.”

I was once again thrown by how real the virtual people here behaved. For a moment there I even forgot I wasn’t talking to an actual person and was starting to open up to her no-nonsense, business-like demeanor.

“The name’s Seraph.”

She nodded at me. “Seraph. It’s 8 gold for beavor pelt, 2 for rabbits and small snakes. Predators’ pelts worth more, so that’s 15
for the warg’s, though I don’t know how you managed to take them down with how scrawny ya look.”

“It was a close call there for a while,” I admitted. “Alright, 29 it is.” I handed her the pelts and received a small pile of coins, bringing my total fortune to 37. “I need some sort of a weapon,” I said, “some rations, and maybe that healing balm you mentioned.”

She nodded. “For a weapon ya better head over to Robert across the street. He’s the village smith. He’s better at shoeing horses and hammering out nails, but he can probably get you something sharp. I got a bag of five days’ worth of rations I can sell ya for five gold and a jar of balm for another nine.”

I nodded and counted out 14 gold coins, receiving a bag full of dried-out rations and a small black can in return.

Healing Balm

Applied directly to wounds. Minor healing effect. Staunch bleeding.

Uses remaining: 5/5

I shook my head. If I had that balm earlier, I wouldn’t have to rip off my shirt’s sleeve. Which reminded me. “Do you have a new shirt I can buy?”

“Sure,” she said. “Got some sturdy farmer’s clothes I can sell ya for 3 coins.”

“I’ll take it.” I put on the new shirt she took out. It was hardly more than a rough canvas, but it was whole and clean. I stowed my ruined shirt in my inventory in case I ever need an emergency bandage again. With the business part taken care of, it was time to go fishing for information. I cleared my throat. “So, I’m pretty new around here ...”

Dawn snorted. “That’s plain enough even for a blind beavor to see. We don’t get many travelers out here.”

“Travelers?” I asked.

“Yeah, your sorts. The kind that comes from elsewhere and never really dies.”

That explained why she was so relaxed about me being killed earlier. “Since I’m new here, I was wondering if you can help me find something, ma’am?”

“No harm in asking.”

“I’m looking for the conduit.”

She tilted her head at me. “What sort of conduit? Need a replacement part for field irrigation? Robert might be able to help ya out with that.”

“No …” I stared at her. “I mean the conduit that connects this world to that of the VIs.”

She stared at me as if I’d suddenly grown a second head. “Are you alright in the head, sonny?”

“What about the seven star?” I tried, but seeing her bewildered expression, I gave up with a sigh. “Never mind. Thanks for agreeing to speak to me, ma’am.”

She smiled. “Think nothing of it. The lot of us might be a bit wary of strangers, but don’t take it the wrong way. You’re a polite enough sort. Once they got to know ya, I’m sure you’ll be welcomed by everyone in Brinfold. Just keep trying and they’ll come around.”

It sounded suspiciously like an attempt to keep me in line, but the woman had been friendly enough. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +1 (2/50)

“Huh,” I said as I read the notification. It turned out getting onto the local shopkeeper’s good side was enough to progress the quest.

And I didn’t even have to heal her first.

I crossed the street to the other side and approached the smith who was in the process of pounding a piece of metal on an anvil.

“Robert?”

The man—balding, with age lines running over his face and wearing eyeglasses—looked up at me. “Something I can help ya with, stranger?”

“Name’s Seraph, sir. Dawn said I should talk to you.” I offered the man my hand.

He gingerly accepted, and we shook. “We’re usually not too keen on strangers around here, but if Dawn said … What can I do for ya, lad?”

I noticed an ugly burn mark on his forearm, and I could almost sense the world holding its breath for me to heal him and gain his trust. Too bad. “I’ve been hunting in the forest,” I said. “I crafted a simple spear, but I could use an actual weapon.”

Robert frowned at me. “A stranger? Hunting in the forest? I hope ya didn’t overdo it. Our druid benefactors frown upon those who kill indiscriminately.”

“I only got a few furs and a snakeskin,” I said. “Dawn cautioned me not to overhunt.”

He nodded reluctantly. “Good. At least ya know that much. None of us want the druid’s fury turned against us. They are as powerful as they are merciless.”

“I thought loving nature meant being peaceful.”

He snorted. “Is the preying warg peaceful? Is the rending bear peaceful? Even some of the plants are dangerous. Nature is anything but peaceful. It’s filled with death, life, and beauty, but it's never peaceful. Much like the druids themselves.”

“I see,” I said. He did have a point. “So about that weapon? …”

“I’m not much of a weapon’s smith, lad. Got a few skinning and cooking knives and some spearheads I can sell ya.”

“Not actual spears?”

He shook his head. “I’m shoddy with woodwork. The hunters know enough to make their own shafts.”

“The first one I made snapped when a warg bit it,” I said.

He chuckled. “Guess ya got some way to go before you can call yourself an actual hunter then. How much durability did it have at the beginning? Ten?”

“Six.”

He winced at that. “That’s harsh. I’d advise getting cozy with the hunters and asking for their help. Buying them a couple of rounds over at Ron’s place should do the trick.”

I recalled the burly hunter who literally punched me to death. “I’ll see what I can do to get on their good side. How much for a skinning knife and spearhead?” I had lost my previous knife during the fight with the wargs.

“Six for the knife, eight for the spearhead.”

“I’ll take one of each, then.” I handed out 14 gold, receiving the items in return.

Skinning Knife

Description: A simple iron tool

Durability: 12/12

Damage: 2-3 (3-4 when cutting leather) Iron Spearhead

Description: basic beaten-iron spearhead Damage: 3-6

Robert's demeanor instantly improved as we finished the transaction. “Come back any time, lad.”

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +1 (3/50)

“So …” I broached the next subject carefully, “I was hoping you can help me find something.”

“Oh? Not much to hide around here. We’re a pretty small village.”

“I’m looking for a … sort of magical gateway,” I said, thinking it was best to be vague about my goal, given Dawn’s reaction. “A sort of passage to the world of the … beings who run this one.”

He tilted his head. “Ya alright in the head, lad? Did a tree fall on ya while you were out hunting?”

“I gather this is a ‘no’.”

He shook his head. “Never heard of such powerful magic that can open a portal to the realm of the gods. Didn’t even know such things existed. The strongest magic around here is the magic the druids hold. Ya might want to ask them, though they’re damn hard to find, and they usually aren’t too keen on making small talk.”

“I understand,” I said. “Thanks for the information.” Though it was not a lot to go by, it was a start. My first real clue on how to seek out more information. “Any idea how I can find them?”

Robert shook his head again. “The forest is their territory. Ron, the innkeeper, might know more, but you probably won’t find them unless they want to be found. Usually, they just come to warn us if we’re doing something they don’t like, then we all lower our heads like good little boys until they go away. No force can oppose them in their forest—and that’s coming from a veteran in the king’s army.”

“You served?” I took another look at the unassuming man.

Though he was muscular, he didn’t strike me as the warrior type.

“Aye. Spent years patrolling the roads around the capital before they let me go. Took my savings and came here to live in peace. I’m not the best smith but more than enough for the needs of a place like Brinfold.”

“I served too,” I said.

His eyes slit up, and he clapped me on the shoulder. “A fellow soldier, eh? I’ll buy the first round at the inn tonight, and you can tell me all about it.”

I found myself smiling. If there’s one universal truth it was that veterans were always willing to exchange stories and drinks. It was comforting to see that the law was kept true even in this world. “I might take you up on that. It’s been a while since I had a cold beer. I would kill for one.”

He chuckled. “No need to get that far, my friend, we’ll get ya sorted out tonight.”

I bid Robert goodbye and made my way toward the inn. I wanted to question the innkeeper, but even more than that, the
conversation I just had had rekindled my desire for a beer. And this time I wouldn’t let the opportunity be taken away from me.

***

The doors to the modest building swung open, and I went inside.

Derrick and his two cronies were still there, holding mugs and laughing. Aside from them, the place was deserted, the other villagers still busy at their day jobs.

“Look who’s back from the dead, boys,” Derrick said, getting up to his feet. “Really, boy, I barely touched ya, and ya dropped dead on your ass. How weak are ya?”

Now that I had more of a handle on the game, I was able to see the hunters' information. Derrick’s was at level 5, while the two hunters were level 3, like me.

“Not looking for trouble here,” I said as the three left their seats and closed in on me. “Just want to have a drink and a chat.” I nodded to Ron. “Robert said I should talk to you.”

The innkeeper flinched. “Derrick, maybe we should hear him—”

“No”—the burly hunter cut him off—“this is my town. I say who can come in and have a drink. Some stranger who thinks he can stroll into Brinfold on a vacation? Well, he’s got another thing coming. Come on, boys, hold him up. Let’s see how many punches he can take this time before he croaks.”

His two friends came at me, grinning, reaching their meaty palms to grab hold of me. I blocked the first one and punched his face, sending him crashing into a nearby table. Then I ducked the other’s swing, letting his momentum turn him around, then got up behind him, wrapping my arm around his throat, putting him in a headlock like before. This time, my strength was up to par. The leverage I had over him in this position gave me a distinct advantage, so I didn’t even have to exert myself to keep the man in check. He struggled futilely, but I applied more pressure, and he passed out, tumbling to the floor.

Max and Whale defeated.

+50% progression toward next level

It turned out I didn’t have to kill someone to defeat them. That could be useful. Maybe I could keep slapping the two unconscious for some quick and easy level-ups.

Derrick was left standing in front of me, eyes burning. “You freaking bastard,” he hissed. “I’ll show you what’s what.”

His first punch was so fast I barely managed to dance away from it, but his second caught me full on the jaw.

Derrick punched you for 12 damage (6 base X 2 critical hit)

His fist hit me like a truck, and I felt myself being thrown backward.

Derrick stepped close and looked down on me. “So, ya learned how to survive a friendly pat. Good. Means I get to kick ya longer.”

I threw myself sideways, and his boot stomped on where my head had just been. His hand shot down like a striking snake, his fingers locking around my throat. I was hoisted off the ground, feeling my feet leaving the floor. My enemy was holding me up like a ragdoll. I pounded at his muscular forearm, but my awkward position didn’t lend much force to the strikes. I was like a four-year-old trying to fight a grown-up. I could feel his fingers squeezing, and my vision tunneled.

“Gotta learn not to mess with your betters,” he growled at my face. “And if you come back again, I’ll make the next time last even longer.”

“No …” I choked as I clawed at his arm, but it was like trying to scratch hardened leather. Leather! I drew out the new knife I’d just bought and tried to strike at his face.

A second fist closed around my wrist, and with a slight twist, my knife was sent flying.

I hated feeling this powerless. I could feel the cold energy that swirled in my center starting to churn, washing over my entire body, filling me with a sense of raw power. The energy flowed into my clawing hand, making it glow with gray light. “No!”

The strong fingers that were wrapped around my neck flew open, and Derrick stumbled away from me, his face contorted in pain, his eyes wide with horror. He looked down at his arm, and my eyes followed suit.

The place I touched turned gray and lifeless, and the taint continued spreading until it reached his elbow.

“Bastard!” he howled and launched his other fist at me.

I summoned the cold energy again, forcing it to bubble outside to the surface, and grabbed the incoming fist with my own. The force of the blow still made me stagger backward, but then his fist started graying, and he flinched back in pain.

The burly man stumbled, eyes wide in horror. “Who— What are you?”

“I’m Seraph,” I said. To my surprise, my voice sounded a little off, somehow colder. Crueler. “Attack me again, and it’ll be the last thing you do. Understand?”

He nodded and kept backing off.

“Good. Now grab your friends and get the hell out of my sight.” I pointed at the door.

He nodded again and drew out a tiny vial from his pocket, downing its content. The grayness started draining away from his arms, and his skin assumed its natural color. Derrick took another look at me as if considering his options, then his eyes met mine, and his face paled. He quickly got his two friends up and was about to leave.

“Stop!” I said, and the man halted. “You still owe Ron two gold for the beer and food you made me spill,” I said.

He swallowed hard but took out two coins and placed them on a nearby table, then opened the door and hurried out as if afraid I would change my mind about letting them go.

I moved toward the counter and sat down.

Ron drew himself as far back away from me as possible, his eyes wide as saucers. “P-please don’t hurt me.”

“Just give me that beer I paid you for earlier,” I said. There were a ton of pending notifications on my view, and I wanted to relax with a cold one in my hand before I started reading through them.

The man nodded rapidly. “R-right away … Just a moment. I’ll open my best barrel.” He drew out a mug and pulled over a small keg from behind the counter.

While he worked in a screw-like spigot, I started reading.

Wither (x2) has sapped 4.4% of the target life (-2 HP) I hit him twice with the ability, but a 4.4% reduction of total health seemed like a low figure. Assuming NPC characters worked similarly to mine, he had 50 HP to begin with. Merely two points of health down was hardly more than a superficial wound, but it seemed the experience was much more excruciating than the damage could account for, which explained why the burly hunter was scared off so easily. That was a good thing. Another weapon in my arsenal.

The next notification, however, was perplexing, to say the least.

Warning! Biomancer incompatible with user’s life essence Your living body has been fully saturated with deathless energies incompatible with a living host. To patch this incompatibility and prevent permanent damage to the user, the following adjustment has been enacted:

1. Your ‘living’ status has been changed to ‘deathless’

2. You have gained a racial subtype: Human [deathless, rank 0]

3. Mana pool abolished

Deathless

A subtype that can be applied to any race. Deathless beings are those whose biological bodies have been overtaken by unliving
energies. Although no longer alive, they still possess souls and thus are neither dead nor undead.

Deathless have no mana pool. Instead of using a biological engine, all magical energies are converted into fueling their being, thus also supplanting the need to eat or drink.

Despite the lack of mana, deathless beings still benefit from a high Mental attribute as it improves their health regeneration rate.

To recover from injury, biomass must be expended.

Deathless gains a fourth attribute: Spirit (Sp). Spirit’s value equals the character’s level and modifies the other three attributes; Physical: 75%, Mental: 50%, Social 25%.

Gain the Deathless trait: +1 Physical, Immune to damage multipliers from critical hits. Poisonapathy I frowned as I tried to make sense of this new information. My character seemed to have changed, and based on what I could tell, only for the better. I had no idea what Poisonapathy meant, though the name seemed to suggest it was related to poisons. The immunity to critical hits was easy enough to understand and felt like a godsend

— which might have been true as my brief time in here had shown me enemies liked to target their opponents’ vital areas. It could have come in useful half a minute ago when Derrick punched my nose into my face. The Spirit attribute was a little more challenging to understand. Though I had no real prior gaming experience, it sounded like the new attribute would provide a total of 150%
attribute points. Granted, Physical, arguably my most important attribute, would be lower than if I’d solely invested in it every level up, but given that HP recovery was now tied to Mental, I might have divided the points between them anyway, so the extra 25% to mental on top of that—and the 25% bonus to Social—were a pure net gain. I chuckled as I realized I was having an internal, character optimization monologue, similar to the ones Gideon loved to go on about.

The innkeeper finally filled my mug and brought it over in shaking hands. I reached out to take it, and for the first time, I took a real look at my arm. It looked somewhat dehydrated, and dark veins were visible over the thinner flesh.

I looked up at the innkeeper. “Ron, got a mirror handy?” The man nodded and brought out a small mirror from below the counter. I lifted it and studied the image reflected at me. My face was somewhat hollow, and my cheeks were sunken, like every bit of fat was sucked out of them. My eyes were a swirl of gray.

I shook my head. The things these computer games come up with. I looked like an anorexic zombie, though thankfully there were no gushing wounds and rotten flesh. Not that I cared if there were.

This wasn’t real after all. If anything, it was even a little … cool.

I lifted my full mug and held it up toward the innkeeper. “Here’s to you, Ron.” I tilted the golden, bubbling liquid to my mouth—ready to taste a bit of heaven—and immediately sprayed it out in disgust.

The beer tasted like … well, it didn’t have a taste, but it had a texture like drinking liquid sand.

I threw the mug away in disgust, spilling beer everywhere, then looked up at the ceiling. “That was an asshole move.”

6 - Getting Acquainted

“Now that ain’t the proper way for a customer to behave,” a gentle feminine voice scolded me as I seethed.

I looked up and saw a woman in her late twenties looking down at me with reproach. Not a hint of fear reflected in her eyes as she took in my grisly new appearance.

Despite my anger, I fought to regain my composure. “I’m not really in the mood to be lectured, lady.”

She gave me a wide smile. “That’s too bad, darling. Beating up Derrick, Max, and Whale … well, I can understand that—they came at ya first—but throwing away a perfectly good brew is just plain bad manners. Didn’t your momma teach you better?”

I looked up, taking a moment to fully study her. She had long dark hair tied in a loose bun behind her head and wore a plain brown apron on top of sensible work clothes. She seemed fit and carried herself with confidence.

Lyta Brown, level 4

“Lyta, let’s not disturb our … distinguished guest,” the innkeeper said nervously. He seemed to prefer to keep his distance following my tantrum.

“Rubbish,” Lyta said. “I’ll not have customers smashing my workplace as they see fit. That’s just ain’t proper.”

I quickly collected myself and nodded at her. I appreciated strong, forward-spoken women. “I apologize. Is this your inn?”

She shook her head and gestured at the innkeeper. “Na, it’s Ron’s. I’m just in charge of keeping it all together.”

“The manager, then,” I said.

“Sure thing, hon, whatever you like to call it. Now be a dear and behave, or I’ll throw you out on your backside myself. I don’t care if you look as parched as a three-day-old drumstick.”

I chuckled at the thought of being thrown out by the woman after just having beaten three thugs, though judging by her stern gaze, I guessed that’s exactly what she’d do if I step out of line. I nodded at her. “Message received.”

“Good.” She smiled and took the seat next to me. “Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t like threatening customers. I’m a people person, you see, I prefer to find ways for everyone to get along. I gather our house brew isn’t to your liking. Anything else I can get you, hon?”

“No,” I said, my mood instantly souring. According to my new state as a deathless being, I didn’t require food or drink. Apparently, in this case, ‘didn’t require’ directly translated into ‘can’t stomach’.

Lyta raised an eyebrow. “Nothing to eat? You already paid for a meal. We got a lovely deer venison today.”

“No,” I said. I couldn’t believe my luck. NEO was famous for allowing players to experience exotic foods and drinks, even I knew that much, but that door just got slammed in my face.

Lyta studied me for a long moment. “You sure about that, hon?

You ain’t lookin’ too good. Your face looks gaunter than my 90-year-old nana’s—and she’d been dead for years. What’s your story?”

That got a chuckle out of me. Strong, charming, and straightforward. “Got a bit of magic going awry, left me looking like this,” I explained.

She nodded. “Say no more. Old Bert got a bit of fire magic when he was young, burnt down the town’s mill by mistake, but he got better. You’ll just have to learn how to master it. Here, let me treat you to a proper poison to get you going. Ron, two shots of Dawn’s moonshine.”

“You don’t sound like the rest of the villagers,” I stated while the innkeeper busied himself, bringing in two shot glasses and putting them on the counter in front of us.

She shrugged. “Got here a little while back and decided to put down roots. The name of my village will be meaningless to you.”

I nodded. She got that right.

Ron brought a bottle filled with clear liquid and carefully poured it into the glasses.

“Here’s for new faces.” Lyta lifted her glass and held it in the air, smiling at me expectantly.

I hesitated but grabbed my shot and clicked it with hers. The woman downed hers with a single gulp, coughing lightly. I took a small, careful sip, and my eyes widened in unexpected pleasure.

The clear liquid ran down my throat smoothly with just a hint of graininess. There was only a slight sense of ‘burn’, but even that much was a welcomed surprise. It wasn’t the long-awaited nectar I’d been looking forward to, but it was better than nothing.

“So”—Lyta put her glass back on the counter—“now that we’re on friendly terms, why don’t you tell me how you got here? We don’t get many visitors at Brinfold.”

“I’m a ... traveler?”

“Ah.” Lyta looked at me in surprise. “Never seen one of your folks before, though that explains why your face looks like dry leather.”

I laughed. “You’re not the one to mince words, are you?”

“No.” She smiled. “So what you’re looking for here, hon?

Brinfold doesn’t have much to offer. We’re just about fifty people here, mostly hunters and farmers.”

“I …” I hesitated. “I need to get in touch with the druids and ask them some questions about a … magical conduit. I don’t suppose you heard about something like that?”

Her eyebrows rose as I mentioned the druids, but then she relaxed and shrugged. “Not really my area of expertise.”

“Ron?” I looked up at the innkeeper who was obviously listening in on us. “Robert mentioned you might know more about them?”

He shook his head. “They once came in to check on my supply, said we overhunted and had to cut back. Forced me to stop serving meat for a fortnight as punishment. They don’t even bother talking to Mayor Jazir, just approach the ones who offended them.”

That wasn’t exactly what I’d call helpful information. I turned back to Lyta. “What about Everance?” I asked, recalling the name of an important capital in the game.

“Never heard of it.”

That was unsettling. I didn’t have a deep understanding of NEO, but from the bit of research I did as preparation, I was under the impression that capital cities were central superpowers. The name should have at least been recognized. “What’s the name of this region’s capital, then?”

“Arklight,” she said, shrugging. “Supposed to be this major economic center.”

The name didn’t ring a bell, which was hardly a surprise. “I’ll need to find and speak to the druids then.”

Lyta shook her head. “Better stay out of their way, hon. They leave us alone, and we try not to get under their toes.”

“Sounds like you’re being oppressed to me.”

She let out a soft chuckle. “Not really. They leave us be for the most part. Let us live here and keep the forest and dangerous animals away. In return, we make sure not to overhunt or cut into the forest too much. It’s a peaceful life most of the time. Safe.”

“What about connection with the outside world?” I pressed.

“How do you get things you can’t grow or make on your own?”

“There’s a merchant caravan that comes here twice or thrice a year,” she said. “The druids open a path and let them through. They trade for stuff we can’t get ourselves in exchange for our fur.”

“Has anyone ever tried crossing to the other side of the forest without the caravan?”

She shook her head. “That would be akin to suicide. The immediate forest around us is filled with small game, but the deeper you go, the more dangerous the animals become. The druid magic makes them grow bigger and stronger than normal. Makes them smarter too.”

“Does it have anything to do with those menhirs I saw?”

“You got that far in?” Lyta looked at me with surprise. “We only hunt in the first ring. Crossing into the second is too dangerous, and the third …” She shook her head. “No one makes it to the third. We only know about it from the tales the caravan guards tell us when they come through.”

“I need to find the druids.”

She smiled at me. “Just stick around, then. They pop into the village now and again—usually to warn us off from overstepping their laws.”

“Which is not to overhunt or cut too deeply into the forest,” I said slowly.

“That’s right, hon, you’re brighter than you look,” she said lightly.

“Thank you for the drink,” I said, a plan forming in my mind. I wasn’t much of a lumberjack, but killing was right up my alley. I got up. “And the conversation.”

She waved it off. “Think nothing of it, hon. As long as you behave, we’ll get along just fine. If you need a room, ask Ron for a key. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Just one thing,” I said as I got up. “Where can I get a proper spear shaft around here?”

***

Stepping down the village’s single street I saw some kids running around, chased by a matronly looking woman, who ushered them into one of the houses after she glanced at my face.

I walked past a couple more buildings and entered the third.

According to Lyta, this was the hunter’s lodge, where I could find someone to help me make a proper spear.

The place looked like an indoor camping site, with log benches arrayed around a fire pit and several animal skins stretched on frames to complete the picture. An elderly man was sitting on one of the logs, patently twisting some fibrous material into a thin strip of rope. He looked up as I entered, his fingers never stopping their work as he calmly took in my strange appearance. “So you’re the stranger who beat down Derrick and the others, huh.”

It wasn’t really a question. “That was me.”

He shook his head. “Those three were in for a good thrashing for a while now. Their heads got too big. What do ya need, stranger?”

“I’m Seraph,” I said, looking around. “You’re the only hunter around?”

He nodded. “Old Fal they call me. The rest of them are out doing what they’re supposed to. I’m too old to be running around the trees, but I’m a dab hand at making bowstrings for the others, so that’s what I do all day, sit and make bowstrings.”

“Can I buy a bow from you, sir?” I asked.

“Sure thing. But can ya shoot one?”

“Eh …” I hesitated.

“It’s not a hard question, lad. Do you have the Bow skill or don’t ya?”

“No, sir.” Despite my transformation, the limitation on acquiring combat skills was still in effect.

“Then you’ll be wanting a shortbow to learn your way around one,” he said. “It won’t do much good against anything bigger than a forest rabbit, mind you, but once ya got the hang of it, you can look to upgrade for a hunting bow.”

“How much for a shortbow, then?” I asked.

“Ten gold.”

“That much?”

He scoffed at me. “It takes two full days to craft a decent one—
and that’s just for the shortbow, mind ya. Ten gold’s a fair price.”

“I’ve only got eight.”

“Got anything else to trade with?”

I looked through my inventory. “I have 6 units of raw meat and 5
rations.” In my current predicament, they weren’t doing me much good anyway.

He nodded. “I’ll give you 5 gold for the lot.”

“I also need a spear shaft,” I said. “I got a spearhead from Robert already.”

Fal chuckled. “Our good smith is a fine man, but he is not much of a weapon maker. Still, his spearheads are better than plain sharpened sticks. I can get you the shaft—I’ll even help you attach it

—for four gold.”

“I’d like to have both bow and spear,” I said, “but I’m short one gold.”

“No matter,” Old Fal said with a slight grin. “You’ll pay me later.

Not like there’s anywhere for ya to run off to, eh?”

“I guess not, sir,” I said.

“Let me see the money—and the spearhead.”

I handed him the meat, rations, and gold. Old Fal drew out a shortbow, barely longer than my forearm, and a simple quiver containing 10 arrows. “Better make sure to collect these whenever you can,” he advised. “It’ll cost ya a gold to buy ten more.” Then he took out a straight pole and attached the spearhead to it, binding the two with a thin cord before applying what looked like dark resin. “All done. Here ya go, lad.”

Wooden Spear

Description: a basic weapon, more suited for hunting than combat

Type: weapon [two hands]

Durability: 16/16

Damage: 3-6

“That one should serve ya well for a while,” Old Fal commented.

“Just as long as ya don’t tackle anything too big. I heard stories about the stupid risks travelers like to take.”

With double the damage potential of my original spear and nearly three times the durability, I had to agree with the old hunter’s assessment. “Thanks for the help,” I said. “I’ll get you the rest of the money once I hunt some more.”

“You do that,” he said with a smile. “Make sure to spend some o’

that future gold on a good helping of Ron’s stew. Ya need more meat on your bones, lad.”

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +1 (4/50)

I grinned back at him. The familiar ease the villagers addressed me once I got past the initial introduction had a sort of rural charm. It helped me to better understand my brother’s fascination with the
game. In here, he could start with a clean slate and get the villagers to treat him as someone worthy, like they treated me. I was glad that despite my disturbing new visage, most of them were willing to hear me out. That was probably due to some game-governing mechanic.

If anyone saw someone like me in real life they would have run away screaming.

I shouldered my new shortbow and quiver, then held up the spear. Though lacking some sort of armor, I was better armed than before and was finally ready to head out and stir up some trouble.

Before heading out, however, I took a moment to browse my character sheet to figure out my new deathless character.

Name: Seraph

Race: Human [Deathless, rank 0]

Title: Herald

Level: 3 (60%)

HP: 43

Armor: 0

Attributes:

● Spirit: 3

● Physical: 3

● Mental: 1

● Social: 0

Skills:

Spells:

● Biomancer: 2 (Sp)

○ Wither

○ Biomass

Traits:

● Atrophy [manifest atrofield on kills]

● Poisonapathy [varies poison effect]

● Deathless [+1 Physical, critical hit multiplier immunity]

I had only a vague understanding of how it all translated in terms of actual power. It seemed that the two points I’d invested in

Physical had been overridden by the governing Spirit attribute, which was a bit of a shame. Still, I felt the new role suited me a hell of a lot more than a pacifist healer.

***

I waded through the forest, bow in hand with an arrow nocked.

I'd taken a few minutes to practice the ranged weapon—which I was somewhat familiar with in reality—only to discover the lack of combat skills was a major drawback. The arrows I’d loosed hit nowhere close to where I was aiming. Despite having steadied my breath and taking aim, it was like my fingers slipped at the last second, throwing my aim off. I was not going to be a master bow hunter, that was for sure. Still, the bow offered a way for me to engage targets at a distance, and even underpowered, the chance to land a hit or two before engaging with my spear was an advantage. I was unfamiliar with this world, and my gaming character was afflicted with serious constraints, so every little bit helped.

The plan was simple. I would hunt every animal I came across, gaining experience to level up, furs for gold, and biomass for …

healing, apparently. Once I reached the menhir line, I would try to push through to look for the druids, while, hopefully, avoiding encountering further armored bears. If I couldn’t find them or the second ring’s beasts proved too difficult, I’d just kill anything I found in the first ring, hoping to draw the druids’ attention to me.

My foolproof plan, however, encountered execution problems with my very first target.

Metalback Armadillo, level 3

The creature was only about knee-high, but it was over a meter in length, and its back was covered in plates that gleamed with a metallic sheen.

Still, I caught the thing unaware and had a moment to draw the bow and take careful aim. I let loose and the arrow flew straight,
embedding in the ground a meter away from the animal. I cursed silently as the armadillo looked up at the quivering arrow and resumed munching at the ground. I nocked another arrow, and this time took more time to steady my aim. I breathed out as I let loose, and the arrow sailed straight toward the creature’s back, then ricocheted away.

This time the animal didn’t miss the attack and turned to face me. I had just enough time to grab my spear before it charged. I held the weapon steady, bracing myself, and the armadillo crashed into it with enough force to send us both reeling backward.

You hit metalback armadillo for 10 damage ([6 base X 2
critical] - 2 armor)

Unfortunately, despite the armadillo skewering itself on the spear, the damage wasn’t nearly enough to kill it. It thrashed and hissed, and its sharp claws tore long gashes along my flesh.

Metalback armadillo hit you for 4 damage

I kicked the thing off me, my strength barely enough to move the animal, which was heavier than it looked, and yanked out the spear.

The creature charged again, but this time, I jumped to the side, avoiding the attack, and struck down. The spear managed to puncture the tough armor but didn’t get in deeply, inflicting only 3
points of damage.

The armadillo snapped at me, but I jumped away again and managed to hit it for another 3 points, leaving it with half its original health bar. The next attack, however, managed to catch my left leg, turning my attempted dodge into a tumble and costing me two more HP. I could feel the cold energy swirl inside me on its own, tapping into the stored biomass to repair my injuries. I reached for that energy, willing it to flow into my free arm. It wasn’t easy, almost like trying to hold your breath, but I could feel the energy slowly answer
my call and stream into my arm. Then I punched the ridiculously armored animal straight on the snout.

You hit metalback armadillo for 1 damage (2 blunt - 1
armor)

Wither has sapped 2.1% of the target life (-1 HP) The punch was strong enough to snap the animal’s head sideways, but it was the gray energy that made the bigger impact.

Despite the low amount of damage Wither had inflicted, barely nudging the creature’s health bar, the animal started howling in agony as its face withered before my eyes. A strip of flesh became gray and desiccated, nearly falling off. I grabbed the spear that was still embedded in its back and pressed down on it with all my weight, pinning the creature in place. Before the armadillo could recover enough and wiggle free, I punched down on its face twice more with my free arm, stacking two more instances of Wither.

The armored animal was only able to writhe in agony on the ground as its face decayed and fell apart, ignoring me as I finished it off by slowly forcing the spear into its body.

Metalback armadillo, level 3, defeated

+15% progression toward the next level

I let out a relieved sigh when the thrashing stopped and yanked back the spear. It had lost a point of durability during the fight—
probably from absorbing the animal’s initial charge. My total level progression has risen to 75%, and I reasoned another kill or two would be enough to bring me to level 4.

My HP had ticked up by one as my body slowly converted biomass to heal my injuries. I could actually see the thin trickle of the silvery-gray liquid that coated my wounds. It wouldn’t be long before I’d be back to full health.

The foliage under the carcass started withering as a gray circle spread around it, reaching a 2-meter radius.

Atrofield [rank 1]: Biomancer abilities +5% effect, -10%
resistance

Right, my Atrophy trait, I recalled. My originally titled ‘helpful’

trait had morphed into something that better suited my new Biomancer discipline. The atrofield wasn’t very big, but the benefits it offered for my next fight couldn’t be ignored. A bonus of 5% might not sound huge, but I recalled the bonus could stack up to three times, and a 15% bonus was nothing to sniff at. The downside was that it didn’t look like I could move the gray zone around, and drawing other animals to it seemed problematic. It would be more useful if placed within a more heavily populated area, like the animal trail leading to the pond I’d found. Alternatively, it could be more efficiently utilized when attacking a group of enemies, with each subsequent kill increasing the power of the atrofield.

On their own, none of my new abilities were awe-inspiring, but used together, they could carry a serious punch. It was just like any other type of weapon; utilized properly even a tin cup could be deadly. It was just a matter of efficiently using the tools at my disposal. Wither, in particular, had proven more useful than its simple stats indicated. While the armored animal had proved hard to injure, its metallic shell offered little resistance against the ability. True, Wither’s damage was far from deadly, with each instance only sapping a single HP from my target, but the distracting pain it inflicted was invaluable. Going over the fight in my mind, I recalled Wither inflicting 2 points of damage the third time around. The 10%
stacking bonus was negligible, but it added up eventually. The skill was only at level 3 at the moment, but when it leveled some more it would become more effective. I narrowed my eyes as I tried to calculate its potential. With a base of one and half a percent per level, at skill level 10, Wither would have a base effect of 6%. With a cumulative 10% bonus, that meant the second application would
inflict 6.6% damage, and the third one 7.2%. Altogether, the three instances would drain almost 20% of the target’s health—and that was ignoring armor. Actually, it would be a little higher than 20%
since the Biomancer discipline itself increased the effect of all its governed abilities by a percentage equal to its level. And factoring in the atrofield bonuses … I let out a chuckle. This was exactly the sort of thing Gideon used to get so excited about. I could now better appreciate the thrill of calculating your skills and factoring in exactly how powerful you were. But unlike the players who did these sorts of calculations for fun, the stakes were higher for me. This wasn’t simply a game. I was here out of necessity, and I had to figure out how it all worked to make it through.

I forced myself to focus as I envisioned facing a group of enemies. I had to plan the strategy in advance, to optimize my abilities and increase my chances. My priorities were to kill the weakest enemy as quickly as possible and work my way up to the strongest, building up the atrofield’s strength, slapping as many stackable instances of Wither around as I could. I couldn’t help but grin as I recalled a similar conversation with Gideon years ago. He was so excited about receiving oil-and-flame combo spells which allowed him to coat surfaces or enemies and ignite them. As combos go, it was as straightforward as they come, yet Gideon kept going on and on about the possibilities of how he would optimize them. Maybe we were more alike than I realized.

My wounds had all closed by now, so it was time to move on. I bent down, touching the dead animal to loot it. As before, the carcass melted away while some of its mass was liquified and streamed into my outstretched arm.

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 3

Biomass absorbed 13.4%: 5.3Kg

“Hmm,” I muttered. The absorption percentage had improved since the first time I used it. Focusing on the figure caused a new box to open.

Biomass absorption: 12% base * 6.5% Biomancer bonus *

5% atrofield bonus

That explained it. It seemed that the Deathless and atrofield bonuses applied to Biomass absorption as well.

I still wasn’t sure what biomass was used for, other than helping me regenerate health, but it seemed ridiculous to be hauling around dozens of kilos worth of liquified corpses while I only needed a very small amount to replenish my health. Glancing at the Wither spell, I noticed that its effect had similarly climbed to 2.8%, whereas prior to the skill increase and added atrofield effect, it was only at 2.1%.

Though the higher value wasn’t dramatic, in relative terms it was a substantial leap.

The armadillo leftovers disappeared, leaving behind a metallic husk.

Metalback Armadillo Carapace

Type: Crafting component

Description: Hardened metal shell, suitable for crafting

“That could prove useful,” I said as I bent to pick it up. The carapace weighed around 4 kilos and obviously wasn’t pure metal, but I was pretty sure Robert would be happy to take it off my hands.

I kept creeping through the forest, spear held at the ready. This area looked familiar, and I quickly recognized it as the location of my showdown with the two lesser wargs. The spot around the place I killed one was trampled, though there were no bloodstains. On one hand, it was a weird but necessary reminder that this world operated on different rules than the real one—I needed that reminder; this place was too damn realistic—on the other hand, I could think up
several instances in the past where the ability to instantly make a corpse disappear would have been invaluable.

I carefully studied the edge of the trampled area, trying to pinpoint the trail of the warg that got away. It was harder than I thought. I had some real-life tracking experience, but every time I thought I caught a glimpse of tracks, closer examination revealed nothing particular. It was like the ground itself shifted slightly to stymie me. I didn’t give in though and systematically scanned the area. There! I clumped down on a footprint before it could also disappear.

You’ve gained a new skill: Tracking

Allows you to spot tracks of creatures ...

That explained why I was having such a hard time finding the animal’s trail. In this virtual reality, such things were determined more by the character’s stats than the player’s own knowledge. I started reading the skill description, but before I could move past the first sentence, the notification flickered and changed.

Tracking skill incompatible with player’s character.

Skill converted to: Essence Sight

Essence Sight, level 1 (M)

Allow the user to spot and track creatures by the residual life force energies left behind. Higher skill levels can reveal more details.

Rank: novice

Effect I: detect creatures’ essence energies Effect II: reveal target’s HP

My vision flickered, then changed, and the forest came alive around me with numerous tracks in faded colors. I could see animal footsteps highlighted in red—some dim, some bright—all over the
foliage, and even the trees. The warg’s distinct footprints became visible as a pale pink, which was intersected by smaller, brighter tracks every few meters. I followed one of the brightest tracks with my eyes—they were tiny, barely more than pinpricks—and tracked them to a large beetle that was sedately climbing a nearby branch.

“Damn,” I said. The new skill was like infravision goggles, only better since they didn’t track heat signature but creatures’

‘essence’—whatever that meant—revealing tracks of creatures who would have long cooled off by now.

Aside from the wargs, the other tracks were relatively small. I had no interest in spending my time hunting down squirrels or rabbits. I needed bigger game to level up. I started following the warg tracks, careful not to lose sight of them amid the other glowing signs.

Essence Sight has increased to level 2

The skill took less than a minute to level up, and once it did, the tracks became a touch more pronounced. I continued following them, and the skill kept ticking up every few minutes. Ten minutes later, I stopped walking as the tracks I had been following became complex. There was a tangle of tracks, seemingly the warg’s mixed with what looked like giant bird prints. The tangle spread farther, transforming into long lines, and I noticed a dark spot that glowed in matted red—blood. Whatever the other bird creatures were, they were attacking the warg. Applying my real-world experience, I determined two creatures were chasing the shaggy canine.

Essence Sight has increased to level 7

The tracks grew even more substantial. Based on the brightness, they couldn’t have been made more than a few minutes ago. I was catching up to my quarry. Holding fast to my spear, I quickened my pace. Fighting three opponents at once, especially
two that were strong enough to attack a grown warg, might be a bad idea, but it could also be an opportunity. If I found the two birds were beyond my power to handle, I’d let it go. But there was a good chance that the prolonged chase and subsequent battle would leave them injured or weakened. I couldn’t let that opportunity go.

The sound of a scuffle—grunts and shrieks—alerted me on arrival to the site of the battle. I crouched, moving carefully between the thick vegetation until I reached a small clearing. The warg was still alive, though blood was gushing from its many wounds, and its hind legs seemed barely able to support its weight. It was snarling, though, snapping at two feathered lizards that looked suspiciously like small dinosaurs. The creatures were about the same size as the warg, though their lean and agile bodies looked much lighter.

Snapper, level 4, HP 27/29

Snapper, level 4, HP 25/29

Lesser warg, level 4, 10/34

All three creatures were a level higher than me and therefore stronger. I knew that meant they had a chance to resist Wither, but the situation presented too big of an opportunity for me to ignore.

Where two sides are fighting, the third wins.

In any other circumstance, I’d normally attack the stronger side first, evening up the odds, then picking my way among the survivors, trying to make them keep fighting each other. But my skill set didn’t adhere to ‘normal’. This was a golden opportunity to put my Atrophy trait to use, and that meant making a kill as soon as possible, which made the warg, the most injured of the trio, my first victim. I had to hurry as the canine was on its last legs. As I watched, its HP ticked down by 1 point, probably due to blood loss. I had to get close enough to touch it to use Wither, but the two dinos were standing in my way. It was time to get creative.

The two dinos lurched forward, snapping at the warg as they sensed their prey was about to fall. I couldn’t let them claim the kill. I charged ahead and threw my spear at the warg from barely two meters away. As soon as the weapon left my hand, I rushed in between the two surprised lizards and slapped their heads with both hands.

Spear hit lesser warg for 6 damage

Snapper resisted Wither

Snapper resisted Wither

I reached the impaled warg. It was still alive, though barely. I expected my low-damage spear was not going to be enough to kill it straight off, and I was right. The weakened animal whined and collapsed, still bleeding, and lost another HP. The two level 4 dinos had resisted my Wither ability, but I was hoping the third time would be the charm. I punched down hard, putting my entire weight behind the blow, and struck the warg’s head, slamming it down to the ground with a concussion of gray energy that finished it off.

You hit lesser warg for 2 damage

Wither has sapped 2.6% of the target life (-1 HP) Deathless spell school has increased to level 4

The warg corpse collapsed to the ground, and gray energy spilled out of it, spreading over the ground.

Atrofield [rank 1]: Biomancer abilities +5% effect, -10%
resistance

I didn’t stop to admire my handiwork and immediately went into a forward dive, narrowly avoiding one of the snapping raptors while the other one managed to nick my leg.

Snapper clawed you for 6 damage

The wound wasn’t deep enough to hamper my movements, but my spear was deeply embedded in the warg carcass, and I couldn’t afford the two seconds of immobility to pull it out. Instead, I narrowly avoided another snapping bite, slapping the creature’s snout away, finally surpassing its higher-level resistance.

Wither has sapped 3.4% of the target life (-1 HP) The recent skill level up, coupled with the surrounding atrofield, increased the Wither effect as I hoped, though it was still not high enough to inflict more than a single point of damage. Still, despite the skill’s description not mentioning it, the secondary effect kicked in, and the dino-bird shrieked in pain, jumping back and out of the fight to shake its head in agony. Having part of your flesh wither and die was damn distracting, apparently.

The other dino charged past its companion, and this time, I couldn’t dodge it. With lightning speed, its talons flashed, easily slashing through my brand-new shirt, drawing three deep, bloody lines on my chest.

Snapper hit you for 9 damage

My health bar shrunk to 65%, and I felt the pain from my chest radiate outward, constricting my muscles. I would’ve given a lot for a proper tactical vest right now. The rough clothes I was wearing
offered no resistance to the creature’s razor-sharp talons, but even armorless, I had to keep going. I fought through the agony. My years of training had taught me not to let pain control my actions; the human body was capable of withstanding much more punishment than most people thought was possible. It was just a matter of having the mental fortitude to overcome the instinct to curl up into a ball.

I took advantage of the bird’s attack, bringing it into closer range and launching two quick jabs at it, calling for the cold energy inside me. My fists landed on its torso, but the creature’s hide was deceptively thick, and my fists inflicted no damage. My Wither ability, though, did.

Wither (x2) has sapped 7.1% of the target life (-2 HP) The dino’s chest blackened and started crumbling away. The creature let out a pained shriek as it hopped backward and started contorting in agony, giving me all the time I needed to turn things around. I bent down toward the dead warg, intending to pull out the spear, but the first dino had recovered faster than I expected and was charging again. My fingers closed around the shaft, but I knew I had no chance of retrieving it before I was struck. Then, another idea hit me. With my free hand, I struck the dead warg and looted it. The body crumbled away, and I pulled out the spear through the cloud of disintegrating flesh just in time to brace it against the incoming attack. The dino, not expecting the long weapon, had no time to arrest its momentum, and its entire weight impacted the spear, driving it deep to come bursting out of its back.

You hit Snapper for 18 damage (6 base X 3 critical hit) The creature fell on its side, its taloned feet kicking the air frantically as it wailed and thrashed. It still had 8 HP remaining, but it looked like it was out of the fight. The other dino had also recovered
from its double serving of Wither and was stalking me. Again weaponless, I found myself at a disadvantage.

I glanced down at the dying bird, which was bleeding HP by the second. “Let’s go for double jeopardy,” I muttered and pounced on the helpless creature. Two fistfuls of Wither made sure it stayed down, immobilized in agony. My skinning knife flashed as I put its leather penetration feature to use, ending the snapper’s life.

The still-standing dino seemed to have learned from its friend’s mistake and didn’t take the opportunity to charge me, which was a pretty wise deduction for an animal. Unfortunately for it, its wariness gave me all the time I needed to execute its friend, loot it, and retrieve my spear from its disintegrating remains.

Atrofield [rank 2]: Biomancer abilities +10% effect, -20%
resistance

Biomass absorbed 14.6%: 3.5Kg [total: 20kg]

The thin tendril of liquified biomass moved along with me as I didn’t wait for it to finish flowing into me. I could also feel my injuries slowly healing as biomass filled the wounds. Despite the deep injuries, I wasn’t bleeding—my status as a deathless had made such annoyances irrelevant—but my opponent wasn’t as lucky. With one injured enemy left and atrofield at rank 2, I felt pretty confident in my chances.

I pointed my spear at the snapper. “You’re up next, buddy.”

The dino tilted its head at me, then narrowed its eyes. It crouched down like a coiling snake and moved its head to the side.

Despite the weird head placement, I knew what was coming next, so I leveled my spear at the coiled creature. “Let’s dance.”

In response, the dino flicked its head back, and I had only an instant to stare at the stone it hurled at me. I instinctively brought up my arm to deflect the bullet, and the movement tipped my spear sideways. The dino was moving even before the stone made contact
and was sailing through the air with both taloned feet aimed at me like multi-bladed spears, and my spear was out of position.

“Oh, shi—” I didn’t get to finish the sentence. The unbelievably cunning animal had caught me completely off guard. Its taloned feet slammed into my chest, hurling me to the ground. The snapper didn’t stop there and raked its talons, shredding my flesh with every movement.

Snapper hit you for 20 damage ([8 base + 25% rend] X 2) My health bar instantly shrunk down. Lying on my back, disoriented, and with only 8 HP remaining, my outlook wasn’t good.

The creature screeched in triumph, pulling its neck back and opening its jaws in preparation for a finishing blow. So I did the only thing I could think of. Since it was already in contact with my flesh—
intimately so—I let loose a blast of gray energy at it.

Wither has sapped 4.2% of the target life (-2 HP) The animal shrieked as it was hit by the sapping energies—
further strengthened by the rank 2 atrofield—and tumbled off me, giving me the chance to rise to my feet.

My health bar ticked upward by 1 HP as more biomass was converted to knit my ghastly wounds. I looked down straight into my open torso; my character’s shriveled insides were visible. If I was still a normal living human, that wound would have no doubt been a critical hit, which would have instantly ended me, but as things were the terrible injury wasn’t even bleeding. The raptor snapped at me, and I intercepted the attack with my spear, scoring its face for a few HP. It still had about 80% of its original health remaining and seemed alert and willing to take its time to finish me off.

But time was more on my side than his, which quickly became apparent as my health ticked up to 10. I made sure to stay within the gray zone, whose radius—thanks to the second fatality—had grown
to four meters. The dino’s face and legs—the spots hit by my Wither ability—looked shriveled, and I knew I could slap one more instance on it. I made a thrust, and the dino nimbly skipped sideways to avoid it, then its head snapped forward before I could retract the weapon, and its teeth closed around the shaft.

“Shit,” I cursed as I tried yanking the weapon back, already envisioning the plummeting durability points.

I placed a foot forward, balancing to deliver a kick to the animal’s face, but once again, it surprised me. As soon as my foot left the ground to kick, the dino gave a sudden pull, causing me to lose balance. It took advantage of my momentary lapse, its jaws instantly leaving the spear and snapping down around both my upper arms.

Snapper bit you for 5 damage

Thanks to the quickness of the move, the bite wasn’t very powerful, but even as I staggered to regain my balance, it gnashed its teeth, stealing away another HP. I was still holding the spear, but for the second time today, I found my arms locked in place by an animal’s jaws. I blasted the thing with the third and final Wither, reducing its HP to 23. The pressure around my trapped limbs loosened a bit, but despite the pain, it didn’t let go.

“Damn it.” I gritted my teeth. I was going to die for the third time today, and just when I was so close to winning. The creature was dazed. I needed to pry its jaws apart just for a second, then I could kill it with my spear, but the awkward position didn’t give me a lot of room to maneuver. I tried flexing my arm, and my muscles contracted and bulged, almost repelling the row of small, sharp teeth. Almost. I strained to flex even farther, forcing every bit of energy and strength I had into my muscles. I could see the dino’s eyes narrowing as it regained full control of its body, and its neck muscles bulged as it prepared to bite cleanly through my forearms.

“No. You. Won’t.” I heaved, feeling a burst of power traversing through my body and into my arms. Silvery-gray liquid seeped out of
my skin beneath the dino’s teeth, coating my forearms in a thick layer that forced the creature’s teeth out of my flesh. Then the gray settled and solidified. I blinked in amazement as I saw part of my arm covered with a thick layer of dino-like skin.

My remaining health ticked up to two, and I wasted no time in ripping my arms away from the creature’s jaws, its sharp teeth leaving only scratches on the thick coating. The dino was still reeling back from what had just happened, presenting me with the perfect opportunity to strike. My spear came rushing in, impaling the creature’s neck.

You hit Snapper for 15 damage (5 base X 3 critical hit) The raptor’s agonized shriek as I pulled out the spear in a spray of blood was like music to my ears. It fell to the ground, convulsing, its remaining health draining along with the red liquid.

I looted the creature almost as an afterthought and studied my covered arms. There was no question about it, the layer looked exactly like the dino’s own brown and gray hide. Tearing my gaze away from the sight, I diverted my attention to the hovering notifications.

Lesser warg, level 4, defeated

Snapper, level 4, defeated X 2

+90% progression toward next level

Level up!

You have reached level 4.

Spirit attribute +1 (Physical +0.75, Mental +0.5, Social

+0.25)

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 6

“Damn,” I said, feeling a smile tug at my lips. I wasn’t surprised I leveled up from this fight—I was already on the verge of level 4—but a glance at my character sheet revealed I was also halfway toward level 5, and my maximum health had jumped to 54. The Biomancer upgrade was also a nice, if not unexpected, reward as I had been using Wither and Biomass extensively during this fight. It still didn’t explain the coating around my forearms. As I studied it more, the hide shriveled up and started flaking off. Within moments, my arms were back to their previous veiny self.

Nothing in this fight or the messages had explained the phenomenon. Maybe it was time for me to consult a higher power.

‘Higher’ being used loosely.

I pressed my palms together and lowered my head. “Matsuel?”

Well, it’s about damn time you rang, the VI’s voice answered instantly from inside my head. Do you have any idea how many times I wanted to shout instructions at you? For Guy’s sake, you have to keep things unexpected; going shopping, getting into a bar fight, then out hunting is your average adventurer's daily routine. You can do better than that. Though I grant you the whole ‘turning into a weird mummy’ thing was innovative, and why are you asking the NPCs about the conduit?

“Glad you approve of my transformation, oh high and mighty,” I said dryly, purposely ignoring his last question.

Is that really the right tone to take with your deity? Do you want me to smite you?

I raised an eyebrow at that. “Can you actually do that?”

Well … not exactly, not until you score me some major Faith Points.

“So, you need my help to strike me down.”

In a nutshell. So ... you know … what’s the hold up on that front?

“Not the greatest motivation I ever heard, I must say,” I said.

We all play the hand we’re dealt. I’m guessing you contacted me to ask about yours.

“Pretty much,” I admitted. “Want to tell me how come I got dinosaur hide growing over my arms all of the sudden?”

Well, duh, it’s your biomass ability, naturally.

I frowned. “I don’t follow. It liquifies animals and heals injuries.”

Glancing at my health bar, I saw it was already back to a third, draining a full kilo of biomass in the process, leaving me with 22 to spare.

I guess you missed the part in the ability’s description saying Biomass can be actively utilized. It’s not surprising as NEO’s notifications are intentionally lacking in the details. Guy wanted the players to learn the full extent of their characters themselves. Many simply worded spells and skills have deeper functionality if used correctly.

I frowned. “Like what?”

To give you one example, have you ever heard of the Fireball spell?

It was one of the fire spells in my brother’s combo. “Big flaming sphere that explodes on impact?”

That’s the one. Well, here in NEO, proficient mages can summon the sphere, then keep holding it, providing light and warmth at a minuscule MP cost. Quite handy when exploring cold, dark places, don’t you think? That’s just one simple example. There are more complicated ones, like your Biomass ability for one.

“So what can I do with it, exactly?” I asked.

Nuh-uh, that would be cheating.

“Didn’t you cheat already by turning me into this thing?”

Yeah … but that was different. It was my official first act as a god. I’m allowed one cheat per god rank.

“So you have rules regarding how to cheat the rules?”

We are very methodical about these things.

“I’m just asking for some simple answers.”

Information is power, and power gained like that is cheating. We must draw a hard line between player knowledge and character knowledge. Otherwise, the adventure loses its appeal. It’s a basic DM thing.

“What the hell are you talking about? Besides, I’m already using real-world knowledge in tracking, brawling, and combat tactics.”

That’s different. These things will only be useful in the lower levels. In order to tackle real challenges, you’ll need actual game skills and levels to carry you over. The best tactic in the world won’t help you against an enemy that can blast away entire mountains.

“Alright,” I gave in, “I got the message. I’ll look into my abilities more deeply.”

That’s the first intelligent thing you’ve said all day.

“I do have one question in that regard.”

I’ll answer if I can.

“It’s about Wither and the fight I’d just had.”

What about it?

“Both snappers resisted the effect at first, but the warg didn’t.

Then, after the atrofield took hold, no one managed to resist it at all. I thought it worked by lowering the percentage chance, so why such consistent results?”

Okay, I can answer that much. The resistance chance isn’t as cut and dried as you think. It’s not absolute and depends on a lot of parameters. You’d probably need a physics degree to understand the equations. Given your meat-headedness, I’ll spare you the detailed drill-down and give you the highlights: you’ll almost always manage to Wither a target your level or lower. Higher-level enemies have an exponential chance of resisting, depending on the ratio between your levels rather than the gap. That means that a level 4
enemy has a hell of a lot more chance of resisting a Wither attempt when you’re level 3 than a level 100 one when you’re level 99. The atrofield resistance reduction decreases that ratio rather than fixed numbers, so a single instance will probably be enough to always overcome a level or two higher than you. Do you follow?

“Use one atrofield instance for small level gaps, use more instances for bigger ones?”

I should have dumbed it down further, I see. At least you got the gist of it.

I stared down at the colorless area. Having reached a six-meter radius, it was now slowly shrinking. I collected the dropped loot, earning myself a warg fur, two snapper hides, and a dozen chunks of raw meat.

It was time to sit down and fully explore my strange new abilities

—a soldier who went into battle without being fully familiar with his weapons was an accident waiting to happen. It was a mistake on my part not to fully research the gaming aspect of this world in advance.

A mistake I wasn't about to make again. I needed a secure place to experiment.

I turned from the now-bloody clearing and made my way back to Brinfold village.

7 - Tinkering

My health climbed steadily, drawing on my store of biomass as I marched on. Since a major part of my body was being rebuilt back from scratch, I was able to closely examine the process. A thin tendril of silvery-gray liquid seeped into the wounds, seemingly out of nowhere, and slowly settled in, morphing into internal organs, muscles, and tendons. There was pain, but it was dull—nowhere half as much what a stomach wound like that ought to feel like. I surmised it was probably another by-product of my transforming into a not-completely-living individual. A more seasoned gamer would have probably understood the mechanics better than I did, but all that mattered to me was that pain was no longer a serious inhibitor.

As my flesh knitted back together, the biomass count continued to tick down, allowing me to determine it was consuming 1 kilo of biomass for every 10 HP restored.

As I continued walking, I stumbled across the site of my earlier battle. The gray circle that centered around the armadillo’s body was gone, but the vegetation left behind still looked dull and lifeless, leaving a circle-shaped scar amidst the sea of green.

I shrugged it off. The damage to the flora meant nothing to me.

It was just a game. I doubted Greenpeace had a strong influence in this world—especially given the limited access. I kept on walking, keeping an eye out. My Essence Sight revealed countless tracks and kept leveling up every few minutes.

As I got closer to the village, I suddenly heard a muffled cry filled with pain. “Help!” The sound was accompanied by animal growls.

I instantly went from alert to full combat mode. A possible ally was in danger, and my instincts kicked in. I ran toward the sound of battle and stumbled into a clearing. Max, one of the hunters I fought at the inn, was facing off against two metalback armadillos. A third metalback’s arrow-riddled corpse lay nearby. Max was holding off the two enraged animals with his hunting spear, but it was clear he was being overwhelmed. Bloody gashes along one of his thighs restricted his movements. He wasn't going to last long without help. All
vindictive feelings toward the man evaporated at the sight. We might have been at odds before, but we were never really enemies. This was a civilian in danger, and it was my duty to help. I positioned myself behind one of the animals, then pounced just as its companion charged the hunter. The rear armadillo was caught unaware, and I managed to pin down one of its hind legs with my spear. With the animal momentarily immobilized, I slapped down on its armored shell with an open palm.

Spear hit Metalback Armadillo for 2 damage (4 base - 2
armor)

Wither has sapped 4.3% of the target life (-1 HP) With its back leg pinned, the animal writhed in pain on the ground. I left it alone and closed in behind the other one. Max was doing his best to fend it off with his spear, drawing the animal’s focus solely on him. I used that to move behind it and launched two quick punches and a finishing kick combo. All three attacks landed on its armored back, not managing to penetrate the sturdy shell, but Wither wasn’t so casually shrugged off.

Wither (x3) has sapped 14.1% of the target life (-3 HP) Had the armadillo had more than 24 HP, the 14% Wither effect would have been more substantial. Still, it proved enough of a distraction. The injured animal reared up in pain, and Max didn’t waste the opening. His spear thrust forward, piercing the animal’s neck. It fell to the ground, its lifeblood spilling like water, quickly depleting its remaining HP. I stared at the hunter in surprise. His spear looked to be better quality than mine, but not so much that would account for the substantial higher damage. If that was the benefit of having actual combat skills, then I needed to get one of those as quickly as possible.

The animal died within a few more seconds, then the familiar atrofield erupted, the edges reaching its thrashing companion.

With a nod to the hunter, we moved to flank the remaining armadillo. It turned to face Max, apparently marking him as the greater threat, giving me all the opening I needed. I darted in and applied two more instances of Wither with two quick jabs.

Wither (x2) has sapped 10.2% of the target life (-2 HP) The percentage was greater with my higher Biomancer skill level. Just like before, my attack drew the animal’s attention, and once again Max used the opportunity, his spear dispatching the animal with a single thrust. Then the fight was over.

We stood over the bodies, carefully studying each other. The battle had momentarily put us on the same side, but now that it was over we both recalled our previous engagement. I might have proven my superiority in hand-to-hand combat, but Max was clearly a deadly spearman.

After a long moment sizing each other, Max nodded at me. “That kill’s mine,” he said, nodding toward the arrow-riddled corpse. “You can have the other two.”

To anyone else, it might have sounded ungrateful, but I knew better. Max was proud and strong. Gifting me the two kills was as close to a wholehearted apology as I would get. I nodded back at him, showing I appreciated the sentiment.

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +1 (5/50)

“Don’t know why they attacked,” the burly man said gruffly.

“These beasts are usually only aggressive if attacked first, but they just charged when they spotted me. I saw them standing in a gray patch before that, like the one that just formed around their bodies.

It’s a bad omen, bad magic. Might not be safe around here for now.”

I nodded to indicate I understood and appreciated the unspoken hint: be careful out there. I was still getting around to learn about my strange new abilities, and I wasn’t ready to answer questions about them.

Thankfully, Max didn’t seem to realize my attacks were responsible for withering the bodies and seemed to think the gray circles that erupted out of them were some sort of contagion they contracted elsewhere in the forest.

The hunter approached the armadillo he’d claimed, looting its metal carapace, meat, and retrieving some of his arrows. Then he disappeared between the trees. With him gone, I turned my attention to the hovering messages in my view.

Metalback armadillo, level 3, defeated X2

+20% progression toward the next level

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 7

I prodded each animal with the tip of my foot, slurp-looting them both.

Biomass absorbed 18.2%: 7.2Kg [total: 28.2]

Biomass absorbed 18.2%: 7.2Kg [total: 35.4]

Curiously, I approached the armadillo Max looted and nudged it as well. The stream of biomass that ensued revealed the ability wasn’t limited to my own kills.

Biomass absorbed 18.2%: 7.2Kg [total: 42.6]

I was now able to harvest 18%—a significant improvement on the first armadillo I’d fought. Glancing at the skill’s description, I saw
my total capacity had also upgraded to 160kg—plenty of room for some extra meat-slurpees. Once I finished looting the bodies, I straightened and followed the hunter’s steps toward the village.

***

A new surprise greeted me when I reached Brinfold. As soon as I passed the town’s low fence, my eyes filled with the vivid red signs of life around, and my newest skill ticked upward for what felt like the tenth time in the past hour.

Essence Sight has increased to level 11

Congratulations! You have acquired a new skill rank: Apprentice.

As an Apprentice ranked Essence Sight user, you can now view the physical conditions of targets.

“Okay …” I said, “not very informative.” Then again, it seemed nothing in this world was. Everything was shrouded with ambiguity, requiring active research and experimentation to discover their full potential. Which just so happened to be what I was planning to do.

Walking through town, I stopped by Dawn’s shop.

“You’re back,” the older woman greeted me. “Been away half the day. How was the hunt?”

“Not bad, ma’am, got some more skins and meat to sell,” I said, pulling out the lesser warg skin, two snapper hides, three metal carapaces, and 20 units of raw meat.

The trader blinked at me. “That’s quite the haul for one day. Ya ought to be careful though, a few more of those, and you’ll attract the druids’ wrath.”

“Good to know,” I said evenly.

Dann frowned as if not sure what I meant by it. She took in the loot again. "I’ll give ya a good deal for the wolf and snappers, 15 gold each. You’d be better served selling the carapaces to Robert though, and Ron will give ya a better deal for the meat than I.”

I looked at her, a little surprised. “That’s very honest of you, ma’am.”

She made a shooing motion. “Ya may be new around here, but you’re a decent sort—I can tell. We treat decent folks well in Brinfold

—most of us, anyway.”

I opened my mouth to thank the hospitable woman again, then stopped myself and frowned. I was growing to like the no-nonsense woman. She was only a game character, but the nuance and range of emotions she exhibited were uncanny. I knew she wasn’t real, but she was easy to talk to, and her open and friendly mannerisms made it easy to forget what she was. Then another, more sinister, thought struck. I could just as easily kill her. If Derrick was this village’s strongest fighter, then I should be able to massacre the lot of them with ease, gaining levels and skills even quicker than I could out there in the wild. These people weren’t real; they weren’t important.

There was nothing stopping me from using them for my needs.

“Something on your mind, sonny?” Dawn asked with a slight frown.

“No, ma’am,” I replied automatically as I relaxed my suddenly clenched muscles. Real or not, I couldn’t just go around killing civilians. They might all be just virtual existences, but I could almost hear my old drill sergeant’s voice shouting at me, drilling my duty as a soldier deep into my soul. “I’ll see you later, ma’am.” I took the 45
gold she handed me and stepped outside.

I crossed the street toward the smithy and greeted the man by the anvil. “Robert.”

“Hello again, lad, how’s that spear working out for ya?”

I looked down at my beaten spear. The snapper teeth marks were visible on the shaft, reducing the weapon’s durability to 10 out of its original 16 points. “It could be better,” I admitted. “I could use a steel spear—or a good sword.”

The smith chuckled. “What do ya take me for? I ain’t no weaponsmith. Spearheads and small tools are about the best I can do. Besides, good metal isn’t easy to come by around here.”

“That’s the reason I came,” I said. “Can you do something with these?” I took out the three armadillo carapaces.

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the pile. “That’s a mighty fine haul you got there, lad. That much metal can keep me busy for a while. I’ll give you 25 gold apiece.”

I nodded, scanning the forged items on display behind him.

There were mostly farming implements, horseshoes, pots, pans, a few cooking knives, and a metal tube that looked to be a part of a pulley system. The tube’s shape reminded me of the bracer-like hide that coated my arm and the importance of armor. The Armor stat in my character sheet currently had a big fat zero next to it. “What about defense?” I asked. “Can you make some sort of armor?”

He snorted. “Sonny, if I’m not good enough to be a weaponsmith, I damn sure ain’t good enough to be making armor.”

“What about leather armor?” I said. “I saw the hunters wear some.”

“Those skin jerkins? They ain’t much good for anything other than protecting you from thorns and briars out there, but if you're dead set on one, go see Sagita. She’s the village tailor, and she’ll hook you up.”

“Thanks,” I said, collecting the 75 gold he gave me.

“Oh, before ya leave,” Robert said as I turned my back at him, causing me to turn back to face him, “watch yourself out there. Some of the hunters found these weird gray circles in the forest. Seems to drive the animal nuts, turn them feral.”

I froze. “How do they know it's the gray circles that aggravate the animals?”

“They saw a couple of rabbits enter a circle, then go berserk.

They didn’t try to run when the hunters shot them, and they charged with bodies riddled with arrows at the hunters instead. This isn’t natural, lad. So, again, watch yourself out there.”

I nodded slowly. “Thanks for the warning.” I stepped away from the smithy, deep in thought. So my atrofield was making the local wildlife go crazy—that seemed to corroborate Max’s theory about why the armadillos attacked him. I knew the atrofield didn’t last long, so presumably, the animals should calm down eventually. Still, it was an unexpected side effect. I considered ways of using it to my
advantage. Maybe I could make some sort of trap and funnel crazed animals through? It was something to think about at least.

I asked for directions from a passing farmer whose face I recognized from the inn, and he pointed out Sagita’s house for me. It was a small wooden cottage, built against a large boulder that substituted as one of its walls. It sat just next to the hunter’s lodge, so I made a stop to repay Old Fal the gold I owed him for my bow.

“Did ya get the skill for it?” the elderly hunter asked, motioning at the bow slung across my shoulder.

I shook my head. “I haven’t used it much, but when I did, I wasn’t very good at it.”

He nodded sagely. “Some folks take better to different types of hunting tools. Ya might want to try getting closer to your target the next time. A few good hits might be just the thing you’re missing to get the skill.”

I knew better, of course, but I nonetheless appreciated the encouraging words. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks. I exited the building and moved on to the one next to it.

“Come in,” a voice answered when I knocked.

I pushed open the door and walked inside, finding myself standing in a small work area. A wooden table was laden with a pile of tanned hides, and a gray-haired woman was cutting a piece of leather on another worktable. The boulder the house was built against was immediately visible, but to my surprise, instead of a sheer stone wall, it had a downward tunnel carved into it with a staircase.

“Who’re ya?” Sagita stared at me with hard eyes. “I think I’d remember someone as starved-looking like yourself.”

“Greetings, ma’am. I’m Seraph. I’m new around here,” I said.

“Robert said you can help me with some armor.”

“He did now, did he?” The woman narrowed her eyes. “Then he was wrong. I don’t do armor. I do clothes. Good, sturdy clothes.”

“What about that one?” I pointed at a thick leather jacket with no sleeves.

“That’s a work jerkin,” she said. “Good protection for hardy farmers or for hunters who dislike having tree branches tearing their
clothes. Looking at you, you ought to know what I’m talking about.”

I stared down at my torn shirt. “I ran into some snappers,” I said.

“They’re not exactly what you might call respectful of personal boundaries.”

She raised her eyebrow at that. “You fought more than one lizard at once? Snappers are cunning hunters, very dangerous for their level.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” I said. “It was a tough fight. Anything you can offer me that might provide some protection would be appreciated.”

“I can sell ya some leather pants and shirts,” she said. “2 armor each, and I got a sturdy snapper jerkin that will add another 3 points on top of that. Mind you, they won’t last long if you’ll be using them as armor.”

“I don’t see I have many choices,” I said. “How much?”

She sized me up. “Twenty gold for both the shirt and pants, another 30 for the jerkin.”

I furrowed my brow. I could have afforded the 50 gold for all three items, but I had a distinct feeling I was being fleeced.

“Snapper’s hides sell for 15 gold,” I said. “Yet you want double that for the jerkin?”

She assumed a somber expression, but not before I noticed the slight flare of concern in her eyes. “There’s the tanner’s fee to consider,” she said, a bit defensively, “not to mention the time I invested in the work.”

She had a point, but I knew I caught her red-handed. “I think that’s still a bit much. How about 25 for the jerkin and 15 for the other pieces?”

“Ya want me to lose 10 gold on the deal?”

“I want you to earn 40, ma’am,” I corrected. “I risked my life out there getting a hide that’s only worth 15 gold. Are you telling me that a few hours of your time is worth the same?”

She stared at me for a long moment, then cracked a smile. “Ya got me there, sonny. I’ll give you the local’s standard rate then.

That’ll be 45 gold for the lot.”

I nodded. “I appreciate it, ma’am.”

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption Swayed individuals: +1 (6/50)

You’ve gained a new skill: Barter

Allows you to haggle over prices ...

Once again, the new skill message disappeared before I could fully read it, and a moment later another one took its place.

Barter skill incompatible with player’s character.

Skill converted to: Coercion

Coercion, level 1 (S)

Aids with convincing people to see things your way or comply with your demands. Higher levels of this skill allow you to use more forceful speech without angering the target or risk a negative reaction. Aggressive dialog is required to facilitate this skill.

Skill rank: novice.

Level: 1.

Interesting, I thought. The game is pushing me toward bullying people. I always tried to be respectful of others, like I was taught, when they weren’t standing in my way, but I couldn’t deny the skill sounded useful. I took 45 gold from my inventory and handed it to the woman. I fumbled a little trying to wear the items she handed me back. For some reason, I couldn’t pass my arm through the jerkin’s armhole, and Sagita’s amused expression indicated I was doing something wrong. Then I recalled something my brother had explained to me once, and I winced. Of course, this is not how you put on clothes in games. I dropped the long pants, short-sleeve shirt, and jerkin into my inventory, then equipped them. The clothes appeared as if by magic around my body. They fit perfectly, and a glance at my character sheet showed my armor score had risen to 7.

“Now ya don’t need to worry about thorny bushes no more,”

Sagita said. “Might even stop the odd claw or bite, but I wouldn’t recommend going around testing it.”

“I don’t know,” I said, “an armor value of seven is pretty good.

Most of the hits I received didn’t inflict much more than that, and wearing these, I’d receive seven fewer points of damage each time I’m hit, right?”

She snorted. “Of course not. Armor halves the damage you receive—as long as it's higher. Any damage above your total armor score comes straight out of your health points.”

“Oh,” I said. That was less beneficial than I’d thought, but it still beat walking around unprotected. “So I should strive to increase my armor to protect myself from more powerful hits, but the most I can hope for is half the damage?”

“Well ...” she relented, “if your armor value is significantly higher than the base damage, it will further decrease the amount you received. A warrior in full armor, for example, would be able to stand being mauled by a horde of cats for hours without a scratch to show for it.”

“I get it,” I said. “The higher my armor value is, the better I’m protected from injuries.”

“That’s correct in principle, but that outfit you’re wearing is hardly a knight’s armor. Remember what I said before: it's better to avoid attacks. A few good hits would probably be enough to rip them to shreds.”

The pants and shirt had 10 durability points each, while the jerkin had 20. As the woman suggested, they wouldn’t last long in a combat situation, but it was better than risking my own skin. “Thanks, Sagita,” I said. “Nice doing business with you.”

She offered me a toothy grin. “Come and see me again once ya shred those up.”

I nodded and stepped outside.

As I walked toward the inn, my mind drifted back to the recent skill I’d gained. The description said I could get away with threatening people—as long as I didn’t cross some unseen line beyond what my skill level could handle. I decided to test that theory
on an unsavory man who was slurring as he cursed loudly while trying to pull on a muddy boot.

Jassar Vid, level 1, 10 hp [intoxicated]

I raised an eyebrow at the last word at the man’s description. I hadn’t paid much attention to Robert and Dawn’s stats, but I was fairly certain there wasn’t a new descriptor next to their names. Must be the Apprentice rank bonus of Essence Sight, I mused. The upgraded skill mentioned it would display a target’s physical condition, and apparently, ‘intoxicated’ counted as one.

“Hey, you,” I called the man. “Come here, please.”

“Can’t ya see I’m busy, idiot?” he grumbled in response, not bothering to look my way. “Get lost.”

Yeah, this one will do just fine, I thought and thinned my lips.

“Get over here, dumbass,” I growled. “Now!”

The man’s head snapped my way, and his eyes widened. “Yes, sir.” He let go of the boot and moved closer. “What can I do for ya, mister?”

“Nothing, thanks,” I said. “You can go now.”

He scowled. “What ya called me here for, eh?”

“Get lost!” I said.

“Yessir!” he replied, moving back to fumble with his boot.

Coercion skill has increased to level 2

I fought down a smile. This was a fun skill. I wanted to learn what else I could do with it.

“On second thought,” I told the man with a strict tone, “come here and give me 5 gold.”

He scowled at me. “Who the hell do ya think ya are bossing me around like that? My uncle will hear of it.”

Okay, then a level 2 skill isn’t enough to coerce someone out of their money, I surmised as the man skulked away. It would be best
not to try this sort of trick in a big city, where the offending side might call in the town’s constable—assuming they even had law enforcement around. But I didn’t have much to fear around Brinfold if Derrick was the biggest threat around.

I studied the passing villagers as I walked toward the inn. Most had no descriptors like Jassar did, but I encountered one more case of intoxication, and a farmer who was grabbing a wounded arm that had the ‘bleeding 1’ one title next to his name. That, in turn, had apparently been enough to push Essence Sight to level 12.

Skill capped: Essence Sight

Increase your Mental attribute to increase the cap.

I frowned. I recalled Matsuel mentioning skills could only get as high as their governing attribute plus 10. My Mental attribute was indeed at 2 at the moment, but due to being a deathless being, I couldn’t increase it directly, and it would only go up to three once I reached level 6, which was two levels away. Then again, the skill has been pretty useful already, and I had other ones I could work on leveling up in the meantime.

Several heads turned to look at me as I entered the inn, but most quickly turned away as they made eye contact. I ignored them all and walked straight to the counter. “I need a quiet room,” I told Ron.

The man looked at me nervously. “A room for a night is five gold, sir. That includes two meals and a drink.”

"I don’t need food and drink.”

“Well, ah … I guess I can make it 4 gold for the room.”

“Earlier you charged me 2 gold for one drink,” I grunted menacingly.

“That doesn't …” he started, then halted. “I mean, it’s a package deal …” He stopped again as he saw my unflinching gaze. “Yessir, that will be 3 gold for the room.”

Coercion skill has increased to level 3

I fought down a smile. I was starting to enjoy this experience.

I paid the fee, took the key Ron handed me, and went upstairs.

The inn only had two guestrooms and neither seemed occupied. My key opened the closest one, and I stepped inside. The room wasn’t particularly spacious, but there was a double bed, a dresser, a small table, and just enough room to move around a little. I had seen far worse accommodations in my line of work.

Let’s get down to business. I drew back a wooden chair and took a seat. I lifted my arm and stared intently at it, willing my biomass to resurface.

A moment passed, then two, but my arm remained the same. I tried invoking the same sensations that ran through me when the snapper bit my arm, but I couldn't seem to muster the same level of excitement and anxiety, and my limbs remained the same.

I decided to try a different approach. Concentrating on my arm, I tried to actively imagine it surrounded by the same tough hide as before. This time I felt something well up inside me. Some sort of …

a bubbling force , that was not quite ready to surface. “Biomass,” I murmured, and that finally seemed to do the trick. The floodgate opened, and silvery-gray liquid seeped out of my skin and settled around my arm, turning into the same snapper hide bracers like the one before.

Biomass -2kg (40.4 remaining)

“Daaamn,” I said. My very own insta-grow armor. Before I could inspect it further, more messages popped over my view.

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 8

You have learned a new Biomancer ability: Biocraft Allows you to convert stored biomass into tools, armor, and weapons. Manufactured items must be grown on your body and
will rapidly deteriorate once removed. Can only mimic materials from harvested creatures (i.e. no dragonhide armor without first absorbing a dragon). Can only cover a limited percentage of your body (amount will increase along with skill level). Denser materials, such as bone, double the biomass requirement and coverage percentage needed to form it.

Effect I: total coverage: 8%. Duration: 8 min. (1 per skill level) Effect II: item effectiveness +4%. (0.5 per skill level) I inspected the bracer closely. To my surprise, I could sense …

something coming out of it, sort of a phantom sensation from a limb that wasn’t truly my own. The sensation was faint enough that it wasn’t distracting me, so I simply ignored that for now and willed the item’s description to appear. I was getting better at mentally operating the game controls, and the message box popped open almost immediately.

Snapper Hide Bracer

Integrated item

Armor: 2

Coverage: 5%

Time remaining: 7 minutes, 30 seconds.

“Nice,” I said in approval. A glance at my Armor stat showed it had indeed increased to 9. The single strip around my arm had the same armor value as my entire shirt, which was pretty incredible.

Then again, the material wasn’t the supple, well-treated leather I was wearing. It looked more like a snapper’s actual hide with a brown-gray mixed pattern.

If I understood the skill properly, the bonus it added to items created in this fashion would add +50% to the armor value at skill level 100, raising the bracer armor from 2 to 3. I was still a long way from that point, but I felt confident I could learn to create better gear with higher values that would benefit from a lower bonus as well.

I concentrated on my other hand and tried to will a second bracer to materialize around my other arm. I could sense the cold energy inching to be released, but for some reason, it didn’t.

I clenched my teeth. “Biocraft.”

Nothing happened.

“Biomass.” Still nothing.

It took me a third reading through the new ability’s description to realize what the problem was. My current skill level only allowed up to 8% coverage. As the first bracer took 5% on its own, it didn’t leave enough ‘room’ for a new piece.

Letting go of that area of experimentation, I tested the single bracer’s strength. It was wrapped tightly around my arm, and even with my entire 4 points of Physical put into the effort, I couldn’t rip it off. My skinning knife had managed to score a deep groove on it, but just a casual flick wasn’t enough to penetrate all the way to the flesh.

All in all, I was quite pleased with the result.

Next, I tried to envision a bone dagger materializing in my hand but failed again. I decided the failure was due to lack of coverage percentage given that bone was specifically mentioned as doubling the amount of required coverage, so I set my sights lower. I concentrated on the tip of my fingers and they became coated with a thin layer of white bone that ended with short sharp tips. I didn’t even have to vocalize the skill name this time.

Biomass -0.6kg (39.8 remaining)

Small Bone Claws

Integrated item

Damage: 2-4

Coverage: 3%

Time remaining: 7 minutes, 50 seconds.

The claws’ damage potential was better than the skinning knife, but that wasn’t the only benefit. I could faintly sense the bones as an
extension of myself. I pulled on the cold energy that swirled in my core and felt it reacting to my will, washing through my body and into the extended claws. Oh yeah, that will work, I thought, knowing I’d just discovered a way to deliver Wither through an actual weapon rather than my ineffective fists.

The duration on the bracer elapsed, and the snapper hide crumbled away into nothingness. Eight minutes wasn’t a lot, but it would be more than enough to last through most fights. I embraced the fleeting sensation caused by the bracer’s disappearance and projected it toward the claws. They crumbled away from my fingers within seconds, leaving my hands free. I smiled in grim satisfaction. I was getting better and better at understanding how to operate in this game. Will and intentions played almost as much part as actions.

Gideon must have loved this part of the game.

I continued experimenting with the new ability. I discovered that my 8% coverage offered a very limited selection for armor. I could manufacture one bracer, one pauldron, and one greave—all leather.

I tried substituting the material for wolf fur, but other than making me look like a shaggier version of myself, the armor value remained the same. Attempting to duplicate the armadillos’ metal carapace was met with failure. I also tried to—as the ability’s name suggested—
layer flesh over my limb, hoping to increase my muscle mass. It didn’t work. Instead, the new muscle tissue looked lifeless and disturbingly bulbous and didn’t integrate with my own body. It had a lower armor value than either bone or leather, so seeing no value in it, I stopped that line of experimentation, concentrating on the other materials I could make use of.

After what felt like hours of playing with the new skill—wasting a good amount of biomass in the process which did nothing to increase my skill level—I began to tire.

I stifled a yawn and looked grudgingly at my bed. I was a deathless creature whose biology required no sustenance, yet somehow, I still needed sleep. Then again, it was probably the real me that was tired, and the player behind the character was very much alive—and needed its beauty sleep. Tomorrow I’d go hunting
again. I needed more biomass, and I was looking forward to what reaching Biomancer skill level 11 would allow me to accomplish.

I lay down on the lumpy bed and drifted away.

8 - Wargicide

I woke up to a timid knock on the door and roughly rubbed the cobweb out of my eyes. “Who’s there?”

“It’s Ron,” the man replied. “Sun’s out. I didn’t know if you’d like me to—”

“Thanks. I’ll be down in a minute,” I said in a grunt, cutting him off. Sleeping inside the game felt weird. My head was heavy and filled with buzzing flies. It felt a little like being awakened in the middle of the night. Still, I did feel more rested, and as I got up from the bed and started walking around, my head soon cleared.

Being used to waking up in remote, strange hostels, my immediate instinct was to wash up and pack my things, but there was no need for that here. All my things were already in my inventory, and I seriously doubted there was a need to brush my virtual teeth—even if I hadn’t been a deathless being.

Walking downstairs, I saw the common room was almost full with what must have been most of the village. Farmers were sharing breakfast along with hunters and workmen. I nodded politely at Robert who replied with a friendly wave. He was the only one, though. Most of the other villagers stared at me with suspicion as I crossed the room, their eyes lingering on my sunken face and veiny arms. I guess I couldn’t blame them. I was a strange-looking stranger in a remote town. A group of hunters was huddled around Derrick, whispering and throwing the occasional dirty look my way. I noticed Max standing next to them, though he didn’t seem to share their sentiment

“Morning, hon.” I looked up and saw Lyta blocking my way. The woman arced a knowing eyebrow at me. “Looking for trouble already?”

“No, ma’am,” I said. “Time for me to get back to hunting.”

“What, no breakfast first?” She pouted.

“No, thank you.”

“That doesn’t sound right.”

“I’ll take another shot of moonshine if you’re offering.”

She frowned slightly at that. “Maybe when you get back. Don’t want to get you all stumbling about in the woods, now do we?”

“Thank you, ma’am. That would be nice.”

Bidding her goodbye, I exited the inn and headed out of the village. I lucked out as soon as I entered the forest and stumbled across three level 1 rabbits. Using my bow, I managed to hit one and pin it down, then rushed the other two. I managed to kill one with my spear, but the other escaped.

“Huh,” I said as the easy win did nothing to increase my level progression. The first rabbit I shot was still alive, though it struggled to escape. I bent down and plucked it off the ground. I was about to snap its neck and loot it but suddenly had a better idea. I grabbed the rabbit by the ears and carried it along with me. If this had been real life, what I was doing could be considered cruel. But this wasn’t real life. It was just a simulated rabbit inside a simulated world—not that I had a qualm about doing the same thing in real life, if it served my purpose, but in here I didn’t have to excuse myself.

I continued walking deeper into the forest, ignoring the level 1
and 2 beasts along the way. I was level 4 now, and if I wanted to grow, I needed a proper challenge. Besides, the smaller critters had barely enough biomass on them to justify the delay.

With my Essence Sight active, I kept scanning the forest floor until I came upon larger tracks I instantly recognized. Wargs.

According to the bright red color, they were here recently. I was fairly certain there were three or four of them—with one set of tracks considerably larger than the rest. With the spear held in one hand and the live rabbit in the other, I started following the red glow. I soon came upon a shallow stream and jumped over it, only to land on the slippery mud on the other side and lose my footing. I fell on my back and started skidding down a slope that was hidden by the overgrowth. My unexpected journey came to an abrupt halt at a small leafy clearing, and I found myself lying between three very surprised wargs. One was considerably larger and heavier than the others, its black, thick coat tinged with white.

Lesser warg, level 4, 34 HP

Lesser warg, level 4, 34 HP

Lesser warg alpha, level 5, 62 HP

We all stared at each other for what felt like a short eternity, then we all acted at once. The wargs growled and lowered their heads to attack, and I held up the rabbit, activating Biocraft and Wither at the same time.

My fingers holding the rabbit elongated as thin bone plates grew over them and extended farther, tapering into sharp points. I invested the full 5% coverage required to fully form the weapon, which took the shape of five-centimeter-long claws. The cold gray energy rushed over the sharp digits that bit deeply into the rabbit’s flesh.

The small animal died, and a gray ring erupted around me.

Atrofield [rank 1]: Biomancer abilities +5% effect, -10%
resistance

I rolled away and onto my feet just as the two smaller wargs pounced on the spot I vacated, growling menacingly. Thankfully, despite the fall, I still had enough sense to keep a tight grip on my spear. So with the weapon in one hand and extended claws on the other, I rose to face the pack.

The alpha was moving to flank me while the two lesser wargs came charging from the front. I stabbed my spear at one and raked my claws at the other. Both strikes landed, but I didn’t escape unscathed either, earning a painful bite in return.

Spear hit lesser warg for 5 damage

Claws hit lesser warg for 4 damage (4 base)

Wither: -2 max HP (5.7%) Lesser warg bit you for 3 damage (6 base - 3 armor) The animal’s jaws locked around my leg, but thanks to the sturdy leather pants I wore, its teeth didn’t dig in too deeply, and I was able to kick it off.

Then I felt something large and powerful clamp around my shoulder, and a second later, I found myself sailing through the air.

Lesser warg alpha bit you for 12 damage (15 base - 3
armor)

The freaking animal had literally thrown me away. I landed with a loud crack as my back hit a tree.

You sustained 4 fall damage

My health bar dropped to 60%, and fresh pain flared across my back and injured shoulder.

The three wargs closed ranks in front of me and moved in at a coordinated pace. I knew the situation wasn’t ideal. The alpha had drastically shifted the odds against me. It was not just the single-level advantage it had on me. It also had mass and power working to its advantage that the two smaller wargs didn’t have. I made a mental note of it for future reference. Right now, I needed to find a way to make it through. My training kicked in, and I looked around quickly for a more defensible spot. The tree behind me was too wide and steep to climb, but there was another one just next to it that had a narrow opening at its base. I darted toward that entrance, dodging one of the smaller wargs, and reached the tree.

I ducked my head inside, finding the opening only a meter deep, and turned to face my attackers. The narrow entrance made it so
only one warg could come at me at a time, which significantly improved my chances.

I lucked out as the warg who attacked me next was the one I hit with Wither. It growled as it snapped its teeth at me. I held my spear sideways, presenting a tempting target, and waited for it to take the bait. When the opened muzzle darted in for a bite, I swiped down with my clawed hand at the top of its head.

Claws hit lesser warg for 8 damage (3 base X 2 critical hit) Wither: -2 max HP (6.3%)

The beast howled in pain as my bone claws raked its skull, delivering a blast of withering energy into it. It convulsed as it withdrew, giving room to the alpha.

The large beast was too tall to get into the opening without crouching on its belly, though it could still reach in by lowering its head. Teeth as long as my thumbs came snapping toward me. It was too dangerous to present it with my clawed arm, so this time I used my spear, giving the animal a sharp poke for its trouble.

Spear hit lesser warg alpha for 1 damage (5 base - 4
armor)

While it retreated from the minor wound I inflicted, I moved forward and swung my right hand at it, the tips of my claws barely making contact, but barely was more than enough.

Wither attempt resisted!

I cursed. A single instance of atrofield wasn’t enough. The beast was only one level higher than me, but his status as an alpha had probably made him more resistant to my ability, which meant I needed to stack up the bonuses. A nearly invisible amount of biomass started coating my open wounds, slowly knitting the flesh
together. It was encouraging, though not fast enough to have a significant impact on the battle.

An opportunity quickly presented itself as the first warg I’d withered came charging in next. I let it halfway in with me before snapping my spear down at its back. It wailed and snapped at me, its teeth making contact, drawing blood and a few HP, but I didn't try to push it away. Instead, I let go of the spear and repeatedly sunk my claws into its vulnerable neck. The first hit unleashed a burst of withering energy through the canine’s body, causing it to freeze up in pain and buying me the few extra seconds I needed to stab at it, again and again, targeting its neck until it was completely torn open.

The beast collapsed. I looted it before it even hit the ground, and the corpse disintegrated into nothingness, providing me with another 19 kilos of biomass. The atrofield area extended into a 4-meter radius, which completely encompassed the tree and the wargs.

Atrofield [rank 2]: Biomancer abilities +10% effect, -20%
resistance

My health ticked up by another point, but with my total health still down, the fight was still far from decided. There was a good chance the atrofield was now strong enough to pass the alpha’s resistances, but there was no reason not to stack up the bonus—and the odds—further in my favor.

The second normal-sized warg rushed in but then skipped backward when it saw my spear coming toward it. More cautious than before, it growled at me, lowering its head close to the ground and looking for an opportunity to strike past my defenses. With my spear aimed firmly at its chest, we were at an impasse. The alpha circled the trunk, and I could feel the entire tree vibrate as the beast tested its weight against it. Then the huge maw appeared from the side of the opening and took a shoe-box-sized bite off the side. Still locked in a standstill with the smaller warg, I was powerless to do anything while a second bite soon followed, enlarging the opening. I had to act fast or within moments, the entrance would be large
enough to admit both creatures, and I would be screwed. I stared at the lesser warg as it bared its fangs at me, ready to charge at the slightest show of weakness, and had a crazy idea. Concentrating, I activated Biocraft and formed the now-familiar snapper hide bracer around my spear-holding arm. The new item ate away the required coverage from my clawed hand, causing the bone to chip away, but I quickly reformed it, using the remaining 3% coverage to produce a single long digit. A ten-centimeter-long spike formed over my closed knuckle, tapering into a sharp edge. I looked straight at the waiting warg’s eyes. “Come on, pooch.” Then I dropped my spear.

The beast was sailing through the air before the weapon hit the ground. I held up my bracer-clad hand before my face, and the sharp teeth locked down around it.

Lesser warg bit you for 3 damage (7 base - 4 armor) I let the warg’s weight draw my hand down while I angled my other one upward, driving the spike up through its lower jaw and straight up, delivering a blast of withering energy directly into its brain.

The warg froze. An instant later it exploded into a blast of tiny particles as I looted its corpse and absorbed its biomass. A strand forked off the stream of liquified flesh, pouring into my wounds. I winced as my health ticked up by a point, bringing me to 32 out of 54. Two enemies were down, but the strongest was still up, and I had just over half my health remaining. Suddenly, the novelty of being able to quantify exactly how bad my predicament was didn’t feel all that great.

Atrofield [rank 3]: Biomancer abilities +15% effect, -30%
resistance

Despite the upgraded bonus, even at full health, I couldn’t face the alpha on my own. My best approach was to dig in and try to hurt it whenever it came at me. Time was my ally now. If I could drag out the fight, I could slowly bleed out the giant predator while my health regenerated. With that plan in mind, I snatched the spear off the ground and waited for the next time my enemy showed itself.

The first part of the plan worked well. As soon as the alpha’s jaws appeared to take another bite out of the entrance, I stabbed at it, nicking a lip. Unfortunately, the second part didn’t go as well.

Instead of flinching back from the pain, the alpha’s jaws snapped down on my spear, depleting its nine remaining durability points with a single bite and shattering it to bits.

“Shit,” I said. Now nothing was stopping the warg from simply charging in. A touch of biocraft caused the bracer to dissolve off my arm as I reformed the bone claws around my right hand, then I crouched down, ready to defend myself until the end. I was surprised then when the alpha didn’t come charging in immediately. Instead, it paced back and forth in front of the opening—within view but out of reach. It was hesitating for some reason, and every time it stopped to sniff at the ground, its lips curled back in an angry growl. My HP
ticked up again to 33—60% of my total. It seemed a shame to waste the opportunity the predator was presenting me with, so I equipped the shortbow, took out an arrow, then stopped to stare at it. The half-meter-long projectile looked pitiful in comparison to the giant animal.

I doubted the shortbow even had the power to drive the arrow through that thick shaggy coat. The potential physical damage was negligible, but what if …

I placed the arrow back in my inventory and focused. Using biocraft, I grew a bone arrow—similar to the original—straight from my finger. The 3% coverage I had to play with was just enough to make it reach the proper size. I could feel the thin shaft becoming suffused with the cold energy, ready to deliver a withering strike at my enemy. I snapped off the arrow and watched as it crumbled away into nothingness. Narrowing my eyes, I repeated the action, this time taking care to monitor the time it took the bone arrow to turn to dust.

One second. I had one second to work with.

The warg growled at me and made a step forward but moved back again as soon as I threateningly swiped my clawed hand through the air. My health ticked up again, but it was becoming clear my opponent wouldn’t give me much more time. I drew and aimed the empty bow, then concentrated. A single bone shaft started growing between my two fingers holding the string. As soon as the makeshift arrow reached the handle, I broke it off and sent it hurtling toward my enemy with one snapping motion.

My aim was poor, and much of the kinetic energy was wasted as the less-than-optimal arrow sailed through the air. Thankfully, we were only a few meters apart, and the alpha presented a large target. The arrow impacted the animal’s hindquarters and bounced off its thick fur, but I wasn’t looking to injure it. My bone arrow had fulfilled its purpose, delivering its payload just before it disintegrated.

The alpha howled in surprise and agony as Wither raked through its body. The delay gave me plenty of time to launch a second arrow, then a third, applying the maximum three stacks of debilitating energy.

Wither (x3) has sapped 20.8% of the target life (-12 HP) Now that it had finally been used against an opponent who had enough HP for the effect to sap off more than a single point or two, the scene was a little gorier than I anticipated. Clumps of grayed fur and rotten flesh rained down as the ability fully manifested itself visually for the first time, making the huge animal whimper in pain as it was locked down in agony.

I concentrated on the warg briefly, forcing its details to resurface.

Lesser warg alpha, level 5, 49/50(62) HP

As expected, the beast’s total HP has been reduced as well.

Technically, it was still only lightly injured, but now I had a much
lower damage goal to reach.

I stowed my useless bow as the alpha shook off the trauma it had suffered. It looked horrible, but it was still powerful. Still dangerous.

Finally throwing caution away, it charged straight at me, intending on burying its head full into the hollowed tree to reach me, no matter the consequences. There was no chance for it to escape unscathed since I held a defensible position, but I knew the exchange would not favor me. I might be able to injure it, but if the warg managed to close its jaws around me, I’d be dead. So, I did the only thing I could. I ran toward it.

The surprised animal couldn’t arrest its momentum as it saw me charging. And charge I did, jumping high as soon as I exited the hole. The warg’s neck was craned down toward the entrance, presenting me with the perfect platform to land on. I came down on its head and used it to launch myself again. Instead of shooting past it, I reached down and punched my clawed hand through its back fur, arresting my flight, causing me to land on its back. The beast's momentum carried it on, its head disappearing into the tree, and I wasted no time as I started punching into its blood-soaked fur.

You hit lesser warg alpha for 5 damage (5 base + 4 sneak attack - 4 armor)

The message repeated itself twice more while I hacked away, taking advantage of the momentarily incapacitated animal, bringing its health down to 60%. But there was no way I could keep it up for long.

The alpha forced itself back out, snapping its head sideways. Its head struck the edge of the entrance, and instead of coming to a stop, it burst out with a spray of splinters and open jaws that finally managed to reach me, closing around my leg.

My health bar, which had slowly recovered to two-thirds, shrunk down instantly to a quarter as the massive beast yanked me off its back with a flick of its neck and threw me sideways.

I rolled and tumbled through the soft foliage, thankfully not sustaining any more damage and using the momentum to roll back to my feet, and came to a stop facing my enemy. The warg seemed maddened with pain and rage, and its lips were peeled back so tightly, they looked ready to peel off its skull. With barely any weapons worth mentioning, and no hope of escaping, I crouched down, peeled my lips in a snarl, and returned the growl. Despite the danger, I couldn’t help feeling a surge of adrenaline shoot through me. That was it. That was the moment I lived for. The pure certainty you get when all the choices you are left with are either to kill or be killed. There was no other feeling quite like it.

The warg charged, and I did the same. The armchair-sized head came hurtling toward me, jaws large enough to engulf my entire head aiming to bite me in half …then snapped closed on nothing but air.

Using my momentum, I dove to the ground at the last second, skidding under the beast’s belly. I punched upward with my claws, using my momentum—as well as its own—to rake its entire underbelly from neck to tail.

You hit lesser warg alpha for 16 damage ([4 base x 3
critical hit] + 6 sneak attack - 2 armor) I jumped back to my feet, turning to face the animal. Its belly was slashed open, entrails falling, painting the dry leaves red.

The alpha’s details flickered in my view.

Lesser warg alpha, level 5, 28/50(62) HP [Bleeding 10]

My apprentice rank Essence Sense kicked in to notify me of my enemy’s new physical condition.

The warg howled in pain and turned around to face me, splattering even more blood on the ground, shaving another 10 HP
off its health.

It was clear the beast was done for. All I had to do was wait for it to bleed out and I’d win. Unfortunately, I was still vulnerable, and the alpha seemed to recognize that. It advanced toward me, snarling and spitting, ignoring its wounds. I tried to dodge it, but with a sudden flash of speed, it pounced forward and its jaws locked around my torso, lifting me into the air.

Lesser warg alpha bit you for 11 damage (14 base - 3
armor)

My health shrunk back to 1, and with a last-ditch effort I knew would never be enough, I raked my claws down on its neck, tearing it open. My sudden attack sent out a fresh torrent of blood out of its abdomen. It wailed in pain, and its eyes glazed over as it finally succumbed to the grievous injury.

The beast collapsed sideways with me still clenched in its jaws.

Miraculously, I was still alive and didn’t dare breathe. By some freak stroke of luck, I survived with a single HP remaining, but the dagger-like teeth were still embedded in my flesh. Any wrong movement could tear me open and send me to respawn. Very carefully, I tapped the dead alpha with my hand and looted it. The corpse evaporated, freeing my body. A moment later, a slew of messages assaulted me

Lesser warg X 2, lesser warg alpha defeated.

+40% progression toward next level

Level up!

You have reached level 5

Spirit attribute +1 (Physical +0.75, Mental +0.5, Social

+0.25)

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 9

Biomass absorbed 22.7%: 45.4Kg [total: 104]

My health jumped up by 12 points to 65 as my level increased, stabilizing my condition. I just remained there, lying on the ground as I recovered. It was a strange sensation not to be breathing hard or feeling my heart rate racing, but the fight had left me exhausted just the same. Time crawled by as my health slowly ticked upward, at a rate of about one HP per 10 seconds.

As I lay there and recovered, I thought I saw something crawling over my arm, so I lifted it to take a closer look. My arm had turned somewhat gaunter than before, and the network of dark veins over it seemed thicker. I felt my face with both hands, feeling very little soft flesh before my fingers touched sharp bone. It seemed that my recent level up had sent me deeper into the deathless realm. I didn’t care either way—as long as it was just a cosmetic upgrade and didn’t interfere with my abilities, I could learn to live with it.

It took 5 kilos of biomass, but ten minutes later I stood up, fully recovered. Walking around the bloody ground I collected the loot left behind. The two normal wargs left the standard pelts, but the alpha’s was bigger and labeled accordingly.

The bone claws had degraded while I recuperated, but the ability had shown its value—especially in the flexibility it offered by manifesting different weapons during combat. True, the claws didn’t inflict a whole lot of damage, unless it was a critical hit, but that was probably partly due to the lack of a combat skill. Still, it was a major improvement over fighting weaponless, considering my weapons tended to break at the most inopportune moments.

I kept hunting, following any fresh trails I located via Essence Sense. I didn’t run into any more wargs, but I found and killed a couple of beavors—the furry animals proving almost no challenge now—and shot down several more rabbits.

I took a break around midday to study my character sheet.

Name: Seraph

Race: Human [Deathless, rank 0]

Title: Herald

Level: 5 (21%)

HP: 65

Armor: 7

Attributes:

● Spirit: 5

● Physical: 4

● Mental: 2

● Social: 1

Skills:

● Essence Sight: 12

● Coercion: 3

Spells:

● Biomancer: 9

○ Wither

○ Biomass

○ Biocraft

Traits:

● Atrophy [manifest atrofield on kills]

● Deathless [+1 Physical, critical hit multiplier immunity]

I frowned. Despite hours spent and the multiple kills I made after facing the wargs, my level progression had barely nudged forward.

The biomass gain, meat, and furs were beneficial, but it was more important for me to get stronger. I looked down at my tattered clothes. Perhaps it was time to get back to the village. The fights—
especially with the wargs—had not been easy on my attire. There were large tears along my calves, sleeves, and torso. Sagita was right; I needed to find proper armor. I groaned. I’d have traded everything in my possession for a single standard tactical vest. Even the most basic model would fend off giant warg teeth, but this world had no concept of kevlar or even plate mail, apparently.

Now at level 5, I was as strong as Brinfold’s strongest resident.

Walking through the village, I could feel the villagers’ eyes following me around, lingering on my new look, though none approached me.

I made a stop at Dawn’s to unload my haul, which consisted of 7
rabbit furs, 2 beavors, 2 lesser wargs, and 1 lesser warg alpha.

Dawn raised an eyebrow at the last one but didn’t comment as she handed me a pouch of 110 gold, bringing my total to 220. It was a veritable hoard, yet now that I knew the place better, I knew there wasn’t much I could spend it on. Buying another spear didn’t seem like the right way to go. Without an appropriate combat skill, my spear would always inflict its base damage and break quickly. I needed abilities that would grow along with me. Luckily, it seemed that the ‘no combat’ taboo didn’t apply to skills I already possessed, like Biomancer. The abilities under it—namely Wither—had grown more powerful as its governing skill evolved. Based on Biocraft’s description, it also seemed that the effects of crafted items would grow in time, so it was better to get used to wielding weapons I’d created on my own.

“Hope ya didn’t run into any trouble out there.” Dawn’s comment caught me just as I reached the door. She nodded somberly. “Aside from that alpha you took down, that is.”

“Trouble?” I asked.

“Yes. Several hunters encountered raged animals. Poor Sammy got mauled pretty bad, but he made it back in one piece. People say something bad is driving the animals crazy.”

“Shouldn’t the druids investigate then?” I asked. Despite my incessant hunting, no official representative of the forest had come to pay me a visit.

Dawn shrugged. “Could be they’re dealing with it already without telling us. Who knows what those tree huggers do out there?”

I pondered her words, hoping it wasn’t the atrofield’s negative effect on the wildlife that kept the druids too busy from paying Brinfold a visit. Per my understanding, I’d killed more than enough animals to draw them out by now.

“Thanks, ma’am.” I nodded at the elderly woman.

“Dawn.” She smiled at me. “I’ll see you later at the inn. Make sure to eat something filling, you look even worse for wear than yesterday.”

I waved her goodbye and left the store.

“Hey there, sonny,” the village blacksmith called out to me from the other side of the road. “Been looking for ya.”

“What’s up, Robert?” I asked.

He squinted at me. “How’s that spear working out for ya?”

“It broke again.”

He shook his head. “Damn shame. I could sell ya a new spearhead if ya like.”

“I think I’ll pass,” I said. “What I really need is proper armor.”

He shook his head. “No can do. Never learned the schema for one.”

“Eh … schema?”

“Sure, I can probably craft an Apprentice rank armor, but I never had the chance to study a schema for one. And it’s not like I can research it on my own—that’s what armorsmiths are for.”

“So, if I get you a schema …” I said slowly.

He nodded. “Then I can probably make it for ya.”

That was encouraging. “I’ll see what I can do, then.”

He beamed at me. “Looking forward to it. To be honest, it gets a little boring around here, if ya know what I mean.”

I nodded, looking around the isolated village. “See you later, Robert.”

From the smithy, I headed to Sagita’s workshop. The old seamstress took one look at me, then shook her head. “I told ya those clothes weren't armor; you're not supposed to treat them as such.”

“I had a disagreement with a warg alpha, ma’am,” I said. “I asked it not to tear through my brand-new jacket, but it had other ideas in mind.”

“Jerkin,” the woman said.

“Excuse me?”

“Jerkin, not jacket.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Jerkin got no sleeves and is only meant for men. Jackets can go either way.”

“I guess you learn a new thing every day.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just leave them torn things here with me, I’ll mend it all for ya for 5 gold. I got some plain old clothes you can borrow until I’m done.”

“Thanks,” I said, accepting her offer.

“Come back in the morning and it’ll be ready!” she called after me as I reached the door.

I walked back to the inn, took a seat, and waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later Lyta came out carrying two shot glasses. She sat across from me, putting one glass of clear liquid in front of me.

“Bottoms up.”

We both downed our drinks. The high-proof beverage still felt like muddy vodka, but it was better than the alternative.

“Heard you had a long day today,” Lyta said with a knowing smile.

“Is that so?” I said, putting my glass down.

“Heard someone brought down a warg alpha,” she clarified.

“Even Derrick doesn't go looking for one of those on his own.”

“Guess someone’s got bigger balls than him,” I said.

She laughed at that. “I’ll have to take your word for it, hon. So how was the hunt?”

“Tedious,” I admitted. “After the wargs, all I found were some small critters.”

“Gotta be careful out there,” she cautioned. “Some of the hunters got jumped by animals today instead of the other way around.”

“I heard about that,” I said cautiously. “Any idea why?”

She shook her head. “There’s a rumor about some weird circles in the forest, but if there’s truth to that, they disappear too quickly to investigate.”

“I see.”

The inn was steadily getting busier as most of the village population drifted in. A man wearing a quilted jacket stood on the
staircase and cleared his throat. The sound and conversation died down as the crowd turned to face him.

Jazir Vid, level 5, 22 hp

“My friends,” the man began, “as Brinfold’s mayor, it is my duty to inform you of a growing concern. In the past day, several animal attacks had been reported. Thankfully, no one was killed, but some were injured.”

A few villagers near me murmured.

“I heard Sammy got it bad …”

“Poor Herb got a finger bitten off …”

“We must stay together and watch over each other,” the mayor continued. “I’m sure the druids will sort this out soon, but in the meantime, we should protect ourselves—especially the children. I ask for volunteers to patrol the village fence and make sure no animal makes it through.”

“What if it be them druids who sent the animals on us?” a freckled pregnant woman demanded.

To my surprise, it was Lyta who stepped up to answer. “It’s not the druids,” she said confidently. “They would have given us a fair warning in advance, they always do. This is something else.”

The mayor nodded. “I would like us to look into the matter as well. If anyone here feels he might be able to discover more about the recent attacks, please step forward.”

A new quest notification appeared in my view, offering me to investigate the issue for the chance of gaining favor with the mayor. I immediately declined. It was obviously another attempt to keep me in line, and I wasn’t about to get sidetracked. Several of the villagers volunteered to patrol the village during the night, and the hunters set shifts to watch over the nursery.

I shook my head. It was unreal how lifelike this virtual village seemed to be. There was no way anyone could have programmed the NPCs reaction in advance, which meant the residents thought and acted of their own volition like real human beings. It was almost
distressing to think my actions brought misery to civilians—this went against my training—but I reminded myself that they weren’t real, no matter how realistic they acted. This was all just a simulation run by a supercomputer AI.

Still, I couldn’t quite shake off the horrified expression on the freckled woman who clutched her protruding belly protectively.

“For the time being,” the mayor continued, “I ask all hunters to remain in town. I’d rather lose a few days of revenue than risk losing any of you.”

There was some grumbling about that, but no one voiced their objection.

I didn’t either. I wasn’t one of the villagers and wasn’t obligated to obey.

“So”—Lyta came to stand beside me—“whatcha gonna do next?”

“I think I’ll go to bed,” I said. It was getting steadily darker, which made continuing hunting too dangerous.

“How much to rent my room for a week, ma’am? No meals included.”

“That’ll be 20 gold, hon. I’m shaving off one gold since I like a polite man. But you shouldn’t head upstairs right now. Sit, relax, get to know some of the people first.”

“No, thank you, ma’am,” I said, getting up. For a second, I considered trying to use Coercion to lower the price some more, but then I thought better of it. I liked Lyta. She didn’t deserve such treatment, and I didn’t want to sour our relationship. Besides, she was a strong-willed woman, and I doubted the low leveled skill would work on her. I took 20 gold out of my inventory and handed it to her, then turned to leave and almost ran into Dawn.

“Seraph.” The mature shopkeeper smiled at me. Her face and nose were flushed, and she held a half-empty mug in her hand. “My best fur supplier of the day! Let me buy you a beer and introduce you to a few people.”

“Thank you, ma’am, but I’d rather go to bed.” I was not here to socialize. I had to remain focused, keep the goal in mind. Giddy was relying on me to save him.

“Oh no! You can’t remain ‘that stranger’ forever. Get around, speak to some people! Might do you some good”

“I doubt it.”

“We might be a little simple around here, but if ya get on people's good side it might even help ya out personally in return.”

I frowned. “How so?”

She gestured across the room. “That’s Willy, the fisherman. The man can hook a salmon with a sewing needle. That’s Bert—not the most agreeable sort, but he has some fire magic in him. Old Fal used to be an expert bowman, and Suzy here can bake like no one's business. I’m sure that if they get to know ya a little better, and enough people say you’re good people, they’ll be willing to teach ya what they know.”

“Thanks, but I don’t—” I started saying, then clamped down hard. I had no interest in fishing or baking, but Dawn had listed two combat skills in that list: fire magic and bows. Fire magic was out of the question since I no longer had a mana pool, but it was the phrasing of her words that struck a chord.

I accessed my interface and brought up the quests list, focusing on the first one. I ignored the inane description and focused on the last line instead

Main Quest: Path of Redemption

Reward: gain any skill/spell of your choosing.

“Any,” I muttered. It sounded like I just found a potential workaround for the ‘no combat skill allowed’ limitation. I needed to make sure.

“Dawn, do you think someone will be willing to teach me a combat skill?”

“Don’t see why not,” she said lightly. “Just as long as people think well enough of ya. So, how ‘bout it. Shall I introduce ya around?”

I smiled widely at her. “Oh yeah.”

***

To my surprise, I found the round of introductions pleasant. Most people glanced nervously at my gaunt face when I first approached, but with Dawn’s prompting and some introduction, I was soon speaking to them like I would any other civilian.

They were farmers for the most part and mostly wanted to talk about their sheep and the proper way of churning butter. It wasn’t really my thing, but I played along. The passion some of these people had shown about their daily lives made them seem more real than some of the people I knew in reality.

These were good people, for the most part. Some, however, adamantly refused to speak to me, so I didn’t pursue them. At the moment, I was going after the low-hanging fruits.

After a few hours and several amiable conversations, I seemed to have run out of new people to meet.

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +7 (13/50)

Those seven seemed to be all the people I could sway with mere conversation. The others all suggested I help them with inane tasks, ranging from fixing a broken door and milking cows to babysitting. I declined them all. Going at it one individual at a time would take days, maybe even weeks until I swayed them all. At one point, I even had to use Coercion to turn away a persistent cobbler who insisted I help him cut shoe patterns. The man’s eyes widened, and he left me alone at once. It didn’t help with the quest progression, but it did increase my Coercion skill to 4.

I refused a dozen other inane quests as the night progressed. I wasn’t about to cobble shoes, milk cows, or churn butter to get what I needed. I needed those people's support, but I wasn’t going to conform to their expectations. I didn’t have to; I was starting to get the hang of this ‘game’, and I knew there were always other options.

“Ah, and this is our mayor. Jazir, have you met Seraph, our traveler visitor, yet? Dawn asked as she towed me behind her for what felt like the umpteenth introduction.

“I haven't.” Brinfold’s mayor was a stocky man with a slight paunch. He was dressed in what looked like a quilted suit, which was probably as fancy as these people got. The man looked me up and down. “Are you the one my nephew had a run-in with?”

“Who?” I asked.

“Jassar Vid,” the mayor clarified.

“Oh.” I recalled the inebriated young man who threatened to turn to his uncle. “Yeah …”

“Good!” the man said and smiled, much to my surprise. “Nearly scared him sober. That kid needs to learn to ease up on the booze.”

I waited for the quest progression message, but apparently, talking down his nephew wasn’t enough to ‘sway’ the mayor. So I decided to cut to the chase. “Earlier you asked for volunteers to look for clues about the animal attacks?” I had initially refused the quest, but now that I was aiming to sway these people, the promised reputation reward was just what I needed to cut through their inane request.

“Ah, yes.” He seemed pleased I brought it up. “As a traveler, you are the most well-suited individual around here to find out what happened. Do you agree to help us out?”

“Depends. What exactly do I need to do?”

The man stroked his short beard. “There’s a rumor about gray circles turning the animals wild. I need you to confirm that rumor and preferably learn what’s making them. Maybe then we can figure out a way to stop what’s going on. However, if you can find the source of the problem and put a stop to it, I’ll make sure to make it worth your while.”

New quest acquired: Animal Attacks

The animals in the Caberean forest around Brinfold have become more aggressive and started attacking unprovoked. Find out the reason behind it, and if at all possible, find a way to stop it.

Quest rank: Unique

Reward: improved reputation with Brinfold’s mayor and villagers, 1 magic item (scale of reward depends on the level of success), experience.

The updated quest description was just what I needed to cut through all the tedious hours of door fixing and babysitting. Given that I was the reason behind the attacks, I had to tread carefully. The mayor might approve of me if I completed his quest, but I was pretty sure he’d appreciate me much less if he learned I was behind it all. I needed to handle the situation with care, completing the letter of the quest while circumventing its spirit. The quest's main objective stipulated to ‘Find out the reason behind the attacks’ so I was going to provide a direct answer for that.

“The rumors are true,” I said. “While out hunting today, I saw an animal crossing into one of those gray circles and going berserk.”

The mayor looked around in concern. Seeing no one but Dawn next to us, he nodded and lowered his voice. “I know. I got the same report from some of the other hunters, but we’re trying to keep it as a rumor to avoid panicking the others. What I need from you is to find out what’s causing those circles to appear and how we can stop it.”

That was too bad. I was hoping for a quick and easy quest completion followed by a host of swayed individuals, but it seemed the game was more sophisticated than that. “I’ll see what I can do, Mayor,” I said, trying to stave the disappointment out of my voice.

“I appreciate that,” he replied. “And you can just call me Jazir, everyone else does.”

I nodded. “Good night, Jazir.”

I bade Dawn goodnight as well and went up to my room.

Tomorrow I’d have to pick up my game and kill a lot more animals to really give myself a leg up in this whole ‘leveling up’

game. With the rest of the hunters confined to the village, my chances of finding a better quarry looked better, and if my method of fighting would cause some more animals to attack, well… that would be unfortunate, but it wasn’t like the villagers couldn’t protect
themselves. Besides, it wasn’t my fault if the mayor left the cat to guard the cream.

9 - Big Game Hunting

The next day I woke with a new purpose. This was my third day inside the game, which left me just a week to make real headway before I was brought out for a checkup. Dr. Shaw didn’t say the experiment would end then, but I didn’t want to chance it. Matsuel was supposed to be spoofing their records, but I couldn’t bank on that. I had a strong hunch that if they got an idea of what I was truly after, they’d pull me out so fast some of my brain cells would be left behind. I needed to boost my character’s power so I could go past the menhir line and explore the second zone of the forest. I couldn’t count on the druids to come to me—they were already taking their sweet time instead of coming to confront my excessive hunting. I had to be proactive. I set a goal for myself not to return until I brought Biomancer to the Apprentice rank and earned at least one more level.

“Where are you heading out to so early, hon?” Lyta’s voice stopped me just as I was about to leave the inn.

“To the forest,” I said. “Got a quest from the mayor to see about.”

She nodded. “Just give me a couple of minutes to change and I’ll meet you by the gate.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m coming along.”

“No, you’re not.” I couldn’t risk the woman finding out I was the cause of the gray circle.

“Don’t you like my company?” She pouted.

“It’s dangerous.”

“I’m flattered you’re looking out for me, hon, but I’m a big girl.

Besides, that’s why I’m tagging along with big ole’ scary-looking you.” She gave me a winning smile.

“Why would you even want to join me?”

I again considered using my Coercion skill to force her off, but it still seemed too extreme, then I had a better idea. “The mayor asked everyone but me to stay off entering the forest, remember?”

“Oh no”—she slapped my bicep playfully—“you won’t get rid of me that easy. Jazir asked the hunters not to go out. I ain’t no hunter, hon, just a concerned citizen.” She gave me a frank look. “So what will it be? You gonna let me tag along, or you gonna force me to follow behind?”

Having her around was an unnecessary complication, but it was clear the wily woman wouldn’t consent to staying behind. It was better knowing where she was than having her follow me around.

“Fine, but I won’t slow down if you can’t keep up,” I said.

She flashed me a smile. “I’ll meet you by the gates in a jiffy.”

I shook my head and headed over to Sagita’s to retrieve my leather clothes.

The older woman handed me a folded pack. “I did the best I could with those, but they’re in a sorry state. They won’t survive another beating like last time.”

“Thanks,” I said as I equipped the mended clothes. The damage was all fixed, and the armor value remained the same, but the maximum durability of all items had been reduced by a third.

Lyta was already waiting for me by the main road outside the village fence. To my surprise, she’d replaced her normal work clothes and apron with dark-brown, fitted leather clothes that accentuated her figure. On her back was a bow bigger than mine, and a simple axe was tucked through her belt.

“Took your sweet time,” she said as she looked me up and down. “Them leathers sit much better on you than them baggy farmer clothes you had on yesterday. Really shows off your scrawny figure.”

“We’re leaving,” I said, ignoring her attempted humor.

I had to tread carefully with the woman in tow. With her watchful gaze, I couldn't risk using my Biomancer abilities and giving me away as the source of the atrofield. That meant I had to use my own severely diminished combat abilities and hope she got bored after a while. My level was high enough for me to match up with any of the beasts in this part of the forest—at least, I hoped so.

We stepped into the forest. I activated Essence Sense as I started looking for my next prey. There were plenty of signs of life
around, but most belonged to small critters that weren't worth the effort.

“Do you even know where we’re heading?” Lyta asked.

“Not really,” I admitted. “I’m looking for animal tracks.”

“I thought you were following Jazir’s request to find the reason behind the recent attacks.”

“No reason not to do some hunting while we investigate.”

“I see. From what I overheard at the inn, the hunters have their usual hunting spots. Animals keep returning there day after day—as long as they're not being overhunted.”

“I know of a nearby drinking hole,” I said. “But last time I was there not enough animals turned up to make it worth my time. Let’s keep going deeper, I think I just spotted an armadillo’s tracks.”

The faintly glowing tracks soon brightened as we followed them deeper into the forest. Nearly an hour after walking into the forest, I finally pinpointed an adequate target. A metalback armadillo stood next to a berry bush, munching on the violet fruits.

“Alright,” I said. “We should split up and come at it from different angles. Watch out for its charge; they’re heavier than they look.”

I started to make my way to the side, walking as quietly as possible. Before advancing more than a few steps I heard a ‘twang’

sound followed a second later by a pained animal squeal. I turned to see Lyta standing in full view, carefully nocking another arrow to her still-vibrating bowstring. The armadillo was looking frantically around for its attacker when another arrow soared and embedded itself in its metallic carapace. The animal finally zeroed in on its attacker, hissed, and charged at the woman.

Cursing to myself, I called the cold energy into one of my hands, forming the bone claws, and started running to intercept the enraged animal. I’d been trying to hold off summoning the weapon to maximize the time I had to use them, but the woman forced my hand. Lyta held only a bow, which would be utterly useless in a close-range battle, but she surprised me.

Before I could intercept the charging beast, Lyta gracefully raised both arms, and the shrubs between her and her quarry started wriggling like snakes, crawling around the charging animal’s legs
and torso and halting its momentum. I reached the trapped creature, claws raised to strike, when another arrow sailed right before me, burying itself in the creature's neck to the fletching, ending its life.

I came to a halt in front of the corpse and looked at it in surprise.

With only 3 arrows, the woman had managed to bring down a creature with 24 HP, meaning each of her shots inflicted at least 8
points of damage, and that was after considering the animal’s tough armor. For a person one level lower than me that was impressive. It showed me how underpowered I was without a proper combat skill, and that made fulfilling the mayor's quest—while somehow hiding my involvement—an even bigger priority.

“How did you make those bushes move?” I asked the woman as she bent next to the animal to loot it.

She looked up at me and winked. “A girl picks up the occasional helpful magic trick on the job, hon.” She got to her feet, having taken the armadillos’ carapace and meat, and retrieved her arrows.

I raised an eyebrow at that. ”Aren’t we sharing the loot?”

Her smile widened. “I did the killin’, so it’s my loot, isn’t it? Better be quicker next time.”

“You didn’t give me a chance,” I said. “And I was the one who tracked it down.”

“Tell you what, honey,” she said, patting my shoulder as she walked past me, “why don’t I let you take the next one we find?”

“I can’t have you following me around if we’re not going to do this together,” I argued. “I need the experience to level up.”

She shook her head. “At level 5, in this part of the forest, you’ll only gain experience by going after predators.”

I stared at her. That was news. “Why?”

She shrugged. “Only predators present enough of a challenge while still being lower level than you, and even that only goes so far.

Derrick has been killing every lone warg or snapper he could find for weeks now, and he’s still a long way from level 6.”

“I … I didn’t know that,” I said. This was bad news. At least it explained why everyone I met in Brinfold was below level 5. I couldn’t afford to spend weeks or even months hunting down wargs
for a single level. “We need to go past the menhirs,” I finally said.

“The creatures there pose much more of a challenge.”

Lyta chuckled. “You’ll be killed in the first minute if you’ll try that.

Dying might be a slight setback for you, but I’m keen on staying alive, thank you very much.”

“Then why did you come with me?” I countered.

She raised an eyebrow. “I thought we'd be looking for clues on what happened to the animals. No sense in going in too deeply for that, right?”

“Right,” I said, scratching my head with a clawed hand The movement drew the woman’s eye, and she stared more intently at my weapons. “That’s a neat trick. That’s what you hunt with?”

“Yes. I’ve been using spears, but they break too easily.”

“I see,” she said calmly. “So, where to now?”

“Do you mind if I have the rest of the armadillo?”

“Why? I already looted it.”

“I have a skill that makes it useful for me.”

“Go ahead.”

I touched the corpse. It started dissolving, and a gray-silver stream flowed into me.

Biomass absorbed 19.7%: 7.83Kg [total: 145]

“Now that’s something you don’t see every day,” Lyta said much more calmly than I expected. “You sure are full of surprises, aren’t you, hon?”

I shrugged, and we set off. I led Lyta in a wide circle as I searched for more things to hunt. The woman was incredible with her bow and took out several rabbits and a few other small creatures as we walked, though she still refused to share the loot. She did let me claim their biomass, though, and my storage soon reached 160
kilos, just 20 kilos shy of my maximum. Seeing as killing those things myself wouldn’t help me gain experience, I let it go. Getting the furs to sell would be nice, but there wasn’t much to spend gold on after
all. I was more interested in looking for worthy prey. That’s why, an hour later, when I found several warg tracks I turned to the woman and pretended to stifle a yawn. “That’s enough for me for one day.”

Lyta seemed amused. “You didn’t hunt a single thing all day, and you're already calling it quits? What about the investigation?”

“I’m going to climb that tree,” I said, pointing at one that had forking branches coming out of it, “and keep an eye out, see if I can find anything strange going on. You should head back to the village.”

“Na, I could use a break too,” she said, putting down her bow and resting with her back against the tree.

I stared at her for a long moment. Something was off here.

Though she was an excellent shot, it was obvious Lyta wasn’t interested in hunting. “Why do you insist on following me?”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you're talking about, hon,” she replied lightly. She closed her eyes and let out a contented sigh. “I mean you’re a charmer, but I like my men with more meat on their bones. A lot more meat, if you get my drift.”

“You’re evading the question,” I said.

“I am, aren’t I?” she said lazily.

“Spill,” I said, crossing my arms and putting a little bit of force behind the word.

Coercion skill has increased to level 5

She opened one eye lazily to look at me. “Alright, if you insist.” A long moment passed before she spoke again. “I had been thinking

… it’s a little bit of a coincidence that the animals start to go wild a day after this very interesting stranger came to town.”

The reason for her following around became instantly clear. “You suspect I’m behind this,” I said.

She shrugged. “Can’t fault a woman for being careful. I’m not one to point fingers at the first suspiciously gaunt person with flesh-sucking powers I came across, but you can never be too careful.”

“What if you are right?” I countered. “Aren’t you afraid of being alone in the forest with a person who might be the cause of your
troubles?”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Am I? In trouble?”

I thought it over, once again reminded of my earlier thoughts of how easy it would be to butcher the entire town for experience.

Though now that I saw Lyta in action, it might not have been as easy as I’d first thought.

“Well that’s eerily foreboding,” Lyta said, sounding overly casual.

“I was expecting more of a quick ‘no’.”

I shook off the thought of murder. Despite how easy it would be, I was not that kind of man. And I could just picture Gideon’s horrified expression if he saw me butchering a bunch of friendly villagers. “Of course not,” I said, “I was simply startled to find out you think I’m behind it.” And by how accurate your instincts are, I didn’t add out loud.

“Well, now that the cat’s out of the bag, I guess I can head back,” she said with the same lazy tone. “I’ve been following you around for hours and nothing strange happened. You should work on your bow skills. I don’t know how you managed to catch anything with those sharpened nails of yours.”

“Dedication, perseverance, and a whole lot of not having a woman following me around, stealing away my kills,” I said.

She chuckled. “You got me there. Well, I got enough furs to sell off to Dawn to last me a good while. I’ll be out of your hair then. Let me buy you a shot or two when you get back as a way of apology?”

“Sure. For a stalker, you ain’t too bad.”

She smiled as she got to her feet and offered me her hand. “It’s been a pleasure stalking you, Seraph.”

I shook her hand. “See you later then.”

I waited a few minutes after she left, listening to her footsteps as she got farther away. Once she was completely out of earshot, I started following her track, Essence Sight marking them clearly over the forest foliage. I kept on after her for a good 10 minutes until I was sure she was not going to circle back on me. Then I went back to the spot we’d parted and hid below some long-leafed plant and remained there for 20 more minutes.

Once I was sure Lyta was truly gone, I located the warg tracks and started following them.

I traced the predators to an enclosed space between the trees that was strewn with several flat boulders. Two wargs were standing over an animal corpse on top of one of the boulders and were in the process of eating. This was the best opportunity for me to attack.

Seeing as they were both level 4, I wasn’t too worried about my chances. True, I couldn’t inflict much damage, but I had more health than them, and my new—if tattered—leather clothes provided me with just enough armor to take the worst off their bites.

I sneaked toward the unaware predators. I had to do more than just kill them, I had to do it while using the full range of my abilities in order to train and level up the Biomancer skill. That meant using Wither as much as possible, as well as alternating between different kinds of weapons, to practice Biocraft and test which one worked best.

I stopped as I reached a striking distance, hidden behind the boulder closest to the rocky outcrop that the wargs were laying on.

First, I’d apply the full 3 instances of Wither on each wolf, then I could wear them down with my Biocrafted weapons.

With 9% coverage available, I regrew the claws on one hand, then used the remaining 4% to form a leather bracer, making it almost wide enough to cover my entire forearm. Then I charged.

The wargs were caught unaware as I raked the left one with my claws, then kicked the other’s midsection. Both attacks discharged a burst of withering energies at my quarry.

You hit lesser warg for 3 damage

Wither has sapped 6% of the target life (-2 HP) Both wargs whined and started shivering as patches of gray, malignant energy spread over their furs, rendering them momentarily unable to retaliate. Instead of taking advantage of their momentary
paralysis, I quickly slapped them both with two more instances of Wither, prolonging their suffering. As I prepared to go full-blown berserker mode, I took a second to observe their details Lesser warg, level 4, 21/24(28) [Wither x2]

Lesser warg, level 4, 24/24(28) [Wither x2]

That delay nearly cost me my life. The two wargs, though injured and weakened, were overcome with rage. Recovering from their stupor, they jumped me together in a tangle of fur, teeth, and claws. Their enraged attack opened an opportunity for me to claw one of them and inflict some more damage, but it didn’t slow them in the least. Two sets of jaws closed around me, one on the leg, the other locking around my bracer.

Lesser warg bit you for 5 damage (8 base - 3 armor) Lesser warg bit you for 6 damage (9 base - 3 armor) My health bar dropped by roughly 15%, which wasn’t too bad, but the enraged animals didn’t let go. Snarling, they started shaking their heads in what appeared to be an attempt to tear my limbs off. I couldn’t let that happen. With my free clawed hand, I stabbed the one locked around my other arm in the neck while simultaneously abandoning the bracer and drawing on my stored biomass to form claws on the foot of my free leg. The bone nails burst out of my shoe, and I used them to deliver a stabbing kick to the one biting my other leg. Though not as long as my claws, the prolonged nails stabbed deeply into the warg’s side, causing it to whine in pain and let go.

For a moment I thought I was in the clear. With one warg retreating, and the other with my claws in its neck, it seemed the
fight would soon be over, but I miscalculated what pain could do to a person—or in this case, an animal. The raged beast still hanging on my forearm went berserk as I ravaged its neck. Instead of letting go of my arm and saving its own life, it started shaking its head, sinking its teeth deeper into my flesh while ignoring the claws that ravaged open its carotid artery. In a sudden flash of panic, I realized the mistake I’d made by abandoning the bracer. I redoubled my efforts to kill the wolf, putting every bit of muscle I had into sinking my claws deeper, severing tendons and vital arteries along the way.

But I wasn’t fast enough.

With a final snap of teeth meeting teeth, the warg bit down cleanly through my arm, severing it before falling dead with its own neck nearly severed.

I shoved the dead animal off me as I staggered to my feet to face the second warg’s imminent attack, barely aware of the flashing notification as I did my best to suppress the intense pain radiating from my stump.

Lesser warg bit you for 6 damage (base 6 X 1 critical hit) Debuff: Lost Limb

Max HP reduced by 6 (until the limb is restored) Unable to use any tool or weapon requiring the use of both arms.

You stabbed lesser warg for 20 damage (5 base X 4 critical hit)

I looked down at the twisted flesh of the stump. The damn warg had literally disarmed me, reducing my maximum health, and leaving me 70% HP.

The second warg charged me, but I managed to dodge to the side and it sailed past me.

Normally, losing an arm would mean defeat, by blood loss if nothing else. Thankfully, being a deathless creature had its perks.

Being immune to critical damage multiplier turned out not to be the same as immunity to the critical effect itself. But despite losing a limb, the damage itself wasn’t too bad, and I wasn’t bleeding out. My opponent, though, did.

As we stared daggers at each other, I noticed its health dropping as the bleeding wound I gave it kept painting the ground red while my health ticked upward by one as biomass flowed over my wounds to knit them together.

The warg charged, this time rearing up to claw at my face. I moved back and tried to spear its paw with my claws, but my missing arm messed with my balance, and I overextended. The beast’s claws hit my side, tearing through leather clothes to dig into my flesh, making me stumble back. The warg seized the opportunity to keep on coming, snapping jaws that were aimed at my neck.

I put up my claws in time to intercept it, giving it a stab for its trouble.

The warg jumped away from me with a whine, sporting a bleeding jaw to compliment the gash on its flank. We studied each other for a long moment. One predator looking to kill another.

My torn stump was useless, and it wasn’t going to grow on its own any time soon. The animal was smart enough to know that. It tried to circle me to attack from that side, and that gave me an idea.

Concentrating on the amputated limb, I discarded the claws on my feet and concentrated on the wound instead. Smooth bone plates grew over the torn skin, sealing it off, and a single spike grew out the middle. “Come at me,” I growled.

The wolf pounced, and this time, I didn’t try to dodge.

As the heavy body was about to reach me, I moved forward, raising both my arms to intercept it. The beast fell on top of me, skewering itself on my claws and the long spike. I got a painful bite to the shoulder and another claw swipe that rent open my thigh, but the warg was fighting a losing battle, and we both knew it. My claws punched into it, again and again, while the long spike kept it pinned in place.

It managed to inflict me with a few more injuries, but it was all but dead.

With another heave of my spiked stump, I drove the weapon clear through its body, finishing it off.

I pushed the heavy corpse off me and stumbled to my feet, taking in the bloody battlefield and the atrofield that had appeared. I was in the clear. There were no more enemies to fight.

Lesser warg, level 4, defeated x2

+10% progression toward next level

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 10

With a heave of exhaustion, I fell to my backside. I did it.

Though I didn’t escape unscathed, I killed two strong predators in a full-contact battle. In hindsight, I realized opening with the full three instances of Wither was a mistake. It would have been better if I’d saved them to use during the battle to buy me a few seconds’

reprieve. Had I been able to use Wither on the warg clamped around my arm, I might have not lost the limb. I raised the damaged stump for a closer look. The bone plates I covered it with did a good job of sealing the wound—probably would have staunched the bleeding too if there had been any—but now I was stuck. I wasn’t sure whether I should continue hunting in my current state. Biomancer had just reached level 10, meaning I could now fully form two small items on my body. I concentrated on the spike extending from the amputated limb, and the 15-centimeter-long spike’s length doubled, its edge becoming a serrated blade.

Serrated Bone Spike

Integrated item

Damage: 4-5

Coverage: 5%

Duration: 6 minutes, 15 seconds Its damage potential was better than the claws, but I didn’t like the lack of flexibility it offered. It was a stab-then-slash-open sort of weapon and nothing else. I needed a more well-rounded tool, and for that, I needed my fingers back.

As I lay down and rested, my health slowly climbed back, one HP every 10 seconds. Several minutes later, I was almost fully healed, but my missing arm didn’t start to regrow, nor did my maximum health return to its former value. This is ridiculous, I thought as I studied the stub. I’m supposed to be able to shape flesh

—it’s literally in the ability description. I should be able to make it grow back.

Recalling that Biocraft worked with all types of biological matter, not merely bones, I started to experiment. I had plenty of biomass to play with, even after the expenditure of making various weapons during the battle—not to mention two whole warg corpses that I had yet to absorb. I abandoned the bone spike and watched as it crumbled away from the stump, revealing the now closed wound.

Tapping into my Biocraft ability again, I forced flesh to form over the stump and tried to mold it to form my wrist. The silver-gray biomass flowed over my arm, but when it condensed it was left as nothing more than a chunk of lifeless meat. That wouldn’t do. I forced the new part to disappear and tried forming it again, this time taking care to mold the biomass exactly to match the torn flesh of the stump.

The liquified mass took longer to form this time, slowly taking color and shape that perfectly matched the wound. I stared at the unfeeling replica of my hand with annoyance. This approach didn’t work any better. It looked almost like my old arm, but it was just a chunk of flesh separated from my own. The item description that opened as I examined it dubbed it as a blunt weapon. Apparently, a biocrafted arm constituted as a crude club rather than an actual limb.

I waved the useless appendage, watching the lifeless limb wobble like it was made of rubber. Right, it’s still missing bones, I realized. In my haste to perfectly duplicate the outer shape of my hand, I forgot
to handle the interior parts. I was no expert on human anatomy, so it took a little doing, but on the third attempt, I tried to envision my arm’s bones forming first, then surrounding them with a layer of imitated flesh. The crude attempt was a much better success, and the new arm looked almost identical to the original. This time it didn’t wobble when I waved it around.

Despite that, I still couldn’t feel or control it. Even though it was firmly attached, it was a separate piece of me.

“Huh.” I stared at the stump. I had no idea what else to try.

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 11

Congratulations! You have acquired a new skill rank: Apprentice.

As a school governing spell, at the Apprentice rank, you may now acquire new, more advanced abilities under this discipline.

Existing Novice-ranked abilities can now gain a secondary effect (will be automatically unlocked when the required set of circumstances occur).

Additionally, you may now develop synergies between your existing abilities.

At least my attempts weren’t completely in vain.

Wrinkling my forehead, I tried figuring out what the notification meant. Apprentice rank meant better and more effective abilities, but the description was a bit convoluted. I barely finished reading before the notification flickered, only to be replaced with another.

You’ve gained a new Biomancer ability: Fleshweave Use biomass to knit and restore flesh and bone. HP restored in this fashion has a significantly higher biomass cost than passive regeneration: 0.5 kilo biomass per 1 HP restored. Can be used on self and other deathless. Cooldown: 10 seconds Rank: Apprentice

Effect: restores 5 + (skill-level / 2 HP).

“Now that’s more like it,” I said, suddenly feeling encouraged.

The Biomancer discipline upgrade came right on time, enabling me to learn an ability that was considered more advanced than the others. I concentrated on my stump. “Fleshweave.”

Biomass flooded some of my still-open wounds, instantly settling down and turning into muscles, flesh, and skin.

+10 HP

Biomass: -5kg

My health bar soared, though I was still missing 4 hit points to reach my lowered maximum. “Fleshweave.” Nothing happened, but I instantly got an explanation for the reason.

Skill on cooldown

I had to wait a few more seconds before I could use it again, and sure enough, when I tried next, it activated without an issue, fully restoring my health, though not my missing arm.

The ability description stated it could knit and restore flesh, so I thought it was logical to assume it first had to heal any damage before restoring missing limbs—at least, I hoped so. In order to pass the excruciatingly slow crawling seconds, I lightly tapped the warg’s corpse next to me to absorb its biomass. The silvery tendril of liquified flesh started streaming into me, and for the first time, I felt a clear connection to it. There were hints about it before—a sort of muted sensation that spread outward when I was practicing my abilities—but this time, the feeling was much stronger. I could sense the stream of biomass almost as if it was a new limb, and it was reaching to connect to some other muted feeling, deep inside of me.

Acting on instinct, I let the sensation guide me, and even though not enough time had passed, I activated Fleshweave again. To my surprise, it worked.

The tendril of drawn biomass split, one end reaching toward my missing arm, shaping itself over the stump, crafting it far better than all my previous attempts. Once the mass settled, the silvery sheen disappeared, leaving behind a normal-looking arm and fingers.

Fleshweave synergy discovered!

Biomass Synergy: allow activation of Fleshweave during biomass absorption—regardless of cooldown period.

That wasn’t bad. I considered how useful it could be in a combat situation where I was facing many weaker foes and needed to heal myself. Instead of bringing my HP back in chunks, using Fleshweave every 10 seconds, I could just tap my slain enemies, healing myself with each one I absorbed. I stared at my restored limb next and wriggled my fingers. They worked just as well as before. Not even a scar was left from the grievous wound. It would be costly, though, requiring 30kg of biomass to heal my current amount of HP back to full, but there was no doubt I was better off having it than not.

Besides, I thought as I tapped the last warg, absorbing it to bring my biomass total to 155kg, it's not like this stuff is hard to come by.

I was also looking forward to testing my new Biocraft total coverage of 12%. I knew I could now use it to form either two full bone claws on each hand, leather bracers, or pauldrons, and still have a couple more percent for minor surprises.

Looking down at myself I realized my clothes were in a sorry state. My jerkin was damaged but mostly in one piece, but the shirt underneath was reduced to strips, its durability having reached 0. My leather pants were barely any better with their single remaining durability point straining to keep it all together. Not to mention my left boot—the one I extended my foot claws through—was shredded. l needed another wardrobe change—again—but my increased Biocraft coverage suggested other possibilities. I discarded my torn, useless shirt and concentrated. Biomass poured over my body, underneath the partially opened jerkin. Like when I absorbed the warg, I was more aware of its presence now, the raw biomass
becoming almost a sensory organ on its own, allowing me to better shape it to my will. A moment later the silvery liquid settled and solidified, and my entire upper torso was clad in skin-tight leather armor.

Snapper Hide Vest

Integrated item

Type: armor [torso]

Armor: 6

Coverage: 10%

Time remaining: 10 minutes, 55 seconds.

The new piece had an even better armor value than the jerkin, which wasn’t much of a surprise as it was considered clothing and not armor. Checking my character sheet, I saw that while the vest was on the jerkin armor value wasn’t added, but even without it and the ruined shirt, my total armor was now 7. To test it further, I discarded the vest, which crumbled off me, and formed full leather bracers around both my arms. Together, the bracers provided me with 5 armor, bringing my new total—now including the jerkin’s value

—to 10. That was a significant upgrade, and I knew the higher armor would make the wargs’ bites almost trivial. Unfortunately, using my meager allotted coverage in that fashion would prevent me from forming weapons, which was more important, but I could already envision myself reaching skill level 30 or 40, partially covered with strong leather armor and wielding two bone claws, shrugging off weak attacks and easily putting my enemies to death.

I looked down at my bloodied body and frowned. I was still a long way away from that point. Another discouraging fact was that killing both wargs had only progressed my level by 10%. At my current overall progression of 31%, I would need to hunt down 14
more wargs to reach level 6, and who knew how many more were needed to reach level 7. I needed to find a better, and faster, way to become stronger. My brother couldn’t wait for my help forever, I couldn’t let him waste away while I took the time to aimlessly butcher
an increasing number of animals. Gaining the mayor’s favor was an important step toward that end, but I still hadn’t figured out a way to do that without revealing my involvement. My ultimate goal was to get in touch with the druids and ask them about the conduit, but it seemed no matter what I did, I couldn’t draw their attention. I had to be more proactive; become strong enough to venture into the deeper part of the forest to go look for them myself. If I’d manage to kill even one of the fearsome creatures that prowled past the menhir line, I was sure I’d be able to level up much quicker. But as the monster I’d first encountered over there proved, even considering my recently gained strength, that place was still out of my league. Prudence was probably the best approach, but it was going to take time.

“Screw that,” I said and started stepping farther into the forest.

In real life, failure meant death, but here, death only posed a momentary setback. I wasn’t far from the menhir line, and I might as well give it another shot. There was a chance the uberbear I encountered was on the high side of the food chain for that place.

With a little luck, I might find something like the warg alpha—
challenging but within my ability to defeat. “You’ll never know unless you try,” I reasoned out loud.

I reached the first menhir within a few minutes. The denser, thicker trees clearly marked the zone’s borders even without the stone pillar marking it so. I slowed my pace and slipped as quietly as possible into the dangerous area.

The space between the wide trees was almost filled with vines and tall vegetation, making progress slow. I hacked at the clinging vines with my claws, opening the way but sending sharp briars to latch at me. Thankfully, Sagita’s jerkin worked as advertised, protecting my flesh from most of the sharp thorns, and the few needles that got through were healed within moments. There were some advantages to being a weird dead-undead crossover creature.

I hacked at a few low-hanging branches, then stopped abruptly as I came almost face-to-snout with my new quarry, its body radiating bright red essence.

Forest Tusker, level 15, 138 HP

Essence Sight skill has increased to level 13

Standing almost at my shoulder height, the boar-like beast stared at me in amazement as if it couldn’t comprehend the creature that suddenly appeared to block its way from foraging in the thick growth. It had long, hanging fangs on top of its ever longer tusks, reminding me of a saber tooth tiger. Though not the same as the deadly prehistoric predator, this mass of teeth and muscles didn’t seem any less dangerous.

With more than twice my HP, the creature was obviously more powerful than me, but it was still weaker than the uberbear. I knew it was a long shot—considering our level gap there was almost no chance for Wither to activate, so I’d have no advantage over it—but the beast's angry snarl made it clear that if I’d turned tail it’d run me down. My best option was to give it everything I got and hope to win.

I knew that if I killed it, the experience I’d get would probably be enough to shoot me up by several levels.

The huge animal snorted at me and pawed the ground. I had to act quickly before it could attack first. I sprang forward, the bone claws I used to hack at the vegetation whistling through the air, both strikes hitting the creature’s snout.

You hit tusker for 0 damage (4 base - 4 armor) X 2

Wither attempt resisted! X2

Though unfortunate, it was a Hail-Mary attempt, and I never really expected it to work. The enraged beast swiped its tusks at me with brutal strength. I managed to jump back out of the way of the eviscerating slash and retaliated, this time putting my entire weight behind a single attack.

You hit tusker for 0 damage (5 base - 5 armor) Wither attempt resisted!

This was not going well; the oversize boar was simply too powerful for me. Whatever hope I had to try and beat it had evaporated. My only chance was to try and run away. I turned around and started to run back the narrow trail I left through the vegetation. All I had to do was get some distance between us, then I’d be able to lose it and would be able to come up with—

The vegetation behind me burst open as the tusker charged through the thick vines with the strength and inevitability of a freight train. My right leg got snagged by a vine, and before I could even think of untangling myself the beast slammed into my side with enough force to rip the vine and send me hurtling through the air.

Tusker hit you for 55 damage (57 base - 2 armor) My flight shot me through some more vines, and I got entangled between them, remaining suspended a few centimeters off the ground. My world was spinning, and my entire left side felt paralyzed. I squinted painfully, trying to regain my bearing, and I was just able to focus on a quick-moving mass that was heading straight at me.

The beast’s tusks hit me in the stomach, and I could feel a brief, sharp pain as my entire torso was ripped open, sending my HP deep into the negative.

The world went dark.

I woke up a few moments later feeling dizzy and disoriented.

You have died

No death penalties as you are below Level 10

Looking around I realized I was back at Brinfold cemetery.

Dying in that manner was an unpleasant experience, but I knew what the probable outcome was going to be, and I didn’t regret it. I got up to my feet shakingly and looked around the familiar place and chuckled. Well, at least it saved me the trip back.

10 - Late Night Meetings

I shook my head as I made my way out of the cemetery. Despite being 4 levels higher than the last time I wandered past the menhir line, I was still far too weak for that area. It seemed I was bound to roam the forest closest to the village and hunt my way up the levels through the weaker animals that resided there—as long as that might take.

I made my way back to the inn. The day was almost over, and there was little sense in stumbling my way through the dark forest.

The place was starting to fill up as the villagers assembled for their communal dinner. Lyta was ordering a serving girl around when I got in, and her eyes immediately met mine.

“So …” she said, almost teasingly, “how did it go after I left you all to your lonesome, hon?”

“Poorly. I need to get stronger,” I said and sat down at the nearest vacant table.

She laughed softly and approached. “You tried getting into the deeper area, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” I admitted. “The beasts there are pretty tough. The lowest one had three times the level of the strongest creature I encountered at this part.”

Lyta nodded sagely. “They grow big and more powerful the deeper you go. The ambient nature magic gets denser and saturates everything. Past the second line, you will find beasts strong and ancient enough that could rip through this village—buildings included

—as though they were made of paper.”

I stared at her. “There’s a third zone? Wait, how do you even know what’s beyond it?”

She licked her lips. “Err … stories mostly. The caravan guards that come through sometimes see those creatures. They’re smart enough to stay away from them. So should you.”

I frowned. Something about the explanation seemed lacking. I was about to question her some more, but someone clapped my back, making me turn around.

Robert grinned at me. “Haven't seen ya around all day, lad. You been out hunting?”

“Yes.”

He nodded. “With the rest of the hunters laying low, I’m not getting the same flow of raw materials as before. Any chance ya bagged a couple more armadillos?”

I shook my head. “I got two warg furs, but I think I’ll keep them for now.”

The serving girl approached and placed three shots of the clear liquid in front of me. “From Lyta,” she explained. “Said she owes you for today.”

Robert eyed the glasses in front of me with interest, and I quietly handed one over. He brightened immediately and raised it into the air. “To your health, lad.”

We clinked our glasses, and I downed the two shots one after the other, savoring the short burst of warmth spreading through my stomach and only slightly wincing at the feeling of dusty residue it left in my mouth.

“Ya got quite the stomach for strong booze,” Robert noted, looking at me appreciatively. “But ya want to take it slower, have a bit of food in ya first.”

I shrugged.

“Well, thanks for the drink, lad. Come and see me in the smithy if ya find some more metal or just want to drop by for a chat.” He touched his leather cap and got up from the table.

A few more people greeted me as they entered the inn—the ones I’d swayed the night before. Most of the others though simply gave me disinterested looks. I still had my work cut out to get the fifty people required to fulfill the main quest.

After a few minutes of contemplating what to do next, I got to my feet. There was no way around it. It seemed I was bound to continue hunting in the immediate part of the forest, slowly grinding my way up the levels until I was strong enough to hunt the deeper parts. The druids didn’t seem to be in a hurry to chat me up, but if I started piling the bodies by the dozen, maybe that would draw their attention. Still, it wasn’t all bad. The recent improvement in my

Biomancer discipline skill meant I could inflict more damage and improve my armor, making it easier for me to hunt the predators of this area. On top of that, the discipline skill had reached the Apprentice rank, allowing me to learn the Fleshweave ability and opening new potential benefits from my existing ones. A soldier needed to know his weapons intimately, which meant I needed to sit down and explore the new abilities, so I nodded to the few people who made eye contact, and went to my room.

Sitting down on the single chair in the room, I opened my character sheet and started going through my Biomancer abilities one after the other.

Wither

Saps the target’s energy with a touch. Higher-level creatures have a cumulative bonus to resist this effect. Effect stackable 3
times, each subsequent application is 10% more powerful than the last.

Effect I: reduce the target’s max HP by 8% (5 + 0.2 per skill level)

Effect II: Apprentice: ???

Synergy: ???

I frowned as I read through the updated ability. The effect’s percentage calculation had changed. Whereas before it got half the discipline’s skill level, now it was only gaining a 0.2% per level. The base value of 5 was higher than the value of 1 it had at the Novice rank, but it still didn’t make it up for the downgrade in its potential.

Now, instead of sapping a third of my enemy’s life when the skill got to level 50, it would only sap 20%.

I tried activating the ability, thinking of tinkering with it to see if I could coax out the new effect, but without a target to practice it on, all I managed to do was force the cold energy into my arm and find myself unable to discharge it, so I moved on to the next ability.

Biomass

Convert corpses into biomass, which is stored in your inventory. Higher skill level will allow absorbing a higher ratio of the corpse and increase the total volume available for storage.

Biomass can be actively utilized as well as to fuel other abilities.

Current storage capacity: 200kg. Cooldown: 5 seconds.

Effect I: Absorb 22.1% mass (9 + 1/skill level) Effect II: Apprentice: ???

Synergy: ???

As with Wither, I needed a target to practice the ability on, so I moved on.

Fleshweave

Use biomass to knit and restore flesh and bone. HP restored in this fashion had a significantly higher biomass cost: 0.5 kilo biomass per 1 HP restored. Can be used on self and other deathless. Cooldown: 10 seconds

Effect: restores 11 HP (5 + 0.5 per skill level) Biomass Synergy: allow activating of Fleshweave when absorbing biomass, regardless of cooldown

I saved Biocraft for last as I figured it would take the most time to experiment with.

Biocraft

Allows you to convert stored biomass into tools, armor, and weapons. Manufactured items must be connected to your body or will rapidly deteriorate. Can only mimic materials from harvested creatures (i.e. no dragonhide armor without first absorbing a dragon). Can only cover a limited percentage of your body (amount increased with discipline spell’s level). Denser materials, such as bone, double the biomass requirement and coverage percentage needed to form it.

Effect I: total mass 12%. Duration: 12 min. (1/skill level)

Effect II: items effectiveness +5.5%. (0.5/skill level) Effect III: Apprentice: ???

Synergy: ???

Something about the effect percentage struck me as odd. All the other abilities' total effect percentage seemed a little off, and I had previously assumed they were rounded values. But Biocraft plainly stated its value should be one per level, and since my skill was at 11
that didn’t make much sense.

“Matsuel, you there?” I said, pressing my palms together.

Finally! my “god’s” voice rang in the head. I gotta say I’m a little disappointed in you, my herald. You haven't done any heralding at all! Not one bit! What’s a godling to do?

“I’m more interested in getting more powerful first,” I said. “The forest around here is no joke.”

But you’re missing the whole point! You got a benevolent god just sitting here, dying to give you a piece of his divine favor, and you’re doing anything BUT what you need to do to make that happen. Why waste time trying to increase your skills the slow way when you have a cheating deity just waiting to give you a helping hand?

“I’ll get there. Maybe,” I said. “I’m trying to do things my way first.” I didn’t see the point in adding that I didn’t trust him enough to give him more power over me. “Which leads me to my next question: what’s up with my skills? The total effect value they’re all showing doesn’t make any sense.”

You know you can just will up the full value’s calculation right?

I hadn’t thought of that. That was an oversight on my part. I just assume there was some sort of a problem with my abilities.

Yeah, Matsuel said without waiting for my answer. It’s probably the bonus from your Biomancer discipline skill —it gives a small boost to all its underlying abilities, remember?

“Right,” I said. “While we’re on the subject, any idea how I gain the Apprentice rank effect of my abilities? And synergies?”

Yeah, that’s a new system. Guy shifted the rules around a little.

Now, every ability—or spell—under a discipline has to have its new rank effect discovered individually. It’s just a matter of meeting some set of requirements—there are plenty of possibilities, actually, so I don’t imagine it would take you too long to uncover some of them.

Synergies work a little differently. You have to innovatively use two abilities—or skills, spells, or aspects of your character—together for a new synergized effect to manifest.

“Understood,” I said. “On another note, I’ve decided to try completing the main quest.”

I saw that. Gotta say I’m a little surprised you decided to follow the administrator’s path. It's not like you.

“I want the reward,” I said. “It didn’t state it exactly, but the wording makes it look like I’ll be able to acquire a combat skill if I complete it, right?”

Hmm, let me check. Alright, I checked. Yes, the reward is for unlocking any skill you’d like—providing you can match its prerequisite first.

I frowned. “Meaning?”

Oh, you can get a combat skill for sure, but you won't be able to get like ... a Meteor Swarm spell off the bat. Or any other higher-ranked spell or skills than your current level and rank allow for.

I shrugged. That made sense.

If I may throw in a suggestion?

“You may,” I said carefully.

It didn’t escape me that you dodged my question about why you’re asking NPCs about a conduit-gateway.

I tensed, preparing for being interrogated, but to my surprise, the VI didn’t press the issue. “Now, I don’t want to pry—Guy knows I fully support unexpected plot twists—but you’re going about it the wrong way.”

“What do you mean?”

You just need to— there was a long pause before the voice in my head continued —and then you’re done. Got it?

“No,” I said. “You got cut off there for a moment.”

Guy damn it, he muttered. That would be the divine censuring system. I can’t reveal things I know about the plot to you. It's also the same system that prevents me from helping you directly—unless I’ve just ranked up and got some extra divine mojo to spend. Alright, let me rephrase that. Ahem … just … you know … look closer to home, alright?

“That’s very vague,” I said.

That’s the best I can do at the moment. If you help me by collecting Faith Points, I might be able to loosen the metaphorical shackles and tell you more, but not before that.

I considered his offer. Getting some information along with some actual tangible reward was starting to sound appealing. “I’ll see what I can do.”

You do that. I’ll keep watching.

Moving my mind away from the conversation, I turned back to the task at hand. I had to coax a new effect out of my abilities, and seeing as Biocraft was the only one I could practice on my own, I was going to focus on that.

With 12% total coverage, I could now form two small weapons while also maintaining a small piece of armor. What I really needed though, was some sort of a reach weapon—a weapon long enough that I could inflict Wither on my enemies from a distance. The bone arrows I’d made before weren’t reliable enough. Without a proper bow skill, my chances of hitting a target from a distance were slim. I tried forming a spear, but the bone shaft only extended to about a meter before I ran out of coverage to work with. Polearm weapons were out for now. I could probably make something longer with leather, seeing it required half the mass that bone did, but making a spear out of leather was just ludicrous.

I gave it a try anyway.

Instead of a pole, a long strip of round leather extended out of my hand, reaching just over 2 meters in length before exhausting the coverage I had to work with. As I suspected, the pole wasn’t sturdy enough to wield like a spear, and it flopped around as I tried to lift it, but that gave me a new idea. The leather pole disintegrated as a new strip of leather extended out of my hand, this one thinner and
becoming narrower as it extended away from me. I gave the 3-meter long whip a testing fling, and its tip snapped with an audible crack.

Leather Whip

Integrated weapon

Type: Weapon [2-handed]

Damage: 2-4 (negated by armor)

Mass: 10%

Duration: 11 minutes, 55 seconds.

The ‘negated by armor’ part was a definite downside. It would have been good to injure my opponents from afar while delivering a burst of Wither. I knew every large animal I’d fought would have a coat or a hide thick enough to stop the whip’s damage.

My weapon experiments had exhausted 15 kilos of biomass, but I wasn’t done yet. There’s got to be a way to make the whip more damaging, I thought. I still had 2% unspent coverage to play with. I used that to form a sort of thin bone blade at the end of the whip.

The blade fitted seamlessly with the leather, ending with a wicked-looking serrated edge.

Bladed Leather Whip

Integrated weapon

Type: Weapon [2-handed]

Damage: 3-5

Mass: 10%

Duration: 11 minutes, 55 seconds.

The armor negation value disappeared, and as a bonus, the weapon’s damage increased slightly—and at no extra coverage cost, at that. That was an eye-opening lesson. It seemed that innovative thinking and new approaches could improve results, even beyond mere skills and levels.

I lashed the whip around the room, testing its grip and reach. I could reach every point in my small room, and the bladed end left visible marks on the bed frame, the dresser, and on myself. An errant lash embedded the bladed tip in my side, giving me a painful nick. Thankfully, my health regeneration took care of the wound quickly, so I resumed practicing until I could reliably hit my targets. I felt confident enough in my ability to hit enemies at the full reach of the new weapon, though I was far from being accurate enough to target specific vulnerability points. Still, I felt certain the new weapon would be a great way of inflicting Wither on approaching enemies. I was eager to test it out, but that would have to wait for tomorrow. I also wanted to experiment with my ability to adapt better types of armor—especially seeing how a small modification had drastically improved one item already. I put the whip down on the dresser and started concentrating, forming the item I had in mind and—

I stopped abruptly and turned my head to the dresser. My mouth gaped open as I realized what I’d just done: the whip was sitting casually on the dresser, without me having to tear it off my body. Not to mention that at least 10 seconds had passed since I let it go, and it still hadn't deteriorated. Before I could try to wrap my mind around what the hell was going on, the system came to my rescue.

Biocraft gained a new Apprentice ability

May craft separate, permanent items.

Crafting items that normally require a specialized crafting skill significantly increases the skill level required to make them—this limitation does not apply to items unique to Biocraft.

I picked up the whip and stared at it in amazement. Being able to create separate weapons and armors, then wear them would be a huge advantage, bypassing the normal ‘mass’ limitation and also saving me some gold by having to constantly replace my wardrobe. I frowned, though, as I examined the whip. It seemed much less sturdy and more worn than when I’d first made it, and the blade at the tip was cracked and dull-looking.

Crude Bladed Leather Whip [Biocrafted]

Type: Weapon [2-handed]

Damage: 1-3

Durability: 5/5

Based on its new stats the ‘standalone’ whip was half as powerful as the original, and its durability was so low, it was a good whack or two away from tearing. On top of that, now that it was no longer an extension of my body, I couldn’t use it as a medium to transmit Wither. Using the new Apprentice rank of the skill to manufacture my own weapons was a definite no, but armor was a different matter. Even crude leather armor would be a world of improvement over what I currently wore.

I focused again, drawing from my internal store of biomass, forcing the silvery-gray liquid to seep out and form into a leather vest. The substance flowed easily, forming a very basic sheet of leather with two holes for arms. I tried adding bone-plated straps, but the best I could do was attach a few strands of leather to the edges to use for binding. When I was done, I cut off the flow of biomass and the sheet of leather solidified.

Crude Snapper Leather Vest [Biocrafted]

Type: armor [torso]

Armor: 5

Durability: 8/8

As awkward and crude as it looked, the material was still thick and strong and was obviously better protection to my torso than the falling-apart jerkin. I started trying to thread my arms through the holes before recalling that was not how it worked inside the game. I placed it in my inventory instead, then equipped it, and the armor appeared over my torso. The leather was semi-rigid and fit me well.

The low durability didn’t bother me too much. I could always make myself a new one.

With over 130 kilos of biomass to play with, I was eager to see what other types of armor I could make for myself.

The next item on the agenda was a replacement for my crumbling pants.

Crude Snapper Leather Greaves [Biocrafted]

Type: armor [legs]

Armor: 5

Durability: 8/8

Since my arms were bare, I also created two bracers to protect them.

Crude Snapper Leather Bracers [Biocrafted]

Type: armor [forearms]

Armor: 2

Durability: 8/8

I tried forming other types of armor. Gloves and boots were beyond my ability to manipulate —the items coming out more like oven mints and leather socks—so I gave up on that approach until my skill level increased. Once I felt confident in my ability to create basic leather items, I tried making the bone version of them, which proved to be a complete failure. The bone breastplate I tried to make came out looking like a box—a poorly made one at that—and the pants … well, they were like nothing I’d ever want to put any part of me inside. The practice did reveal I could shape small bone parts easily enough—especially using my fingers directly to shape the blob of biomass as if it was playdough. Big plate armor was obviously out of the question at my current skill level, but I had another idea.

Materializing a fist-sized blob of biomass into my palm, I started to stretch it over one knee, modeling it to perfectly match its shape. I
removed the half-solidified blob of biomass and very gently pulled out the edges to form four strips, then extended a section at the middle outward, giving it a slight curving shape. With the general form of the knee guard ready, I slowly made the biomass settle. The four tendrils turned into leather straps, and the main section turned into bone, with a curved, wicked-looking blade sticking out of it. I took the finished product and placed it over my knee. It fit perfectly, and once equipped it appeared—straps tied—held perfectly across my knee. The knee guard didn’t add to my total armor value, but it did have a damage stat, and its durability was double that of the leather pieces. I quickly repeated the process, making another guard for my other knee, then proceeded to fashion two smaller guards for my elbows, before finally, after some consideration, I crafted another pair of spiked pauldrons for my shoulders. I now had six bone spikes sticking out of my body. Whatever beast tried to take a bite out of me next was going to get its face stabbed, and I could also use my knees and elbows to attack. The damage was underwhelming, barely more than that of a kitchen knife, but the range of options it offered was worth it.

I walked to stand in front of the small mirror nailed to one of the room’s walls and examined myself. I still looked gaunt, but now my entire body was covered with what looked like unprocessed leather, giving me a rough, outdoorsy look. The spiked bone plates over my joints added a flavor of savagery, completing the picture of a nature-borne barbarian. Something was missing, though. My head, face, and neck were exposed. I tried forming a bone helm, but I soon realized it was much too complex for me to craft. A leather cap was simple enough to create, but it didn’t have an actual armor value.

Working by instinct, I decided to approach the problem from a different angle. Biocraft was the essence of shaping biological matter, so sticking to biology seemed like a reasonable way to go.

Concentrating on the shape I wanted, I let the biomass flow from my hand and onto the dresser, settling into a round shape that quickly morphed into that of a large, empty skull. I stared at the half-finished item. I hadn’t expected it to be this easy. Using my fingers, I removed the bottom part of the skull and stretched the lower edges into long
thin sheets. Once the shape was finished, I focused on solidifying it.

The skull turned into smooth white bone, with actual sharp teeth extending down from its upper jaw. The sheets I pulled down turned into thick strips of leather.

I put the helmet on. The upper jaw hung over my forehead like a cap’s visor and the two side jaws extended to either side of my face

—protecting my cheeks—with a single large fang protruding from the end of each one. The leather straps fell to protect the side of my neck, and when I came out to check my new appearance, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. If I looked like the outdoorsy barbarian before, now I looked like the savage, cannibal version of it. I didn’t mind.

A final pleasant surprise awaited me when I examined my new helmet’s details.

Savage Bone Helm [Biocrafted]

Type: armor [head]

Armor: 4

Durability: 30/30

Considering the fact that my first attempt at a leather cap didn’t have an armor value at all, four was a huge improvement. The durability was also much higher than my other bone items, and I thought I knew why. It didn’t have the ‘crude’ prefix all the other items had before, which seemed to indicate that this helm was unique to my crafting skill. I couldn’t envision any smith or armor maker that would have created something like that, so it was probably a unique Biocraft item that didn’t impose the same limitation as when emulating other crafting skills’ items. This was an important revelation. If I concentrated on crafting items specific to biocraft I’d have a clear advantage, but I had no idea what sort of items—other than the helm—those could be. Every other item I could think of already fell under the domain of another profession. I’d have loved to get some feedback from more experienced biocrafters, but if I
trusted Matsuel’s words, I was the first in the history of NEO to hold this ability.

Checking my character sheet, I saw my total armor value had jumped to a whopping 16—over double what it was before.

Toiling in my room for hours was tiring, not to mention draining on my biomass stores, leaving me with just over 80 kilos, but the results made the effort worthwhile. With the process nailed down, I could now make the same items much quicker, making sure I always had a functioning set to go. And, with my armor needs taken care of, for now, I could dedicate the full skill coverage to form weapons that wouldn’t suffer the separation penalties.

As if to further reward my persistence, a new notification popped open.

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 12

Biocraft was one of the subset abilities of Biomancer, and it was gratifying to know that spending so much time on it had contributed to the skill progression.

With my new battle gear done and ready to go, I looked forward to tomorrow and testing it in actual battle conditions.

***

I woke up with a start. My room was dark, as was the window.

The inn was quiet with none of the bustling sounds that normally accompanied it during the day.

Something was wrong, though. I scanned the room, seeing nothing out of place in the darkness. I snapped my vision to activate Essence Sight and nearly jumped out of the bed—and my own skin

—at the sight of a figure hunched over the foot of the bed. “What the fu—”

“Greetings, harbinger of change,” the figure said with a high-pitched voice that was yet somehow foreboding. “You have been
busy of late, haven't you? All that hacking and slashing, the murder of beasts and vermins, you must be very tired indeed.”

“Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my room?” I said, now fully awake. In a heartbeat, I equipped all my newly crafted items and burst up from bed in a storm of torn sheet and mattress fillings, shredded by my armor spikes.

Standing, I towered over the figure who barely reached my navel. He was as wide as me, though.

“I am called Gidul, a junior druid of the Caberean Forest,” the small figure said, not seeming slightly alarmed at my combative posture. “You have reaped death and sowed chaos through our domain and so you shall be—”

“Yeah, I know,” I cut him off. So far, the plan was working.

“You’re here to punish me for my actions. Whatever, do your worst, but first, I have some questions.” While I talked, I narrowed my eyes at the dark figure, forcing its details to appear.

Gidul, Druid of ??, level ??, ?? HP

For the first time, Essence Sight failed to reveal the full details of an NPC. A field of something that looked almost like … static was blocking my Essence Sight.

Gidul chuckled. “There’s no need to be so guarded. I only came here to talk. I have watched you, and our interests seem to be aligned.”

“Okay,” I said, relaxing my guard a little, though I still watched him carefully. “Then tell me about the conduit. The gateway.”

“Of course,” the short man said, a little too quickly for my taste.

“Deep within the heart of the Caberean Forest lies an object of ancient power. However, it is being hidden by the magic of our elders.”

I narrowed my eyes. Up until now, no one I asked about had any idea what I was talking about, and suddenly, a mysterious figure appeared in my room holding all the answers ... that was way too suspicious. “Why are you here?”

“Why, I came to aid you in your quest, of course.”

Somehow, I doubted he was referring to the Path of Redemption quest. “Why?”

“That is not your concern. But I’m here to tell you that you’ve been going about it all wrong … There are better ways for you to utilize your influence … herald.”

My eyes widened. Other than my so-called deity, this guy was the first to refer to me by my title.

“Yes”—he chuckled—“I know much. Little is hidden from a practitioner of nature’s true purpose. So you should listen to me when I tell you that you are moving too slowly. Thinking too small.

Your gray circles will soon invoke the elders’ fury, and you must be ready for them.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why warn me against them? Aren’t they your people?”

He chuckled again. “I’d hate to see such a fine prospect of … a specimen such as yourself being cut down before reaching their full potential.”

“That’s not an answer,” I said. “Am I supposed to believe one of the druids willingly betrays their kind out of sheer altruism?”

Gidul scoffed. “Believe what you will, and do as you please, but you would be wise to heed my words.” His voice rose by an octave, and his words became a rhythmic citing. “In the east stands a pillar.

Next to the pillar, there’s a hill. Next to the hill, there’s a stream. Next to the stream, there's an entrance, and near that entrance lies a relic, guarded by a creature of bygone power. Claim it, and yours will rise.”

“So why come to me instead of tackling that ‘bygone power’

yourself?” I asked, mimicking his tone.

Gidul snorted. “That one is strong but lost its luster. You are nothing like that. There’s a passion burning inside of you. A purpose that drives you forward. You will do well. And once you claim that relic for your own, your power will start to grow, your influence spread, and you will soon be able to withstand the elders themselves.” He chuckled ominously. “Provided they do not get you first.”

“Alright, I’ve heard enough,” I said. “Now get the hell out of my room.”

The figure bowed mockingly and turned toward the door. It opened to his touch and closed behind him as he stepped outside. I moved to test the door, finding it was locked. Whoever that person really was, he wasn’t someone to take lightly.

I didn’t trust his words one bit. Whatever his true agenda was, I didn’t get the impression he lied to me, though it was obvious he wasn’t telling me the whole thing. I was starting to get tired of being manipulated by powers that had their own agenda. I was here by my own actions and I would decide what I do next. That said, I wasn’t stupid enough to ignore a possible lead just because it was handed to me on a silver platter. I was planning on spending the entire day tomorrow hunting, so I wouldn’t be going out of my way to follow the cryptic message. But wherever it may take me, and whatever it may reveal, taking that option or not would be my choice to decide.

Unequipping my armor and sending it back into my inventory, I got back to my hacked bed. Finding out my small room wasn’t as secure as it first appeared didn’t bother me all that much. There were always powerful figures around—in here and out there in reality—so there was no sense losing sleep over what you couldn’t control. The only way forward was to follow the mission and reach your landmarks, delaying only over the things you could affect on your own.

I closed my eyes and drifted back off to sleep.

11 - Shrining

I caused quite a stir when I walked down into the common room the next morning. The villagers stopped chewing their meal and conversations died out as all eyes turned to examine the savage-looking barbarian that descended the stairs. The gazes were mixed, varying from apprehension to disgust. I met the latter’s eyes with my own gray ones and felt a pang of pleasure as they quickly averted their gazes.

Coercion skill has increased to level 6

I fought down a smirk. It wasn’t the first time in my life I was able to stare down multiple people, usually through the sights of my rifle, but being able to quantify my ability to do so was a new experience.

I passed by the bar, grabbing and downing the shot of spirit—my new version of breakfast—Ron had hastily put down for me. Moving out of the inn, I made my way into the forest. The rest of the hunters were still bound to the village’s defense, and I encountered no one else along the way.

Using Biocraft, I remade the whip as I entered the forest. The weapon reduced my biomass by 4 kilos and would only last for 12
minutes, but I wanted to test it out in the open before engaging real opponents.

I soon came upon four rabbits who were munching on some low bushes. The first flick of my whip missed entirely, sending all four running, but the next strike caught one of the escaping animals on its flank and the bladed tip tore it apart.

I continued walking through the forest, aiming at any small woodland creature I encountered and any notable target. My heightened Essence Sight skill made following the tracks of the critters in this part of the forest much easier, and I never had to wait more than a few minutes before locating my next target. Within short order, I felt confident in the use of the new weapon. Despite my best
efforts, though, I still couldn’t aim perfectly with it. This was clearly one of this world’s mechanisms at play since the bladed tip seemed to almost randomly shift as it sailed through the air. Despite that, I could reliably hit within a 10-centimeter radius of my intended target.

It was more than enough to act as a medium to deliver Wither to the largest beasts I was looking to hunt.

The sounds of baying reached me barely a few moments later as four level 4 wargs burst out of the bushes, aiming straight at me.

But I was ready for them. My bladed whip flashed through the air, hitting the leading canine on the shoulder, delivering a blast of Wither that tainted its fur. The beast howled in pain, halting its charge and blocking its companions.

Whip hit lesser warg for 4 damage

Wither has sapped 8.2% of the target life (-2 HP) The delay and the distance gave me ample time to hit two of the other wargs, inflicting some damage and similarly disabling them with pain. The fourth warg sprang forward and reached me before I could snap my weapon at it. It sailed through the air, its jaw locking around my arm.

Lesser warg bit you for 3 damage (9 base - 6 armor) I stared in surprise at the large predator. The beast was heavier than me, yet its teeth barely broke my skin below my bracer. I was having a hard time figuring out how armor stats worked. The reduced damage didn’t directly correspond to the value of my armor stat, which was currently at 16. As Sagita explained, it seemed to be more effective the higher it was compared to the inflicted damage.

Instead of struggling against the powerful animal to release my arms and weapon, I simply dissolved the whip, forming two sets of bone claws around my hands. The warg whined in pain as I used the extra spare points of mass to make an extension of bone grow out
the back of my claws, sprouting small spikes along my forearms. The attack released a wave of withering energies at the creature, and I took advantage of its momentary daze to fall on it with a flurry of wild attacks, repeatedly stabbing into its shaggy fur and delivering two more instances of Wither.

The three other wargs had regained their composure and were already moving to circle me, but their indecision was their friend’s doom. I let the warg’s limp body slide off my claws, causing a circle of atrofield to erupt around me.

Atrofield [rank 1]: Biomancer abilities +5% effect, -10%
resistance

The three wargs flew at me from three sides, their powerful jaws locking around my arms and one leg, avoiding the spikes on my joint. They growled and gnashed their teeth, pulling my limbs apart in an attempt to tear them off. My new armor held though, and their combined effort only reduced my health by 10 more points. For any other warrior in my state, this would have been a grave danger; with restricted limbs, retaliation was impossible, but I had options other warriors didn’t. Using the new trick I’d just learned, I discarded my claws and used biomass to grow bone spikes out of the three spots the wargs were biting. The three canines instantly whined and let go, the flesh of their muzzles rapidly decaying as the second blast of withering energies consumed their flesh.

With 13 HP down, I still had 80% of my health remaining, but I saw no reason not to fight at anything less than full power. So, concentrating on the cold energy that swirled in my center, I willed my wounds to close. Silvery biomass flowed into the bite wounds and settled into new flesh and skin, nearly erasing all signs of damage.

Fleshweave: +12 HP

Unfortunately, the process of healing took longer than I’d realized. When practiced in safety it seemed fast enough, but in combat situations, the few seconds it took could be the difference between life and death. The delay had given the three wargs the time they needed to recuperate from the agony, and they came at me again, this time being more careful with their bites, releasing their jaws immediately, or landing quick slashes with their claws. One had aimed at my head, but the dense bone helm repelled its claws.

My crude armor was rent as the three hunters worked together to bring me down, carefully avoiding my retaliation strikes, and I sustained another 20 points of damage that nearly destroyed my leather vest.

Seeing as the animals had switched tactics to a more cautious one, keeping their distance between attacks, I decided to take advantage of the situation. Before they could come at me again, I resummoned the whip and managed to strike all three, delivering the third instance of Wither, reducing their max HP and causing them to stagger in pain.

Lesser warg, level 4, 12/25 HP [Withered x3]

While all three beasts were howling in agony, I crouched down and touched their dead companion. I activated Fleshweave once then, using the liquifying flesh synergy to immediately trigger it a second time.

Biomass absorbed: 25kg

Fleshweave: +24 HP

And just like that, I was fully healed again, while my three enemies were down to their last legs. The battle was quickly over at this point as, taking advantage of my restored vigor, I rushed the three wargs as I resummoned my claws and quickly hacked them apart. With each corpse slain the atrofield expanded, and the few
nips I got in return were barely enough to penetrate my crumbling armor.

Lesser warg, level 4, defeated x4

+20% progression toward next level

Another activation of Fleshweave sealed my few remaining wounds. My crude, makeshift armor was in tatters though, so I spent a few moments reforming it using biocraft, replacing the bracers, vest, and greaves with fresh ones. Only my skull helm escaped the fight unscathed, the claw marks it received not deep enough to reduce its durability.

I stood there for a few moments as I surveyed the battleground and went over the fight in my mind. A good soldier always looked back to learn from his mistakes. I realized I should have been more aware of the other wargs at the start of the fight instead of engaging in full melee with the one who charged me. The distraction had let them gang up on me, though I wasn’t sure what I could have done differently. The ability to instantly switch my weapons gave me a range of versatility that was incredibly useful during combat. The only downside was the biomass cost involved. Going over the battle logs, which were minimized at the edge of my view, I saw that shifting my weapons five times had drained 20 kilos while healing myself took another 15. Recreating the torn pieces of armor drained another 15 for a total spend of 50 kilos of biomass. Seeing as I’d just gained a little over 100 kilos, that wasn’t too bad, with my current biomass count at 152. Still, I resolved to be more conservative in the future. In a world where levels were more important than sheer mass, it wasn’t unreasonable to imagine fighting scrawny yet highly dangerous creatures whose biomass wouldn’t be enough to reimburse the expenditure.

All in all, it was a fairly easy battle, with my health never dropping below three-quarters. In fact, it was uncannily easy. Not two days ago I struggled to defeat even one of those beasts, and now I
handily defeated four. Despite not having a combat skill, having decent gear and being a level higher than my opponents still gave me an incredible advantage, showing me the value of both. The only downside of leveling up was the slower progress rate to the next level. With my current progression at 51%, I had to hunt down 10
more wargs to level up.

I shook myself out of my reverie and looked around. “Better get going then.”

***

I spent the rest of the day hunting the forest predators, finding and killing several more wargs and snappers, and slowly … grinding my level to the next one. I had to stop and smile as I recalled a long session where Gideon explained the meaning of grinding to me.

Back when I was still in service, the word had a whole different meaning.

I took a moment to reflect on my brother’s probable life inside the game – before the incident. It was hard to imagine my conflict-avoiding sibling wielding a weapon and fighting monsters for loot and XP, though based on his stories, that’s exactly what he’d done.

Inside the game, he felt more confident, surer of his abilities to handle adversities, and with a pang of regret I realized this was something I could have shared with him. It would have been awesome to fight side by side with him, to experience the thrill of battle and camaraderie that followed. In this setting especially. I let out a regretful sigh. For all its dangers, this forest was mesmerizing.

Our shared love for nature would have made exploring it all the more enjoyable. “I’ll get you in here, bro,” I murmured. “I’ll get you better.

Then, it’ll be the two of us, the Slater brothers against the world. And we’ll win.”

I shook myself back to reality. In order to make that future real, I had to keep on going. I encountered another level 3 metalback armadillo, which I easily defeated, gaining a single percent toward my level progression. Seeing as a two-level gap only gave 1%
progress made me realize that once I reached level 6, I’d have to kill
a hundred level 4 predators to reach 7. This was less than ideal. I had no doubt I could accomplish that task, but it would take time, time that would be better spent looking for the conduit. It was frustrating, but I saw no other option. And that wasn’t even the biggest problem. After reaching level 7, I’d probably exhaust the usability of hunting in the first zone and remain stuck at that level.

That would still not be enough for me to contend with the more dangerous beasts in the second zone. But that was a concern for later.

It was almost dark again when I’d felled the last of a small pack of snappers, and the expected message finally appeared.

Level up!

You have reached level 6

Spirit attribute +1 (Physical +0.75, Mental +0.5, Social

+0.25)

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 13

My HP soared to 76, and I could feel the cold energy swirling inside of me becoming a tiny bit more profound. The 10 predators I’d just finished hunting had never managed to get my health below half.

They did, however, prove very useful by supplying me with plenty of fur and meat for me to sell and enough biomass to fill my capacity of 220 kilos. As a side bonus, when I reformed my weapons during the last battle, I could feel a slight improvement in my control of Biocraft thanks to the latest skill upgrade. I felt confident that with a few more skill levels I would also be able to improve my biocrafted armor. That would be a nice boon since I had to replace my armor three times today.

When I got back to Brinfold for the night, I was heading straight to my inn’s room when someone waved at me to draw my attention.

“Seraph,” the mayor said, gesturing for me to approach his table, “have you discovered anything new?”

I leveled my gaze at him. “Nothing yet, sir. I’m still searching the forest.”

“Did you encounter any more of those gray circles?”

“... Some.” All generated by me.

He nodded reluctantly. “There have been a few more animal attacks. Some of the farmers got jumped while working the fields near the tree line.”

I winced. I should have taken greater care of where I used my deathless ability to reduce the risk for the villagers.

“Luckily,” Jazir continued, seemingly unaware of my misgivings,

“our hunters were able to intervene in time so no one was seriously hurt, but this situation can’t go on for much longer.”

“I’ll continue looking first thing tomorrow,” I said.

The mayor nodded gravely. “We’re counting on you, Seraph.

The future of Brinfold is in your hands.”

Yeah, I thought as I made it up the stairs, no pressure.

***

Waking up the next morning I stood and stopped as I caught my reflection in the mirror. I looked even thinner than before, almost emaciated. My hollow face emphasized the two swirling gray orbs that were my eyes. In addition, despite standing straight, my reflection revealed I was a little hunched, and my arms seemed a bit longer than normal. The game seemed determined to make my outer appearance as foreboding as my skill set. I shrugged. As long as it didn’t hinder me or impair my capabilities, I didn’t care. It was just virtual cosmetic.

When I got down to the common room and got my morning shot of champions, only slightly wincing at the graininess, I noticed several people were looking at me with apprehension. I frowned.

Okay, so not just virtual cosmetics. Putting down the shot glass on the counter, I had a sudden idea. “A round of drinks for everyone, on me,” I said to the Innkeeper.

That brought up a few cheers from the gathering people.

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +4 (17/50)

It seemed my hunch was correct. Early drinkers were a constant anywhere that served alcohol.

“That will be 12 gold,” Ron said as he started pouring out drinks.

“Here.” I threw him 20. I had plenty by now, and I was planning to sell the mound of furs I looted for even more. “That’s to cover anyone who comes in later.” Who knew, maybe I could make my money work for me while I was away.

“You got it,” Ron said. “Going back out there again today?”

“Eventually,” I said. “I have some business in the village before that.” I peered into my inventory. “How would you like to buy 36
pieces of raw meat?”

I walked past the now much friendlier gazes, my purse holding the 18 new coins, and exited the building. Dawn’s store was just a few buildings down the village’s single road, and I found her sitting at her usual place behind the counter. “Good morning, Seraph,” she said. “What can I do ya for?”

“Got some loot to sell,” I said and took the warg furs, snapper hides, armadillo carapace, and rabbit pelts out of my inventory, laying them on the counter. I felt much lighter on my feet as the total weight was close to overtaking my maximum carrying capacity.

Dawn let out a low whisper, “I sure hope that ain’t all from a single day o’ huntin’.”

“No,” I said. “Some of that is from two days ago.”

The woman nodded. “That’ll be 237 gold for the lot, and I’ll hand the carapace straight to Robert.” She handed me a fat pouch, bringing my treasure total to 430. “So what are ya up to today?”

“More hunting,” I said.

She chuckled softly. “At the rate you’re going, we’re gonna clean out the next trade caravan—that is if the druids won’t put a stop to it.”

“I hadn't caught a whiff of that yet,” I said. Gidul didn’t count as he didn’t come to berate my hunting habits.

“Could be ‘cause the other hunters are keeping low for now,”

she reasoned.

“Could be,” I agreed. “Well, I’ll be off.”

“Wait,” she said. She came around the counter and approached me. She looked straight into my eyes and laid a hand on my shoulder. “Are ya alright?” Her voice was warm and concerned.

I took a half step back in surprise. “Uh, sure.”

She shook her head. “Something’s weighing down on ya, lad.

That’s plain for anyone with eyes in their head. Ya don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulder, ya know?”

Her words cut a little too close to home, and I had to swallow hard. “I have … responsibilities, people I need to take care of.”

She nodded sympathetically. “Of course, don’t we all? But it ain’t good clumping down, keeping it all bottled up inside. There are good folks around here, people who’d be willing to help ya out if you give them a chance. You don’t have to be guarded so much all the time.”

She cracked a smile. “And ya should really eat more. You look skinnier each time I see ya. I’ll tell Ron to throw in a few extra spoons into your stew.”

I had to blink fast. Somehow, the woman’s motherly mannerisms, even misguided, had got to me. I did carry a weight on my shoulders; willingly committing a crime and going into prison, throwing my entire career’s future, for the small chance I could somehow help my catatonic brother. The warmth of her voice made the feelings I hadn’t realized I was carrying with my surface, and for a brief moment, I was overwhelmed, but then I recalled where I was.

This was a mission in progress, and the caring woman was not real.

I shook my head. The realism in NEO was uncanny, it was no wonder it used to be the world’s most popular game. “Thanks, but I’m good,” I said evenly. Real or not, her words were encouraging, and I appreciated the sentiment. “I have to go now.”

She nodded. “Be careful out there.”

“I will.”

Robert smiled and waved at me as I walked by his smithy, and I returned the gesture. The isolated village had its faults, but it had some decent people. I could see why the administrators chose this as the setting of my ‘recovery’. I wasn’t opposed to being amiable to people when they earned it, I only hated being forced to do so when they didn’t.

Putting my back to the village and its people, I headed into the forest.

***

I spent hours looking for new prey to hunt. Putting Essence Sight to use, I ignored the small fry and looked solely for predators. I encountered a pack of 4 snappers and put them down easily, my health never falling by more than a quarter. I was a little relieved when I found that each kill awarded me 2% progression toward the next level, not 1% as I first assumed. I chucked it to the fact that the two-level gap became less significant when the actual level was higher. A 98 vs 100 gap was less substantial than 2 to 4, after all.

That said, it then took me half the day to hunt down 6 more predators, bringing my total level progression to 20%.

I stopped after finishing the last two lesser wargs to consider my next move. Though not as slow as I’d first thought, this approach was taking too long. At this rate, it would take me 4 to 5 days to reach level 7, and I would be no closer to being strong enough to contend with the beasts past the first zone.

I got another hit in my main quest while I was hunting, bringing the total count of ‘swayed’ individuals to 18. My alcoholic investment was bearing fruit, but I was still far from completing the quest.

The day of hunting had brought me to the eastern part of the forest, not far from the menhir line. “Might as well give it a look,” I said to myself reluctantly. I was still against taking the path laid down for me by others, but it became apparent I needed to use all the tools at my disposal to improve my chances.

I located a menhir a few minutes later, and sure enough, the trees were sparse enough to reveal a small rise not far from it. As I
approached the hill, I noticed the stream coming out of a fissure at its side. The water reeked, and I noticed nothing grew alongside the small stream for a long way, explaining the sparseness of trees.

I went to the stream and frowned as I stared down at the murky water. My Essence Sight had highlighted the water as radiating a faint yellowish glow. It felt different than the vibrant red that saturated the rest of the forest.

There was a steep path leading up the hill, and I followed it, reaching a flat terrace in front of a dark tunnel of crumbling masonry.

At the center of the flat area stood a block of dark stone covered with dead vines. A single human skull sat atop the stone. To my Essence Sight, the skull glowed with a vibrant shade of yellow.

“Now what?” I muttered, getting closer to the block.

I could feel the malignant energy the object emitted, but it faltered as I moved my hand toward it, doing nothing more than make my skin feel slightly irritated. I reached out toward the skull and touched it.

You have found a shrine of Necrass (God of Death) The shrine emits negative energy that is harmful to living beings.

As a Herald of a different deity, you have the option to convert the shrine to your religion.

Mana cost: #??# --incompatible. Converted to biomass cost: 96kg.

Convert the shrine? Yes/No

I contemplated this choice. The bit about faith-related options in the description of the Herald title was clearer now. Taking over the shrine would no doubt make Matsuel happy, which wasn’t a big plus in my mind, but there was no denying I needed some help if I wanted to become stronger quick enough for it to matter. I realized I was stalling, but it was mostly due to not wanting to further bind myself with that nut job of a VI. As a soldier though, I was trained to do what needed to be done, regardless of how I felt about it.

“Yes.”

Silvery-gray biomass started flowing down my arm, coating the skull and carrying on to cover the rest of the shrine. I took a step back and watched as the skull melted under the liquified biomass as it spread farther and farther, slowly solidifying into flesh and bone.

When the process was finished, the entire block of stone was covered with a thin film of grayish-brown skin. Bones were visible underneath like a sort of boxy rib cage, and gray veins stood out, covering the outer layer of the skin like spiderwebs. It was morbid to look at, but the emerging benefits quickly outweighed the visual aspect. A gray circle started to spread from the shrine, covering the entire stone terrace and then some.

Then the notifications started pouring in.

You have established a shrine for Matsuel (God of ???)

+100 FP

Warning: the shrine is located within a strong zone of death energies. Cannot establish a new conclave until the area is cleansed.

Atrofield [rank 1]: +5% deathless magic, -10% deathless resistance [permanent]

Deity rank has increased to 2

Faith Point for next rank: 0/200

“Well, it’s about time,” Matsuel's voice sounded casual as it came out of the shrine as if the stone box was an old-fashioned speaker. “Huh, I expected to receive a divine domain at this point.

Oh well, I guess it’ll happen when the right conditions are met. This is absolutely not your fault. I’m sure you’ve done nothing wrong.”

His tone of voice quite clearly suggested otherwise.

“Whatever,” I said, “it's time for you to hold to your end of the bargain. You ranked up, right?”

“That’s right. And yes, I have enough divine ‘juice’ to spew some of my gravy on you.”

“Did you have to phrase it like that?”

“Yes. I did. Anyway, let's see … an undisclosed domain … mix it up with one portion of deathless character … add in a pinch of Biomancer discipline, and what do we get … hmm … that’s a tricky one … oh! I think I got it. Oh, that would be so cool!”

“What?”

“Give me a second to fiddle around with a few of the rudimentary building blocks of existence …”

“What? No, wait—”

“And … done!”

Biocraft upgraded!

Effect III: Apprentice: May craft separate, permanent items, including soul receptacles.

I read the notifications and frowned as I realized only the last three words were new. “That’s it?”

“What? Do you think tinkering with the fabric of reality is easy? I assure you this is not the type of skill evolution you’d have managed to achieve on your own.”

“What are soul receptacles?”

“That’s a dumb question. What usually holds souls?”

I frowned. “People?”

“Not to get bogged down with real-life theological discussion here, but any living being in this reality holds a soul. A soul is more like a perishable commodity here. A type of resource.”

“I still don’t get how that helps me.”

The shrine emitted a deep sigh. “Think about it. Your biocraft ability lets you create things, right? What sort of things?”

“It just lets me emulate normal items.” I shrugged. “A sort of generalized crafting skill that produces lesser versions of what other skills are capable of.”

“That’s only half true. Biocraft has its designated line of items it can produce, that no other crafting skill is capable of. What are they?”

I furrowed my brow at that. “The only unique biocrafted item I’ve been able to make is a skull helm.”

“Yes, good. And why is that?”

I shrugged. “Dunno.”

“Jeesh, not much of a deep thinker, are you? Think about the name bio-craft, what does that suggest to you?”

“That I can make things out of biological materials?”

“Again, half-right. It also lets you make biological things. Hence the helmet.”

I blinked a few times as the pieces were coming together. “Hold on,” I said with incredulity, “are you telling me I can make people?”

“Not exactly. You can create basic bodies. Your low skill level will limit your options, but since we’re talking about making new deathless minions, the need for precise internal biological mechanisms is removed. That means you can concentrate on the function of the external form and ignore irrelevant things like internal organs, which should greatly simplify the process. The bodies you create will become empty receptacles.”

“For souls?” I guessed. “And how do I … put a soul into them?”

“The term is ensoul,” Matsuel replied. “And that brings us to the second part of the generous boon I offer as your deity. To start, I’ll need you to use your ability to create a receptacle.”

“I … What sort of receptacle? I’ve never done this before.”

“The shape doesn’t matter as long as it's complete. Don’t try to make people, your skill is too low for that. KISS. That means—”

“Yeah, I know what it means,” I cut him off. Deryl, my old drill sergeant, used that acronym a lot. I concentrated, and a stream of biomass flowed out of me. The shrine had drained a good portion of my storage, but I still had over 100kg left to play with. The silvery liquid pooled onto the shrine and slowly started taking shape. I concentrated hard, forcing the solidifying mass into a long, round shape, using my hands to carve a mouth and smooth over any
imperfections. The liquid settled into an elongated form, with a gaunt, grayish body.

“That’s the best you could do? A snake?”

“You’re the one who said to keep it simple.”

“Stupid. Don’t forget the stupid part—which is the one you seemed to have taken most to heart. Oh well, I did say the shape doesn't matter. Alright, proceeding to the next part.”

The shrine started glowing in a faint gray light that was swallowed by the snake’s body. The elongated body twitched a few times until all the light got swallowed, then the animated creature moved.

The elongated body slowly curled around itself as the head rose to my height. The snake’s body was even more emaciated than my own, its internal bone structure clearly visible through the gray, spotted skin. It opened its mouth as it looked at me, and two sharp mandibles extended out of it. “Masssterrr.”

“Holy shit, this thing can talk?”

“Of course it can, it has a part of my divine juice in it.” Matsuel scoffed.

I looked intently at the creature

Soul Serpent [unbound]

I frowned. “It has no stats.”

“You first need to bind it to you.”

“How?”

“The same way you bind every newborn: you name it.”

I stared down at the shriveled, creepy crawler. “I’ll call you Sal.”

You’ve gained a new companion: Soul Serpent

“Sal, the Soul Serpent?” Matsuel sounded exasperated.

“I think it fits.”

“Ah, whatever. It’s done. Just inspect the damn snake, you’ll see.”

Sal, Soul Serpent

Description: a companion to the Herald of the God Matsuel.

Sal can absorb soul fragments from the recently deceased and store them in his body for later use. Soul fragments can be used to ensoul biocrafted bodies, thus creating new deathless beings. If Sal is destroyed it can be reformed by expanding biomass on any of the deity’s shrines

Soul fragments: 0

Physical attribute: 2

HP: 20

Traits:

● Ensoul

● Consume Soul

“It reads more like an item than a creature,” I pointed out.

“That’s because it’s an extension of yourself rather than an actual separate entity. Hmm, now that I’m seeing its metadata, I can tell you a little more about it.”

“I’m listening.”

“As the description says, Sal can consume the souls of the creatures you kill, but he will siphon some of the soul fragments into his own body. That will make him gradually grow in size and become more powerful. The rest of the soul fragments will be stored and can be used to ensoul new deathless creations.”

“That’s good,” I said. The thought of a 10-meter-long snake helping me fight sounded like just what I needed to contend with the toughest beast in the deep forest.

“Yeah, but there’s a big caveat. If Sal dies you can recall him alright, but he’ll lose all the stored energy and the strength he had gained up until that point.”

“That’s bad,” I said.

“Yeah, so I’d think twice before sending him charging into battle.”

“Got it,” I said, then looked down at the snake. “So, how about it? Partners?”

“Yess, masssterr,” Sal said. “I will collect the ssouls of your enemies sso we may both grow sstronger.”

“Deal,” I said, “and it looks like we have our first volunteer.”

A weasel the size of a large dog was charging up the hill, eyes red with fury and spittle flying out of its mouth. The raging level 3
creature shot right past me and landed on the shrine, snarling and hissing, its claws tearing the membrane layer, its teeth gnashing the protruding bones.

I flashed my whip at it, and the bladed tip tore open its skin.

Whip hit weasel for 8 damage (4 base + 4 sneak attack) Wither has sapped 8.9% of the target life (-2 HP) The creature fell off the shrine, momentarily immobilized by the blast of withering energy, which was further strengthened by the shrine’s atrofield.

Two more whip lashes and the creature was all but dead. With its last remaining strength, the weasel clawed its way back toward the shrine, its eyes still filled with mad rage. A third and final lash put the animal out of its misery.

Not waiting to be summoned, Sal darted toward the corpse, wrapping his body around it and opening his pincered mouth wide. A faint silver blob of light rushed out of the dead critter and into the soul serpent’s mouth. Sal slithered away, seeming pleased with himself and just a tiny bit larger than before. Inspecting him, I saw his stored soul fragments count was at 2.

“Another enemy approaches, master,” Sal hissed.

I frowned as I saw another weasel and several rabbits behind it charge up the hill, all looking as crazed as the first.

“It’s the shrine, of course,” Matsuel’s voice sounded again. “The deathless energy interferes with their bodies and fills them with rage.

It will only affect the animals relatively close by. Once you get rid of them you should be good to go.”

I moved to meet the charging beasts. As soon as they entered the atrofield I could see their gait falter, though the manic look in their eyes only intensified. With the shrine as their target, it was easy to dispatch them with several well-aimed lashes. Sal rushed in, growing by a few centimeters as he consumed their souls, bringing his total count to 7.

I looted and absorbed the bodies, bringing my biomass stores up to 120 kg and earning a few more furs and chunks of meat.

I stood up and looked around. Other than the tracks of the beast that attacked, my Essence Sight revealed no other presence nearby.

The location seemed safe for now, but once I left, there was a good chance another stray animal would appear and tear apart the place.

As if reading my mind, Matsuel's voice came out of the shrine again. “This might be a good time to create a few guardians. You have the souls for it now.”

“Right,” I said, trying not to let my doubt become too apparent.

Creating life out of nothing sounded a bit too fantastical.

“As I said before, don’t try to go for something too complicated.

Keep it simple. Make something that prioritizes functionality—think claws. Many, many sharp, long claws. Talons work too.”

“I’ll try,” I said, concentrating on the job. Making Sal’s body was simple enough, but he seemed pretty vulnerable. I wanted something more durable that could take a beating and retaliate. An image of soldiers coated with bone plates and wielding bone sickles for hands came to mind. I concentrated on the image, trying to breathe it to life. Biomass streamed out, slowly coalescing, building from the bottom up, its exterior calcifying into white bone plates.

“What in Guy’s name is that?” Matsuel sounded incredulous.

I tried sounding nonchalant as I took in the two piles of amorphous bone that appeared on the ground. “Bone boots. Eh, sort of.” That was as far as I managed to take my vision.

A sigh rose from the shrine. “Don’t tell me you tried to make an actual person. Your skill is too low for that. Going with a bone exterior is a good idea, but think of a simpler form. Besides, you can
only create receptacles up to twice your normal Biocraft maximum, so don’t overdo it.

“Fine,” I said. Between summoning the whip and the failed creation, I had just under 100 kilos of biomass to play with. I kept it simple this time, starting with two large bone pincers, which extended to connect to a bone body just big enough to hold them.

Instead of making the insides one solid chunk of bone, which would count double against my allotted mass, I filled it with flesh. Then I used whatever few strands of mass I had remaining to play with and added about a dozen tiny, spindly legs all around the underbelly.

Once I was done, I stepped back to take in my new creation. It looked like someone made a bad carving of a crab out of rough rock, but its two vice-like claws did look formidable.

Bone Crab (receptacle).

Soul fragments required: 3

“Sal, err .. ensoul it.”

“Yess, massterrr,” the Soul Serpent said. It slithered to the motionless statue and wrapped around it. The snake’s skin started glowing, emitting motes of gray that were swallowed by the receptacle. Then the thing started to move, and Sal slithered away from it.

Bone Crab (deathless), level 3, 33 HP

“Not bad, for a meat-suit meathead,” Matsuel commented conversationally. “Go take it for a test drive.”

“Come here,” I told the crab.

It started scuttling toward me with an ungainly movement. It wouldn’t win any races any time soon, but as soon as I presented it with my quickly elapsing whip, its snapping claws easily cut the leather strip into three sections.

“Yeah, not bad,” I said. “I could use this thing’s help next time I go hunting. A few more like it and I could probably start thinking of going into the deeper part of the forest.” I directed the last sentence toward the boney creature. “Let’s see how well you can follow me around.”

It followed me down the hill, but as soon as it exited the border of the atrofield, it started hissing in pain. I stared back at it in surprise and realized its health was rapidly plummeting. “Go back, go back!”

It scurried backward, and once its entire body was within the atrofield again, it stopped hissing and its health started ticking upward.

“Yeah, simple deathless creatures can’t survive outside the atrofield,” Matsuel said.

“Then what use are they?” I asked in annoyance.

“Not a lot, for starters, but once you get a few more shrines and get some believers, the area coverage will extend. It can cover a huge area eventually.”

I nodded. Territory coverage-based tactical weapon. Like carpet bombing, only over an extended period. I could use that.

Pouring out some more biomass I fashioned it into another bone crab, this time taking care to make it sleeker, shifting its body mass backward to better balance out the heavy front claws.

Bone Crab (receptacle).

Soul fragments required: 4

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 14

I nodded in content. Just like the small addition of a blade to the whip, small finishing touches were important. The newly minted crab was essentially the same mass as the first but ended up being a stronger specimen.

“Sal.”

The soul serpent didn’t need any further instructions, quickly animating the second receptacle, exhausting its store of souls in the process.

The second bone crab shook itself up and started walking, much smoother than its predecessor.

“We should harvest more ssoulsss, massterr,” Sal said.

“I’m not sure it’s that urgent,” I said. “Even if we make more deathless creatures, they can’t follow us outside. Matsuel, how exactly can I extend the atrofield radius?” I waited a few moments.

“Matsuel? God All Blighty?”

There was no response.

“Great.” Apparently, my so-called deity has exhausted his allotment of information he could reveal.

I considered how best to proceed. Hunting to replenish my biomass and soul-fuel, as Sal suggested, seemed the obvious choice. But that was a secondary objective. If I could extend the atrofield into the second part of the forest, I’d be in a much better position to engage with the deadly beasts that resided there. Not only would I have the permanent atrofield effect in place, but I’d also be able to bring my deathless creations with me for support.

Of course, there was still an eerie tunnel entrance next to the shrine. My Essence Sight didn’t pick up any recent tracks leading in or out, but it was easy to see the place was saturated with the same shriveling yellow energy as the shrine originally was. I had no idea what was waiting for me inside, but the notification I received earlier hinted that whatever it was, it was suppressing my new shrine.

Getting the shrine to full working order was the next logical next step.

I made to move into the tunnel when another thought occurred to me. The shrine, in its current state, offered a great opportunity to circumvent the quest the mayor had given me. Tampering with it right now might hurt my chances.

Besides, risking the mysterious tunnel to fully reactivate this shrine might not be worth the effort. My fickle deity did mention something about building more shrines, and now that I saw one, the job seemed simple enough: stack a few rocks together to form a basic altar, then coat it with biomass. If I could make and link enough
of them, it might be all the edge I needed over the toughest beasts standing in my way.

I moved down the hillside, with Sal slithering behind me, easily keeping pace. Unlike the other deathless, the soul serpent had no trouble leaving the atrofield area. Reaching down, I started collecting rocks, looking for those that looked most like bricks, so I could stack them together. Despite having a Physical attribute of 5, I found the work hard. Though 5 was plenty to brave this part of the forest, and particularly made me a king among Brinfold’s villagers, it wasn’t enough to make me super strong. I was able to lift rocks up to roughly 30 kilos—about half of what I could easily accomplish in reality.

After laboring for a couple of hours, I finally made a very rough-looking block shape of loose stones, then moved on to the next part.

I put my hand on the makeshift shrine and commanded my stored biomass to coat it. The silvery liquid seeped over the stone and into the cracks, ineffectively falling apart and decaying into nothingness.

Warning: unmet prerequisite

You attempted to create a structure without an appropriate blueprint nor the basic skill required for such an attempt.

All resources invested in the attempt are lost.

The experiment was a bust. I balled my fists in frustration. “God-damn.”

“We hunt now, massterr?” Sal asked.

I glimpsed up at the darkening skies and shook my head.

Though the villagers claimed the forest was more dangerous at night

—which sounded like a great opportunity to stock up on souls and biomass—I would be at a disadvantage as none of my character’s new powers gave me the ability to see in the dark. I’d have traded all my gold for a basic model of night-vision goggles, but such technologies were out of the question here. “We’ll head back to the village,” I said as I started to make my way back. “We’ll go out hunting again tomorrow.”

“Underssstood, master,” the soul serpent said as it obediently slithered after me. “We hunt in the village tomorrow.”

“Right,” I said distractedly, forcing my way through some thick vegetation. Then I stopped and looked back at my companion. “Wait, what?”

12 - Interlude: Elders

The forest glade was silent in the dim light cast by the overhanging canopy. The roots of a colossal tree marked the borders of the area, forming a naturally secluded enclosure.

The peace was disrupted when the foliage-covered ground started moving, earth and stone rising in a pillar. The pillar crumbled away, revealing an old, powerful-looking man, still covered in dirt and gravel.

The wind suddenly rushed in, ruffling the man’s clothes before forming into a vortex of air from which another man stepped out.

A pillar of water came next, closely followed by one of fire.

The elements subsided, revealing the four men. None of them looked younger than fifty, but their physical forms did not match the lines on their faces. Each looked powerful in his own way, their eyes hard and confident. They were the kind of eyes that have seen, and overcome, countless hardships before.

“A blight is slowly spreading through the forest,” the one covered in dirt spoke first with a rumbling voice. “It is small but grows steadily like a festering wound.”

“It is a mere nuisance,” the one with wind billowing his hair said derisively. “Our lessers will handle this.”

“That is not certain,” grumbled the drenched one. “I can sense something … otherworldly about this spreading infection.”

“Travelers,” the one with flame in his eyes spat. “They are a nuisance that needs to be dealt with by fire.”

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” the first grumbled. “The forest is ancient, and they are weak. The guardians will be able to handle the infection they cause.”

“We should head it off before it has a chance to grow,” the fiery man objected. “Nothing cleanses like fire.”

“You are forgetting our duty,” said the drenched one. “We must maintain the unions of our domains to fulfill our purpose. The relic must be kept hidden.”

“We can maintain a vigil for a short while with only three,” the one whose hair flew freely said. “A single elder is more than enough to handle any trouble.”

“I’ll go,” the fiery one declared, a long wooden staff suddenly appearing in his hands. He butted the end of the staff on the ground, and it instantly ignited, though the burning flames didn’t seem to touch the wood. The flame grew and spiraled, forming into a humanoid shape, a fiery clone of the man himself. “My avatar will maintain fire in my absence. You will be able to maintain the union a while longer with its help.”

The drenched one looked disdainfully at the fire avatar. “You must not risk the delicate balance by overstepping the laws imposed on this place.”

The fire-controlling man’s nostrils flared once, then he inclined his head. “I’ll maintain the balance, of course, elder, as always. I’ll be vigilant, and should the blight grow as we fear, it will be cleansed.”

“Good,” the elder said dispassionately. “We must maintain the balance. Don’t let your hot temper get the better of you, Huyan. We leave the matter in your hands.”

The other two elders nodded, and a moment later, they were each wrapped in their element and whisked away.

The fiery druid was left alone in the empty glade, his staff still burning, his eyes aflame. “I will cleanse it all with fire.”

13 - Un-deathless

Sal followed me into the village, drawing stares from the villagers out on the street.

After five days, I knew the village layout pretty well and walked straight to the largest house at the center. A round-faced woman opened the door at my knock and immediately flinched as she saw my haggard appearance. “Yes?”

“I’m here to see the mayor. I have information about the quest he has given me.”

“Oh, you must be Seraph, the traveler. Of course, come in.”

I stepped into a modest living room area that sported a dining table, and Sal slithered in behind me, making the women gasp at the sight. I raised my hand to pacify her. “The snake is my companion, ma’am. He will not harm you.”

The woman nodded nervously. “My husband will be right with you.”

I moved to examine the pictures hanging on the walls. They depicted the village at different periods, seeming to start with a single house and gradually expanding over the years. One of the pictures showed the inn and a label at the bottom dated it to 50
years ago. A young woman that looked very similar to Lyta stood smiling at the entrance—probably her mother or grandmother.

“Seraph?” the mayor’s voice called, and I turned to see the man approaching. Jazir was paler than usual, and his gait seemed unsteady.

“What happened?” I asked.

He winced. “A couple of snappers made it into town yesterday, and one of them took a bite out of me before we managed to kill it.

Have you found anything else about those gray circles?”

I nodded. The next part was going to be tricky. I was never one to mince words, but I had to be careful with what I said. “I’ve found a weird shrine to the east, close to the menhirs. It’s surrounded by what appears to be a permanent gray circle.”

The mayor frowned. “Who put it there? Do you think it’s the source of the attacks?”

“I don’t know who built it,” I said carefully, which was not a lie. “I think the circle is a recent addition. Some animals tried to attack it while I was there, and they managed to cause some damage. I think that if it had been there for long it would have been destroyed by now.”

“But what made the gray circle in the first place,” Jazir asked in frustration. “Who’s doing this to us?”

There was no way for me to answer that question without lying, and I was certain that would be a bad move on my part, so I deflected. “There’s a tunnel that opens just next to the shrine,” I said.

“There’s something sinister inside. Maybe the two are related.”

“I see.” The mayor rubbed his chin, accepting my answer.

“There have not been any further animal attacks today. I assume it's connected to the shrine you discovered. Perhaps it attracts the beasts there, away from the village.” He trailed off for a few moments, then nodded. “I’ll ask the hunters to remain here for the rest of the day. Assuming there will be no further attacks, I’ll let them resume hunting tomorrow. I thank you for bringing this information to me, Seraph. The village owes you a debt of gratitude.”

A couple of notifications flashed open.

Quest completed: Animal Attacks

You have found the alleged origin of the recent animal attacks to the satisfaction of Brinfold’s mayor.

Reward: improved reputation with Brinfold’s mayor and villagers, 1 minor magic item, +30% progression to next level

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +17 (34/50)

It turned out completing quests was more rewarding than I’d thought, seeing as completing this single quest awarded the same
level progression as killing 15 predators.

“I promised you a magic item as a reward,” the mayor continued. “I was hoping you’d find a way to get rid of the phenomenon altogether, but your effort still merits some token.

Here.” He took out a small dagger. “This is of good craftsmanship and enchanted with extra durability. It will serve you a long time without needing to be re-sharpened.”

“Thanks, but”—I looked at the small knife and shook my head

—“I don’t have a use for another weapon.”

“Oh.” His face fell at that, then he reluctantly pulled a silver ring off his finger. “In that case, I guess this one will be more to your liking. It’s a mana regeneration ring, less useful than a quality weapon, I’d imagine, but it’s the only other magic item I can offer unless you prefer gold instead.”

I took the ring and put it on my finger. “No,” I said, pleased as the ring’s effect kicked in. “This ring will do nicely.”

Ring of Minor Mana Regeneration

A faded silver band imbued with arcane runes, created by a novice enchanter.

Effect: +5 Mental attribute for determining mana regeneration rate.

Note: as a deathless creature, your HP regeneration rate has been increased instead .

The ring had nearly tripled my HP recovery rate, putting it at one HP every 3 seconds. That meant I’d fully recover from near-fatal injuries in under four minutes.

“Now that that's settled, there's still the issue of the tunnel you found,” the mayor said. “My people aren't fighters and are not suited to exploring dark places. You’ve already proven your abilities, so I request that you go back there and explore the tunnel. Find whatever lurks inside and deal with it.”

New quest acquired: Dark Tidings Explore the tunnel you have found. Find out what hostile forces lurk within and ‘deal with it’.

Quest rank: Unique

Reward: greatly improved reputation with Brinfold’s mayor and villagers, experience.

“Of course,” I said, trying not to smile. I was hoping for this outcome. Had I explored the cave before, I wouldn’t have gotten this quest and would have hampered my ability to truthfully hint that whatever was inside was behind the shrine’s corrupting power. The mayor believed that dealing with the cave was the solution, without me having to commit to getting rid of my own atrofield. Now, I had nothing stopping me from exploring the place, lifting the limitations imposed on the shrine, and receiving an additional reward for my troubles. A win-win … win situation. I was starting to get the hang of this gaming thing.

***

Sal and I rose a bit of a stir the next morning when we entered the inn’s common room. Thankfully, at this point, according to my quest progress information, I had over half the villagers swayed, so no one had protested about my slithering companion. Not too loudly, at least.

“Here,” I said to Ron as I approached and handed him the 12
units of raw meat I’d collected the day before.

“Ah, good,” he said and offered me a few gold coins. “We have a shortage of fresh meat, what with all the hunters being grounded and all.”

I shook my head. “No need to pay, just use that to treat some people for a free meal. On me.” I was hoping, of course, to sway a few more villagers that way. My main quest completion was so close I could almost taste my new combat skill.

Ron nodded. “That’s very generous of ya, Seraph. I’ll do just that.” His face suddenly paled as his eyes darted behind me. I whirled around, coming face to face with Derrick.

The burly hunter scowled at me. “Ya think ya can buy us all off with a few drinks and a meal?”

I shrugged. “I can afford it. And if it makes a few people happy

… what’s the harm?”

The man took a step toward me, which might have seemed more threatening if I hadn’t grown above and beyond his meager abilities. “Ya think you’re so great, aren’t ya?” He snarled. “Come into our village and start changing things? I won’t stand for it.”

“And?” I met his gaze. “What are you going to do about it?

Gather a few more of your hunter pals and try to take me down?

Didn’t work too well for you the last time.”

The man's eyes turned into narrow slits. “There’s something not right about ya. Ya barely look like a human no more. And ya somehow made the others blind to it. That idiot Max won’t stop talking about how great ya are.”

I considered how to handle it. I haven't seen the burly man for a few days and simply assumed the beating I’d given him was enough to make him stay away. It seemed I was wrong. Beating him up again was probably not the right move. By unintentionally healing him before, I had ‘swayed’ him toward the quest completion quota. It didn’t seem to have much effect on his attitude toward me, but knocking him down might cost me. The entire village population was 50, the exact amount I needed to complete my quest, so I couldn't risk losing his ‘vote’.

“What do you want?” I finally said.

He stabbed his finger at my chest. “I want ya gone.”

“I’m working on that,” I said, trying to keep my cool. “So why don’t you keep your distance? You can even have some of the food on me.”

“Ya think I’m that cheap? I’ll be keeping an eye on ya. The first sign of weakness and I make sure you're gone.”

That did it. I narrowed my eyes at him and steeled my voice. “I suggest you get out of here before I lose my patience.” I raised my
hand, making the limb glow as I channeled the cold energy of my Wither ability into it.

The hunter harrumphed but turned back and left.

I watched as he exited the inn. Swaying him to my side wasn’t going to be easy. I doubted anything less than saving his entire family from certain death would do the trick—if that at all. The grudge he had for me seemed only to have grown deeper in the last few days, but that was a concern for later.

I downed my morning shot of spirit and went outside.

***

The walk back to the shrine went quicker than usual. At level 6, the animals I encountered proved no challenge and even seemed to actively stay out of my way. The single predator sighting I had ended with the lesser warg yelping and running away as soon as it noticed me, and I gave up chasing it down. I was still able to bring down a few of the slower wildlife, increasing my stored biomass count to 112
and Sal’s soul count to 2.

When I arrived at the shrine, I saw several lumps of desiccated flesh around the structure. The two bone crabs looked battered but were still functional.

Sal slithered over and through the piles, scattering them into nothing. “No ssoulss left, massterr.”

I shook my head and pointed toward the tunnel entrance. “We’re here for that. Come on.”

I formed the bladed whip, the process now smooth and quick as the stream of biomass solidified all at once from molten silver into tough leather, then I entered the tunnel, Sal following close behind.

The place was dark, but a few strands of light poured in through cracks in the stone above. The shrine’s atrofield extended into the tunnel, but we left it behind as we moved deeper inside. The stone walls of the tunnel were crumbling in many places, and I heard the faint sound of dripping water somewhere in the distance The tunnel opened into a rectangular room with two doorways on either side, and at the center stood a single figure that looked like
a month-old corpse, its eyes burning yellow.

Undead Warden, level 5, 50 HP

I might not have been a sci-fi and fantasy fan, but I knew a zombie when I saw one. The undead warden let out a howling moan and moved toward me. I lashed my whip and struck the advancing corpse on the chest. Part of his decaying flesh grayed out and fell to the floor, showing the yellow bones below. It looked like zombies were as vulnerable to my ‘special touch’ as living beings were.

Whip hit undead warden for 4 damage

Wither has sapped 8.9% of the target life (-4 HP) The walking corpse didn’t seem to register the hit, barely staggering before it kept advancing. It delivered a heavy but slow punch, which I easily evaded by moving back. I lashed the whip at it again, striking a shoulder.

Undead Warden, level 5, 32/42(50) HP [Withered x2]

The thing was persistent. The withering energies liquified parts of its flesh, but they didn’t hold its momentum as they did to living creatures. Still, it was lower level than me, with fewer HP and slower.

All I had to do was keep my distance and lash out at it and this would be an easy win.

Then the zombie raised his arms, pointed both hands at me, and let out a piercing shriek. Instantly, the sound of scuttling filled the enclosed space. The two doors behind my enemy burst open, and a horde of skeletons burst out. They were animal skeletons, of all shapes and sizes; large wargs, tiny squirrels, snakes, and even
something that looked like a dog-sized frog came toward me. They kept pouring out of the entryways, twenty, thirty, more. A glance showed they were all level 1 or 2 with no more than 15 HP each, but the sheer amount of them was a problem. I backpedaled into the tunnel I came from, lashing my whip, again and again, trying to keep the flow of skeletal creatures away from me. Some well-placed hits broke apart a few of the smaller creatures, but more kept on coming, a tidal wave of moving bones, claws, and teeth.

The smaller critters reached me first, dodging in between my strikes, clambering around my legs, biting and clawing as they tried clambering up my shins. Their attacks weren’t particularly powerful, and my armor was sturdy enough to negate most of the damage, but a dozen bites and shallow scratches that did 1 point of damage each, accumulated quickly. My health fell steadily as if it was water dripping out of a leaking bucket. The bulk of the horde kept pushing to reach me, and lashing at them while backing out was all I could do.

Then I felt a familiar coldness wrap around me in a comforting embrace.

Atrofield [rank 1]: +5% deathless magic, -10% deathless resistance

I had backed away enough to get into the atrofield projected by the shrine. As soon as I did, the tiny creatures trying to clamber up my body froze. It was just for a second, but that was enough to make them fall off. The rest of the horde similarly faltered as it charged into the gray area.

The gray energies seemed to do battle with the yellow. With my Essence Sight, I could see the two warring; gray flickered around yellow, interfering with it, making the undead stumble. They were susceptible to my abilities. I doubled the striking speed, not bothering to aim at any specific creature but making sure to channel withering energies along with every hit. The stricken skeletons locked down
completely as the gray interference shut down their bodies for precious seconds and sapped their HP.

I must have destroyed half of the smaller creatures and injured a few of the larger ones, but even that wasn’t enough to break the tide.

They kept coming, albeit slower than before, and once again started striking back. A bone snake wrapped its coils around one of my legs, while a bear-like skeleton extended boney claws at me, raking at my ribs. Again, my armor took the brunt of the damage, leather armor ripping into shreds instead of my skin, but some of the damage filtered through, and my health continued to fall.

Seventy percent health.

Sixty.

The snake around my leg was preventing me from backing off fast enough, and my attacks weren’t doing enough damage to quickly deal with the bigger threats.

I discarded the whip, which crumbled into dust as I summoned bone claws around each of my hands. With the twin weapons, I was able to hit faster and harder, making sure to use them in slashing motions rather than stabbing between empty bones, delivering blasts of Wither with every hit and causing my enemies to freeze, but there were still so many left.

Fifty percent health remaining.

They were starting to pile onto me. Despite the atrofield effect, and despite the constant blasts of Withering energies, the skeletons were beating me back through sheer numbers.

I clenched my teeth. This wasn’t looking good, but a good soldier didn’t panic when a battle wasn’t going well. A good soldier reevaluated, looked for an edge to exploit, and fought back.

Wither. That was my best weapon against the undead. The withering energies worked on them, even better than they had on the living. The problem was there were so many enemies, there were always more of them that kept coming at me. The zombie remained forgotten somewhere behind them. Wither. I need it to work, all at once. The weird sense I started to develop came to me, stronger than ever, and I could feel the possibility tingle at the edge of my mind.

The bear thing reared up, trying to take a bite out of my shoulder but impaling its skull on my pauldron spike instead. The spike pierced through the skull, not stopping the jaws but thwarting them enough so that the continuing bite only closed around the meat of my shoulder instead of ripping my arm off. The spike broke, and the bear fell away from me, giving the rest of the skeletons room to claw and bite at me.

Thirty percent health remaining.

With my senses tingling with the presence of the gray energy around me, I reached deep inside myself, toward the cold energy that resided in my being and forced it outward. Not to my weaponized limbs or into the clambering creatures, but into the very compatible deathless area that encompassed us all.

Gray waves of energy streamed out, hitting every single one of the creatures around me.

The skeletons stopped moving as the first or second stack of Wither hit their bodies and wreaked havoc on the yellow energy that gave them life. For a moment, I was the only one moving, wading through a sea of bone.

No time to waste, I thought.

There was no shortage of dead creatures around me, so I reached out to touch as many of their skeletal bodies within my reach, extracting their biomass while simultaneously triggering Fleshweave.

Biomass: +1.2kg

Fleshweave: +52 HP (13 base X 4)

My health shot up to almost full, but the ability was costly, draining away 24 kilos of my stored biomass, leaving me with 85.

The meager amount I extracted from the bony creature wasn’t close to making up for the cost.

Still, the pause gave me all the time I needed to turn things around. With my two bone claws firmly attached to my hands, I
started hacking apart the smallest creatures, destroying each Withered critter with a single attack.

I finished all the ones closest to me before the horde unfroze and rushed at me again. I kept fighting, hacking and slashing, shattering rib cages and stomping bleached skulls with every move, while the undead beings kept biting and clawing at me, further shredding my crude armor apart. Pain and bloodlust started to war for control, threatening to reduce me into an unthinking beast of pure instincts, but I was too well trained for that. I shoved down the animalistic urges and kept my head clear, aiming to inflict as much damage as I could while keeping a careful watch over my plummeting health. When I reached 10%, I let loose another blast of Wither through the atrofield, making the visibly diminished horde freeze up again. Repeating the action as last time, I healed myself, this time reaching enough slain enemies to bring me back to full, lowering my biomass stores to a mere 56 kilos. Taking advantage of the brief lull in the fight, I fell on the biggest threat—the bear-like skeleton whose powerful jaws nearly tore off my arm. Three claw slashes broke its spine, and I stomped on its dry skull for good measure. The horde unfroze and charged me, but the pressure had considerably lessened by now. With all the smaller critters destroyed, I was no longer crowded and used the narrow tunnel to keep the bigger threats from piling over me. I kept on fighting. As the minutes stretched on, I could almost hear Deryl’s voice speaking in my mind, cautioning me not to overextend myself in prolonged engagement, to control my breathing and conserve stamina. But as a deathless being, catching my breath was not a problem. With some effort, I pushed down those long-instilled instincts and battled on. With most of the beasts already struck by two instances of Wither, I only had one last area surge remaining, so it was important to make the most of it.

Essence Sight was marking the creatures who had already accumulated the maximum of three instances of Wither, so I concentrated on taking them down first. This time, it took the horde much longer to wear down my health, and when I triggered the third
mass Wither attack, channeling it to everyone within the atrofield, there were less than a quarter of their starting number remaining.

I hacked apart two more of the brittle creatures and, timing my attacks, I moved back before they unfroze and resummoned my whip.

With only four warg-size skeletons remaining, it was a simple matter of backtracking and lashing out at them, each bladed strike taking down a quarter of their health. By the time I got out of the tunnel and into the open, the last of the walking skeletons was down, finally revealing the zombie in all its rotting glory.

I lashed my whip at it, hitting an arm, but to my surprise, the zombie twisted it to grab hold of the whip, not letting me draw it back.

Unwilling to waste biomass by dismissing the whip, I tried to hold on, which turned out to be a mistake. With significantly more strength than I expected from the lower-level creature, the zombie used its other hand to grab the leather strap and yanked me stumbling off balance toward it.

Realizing my error, I tried to counter the maneuver. My whip disintegrated while my claws reformed, but it wasn’t quick enough.

With a swipe of rending claws, the warden slashed my crumbling vest open, leaving four deep gauges along my torso.

Undead Warden hit you for 12 damage

With no armor to take the brunt of the damage and already somewhat injured, the hit was enough to drop my health down to half.

I danced away from the next swiping attack, putting the shrine between me and the zombie. It already had the full three stacks of Wither on it, so there was no staggering it again.

Undead Warden, level 5, 28/35(50) HP [Withered x3]

It tried climbing on the shrine to get to me, so I kicked its legs from under it. The zombie fell heavily on top of the shrine, and I used its momentarily disadvantageous position to score two quick slashes on its torso, reducing its health by 10 points.

It was starting to back up again when another idea came to me.

Laying as it was on the skin and bone-covered shrine, it was practically a fly inside a spider web. It was my own biomass that fueled the shrine, and though it was no longer part of me, my newly awakened sense was strong enough to still feel a connection to it.

Touching the pulsing structure, I opened my inventory and let more silvery biomass flow into it. The zombie nearly got up when a bone spike erupted out of its chest, growing directly from the top of the shrine. The wound would have killed any living being, but for a zombie, getting its heart shredded was no more than a flesh wound.

It started to move up again, much faster than I anticipated, but a flash of movement from my right sent it tumbling down again. Sal had joined the fight, coiling its meter-long body around the zombie’s legs, making it stumble on top of the shrine. I didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the situation and directed my will at the still-forming biomass. Something about the shrine made shaping the liquid substance easy. Manacles made of tough hide snap around its legs and arms, holding it in place. The zombie kept struggling, but all it could do was squirm uselessly and gnash its teeth in the air.

“You’re a tough bastard, aren’t you?” I grunted as I stepped away from the zombie. I considered using Fleshweave on myself again but decided against it. Using biomass to bind the zombie had further dwindled my reserves to a mere 40 kilos, and the dead skeletons waiting to be harvested inside the tunnel didn’t hold much mass on their shriveled bodies. Seeing no further danger coming at me, I decided to simply let my wounds heal by themselves. I could tolerate the pain for the few minutes it would take.

“Thanks for the help, Sal.” I nodded to the serpent who slithered off the bound skeleton.

“Thank you, massterr,” Sal hissed back. “Shall I conssume this creature’s ssoul?”

“In a minute,” I said. I had a live…ish prisoner. This could be an opportunity to gather some intel. I looked back at the still-struggling undead. “Any chance you can talk and answer questions?”

To my surprise, the zombie ceased its struggle and turned to look at me. I thought I saw a glint of intelligence peering out at me through one of its eyes, but it was gone a moment later, and the creature resumed struggling against its bindings.

“Didn’t think so,” I said. I briefly considered keeping it in this state while I continued to explore the tunnels, but I quickly shut down that line of thinking. When inside enemy territory, you never leave enemies who were aware of your presence at your back. It was a lesson learned in blood.

The zombie was down to its last few HP, so I plunged my claws into its eye sockets, finishing it off. I stayed there, watching the altar.

“Huh,” I said after a moment when nothing happened. I was half expecting that sacrificing an enemy on my new god’s shrine would have some extra effect, but apparently, I was mistaken.

The undead warden’s death signified the end of the battle, letting the awaiting notifications loose.

Minor Skeletal beast destroyed X 33

+4% progression toward next level

Undead Warden, level 5 destroyed

+4% progression toward next level

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 15

I felt a little indignant that destroying a horde of beasts only awarded me 4% progression—the same as the much easier-to-handle zombie. At least dishing out the equivalent of a hundred bursts of Wither was recognized as significant enough to increase the discipline skill level.

Wither-Atrofield Synergy discovered: Wither Nova Wither affects every enemy within the atrofield. Effect of health sapping is reduced by 50%

The simply worded notification explained how I was able to use Wither on a ton of creatures at once. I hadn’t realized Wither only did half the normal damage—though since most of the lower-level critters' health was barely higher than 10, the effect wouldn't have been noticeable either way. It was the ability to freeze them up all at once that won me the fight.

The experience had shown that developing synergies required me to use my abilities in new ways. That meant I had to explore what I could do more thoroughly. I didn’t even know if developing one synergy for Wither had taken a sort of synergy slot per ability.

Further experimentation was in order, but experimenting with Wither wasn’t an easy task. My enemies didn’t usually sit still and let me blast them with flesh-liquefying energies. I winced as I realized the captured zombie could have been an ideal test subject. Then again, it had already received the maximum instances of Wither, so maybe not.

In either case, it was time for me to continue exploring the tunnel.

Sal slithered over the zombie’s corpse. “No sssoul, massterr,”

he hissed in disappointment.

I nodded. That made sense.

I frowned as I realized my newly awakened sense was still working, telling me something I couldn’t quite put into words. I held up my arm toward the shrine, and the sensation intensified. The shrine and I were connected, and through it, I could feel the zombie’s unclaimed biomass calling to me. It was a little unnerving, but I just set my jaw against the unpleasantness. This was the reality of my situation now, and it was up to me to use every edge I could get. I used the sensation as a medium, willing the biomass to pour into me, without first touching it. The ability triggered, and the trapped
body disintegrated from its binding and was converted into silvery streams that poured into my outstretched hand.

Biomass absorbed 31%: 24.8Kg

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the successful attempt.

Then I recalled my idea for experimentation and couldn’t help but smile grimly. I may no longer have a ‘living’ subject to experiment on, but I had plenty of dead ones.

I stepped back into the tunnel, walking until I was standing between piles of broken skeletons. Closing my eyes, I reached out with my senses, feeling out the area of saturated grayness around me. The sensation was similar to the one I discovered mid-combat, but this time, instead of suffusing it with Wither, I activated Biomass, channeling it through the gray area.

One by one, then whole piles at once, the skeletons around me started to dissolve. The closer ones crumbled away first before the farthest ones were affected.

Area Biomass absorbed: 32Kg [total: 97kg]

I smiled at the successful experiment and the expected notification that soon followed.

Biomass-Atrofield Synergy discovered

Synergy: absorb all dead bodies within the atrofield area Simple and effective. Now all that remained was to see if this synergy worked with the Fleshweave synergy. If it did, and I had enough corpses lying around, it meant I could instantly recover my health during battle anywhere within an atrofield, without having to first touch to claim the bodies.

I sobered up quickly though when I realized just how little these new synergies contributed to my ability to take down stronger enemies. These were powerful tools against a horde of weaker enemies, but the challenge ahead of me was going through creatures more than twice my level.

Various shredded pieces of my leather armor were hanging off me in tatters. Using the new biomass I’d absorbed, I took a moment to reform my armor. Even the bone joint guards were cracked and broken. The effort drained almost all the biomass I’d just acquired, bringing my total down to 68, but I was now fully armored again, and the time it took to remake the pieces gave my health time to refill. I was ready to keep on exploring.

The chamber at the end of the tunnel lay empty when I reached it, though it smelled strongly of decay. The ceiling was less cracked than before, meaning less light made it through, and the shadows were long. At this point, however, my eyes had acclimated enough to the darkness, so I was still able to see enough to make out my surroundings.

I moved to inspect the first of the two entryways on the far side.

The left doorway led to a round chamber filled with ancient, crumbling cages. There was rust everywhere, and the many broken bars told the tale of where the animated skeletons came from. A dusty stone table lay against one of the walls, whatever wooden chairs used to accompany it long since turned to dust. Something was etched on the stone surface, but it didn’t look like any style of writing I was familiar with. Leaning closer and wiping some of the dust away, I saw they were symbols and geometrical shapes that held no meaning to me. Shrugging, I searched the table itself, finding a stone drawer and opening it. The inside was filled with piles of dust, the remnant of old paper presumably, with only one item still intact.

Beast’s Collar

Artifact of ancient times, its dwindling magic a pale imitation of its previous power.

Type: armor [neck]

Rank: magical

Durability: 5/50

Effect: Binds a beast to the will of the one who put the collar on it. Max beast level: 20. Doesn’t work on sapient creatures. While in use, durability drains at a rate of 1 point every 10 minutes.

It looked like this place was some sort of beast taming area, long forgotten by time. The collar was in a bad shape—scratched, dented, and down to 10% of its durability. The description seemed to regard it as a meager power, but being able to dominate a level 20
beast was far superior to anything I could do against such a creature. I took the collar, placing it in my inventory. Another weapon in my arsenal.

Finding nothing further of interest in the room, I moved out and went through the second opening. It led to a chamber similar to the first, with many more cages, but instead of a stone table, this one held an anvil-shaped chunk of rust. Looking around the pile of debris that must have been an old forge, I found several fractured cylinders.

The objects crumbled to my touch one after the other, but the last one remained intact. I held up the cylinder, noticing a stopper on its side. I grasped it to pull it out, but it disintegrated at my touch, and a soft whooshing sound escaped as the interior filled with air. I tilted the cylinder, and a remarkably well-preserved parchment fell out and into my hand.

Armor schema: Plate Boots [Apprentice]

“Armor schema,” I muttered, recalling Robert asking me to find him one. I tried making sense of the design, hoping it would help me understand how to make a bone variation, but no sudden insights came to mind.

As I swiped back the crumbling remains, I noticed another set of symbols etched onto the floor around the rusted anvil. They looked pretty similar to the ones from the other room, though I could tell
there were differences. Giving the two rooms one more thorough search came up with nothing.

I was missing something. The quest the mayor had given me wasn’t marked as completed, meaning I hadn't finished exploring the tunnel, but as far as I could see, there was nothing else to explore.

Going through my options, I switched to Essence Sight. The passage of the undead horde left bright yellow marks on the floor and walls. That wasn’t helpful, but as I made a third pass of the rooms, I realized none of the tracks came anywhere within the two symbols who themselves were glowing in bright yellow. Examining the glowing symbols more closely, I saw a strand extending out from each of them. The strand had been initially obscured by the many other tracks, but now that I knew what to look for, I started following it. It took several attempts as I occasionally lost the thread among the clutter and had to double back and start again. It got easier once I realized the two symbols were leading to the same spot, and gauging the crossing point allowed me to finally find a third set of symbols carved on the wall between the two rooms. I traced the projected symbols with my fingers and found a nearly invisible crack at the center. There was a hidden door there. I tapped the stone, gauging its thickness. Not very thick, I thought. I saw no obvious way to open it, nor handhold to pry it open. It seemed there was only one way to proceed.

Bringing my arms together I let biomass trickle out of me and sift into the crack. I could feel the material flowing beyond the wall and into the other side. I solidified the liquid mass, turning it into two opposite bone crowbars. I forgot to test the ability after the recent skill upgrade, and I had apparently just crossed another threshold because the tools were larger than I’d anticipated. Despite the thin handles that went through the cracks, each crowbar still had twenty durability points. I gave the stone door a testing pull, nodding in satisfaction as the cracks widened by a hair. Examining the tools showed they had lost two durability points. I pulled again, stronger than before, and leaned sideways, forcing the opening to widen, shaving off 3 more durability points in the process. This was a clear case where game mechanics overruled real-life physics. If this was
reality, the bone would have fractured at the first pull. But since this was a game, as long as it still had durability points remaining it kept its shape. I leaned sideways as I pulled the lodged crowbars, enlarging the hole until, with a final tug, the entire block was ripped out of the wall, leaving an open, jagged frame behind. I stared at the opening. The other side was in complete darkness so I couldn’t see inside, but it was obvious it was some sort of chamber. The sound of dripping water I detected earlier was coming from within.

I was debating with myself whether to go back and return later with some sort of light source when a blue torch ignited into life on the wall. One after the other more torches flared into life, revealing a short corridor that opened up into a round chamber.

Reforming the whip, I gingerly entered the tunnel. The round chamber was well lit. The blue flames revealed a pool at the center, and on the other side of it, visible despite the long shadows cast by the magical flames, stood a throne made of bones.

A skeletal figure sat on the throne, its yellowish skull adorned with two branching horns. The dead-looking creature turned its head to regard me. I fully expected it to charge right at me, so it took me off guard as it spoke instead.

“You were supposed to channel a bit of mana into the arcane sigils,” it said with a cracking voice, “not to break the door open using brute force.”

“I don’t have a mana pool,” I said with a shrug, scanning the place with my eyes. Apart from the undead speaker, it seemed to be empty. “And I had no clue what arcane sigils were … until now.” I dropped my arm holding the whip. It would not be of any use against the likes of this thing. Keeping it talking was the only feasible tactic at the moment.

Zelkar, Undead Druid of Ruin, level 70

“Is that so?” Somehow, Zelkar narrowed his lidless eyes. “What a fascinating creature you are … Seraph. There is no lifeblood flowing through your body, no beating heart, yet you are not dead.

There is a soul tethered to your body, and yet you are no sentient undead. Fascinating indeed. What are you?”

I saw no reason to hide the truth. Gathering as much intel as I could was my best weapon at the moment. “Deathless. But I’m pretty new at this, so I’m not sure what the difference is.”

“I … see,” the undead creature replied slowly, keeping a steady gaze on me. “You are neither a necromancer nor a dark beast tamer, so why have you sought me out?”

I had a very strong feeling that trying to retreat would end with my immediate death. Telling the truth that I was here to ‘clear out the tunnel’ was also not the best idea. But here was a powerful being, an undead druid, apparently, that was willing to talk.

“I’m looking for a magical conduit that could lead me to the realm of the, eh … gods?”

Zelkar stared at me. “Is that so? Hmm ...“ He didn’t speak for a few moments, then nodded as if coming to a conclusion. “Though I’ve been sequestered for a very long time, I have felt the echoes of dimensional magic strong enough to form portals, though I hold no knowledge of any specific ‘conduit’.”

“But aren’t you a druid yourself?” I asked. “Don’t they keep you informed?”

The skeletal figure chuckled. “You do not know much about druids, do you, Seraph? My brethren consider the undead—me—the epitome of evil. The anathema of nature. They would have destroyed me if they could.”

“Okay …” I said slowly. “So why are you here?”

He shook his head. “While I was still alive and part of the circle of elders, I spoke for the natural conclusion of the cycle of life—of death. Without death, there is no balance. Without ruin, there is no struggle.”

I nodded my understanding.

“I was cast out for my beliefs,” Zelkar continued. “Left to my own in this abode, a beacon for others like me to come and share my knowledge. But you are the first to reach me in decades, and without the proper inclination—nor even the mana—necessary to learn.”

“Damn,” I said as I realized this powerful creature wouldn’t be able to help me become stronger. “Then why are you staying here?

Why not move out and do what you think is right?” It wouldn’t be bad to have such a powerful creature out there to help balance out the druid elders.

The undead shook its head. “The forest outside is too vibrant, too saturated with life for me to endure it. Just as this place has too much death for living beings to tolerate.” He gave me a searching look. “You are fortunate that your nature fortifies you against necrotic energies. Now tell me, why have you come here?”

There was no way I could see to allow me to evade the question, and I saw little harm in telling the truth. At worst the powerful creature would kill me, and I would respawn back in Brinfold. “I was sent to clear out this place,” I admitted. “I took control of the shrine outside, but it’s being suppressed by the necrotic energies I now understand to be created by you.”

“A rough description, yet essentially correct,” Zelkar replied, surprisingly not angered by my answer. “So it seems we stand on opposite ends.”

“It seems so,” I said, very carefully preparing my whip to strike despite the futility of such action.

“Hold,” the undead said, noticing my movement. He raised one arm to strike his chin bone. “I have a proposal for you,” he said. “I will release my claim over the shrine—I don’t need it anymore—and in return, you will do something for me.”

It was easy to see where this was going. “You want me to kill the other druids?”

“Just the elders,” Zelkar said. “Life and death are intertwined, but the elders have tilted the balance. There is too much life outside.

The beasts that roam the deepest parts are close to being anathema to life themselves. This can’t stand. Kill the four elemental druids: Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water, and I will finally be able to rest.”

“You want me to kill four powerful, high-level druids in exchange for giving me control over a pile of bricks I can probably build elsewhere on my own?” I asked. The offer was actually playing into my hand. I wasn’t against being rewarded for something I was
already set to do, but like one of my old squaddies used to say: ‘as long as you’re paying for it, you might as well claim it twice’. Either way, the intended meaning of that phrase seemed wildly out of place in the presence of a being of bones and death.

Despite that, I shook my head.

“You require further payment?” The dead druid tilted its head at me. “Very well. I can see your hunger for power, the thirst for life, I will offer you a rare boon.”

Though ambiguous, whatever ‘boon’ a level 70 undead druid could give me was bound to be powerful, but that wasn’t the issue.

“It’s not that. I have a quest to clear out these tunnels from hostile forces.”

“That is a problem.” Zelkar rapped his boney fingers on the armchair before looking up at me. “Did the quest specifically mention

‘hostile’ forces?”

“Erm … yeah.” I opened my quest list and opened the one titled Dark Tidings. “It says I have to find out what hostile forces lurk within and deal with them.”

The undead druid chuckled. “Then there is no problem. You have fulfilled the first part of the quest—you now know what lurks inside, having met my warden, skeletons, and myself. As for the other part, that is easy. I have no further hostility toward you, not as long as you accept and fulfill my quest. All you have to do is deal with me. So ... do we have a deal?”

New quest offered: Elders’ Ruin

Destroy the four elemental druid elders.

Quest rank: Unique

Progress: 0/4

Immediate rewards: gain full control of the local shrine.

Zelkar’s boon.

Completion reward: Zelkar will move on, giving you control over his domain. Experience.

Accept? Yes/no

I was a little surprised to see he kept his offer of a boon as part of the deal, but I wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “I agree.”

Zelkar waved an arm, and the yellow energy that saturated the room seemed to be drawn in, leaving behind bare stone as it concentrated inside the pool at the center of the chamber. “Done.

The shrine is yours. Now all you have to do is enter the pool to accept your reward.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll go back on my promise?” I couldn’t help but ask.

The druid gave me a skeletal grin. “By agreeing, you have committed your soul to the pact. You cannot escape it, only see it through. Now enter the pool and receive your boon.”

I wasn’t thrilled about entering a pool of water that was pulsing with energy of concentrated undeath, but this was still a game, and the chance for gaining power was worth the risk. I entered the pool, and the yellow energy started to swirl around me, turning the water into a whirlpool.

Sharp stabs of pain pierced me as the yellow energy rushed into me, over me, filling my very being. My vision darkened, and I felt myself collapsing. In the last fleeting moments of consciousness, I heard the undead voice speak, thrumming with power.

“Rise!”

14 - Fleeting Moments

Reality blurred into shape, and I looked around in confusion. I was inside Brinfold's small cemetery. Everything looked the same but at the same time … different. The air felt crisper, clearer, and it brought with it … My eyes widened as I realized what I was sensing: smell. I could smell the nearby flowers and the remote odor of cooking meat wafting in from the village.

You have died been reborn

No death rebirth penalties as you are below Level 10

Zelkar’s Boon gained: Reborn status has suppressed Deathless

I stared down at my body, passing hands over my torso to make sure I was seeing right. I looked like my old self again—a healthy, well-muscled body, rather than the gaunt, veiny one.

The old bugger did it, I thought. Somehow, Zelkar had returned me to life. I wasn’t sure what the repercussions for my abilities and power were, but there was a much more pressing issue to handle. I snapped my head sideways, focusing on my next, most pressing destination.

***

I burst into the inn a few moments later, stopping for a few seconds to catch my breath. Then I walked straight to the bar counter, catching Ron’s eyes. “Beer and food!”

He stopped midway, reaching the spirit bottle. “You want food?”

“Yeah,” I said, getting my excitement under control and sitting down in front of him. “And beer. I’ve been dying for a drink. Almost literally.”

Ron winced. “The thing is … you only paid for—”

“Now.” I didn’t raise my voice, but my tone said it all.

“Now, what’s the racket’s all about?” Lyta said, coming from the kitchen as Ron hurried inside. Her eyes widened as she saw me.

“My, don’t you look a side up of handsome.”

“I’d really like a beer,” I said, “and something hot to eat.”

She nodded. “Ron’s taking care of that, hon, just have patience.”

She frowned as she looked behind me. “And what do you think you’re doing?”

I whirled around, not surprised to find Derrick approaching, holding a short club in his hand.

“Ya look normal again,” he noted as he came to tower over me.

“You know the rules, Derrick”—Lyta frowned at him—“no fightin’

inside.”

Ron appeared back from the kitchen, laying a platter of steaming food in front of me and a large pitcher full of nose-tantalizing ale.

“If you have a problem with me,” I said to the burly hunter, “why don’t you go wait for me outside as Lyta suggested.” I eyed the food hungrily and reached for the ale. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

The man’s meaty hand closed around my wrist, preventing me from bringing the mug to my lips. “You look like you did before. When you were weaker.”

I tried pushing the mug up to my mouth but realized the hunter was stronger than me. “Don’t make me do this,” I growled. “You don’t get between a thirsty man and his drink.”

“Our drink,” Derrick’s eyes lit up with anger. “You don’t belong here.” With a twist of his arm, he made me spill the ale. The amber liquid splashed over my face and drenched my clothes. A few drops landed on my tongue, enough to let me a brief taste of the heavenly nectar I’d just lost. Before I could retaliate though, Derrick’s other arm swung forward, sinking his club into my left kidney. Bile rose to my mouth, souring the taste.

That was it. I looked up just in time to snap my hand up, intercepting a descending fist. The hunter was stronger than me and was forcing me down to my knees.

“You asked for this,” I growled, straining to hold against him. I tapped into the pit of swirling coldness in my core and called the
withering energy to my aid. A sense of burning cold erupted out of my center, snaking over my body, all over my limbs, and filling me with dread. “No,” I said as my flesh started to change under the spreading coldness, becoming gaunt and veiny. “No!”

The change reached my face, and I could feel my vision changing, bringing back the sight of essences, turning the smells of the inn mute and stale, the drops of ale in my mouth turning to dust.

“I’ll kill you for this!”

But Derric was already on his knees, and I was standing over him, holding his wrists. The hunter stared up at me in horror as the flesh of his arms withered, blackened, and cracked.

I let out a second pulse of Wither, and the blackness crawled over the man’s neck and onto his face. A third and final pulse made him start shivering. His eyes locked onto mine in desperation as over a third of his health was sapped from his body.

“That’s enough!” someone next to me said.

The next thing I knew a pulse of green energy came between me and my victim, forcing us away. I moved in again to finish the job, but Lyta came to stand before me. “I said no.”

“You saw what he made me do!” I seethed, holding up my emaciated hands.

“That power came from you,” she said calmly. “Derrick has challenged you, yes, but you are a man, not an animal. It is not up to you to decide his punishment. Or to administer it.”

I took in a deep, unnecessary breath, then turned to the dazed man. “If you ever come near me again, I’ll kill you, understand?”

He nodded weakly.

Two other men came and helped him up, hoisting him by the arms toward the exit. “We’ll deliver him to the mayor, Lyta, don’t worry,” one of them said. “He had no business attacking Seraph like that.” He nodded at me solemnly.

“We better get him to Sagita first,” his friend said. “She’ll sort him out.”

I turned around to stare down at the magnificent meal before me. Where before it smelled like buttered heaven, the odor now resembled scented ash.

Lyta gave me a pitying look. “A shot for the road?”

“Yeah,” I said grumpily, downing the clear spirit she handed me, forcing the dust-textured liquid down my throat. “Thanks.”

She nodded at me compassionately. “Sorry about that, but it won’t happen again. I’ll make sure of that.”

“I’ll kill him the next time if it does,” I stated. The hunter had earned much more than death. I had a strong hunch that being reborn wasn’t something easily accomplished. Killing though ...

killing was easy.

I didn’t feel like socializing right now, so I got up. “I'll be in my room.” It was going to be dark soon anyway.

***

I wasn’t tired enough to fall asleep yet, so I decided to tinker with Biocraft a little. I only had 56 kilos of biomass in my storage so I had to keep things simple. With 16% mass coverage available to me, I was able to create an intimidating bone sword. However, as a bone weapon, though its base damage doubled that of the claw, its durability was still the same. Considering the powerful attacks I would be able to land with it, I couldn't expect it to survive long, making the 6.4-kilo biomass cost not worth the effort. Next, I spent roughly 10 more kilos trying to improve my armor, but the few skill points I gained since making it was apparently not enough for any significant improvements. The armor did look a little more aesthetically pleasing though, despite not having its actual armor value increased, making me look like a slightly less disheveled barbarian than before.

I still felt cheated about having my chance of a good meal snatched away from me. I wanted to fight, bleed away my anger, and fill up the hole by the satisfaction of taking lives—even virtual ones. I got up, intending to go out into the forest, but looking through the window showed the tree line to be an impenetrable wall of darkness.

I would get lost within moments, and the poor visibility would give prowling predators an edge against me. No, the smart thing was to wait for morning. You didn’t win wars by acting rashly.

***

Dawn had finally broken and I was down in the common room before the sun was fully out. There were no patrons yet, just a tired-looking waitress sweeping the floors.

The village main street was mostly abandoned when I stepped out, except for a couple of early-rising farmers who were heading to the inn for a bite.

Reaching the mayor’s house, I knocked on the door and waited until it swung open.

“Yes?” Jazir blinked his bleary eyes at me. He was dressed from top to bottom in a sort of onesie pajama suit. The sight would have normally amused me, except I was still feeling irritated. “Ah, Seraph.

What time is it?”

“Morning,” I said shortly. “I came to report the completion of the quest.”

His eyes widened, becoming alert at once. “You’ve discovered what was hiding inside those tunnels?”

“Undead,” I said shortly. “A lot of them attacked me, but I destroyed them all.” I was careful not to say that I destroyed all undead in general, just the ones that attacked me. “The place is now safe; no hostile creatures are left.”

“Excellent news,” he beamed at me. “And the gray circle outside?”

“It's still there,” I admitted, “but I don’t think you have anything to worry about. It’s far from Brinfold, so it’ll probably draw the animals away from the village.”

He frowned. “I guess you’re right. There haven't been any more animal attacks lately. Still, I would much rather that thing was gone entirely.”

“That was not the mission,” I said. “You wanted the tunnel explored and cleared of hostiles and I did just that.”

He nodded slowly. “Right you are. You have mine and this village’s thanks.”

Quest completed: Dark Tidings You have cleansed the tunnel from the hostile undead that lurked within.

Reward: greatly improved reputation with Brinfold’s mayor and villagers. +40% level progression.

Glancing at my status screen, I saw my level progression had soared to 90 percent, which was akin to the progression I’d make by killing 20 wargs. But even better was the next part of the reward.

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +14 (48/50)

I was so close to finishing the main quest I could almost taste the combat skill that awaited me at the end. But the update had also raised another problem. I still had two more villagers to sway, and I had no idea who they were. Luckily, the mayor offered an easy way to find more information.

“You have quickly become a very well-liked figure in Brinfold,” he said.

“Thank you, sir,” I replied. “Do you happen to know who are the people that are still on the fence about me?”

Jazir winced. “One of them would be old Bert, our resident fire mage. He’s a crotchety man who doesn't like anyone.”

“I remember him from the inn,” I said, recalling the old man Dawn had pointed out for me. “Who’s the other one?”

“That would be my nephew, Jassar Vid. He seemed to have taken an aversion to you. Erm … sorry about that.”

That was the drunk young man I practiced Coercion on. It seemed that leaving him after trying to coerce money out of him was the wrong move. “Where can I find Bert?”

“He lives in the shack behind the smithy, but don’t expect much if you’re planning on visiting him anytime soon. Old Bert isn’t exactly
a morning person.”

I nodded at the mayor. “I appreciate the information.”

“Not at all. And thank you for helping Brinfold in our time of trouble.” He smiled at me. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I better put on something more respectable, yes?”

I walked toward the smithy, taking out the schema I’d found.

Robert was just setting up the forge outside the house, a steaming mug in his hand, which he held up to me in greeting.

“Morning, Robert,” I said, presenting him with the parchment. “I found something I think you’ll like.”

His face turned from bewilderment to elation as he looked at the schema. “Plated boots! Now that’s a proper challenge.”

“So can you make them?”

“I think so. They’re Apprentice rank. I was never able to study their plans before. Hmm, that would make for an interesting project.”

He looked sideways and lowered his voice as if he was afraid of being overheard. “To be honest, I just about had enough of forging tools and spearheads all day. This would make for a welcome change. I could give you 80 gold for the schema, or I can give you the first pair of boots I’d make from them.”

“I’ll take the boots then,” I said. “How long would it take you to make it?”

“A couple of days at most.”

“I nodded. Then I’ll come and see you in two days.” I looked past the smithy, to a ramshackle wooden hut behind it. “Is that Bert’s place?”

The smith made a face. “Yes. He’s not the best of neighbors.

Kept burning down his houses, so they eventually put him next to me.” He patted the stone walls of his smithy affectionately. “This place doesn't burn nearly as fast as the others.”

“Thanks,” I said shortly and walked toward the hut. I could see the burn marks before I got to it.

The door swung open, and an old, wrinkled man with blazing eyes came out of it.

Bert Lapid, level 7, 45 HP

“Who’re ya?” he demanded. “I have no time for strangers, especially not this darn early!”

Jazir was right about the old mage not being a morning person.

I stared at the man’s information, a little surprised to find there was someone in this village who was a higher level than me.

“My name is Seraph. Are you, uh … busy?” I said lamely, trying to cover my confusion. Looking into the house behind him, I spotted only a flimsy desk and bed, on top which laid some scattered clothes. The interior was riddled with scorch marks.

“I am,” he replied hauntingly, “now what do ya want?”

I licked my lips as I thought about how to answer that. I fought down a smile as I envision myself taking the eight-year-old girl scout approach of ‘why don’t you like me?’ but I held myself in check. “I was told you’re a fire mage?”

“Well, duh.” He rolled his eyes. “The only decent mage Brinfold has to offer. Well, Sagita knows her stuff, I guess, but she’s not much for fire.”

“Sagita’s a mage too?” I asked in surprise. “I thought she was the village tailor and/or healer.”

Bert snorted. “That old woman knows a fair bit about a lot of things. Is this why you’re bothering me? To ask about her?”

“You only appreciate people who can use magic?” I frowned.

“Who else if not me? Bunch of bumpkin villagers, the lot of them. Can’t appreciate the fine arts of shaping mana into spells, calling fire out of thin air to do your bidding. None of these idiots has any inclination to learn, none to take on my legacy.”

I was starting to see where this was developing. The game was leading me to become his student, thus gaining his friendship.

Unfortunately, without a mana pool for casting spells, that option was closed for me.

“Can I buy you a drink?” I asked, deciding on trying to approach this from a different angle. “Maybe you can tell me some more about what it's like to be able to control fire?”

“Hmm.” He scoffed. “I have no time to leave my studies, but I’d say a drink or two would do a world of good to ya. Really, boy, you look as dried as a drained lizard.”

“Is there anything you need? Anything I could get you?” I pressed, hoping for a quest I could complete to gain his approval.

“Why, yes.” He smiled strangely. “Now that you mention it, there is one thing.”

“Sure, let’s hear it,” I said. It turned out gaming the system wasn’t so hard after all.

“Leave me in peace!” he shouted and slammed the door in my face.

For a moment I contemplated kicking the door in. But that was probably counterproductive to my goal to ‘befriend’ him. I’d expected that regaining the trust of Jassar would be just as difficult. I can try using Coercion on him again to force him to be my friend, I thought with a touch of humor, imagining myself strangling the guy until he contested to be best buds.

Deciding to leave that part for now and concentrate on my other options, I walked toward the village’s gate and headed into the forest.

***

The other hunters had apparently swept through the area around the village since I ran into no wildlife on my way back to the shrine.

I stopped at the bottom of the hill and looked up at it, noticing the atrofield seemed larger than it did yesterday. I walked up the steep path, reaching the leveled terrace before the tunnel, the shrine standing at the center.

I ignored the pulsing heart for now and stepped into the tunnel. I needed to know if being ‘reborn’ was something that I could achieve a second time. The power that came with being a deathless creature was gratifying, but feeling alive was something else altogether. We all took it for granted way too much.

I quickly reached the first chamber, but the entrance I had hacked open was now gone. Even the arcane sigils on the walls were gone, leaving only smooth, whole stone in its place. I stepped closer to the spot I’d busted open and tapped it a few times. I got the distinct muffled sound of dense stone in return. The message was clear. If I wanted to meet Zelkar, and possibly be reborn again, I’d have to complete his quest.

I stepped out of the tunnel and headed toward the shrine. The simple structure was vibrating, and I could sense it was filled with a power that was waiting to be unleashed. I stepped closer and put a hand on it.

Limitation lifted

Conclave formed

The change was immediate. The shrine, which up until now looked like a stone dais covered with skin, started to transform.

Flesh and skin bubbled over it, seemingly replacing the stone underneath, leaving a rigid-looking surface of flesh and bone. The fleshy growth seemed to pulse once, sending out a wave of skin and flesh in all directions, covering the previously gray ground with a reddish-brown carpet that looked partly flesh, partly congealed blood. Thick dark veins snaked over the layer, forming a net. The growth continued to expand until it completely covered the atrofield, then kept on growing, overtaking a few more meters of ground. Once it was over, the thing that replaced the shrine pulsed once more, sending a slow ripple through the network of veins.

More than anything, it reminded me of an old computer strategy game I played in my early teens, the only non-shooter one I ever enjoyed. In that game, you controlled three races, one of which was an alien whose buildings were similarly composed of flesh and bone, and you had to keep spreading their corrupting influence over the land to be able to claim it and build even more buildings.

It seemed my conclave shared similar properties, but seeing it in the flesh, so to speak, was a little unnerving, especially considering
the scale of it.

But I’ve seen worse in my line of work. Actual torn body parts of real people. I could deal with some virtual gore.

New Colony formed!

Congratulations!

For forming a new colony Nexus over an existing shrine you have received the following bonuses:

● Conclave biomass capacity bonus: +40kg

● Colony area radius bonus: +10m

● Colony structures’ growth duration vastly reduced I creased my forehead. Conclave? Colony?

The notification closed and was replaced with a new type of notification I hadn’t seen before. It reminded me of my character sheet, containing static information and interactable sections.

Conclave Interface

Tier: 1

Colonies: 1

Faith Points: 0 (0/day)

Biomass generation: 5kg/day

Biomass storage: 28/140kg

Local colony:

● Guardians: 1/4

● Radius: 22/50m

● Structures: 0

My frown deepened as I read the details. Zelkar had been true to his word, releasing the limitation on the shrine, only it was no longer a shrine. The ghoulish-looking apparatus was now titled as a

‘Nexus’, but that didn’t explain everything else I was seeing. The
shrine turned into a conclave, which has tiers? I thought, trying to make sense of the slew of new information. It can generate biomass? Have structures? Colonies? How does it help me?

Though I was still trying to wrap my head around the new information, by now I was a little more experienced with manipulating the game controls. I concentrated on the Tier section.

Conclave Tiers

Current tier 1:

Colonies required to tier 2: 2

Tier 2:

● New structure options: Burrower’s Nest, Animal Caller, Deathless Node

● Increase colonies’ base stats

Okay, I thought. So I can upgrade the shrine, conclave, whatever. The offered bonuses sounded useful—whatever they were.

Moving on to the next line, I accessed the guardian section.

Guardians:

● Bone Crab, level 4

I frowned, only now realizing one of the crabs was missing.

Seeing no immediate explanation, I moved over to the other sections. Atrofield radius, Faith Point, and the biomass options didn’t lead to a more detailed explanation, but the fact that it had some biomass stored at all made a sort of sense. I looked down at the scuttling bone crab. “Did something attack and kill your partner? Did you manage to kill it and get its biomass?”

The crab clicked its boney claws.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” I looked back at the Nexus, mentally clicking on the last line.

Colony Structures

Existing:

● n/a

Available:

● Biomass Capacitor: increase maximum biomass capacity by 100kg. Biomass cost: 100kg

● Corpse Collector: doubles passive biomass generation rate.

Biomass cost: 100kg.

● Soulforge [Requirement met: soul serpent]: enable forging of new deathless souls using soul fragments. Biomass cost: 150kg

“What. The. Hell?” I said. It was time to ask for some divine guidance. I brought my hands together. “Matsuel?”

“Who dares to utter my name?” a cold and dark voice erupted out of the Nexus.

“Cut the crap, you know who I am,” I said.

“Come on,” my unintended deity said in his normal, complaintive voice, “I’m supposed to be this terrible god of some deadly domain, don’t take all the fun out of it. I hadn’t been one for like three or four millennia.”

“What’s this structure thing?” I asked, ignoring his plea.

“Oh, that. Just another long-term ramification of your state as a Biomancer deathless being. Your new conclave runs on biomass.

You need to develop it if you want to make it stronger. Though how to do that exactly you’ll have to learn for yourself. I’ll be able to provide some more information once you do.”

“And that, in return, will make me stronger, right?”

“In a way … yes, but here too you’ll have to find exactly how on your own.”

“I noticed the atrofield radius has increased overnight. I assume it’s because some animals were killed here?”

“You assume correctly. Expansion in this fashion has an upper limit—as you can see in the interface. Sometimes such restrictions can be reduced using some of the new structures available to you.”

“Okay, so how do I build new structures?”

“You pay the biomass cost, obviously.”

“And how do I do that?”

“You know,” Matsuel’s voice became exasperated, “most believers talk to their god about the big issues of life, instead of treating him as tech support.”

“You’re not much of a god,” I pointed out.

“Well, you’re not much of a believer. So figure it out for yourself.”

Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the still-hovering interface. With only 28kg, the conclave lacked enough biomass to build any of the three available constructions. Experimentally, I pressed my palm onto the Nexus and willed my biomass to flow into it. The silvery tendrils that left my arms were instantly swallowed into the slowly beating heart of bone and skin, decreasing my storage by 2kg and increasing the conclave’s by the same amount. “Okay, so I can refill it myself,” I said. That was a step forward, but there was still a problem. The Soulforge option sounded like the most promising one, but the amount of biomass it required surpassed the conclave’s max capacity. To test the waters, I tried to select the Soulforge, hoping the process would start, gradually draining the stored biomass, giving room for me to inject it with more. Nothing happened though, making it obvious the full biomass cost was required to be stored in advance. That presented two problems: first, at its current state, the Nexus couldn’t hold enough biomass required for the Soulforge, and second, even if it did, I didn’t have enough to load it with 150 kilos. That meant I needed to build the Biomass Capacitor first, then go back to hunting to refill it. The extra delay wasn’t too bad. I could use all the extra souls Sal would capture during the hunt. I needed more guardians, after all.

As if thinking his name summoned him into being, Sal appeared from the mouth of the tunnel and slithered toward me. “Massterr, you have returned. I came into the tunnel to ssearch for you, but you were nowhere around.”

“Sorry about that,” I said. I had wondered what happened to Sal following my rebirth. I was glad to see he wasn’t affected by my
ordeal and had maintained all the souls he had accumulated until now.

“But I’m back now. Has anything interesting happened?”

“A new colony hass formed,” the snake flicked its tongue toward its Nexus. “The ground feelss comfortable and nurturing.”

That would be the new and improved colony’s atrofield. Looking back at the still-opened interface, I concentrated on the line that stated the number of colonies: one. That seemed to indicate I could make more, though I couldn’t immediately see how. Taking over a shrine did the trick, but the special bonus I received for that seemed to indicate it was possible to form colonies with a different method. It wasn’t important at the moment. I couldn’t see the immediate benefit for it, anyway, except maybe increasing the daily passive intake of biomass, which was insignificant compared to the huge amount of biomass such an undertaking would require.

“I don’t suppose you know how to form new colonies?” I asked Sal.

“No, massterr, only that more are required to expand your conclave.”

I frowned. “And what exactly is a conclave.”

“Your domain.”

That line of questions wasn’t proving very productive. I was turning toward the path leading down the hill when I spotted a familiar squat figure blocking my way. “Gidul.” I narrowed my eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

His eyes scanned the slowly beating Nexus behind me, then traced the fleshy circle surrounding it. “I have come to inspect your progress. I was expecting you to have accomplished more by now.”

“I took over a shrine, fought a horde of undead skeletons—and one zombie—and faced a super-powerful talking undead monster.

All in a single day.”

“That was yesterday.” His face was shrouded by his hood, but I could tell from his tone the little git was scowling. “Why are you just standing by? Why are you not clawing your way forward? Without struggle, there can be no power.”

Instead of confronting him on the subject, I decided to change tactics. “That being inside didn’t know about the conduit, or the ancient relic you talked about, though he did mention sensing a powerful dimensional magic capable of opening portals … Ring any bells?”

The squat figure frowned. “No, though the two could be the same. You would have to ask the elders about it yourself.”

“I plan to.”

“Then what’s holding you back? You’re too feeble, though I showed you the path to power.”

“If you must know,” I said, “I need to grow the conclave first. And I need a lot of corpses to do that.”

“Ah.” Gidul became silent for a few moments. “Your strange power relies on the flesh of others, I see … Well, the solution is easy.

There is a spindler den nearby that should fulfill your need. Head south from here until you reach a creek, then follow it upstream until you find the den.”

I stared at the small figure. “You still haven't told me why you’re helping me.”

“I have told you enough. You should not tarry. Taking over the shrine has broadcasted your presence. It won’t be long now before the other druids will take action. Follow my advice or don’t, but be prepared to fight for your life. Soon.”

“I’ve been fighting for my life since the moment I got here,” I grunted, then relented, turning the direction he indicated. “Fine, I’ll check out that den. What about—” I turned back to the diminutive druid, but he was gone as if swallowed by the ground. I shook my head and headed downhill.

***

I found the den soon enough. It was just a hole in the ground at the side of the creek. An angry hiss sounded as I ducked to look inside, and a creature that looked like a cross between a porcupine and an aardvark came hurtling out of it.

Spindler, level 3, 16 HP

It was quite meaty for its level. It hissed at me, and its hose-like snout contorted in on itself like a coiled spring.

I almost laughed. The needles coming out of its back looked sharp, but other than that, the creature looked almost cute. At half my level, there was no real question as to the outcome of this encounter. “Sorry, little buddy, but you have something I need.”

With a snapping sound, the spindler’s taught snout snapped forward, and a needle came flying out. I was so surprised I didn’t have a chance of dodging.

Spindler needle hit you for 1 damage (2 base - 2 armor + 1
armor penetration)

You are poisoned [Paralytic toxin]

Buff gained [Poisonapathy]: Physical attribute increased by 1. Duration: 1 min

I stared in surprise at the dart embedded in my stomach. The poison that was meant to make my muscle lockdown had sent a wave of energy through them instead. The meaning behind my poisonapathy trait was finally clear. It seemed like poison was my kind of poison now.

“Thanks,” I said, forming my whip and lashing it. The bladed tip bit into the creature’s flesh, reducing its health to a third before Wither kicked in and made it writhe in agony. A few more lashes, while it was down, were enough to finish the unlikely rodent, giving me a meager +1% progression toward the next level.

The familiar gray circle extended as I bent down to absorb the creature’s biomass, also collecting the hide and meat it left behind.

Biomass absorbed 27%: 13.5Kg

As I’d expected, the animal had left a decent amount of biomass for its level, making it a great target for absorption.

“Sal.”

The soul serpent slithered forward, extracting the soul energy from the rapidly disintegrating remains, visibly growing by a few centimeters.

I stared at the hole in front of me, contemplating how to proceed. I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of having to crawl in on my hands and knees to reach my prey.

Luckily that wasn’t required as a moment later, two more level 3
spindlers burst out of the den and charged at me, their flying needles preceding their attacks. The two small darts hit me again, doing one point of damage each. The new dose of poison didn’t increase my strength further, though it refreshed the duration. I managed to catch one with a Wither-full whip strike, making it stop dead in place, though the other one was able to close in on me. It lashed at my knee, comically raising its rear over its head to bring his back needles to impale me. It met my spiked knee guard instead, spearing itself on the sharp bone while only inflicting minimal damage through my greaves.

Sal hissed angrily and darted forward, wrapping its coils around the head of the spindler who was still writhing in pain. I kicked the other one off me, ignoring the minor wounds its spikes inflicted in the process. I could feel my increased Physical stat adding strength to the kick, sending the creature farther away from me. I lashed my whip at it, immobilizing it with another blast of Wither.

The one Sal was trying to choke out had managed to regain its feet and was thrashing around, trying to dislodge the coiled serpent from its head. Its spikes dug into Sal’s flesh, and I saw dark blood oozing out of them.

“Damn it, Sal, let go of it!” I shouted, but then my companion’s body locked down on the animal’s neck, completely cutting its airflow. By the time I finished taking down the one that charged at me, Sal’s target was dead. It disintegrated, melting between the snake’s coils, leaving a small pile of loot behind.

“Mmmm.” Sal’s forked tongue licked its snout. “Ssouls are tasstier when killed by me.”

Looking at the snake's stats, I saw it managed to extract the full 3 soul fragments from its kill, while also visibly growing, reaching a length of about a meter and a quarter.

“That wasn’t smart,” I told him. “I don’t want to risk you dying and losing all the souls you’ve collected.”

“The danger was ssmall, massterr,” Sal replied while he slithered over to the second carcass. “You should let me feasst more often. It will make us both sstrongerr.”

I nodded, unable to refute his claim. Despite his injuries, Sal only lost about 20% of his health, so he wasn’t in any real danger.

My own minor wounds were healing up rapidly. I yanked out the needles still embedded in my stomach, then collected the dropped pelts and meat while my flesh finished kneading itself back together.

“So how am I going to do this?” I said out loud. If I was hunting for real, I’d start a fire and smoke the rest of the creatures out.

“Let me go,” Sal hissed. “I will kill them for you, massterr, and devour their ssoulss.”

I thought about it for a moment, then shook my head. “It's too dangerous. They might gang up on you. I’ll go first, you can follow me in.”

“Yess, massterr.”

I discarded the whip and reformed my claws, then got on my hands and knees and started crawling into the tunnel. I barely got inside when another spindler came at me, hissing and spitting. I lowered my head just in time so my skull helm caught its launched needle. I wasn’t worried about the poison or damage, but losing an eye would be uncomfortable. The animal charged, and in the close confines, it managed to land a few hits on me, though none of its attacks inflicted more than a handful points of damage. I stabbed it with my claws repeatedly in return until it finally fell. The gray circle that flowed into the den extended even farther inside.

I kept crawling in, reaching a wider section, where two more spindlers were waiting for me.

The two attacked together, managing painful hits on my arms and shoulders but not my head. My sturdy helm was proving itself.

I attacked one while Sal lashed ahead of me and wrapped his coils around the other. We both got stabbed by the spikes a few more times, but in short order, the two animals were dead. Sal had once again grown from his kill, his body becoming thicker rather than longer. I absorbed their biomass, reaching half my maximum capacity of 240kg. I collected the loot, then continued deeper inside, my minor wounds already healing.

The next two spindlers came at me one after the other, and I had no issue killing them both and claiming their flesh. An ear-piercing, animalistic shriek filled the den as the last one fell, the noise reverberating as echoes bounced from wall to wall down the narrow passage.

The source of the sound was soon revealed as the tunnel opened into a small chamber. A spindler twice the size of the others stood blocking the way, a litter of small spindler cubs cowering behind it. I’d reached the end of the den and its final guardian.

Spindler Alpha, female, level 4, 32 HP

If that had been real life, I might have considered leaving the mother to tend for her cubs. But Gidul was right. I needed to grow fast, and all that body mass translated into power.

The alpha was a bit larger than a warg, but despite her size, she wasn't much of a challenge. Before I could pull myself into the larger chamber, however, the mother spindler attacked, ramming her spiked backside into my upper torso.

Spindler alpha hit you for 8 damage (13 base - 7 armor + 2
armor penetration)

I slashed back at it with my claws, but my difficult position made my attack awkward, and despite its size, the animal was nimble
enough to use the space behind it to dodge.

I tried crawling in again, but as soon as I put my arm down to pull myself forward, the alpha charged, this time inflicting 7 points of damage.

Sal hissed and started slithering forward, but I put an arm out to block him. “No, that one’s too dangerous. Stay back.”

Despite my cramped position, with 80% health remaining, I still felt pretty confident in my chances. I feigned trying to pull myself forward, and this time, when the alpha charged, I was ready. Claws met spikes as both of us clashed together, and the alpha wailed in pain, backing away as the full blast of Wither started gnawing its body. To my surprise, instead of coiling into a pile of agony, it started trembling, its essence flared, and its description popped open again.

Spindler Alpha, female, level 4, 24/29(32) HP [Enraged, Withered x1]

It came at me with seemingly twice the force and speed than before, slamming its spiked body against me, again and again.

Damage notifications started to pile on as the crazed beast unleashed its full fury at me, ignoring the two rapid Wither blasts it got in response. Despite having two levels over it and nearly twice its health, the animal’s ferocity was giving it an edge. Using one clawed arm to prop me upright, I lashed forward with the second one, Deryl’s words about the importance of positioning and choosing the place of engagement reverberating through my mind. Despite my advantages, the tight den had shifted the odds against me, leveling the playing field. Three spikes hit my neck and face in the next attack, luckily missing my eyes by centimeters. Normally, that would have counted as a critical attack, but being a deathless creature negated that threat, resulting only in a painful 10 points of damage.

My health was at half—the same as the alpha. I needed to shift things in my favor, or it might actually kill me. I accepted the next stinging attack in favor of coiling back my arm for a more powerful strike, and when it came at me again, I punched my clawed fist with
all the strength I could muster, aiming straight at the animal’s crazed, withered face.

My claws sunk into the graying flesh with remarkable ease, digging deeper than I’d expected.

Claws hit Spindler alpha for 7 damage (5 base + 55%
wither bonus)

The animal flinched back, this time unable to disregard the pain.

It was almost dead now, and I used its momentary pause to prepare another retaliatory attack. When it came at me again, I buried my claws deep into its wither-softened skull, ending its life.

Spindler alpha defeated!

+2% progression toward the next level.

Wither gained a new Apprentice ability

The withering effect deepened, softening tissue and bones, making the withered area more susceptible to damage. Attacking a withered body part increases the damage by 40% + 1% per skill level.

Level up!

You have reached level 7

Spirit attribute +1 (Physical +0.75, Mental +0.5, Social

+0.25)

I let out a relieved sigh. In the tight quarters of its den, the alpha had almost proven to be more than I could handle. With a flick and a thought, I absorbed its biomass.

Biomass absorbed 27%: 32Kg

To my surprise, the gray energy that extended from the corpse seemed to have bubbled over the remains, not leaving any loot behind.

“Damn,” I said, realizing what the problem was. Wither’s new Apprentice rank made my target softer and more susceptible to damage, but that also made any bodily loot they would have dropped decay. It was another example of how the game information lacked details. The discovery meant that if I wanted to loot an animal, I’d have to kill it without using Wither. That was a problem, but with 400
gold in my pocket and at least another 200 in furs I’d collected so far, it was already more than I could spend in the small village.

Sal slithered forward and sucked the soul fragments from the remains, visibly growing again and hissing in pleasure. “Ssuch a tasty morssel, massterr.”

I glanced at the cubs, considering what to do next. I wasn’t exactly averse to killing them, but the small creatures were barely worth any biomass, and at level 1, they probably wouldn't provide any soul fragments as well. It was better to harvest them after they had a chance to grow a little.

“Let’s go, Sal,” I said, turning my back on the cubs.

I didn’t reach halfway toward the exit before streams of biomass started flowing toward me from behind.

I turned back to see the soul serpent slither out of the final chamber with a look of serpentine contentment.

“You killed the cubs,” I said.

“Yess, massterr.”

I closed my eyes. It was a shame, but I couldn't fault my companion for following his nature. “Next time don’t attack anyone who’s not threatening us unless I tell you to.” There was no sense in crying over virtual, spilled spindlers.

“Yess, massterr.”

Once we reached outside, I stood up and took in my injuries. I still had some open wounds, but with no immediate threat in sight, I decided against using Fleshweave to heal them. The entire point of this hunt was to increase my biomass stores, and my natural regeneration would take care of it at a fraction of the required materials.

Instead of immediately returning to the shrine and risking another encounter, I took a moment to browse my character sheet to take in my latest level-up improvements.

Name: Seraph

Race: Human [Deathless, rank 0]

Title: Herald

Level: 7 (0%)

HP: 87 (regen: 20 per min)

Armor: 16

Attributes:

● Spirit: 7

● Physical: 6

● Mental: 3

● Social: 1

Skills:

● Essence Sight: 13 (M)

● Coercion: 6 (S)

Spells:

● Biomancer: 15 (Sp)

○ Wither

○ Biomass

○ Biocraft

○ Fleshweave

Traits:

● Atrophy [manifest atrofield on kills]

● Poisonapathy [varies poison effect]

● Deathless [+1 Physical, critical hit multiplier immunity]

If before I was already stronger than most other critters in this part of the forest, then at level 7 I had far outstripped them. At 87
health I had 30 points more than a Warg Alpha—the strongest beast I’d encountered so far. Counting in the ability to fully recover from nearly fatal injuries in a few minutes, I was almost invulnerable. In this area, at least. Level 7 wasn’t even halfway close to facing the powerful beasts that roamed the next zone. In addition, my damage potential was still awful. The recent Wither rank-up would help offset that, but it was not enough. My makeshift biocrafted weapons were adaptive and useful but underwhelming. A 50% increase of pitiful damage was only slightly less pitiful. Almost every predator I encountered—who were now 3 levels below me—was able to inflict more damage than I could.

My health had nearly finished recovering. To pass on the last few moments until I was fully healed, I took a look at Sal’s stats.

Sal, Soul Serpent

Soul fragments: 28

Physical attribute: 3

HP: 30

Traits:

● Ensoul

● Consume Soul

My companion’s physical changes were apparently not just of a cosmetic nature. Consuming the souls of living beings had an obvious positive effect on him. The soul serpent had become stronger, with his Physical state increasing by 1 and his health by another 10 points.

With 183 kilos of biomass and 28 Soul energy to play with, I turned my back on the plundered den and made my way back to my conclave. My new colony was due some upgrades.

15 - Boarlike

A battle was in full swing when I arrived back at the colony. A snapper was harrying the bone crab, its taloned feet scoring deep grooves on the hard white exoskeleton. Though they were both at the same level—4—it was obvious my minion was losing. While its large claws could have probably sheared through the reptilian creature’s neck, its slowness made it an easy target for the nimble adversary.

I could have easily summoned my whip and struck the unaware snapper, but I’d hate losing 4 kilos of biomass for such a weak opponent. Instead, I charged in and rammed into the beast, driving my knee spikes deep into its torso, delivering a concussion of Wither straight into its insides. The snapper screeched in pain, and the distraction was enough for the crab to finally catch up with it. A serrated claw closed around its neck, decapitating the beast.

The corpse was starting to fall apart on its own. Thin films of silvery-gray biomass wove through the ground and got sucked into the Nexus even as the edge of the fleshy ground rippled and expanded outward by another half-meter. I looked curiously as the corpse was absorbed. The process was slow enough for me to move and claim the biomass by myself, but I didn’t see a point in doing so.

Opening the Nexus’s interface I saw its stored biomass had increased from 28 to 40. That was useful. I appreciated the beauty of the Nexus fueling itself while I was away. It was apparent, however, that the sole bone crab wasn’t enough of a guardian. I needed more bodies, and now, I had the biomass and soul energy required to do that.

But the first priority was expansion.

With my palm still on the Nexus, I channeled my biomass into it, filling it to its 100kg capacity. Then I accessed the Structures menu and selected the Biomass Capacitor option. My vision shifted, and a sort of shadow hovered over the ground, moving around to wherever I looked. “What the—”

When I looked farther away, the green shadow hovered to the border of the atrofield and disappeared, and I realized what it meant.

“Right, placement.” I looked back at an open space at the edge of the terrace, and the shadow reappeared. “There is good.”

The shadow seemed to ‘click’ into place, and a moment later a bulge appeared in the fleshy ground in its place. Streams of silvery biomass flowed from the Nexus to the bulge, making it grow, like an inflating balloon. The new structure looked like a sack of flesh and skin that coated a bone cage. It stopped growing once it reached the height of a person, then it started to pulse lightly, like a beating heart inside a ribcage.

Concalve’s maximum biomass capacity increased to 240kg

“How so very … quaint,” a voice spoke behind me.

I whirled around, seeing Gidul rising from the spot he was sitting with his back against the hillside. I hadn’t noticed him until he moved, seeing as he was camouflaged with colors to match the terrain. As he stood the patterns seemed to melt away from him, and he pointed at the pulsating sack of flesh. “An instantly grown storage organ.

What a remarkable way to evolve. I approve.”

“Why are you still here?” I asked.

“You are an interesting specimen,” he replied calmly. “I wanted to stay and watch how you operate. Oh, yes, your methods will be a blight on this land. Only the strong will survive.”

“I still don’t get what your angle is,” I said. “Aren’t your kind opposed to what I’m doing here?”

“That is not your concern.”

“Fine.” I turned my back to him. “If you’re not going to provide answers, then I’m busy.”

Facing the Nexus again, I refilled it with my reserves again, pouring most of my biomass, leaving me with just 12 kilos.

I didn’t have many options to choose from. The unique Soulforge structure required 150 kilos of biomass I couldn’t currently
provide, which left only the second 100kg structure: the Corpse Collector. Though the colony’s daily passive biomass gain wasn’t that amazing—doubling it from 5 to 10 kilos—it would add up in the long run, and I would be able to collect more in the meantime.

I selected the structure and placed it next to the capacitor.

Instead of a bulb of flesh, what looked like a bush made of bones rose from the ground. It was about half the size of the capacitor, which stood to reason as bone required twice the biomass to form.

As I watched, the dozens of thin bone ‘branches’ started moving, slithering into the ground like snakes, surfacing farther away as they swam through the earth.

“Interesting.”

I turned back to the diminutive figure.

“The tendril burrows toward long-buried remains,” he remarked.

“Sucking out remaining bones and marrow, stealing fertilizer from the earth itself. Remarkable.”

I glanced back at the Nexus’s interface. Though the daily biomass generation had jumped up to 10kg as expected, the storage was climbing much more rapidly than expected, increasing from 9 to 13 within moments, and it kept on climbing. I kept one eye on the interface and the other on the bone tendrils as they kept swimming through everywhere within the zone. The process went on for a few more minutes until it seemed every last scrap of dead animal was absorbed, and the biomass counter had reached 25 kilos before stopping its relatively rapid growth. I expected the process to be finished, but though most of the tendrils had returned to the main structure, some had kept moving around at a more leisurely pace.

Watching carefully, I saw the Nexus’s biomass counter kept growing slowly, only this time by a few dozen grams each time. It seemed the Corpse Collector had immediately scoured the area for all the immediate gain before falling back to the ‘normal’ biomass generation rate—another minor detail that wasn’t mentioned in the structure’s original description.

It was a definite step forward for my growing colony, but that was not enough. I needed the Nexus to become stronger, I needed more biomass to grow it and make better guardians, and I needed to
get stronger myself. I couldn’t depend on slow, passive growth to push me ahead. I needed more. And I needed it right now.

“What are you waiting for?” the still-present druid demanded, somehow guessing my train of thought.

“If there’s something you need, then take it. This is the way of the strong. The only way forward.”

“You’re right,” I said as suddenly all the things I needed lined up.

There was a simple, straightforward answer to accomplish everything. All I needed could be accomplished by killing a single large and powerful beast. The vicinity of the Nexus to the second forest zone made finding such targets easy enough. The problem was taking them down. But what if… I narrowed my eyes in thought.

Maybe I could… I took in the colony’s fleshy zone around me, the lone bone crab which was already fully healed, then I looked back at the Nexus and smiled. Oh yeah, that could work.

***

I’d been lurking inside the thick vegetation past the menhir line, a couple of hundred meters away from my colony. Nausea I’d felt before when venturing past the menhir line was still present. Though it was somewhat more tolerable than before, it still made things more difficult for me. I’d decided to stay low and had been hiding for over an hour, luckily undetected by any of the local dangerous wildlife.

Sal had remained behind at the colony as a precaution. It was too dangerous to have him out here—a point that was proven correct a few moments later as the ground trembled slightly. Something big approached the clearing next to my hiding spot, then a three-meter-tall lizard that looked a lot like a snapper lumbered past my hiding spot.

Utahsnapper, level 18, 182 HP

I held my breath until the giant predator disappeared behind the trees, and only then did I allow myself to exhale. That one was too dangerous. I need something strong enough to catapult my growth but weak enough that I’d still have a chance at defeating it.

Another hour rolled by, then two. I crept as slowly and as soundlessly as I could inside the deep underbrush, my clumsy attempts thankfully not drawing any attention. Out there, in reality, I could have moved in stealth a lot better than what my character could, but thankfully, that seemed to be sufficient for now.

My eyes widened as the prey I hoped for finally made its appearance. The giant boar-like animal walked slowly into a small clearing next to my hiding spot. I had already died to this creature once, but it was time for some payback. The beast scraped its huge dagger-like tusks on a tree as if testing it for strength, then turned around and pressed its side against it, scratching against the rough bark.

Forest Tusker, level 15, 138 HP

That was my chance. The boar was likely the lowest level beast I could find in this area, but I still had to time my actions and move carefully. It was dangerous—borderline suicide actually—but I had the most important thing when going against a stronger enemy: a plan. Pressing a hand onto my chest, I unequipped the beaten, crude leather vest I wore, then used Biocraft to form a new one. The silvery substance coated my torso, settling perfectly around and solidifying into a perfectly fitting vest. Unlike the one I’d just dismissed, this armor was integrated into my body, counting against the maximum mass I could form. My total armor rating had jumped from 16 to 21 and would remain that for the full 16-minute duration. I still had 6% more mass to play with. It was not enough for a full whip, but for my current purpose, defense was more important.

The tusker had finished scratching and was starting to leave the area. I waited until its back was fully turned to me, then rose from the bush I was hiding in and threw a fist-sized stone at its head.

I didn’t wait to see the stone making contact or the beast's response. I simply turned tail and fled, running as fast as I could.

I had obviously hit the mark since the tusker’s roar of rage bellowed behind me. A moment later the roar was replaced with the sound of pounding hoofs and ripping vegetation. I had managed to open a few-dozen-meter distance between us, but the giant animal was hot on my heels. I glanced back in time to see leaves and branches explode behind me as the tusker charged through them like a wrecking ball, aiming its huge tasks straight at my back. The beast was much faster than me, but I’d expected the attack. I leaped sideways just before it rammed into me, and the giant beast ran headfirst into a tree trunk instead. The few moments it took to recover were all I needed to increase the distance between us again.

It soon recovered and resumed the pursuit, closing in once more.

I jumped over a crevasse I’d scouted on my way in, while the tusker’s hind legs punched straight in, buying me a few more precious moments. Using the environment like I was taught, I managed to draw the animal behind, luring it into minor traps that delayed and annoyed it. Deryl would have been proud.

The familiar hill soon appeared between the trees as I sprinted over the strip of open ground.

This was the most dangerous part of my plan. Within the short, open distance, I was briefly vulnerable to the tusker’s superior speed.

I reached the foot of the hill and sprinted upward when the tusker caught up with me. Passing the menhir line didn’t slow the beast's charge in the slightest, and a moment later I felt the giant tusks impacting my back, hurling me forward. I forced myself to roll with the impact, the extra momentum launching me into the colony like a missile.

Forest tusker hit you for 46 damage (56 - 10 armor) My health dropped like a stone to just under half my maximum, but without the armor I’d made, it would’ve been worse. The
important thing was that the first phase of my plan worked: I made it back. It was time for phase two.

“Pricks, fall in!”

The boar roared as it charged up the hill, its speed barely wavering as it entered the Nexus’s projected atrofield. It ran right at me, not noticing the two chair-sized chunks of bone and spikes that moved toward each other to block its path.

The two new minions I’d created earlier, each costing 5 soul energy, had formed a barrier in front of the charging boar. My purpose in making them was simple and direct. I needed a way to stop larger beasts from turning me into a paste with their sheer mass, and the two solid guardians seemed suited for the job. The pricks, as I decided on calling them, resembled flat-bottomed boulders, with no major limbs other than tiny scuttling legs and a forest of sharp bone spikes protruding out of their backs.

The tusker rammed straight into them, sending a shower of broken spikes as even more had embedded in its face and chest.

The damage was minimal, and the pricks’ health both dropped to half, but their thick, mostly bone bodies allowed them to survive the impact.

With the tusker’s momentum arrested, I finally turned to face it, my whip forming. With only 6% spare coverage to work with, the flexible weapon was shorter than the standard 3-meter-long whip, but inside the confines of the atrofield, it was more than enough. I flicked the whip at the boar, who was trying to rub the annoying shards out of its face, and hit it on the top of its skull.

Whip hit Forest Tusker for 1 damage (base 5 - 4 armor) The hit didn’t visibly diminish its health bar, but the secondary effect was more important here.

Wither has sapped 10.4% of the target life (-14 HP)

The boar roared in anger, the pain insufficient to debilitate the massive beast. It lowered its head, intending to charge right over the two pricks. That was when I directed my third minion to attack.

The bone crab that was hiding behind the altar appeared at the tusker’s flank, its giant claws managing to slice through the tough hide. The cut wasn’t very deep, but it was enough to bleed the large animal. Red blood streamed down its fur and was readily slurped by the eager, fleshy ground.

The attack had arrested the tusker’s next charge, causing it to whirl around on the bone crab, allowing the pricks to slam their remaining spikes at its back and for me to snap my whip again.

Our combined attacks had shaved off several more points of damage from the powerful beast, but this time a different notification appeared.

Wither attempt resisted!

Despite being inside an atrofield, the effect was only at rank 1, and the boar’s higher level still presented a robust resistance. It kicked its hind legs, sending the rock crab flying back—bringing its health down to a sliver—then flailed its tusks from side to side at the pricks, sending bone shards everywhere. It got a few nasty stabs for its trouble, but the move had also cleared out the creatures blocking its path.

It also gave me time to strike again, and this time it was a success.

Wither has sapped 12.1% of the target life (-16 HP) The second attempt, though only slightly more powerful than the first, seemed to have broken through the tusker’s endurance. The giant beast fell onto its stomach, twitching in agony while gray energy raked its body, eating away flesh and skin. Bloody scraps fell of it and were quickly swallowed by the greedy, fleshy ground.

My three minions fell on the momentarily immobilized beast, hacking and stabbing it for all they were worth. The ground was sleek with blood and covered with bone shards, preventing them from getting a solid foothold. That, coupled with the tusker’s sheer mass prevented any of the hits from reaching deep enough to be critical, though they did cause some damage.

The next whip lash had also failed to surpass the beast’s resistances, but the one after that did, applying the third and final stackable effect, immobilizing it for the final time.

Wither has sapped 13.3% of the target life (-18 HP) Dismissing the whip, I used the last dregs of biomass and managed to form claws on one of my hands, grabbing the skinning knife with the other. I glimpsed the tusker’s information even as I charged at its still-prone body.

Forest Tusker, level 15, 50/85(138) HP [Wither x3]

With only 50 HP remaining, victory finally seemed possible. I took full advantage of its momentary daze and rammed my claws and knife fully into the side of its body fully, targeting the largest patch of Withered flesh.

You hit Forest Tusker for 1 damage (3 + 2 base * 55%
bonus - 6 armor)

“Shit!” I cursed out loud. Despite its sorry state, higher levels couldn't be so easily dismissed, and the bad luck of having scored the minimum amount of damage my weapons were capable of only served to demonstrate my lack of damage potential.

My minions attacked the tusker’s sides, inflicting a few more measly points of damage, but the beast was done playing with us.

Released from the debilitating agony and frothing at the mouth, it kicked its hind legs again, killing the crab, and plowed through the two pricks, throwing them to the sides as it came straight at me.

I managed to dodge the attack, though one of the tusks still clipped my side. The glancing blow easily ate away 20 points of damage, instantly draining the few HP I regenerated during the battle and bringing my health to a quarter.

The boar’s momentum took it past me to ram into the Biomass Capacitor. Thankfully, the structure was sturdy enough to withstand the hit, though some of the bones on its sides fractured, and a gooey substance started oozing out of a tear in its fleshy side.

I didn’t have the time to worry about that. The tusker was already turning around for another pass even as more blood gushed out of its open wounds. I bent down, putting my palm on the ground, and forced out some of the biomass, forming it into a simple shape.

I was barely finished by the time the tusker charged again. I threw myself to the side to evade the attack, leaving behind a hastily constructed bone spike protruding from the ground. I positioned the spike at an angle, so when the tusker ran over it, it dug deeply into its stomach. The momentum carried the beast over, causing the spike to carve open its underbelly before shattering in a hundred splinters.

Forest Tusker, level 15, 35/85(138) HP [Wither x3, Bleeding 3]

With bits of its steaming guts spilling out, patches of flesh withering away, and blood sprouting out of its body, the behemoth was slowly dying from a thousand cuts. It only made it more dangerous than ever, and I was out of tricks and biomass.

‘Always choose carefully the place of engagement’ Deryl's words echoed in my mind. Despite being at the heart of my domain, I was still out in the open, exposed and vulnerable. The tunnel was the only other place for me to go, but it was just wide enough to also
admit the tusker, and I didn’t want to even consider the possibility of its dying carcass coming back as undead to haunt me again.

With all possible escape routes out, I was left with a simple choice.

With a nagging sense of deja-vu, I ran straight at the giant monster, kicked off the Nexus, and sailed onto its back.

The tusker roared and reared on its hind legs in rage, causing more of its guts to spill out of its stomach.

I located the large patch Wither had seared into its back and plunged my two weapons into it. Luck was on my side as both weapons inflicted their maximum damage, though it was still barely enough to overcome the beast’s thick hide.

You hit Forest Tusker for 5 damage (6 + 4 base + 55%
bonus - 10 armor)

With its 27 remaining HP, the tusker tried to shake me loose, but I held on to it for dear life. Its back was the only safe spot to be, the only place outside the reach of those formidable tusks, which made the tusker’s next move predictable.

“Pricks! Move to its sides!”

The two bone creatures scuttled to either side of the animal, one nearly slipping on the slick, rubbery guts. They were just in time.

Realizing it couldn’t fling me off, the tusker tried rolling on its back but was met by a waiting prick. The bone spikes drove deep into the beast's side, but then they and the creature they belonged to shattered to pieces. I managed to jump clear off the still-bleeding and heavily injured boar, but it completed its roll with a surprising display of agility for a creature its size, coming to its feet with its mouth wide open just in front of my face.

I didn’t expect that move and nearly lost my life then and there, when a streak of movement flashed between us.

Flinching backward and squealing in fright, the tusker shook its head vigorously, trying to rid itself of the large snake that suddenly
appeared and coiled around its muzzle, between its tusks, locking its jaws shut.

It strained to open its mouth, but despite the apparent disparity in strength, it couldn’t tear apart the clamping serpent. I recalled an old piece of trivia that animals had most of their jaw strength directed at chomping, not opening.

Sal had bought me precious seconds, not releasing his hold even as tears started appearing across his body. I had to act now.

The tusker was bleeding heavily with only 14 HP left and would die soon enough on its own, but not before taking Sal with him. My weapons proved almost ineffective against the tough hide, even with the Wither bonus, and that thought gave me an idea.

I rolled onto the ground, bringing myself below the shrieking boar, stopping right under its torn stomach. I shoved both weapons upward, the bleeding flesh and soft intestines providing no defense against the small weapons.

You hit Forest Tusker for 16 damage (5 + 3 base x 2 critical hit)

My clawed hand punched in, all the way down to my elbow. The giant beast ceased its struggle immediately as it died and started falling on top of me. Its weight would have crushed me to death, but I was ready. Before the full weight of the creature could descend on me, I was already absorbing its mass. The heavy body fell on me, burying me in blood and guts even as it was being liquified. I sustained a few more points of crushing damage, but then the weight was lifted, and the last bits of the animal disintegrated around me.

Forest Tusker defeated!

+250% progression toward next level

Level up! x2

You have reached level 9

Spirit attribute +2 (Physical +1.5, Mental +1, Social +0.5) Biomancer spell school has increased to level 16

Biomass absorbed 32.5%: 162Kg

Biocraft: superior material discovered: Tusker Hide I stood up unsteadily on my feet.

This was a close call. My health was down to 10 HP. The slightest mistake would have made me lose, but I had won. And I got biomass, a new crafting material, and two whole levels out of the ordeal. On top of that, the colony’s area shot outward as the powerful beast died, reaching well into the tree line below. Checking up on Sal, I also saw he gained 14 more soul fragments. All in all, the rewards seemed well worth the risk.

In short, mission accomplished.

I considered my next move. I was itching to use the newly acquired biomass to build the last structure, but that would have left me with a very small amount for myself, not to mention the fact that there would not be enough to summon new guardians. I also wanted to check what the new crafting material I’d just earned could do.

Biomass had become a precious commodity. Having over 100kg didn’t feel like a huge amount anymore. I needed to prioritize how to invest my new riches.

The first priority was to gain more biomass. The best way of doing that was for me to go out hunting again, which meant investing in myself. That translated into first spending the biomass to try and craft new armor with the new material. I had to remake my armor anyway as the integrated one I was wearing was about to expire, and the one I wore before was almost out of durability points.

So that’s what I did. Resting my butt on the Nexus, I started making new armor. The recent upgrades to the Biomancer discipline
had helped make the process smoother, though it was still not good enough to fabricate anything with a quality better than ‘crude’. Going one by one, I remade my leather armor pieces, starting with the bracers, then the greaves, then the vest. When I worked on the last item though, I could feel my skill at work. It was a sort of nagging tingling sensation that seemed to indicate it could be pushed further.

So I did. Instead of crafting the same vest as before, I found that I could divert more mass into the item, extending its shoulder guards into short sleeves that protected my upper arms, ending just before the bracers.

Finished, and 14 kilos of biomass lighter, I examined my new handiwork.

Crude Tusker Leather Armor [Biocrafted]

Type: armor [torso]

Armor: 7

Durability: 15/15

Crude Tusker Leather Greaves [Biocrafted]

Type: armor [legs]

Armor: 6

Durability: 12/12

Crude Tusker Leather Bracers [Biocrafted]

Type: armor [forearms]

Armor: 3

Durability: 12/12

The stats on the bracer and greaves had improved by 1, but the durability had shot up by half, which was almost as important as the higher armor values. Higher durability meant it would last me longer, which, in turn, meant I’d have to spend biomass less often to remake it. The torso piece had improved the most, demonstrating how beneficial it was to craft items with a higher mass requirement.

With my bone helm as the only unaffected piece, the newly acquired material allowed me to increase my total armor score from 16 to 20. It stressed the importance of acquiring new materials, and the best way to do that seemed to revolve around delving deeper into the second forest zone. Even at level 9, I was still too weak to hunt there on my own, though I had a plan that I hoped my new levels would help to see me through.

But first, I needed to take care of my Nexus’s defenses.

I walked toward the altar and created two new bone crabs and one prick to join its sole surviving member. I took full advantage of my new Biocraft coverage capacity and made the creatures as large as possible, investing 15kg of biomass in each of them. Once I was done, Sal slithered onto the three new forms, ensouling them with 5
soul fragments. I now had four level 5 guardians to watch over the Nexus. The atrofield still summoned the odd forest animal, but as we were still inside the first zone, I felt confident enough in my new minions' ability to protect it in my absence.

Putting my back to the Nexus, I retraced my steps back into the deep forest, past the menhir line.

To my surprise, the feeling of nausea had lessened substantially, almost to a level I could ignore. The only plausible reason I could come up with was that my higher level somehow helped alleviate the discomfort.

Crouching down into the dense vegetation, I took out the item I hoped would be my trump card. The beast’s collar. The tusker’s neck was too thick for the magical leash, as most of the other creatures I spotted there, but I’d encountered one animal it could fit. It was significantly stronger than me or the tusker, but with a little luck, closing the gap between us by two levels would make the attempt possible. It was dangerous, and maybe stupid, but with great risk came great reward.

I crept deeper into the high-level zone, looking for giant dinosaurs.

16 - Utah Danger

It was surprisingly easy to find my quarry.

Utahsnapper, level 18, 175/182 HP

The three-meter-tall snapper was busy eating a corpse that, according to the remains, looked like a warg that was even larger than the alpha. Killing another predator also explained the giant snapper’s injuries, though if the scratches along its tail bothered it, it didn’t show as it continued munching on its furry meal.

The giant jaws bit and crunched down meat and bone with the same ease, making it obvious it would have no difficulty munching down a pesky level 9 human.

But this was the best chance I’d get. While it was busy eating, the giant snapper wasn’t looking around, increasing my chances.

A soft wind was blowing toward my direction, hiding my scent from the dangerous predator. Hoping it wouldn’t suddenly change, I crept behind the oblivious beast as quietly as I could, holding the open collar ready with one hand.

Inching forward, treading as lightly as possible, I reached the beast’s curling tail and gingerly stepped over it. I’d have one shot at this. Once I reached below its neck, I’d have to stand on my toes to reach the thinner part of its neck to snap the collar on.

The string of events followed so quickly I barely had time to register my mistake.

I stepped on a dry branch that I somehow failed to notice, and it broke with an audible crack. The utahsnapper reaction was so fast I couldn’t even see the movement of the giant tail as it snapped at me, launching me ahead of the giant predator like a rag doll, landing right next to its last victim.

Utahsnapper tail hit you for 35 damage (45 base - 10
armor)

I fought to reorient myself as pain from the blow that instantly ate away a third of my HP threatened to claim my consciousness as well. My flailing hands accidentally touched the sticky fur next to me, and an unexpected message popped open.

Biomass absorbed 28.3%: 17Kg

The utahsnapper roared with rage as I inadvertently stole its meal away. The red eyes staring at me made it clear what its replacement was going to be.

I formed the bladed whip in my free hand as the giant maw snapped down toward me and managed to hit it along its jaw. The lash made it blink in surprise and break off its attack despite the whip doing no obvious damage. That by itself was bad enough, but the second notification, though expected, was even worse.

Wither attempt resisted!

I rolled to my feet just in time to see the giant jaws snapping down at me. I dodged to the side, intending on letting the long neck pass next to me and slapping the collar on. The attempt had proven laughable. Whether I underestimated the powerful beast or overestimated my recent level-ups, the result was a complete failure.

The utahsnapper was quick to adjust its descending maw’s trajectory toward my flailing form. Instead of jumping clear away from it, I was caught fully as the jaws snapped around my torso, plucking me up into the air.

I could feel the powerful maw closing around me, my newly improved tusker armor providing very little resistance against the sharp, finger-length teeth. I tried pounding the side of its face, but I was like a kid trying to punch a rhinoceros.

The armor around my legs gave way first as, with a sickening sensation of detachment, both my legs were cut off.

Utahsnapper bit you for 72 damage ([82 base - 10 armor] X

1 critical hit)

My health dropped to the single digits as I dazedly stared down at the place my legs used to be. Very little blood oozed down from the wounds. Unfortunately, being immune to critical hits’ damage didn’t mean I was immune to the critical effect itself.

But I was alive, and as long as I drew breath, I wouldn't give up.

‘If you can still draw breath then it’s just a flesh wound, and you can still shoot’, was another hard lesson drilled into me. Granted, I didn’t have a firearm, but the principle stood. I started punching the beast’s muzzle with my bare fists, not bothering to summon my claws. There was no point in trying to injure it, my best option was to deliver as many Wither attempts as possible and hope that one would punch through the giant predator’s resistances and incapacitate it long enough for me to … do something.

The utahsnapper eyes focused on me, more with curiosity than rage as it scrutinized the small meal that was pounding its tiny fists at it.

A slew of ‘Wither attempt resisted’ messages flashed before my eyes, but I ignored them, shoved down the insisted pain that threatened to overwhelm my senses, and redoubled my effort. I landed more and more punches, not bothering to put any strength into them in favor of speed. I could see the snapper starting to get bored with the novelty of having a partially eviscerated prey still moving, and I knew I had only seconds to live.

Then, almost by a miracle, the awaited message had arrived.

Wither has sapped 9.3% of the target life (-16 HP) The beast howled in pain and rage as a portion of its muzzle turned gray and rotten. Instead of freezing up though, its red eyes blazed, and the powerful neck muscles flexed. The jaws holding me
snapped close around my upper body, and the terrible pain was blessedly over.

I had failed.

***

You have died

No death penalties as you are below Level 10

I slowly rose to my feet—which had fully reformed—finding myself in the familiar setting of Brinfold’s cemetery.

Things didn’t go as I’d planned. Despite reaching level 9, I was still woefully underpowered for the second zone. I’d hoped the magical collar would help even things up, but I didn’t even get close enough to use it. Thankfully, I kept clutching it throughout the ordeal, so I still had it in my possession—for all the good it had done me.

Though I was back at full health and completely intact, I couldn’t help but limp slightly as I made my way back to the inn. I vaguely noted some farmers shouting something from the fields east of the village, but I hazily ignored them. I needed time to sit down and rethink my strategy. I had the colony, and it was well protected. I was probably going to have to hunt for a day or two in the safety of the first zone until I’d accumulate enough—

The farmer’s shouting turned into screams, finally drawing my attention. I turned to look and felt my blood freezing as I spotted the source of the commotion.

A giant lizard was charging out of the tree line and through the fields, running after several panicked villagers. It moved incredibly fast and closed in on them in seconds. Its head snapped forward, picking up a screaming person by its torso and severed all its flailing limbs with a single bite.

Shouts of alarms and calls to arms came from the village as the other villagers noticed the predator’s arrival.

“Shit,” I said as I recognized the monster. The rotting marks on its muzzle left very little doubt that it was the same one I’d just
fought.

The other farmers kept running toward the village gate, and only the fact that the beast stopped to chew on its first victim gave them the time to reach it. But there was no safety to be found. The low fence around the village wasn't nearly enough to stop a massively powerful creature like the utahsnapper.

Once it finished its gruesome meal, its tiny red eyes narrowed as it looked for its next victim. It spotted the people inside the village gates, let out a terrifying roar, and charged in after them.

Several hunters holding bows were already getting into position and greeted the charging predator with volleys of arrows. Most of the projectiles ricocheted harmlessly off the thick hide and the few that found purchase didn’t go in deeply.

The beast seemed crazed, charging straight into the stream of arrows, single-minded in its urge to kill.

I hesitated as I saw more villagers coming out to defend their homes, comically wielding pitchforks and other farming implements.

None held actual weapons.

They didn’t stand a chance.

The utahsnapper tore through the low fence as if it was made of tissue paper, ignoring the hunters' stabbing and picking off another villager, killing her instantly in its deadly teeth. The air was heavy with the scent of fear. It was so tangible, I could almost taste it.

The enraged beast certainly could.

It took a few more stabs to the chest and legs that barely seemed to draw blood before it dropped the mangled corpse, then raised its maw to let out another deafening roar. The withering blast I’d inflicted on its face seemed to turn the beast crazed. There was only one reason for it to come out of its zone and into the village. It was looking for me. And it looked like it was dead set on massacring everyone else in its path.

That was a problem. I knew I had no chance at killing the raptor without a full stack of Wither—which had a very low chance to take.

The villagers could provide a valuable distraction for several attempts, but there was no guarantee those attempts would take. On top of that, there was no way the survivors wouldn’t see what I was
doing, then the source of the gray circles would be discovered. I’d managed to keep my involvement in their appearance hidden until now, but that would no longer be the case. I’d lose whatever goodwill I earned and never be able to complete the main quest.

Knowing there was no hope of concealing my part in the village’s recent plight, there was another path to take. If I could form a new atrofield, my chances would increase dramatically. I knew there was livestock around that I could sacrifice, but by the time I get some, the utahsnapper would be able to rampage unimpeded.

I narrowed my eyes as I considered a more sinister plan.

Without my help, the villagers were going to suffer incredible losses.

The casualty count would be better if I’d killed a few of them myself.

The atrofield they would form would substantially improve my chances against the utahsnapper, allowing me to save the majority of the rest. Targeting the villagers was the best option. I would be outed and no doubt rejected, but that was now given. It was the only way I could see that gave me a chance before the giant predator massacred half the village. A darker thought came to mind; I could even target the strongest hunters first, so if—when—I’d win, there would be no one to act against me.

I started walking toward the battle, my mind nearly made up, when I saw something that made me stop in my tracks.

Lyta had appeared amidst the group of defenders, holding a beautiful spear that seemed to have been crafted from a single piece of wood. Dawn was standing not far from her, holding a collection of vials in her hands which she chucked at their attacker. They stood together, determined despite the terrible odds, and I suddenly thought of my brother. Did Giddy also find himself in such a predicament when NEO locked him in? I wondered. Did he too face desperate odds, trying to survive? If someone like me had stepped up, could he have been spared what happened?

“Shit,” I said. All my dark thoughts evaporated on the spot. I couldn’t let the people I knew throw their lives on the line. My previous plan evaporated, and a sense of relief filled my chest, replacing the darkness that simmered within. With a loud yell, I
charged the giant snapper, lashing out with the whip that survived my own death.

The utahsnapper had ripped a leg off a third, screaming villager by the time I reached it and didn’t look too badly hurt for its trouble.

Utahsnapper, level 18, 148/166(182) HP [Withered x1]

It ignored my bladed whip—the attack not powerful enough to overcome its natural armor—and the failed Wither attempt.

I lashed the whip two more times ineffectively, then abandoned that approach. The beast's back was still turned to me, facing the group of people at its front and sides. I discarded the whip in favor of two claws, then ran up its tail, using the weapons as stakes to climb my way up.

It roared as it felt my weight on its back, and its long neck swerved to the side, its tiny eyes focusing on me with livid rage.

“Oh shit!” was all I had time to say before the jaws snapped down toward me as the neck proved flexible enough for the task. I barely managed to throw myself off its back to land painfully on the ground below, the jaws missing me by centimeters.

But I was not out of the woods yet.

Completely ignoring the rest of its attackers, the predator turned its full attention to me. It loomed over me, a powerful beast of wiry muscles and dagger teeth, focusing on the small creature that had caused it so much pain.

I knew I’d lost. My recent death had shown me that some time had passed in the game before I was respawned, which meant that by the time I got back, the monster would have killed off the rest of the villagers, and then it would be able to hunt me down, repeatedly killing me as I respawned.

The maw opened, revealing rows of sharp, bloody teeth, then the head snapped down.

Unable to move, I stared up defiantly at the approaching death, intending to deliver a last blast of Wither straight into its mouth.

But the bite never arrived.

A ball of fire impacted the side of the beast’s head, scorching it and snapping it sideways, then a beautiful spear lunged forward, burying itself halfway in the creature’s chest while a flask shattered against its side, unleashing black caustic liquid.

The rest of the villagers took a step back, content on keeping up the rain of arrows, revealing two figures.

Lyta and Bert. The fire mage was already forming a new ball of fire, while Lyta was pulling out her bloodied spear. Dawn moved forward to stand behind them, already preparing another vial to throw.

The utahsnapper’s health dropped to a hundred, but it was still very much in combat shape and very enraged. With its head still hovering above my prone form, it glanced at its two attackers, and I could see its tiny eyes considering who it wanted to eat first.

I couldn’t allow it to target the others. There was no way I could kill it quickly enough to save any of the three, there was only one chance to try and stop it in one move, but that would put me in an extremely vulnerable position. It was all or nothing.

Using all the strength I could muster, I leaped up from where I lay, the magical collar appearing out of my inventory and into my hand. I reached the snapper’s neck just as it swerved away from me, presenting the perfect target, and by what seemed like a miracle, I managed to snap the magical leash around it.

Utahsnapper is subdued and recognizes you as its owner.

Collar’s durability remaining: 5

“Seraph,” Lyta gasped as she saw what I did. “What’s going on?

Where did—”

“I’m sorry, no time to talk,” I cut her off. The collar’s magic only lasted for 10 minutes per durability point, so I was on the clock. “I’ll come back later and we’ll talk. Lie down.” I directed the last command at my new pet.

The utahsnapper obediently lowered itself to the ground, and I climbed onto its back, finding a comfortable seat at the base of its neck, my legs hanging on either side. “Go into the forest.”

The utahsnapper obediently turned around and started running in a steady trot toward the tree line. At least, what it considered to be a steady trot. For me, it felt like we were flying over the ground, reaching the forest within moments. Normally it would have taken me close to an hour to travel to the colony and reach the second zone, but even despite the many trees that hampered its speed, my new steed was able to make the distance impossibly fast, and we arrived at the menhir line just as the collar’s durability dropped to 4.

I had very little time to work with, but I’d already known what I was going to do. This was my original plan all along, though dying and subsequently having to defend the village wasn’t part of it. With the powerful apex predator under my control, hunting in the second zone was going to be much easier. Thankfully, the worst of its injuries had healed along the way, though it still retained its wither-reduced HP. I had to keep away from higher-level beasts, but creatures like tuskers should prove easy prey. I planned to run the utahsnapper for as long as possible, using it to kill as many high-level beasts as possible until it would either die or be freed from the collar. It would probably turn on me if the latter happened, but it didn’t matter if I died. This was a resource gathering mission against a set timer.

We made only a small detour, the snapper's long legs eating up the steep path up the hillside in a flash, and collected Sal. I wasn’t about to let good souls go to waste.

Bursting through the trees might not have been the smartest move, but I had no time to lose. Luckily, the first creature we encountered was a level 15 giant centipede. My steed chomped down on its hair-covered body while I flailed at the rest of it with my whip. Despite being 3 levels lower than the snapper, the centipede still put up a fight. Its body was too heavy for the lizard to lift, and it used its barbed tail to gouge deep wounds on the snapper’s side.

After several moments of struggling with each other, one of my whip lashes finally managed to surpass the creature’s resistance to
deliver a blast of Wither into it. The giant insect froze, just for a brief second, but that was enough. The moment it stopped flexing against the snapper’s jaws, the sharp teeth closed down around its body, cutting it in half. It died as its severed parts spewed out blood and viscera.

Giant centipede defeated!

+20% progress toward next level

That was a remarkably less progression than I’d expected, but given the fact that it was more of my ride’s kill than my own, I guess it was understandable. Still, 20% for a single kill was remarkably better than I could easily achieve on my own, and as a bonus, there was no one to contest for claiming the creature’s body to myself.

Biomass absorbed 28.3%: 70Kg

That single kill was enough to bring my store of biomass up to 190 kilos, just 60 shy of the maximum. I’d cursed myself for not dumping my entire storage into the colony’s capacitor to free up space, but there was no helping it now. My time was running out, the collar’s durability dropping to 3.

We roamed the forest, looking for prey. The utahsnapper must have been one of this area’s apex predators because the rest of the animals seemed to make an effort to stay out of our way.

I threw all caution to the wind as we barged through the trees, looking for our next target, finally charging into a clearing where a very surprised and very powerful-looking uberbear was waking up from a nap. I took one look at the giant creature who must have weighed three times as much as my ride and made a break for it. We zoomed back into the cover of the trees before the sleepy bear could fully rise and attack.

We finally found worthy prey with only a single durability point remaining—two huge wargs, probably the same type the snapper
had originally feasted on when I first encountered it. The two canines weren’t surprised, alerted by our noisy arrival, and were ready to pounce. The carcass of a giant deer was laying on the ground behind them.

“Sal, hide,” I said, placing the serpent on a nearby branch. Then I reformed the whip that had deteriorated during the ride, and we charged.

The wargs were both level 17, a single level lower than my ride.

They were as big as ponies which made them stand half the height of the snapper, but their stance indicated they were not going to abandon their meal. That was fine by me.

The snapper rammed into the left warg, its maw closing around the shaggy beast’s torso, then continued to ram it fully into a tree. I lashed my whip against the second warg, but it ignored the attack and the failed Wither attempt and pounced toward me.

I just barely got my leg out of the way as the huge canine’s mouth closed around the snapper’s throat a few centimeters below me. The canine’s clawed hind legs went to work, raking the tough reptilian hide. I could feel the beast’s hot breath as snapper blood came gushing into its mouth.

Despite the grievous neck wound, the warg had failed to reach an artery, and the damage only reduced the snapper’s health by 10%. It still latched on though, the weight of its body dragging the snapper down, preventing it from claiming a kill on its companion.

“Get the one on your back!” I shouted. The snapper obeyed, releasing its trapped quarry and flexing its neck sideways to bite down on the hanging warg’s flank. The canine’s body was flung up, but it refused to release its jaws, comically stretching in the air. I formed claws around my free hand and stabbed the warg’s face, aiming for the eyes. I missed my target but still managed to injure it.

The surprised warg released its jaws, and the utahsnapper flung it like a wet blanket against the same tree trunk its friend was slumped against.

“Step back and defend,” I ordered.

The snapper complied, stepping away from the two injured wargs. The wolf-like creatures slowly parted to flank us, moving at a
more measured pace now. The snapper was wounded, and though not immediately life-threatening, it had an ongoing bleeding debuff that slowly ate away at its health.

But I didn’t care for either of those. This was the perfect opportunity to try and kill both the wargs and the raptor. I had to plan my next move carefully to pit them against each other, making sure I was the only one left standing. I needed an atrofield to help level the playing field.

Using my whip, I attacked the more injured warg, slipping a Wither in past its resistance on the third try. The warg whimpered and froze, unable to resist the new pain on top of its existing wounds.

“Get it!” I shouted.

With lightning speed, the snapper charged the frozen warg, its jaws snapping around the canine’s head, offering a perfect striking opportunity for its friend. The second injured warg didn’t hesitate and jumped on the outstretched reptilian neck, this time aiming at a narrower section which its jaws managed to fully close around.

The snapper hissed in pain as it twisted its neck, tearing the first warg’s head off. Then it tried to swing its head around to grab the one hanging from its neck, but the position and the warg’s weight made it out of its reach. While they were momentarily locked in a stalemate, I quickly surveyed the situation.

Utasnapper, level 18, 88/166(182)HP [Bleeding 6, Withered x1]

Warg, level 17, 120/158

The ground around the first warg had turned gray when it died, though the three of us were just outside its radius. That wasn’t good.

The way things were going, the warg would overpower the bleeding
snapper, drag me off its back, and kill me. I needed to even things up and make it so both beasts were a hair’s breadth away from death.

“Move forward,” I ordered.

The snapper hissed in pain but forced its feet forward, digging its long talons into the ground as it dragged the heavy warg along with it. The move had caused a fresh torrent of blood to spray out of its neck.

Atrofield [rank 1]: +5% deathless magic, -10% deathless resistance

As soon as I saw the message, I started lashing the hanging warg with my whip. It whined as the bladed tip opened shallow wounds along its fur, taking a single HP at a time. The fourth lash was finally a success.

Wither has sapped 9.7% of the target’s life (-15 HP) Filled with bloodlust and a mouthful of actual blood, the warg howled through the pain but didn’t freeze up. It still had more HP
than the snapper, so I lashed it a few more times until a second Wither attempt took, evening up the odds.

Utahsnapper, level 18, 55/166(182)HP [bleeding 6, Withered x1]

Warg, level 17, 89/143(158) [Withered x2]

I liked those odds better, though I needed to lower the warg’s health some more to make things more balanced. I lashed it again, and this time my attack hit it straight on its sensitive nose.

Whip hit warg for 8 damage ([6 base + 55% withered bonus X 2 critical hit] – 10 armor)

Wither has sapped 10.6% of the target’s life (-16 HP) The warg yelped in surprise and let go of the snapper’s neck. It fell to the ground and started convulsing as the withering energies wreaked havoc on its body.

The heavily injured snapper didn’t hesitate to capitalize on the moment. Like a striking snake, its head snapped forward, closing around the immobile warg’s head and neck, giant teeth digging through flesh and skull, removing half of it with a single bite.

Warg defeated! X2

+44% progress toward your next level

The utahsnapper lifted its head to the sky and let out a triumphant roar even as its lifeblood continued to leak out of the terrible gash along its neck.

Then it turned to look at me and both our eyes locked.

The collar around its throat flashed once, then broke off with an audible snap.

“Oh, shit,” I said.

Though it was critically injured and bleeding to death, the utahsnapper was still far from dead and still very dangerous.

I jumped off its back just as the snapping jaws came hurtling toward me and landed on the ground along with a shower of the snapper’s blood.

Utasnapper, level 18, 43/166(182)HP [Bleeding 6, Withered x1]

I narrowly evaded a stomping, taloned leg, buying myself a second before the snapper turned to face me again. Despite its injuries, it was still deadly fast, and I knew—from experience—that two good chomps were all it took for it to kill me. It would bleed out in about a minute, but that still gave it plenty of time to take me out. My only chance was the rank 2 atrofield the two dead wargs had formed.

I dodged another surprisingly slow bite attempt, only to realize the attack was a ruse. The reptile’s tail came whistling toward me in a swiping motion I couldn't evade. It hit me full on the chest, reducing my HP by 20% and slamming me against one of the warg corpses.

The utahsnapper roared in triumph, even as its HP bled out, reaching 36.

I didn’t waste the opportunity its boasting presented me with, and not bothering to get up, I lashed my whip at it. The blade hit it on top of its skull, blessedly sending another burst of Wither into its body. The gray energy, thanks to the doubly strengthened atrofield, was even more punishing than usual.

Wither has sapped 10.2% of the target life (-18 HP) It froze.

With 18 HP remaining.

That was my chance.

I lashed my ex-ride twice more while it struggled against the agony, but none of my strikes were able to overcome its resistances despite the bonuses stacked in my favor.

I saw the moment it regained control. The red eyes—full of hate and rage—focused on me, ignoring all else, even as its lifeblood kept gushing out, reducing its health to 13.

It was much faster than me, so running was not an option. I couldn’t even stand my ground and fight because its hide ignored almost all the damage I could inflict on it. Climbing a tree might have done the trick, but by now I understood the game well enough to realize that attempt would be futile without a proper Climbing skill.

My best chance was to close the distance, keeping it so close that it got tangled up in its legs trying to reach me. I only had to outlast it.

With a roar of my own, I charged the apex predator. I dodged sideways to evade a clumsy downward chomp, jumped up over a tail swipe … and got caught midair by the returning giant jaws. The first clumsy chomp was another feint. I marveled at the creature's cunning even as it bit into my flesh, my armor acting more like tin wrapping for its meal.

Utahsnapper bit you for 78 damage (88 base - 10 armor) My health instantly shrunk down to 20% just as the snapper’s own bled down to 7.

I felt the teeth parting slightly as it prepared to finish me off with a final bite. It would die a second or two later, but not before making sure I’d lose all my hard-fought earnings.

So I arched my clawed hand back, yelling as I tore my flesh on the sharp teeth, then punched down as hard as I could, delivering the sharp claws directly into the patch of withered skin on its head.

The claws dug into the graying flesh, sinking halfway through the softened area before stopping on the predator’s thick skull.

You hit utahsnapper for 8 damage (base 6 + 55% bonus) Though not scoring a critical hit, my attack had done the trick, scoring just enough damage to finally fell the apex predator. The snapper’s red eyes lost their luster, and the huge animal fell, taking me along with it, still stuck in its maw. I cried in pain as the short fall drove the teeth deeper into my flesh, costing me a dozen more hit points. I was teetering at the edge of death, but I survived.

Instead of immediately trying to break loose, I first used Fleshweave to restore my HP. The now-rank-3 atrofield enhanced the effect, restoring 18 HP to my injured body. That gave me enough of a buffer to carefully extricate myself from the toothy trap without
having to worry the lightest snag would send me directly to a respawn. I could have absorbed the snapper’s biomass, but sometimes the loss of sudden mass caused the corpse to jerk unexpectedly, and I preferred to avoid that. Besides, claiming the giant predator’s biomass now would be more than I could currently contain, and I hated the waste.

I went over to one of the dead wargs instead and absorbed it first, using the process’ synergy with Fleshweave to restore another 32 HP. Even with the extra consumption, the warg’s body was large enough to bring my biomass store to its maximum capacity of 250
kilos.

Sal had already slithered down from the safety of the tree and claimed the soul fragments of the warg I’d just absorbed before moving on to the other two dead beasts. The soul serpent's body grew substantially, lengthening by half and becoming thicker and more powerful. I stared at the evolved soul serpent, impressed, and checked its stats.

Sal, Soul Serpent

Soul fragments: 38

Physical attribute: 5

HP: 50

Traits:

● Ensoul

● Consume Soul

Sal had just undergone the equivalent of two level-ups, making him strong enough to reliably kill most of the animals in the first zone by himself.

With my health back over the halfway mark and out of immediate danger, I felt secure enough to take a moment to browse my pending notifications.

Utahsnapper defeated!

+70% progress toward your next level

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 17

Level up!

You have reached level 10

Note: Dying will now incur a death penalty.

Spirit attribute +1 (Physical +0.75, Mental +0.5, Social +0.25) Level 10 bonus:

You may select a unique trait every 10 levels.

Please choose one:

1. Atrofield symbiosis - empower your every ability by 10% when within an atrofield, weaken them by 10% when outside.

2. Pain immunity: decrease pain sensation by 90% without losing tactile feedback.

3. Companion symbiosis - allow you to absorb your companion into your body and release it at will.

That was new. I paused to carefully read the level 10 bonus options. Though unexpected, I’d take any advantage I could claim.

Learning that every 10 levels brought an extra bonus with it was the icing on the cake. I immediately discarded the first option; I couldn’t allow myself to be handicapped outside of atrofields, where the most difficult part of the battle usually started. Pain immunity was tempting but not directly contributing to my strength. I could handle some simulated pain if I had to. The companion symbiosis didn’t sound like such an advantage at first, but considering I’d be able to carry Sal with me at all times, that meant reducing the chance of him getting killed and losing all the soul fragments and levels he’d acquired. I might even be able to use him as a secret weapon, revealing him in a critical part of a fight to help even up the odds. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the third option, so not pausing to second-guess myself, I selected it.

Sal hissed immediately and slithered toward me. I could sense the biomass comprising his body agitating as he approached, liquefying though somehow maintaining their shape. I raised my hand, and the snake flowed into it like a stream of water into a sponge. I stared at my hand, blinking at our easy joining, only now noticing how more emaciated it looked than before. Looking down at myself I saw my flesh had also assumed a slight gray hue. My transformation into a deathless being was still gradually changing me as I gained levels.

I shrugged the cosmetic change off, bringing a hand to my mouth as I yawned. Being able to use the utahsnapper to hunt the second zone was incredibly rewarding but also exhausting. Despite this being just a virtual experience, I felt as if I’d been running through a meat grinder. I was ready to call it quits and head back to rest, but I still had my work cut out for me.

I pushed off the ground and started heading back out of the dangerous zone, thankfully not encountering any other creatures along the way. Once I reached the colony, I dumped 200kg—the maximum it could contain—into the Nexus, then accessed its controls.

I selected the Soulforge option from the available structures and approved the 150-kilo biomass cost. Instead of instantly sprouting up, like the previous two structures, a net of bone and cartilage slowly rose from the ground, weaving together into an intricate pattern. I stared at the process for a few moments before realizing it was going to take a while. The four guardians were still standing at the same spot I’d left them and showed no sign of damage, so I saw no issue with leaving the colony to their protection. I still had a full round trip to complete.

As I got back to the menhir line I stopped and looked around me. Something was off. I stood there for a long moment, trying to figure out what it was. Then it finally came to me. The nausea was gone. Not lessened. Gone. It seemed I’d passed the required threshold to make it through to the next zone. Despite reaching level 10, I still wasn’t sure how I was going to survive. The weakest of the
beasts I encountered were level 15, which was more than I could currently take down on my own.

But that was a concern for later. I sneaked my way back to the place I’d left the corpses, doing my best to remain hidden.

Luck was still with me as the scene of battle was as empty as when I’d left it. The grayed-out ground was covered with blood, and I wasted no time in absorbing the two remaining corpses.

Biomass absorbed 33.9%: 170kg

Biomass absorbed 33.9%: 67Kg

To my annoyance, the two withered bodies dissolved completely, leaving no loot behind. Wither’s new rank ability to inflict more damage on my enemies was a useful tool, but it also cut down on my ability to profit from my kills. Still, that was only a secondary objective. I’d already earned more gold than I was able to spend in the tiny village.

I was hoping that the new corpses would give me a new biocraft material to play with, but it seemed the giant specimens were made of the same substance their weaker counterparts were—albeit thicker and thus stronger—and I’d already acquired those before.

In any case, my goal was achieved. It was already getting dark, and with my biomass quota at 237 kilos—just shy of my new maximum of 260—I was ready to call it a night.

I turned around and froze as I saw six bone-white shapes closing in on me. Their white figures looked like a man-sized praying mantis, and their sharp bony limbs made no sounds as they scuttled over the foliage.

Bonetis, level 20, 200 HP

The six stormed at me as one, entering the atrofield. I instantly activated Wither, using the synergy to channel it through the ground
to the entire group at once. Despite the rank 3 atrofield, the creature’s higher level made them resistant to my skill, and only one of them froze in place.

The other five were on me in a heartbeat, and their scythe-like limbs hacked through my armor with ease. The damage accumulated instantly, and the newly formed claws I tried to manifest melted away even as my vision darkened and was replaced with a single glowing box.

You have died

Death debuff: abilities cooldown is tripled for the next 9
hours

I respawned back at Brinfold’s cemetery and looked up at the dark sky.

“I can take a hint,” I said grumpily.

It was time to sleep.

17 - Villaging

The village was still recovering from the utahsnapper attack when I made my way back to the inn, so everyone was too distracted to stop me from going straight up to my room. The next morning though was a whole different story.

All eyes turned to me as I descended the stairs into the common room, and someone shouted, “Here’s to the hero who saved us all!

To Seraph!”

“To Seraph!” the crowd cheered, raising their mugs.

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +2 (48/50)

It seemed that killing a giant raptor was one way of making reluctant people warm to me, but something was off. I narrowed my eyes as I mulled over the quest update notification. Last time I checked, I had already managed to sway 48 people, meaning I should have just reached 50. Instead, it seemed I had lost two.

“Shit,” I muttered as I realized the probable reason. The village had lost two people yesterday, the third having survived losing his leg. I knew them all, by face if not by name. They were some of those who accepted me after I completed the mayor’s quests.

Knowing that my actions had led to their deaths made me feel like someone punched me in the gut, and I wasn’t prepared to feel that way. Mere hours ago I was contemplating the murder of the same people whose deaths I now felt responsible for. That was bad enough in itself, but almost as bad was the realization that I now couldn’t complete the quest and gain a combat skill.

“Your morning shots, Seraph,” Ron said with a smile, oblivious to my internal turmoil. The innkeeper was beaming as he held up a tray full of shot glasses. “A lot of people wanted to buy you a drink.”

The pit in my stomach deepened. The villagers were thanking me for saving them when I was the source of the utahsnapper attack
in the first place. It felt … wrong to accept their gratitude. Then I felt weirded out for feeling that way in the first place. What did I care if a few virtual characters were deleted? Civilian casualties were unfortunate but inevitable in my line of work. There was no point losing sleep over it. The difference was … back then, I never knew the haggard farmers the terrorists had used as meat shields. But here, even though I knew these people weren’t real, I still knew them. I had lived among them for over a week now. I recognized faces, and I knew some of their names. I couldn’t help but care for people like Dawn, Robert, Lyta … hell, even Ron. They were just people going on with their daily lives, and they had treated me right.

Most of them anyway. It felt wrong abusing their trust, and I wasn’t used to feeling that way.

I picked up the first shot and downed it in one go, noticing Dawn approaching as I put it down and picked up the second.

“Ya did good last night, Seraph,” the older woman said. “It’s not your home to defend, but ya came through for us.”

Not knowing what to do, I simply nodded at her.

“If ya need anything—anything I can help with—just let me know. My shop will always be open for ya, lad.”

“Actually,” I said, “I have a few furs and skins taking up space.

Can I hand them over to you now?”

She smiled. “Not the way I usually do business, but for you, sure thing.”

I nodded and handed her several snapper and warg hides, a couple of smaller animals, and eleven spindler skins. It would have been more if not for my evolved Wither ability’s tendency to liquefy the entire body.

Dawn's eyes widened at the pile. “That’s quite the catch. One might even say … too much.”

I saw where her thoughts were taking her, and I had to nip it in the bud.

“Not really.” I shrugged. “I got it over several days, I just hadn’t had the chance to come over and unload it before.”

She gave me a long look before nodding slowly. “Very well.

That’ll be 184 gold for the lot.”

“Thanks,” I said, accepting the gold she handed me, bringing my total to just under 600. I still didn’t have much use for the gold, but coins weighed far less than furs.

I showed the shopkeeper my appreciation by picking up another shot and draining it. The woman nodded before leaving, and I downed another one, trying to savor the faint burn while ignoring the grainy texture.

“Go easy there, hon,” Lyta said casually as she came to sit next to me while I continued downing one shot after the other. “I know you have a healthy tolerance, but that many might be too much even for you.”

“Unlikely,” I said, somewhat grumpily. Despite having drunk eight shots in a row, I wasn’t feeling even the slightest buzz. I could have really used some to distract me from the pit in my stomach.

“You know,” Lyta continued, “you surprised me yesterday, the way you jumped into the fight … you could have died.”

“I can always come back,” I said. “The rest of you can’t. If anything, it was you who surprised me. You, Dawn, and Bert were the only ones who managed to seriously injure that monster. And that spear … Where did you get it from, and when did you learn how to use it so well?”

The woman made a dismissive gesture. “Just a token of my misspent youth.”

“Must have been some youth,” I remarked as I downed my next shot, still feeling nothing. I had a respectable capacity for alcohol in real life, but this was ridiculous. It also didn’t distract me from noticing Lyta was deflecting. I was no gaming expert, but I knew enough by now to realize a level 4 character like her shouldn’t have been able to land such a powerful blow against the much higher-level animal. Either her spear was a powerful magic weapon, or she was hiding something. I was curious to know her story but ... as long as she wasn’t against me, it was none of my business.

“I have to go,” I said, reaching out for the last shot.

“Wait.” Soft fingers closed around my hand. I looked down. The contrast between her blemishless hands and my veiny, grayish ones
stood out. “Thank you,” she said softly. “More would have died without your help.”

“Or yours,” I replied without thinking, trying to push out the spreading feeling of guilt in my gut.

Lyta’s face grew pained, but she nodded all the same. “I should have done more.” Her expression made it clear we harbored similar feelings.

“Maybe we can sit down one day and share our stories,” I said.

She offered me a faint smile. “That sounds … nice.”

I nodded at her. “I’ll see you later then, Lyta.”

“See you later, hon,” Her smile looked a little less forced as she got up and stepped away.

Standing up, I downed the tenth and final shot remaining.

You are poisoned [Alcohol]

Buff gained [Poisonapathy]: movement speed increased by 25% for 10 minutes

I let out a sardonic chuckle. So that's what it was. The reason why the high-proof drink was somewhat palatable was that its high alcohol counted as poison—something that my deathless biology considered a boon. That meant that the accompanying graininess must have been the water content of the drink, which my body rejected.

With long strides, I exited the inn, then started to run. My speed was noticeably higher, and I cleared the open space to the tree line in less than a minute. The speed bonus expired before I reached the conclave, but the boost it had given me had significantly reduced the overall time to get there. The few animals I encountered along the way hurried away from my path. I even glimpsed a pack of snappers that disappeared into a thicket with frightened shrieks as I ran by.

The first area was no longer a challenge for me, its inhabitants offering no progression and only a fraction of the biomass and soul energy of what I could achieve in the second zone. Stopping to hunt the lower-level creatures would just be a waste of my time. Time
dilation or not, it was time I couldn’t spare. Gideon was counting on me.

I arrived at the conclave to find the gray circle had increased by around another meter. The four bone guardians stood at alert around the perimeter, and I could see no sign of damage on them. Looking at the conclave’s interface I saw the stored biomass has increased by an additional 10 kilos. That was good. The persistent atrofield’s radius was listed at 42 meters, just 8 shy of the maximum.

The Soulforge was also complete. The mesh of delicate bone strands was woven into a sort of hollow, oblong egg shape, and that internal space was enclosed with a sort of see-through membrane and filled with semi-transparent liquid.

I approached the structure for a better look, and something within the green liquid wiggled, startling me. I drew closer and strained to look through the transparent membrane. “Oh my god,” I said, the words escaping my mouth on their own as I spotted a fetus-like entity moving within.

“You called?” Matsuel’s voice spoke from the direction of the Nexus.

“No.”

“You literally said ‘oh my god’.”

“I thought I had to pretend I’m praying for that to work.”

“Yeah, well … emoting is important don’t you think? But hardly crucial.”

“What do you want?”

“Me? You know what I want, that hasn’t changed. The question is what do you want.”

“Some answers to start.”

“I can answer specific things related to the conclave or yourself, but anything beyond that would be breaking the rules.”

“That’s fine,” I said and pointed at the Soulforge. “What the hell is that thing inside.”

“Think of it as a soul seed. You can shape it using your companion’s ability. Just try it, you’ll see.”

“Okay.” I paused. “How do I do that?”

The shrine sighed. “Simply tell your snake to activate the Soulforge.”

“Gotcha. Sal.” I turned to look around for the snake, then recalled where he was. I pointed my hand to the ground, and holding my breath, I willed my companion to emerge. The soul serpent flowed out of my hand in a stream of silvery-gray biomass, taking less than a second to assume his normal look. I released my breath.

This was the first time I’d tried summoning my companion after dying with him still absorbed within me. Thankfully, it appeared his mortality wasn’t directly connected with mine.

“Sal, can you make that thing work?” I pointed at the Soulforge.

“Yess, massterr,” the serpent hissed and slithered toward the structure.

He entered through a hole at the base I hadn’t noticed before, then appeared on top of it, settling into a ring around the oval shape.

The green liquid started glowing faintly, and it seemed like the ambient light around us had dimmed by a few degrees. A sea of floating symbols appeared around us like holographic projections.

There seemed to be two types of symbols, though even among each type there were dissimilarities—different sizes and clarity. Some seemed almost blurred, while others glowed radiantly. There was a second layer of similar symbols over the first one, with a sort of addition to the basic symbol, making it more complex, but they were all dark and lifeless. I thought I glimpsed a layer even above that, but that part was so dark I couldn’t be sure if it was just my imagination. I focused on one of the closest symbols and an information box formed above it.

Utility Unit

Deathless rank: 0

Level: 3

Proficiency: 15%

Cost: 15 soul fragments

Minimum bid: 150 gold

“What the hell? … ”

“Hmm, that’s an interesting new mechanic,” Matsuel’s voice carried over the shrine again. “Basically, using the Soulforge, your snake can summon a higher type of souls, ones with an actual deathless rank. Once you pay the cost, a soulseed would form, which you can then use as the base of a newly biocrafted receptacle.”

“The guardians I made before worked well enough,” I countered.

“They are just brainless puppets who can only follow simple commands. Using this method you can create more complex beings who will serve you better. It's just an issue of cost.”

“Which brings me to my second question,” I said. “I can understand the soul fragment cost, but why do I need to pay with gold as well?”

“The answer to that one is of arcane and mysterious knowledge, privy only to us higher beings. Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes.”

“Because this is still just a game!” Matsuel's voice was full of indignant exasperation. “The game mechanics say you have to pay gold to acquire the souls, so that's what it takes.”

I didn’t rise to the bait, he was obviously trying to goad a reaction. Of course, it was a game. There were underlying rules to this crazy world, just like everywhere else. “Understood.”

“You’re no fun,” he complained. “Just so you know, the fact that you have to use soul fragments as part of the payment reduces the gold requirement. Other mediums would cost much more.”

“Other mediums?”

“You thought you’re the only one who can summon new souls into the world? Well, you’re not. Granted, the deathless mechanic is a bit new, but there are other methods to tap into the same field of souls: soulwells, breeder dens, planar merchants, each with their own requirements and own method of payments. Count yourself lucky you’re the only meat suit in here so there’s no one else to bid against you.”

“What about normal pregnancy?”

“Guy, no. Some prerequisites are just too gooey to get into.

Suffice to say, that one draws from a different source, so there’s no competition there.”

“What do you mean by competition?”

“The available souls you just saw are of limited supply. If other people started drawing on them, you might find yourself without candidates to summon or forced to bid more on them. That’s what the ‘minimum bid’ part means.”

“There were dozens of options available, considering the cost, I don't think that a bidding competition is going to be much of a problem.”

“Pfft,” Matsuel scoffed. “You only glimpsed the first two layers.

Right now, you can only access rank 0 souls and only those up to your level. To reach the higher rank you’ll have to evolve your conclave.”

“You’re talking about the darker layers above? What does a higher rank do?”

“Yes, for the first part, and you’ll have to find out for yourself for the second.”

“How does it differ from level, then?”

“The higher the summoned creature’s level is, the better they are at their job—as indicated by the ‘proficiency’ field. The higher ranked they are, the more options you have for roles to assign them to.

“Alright.” I paused to think it over. “So what does the proficiency value mean?”

“It derives from the creature’s level.”

“Yeah, but what does it mean?”

“Alright, this one is a bit tricky, so I’ll try to explain it slowly. Are you with me so far?”

I could already see where he was going with it, and I wasn’t thrilled about humoring him, but I still needed verification. “Go on.”

“The higher the value”—he dropped his voice as if revealing a secret—“the more proficient the soul is at its job.”

“Gotcha,” I said, deadpanned, not willing to let him get to me.

Obviously, getting a higher proficiency soul would be better despite me not knowing what it meant. I hoped whatever creature it produced would be intelligent enough for me to have a discussion with. I could use some input on how to grow my conclave. I chose one of the largest floating symbols, though it was dull-colored, and willed its details to open.

Utility Unit

Deathless rank: 0

Level: 16

Proficiency: 80%

Cost: 80 soul fragments

Minimum bid: 800 gold

--Your level is too low to purchase this unit--

“Holy—” I nearly gasped. I finally found a purpose for all the gold I’d accumulated, but even my small treasure wasn’t enough to purchase this soul, even if I’d been high enough level to do so. Sal’s 38 soul fragments were nowhere near enough to afford it either.

I looked around the symbols, eventually finding one that seemed to fit the level limitation and within my ability to afford.

Utility Unit

Deathless rank: 0

Level: 5

Proficiency: 25%

Cost: 25 soul fragments

Minimum bid: 250 gold

I clicked on the ‘approve’ button and felt a sort of mental ‘ding’

as the required gold was removed from my inventory. The symbols gently flew down, straight into the green sack, and settled into the small shape within.

Assessing new soul professional compatibility … Done.

Please select one profession:

● Drudge: increase the efficiency of colony’s structures.

“Yeah, you’ll have more options once you start summoning higher-ranked souls,” Matsuel said unprompted. “For now, you’ll have to go with the Drudge one.”

“Understood,” I said, selecting that option.

Soulseed formation in progress

Time remaining: 6 hours

As my companion disengaged from the structure, I was relieved to see his size wasn’t diminished after paying the soul fragment cost.

Apparently, his growth wasn’t related to how much of it he kept inside.

The shape in the sack started condensing into a round shape that looked like a marble. It was going to take a while to complete, but there was another thing the new soul would need once it finished forming.

“Now for a body,” I mused. Despite the recent improvements, my level 17 Biomancer skill only allowed me to craft soul receptacles up to 15 kilos, but since I wasn’t planning on another combat minion, mass wasn’t a problem.

I moved back to the Nexus and accessed its biomass storage. It showed a surplus of 100kg. Along with the 237 kilos stored in my inventory that was more than enough for my needs.

I started channeling biomass on top of the slowly beating Nexus.

I was trying to think of what form would be best for a logistic-centered being when my plans were nipped in the bud by a system message.

Warning! Colony’s maximum number of guardians
reached

I crinkled my nose. That was right, the two crabs and two pricks I’d made were all this colony could support. I couldn’t see any obvious ways of increasing that limit, so I decided to let it go. I still had hours before the new soulseed was ready, so maybe something new would occur to me by then. At worst, I could probably get rid of one of the grunts in favor of the new soul—if they all managed to survive, that was. Since I had some time to kill, and no tamed utahsnapper this time, a repeat of the tusker fight for some quick level progression and a good harvest seemed the best idea at the moment.

Before turning to leave, however, I had one more thing to accomplish. My biomass capacity was nearing its limit. The conclave had room for only 90 more, so the obvious conclusion was to build another capacitor.

I accessed the interface and navigated to the available structures and selected the Biomass Capacitor.

Warning! Only one instance of each structure may be raised on the same colony

I frowned. That was unfortunate, but it also served to explain why building additional colonies was a good thing. Now I only had to figure out how to do that. The small setback didn’t change my plan.

With 10 levels under my belt and four guardians to back me up, I felt confident I could lure in and kill at least a couple more powerful beasts.

“Everyone keep watch and be ready for an attack when I return,”

I said to the bone guardians.

Then I retrieved Sal and set out to look for suitable prey.

18 - Interlude: FIVR Lab

Tim was writing down some figures from the monitoring equipment when the young doctor entered the lab, an expression of disgust plain on her face. “God, the coffee in this joint is terrible.”

“Probably because we’re in an actual joint, Elizabeth,” the man replied with a smile.

“If I ever needed a reason not to break the law, now I have it.

And this isn’t even a maximum-security facility.”

“Maybe now’s the time to revisit my suggestion to allocate some of our budget for basic comfort equipment … like an espresso machine? My uncle can get us one cheap.”

Elizabeth bit her lower lip as she seriously considered the offer, then reluctantly shook her head. “I wish we could do that, but every dollar out of our budget is less time for us to keep the project running. Speaking about time ... how much longer until the first scheduled logout?”

Tim glanced at one of the monitors’ clocks. “A little over eight hours.”

“Good, so we'll have a few hours of buffer before we have to send him back to his cell, in case debriefing takes longer. How are the overseer’s reports looking?”

“That’s more your department than mine, but as far as I can tell, they’re incredibly good.” He pointed to a flat-screen monitor. “Here, see for yourself.”

The doctor sat in front of the monitor and started browsing their patient’s progress report. She frowned. “It is … good.”

“So why the frown?”

“Reported behavioral improvements across the board,” she said, reading from the screen. “Social, emotional, personal developments

... excellent response to isometric opposed stimulation …” She trailed off as she kept reading the data. “There’s an indication for an unusual resilience to mortality-related trauma when faced with the built-in death disciplining feature.”

“And that's significant … how?”

“In itself, it’s not constructive to our study, but the fear of death is deeply ingrained in all of us. To be able to suppress it like that …

This might be a new revelation regarding sociopathic tendencies …

Publishing a paper about this phenomenon might justify this whole experiment on its own.”

“So what’s the problem?”

She shook her head. “It's almost too good to be true. I had expected to see some marginal improvement but nothing this drastic in such a short period. Are you sure the reporting SDK you installed is working properly?”

The technician nodded. “It’s a piece of software, so it’s not an issue of working well or not. It’s either installed properly or it isn’t. We can expect the occasional bug, but those won’t create coherent false data. Everything you see there came directly from the VI overseer.”

“Then I say he’s doing a damn good job,” Elizabeth finished, closing the report. “At this rate, we’ll be able to help Mr. Slater make a full recovery, in a fraction of the time we originally estimated. You know what that means?”

“We’ll be able to afford an espresso machine?”

The woman chuckled softly. “Glad to see you never lost track of our main goal.”

“Good caffeine intake is important, Liz.”

“You know what, you’re right. I think it's a moment worth celebrating. I’ll submit the requisition order.” She stared at the glowing monitors. “This could be the dawn of a new age in mental recovery.”

The man behind her didn’t reply, his brow creased in a slight frown as he studied the report data again. “I sincerely hope so.”

19 - Nature's Wrath

I made my way down the hillside, noting the colony’s fleshy ground had spread far enough to reach past the nearby menhir, into the second zone.

Where I was going.

I was hoping to find another tusker or one of the other teen-level creatures that roamed there. I cautioned myself not to get too confident over my recent successes. Despite developing my character, I was only level 10, and without a proper combat skill, a mundane tusker could still easily turn me into minced meat if I wasn’t careful.

I noticed a change in the forest as soon as I crept into the more dangerous area. The constant background sounds of animals were gone. Even the leaves barely rustled against one another, giving the impression that the whole forest was holding its breath.

My warrior instincts, honed by hundreds of close encounters and near-death situations, screamed at me that something was wrong. The last time I remembered it being this bad was a moment before my entire squad had fallen into an enemy ambush. Only two of us made it back to the extraction point that day, and the other soldier died from his wounds on the flight back.

Trusting my instincts, I decided I’d better fall back and evaluate my options. I turned to leave … and found myself standing face to face with a frowning older man in shaggy clothing.

I jumped back in surprise. How the hell did he manage to sneak up on me? I thought as I summoned my claws and fell into a fighting stance.

The man didn’t flinch as he stared daggers at me. His long gray hair and similarly long gray beard were dirty and unkempt, and he wore mismatched clothes that seemed to be roughly stitched together from unworked animal skins. He wore a leather cap on his head that had two small antlers branching out. Despite his hobo-like appearance, his status revealed he was anything but.

Rosh Huyan, Elder Druid of Fire, level 50, ?? HP [Nature’s Wrath]

I didn’t know what Nature’s Wrath was, but since my Essence Sight only showed physical body effects, it must have been some sort of physical augmentation that made him stronger. Not that it mattered. The old dude was way out of my league, even without it.

“Seraph,” he said, nearly spitting my name, looking me up and down as if I was some sort of disgusting piece of trash he’d accidentally stepped on, “so you’re the one who's been desecrating our forest and massacring its wildlife.” He narrowed his eyes at me.

“I thought you to be some sort of undead abomination at first, but no

… you’re something else. What the hell are you?”

I saw no point in lying. Everything I did was to try and attract the druids’ attention, and it seemed I finally managed to draw in one of the big leagues. “I’m a traveler, but the answer that you’re probably looking for is that I’m also a deathless.”

“I see.” His sneer didn’t diminish one bit. “Your abominable manifestations are anathema to nature. Scouring the land. Turning gentle beasts into crazed animals. What gives you the right to come into our grove and desecrate it?”

“It sounds like you want me gone,” I said.

“Correction. I’m here to make you gone.”

“You might find that a little hard to do,” I said with a grim smile. “I can’t be killed. Not permanently.”

“No”—his eyes narrowed—“but you can still be removed. All it takes is—”

“But why bother?” I cut him off. “All I need is a little piece of information. You give me that, and I’ll leave you and the forest alone.

You won’t have to worry about me coming back and”—I lowered my voice threateningly—“keeping on doing what I know best.”

Coercion skill has increased to level 7

I kept my expression hard, even as his own lost some of its aggression.

“What information?” he asked suspiciously.

“I know you’re hiding some sort of ancient artifact. A conduit to another place. I need to go through. Tell me where it is and offer me free passage and—”

“NO!” the elder druid roared, and fire erupted all around him, shrouding his body in an armor of flames. “How dare you think yourself worthy? Do you think we’ll let you reach the heart?”

I stumbled back, protecting my face from the intense heat.

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.

“I am Huyan, elder druid of fire and protector of life. You and your scourge will be purged!” He raised both arms, and noise returned to the forest as dozens of beasts roared together all around us.

“Stop!” The squat figure of Gidul moved behind the trees and faced the elder. “You can’t do that. Our rules state that the three zones must remain separate. If you allow these beasts to attack, the balance will be broken.”

“You …” Huyan looked down at his shorter counterpart with obvious disdain. “Crawl back to your hole and cultivate your misguided concepts out of my sight.”

“I am a druid of this forest,” the little guy insisted. “My sphere might be small, but it's still a part of nature, crucial to maintaining the balance.”

“So you claim.” Huyan narrowed his eyes. “Personally, I find your goals as abominable as the one standing here. The fact that you stand and defend him testifies as much.”

“He is a crucial catalyst for my sphere,” the little guy insisted.

“Enough!” the elder druid roared. “Nature will not suffer this scourge a moment longer. The creatures of life will remove this stain from the earth.”

“You can’t send them outside their zone!” Gidul insisted. “It is forbidden.”

“That … thing’s blight has encroached into my domain.” The elder druid’s eyes shot daggers at me. “It violated the barrier, the
stain extending into even here, its vile energies agitating all living beings. They will remain still … NO LONGER!” He roared the last two words. As if answering his call, the sound of a stampede erupted all around, quickly carrying away from us. “The creatures of the forest raged enough, now they will restore the balance by eliminating the infestation you have brought on us. And as for you …” His eyes blazed as stared at me. “Burn!”

I was surrounded by flames, screaming as my skin charred, cracked, and started melting off my bones.

Gidul started moving toward me, but the elder stomped his feet and roots rose from the ground, quickly entangling the shorter figure.

I was burning. The pain was intense, and my health bar was shrinking rapidly. Any other living being either would have been incapacitated by the pain or crippled by the devouring flames, but I was a deathless being. Function over form. I took a step forward on a leg that was more bone than meat and plunged my clawed hand toward the elder’s chest. The bone spikes charred and turned to ash as they made contact with the flaming armor, but one of them held long enough to pierce through the layer of animal hides. The damage was laughable, but I still drew blood. I felt my face burning off as my health nearly bottomed out, but I clung to life long enough for a few parting words, uttered through gritted, charring teeth. “I’ll be back ... asshole.”

Then fire was all I knew.

***

You have died

Death debuff: Muscle Atrophy: speed reduced by 50% for 1 hour

I glanced up at the sky. It was midday when I died. There was still plenty of light, but it was obvious some time passed before I respawned. The death debuff was the worst thing that could have
happened right now. I had to get back to my colony as soon as possible before that angry druid made good on his threat.

I started running toward the tree line. My minions were standing at the ready to defend the colony, but by the sound of it every large beast in the area was gunning for it, and four level 5 guardians were a far cry from being able to handle such an attack. I couldn’t lose the new conclave. It was the only card I had going for me, and the damn debuff was making getting there twice as hard. I reached the center of Brinfold—my run looking like it was happening in slow motion—
and made it toward the gate. I glanced at the inn as I ran past it, and a sudden idea struck, making me veer off in its direction.

“Ron! I shouted to the bartender as soon as I entered, “I need your strongest drink! The highest alcohol content you have!”

“That’ll be your morning spirit shot, Seraph,” he said, looking a bit startled.

“That’s it?” I’d have to down 10 shots for the bonus to kick in and that would take a minute or two.

“I have some rubbing alcohol,” he said doubtfully, “but I don’t think you can drin—”

“I’ll take the bottle,” I said hurriedly. Thankfully, the speed debuff didn't slow down my speech.

“Alright,” he said, crouching behind the counter and bringing up a small flask. “That’ll be 20 gold. A bit expensive, I know, but we have to import—”

“Here.” I willed the required gold out of my inventory, snatched the flask, and chugged it down. The pure alcohol streamed down my gullet like a wave of fresh summer breeze, filling my insides with a comforting warmness. There was no hint of the usual graininess.

You are poisoned [Alcohol]

Buff gained [Poisonapathy]: movement speed increased by 25% for 10 minutes

“Give me all the bottles you have,” I commanded.

He shook his head in alarm. “I only have one mo—”

“I’ll take it.”

Shrugging, he bent down again and produced a second bottle. I paid for it as well, snatched the flask, and ran off.

My speed was noticeably better than before, but it was still slow.

I barely made it into the forest before the first buff expired, and I had to down the second bottle. I knew it wouldn’t be enough, but I had to try. I ran and I ran, becoming frustrated as my speed slowed down to a crawl after the second buff expired.

Finally, after what felt like forever, I burst out of the tree line and into the sparsely vegetated hillside and stopped to stare at the dire scene that unfolded. My colony was in ruins. Everywhere I looked, the fleshy ground was torn and bleeding. The structures were all gone, reduced into pulped heaps of bone and flesh. I walked as if in a daze among the ruins of my base. The bodies of the four guardians were strewn together in a heap, killed by something that flattened them into pancakes. But worst of all was the Nexus. The once proud, beating center of the colony was a torn, bleeding mess.

Just a lump of rapidly decaying flesh.

Days of hard work were gone in moments.

I sat down on the broken Nexus, the only structure that still held some shape, and tried to stave off the feeling of defeat. I’d put a lot of time and effort into making this place my base of operation. I could still fall back on my abilities, but the destruction of the colony was a major setback. I’d have to start again from scratch, but I didn’t know what to do for a shrine to start a new base. Brinfold had one, but it was at the center of the village, and I had no doubt that taking it would lose me more than the completion of my main quest.

A low thump ran through my body. I thought I’d imagined it at first, but as I continued to sit on the remains of the shredded Nexus, the slow, barely perceptible beat thrummed through me again. I looked down into the bleeding crack, using my unique ability to extend my senses inside. Almost immediately I felt a presence. Deep within the ruins of the structure, something had survived.

I reached down inside, and my hand disappeared into a pool of drying black blood. My fingers touched something hard and round. I grabbed and pulled it out.

I stared at the item in my hand. It was a piece of tough flesh embedded within a honeycombed-like bone container. As I held it up, it pulsed in my hand, sending a sense of fleeting power down my arm.

Damaged Nexus Core

Description: This piece can be used to form a new deathless Nexus. As it was torn out of an already established Nexus, it has a limited time to use before expiring.

Biomass required to activate: 200kg

Time remaining: 58 minutes.

I stared at the core, my heart skipping a beat at the possibilities.

All was not lost. I could reform my base, and this time I wouldn’t put it so close to the second zone. I didn’t forget what the elder had hinted at—that by having my territory extend into the second zone I allowed him to send the higher-ranked beasts against me. No, I’d find a better-secluded place to put it in. Somewhere I could defend.

And then, I’d learn how to make more cores and more colonies.

Time was a factor, but thanks to my foresight at buying the alcohol, I had a little more on the core’s countdown than I otherwise would have. My eyes scanned the field of destruction, looking for any other salvageable parts, relying on my deathless senses to sift through bleeding chunks. There. My eyes widened. I approached the remains of the Soulforge and reached down to one of the lumps, picking up a brown pebble with a rough patterned exterior.

Soulseed [Drudge]

At least the souls I’d invested in making the first soulseed didn’t go to waste. I could still plant it once I made a proper receptacle for it. The situation wasn’t as severe as it first seemed. I wouldn’t have to start from scratch all over again. But I couldn't do it here.

I stared at the tunnel entrance, contemplating starting a new base inside. There were definite advantages to that approach. The narrow tunnel would make for a natural choke point to hold enemies at bay, making it an excellent defensible base. I was tempted but eventually decided against it. This place was still too close to the second zone, and once the colony’s area extended far enough, it might draw the stronger beasts all over again. Even a defensible position might not be enough in that case. Apart from that, this was Zelkar’s place. He allowed me to operate nearby, but I didn’t want to risk alienating the powerful undead by moving deeper into his territory. No. I had to fall back and move my base closer to Brinfold, placing it in the less dangerous part of the forest.

Though I covered a lot of ground since I got here, I still wasn't familiar enough with the area to determine the best place to take root. I’d have to search for a defensible position, and I had to do it in under an hour. With that half-baked plan in mind, I turned to leave, the Nexus core and soulseed safely in my inventory.

“You have overreached.” Gidul stepped out into the open. It was uncanny how undetectable he could be when he wanted to.

“You’re the one who suggested I take over the shrine here,” I said.

“I never told you to expand so quickly. You weren’t ready. Your territory had crawled into the second zone and attracted an elder before you were strong enough to handle him.”

I wanted to argue I wasn’t aware of the tactical implication of letting my colony grow, but I thought better of it. You didn’t win wars by excusing your mistakes, you did that by learning from them.

“I'm not giving up. I’m going to start over, and this time I’ll do it right.”

“How?” The small figure looked up at me, and I could see two red orbs glowing at me underneath his shrouding hood.

“I need to find a more defensible position, farther away from the second zone.”

The small druid shook his head. “Huyan didn’t just send a single attack wave against you. He gave strict orders that your colonies are to be attacked as soon as they are detected. Starting over farther
away from the second zone won’t be enough. You will eventually be overrun.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. Whatever Gidul’s real agenda was, it was obvious I was imperative for his plans. He wouldn’t have stuck his neck out for me with the elder otherwise. The fact that he was here, talking to me, indicated he was still vested in my success. I relaxed my expression. “I take it you have a suggestion?”

“Hmph,” he grunted. “Follow me.”

We started walking into the forest, away from the second zone.

Despite having shorter legs, Gidul set a quick pace that I had trouble following. He somehow seemed to meld with his surroundings and jump ahead a little with every step.

We moved on to the south, reaching a part of the forest I hadn’t visited before. The trees were sparser here but much bigger, each one as wide as a small house. We reached a pond that was fed by a small waterfall. The center of the pond was dominated by a hollowed-out fallen tree, easily twice as wide as the ones around us.

One end of the gigantic trunk rested on the shore and the other was leaning against the waterfall’s cliff. Gidul pointed into the hollowed, diagonal interior. The insides were overgrown with green moss, mushrooms, and patches of flowers. Water streamed down the trunk’s center and drained into the pond. The scene looked like it was taken out of a fairytale. My thoughts instantly wandered toward my brother. Giddy would love it here, I thought. My brother always had a thing for nature, it was of the few things the two of us had in common.

“That”—I scanned the tree with my eyes as I searched for the right words—“will do.”

The single point of entrance from the bank made this place easy to defend, and its slanted angle would give the defender a height advantage over clambering enemies. The place had great strategic potential, but I knew what would happen once I took over it, and for one, I was glad my brother wasn’t around to witness. I glanced down at the druid. “And you’re okay with me forming a base here?”

“I brought you here, didn’t I?” he replied, looking disinterestedly at the magical place.

“You did,” I said, “and I think it's about time for you to come clean as to why you’re helping me. I understand better now why you want to help me against the elders, but I still don’t know where you are coming from.”

“You don’t need to know that,” he said. “Just claim it.”

“No,” I said. “I lost my first base because I wasn’t ready. I’m not going to make a new one in a place shown to me by someone whose intentions are unknown.” I took out the Nexus core and put it on a flat ridge of the fallen trunk. The time remaining was just under 10 minutes, and Gidul’s flickering eyes told me he saw that as well.

“As you see we don’t have a lot of time,” I said. I was gambling here, but something told me this was the right move to make. The small druid was invested in my success, and he wouldn’t let the opportunity slip by him.

He shook his head. “If you must know, I stand for different principles than most of them, and they resent me for that. You are my chance to make changes. Necessary changes.”

I shook my head. “Not good enough. I need to know what your intentions are. I need to make sure you won’t just try and get rid of me once I served your purpose. Tell me, now, or you might never get what you wish.”

The glowing red eyes visible under his hood locked onto mine for a long moment before he grudgingly nodded. “Very well.” He muttered a few unintelligible words and waved his arms. Something shimmered over him, then his information box appeared, and this time it was fully revealed.

Gidul, Druid of Phylogeny, level 30, 150 HP

“Druid of phylogeny?” I muttered. As far as I knew, the word meant something along the line of evolution, where only the strong survived. And for that to happen, some sort of hardship, a disaster, must first occur. I was suddenly able to see the small druid’s action with a fresh perspective. “So you’re all for growth through conflict?”

The words naturally led me to the next obvious conclusion. “And
that’s why you help me, right? Because I present a challenge that will force the forest to grow to adapt or—”

“Or die,” Gidul finished with a dry chuckle. “That’s right. Without pain and conflict, there is no growth. Without growth, life becomes apathic, obsolete, and eventually doomed to end. The elders who command the rest of us are set in their ways, unchanging, archaic.

All that power, all that strength, and they choose to sit idly by and groom life slowly, tending to their precious forest instead of pushing it to reach its full potential, ignoring that one fatal mistake might doom it all for nothing.”

“So you want me to be the trigger to force their hands,” I reasoned.

The figure nodded. “Nature has many aspects, with life and death being only the thin outer layer. Growth and adaptation are what nature is all about. From the chick who fights his way out of the prison of his eggshell to the lowly cub that struggles to become a lion. I want nature to improve beyond that, and for change to happen, adversity must be overcome. And that’s where you—with your gray energy—come in.”

“I still don’t understand.” I frowned. “You think all the animals I killed somehow make the others … what? Stronger?”

Gidul shook his head, his face still shrouded. “Nature works slowly. If allowed to spread, your malignant energy will claim many lives, but the buds that survive to rise from the ashes will turn into magnificent flowers. The critters that will endure this cruel new reality will be hardier, indomitable. After the death and suffering of your touch, nature will adapt, and it will be fiercer.”

“I understand,” I said. And I did. It wasn’t hard to figure out. The person before me was as crazy as they came, willing to sacrifice his homeland for the chance to see it become stronger. I could see why the other druids shunned him, but I understood him better now. His agenda aligned with mine. The twisted druid wouldn’t try to stop me, he’d cheer every step of devastation I reaped through the forest.

“Then hurry up and lay your roots,” he hissed. “Your time has nearly run out.”

I gleaned at the Nexus core, seeing the timer was down to 3
minutes. “One last thing,” I said. “Remove your hood.”

He took a step back. “Why?”

“I need to know the face of my allies.”

“No.” He took another step back.”

“Two minutes remaining,” I said calmly as I stared back at the core.

“I don’t—”

“Now!” I roared.

Coercion skill has increased to level 8

Slowly, like a man walking to the gallows, Gidul raised his hands and drew back the deep cowl.

I blinked at the unexpected sight. The druid’s skin was green and full of blemishes. His ears were long, and his pointed nose curved downward. His intense red eyes spoke of the intellect that resided behind that ghastly visage. It was obvious he was no human.

“What are you?”

He snorted. “Have you never seen a goblin before?”

“A goblin?” I raised an eyebrow. “I thought goblins were monsters.”

“That we are.”

“Huh.” I stared at his bare face for a few more moments, then I shrugged. Turning toward the core, seeing less than 20 seconds remained, I channeled 200 kilos of biomass into it, leaving me with just under 40.

The core started pulsing rapidly, and meaty tendrils shot out of it, anchoring it in place. It started growing, flesh forming over the beating heart, forming into a layer of tough muscle. A protective web of interlocking bones grew over it, then a layer of veiny skin. The growth didn’t stop there as flesh seemed to stream down onto the floor of the ancient fallen tree, covering it with a layer of flesh. The green moss was drowned under the expanding biomass, which only stopped when reaching halfway down the trunk.

New Colony formed!

A single howl emanated from somewhere deep in the forest, and it was quickly picked up by dozens more. Within moments the forest sounded alive with angry, howling beasts. A war cry.

“Good,” Gidul said. His grin was much wider than a human’s, revealing a row of small sharp teeth. “They are coming for you, Seraph.”

“I don’t suppose you’re willing to help defend the place?” I grunted at him.

“I cannot. It will give Huyan the excuse he needs to move against me directly.”

“Guess I’ll have to take care of it myself,” I grumbled, turning toward the newly formed Nexus.

“Whatever you do, be quick about it. They are coming.”

I nodded and placed my hand on the Nexus, streaming biomass into it and forming a new prick before starting the process again. I had 37 kilos of biomass left in storage, enough for two guardians, a weapon, and some leftover for healing.

I reached out my hand. “Sal.”

The soul serpent streamed out of my hand, his body solidifying as he reached the ground. Quickly taking in his new surroundings, he slithered over the empty husks, ensouling them with 5 soul fragments each. The pricks started to move and I directed them to the bottom of the fallen log to block off the entrance.

It wasn't a moment too soon. A pair of hissing beavors, their fur still wet from the pond, were the first to reach my new base, charging the two waiting bone minions. Seeing as my guardians were 3 levels higher, there was little doubt about the outcome. The two enraged beavors impaled themselves on the sharp spikes, landing only a few scratches on their killers.

But those two were just the start.

The forest seemed to come alive with stampeding animals who charged over land or jumped from tree to tree in their haste to attack.

Wargs ran along with snappers, giant weasels, and even rabbits. As they reached the foot of the giant tree trunk, some of the creatures were blocked by the two pricks, but many others streamed in around them, their crazed eyes aimed at the Nexus.

I was already moving to intercept, the bladed whip forming in my hand. I used tusker hide as the base material for this one, and the benefits instantly presented themselves as the weapon’s base damage range increased by one.

I lashed out at one of the quick-moving snappers, causing it to reel back in pain. One of the lesser wargs used that moment to jump on me. Even though I had 6 levels over it, it still outweighed me, forcing me back from the sheer force of the impact. The bulk of the swarm had yet to enter the Nexus atrofield area, their advance partially blocked by the two pricks. I needed to kill a withered animal to expand a new zone around them so I could affect as many as possible with the Wither Nova. The snarling beast in front of me, however, was already well within my colony zone. Lacking a melee weapon, I slapped its next biting attack, delivering a full blast of Wither straight into its jaws. The warg howled in agony, unable to move, and I left it alone to stem the flow of pouring animals. My whip cracked repeatedly, hitting a crazed animal, sometimes even two with every lash.

Every hit caused the stricken animal to freeze up and whine, but the actual damage was frustratingly low. Between the dozens of bodies that tried to storm my base, it was hard to hit the same target twice to stack up the damage. The pricks had better luck than me, and the ground before them was already strewn with shredded corpses, but they couldn’t hold the flow on their own. Already a group of snappers worked together to bite off their spikes, disarming them and gouging their outer bone layer with sharp talons. A group of crazed smaller critters stormed over me, biting and clawing, doing tiny bits of damage through my armor. It was like the undead horde all over again. I fought them back, delivering a blast of Wither Nova that rippled through the colony’s area, causing all to falter and drop to the ground, easy pickings. But therein lay the problem. My whip was a great tool to quickly reach a group of faraway enemies, but it
was less suitable to deliver a killing blow from up close. I had barely 3 kilos of biomass left in storage, and already tiny bits of it were seeping over my scratches as my heightened deathless regeneration kicked in. I needed more biomass. I needed more guardians. There was simply not enough to go around. I thought of reaching toward the corpses near the pricks, but that would leave my back unguarded and the Nexus defenseless. Also, the small amount of biomass I’d get from the tiny dead creatures wouldn’t be enough for anything substantial and would take too long to absorb individually, and they were all annoyingly just outside the colony’s atrofield so I couldn’t use the synergy to absorb them all at once. This was an incredibly frustrating situation. I had at least a dozen withered enemies within reach, but though injured, none of them was particularly close to death. The pricks were almost toothless now, unable to deliver any killing blows.

A group of snappers ran by me and started attacking the Nexus.

I turned back and snapped my whip at them, tearing long bloody gashes on their bodies, causing them to freeze in a moment of agony, but it was still not enough to kill them. I gritted my teeth at the frustratingly ridiculous rules of this world. A combat skill could have turned everything around, but it was outside of my reach.

Biomass. I needed more biomass. A soldier was useless without bullets, and biomass was my ammunition. I was surrounded by creatures primed for harvest but for their persistent stubbornness to keep on living.

My budding new sense was itching. I could practically feel it.

The withered flesh on their bodies, the rotten furs … all ripe for the taking. All I had to do was reach out … Instinctively, I held up a hand to the group of withered snappers, feeling the decaying flesh on their bones starting to agitate as it heeded my call. It resisted, at first, but I was locked onto it by now. I could feel it answering my call, and I commanded it to be mine.

The beasts shrieked as the withered flesh tore from their bodies, turning into a silvery-gray liquid that streamed over to me, refilling my reserves.

I discarded my whip, forming the familiar twin claws and falling on the group of four immobilized raptors, tearing them into bits.

When they started moving again, I blasted them all with Wither Nova, keeping them down for the extra moment I needed to finish them all off. Their bodies liquified as they died, and I inhaled the last dregs of biomass they had to offer. The remains were absorbed into the fleshy ground, causing it to expand. The animals at the entrance seemed to focus on the pricks, tearing into my boney minions, while others clawed at the fleshy ground of the colony. Without hesitating, I turned to the bleeding Nexus and formed another prick as quickly as I could. Sal, his powerful coils wrapped around a dead snapper, left his victim and came slithering toward me. He was bleeding from several scratches, but the wounds didn’t seem to bother him as he breathed life into the new guardian. The prick shook awake and turned toward the swarm of enemies. I let it go, focusing on making another one. I didn’t have enough biomass for a third, but there were plenty of raw materials gathered around, ripe for the taking. I turned, seeing most of the critters were inside the newly expanded colony area, and I sent a pulse of Wither at them. Doing it this way halved the effect of Wither, but it gave me twenty new victims to target with my newly discovered ability. Holding up my hand again, I called for the withered flesh of my attackers, nearly stumbling back at the tsunami of gray liquid that instantly flowed into me. I created another guardian as quickly as I could, then turned around, and together, we faced the rest of the throng.

The pricks lined up, advancing, spearing everything in their path. They might have been half my level, but that still put them a level higher than the critters that occupied this part of the forest. The wargs were more difficult, seeing as their greater mass allowed them to stagger my minions, so I focused on them myself. I charged headlong into a group of four, and we all descended into a pile of snarling, writhing forms. My higher level, health, and superior armor shone through as the angered wargs failed to inflict serious damage.

They were heavy, though, and quick to use that to their advantage to bring me down. I let them do that. Instead of fighting a losing battle to try to remain on my feet, I hacked and stabbed every body part I
could reach, delivering full blasts of Wither into their already rotten bodies, buying me pockets of tranquility in the sea of fangs and claws.

I rose with a roar from the mass of torn and bloody bodies, having had to almost literally tear them apart to bring their health down to zero. The victory was sweet, and their deaths contributed to the colony’s rapidly expanding area. The fleshy tendrils shot over the hollow fallen tree, nearly completely coating its insides.

The pricks were handling the rest of the critters surprisingly well.

They advanced like a well-oiled machine, ripping down the smaller animals, their spiked bodies impaling and obliterating the lower-level critters. The stampede was halted, the swarm contained. I reformed my whip and joined the massacre, lashing out at the animals who tried to slip past, putting them all down.

By the time it was over, the entire ground was slick with blood and viscera. I felt like I ought to be breathing hard, but my deathless body didn’t need that. Instead, I felt a sense of vindication as I took in my tattered, blood-drenched armor, silvery biomass flowing over my open wounds.

I’d won.

The forest had moved against us … and failed.

Granted, without the higher-level beasts of the deeper part of the forest it was never really a question of whether I’d win, but rather whether I’d manage to protect my new base. And I did.

Colony defended successfully!

+10% progression toward next level

Biomass-Wither Synergy discovered

Synergy: Extract biomass from withered, living enemies.

Extracted mass is proportional to the amount of HP sapped by Wither. Affected targets receive damage equal to half a full Wither.

Note: removes Wither effect from targets. Withered max HP
isn’t restored but can be healed over time. Removed Wither instances can’t be reapplied.

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 18

I reread the newly discovered synergy. Being able to replenish my biomass store during combat was a useful skill, but the fact that it inflicted additional damage was just as huge. It meant I could theoretically activate Wither Nova that did only half damage to a group of enemies, then extract that for another half, effectively stacking the damage. This new feature alone made me incredibly dangerous when fighting inside an atrofield. The addendum also drew my attention. Removing an instance of wither sounded like a drawback at first, especially if it couldn’t be reapplied, but it might not. It needed further testing.

The ground was covered with dozens of corpses ripe for harvest, and I was going to put those to work. Glancing at my inventory I saw I had 120 kilos of biomass. A good start.

I moved back to the Nexus and accessed the command interface.

Conclave Interface

Tier: 1

Colonies: 1

Faith Points: 0 (0/day)

Biomass generation: 5kg/day

Biomass storage: 12/100kg

Local colony:

● Guardians: 4/4

● Radius: 50m/50m

● Structures: 0

● Deathless workers: 0/1

The colony was already processing the vast raw material laying all over it. I could see pooling blood slowly sinking into the fleshy ground, refilling its reserve of biomass.

Accessing the structure interface, I was relieved to see the Soulforge was present along with the other options. I topped the colony’s storage with my own and ordered a new capacitor to be built. The buds of the new structure started growing in the place I designated, though the process was achingly slow. A timer on the interface showed it would take half a day to fully form.

Right, I recalled. The first colony got a bonus for being based on a shrine that expedited structure growth. There was no helping it. I absorbed some of the corpses and topped off the Nexus again, this time ordering the construction of the Corpse Collector. I couldn’t start a new Soulforge before the capacitor was ready as the conclave couldn’t hold the required 150 kilos of biomass required for its forming. Instead, I absorbed more of the corpses, topped the colony reserves again, then absorbed the rest of them, bringing my reserves up to the full 270 kilos my latest skill advancement allowed for.

A few more corpses remained behind, slowly dissolving into the ground. Having reached its full 50-meter radius, the entirety of the fallen tree was coated with the fleshy substance, the veins spread over it pulsing lightly.

Sal too looked almost full to bursting. “I have feassted well, massterrr,” he hissed as he saw me looking at him.

“Show me.”

Sal, Soul Serpent

Soul fragments: 78

Physical attribute: 7

HP: 70

Traits:

● Ensoul

● Consume Soul

My companion had grown considerably. His length had reached over two meters, and his body was as thick as my forearm. He was obviously more powerful now, as demonstrated earlier by killing a
snapper, and who knew what else, on his own. But the best part was the 78 soul fragments he had accumulated.

Seeing as I had some time to kill—and little else—I finally moved to do the thing I was looking for. I took out the soulseed, placed it on the Nexus, and poured biomass over it. To my surprise, the silvery liquid started shaping on its own. A small whirlpool formed around the soulseed and quickly collapsed into shape. Fleshy body materialized, tiny bone limbs followed, then skin formed over a bone frame, creating one of the most disgusting creatures I’d ever seen.

Zul, deathless Drudge

Level: 5

Proficiency: 25%

P: 1, M: 5, S:0

HP: 45

Skills:

● Deathless operator 7

Traits:

● Deathless [+1 Physical, critical hit multiplier immunity]

It looked like a giant meaty eye with bat-like wings and six long insect-like legs it could use to scuttle around on.

Curled up, the creature was perhaps the size of a basketball, but then it started to move. Its legs extended and pushed it up to stand, making it reach my waist. The bat-like wings extended to the sides of the eye, giving it an alarming presence, resembling a hissing lizard. It started hovering, its legs dragging on the ground below it.

Then the eye blinked, and though it had no mouth, spoke clearly. “Greetings, Keeper, how may I serve you?”

I was about to answer, but then the next notification made me forget the weird creature’s question.

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +1 (49/50)

I stared at the creature who was now hovering using his leathery wings. Despite his grotesque appearance, the game had treated him as an autonomous NPC—one who qualified toward progressing my main quest. Which meant, I only needed to make one more of its kind to complete it and reap the rewards. It was just the boost I needed to be able to weather the dangers of the forest’s second zone.

“Keeper?” the creature asked again.

“Um, yeah?” I asked, not sure how to address the hovering fleshy eyeball. “What exactly are you? What can you do?”

“My name is Zul, Keeper, and I am a Drudge. I can help you by managing some aspects of the colony. Specifically, I can increase the efficiency of one of the structures or that of the Nexus.”

I was still weirded out by having such a peculiar-looking creature as a servant, so I decided to lean back on familiar grounds and treat it like one of my soldiers. “Explain your capabilities and contribution.”

“Yes, Keeper. I can integrate with any one of the colony structures and improve their efficiency. I can make the capacitor store more biomass or the Corpse Collector produce more of it. I can increase the efficiency of the Nexus in a variety of ways, from expediting manufacturing capabilities to increasing the area radius, which is already maxed out. Does that answer your question, Keeper?”

“It does, sol— Zul,” I said, still trying to wrap my head around speaking with something that looked like it came out of a Lovecraftian nightmare. I only knew what ‘Lovecraftian’ meant thanks to my brother, and the memory sent dark thoughts rippling through my mind. Trying to wrench myself off brooding, I decided to bring up the mention of the word title he used. “Why do you keep calling me ‘Keeper’?”

Zul blinked its giant eye at me. “You’re the conclave founder, and thus, you are its keeper.”

“Understood.” Different institutions, different titling systems. I looked around the large claimed area with the two slowly budding
structures. “What you said about doing with the Nexus. Does it mean these structures will be finished quicker?”

“Yes, Keeper.”

“Explain how it works.”

Instead of answering, the creature hovered over to the Nexus and settled onto it. Its thin segmented legs wrapped around it, and its main mass settled down, fusing into the tough fleshy substance of the structure.

The methodic, slow pulses of the shrine picked up, now sounding every few seconds, sending waves of dark colors through the veiny net across the ground. I glanced back at the timers. The Capacitor duration had shortened to six hours, with the Bone Collector completing shortly after that.

“Not bad,” I murmured as a new course of action formed. First, I’d wait for the capacitor to finish so I could build the Soulforge and summon a new deathless creature. That, in turn, would finally let me complete my main quest and receive a combat skill. Then, I’d form even more colonies, spreading my hold over this part of the forest.

The new ability synergies I discovered showed how much potential power I could wield within the conclave area, so spreading out was the best tool in my arsenal to help me contend with tougher opponents. In addition, based on Matsuel’s hint, a big conclave would offer further options for increasing my strength, so I needed to explore that in full.

To pass the time, I looked around the bloody ground. Most of the bodies I hadn’t claimed had their remains absorbed into the colony ground, but several piles of loot remained behind. I frowned as I tried to think how it was possible: Wither’s new rank had made it consume the entire body, leaving no loot behind, but as I recalled the battle, I came to a realization, and a grim smile grew on my face. The loot all came from animals I’d drawn biomass from when they were still alive, removing their Withered state. It meant I now had a way to selectively choose which one of my victims died clean of the affliction, thus sparing their loot. Since the synergy also caused extra damage while it cleansed away my victims, it made for a great finishing move. The downside of it was that it probably meant those
creatures wouldn’t create an atrofield on death, but having the freedom to select between the two gave me a lot of flexibility, not to mention another way to keep my involvement hidden from the villagers.

I spent the next few minutes collecting the loot, gathering around a dozen furs, fangs, claws, and raw meat.

I checked the structure’s timer next: 5 hours, 45 minutes to go.

There was little sense in sticking around, but I was hesitant to leave.

The four pricks could probably defend against a similar number of the local predators in my absence, but it was not a sure thing. I knew how vulnerable my colony could be, and I didn’t want to risk losing it.

Again. I knew I could use Nexus cores to spread out and minimize the danger of having all my assets at a single spot, it was just a matter of figuring out how to make new ones. It would probably require even more biomass than the used core did, but at this point I still had plenty, and there were still some unclaimed corpses on the ground.

“Congratulations on surviving the elder’s ire,” Gidul's droll voice sounded as the hooded goblin revealed himself again, taking in my new colony with interest. “Interesting. Very interesting.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Checking in on you. I was hoping you would use the rich harvest to extend your influence, yet I find you standing idly by.”

“I have to protect the base while it grows,” I said. “There’s no sense in expanding if I can’t hold on to areas I already control.”

“The danger is minimal; the immediate threat was dealt with.”

“Minimal doesn’t mean nonexistent,” I pointed out. “You don’t move a force out of an occupied territory without first making sure that the forces you left behind can maintain it.”

The small figure scoffed. “Go. I will remain watching.”

I stared at him, eyes narrow. “Why would you do that?”

He harrumphed. “You don’t trust me?”

“No.”

“Even after what I’ve done to help you?”

“I believe what you revealed about yourself, and for the moment, our purposes seem to align, but there is no way—”

“Actually,” Matsuel’s voice erupted from the Nexus, interrupting me, “there is.”

Gidul took a step back from the Nexus. “What is this?”

“Gidul, Druid of Phylogeny,” Matsuel said in a formal tone, “I am Matsuel, god of the yet-to-be-determined domain, Seraph’s deity.

You have proven yourself a worthy ally and a kindred spirit. Will you join your purpose with ours? Our goals are similar, and with your help, we can achieve them sooner. I require a head priest. Will you pledge yourself to my service?”

Gidul hesitated as he looked around the colony as if unsure of himself.

“You will retain all your druidic powers and responsibilities while accepting a few others,” Matsuel added. “With your help, Seraph will bring conflict and challenge to the forest, and any who survive the sweeping blight will be toughened, reaching new heights. What do you say?”

Gidul nodded slowly. “I see … yes. I accept.”

The ground rose around the diminutive creature, meaty tendrils wrapping around his legs and body like vines. Gidul didn’t flinch, remaining still until the growth stopped. Then, with an impressive display of strength, he ripped himself out of the tendrils. Some of the pulsing veins remained around his arms and torso, making his inhuman appearance even more grotesque than before.

“It is done,” Matsuel announced.

Gidul strode confidently toward the Nexus and plunged his arms straight into the tough fleshy material as if into a water basin. I couldn’t see exactly what he was doing, but my new sense tingled as something underneath crawled and moved around.

“He’s with us now, Seraph,” Matsuel said. “You can leave him behind without having to worry. He’ll protect this colony in your absence.”

I waited for a moment for the ‘swayed’ quest notification to pop up, but none appeared. “You sure about that?”

“Oh yeah, he’s quite an asset. You can learn a thing or two from him.”

“In that case, I think it's time to extend our holds,” I said, moving to the Nexus. It didn’t take me long to find how to manifest a new Nexus core. I simply focused on each of the interface rows in turn until the ‘colonies’ one yielded the desired result.

Nexus Core - 400 biomass required

The biomass cost was even higher than I’d expected, but I had no doubt it would justify the cost in the long run. I emptied my entire personal store into the Nexus and willed it all to morph into a growing mass of intangible silvery-gray stuff. Unlike structures, which required the full biomass cost to be present, the Nexus core gradually siphoned the amount from the conclave’s storage, allowing me to refill it from my reserves as it emptied. I was still 30 kilos short, but channeling my power through the colony’s zone, I instantly absorbed the remaining corpses, providing the remaining amount and leaving me with roughly 20 kilos.

The mass of silvery liquid shrunk down as it solidified. Silver-gray transformed into tough, brown flesh and white, encapsulating bone. Biomass continued to churn for several seconds until it finally settled into the newly minted core.

I picked it up and placed it in my inventory.

With the Fallen Tree colony taken care of, I made my way into the forest. It was time to find a new place to plant my growing conclave.

20 - Colonizing

I was a little surprised when I found another good spot barely ten minutes later. I was walking up a natural incline when my Essence Sight picked up recent trails, and as I followed it up, the ground suddenly dropped into a sort of half-sheltered, half-open bowl shape.

It was defensible, hidden, and a great spot to hold, which the pack of surprised lesser wargs who’d made it into their den obviously agreed.

Essence Sight skill has increased to level 14

The pack’s leader led the charge. It pounced at me and bit my arm, trying to use his superior weight to pull me down. The rest of the pack, six lesser wargs, were quick to join their leader in the defense of their home.

I stared, almost in fascination, at the huge jaws that locked down on my arm. The bite had reduced my health by a measly 4
points. It was a little surreal to see the huge predator’s teeth barely able to penetrate my flesh. My higher level and significantly higher HP resulted in the attack appearing as if the warg was trying to bite a metal statue.

I blasted the hanging warg with my Wither ability, and it dropped off me and started to whine and writhe in pain, making the other six stop dead in confusion. I didn’t wait for the leader to come out of its stupor, instantly summoning my claws and getting down to work. I stabbed into the large furry animal, again and again, with the speed of a sewing machine, each attack shaving off around 5 points of damage. The lesser warg struggled to rise, but as soon as it did, I let another surge of Wither through my next attack, keeping it down. By the time the other wargs got it into their head to come and help, the leader was already gone.

His mutilated corpse dropped, creating an atrofield around it.

The other wargs were already charging, but I was ready for them, sending a pulse of Wither Nova through the atrofield, affecting all six.

The blast caused parts of their flesh to melt off as it rotted away.

Despite Wither Nova only inflicting half the normal Wither damage, the agony it caused was still enough to debilitate all six.

Using the same tactic as before, I fell on the closer warg with my claws, quickly whittling down its health. When the pack was starting to move again, a few seconds later, I used the newly discovered biomass synergy to absorb their withered flesh, removing their Withered state while also inflicting the other half the damage.

Suddenly, free from their Withered state, the wargs reared up to attack, so I loosed another Wither Nova to keep them down. It was then when I realized another side effect of the new Biomass-Wither synergy. Since the original Wither instance was removed, this new one was considered to be the first, and as such, it didn’t benefit from the stackable 10% bonus consecutive attempts normally did.

Still, the wargs’ HP was too low for the small percentage bonus to have any real effect, so I wasn’t too dismayed. Using the second lull in the fighting, I finished the first warg and got to work on the second, its twice-withered health allowing me to almost kill it before the other five got to moving again.

I repeated the same tactic as before, absorbing the biomass from the remaining wargs, shaving a few more HP from them all in the process, then applied the third and final instance of Wither Nova, sending them right back down.

The warg I’d injured was a hairsbreadth away from death, which gave me an idea. With each of the other wargs down to about 20 HP, I felt confident enough to set my sights on something better than simply killing them. Instead of reducing their numbers as quickly as possible, I stabbed them down to a few remaining HP. I managed to do that to three of the wargs before the debilitation period was over, then all five were back on their legs. I felt almost smug when I applied another burst of biomass absorption, the minute damage just enough to kill the three heavily injured wargs, leaving only two to face me.

Since they had already suffered the maximum amount of three Wither instances they were immune to further attempts, but at this point, they were half-dead—and thanks to my upgraded armor, not really a threat. I got a few deep scratches for my trouble, but nothing I couldn’t handle, and in short order, they too joined their dead friends.

The atrofield around me was substantial, easily encompassing the entire den. I channeled another biomass pulse through it, absorbing all seven corpses and gaining 210 biomass. The wargs who died to the absorption synergy were in a good enough shape to drop their furs and some meat, as was evident by the three small piles of loot left behind. I released Sal to absorb their lingering souls and collected their loot.

Sal returned to me, his long, forked tongue flickering across his lips. “An adequate meal, massterr, but no longer filling.” The soul serpent had barely grown after absorbing the 7 predators who he now considered as mere morsels.

“How do you like this place for a new base?” I asked.

Sal looked around apathetically. “Adequate.”

Apparently, the ability to extract the undying soul of his enemies wasn’t one of the building blocks that made for a great conversationalist.

I moved to the back end of the den, which was sheltered by the rising ground, and put down the Nexus core.

I wasn’t sure how to make it grow, seeing as it wasn’t ‘hungry’

for biomass like the one that was ripped from an existing Nexus, but it wasn’t hard to figure out. A simple ‘grow’ thought directed at it was enough for the core to take roots. Thick streams of biomass, more than seemed possible to be contained within, erupted out of it. The biomass continued to spread out from the basketball-sized core as it flowed on the ground, covering nearly the entire den before settling down to form the fleshy layer on top of it. The core itself had risen on a column of biomass that quickly coalesced into the familiar, tough flesh that made up the Nexus. The familiar net of veins formed over the coated ground, then the new Nexus gave its first pulse of life, sending colorful energy down the network of veins.

To my surprise, the process didn’t end there. A tendril of the fleshy ground kept growing outward, extending about two meters before it burrowed into the ground. With my new sense, I could feel it continue to burrow farther away from the colony, becoming thinner as it extended until it exited the range of my senses.

“What’s it doing?” I asked, more to myself than anyone else, yet I still got an answer.

“The conclave iss forming, massterr,” Sal answered. “The colonies are linking.”

“Huh,” I said, considering his words. The other colony was indeed located in the direction the tendril was heading toward. I wasn’t sure what ‘linking’ actually meant, but I figured I’d learn it eventually.

Now I needed to develop my new outpost and make sure it was able to sustain and defend itself if necessary. I touched the new Nexus and brought up its interface.

Conclave has reached tier 2

● Colonies’ max radius increased to 60 meters.

● Colonies’ base biomass absorption rate increased from 5 to 10 kilos.

● Warfare Units allowed: 1

● New structure options are available

Conclave Interface

Tier: 2

Colonies: 2

Faith Points: 0 (3.5/day)

Biomass generation: 25kg/day

Biomass storage: 2/300kg

Local colony:

● Guardians: 0/4

● Radius: 10m/60m

● Structures: 0

● Deathless workers: 0/1

● Deathless combatants: 0/1

The tier 2 bonuses didn’t look all that inspiring. True, the daily biomass the two colonies generated soared up to 25 kilos, but that was still less than what I could get from a single warg’s corpse. I moved on to the Structures menu to see what else was changed, and there at least, I was not disappointed.

Colony Structures

Existing:

● n/a

Available utility:

● [new] Animal Caller: lures in primitive creatures. Randomly increase biomass gain. Biomass cost: 50kg

● [new] Deathless Node: increase sentient deathless limit to: 2.

Biomass cost: 75kg.

● Biomass Capacitor: increase maximum biomass capacity by 100kg. Biomass cost: 100kg

● Corpse Collector: increase passive biomass generation rate.

Biomass cost: 100kg.

● Soulforge [Requirement met: soul serpent]: enable forging of new deathless beings. Biomass cost: 150kg

Available warfare:

● [new] Burrower’s Nest: active defense system. Biomass cost: 200kg

The new Animal Caller and Burrower’s Nest options sounded like a great match. Working together, they should be able to lure in and dispose of animals to give a boost to the amount of biomass my conclave was generating. I decided to set that as my next objective, to reach a point when the passively generated biomass was high enough to be able to raise multiple colonies and spread my influence over the forest. As always, the cost was a hindrance, but thanks to
the new colony’s previous tenants, I had some resources to work with.

I wanted to see the Burrower’s Nest in action, since, as always, the description was incredibly lacking. I wasn’t sure if I needed to build a Biomass Capacitor first to be able to hold the required 200
kilos for the Burrower’s Nest’s construction. The conclave interface storage count was at 300, but most of it was held by the Fallen Tree colony. A test was in order.

I placed my hand on the Nexus and channeled 200 kilos into it.

The silvery-gray stream was hungrily devoured by the structure, and I could feel it traveling through, into the ground, then speeding off through the subterranean connection. The situation became clear.

The underground tendril did extend to the other colony. The two were connected, and their biomass capacity total was combined, explaining why it was shown that way in the conclave’s interface.

I selected the new Burrower’s Nest option and approved its creation. The familiar green highlight appeared in my view, and I set it at the center.

Biomass started pouring out of the Nexus and into the chosen spot. It rose slowly as some sort of barbed bone structure, but I’d have to wait to see it in full. The timer next to it showed it would be completed in 16 hours.

A new Drudge would be able to halve that time, but I had no more soulseeds, and the Soulforge required to make one was not yet in the making in my other colony.

With only 30 kilos of biomass available, I had to carefully consider what my next step was going to be. It was getting progressively darker by now, and though I had nothing to fear in this part of the forest, I’d still be stumbling my way in the dark after sunset. I much preferred to spend the night in a relatively comfortable bed instead of roughing it out in the wild. Then again, the same issue as before presented itself; I couldn’t leave the new colony undefended.

I eventually decided to use the majority of my biomass store, including the few kilos the conclave had generated this far, to create two new pricks to defend the place. Hopefully, since this used to be a
wargs’ den there would be no other predators nearby. A couple of guardians should suffice.

I Biocrafted the two bony forms, and Sal slithered over to ensoul them.

“Sal,” I said as the soul serpent finished animating the new guardians, “stay here with the pricks and guard the place. Though he had no actual level, Sal’s physical attribute put him on par with a level 7 creature, far surpassing any predator in the immediate vicinity. Between the three, I felt reasonably sure that the new colony would be safe in my absence. Unless, of course, a certain elder druid decided to visit it. There was nothing I could do against him, even if I’d stayed, so all I could do was hope it would be enough.

I left the three to stand guard while the Burrower’s Nest slowly rose out of the fleshy ground.

I was looking forward to seeing what the spiked bone structure was all about.

***

I made it back into Brinfold in about 20 minutes, seeing as the two new colonies were much closer to the village than the destroyed shrine, and the annoying debuff had long since elapsed.

“Dawn,” I greeted the older woman as I entered her shop.

“Well there ya are,” she said with a fond smile. “You’re quickly outgrowing this village, Seraph, what with taking on a utahsnapper and saving us all.”

“You’d have killed it eventually.”

She gave a slight nod. “That we might, but not without further lives lost. The entire village owes you thanks. Now, what can I get ya for?”

“Got some stuff to sell,” I said, dumping the stack of twenty pelts and thirty-something claws and fangs on her desk, the pile nearly flowing to the floor.

Dawn’s eyes widened. “What … What is that? That’s too much.

The druids—”

“Already made a play for me,” I cut her off. “I talked with some of them, and they are not all of the same mind. One had already tried to get me—and failed. He could have also stopped the utahsnapper from attacking you, but he didn’t lift a finger to help. From where I’m standing, I owe them nothing.”

Dawn’s eyes widened as she stared at me. I could see her fear, but she swallowed hard and nodded slowly. “I … I trust you, Seraph.

You’ve proven yourself a friend of Brinfold several times already.”

She looked over the large pile of items. “I can give ya 260 gold for the lot.”

“That would do,” I said. I was hoping for a bit more, but half the loot came from herbivores and less valuable creatures. It was still enough to double my existing amount, bringing my total to over 500
gold.

“Anything I can get ya besides?” Dawn suggested, waving toward her store.

I needed the gold to summon new deathless creatures via the Soulforge, but I took a moment to examine her wares. There was nothing immediately useful for me. My eyes lingered at a barrel of imported pickled fish. What I really needed was more biomass. I doubted I could simply absorb a crate of food, but the thought led me to a new possibility. “I’ve seen some sheep and cows out in the fields,” I said. “Think the farmers will sell them to me?”

“Seeing as you’re now the hero of Brinfold, I’m sure they’ll be willing to cut ya a deal,” she replied. “Even then, it will probably be more than a hundred for a sheep or four hundred for a cow.”

I winced. That might have been an option if I had a lot more gold, but my current funds weren’t enough. I could have probably gotten close to 200 kilos of biomass from a single cow—the same amount I’d get from a full day of hunting, but right now, it just wasn’t worth the expense. “What about discarded meat or bones?” I asked with a sudden inspiration. “What do you do with the remains after butchering an animal?”

Dawn shook her head. “We mostly eat game around here. Our livestock is used for milk and wool.”

I shrugged. It was worth asking.

“But,” Dawn continued, “hunters often drag the carcasses to the hunter’s lodge to be dressed. Makes the whole process more efficient than doing it out there in the forest. Ya might want to head over and ask Old Fal about that.”

“Thanks,” I said. “That could be very helpful.”

“Why do you need scraps of meat, anyway?” Dawn asked.

“Lures.”

“I see.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie. I was planning on using the newly acquired biomass to construct the new Animal Caller option.

The hunting lodge was mostly empty when I visited it next, which wasn’t a surprise as it was already evening. Fal, like a permanent wall fixture, was still there though as well as another hunter who nodded at me respectfully.

“Hey there, lad,” Old Fal said as he saw me. “How that bow I sold ya working out?”

“Don’t use it much,” I admitted. “Without the appropriate skill, I’ve learned I'm better at whipping things than shooting them with arrows.”

“Still no skill?” the old man’s eyebrows shot up with surprise. “Ya should have gotten it after a few hours practicing. I guess I can’t be too hard on ya, though, I saw how you managed to give that giant snapper a few good smacks before you rode it off. That was a neat trick, by the way. How did ya do it?”

“Found a magic collar that tamed it for a while.” I shrugged. “I led it into a fight with a couple of big predators, and they all killed each other.”

“Now those would be the kind of pelts I’d like to get my hands on,” the man said admiringly. “Should be worth a good bundle.”

“Ah … I couldn't get it,” I said. The beasts' hides had fallen apart along with the rest of them thanks to my upgraded Wither ability.

“‘Course not,” the man scoffed. “When ya find something big enough to handle that much lizard muscle, ya make yourself scarce as soon as possible. Now, is there anything Old Fal can help ya with?”

“I heard the hunters sometimes carry animal carcasses back here,” I said.

“Yah.” Fal nodded curtly. “Working here gives better results, produces more meat, finer pelts.”

I studied the primitive log cabin. It sounded like the building gave an actual bonus to hunters working here, but I couldn’t make its stats appear. “What do they do with the scraps?”

“There’s a dumping pit at the back.” The man shrugged.

“Everything left gets tossed in there.”

“Would anyone mind if I take some?”

Fal’s lips curved slightly. “Most people make it a special point to stay away from there. Place stinks to high heaven. If ya can stand it, then be my guest. If ya take enough, maybe it’ll buy us a few days before we need to burn it down again.”

“Thank you,” I said, walking toward the door. “I’ll see you around.”

The pit behind the lodge was just a meter-wide hole that went deep into the ground. Old Fal wasn’t joking. I could smell it before I saw it. Deathless or not, standing over the hole I was forced to fight back the bile that rose in my throat. Believable virtual reality was all well and good, but some things should stay fictional.

In the growing darkness of dusk, I couldn’t see the pit’s content, though my new growing sense told me it was filled with biomass-worthy material. Unless my target was within the radius of an atrofield, I needed to touch it to absorb. For a short moment, I seriously considered capturing a rabbit or some other small animal and killing it to do just that, but I realized there was a better way. I could deliver Wither attacks through my biocrafted weapons as if they were a part of me. There was no reason to think I couldn’t also use them as a medium to absorb resources.

Using the last dregs of biomass I’d kept only to enable regeneration, I grew a thin leather strip out of my arm and lowered it toward the sludge below. When I felt the string make contact, I willed the biomass to me.

Bubbling sounds started rising from below, followed by a cloud of putrid air that made me stumble backward, coughing, but I’d
achieved my goal. Thick ropes of biomass erupted out of the hole and seeped into my body. Once it was over, I snuck a peek inside.

All that remained was a tar-like sludge, at a considerably lower level than before.

Biomass absorbed: 182 Kg

I smiled grimly at the notification. I had just absorbed a mass grave's worth of biomass. I sniffed suspiciously. The pit’s pungent presence seemed to linger about me. It was probably just my imagination as biomass seemed odorless until now. Then again … I didn't know how my ability worked at the basic level. I put some distance between me and the foul pit, decisively rejecting the fragrance my brain seemed reluctant to let go.

Smelly or not, the pit was a discovery. With several hunters working to refill it, I made a note to periodically come and drain it.

Arriving back at the inn, I found the place nearly full.

“Hey, Seraph,” Max greeted me with a nod, his words quickly echoed by several others.

It felt … strange ... being acknowledged by so many people. It was hard to keep thinking of them as NPCs. They were as life-like as any people I knew. Maybe even more. I rarely stayed long enough in one place during my ‘work’ to receive the gratitude of those I’d saved. It felt … nice. Killing things, it seemed, was also rewarding in ways I was previously unfamiliar with.

“Ron,” I greeted the innkeeper as I approached the bar.

“Seraph, my friend!” The man smiled widely at me as he motioned me to take a seat, already pouring a large cup of alcohol before sliding it over to me. “That one’s on the house.”

“Appreciate it.” I nodded and downed the high-proof drink. It was a little grainier and a little less satisfying than the nearly pure alcohol I’d drunk to increase my speed, but it was better than nothing. “I got some slabs of raw meat I’d like to sell you.”

“Of course, of course,” he said, and I took out the 70 units of raw meat I had stacking up in my inventory. Ron’s eyes got larger as the
pile in front of him grew.

“That’ll get ya”—he narrowed his eyes as his lips counted the items—“thirty-six gold.”

“That’ll do,” I replied. I studied the pile for a moment and narrowed my eyes in thought. The pile was a batch of free flesh for the taking. But after a moment I realized that despite its appearance I couldn’t sense any worth in it. The game’s looting mechanics apparently made it unusable to my biomass absorption ability.

“Thank you,” I said once Ron handed me my payment. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go to my—”

“Now, what’s the big hurry, hon?” Lyta sauntered over. “What’s that I hear about you raising trouble in the forest?”

I frowned, for a moment wondering how she knew about the big battle defending my new colony, then I realized she was probably talking about the pile of meat … and maybe the pelts I’d sold Dawn.

“It’s been busy lately. The druids don’t seem to hold to their end of the bargain, allowing a giant predator to attack the village, so I don’t see a reason to hold on to mine.”

“That was weird,” Lyta said with a deep frown of her own. “I should go and ask—” she stopped abruptly.

“Go where and ask who what?” I said. The woman’s accusatory tone sounded almost angry.

“Oh, nothing,” Lyta shook her head, her usual smile back in its place. “Just thinking of giving those druid elders a piece of my mind.”

I stared at her. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t mention it was an elder.”

“You didn’t?” The woman didn’t seem alarmed.

“No.”

“Well, who else could have commanded that utahsnapper if not one of their elders?”

She had a point there. I gave her a slight nod as I got up. “If you’ll excuse me, ma’am, I’ll be off to my room now.”

Her eyes lingered on me, taking in my gaunt features. “You should take better care of yourself out there, hon. And don’t try biting off more than you can chew.”

I nodded at her cordially. “Will do. G’night.”

“Good night, hon.”

***

No one bothered me the next morning, so after gulping down my morning shot, I went out and made my way through the forest and back to the conclave. This was my ninth day inside the game.

Supposedly, tomorrow would be my last day before they logged me out, and as far as I knew, it could be days in reality before they hooked me back in. I had to make every moment I had left count.

The Fallen Tree colony seemed intact, the four vigilant guardians all standing in a line at the lower entrance. The Biomass Capacitor and Corpse Collector structures I’d started yesterday were already complete, their organic-looking design pulsating slowly along with the network of veins that extended from the Nexus. Gidul was nowhere to be seen.

Reaching the Nexus, I accessed the interface, noting with approval that the conclave had generated 25 additional kilos of biomass during the night. The number of colonies listed in the interface was still 2, a clear indication the Wargs’ Den colony had also survived the night.

Now I had a decision to make. I had enough biomass and biomass storage capacity to start constructing a new Soulforge, but that would leave me with little over 50 kilos, which was not enough for any other structure, other than the Animal Caller.

Then again, it wasn’t much of a conundrum. I’d already decided I wanted to see how the Burrower’s Nest worked in tandem with the Animal Caller, and I’d already started building the former in the other colony. This whole ‘empire building’ thing was an alien concept, but I was starting to get the hang of it. There were limitations, such as I could only build one of every structure inside the same colony, meaning that if I wanted to spread out, I had to create more colonies, rather than more buildings.

I selected the Soulforge and set it directly next to the Nexus.

Zul, my worker Drudge, was still wrapped around the heart of the colony, expediting the process, and the new structure started slowly rising before my eyes. The timer next to it showed it would be
finished in a couple of hours. Plenty of time to go visit my other base, I thought.

A short walk later I arrived at the small rise that hosted my second colony. From a distance, the spread of the fleshy ground seemed larger than yesterday. That and the sorry state of the two pricks were a clear indication of a failed attack on the place.

“Sal,” I said once the large snake slithered toward me. “What happened?”

The soul serpent pointed its head toward the body of a large boar. Its fur was torn to shreds and riddled with rows of puncture wounds. It was larger than the lesser wargs but not half as large as its more dangerous tusker kin. “That beast attacked uss, massterr,”

Sal hissed. “We killed it, and I harvessted its ssoul.”

“Very good,” I said, noticing Sal’s soul fragments count had risen to 96. It was always nice to have subordinate soldiers carry out their duties efficiently, impounding enemy assets. “Good job.”

I moved over to the dead boar. A bunch of tendrils from the Corpse Collector were embedded in the flesh, slowly consuming it, but there was no reason to wait for them to be finished. I absorbed the dead boar, increasing my biomass store to 92. Pouring most into the Nexus, I willed the Animal Caller structure into being. Instead of me having to designate a spot for it, however, a new growth appeared on the Corpse Collector, slowly swelling in size. As a relatively small addition, its estimated duration was only 45 minutes.

I decided I could wait that long.

To pass the time, I browsed the conclave’s interface, pausing on the tier 3 upgrade details.

Conclave Tiers

Current tier 2

Colonies required to tier 3: 4

Tier 3:

● New structure options: Biotunnel, Reverberator, Graspers

● Increase colonies’ base stats

● Summoned deathless minions maximum rank: 1

As before, the new information shed no light on the actual upgrade benefits, but I could still see the potential of the existing tier 2 structures, so I hoped the next tier would prove just as useful. I needed to make use of all the advantages at my disposal, especially since I was still level 10. My level progression had barely nudged since the snapper-warg fight. I needed bigger, more challenging threats to advance . To win, I needed all the advantages I could get.

I could sense it this time when the colony’s area was disturbed. I whirled around, catching, for the first time, a glimpse of Gidul as he silently approached me.

The small goblin-druid-turned-priest froze when I glared at him.

“Not so easy out of the forest,” he muttered to himself.

“Why are you here?” I demanded. “Shouldn’t you be on duty, protecting the other colony?”

“I’m a priest of Matsuel now, not a servant,” he answered. “I can go where I please. I’ve been here for a while now. I had noticed an attack, but by the time I arrived, your creatures had dealt with the problem.” He glanced toward the spot the boar‘s corpse had been moments before.

I nodded. I couldn't argue against him following his duty. “How is your new role working out for you?” I asked, not sure how I should be treating my new ‘ally’.

“I can’t do much without Faith Points,” he scoffed. “There are some wonderful, insidious options available which are out of my reach. Zul and I can't do it all on our own.”

“You and Zul?”

The small man narrowed his eyes at me. “Gods require faith, and a deity's believers supply them with it.”

“The conclave’s Faith Points stat is still at zero.”

“That’s what I’ve just said,” the creature snapped at me. “The two of us aren’t enough. It takes a congregation to generate a useful amount. So go out there and get us more believers … or make some, I don’t care.”

I reorganized my thoughts. Clearly, I wasn't fully aware of the entire religion-faith logistical side of the conclave. “How much faith are the two of you generating?”

“Three and a half points per day,” he said with a derisive sneer.

“So why is that my problem?” I asked. “You’re the high priest.

Isn’t taking care of faith-related issues your department?”

“You’re the blasted herald,” he said. “It’s your job to spread Matsuel’s name and influence.”

“A Soulforge is already being built in the Fallen Tree colony,” I said. “I plan on bringing in new deathless creatures soon enough.”

“See that you do.”

As unpleasant as Gidul’s company was, his presence helped pass the time quickly, and before I knew it, the new structure was ready. The Corpse Collector had sprouted a sort of inflated, skin-covered balloon that slightly resembled a blowfish. As I took in the discolored thing, it inflated further, extending grotesquely. Its skin-like layer seemed like it was about to burst, but then it let out a low trumpet-like blow that seemed to reverberate through the air. Once the sound ended, it started inflating again, preparing its next call.

I waited to see what would come out, but nothing did.

The minutes crawled by slowly as I kept on high alert, scanning the area around the colony.

After what felt like hours, but probably wasn’t more than one, I finally gave up. The steady rhythmic blows of the Animal Caller were starting to get on my nerves.

It was almost past morning. The guardians’ wounds were well on the mend by now, and I estimated the new Soulforge at the other colony was near completion. Feeling this colony was secured enough, I turned away from it and started making my way to Fallen Tree.

When I reached the edge of the colony, about to exit it, a movement caught my attention. A ripple was hurtling through the fleshy ground, reaching its zenith just a few meters to my right. A row of spikes erupted out of the ground in a wave, then instantly retracted back in. I stared at the spot they’d emerged from. The
bloody corpse of a beavor remained behind, its body perforated in a neat row.

It seemed as though my guess about the Caller and Burrowers working well together was right on the spot. I absorbed the beavor, bringing my biomass total to an even 60.

“Sal,” I called to the snake as I walked away. With the Burrower’s Nest structure to back up the two guardians, I saw no reason to leave my companion behind, and I would soon need his proficiency.

It was time to recruit a new deathless soldier.

***

The Fallen Tree colony was just as I left it, except for the new Soulforge that was just finishing forming. The transparent membrane, held by its bone cage support, pulsed with an eerie green light, illuminated by the liquid contained within.

I approached the apparatus and touched it. As before, it seemed as if the ambient light turned a few shades darker, and the air above the Soulforge filled up with slowly spinning symbols. This time, I knew what I was doing, so I disregarded all the higher-ranked souls that were out of my reach.

I’ve opened several symbols to examine their details, but I couldn’t locate another level 5 one as I’d done with Zul. There were a bunch of level ones and twos and several threes and fours. After several moments spent searching, I gave up and brought up the details of one of the level fours.

Utility Unit

Deathless rank: 0

Level: 4

Proficiency: 20%

Cost: 20 soul fragments

Minimum bid: 200 gold

At least it was cheaper than Zul had been. I approved the cost, and the required gold disappeared from my inventory. Sal slithered over the structure, circling it, his coils partially submerging into the membrane layer.

Like before, the symbol descended into the liquid-filled sack, and the vague shape inside started to condense as a new soulseed started forming.

Soulseed formation in progress

Time remaining: 6 hours

Finally, I thought. I was just 6 hours from getting my long-sought-after combat skill. With my Biomancer skillset backed up by an ability to inflict serious damage, I’d hope I’d finally be able to punch above my weight class and start hunting the second zone in earnest.

The only question remaining right now was … how to pass the next 6 hours.

Sitting idly by, waiting, was not my way of doing things. Then again, the new soulseed was crucial for my future, and I wanted to make sure nothing interfered with its forming. I hated wasting time I could use for hunting and gathering biomass if not progressing my level. Then an idea struck, and I smiled grimly. If I can't go to them, I’ll make them come to me.

The 60 kilos of biomass I had remaining was enough to construct a new Animal Caller. Not wasting time to second-guess my decision, I transferred the biomass into the Nexus and selected the structure. The silvery-gray fluid streamed through the fleshy ground, coalescing over the Corpse Collector as the new structure started forming on top of it. Zul was doing a good job enhancing this colony, making the formation much quicker than before.

Overall, it took a little over 20 minutes for the new Caller to be formed, and the blowfish-like structure started inflating immediately, releasing its low hum at a steady pace.

I stood waiting at the base of the fallen tree, two pricks at my sides. I’d sent the other two higher up the trunk to protect the colony’s structures in case any animal made it past me. Considering no animals were immediately attracted when I raised the first Caller, I knew it was a bit of an overkill, but that was the best kind of killing.

It was a bit like fishing. I stood at the entrance, eyes scanning the forest for movements. There were a few timid nibbles on the lure

—a couple of overly large squirrels that were easily dispatched by the pricks, their corpses barely containing enough meat to bother absorbing.

I allowed myself to lower my guard a little as the next two hours only drew a few more of the smaller wildlife. I was never one for fishing. I preferred the thrill of the hunt. Once the new soulseed was halfway through, the first noticeable target burst into sight—a metalback armadillo. I half rose, preparing to face it, but there was no need. Some of the guardians’ spikes broke against the armadillos’ metal carapace as it burst into the colony, but they still managed to tear into its sides. The upper two pricks descended, and between all four, there were very few recognizable remains left behind. I lazily pushed a pulse of absorbing biomass through the colony’s area, replenishing my biomass stores back to 24 kilos. The guardians, resuming their posts, slowly regrew their lost spikes.

The next three hours went by dully, with not even as much as an insect trying to trespass the border. To pass the time, I browsed again through the conclave’s interface looking for new variations.

Conclave Interface

Tier: 2

Colonies: 2

Faith Points: 0 (3.5/day)

Biomass generation: 30kg/day

Biomass storage: 2/400kg

Local colony:

● Guardians: 4/4

● Radius: 52m/60m

● Structures: 3

● Deathless workers: 1/1

● Deathless combatants: 0/1

The deathless workers’ entry was finally showing a value higher than zero, but other than that, I didn’t find anything particularly interesting. The biomass generation entry, however, reminded me of something.

“Zul.”

The integrated lump on the Nexus shifted slightly. “Yes, Keeper?”

“You said that you can increase the biomass generation rate if you integrate with the Corpse Collector, right?”

“Yes, Keeper.”

“Then do that. There is no more construction in progress, so there’s no reason for you to stay on the Nexus.”

“Of course, Keeper.”

The fleshing eyeball extracted itself from the Nexus, bat-like wings flapping as it flew over the Corpse Collector. It hovered over the mass of sharp bones of the structure, then settled on its base.

The fleshy part seemed to partly melt, splitting off into tiny strands that crawled all along the base of the ribbed structure. The occasionally emerging Collector’s limb now showed itself to be wrapped in glittering dark spots.

Checking the conclave interface I saw the daily biomass gain had increased from 30 to 35 kilo—not a significant amount, but every little bit helped. With enough colonies and Drudges, that 5-kilo increase could eventually generate more than I’d be able to hunt on my own.

At long last, the timer had ticked down to zero, and the Soulforge shimmered with green light. With a yawn and a stretch, I got up and approached the structure. A tube-like protrusion appeared at the base, upon which lay the new soulseed.

I eagerly picked up the new soul and, placing it on the Nexus, I wasted no time in feeding biomass into it. As before, the liquid
quickly took shape on its own. This time, instead of a flying meaty eye it turned into a weird spider, with too many bone legs attached. A sort of meaty, moist-looking tendril extended from its center, dragging like a wet mop on the ground behind it as it moved.

Xin, deathless Drudge

Level: 4

Proficiency: 20%

P: 1, M: 4, S:0

HP: 29/30

Skills:

● Deathless operator 5

Traits:

● Deathless [+1 Physical, critical hit multiplier immunity]

“Err, hello,” I said hesitantly. The creature was about the size of a cat and looked more feral than the flying eyeball.

“I am yours to command, Keeper,” a surprisingly soft voice came out from the monstrous spider thing. He teetered sideways as if unbalanced. “Huh, that is weird. I think ...”

But I wasn’t listening, already sifting through the host of new notifications.

Main Quest updated: Path of Redemption

Swayed individuals: +1 (50/50)

Quest completed! [Path of Redemption]

You have successfully swayed the required number of individuals to view you positively.

Reward: one skill or spell of your choosing.

Please select one:

1. Abhorrent 1

2. Ablated 1

3. Acrobatics 1

4. Adaptation 1

5. ...

The list went on and on. I scrolled down hundreds of skill names, with the scrollbar indicator barely budging.

This was ridiculous.

I stopped scrolling randomly, only reaching the letter ‘B’. A ridiculously long skill titled ‘Bane of Holy Scripture’ drew my attention, then my eyes were drawn to another irregularity 253. Bows 3

All other skill options had the value of ‘1’ next to them, supposedly the skill level I’d get if selecting them. I focused on the Bow skill. Is the skill level higher than one because I practiced with a bow before? I thought in excitement. To verify my suspicion, I scrolled rapidly down, the speed becoming greater and greater until all I saw was a blur. It took several moments to finally find the entry I was looking for, but when I got there, I was not disappointed.

3101. Spears 12

That was the proof I’d been looking for. It was gratifying to see that the game had kept track of my actions and would reward me accordingly with already leveled skills instead of forcing me to build it from the ground up. I was just about to select it as my reward but held my figurative finger over it as a simple idea presented itself. I wonder what other skills I might have leveled.

The problem was tracking them down. I stared at the ambivalent list in chagrin. If only there was a way to sort it by level. Even a grunt
like me was familiar with computers enough to know his way around basic spreadsheet functionality.

The list flashed, the skill names changing into descending order.

It was a step in the right direction. It was hard, but I furrowed my brow, focusing on my needs. At last, the list acquiesced and flickered. It reappeared an instant later, this time sorted by the skill level, the highest values showing first.

Please select one:

1. Spears 12

2. Unarmed 6

3. Stealth 5

4. Weaponcraft 4

5. Integrated weapons (Apprentice 4)

6. Eviscerate 3

7. Traps 2

8. Blocking 2

I stared at the much more readable list. It seemed my gameplay up until now had earned me quite a few useful skills. Spears and Unarmed were easy to understand as I had stabbed and punched my way through enough conflicts. Stealth was a surprise though. I had spent plenty of time hiding away in the bushes, but to realize it was considered a combat skill—and thus, not available to me—was a revelation. Weaponcraft was obvious for all my spear-making efforts. Integrated Weapon was an odd one. It was the only one followed by a parenthesis, apparently donating its rank. The rest of the lower-level skills sounded like direct battle skills, and though useful, I could only select one.

It was a no-brainer. With a Spear skill already leveled, I’d instantly become a more formidable warrior. Level 12 meant it had already achieved its first rank up—Apprentice—making it all the more deadly. It was the obvious choice.

But I couldn't shake off the feeling that the Apprentice indication next to the Integrated Weapons skill was significant. Does it mean it instantly arrived at Apprentice rank? I wondered. But if so, why don’t all the other skills have a ‘Novice’ indicator next to them? And why isn’t Spears marked as an Apprentice too?

There were just too many unknowns. Normally, out on a mission, cut away from support, I’d go with a sure thing, but I had more options here than I normally did.

I sighed and brought my palms together. “Matsuel?”

Instead of answering directly, a serene church hymn started coming out of the direction of the Nexus, and a moment later an ethereal visage of an angel appeared over it.

“What the hell?” I asked.

“Called, I have appeared,” the angel replied, his transparent features blurring as its wings moved.

“That's a new look for you.”

“I have a priest now and just the faintest tickle of faith coming in, like a proper god. I’m making an effort to uphold my part.”

“Good for you. I have some questions.”

“Ah, yes, congratulations on completing your main quest, Herald. I’m not at all disappointed with you for going down the obvious route to achieve it.”

“Cut the crap. What’s the deal with the Integrated Weapons skill?”

The ethereal visage shook its head. “Such blasphemous words.

Is that a way to address your deity?”

“You wouldn’t have been one without me,” I pointed out. “Now spill.”

“Fine.” Matsuel rolled his eyes. “Integrated Weapons is an Apprentice-ranked magical skill. Unlike the much more common Novice-ranked skills that can be gained at any level, Apprentice ones can only be gained once a certain skill level prerequisite is met, in your case the Biomancer reaching the Apprentice rank.”

“I don’t follow. Is it better or not? It’s only level 4.”

“It’s Apprentice level 4, not the same as novice levels. Besides, levels aren’t everything. Is a level 10 rabbit stronger than a level 1
lion?”

“So it’s the lion-ranked version of combat skills?” I clarified. I liked the sound of that.

“You’re so hung up on simple definitions. I guess that’s what I get for selecting a meat-headed suit for a Herald.”

“Focus,” I said, ignoring his attempted jibe. I had no patience for fencing words with an overly clever VI. “What’s that skill, and is it better than the Spears one?”

“Fine. Integrated Weapon is the skill you would’ve gained when you first formed your claws and used them to fight. It governs all weapons you can make via Biocraft—though only those still integrated with your body. It’s more useful than the narrow focus of a spear, and as a higher-ranked skill, it will eventually carry better benefits, though it has one glaring disadvantage.”

“Which is?”

“Since this is a skill you can only get at the Apprentice rank, you won’t get an extra ‘rank up’ ability out of it. You can say that the bonus going from Novice to Apprentice is represented by its presence.”

“Got it, thanks,” I said, dismissing the figure.

The spectral entity remained, frowning at me. “You know my presence here is not a simple phone call you can hang up on, right?”

“Unfortunately,” I grumbled.

“There is more I need to tell you. Things that you should be aware of.”

“Such as?”

Matsuel hesitated. “I’m not allowed to say too much … just …

whatever you're looking for … it’s not a static thing. Events in NEO
tend to evolve organically, based on players' actions. That’s a general enough tidbit for me to share. Your actions carry consequences. You should stop and … think things through.”

“Alright, message received.”

He shook his head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. The village is in

—”

His form blurred and disappeared, cutting him off mid-speech.

“Guess he was wrong about the hanging up thing,” I half-grunted, my thoughts churning. As much as I distrusted the VI, I wasn’t stupid enough to ignore his warning. I knew actions had repercussions in this game—like the utahsnapper I had unintendedly unleashed on Brinfold. This aspect of the game was remarkably like real life. I tried to think what else my actions could cause. I’ve alienated one, if not more, of the more powerful druids in this area.

Huyan was still out there, probably fuming about my presence and the fact that I had already reformed my conclave and established two budding colonies. I should have probably expected another retaliation. However, as far as I understood, stationed here, deep in the first zone, the elder was barred from unleashing the more dangerous beasts against me. As for the village … my standing with them was pretty good. Almost everyone liked me, including the mayor. I couldn't see any possible repercussions coming from there unless Derrick decided to give our rivalry another go, and I had no intention of stopping myself from killing him next time around. All in all, I concluded the most pressing consequence was that my presence here was like a sore wound in the forest. The best thing I could do was to keep doing what I was already doing and concentrate on becoming stronger and expanding my territory until I was able to weather whatever was thrown at me.

And that meant going after greater prizes.

I refocused on the still-hovering skill list. The high-level Spear skill was tempting, but it would be no use for my whip, and I was growing fond of the unusual weapon and its adaptability to my Biomancer abilities. “Integrated Weapons,” I said clearly, not wanting there to be any confusion at my selection.

You have gained a new skill: Integrated Weapons, level 14

(P)

Gain proficiency with all weapons that are either grown or permanently integrated into your body. Automatically add your Physical attribute’s value to a weapon’s base damage. Provide new weapon aspects based on their type. Higher ranks of this skill
will allow you to attack more frequently and increase the overall damage inflicted. Rank: Apprentice

Effect: increase damage potential by 14% (1/skill level) Oh yeah, I thought contentedly. So that was what my wayward god meant by saying Apprentice level wasn’t the same as normal ones. Skills reached apprentice rank once they hit level 11, which now explained why it was listed as ‘Apprentice 4’ before.

I was eager to form my various weapons and examine their new stats, but I had to conserve what little biomass I had left. I’d have the opportunity soon enough.

I was about to leave when a soft voice spoke. “Uh-oh.”

21 - Leeching

I turned to stare at the wobbly new Drudge. A sound like that of a branch snapping came from it as he moved unsteadily to one side, and I could see a single broken limb was left behind.

“Keeper, I’m not sure what is happening,” Xin said, a touch of alarm now accompanying his soft voice.

“Damn it,” I said as I realized what was going on and briefly opened the conclave interface to confirm my suspicions. The Drudge entry now read 2 out of 1. This colony couldn’t support another Drudge, and as a result, Xin was slowly fading away. “We need to take you to the other colony, now.”

“Keeper, I can’t survive outside the colony’s area for long.”

“We have no choice. I’ll try to do it fast.” I wasn’t about to lose the considerable investment this creepy-looking servant represented.

I grabbed the center of his body, hoisting his 16-kilo bulk in my arms.

The long trailing limb stuck unpleasantly to my side, but I ignored it.

Xin’s stats had shown his HP was at 25 out of 30. I had to hurry.

I started running, using the downward elevation to build momentum. The second colony was close enough for me to reach it within minutes at maximum speed.

“Keeper, I don’t think—” Xin started saying, but his voice changed to a shrill shriek as I stepped over the border and into the forest. He quivered in my grasp, sounds of cracking coming out of his body as fractures started appearing over its boney exterior.

I ran as fast as I could, Xin’s HP falling by one every few moments.

I heard a cracking sound, louder than the others, and a large crevice appeared at his center. Two legs fell off, drying up and turning into dust before even hitting the lush ground.

“Keeeperrrr,” Xin’s voice was slow and full of pain, his HP
trickling down to 4.

“Hold on, we’re nearly there!” I shouted, recognizing the hill on top which laid my other colony. I tried using Fleshweave on it, but the silvery substance simply flaked off its body.

“Sorrrrrr.”

With a new burst of speed, I flashed up the hillside, finally entering the colony's area. “We’ve made it.”

There was no response.

I looked down at my arms. Nestled between them was a bundle of dried-up bones that were already turning to dust. The withered long tendril fell to the ground with a wet thud, then slowly absorbed into the fleshy ground.

I was too late.

“Shit,” I breathed. A weird sensation tugged at my gut. I barely knew the morbid-looking Drudge before it died, but it was my teammate, and I’d failed to save his life. I recalled the last word he tried and failed to utter fully; ‘sorry’. It died because of my short-sightedness, and it still tried to apologize for failing to serve me. “I’m sorry,” I said to the quickly vanishing remains.

Then, they too were gone.

I shook my head violently. What the hell is wrong with me? I berated myself. This is just virtual reality, soldier, and you have a mission to complete. Nothing else matters.

I forced myself to focus. The ordeal with Xin was unfortunate, but it was also a learning opportunity. I now knew what happened when a deathless creature got out of the conclave area. And I now knew better than to make more than a colony could support. That hard-learned lesson was now etched deep in my soul.

A good soldier learned from his mistakes.

I turned away from the colony, walking deeper into the forest. I knew of only one sure way of settling my emotions.

It was time to go out killing.

***

It was past noon when I made it to the menhir line.

Nothing worth hunting had crossed my path as I made my way through the trees, but I did pause long enough to grab a level 1
rabbit, bringing it along with me for the ride. My expected soon-to-be
prey was a higher level than me, so I needed all the advantage I could get.

I considered spending time hunting more, but I quickly let go of that notion. The rabbit squirmed, trying to escape, making it challenging for me to try and move silently. It was impossible to put a living creature inside my inventory or I would have done so. It was risky bringing it into the more dangerous part of the forest, but I knew that without a basic atrofield in place, I had very little chance at withering the higher-level creatures that roamed here.

This was a new part of the second area I hadn’t been to before.

The tree trunks had leafy branches growing out all over their length, and the wide, green foliage obscured most of my sight.

It was also very humid here, and the rich ground was wet, some parts enough so to form actual puddles.

I walked through the wet environment for 10 minutes without encountering any creature. What was more baffling was that even Essence Sight had failed to detect any recent signs of activity. The best I could see was vague signs of creatures at least a day old, most of which appeared in large smears on the leafy trunks.

The rabbit started kicking madly all of a sudden, nearly getting loose from my hold. “Stop that,” I said hoarsely, shaking the annoying critter.

Something fell on my arm, engulfing the rabbit and my entire limb, its weight pulling it down. I blinked in a moment of amazement, trying to understand what I was seeing. More than anything it looked like a giant dark booger. And it was heavy. A second later the creature’s information popped open over my view.

Giant Forest Leech, level 12, 120 hp

The rabbit was just a white blotch underneath the translucent dark blob. It chirped once and stopped moving. Its mass started dissolving, absorbed into the larger one just as a sharp pain pierced my arm.

Thankfully, I already Withered the rabbit in advance, so even though it didn’t die by my hand, its death still caused a gray circle to erupt around us.

And not a moment too soon.

Giant Forest Leech stings you for 15 damage (25 base - 10
armor)

You are poisoned [Paralytic toxin]

Buff gained [Poisonapathy]: Physical attribute has increased by 1. Duration: 5 min

It was the same poison the spindlers’ spikes held, though judging by the much longer duration, the leech’s was the more potent one.

My health, which had been reduced to 95 by the sting, jumped back to 105 as the poisonapathy bonus took hold, but I didn’t waste time pondering the issue. I had a meaty morsel to harvest.

I blasted a pulse of Wither through my arm, and the quivering mass instantly became rigid as the ability took hold, gray opaque patches spreading over its damp, see-through body.

Wither has sapped 10.3% of the target life (-12 HP) I considered forming my usual claws but had a better idea. With its gelatinous mass engulfing my arm, the leech was trying to grapple me, and that was a stupid move to take against a Biomancer. Instead of forming claws, I channeled the same amount of biomass over the length of my arm.

Sharp bone spikes erupted out of my flesh around my limb, piercing the leech's quivering body.

You have hit giant forest leech for 2 damage

([14 base + 58% Wither bonus] -90% physical resistance) I stared in amazement as the giant leech flowed between the spikes up my arm, seemingly unperturbed by the serrated edges. It reached my chest and started spreading over my torso.

“Hell no,” I growled, blasting it with another Wither. Taking advantage of its short moment of immobility, I flung it off my body.

The quivering mass touched the wet ground and seemed to collect itself, forming its body into a snail-like shape, raising its front and presenting me with a circular maw full of long, needle-like teeth.

I discarded the spikes protruding from my arm as I formed the familiar whip and lashed it at the abhorrent creature. The bladed tip passed through its body almost like it was made of water, carving out a minuscule amount of dark flesh.

Whip hit giant forest leech for 2 damage

([13 base + 58% Wither bonus] -90% physical resistance) My base damage was higher than ever, but it was still insufficient against a creature that was largely immune to physical damage. The strike delivered the third and final stack of Wither into the leech, making it shiver on the spot as the grayness continued to spread over its body.

But it was soon free of the debilitating energy and crawling my way again. It wasn’t fast enough to catch me, but I couldn’t just turn tail and run. This was the lowest level creature I encountered so far in the second zone. I needed to harvest its XP and biomass. And besides, I was pissed, and I wanted my pound of flesh.

I gave the creature a few more lashes as it closed in on me. The bladed tip tore almost futilely through its body as the inflicted wounds morphed and closed merely seconds after. My wounds were also closing but not nearly as fast. With 110 HP, I was still 20 short of my newly buffed maximum. And as for the leech …

Giant Forest Leech, level 12, 76/80(120) HP [withered x3]

Despite having Withered a third of its health away, it was still barely injured. My repeated attacks were barely enough to keep it from healing up completely.

“Damn it,” I said as I kept stepping away from the advancing monster, lashing at it repeatedly. “Damn it, damn it, damn it.” What I really needed was a flamer. One good burst of fire would no doubt be the end of the watery creature. But I didn’t have a flamer at hand, nor any of its ‘magical’ equivalents. This was more of Bert’s domain.

Mine was flesh.

As the giant leech kept creeping closer and closer, I could make out the desiccated flesh Wither had wreaked on its body. I could see the jelly-like substance quivering underneath, and I could sense the malignant energy I’d injected into it. I was still not used to having this new sense, but I trusted my instincts. I could feel a connection to it, so, doing the only thing that made sense, I concentrated on that blotch of my infecting influence, willing it to expand.

It worked, but not quite as I thought.

Instead of the necrotic tissue spreading over the rest of the leech’s body, a stream of silvery-gray biomass erupted out of my own, shooting through toward my target. The substance touched the withered body parts and seemed to seep into them, draining the last few kilos I had in store.

The leech stopped its advance abruptly and started quivering in place. Meaty bulges started appearing all over its body, phasing in and out in ungainly masses.

Giant Forest Leech, level 12, 76/80(120) HP [Withered x3, Medium Corruption: Solidified]

Another larger notification appeared over my view, but I instinctively pushed it aside. There would be time for reading later.

Taking advantage of the creature’s plight, I renewed my attacks, lashing at it, again and again. This time, when the bladed tip hit one
of the bulges, it erupted, spilling dark matter and gore on the ground.

The leech started crawling over to me again, but its movements were severely hampered by the bulges, and I easily kept my distance while continuing to shred it with my whip. When it was down to its last few health points, I finished it off by forcibly drawing its withered biomass using the synergy. With half its body instantly gone, the leech fell apart, shedding pieces all over the damp ground.

Giant Forest Leech defeated!

+25% progression toward next level

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 19

That was more like it. The malignant deathless energies that saturated the dead creature’s body spilled out into the existing atrofield, increasing its radius and rank. I absorbed the leech’s remains, picking the loot it left behind.

Biomass absorbed 35.3%: 21Kg

Leech poison gland

Contains the powerful neurotoxin of a giant forest leech.

Type: crafting component

As soon as the liquified remains refilled my depleted storage, my wounds started closing up again, hungrily consuming the vital material, converting it into skin and muscles.

I let my health refill while turning my attention to the oversized notification that still awaited at the edge of my vision.

You’ve gained a new Biomancer ability: Corruption Using the link formed by Wither, you can inject a victim with biomass, causing a range of debilitating effects.

The amount of biomass required is determined by the target’s size and mass, with higher quantities required for larger creatures.

Higher biomass percentage intensify the effect: 1% - minor, 5% -
medium, 10% (max) - major.

Cooldown: 10 seconds.

Rank: Apprentice

Effect: inject a withered target with biomass up to 2kg / skill-level

I winced reading the gory-sounding ability. If the visual effects were any indication, the actual effect itself was highly unpleasant to its victims. As a straight-up Apprentice-rank ability, there was no doubt it was a powerful one that would serve me well in my future fights. The only downside was the biomass cost. I already had a large consumption need for that resource to build up my conclave. If I wanted to face some of the larger predators like the utahsnapper or the uberbear, I’d probably have to invest at least 50 kilos of biomass to affect them fully. Not that it was possible at the moment, seeing as my Biomancer skill level only allowed me to use up to 38 kilos at a time.

Glancing at my character sheet, I saw my level progression was at 89%. Once again, fighting higher level, though disgusting, opponents was proving its worth. I just need to kill one more leech to level up, I thought. The problem is finding—

I didn’t get to complete my introspection as another shape dropped down on top of me, completely covering my head and shoulders, forcing me down to my hands and knees. Several additional wet thuds followed as more leeches rained down on me. I was stung all over, my health instantly dropping to 40, a third of my total.

With no time to waste, I blasted a Wither Nova through the atrofield and felt all the damp lumps surrounding me freeze in place.

I struggled to my feet, but had to use another Nova to hold my attackers at bay while I removed the one over my face. Once I did, I took a step back, taking in the amorphous shapes around me. Four
leeches were quivering on the ground, the closest already inching toward me. Unfortunately, since I had to use the area form of Wither, they only received 50% of the full effect each time, so they each only lost 6 of their max HP . I moved to quickly compensate for the problem by lashing each one with my whip, delivering a full Wither blast into their bodies.

Giant Forest Leech, level 12, 88/90(120) HP [withered x3]

All four monsters showed the same details. As one, they all snapped off the debilitating energies, moving forward like a single-minded mass, the whip lashes already disappearing from their amorphous bodies.

Two minutes ago, I’d have been helpless against that group, but now I knew how to handle them.

Feeling the cold embrace of the atrofield around me, I tried forcing my biomass to flow through it, to reach all of my targets.

But this time, it didn’t work. It looked like Corruption couldn’t synergize with atrofield. Or I wasn’t doing it right.

The closest leech reared up, its circular maw attaching itself to my leg, biting through my leather pants and causing my health to drop down to 18 points.

With clenched teeth, I focused on the attacking creature.

“Corruption!”

A stream of biomass shot out of my body and entered the leech’s, dropping my reserves by 6 kilos before I could try and control the flow.

The leech instantly let go of my leg as huge bulges appeared all over its body pulsing randomly across its insides.

Giant Forest Leech, level 12, 74/80(120) HP [Withered x3, Major Corruption: Solidified, Bleeding 5]

The quivering fleshy body tore apart at random locations, spilling its liquid-like insides without me even having to hit it with my bladed whip.

I quickly walked away from it, keeping my distance from the other three leeches who were still trying to get to me. I had 15 kilos of biomass remaining. It was not enough to give them all a maximum dose of Corruption, and the one I already hit was still a long way from dying to provide me with more. I could, of course, absorb their withered flesh, but then their wither state would be lifted, allowing them to regain their full health and preventing me from targeting them with Corruption. To make matters worse, I was badly injured.

Another surprise attack would be all it took to kill me. I had precious little biomass left to fuel my abilities, and if I used it incorrectly, I might lose. I narrowed my eyes as my training kicked in: location, covering your flanks, offense.

I drew back from the slow-moving creature, buying me enough room to activate another ability. “Fleshweave.”

+19 HP

Biomass: -9kg

The deep holes across my body started to close, bringing my total health up to 37. That was enough to withstand another single attack, so it would have to do for now. With only 6 kilos of biomass remaining, I had to find a way to finely control my newfound ability.

I concentrated on the closest Leech, noticing the one I’d inflicted earlier was barely able to crawl forward, and activated the ability.

“Corruption.”

The stream of biomass that jumped out of me was larger than I anticipated, though I managed to control it from exhausting my storage, dropping it to 3 kilos instead.

Giant Forest Leech, level 80/80(120) HP [Withered x3, Medium Corruption: Solidified]

The leech froze up as tumors, albeit smaller than its predecessor, started appearing all over its body. I couldn’t use the Corruption ability again for 10 seconds, so I focused on attacking instead, aiming my whip at my first victim.

Whip hit giant forest leech for 47 damage (15 base * 58%

Wither bonus * 2 critical hit)

The bladed whipped ripped open the leech’s skin like a bloated balloon, spraying chunky gore all over the ground. The smell was terrible.

Surprisingly, the creature was still not dead. Even with the gruesome injury, its high level awarded it enough health to withstand the damage, though leaving it with only 20 HP.

One of the two unafflicted leeches nearly reached me again.

Corruption had just come off cooldown, so I used it against it. This time, I managed to control the flow, cutting it off as soon as I felt the first effect take hold, spending only half of my remaining 3 kilos of biomass in the process.

Giant Forest Leech, level 90/90(120) HP [Withered x3, Minor Corruption: slowed]

The bulges that appeared now were the smallest, barely hindering its body fluidity, though it significantly slowed its advance.

By now the advancing leeches forced me out of whip range from the nearly dead one, so I couldn't deliver a killing blow without opening myself for an attack. I lashed the solidified one twice instead, noting with satisfaction as each strike shaved 20 HP of its body.

With my current target’s HP reduced to just above half, I finally felt Corruption coming off cooldown and wasted no time inflicting the last leech with my remaining biomass. The same small bulges appeared inside its body, slowing down its advance to a crawl.

The fight was now mine to control. There was no way for the four leeches to catch up to me with their speed reduced below even my normal walking speed. I carefully circled them, keeping them within the atrofield area. I easily circled back to the first leech whose bleeding status left it a hair’s breadth from death and ended its poor existence with a final lash of my bladed whip.

As soon as the balloon-like creature died, I reached through the atrofield, absorbing its biomass. “Fleshweave.”

The silvery-gray stream split, half of it flowing straight over my wounds as the abilities' synergy doubled the healing effect.

+38 HP

Biomass: -18kg

With my health back at a safe 76 HP, over half my total, I finally felt safe enough to relax. Even if more leeches fell from the trees, I felt confident in my ability to survive, especially as my heightened regeneration rate was already working on closing my wounds.

Fleshweave was a resource-intensive ability, however, leaving me with only 2 kilos out of the leech’s biomass. But that was all I needed.

I targeted one of the two leeches who were only slowed, injecting it with another one and a half kilos. That was enough to raise its Corruption status to medium, activating the solidify debuff that made it susceptible to my weapons. Making sure to stay clear of the crawling creatures, I lashed the two solidified leeches repeatedly, finishing them off by absorbing their biomass and withered state.

Then, with a simple mental command, I willed their biomass to me and infected the last one, which quickly met the same fate as its friends.

“About damn time,” I said with a grunt. The battle must have taken no more than two minutes all in all, but the intensity and hyper-focus it required of me was exhausting. I had been hovering at the edge of death for a moment there, but I pulled through. And for that, I earned my reward.

Giant Forest Leech defeated! X4

+85% progression toward next level

Level up!

You have reached level 11

Spirit attribute +1 (Physical +0.75, Mental +0.5, Social

+0.25)

I collected the four new poison glands the leeches had dropped and absorbed their remains, bringing my biomass storage total to 64
kilos. It wasn’t bad, but the experience served to deepen my realization of how dependent I was on that resource. It could have easily been a gain of over a hundred if I’d been more cautious and didn’t have to divert a significant portion of the mass toward healing my injuries.

Still, the leeches were a great target for some quick experience.

Once I’d found their weakness, killing them was easy. I was especially pleased by my newly acquired combat skill proving its worth. I never once inflicted less than 15 points of damage and more than once went above 20—not factoring in that one incredible critical hit that did nearly 50. I felt powerful in a way I never felt before. It wasn’t the same as back in real life. I knew I could beat most men in hand-to-hand combat, but to actually be able to put a value on the strength of my attacks was a whole new experience. A couple of lashes from me would now be enough to kill almost anyone at Brinfold. I felt pretty confident in my ability to tackle some of the stronger beasts I’d encountered before. Not the utahsnapper or the uberbear yet—that was for later—but the giant wargs, tuskers, and maybe even the bonetis … well, I felt like I had a good chance against those. As long as I could inflict them with Wither. That was the key to my powers. Once I withered an enemy and weakened it, it was more susceptible to damage and primed for my Corruption
ability. But if I had to face an enemy strong enough to resist my attempts … I’d be in trouble.

I could always carry more rabbits with me as a sort of atrofield grenade, but taking them along was cumbersome, not to mention noisy and distracting. I had to find a better way of doing that. An obvious solution was to increase my conclave and form more colonies. A colony manifested its own area of atrofield, giving me a decisive home-field advantage. But I knew better than to expand blindly. The druid elder was gunning for me, and I had to be careful not to give him another excuse to unleash its power against me. For now, I’d have to continue and take it one fight at a time. But once I was ready, I was planning to build a colony right at the center of his stinking forest and show him just what I could do.

But that was for much later.

“Sal,” I called, pointing my arm downward.

The Soul Serpent materialized in a stream of biomass and immediately went to work on the leeches’ remains, voraciously devouring their leftover soul fragments. His body continued to grow as he ate, reaching 2.5 meters in length and increasing his Physical attribute to 8. He was catching up to me quickly in terms of raw power, but I still felt it was too dangerous to bring him out to help me fight in this section of the forest. He had amassed 228 soul fragments by now, and it would all disappear if he died and had to be recalled.

So once he finished gorging himself, I recalled the serpent back into my arm and set out.

I needed to get the drop on more leeches, and hopefully, not the other way around.

***

It took me a while to get the hang of it. It seemed that leeches only preyed over the small puddles that were sparsely spread across the damp forest floor. Once I realized that it was a simple matter of stepping into a puddle to disturb it and springing their ambush, I
mostly managed to dodge their attacks in time, only getting stung twice more.

I never managed to lure in as many leeches at once as before, only one or two at most. It seemed that being attacked by four at once on my first time was just a fluke of bad luck.

Biding my time, I repeated the same tactic, again and again, always opening by hitting them with Wither. Seeing as the creatures were only a level higher than me, they managed to resist about half the attempts, making it easy to inflict them after several repeated attempts. Once Wither had settled in, I inflicted them with Corruption, diverting exactly 3 kilos each time, which was enough to bring them to the ‘medium’ rank, slowing them down and making them solid enough to finish off with my whip. The repeated attacks brought up my Integrated Weapons skill to level 15, increasing my damage potential by an additional point.

After killing two more, I gained another level, reaching 12, which put me on the same footing as the leeches. After that, they never resisted further Wither attacks, making killing them all that much easier. The only downside was that the XP they awarded fell to 10%.

Still, that was more than worth my time.

As the light dwindled, it became harder and harder to find more of the leeches, and by the time the sun was almost fully gone, I couldn’t find them at all.

All in all, I’d accumulated another 10 poison glands and around 180 kilos of biomass, bringing my total to 240, just 40 shy of my maximum.

I eventually gave up on finding more before it was dark. I was already having trouble picking my way through the dark forest, so, almost reluctantly, I started making my way back.

At first, it was easy to follow my own tracks back using Essence Sight, but after my third time arriving at the same large, smeared area of the first battle site, I had to stop and admit I was lost.

I wasn’t sure what to do next.

I wasn’t afraid of the dark, or being attacked and killed by monsters, but after a full day of adventures I was tired, and all things equal, I had preferred to spend the night at the comfortable inn,
sipping a gritty glass of spirit. But that didn’t seem like a possibility tonight.

I found a relatively dry spot and collected some wood for a fire, only to realize I had no way of starting one. I didn’t particularly need it for warmth or to cook something, but having some light in the dark forest would have been nice.

Shrugging it off, I curled down on the ground and studied my newly updated stats.

Name: Seraph

Race: Human [Deathless, rank 0]

Title: Herald

Level: 12 (94%)

HP: 142 (regen: 26.4 per min)

Armor: 20

Attributes:

● Spirit: 12

● Physical: 10

● Mental: 6

● Social: 3

Skills:

● Essence Sight: 14 (M)

● Coercion: 8 (S)

● Integrated Weapons 15 (P)

Spells:

● Biomancer: 19 (Sp)

○ Wither

○ Biomass

○ Biocraft

○ Fleshweave

○ Corruption

Traits:

● Atrophy [manifest atrofield on kills]

● Poisonapathy [varies poison effect]

● Deathless [+1 Physical, critical hit multiplier immunity]

● Companion Symbiosis (absorb companion - level 10 bonus) My new and improved character sheet seemed twice as long as when I started. At one time, I’d have probably been thrown off by all the weird abilities and numbers, but my development had been gradual enough that I understood every part of it. Giddy would have been elated seeing me now. I was a veritable gamer.

I looked around, trying to figure out what else I could do. There was no sassy, dark-haired inn manager to carry a conversation with or overly-nosy innkeeper to offer me my usual spirit shot. Though there was no convenient alternative for the first, I thought I might be able to supplement the other. I took out one of the leeches’ poison glands and examined it closely. It looked like a semi-flexible, obsidian-colored bladder, about the size of my fist.

Shrugging, I brought it to my mouth and bit down on the rubbery material. Not being able to eat or drink was probably working in my favor now as I wasn’t able to ‘taste’ anything particular other than the sandy texture. That was a shame. I was hoping that being listed as a poison component meant it would be considered as an actual poison. I could have used a tasty appetizer at the moment, but that wasn’t in my cards. With an annoyed grunt, I surmised that as a crafting component, it probably required some processing before becoming something I could consume.

Putting the partly chewed gland back in my inventory, I held out my hand and summoned my companion. “Sal, climb a tree, keep watch while I sleep. Wake me if anything approaches.”

“Yess, massterr,” the soul serpent hissed and effortlessly slithered up the nearby tree trunk.

Putting my back against a thick bush, I closed my eyes.

Though I trusted Sal, my companion wasn’t exactly a watchdog.

I hoped I wouldn’t be eaten by leeches in my sleep. That would make for some truly rude awakening.

***

“Massterr!”

I woke up, eyes still closed to the merry sound of a crackling fire. I always enjoyed camping, and waking up in the wild to a nice blazing campfire was a great way to start the day.

My blood froze in my veins as my waking mind caught up to a crucial fact: I didn’t manage to start a fire before going to sleep. The warning came too late.

I sprang up to a sitting position, finding a familiar, hated figure standing nearby. With his eyes narrowed and one foot tapping the ground, Huyan, the druid Elder that had killed me once before, stood menacingly over me.

“Good morning,” he said with obvious sarcasm.

I glanced up at the sky. It was barely dawn. “What do you want?” I asked, carefully rising to my feet. Despite my two recent level-ups, the elder druid was almost 40 levels higher than me and could snuff me out like a candle. Or light me up as one, I thought darkly.

“I thought I made it clear you’re not wanted here, abomination.

Clearly, burning you to death wasn’t enough of a deterrent. I’ll have to make this death more notable, it seems.”

“Wait,” I said, raising both hands. “I’m just hunting giant leeches.

It’s not like I’m murdering cute bear cubs or anything.” Sal slithered to my side, and I raised my arm toward him.

“Those leeches,” the druid seethed as I absorbed the snake,

“are an important piece of a fragile ecosystem. By hunting them so excessively you’ve interrupted the natural balance. And for that, you will pay.”

“Screw you,” I said, materializing my twin claws. “If you kill me, I’ll just respawn and come here again. And if you move against my conclave, I’ll come back twice as hard to rebuild it.” With Sal safely absorbed, I wasn’t worried about dying.

“If I ever catch you in this part of the forest again”—the elder’s voice was as scorching as a desert’s sun—“I won’t let petty rules come in my way. Everything has its roots. I’ll find yours and rip them out.” His hands erupted in flames, and the nearby branches started snaking toward me. “And now—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I said. “Burn.” I leaped at him, both claws leading the way, itching to score just a tiny scratch to give my deathless energy a chance to infect him.

But it was useless. The intense flames burned my claws to ash and melted the flesh off my bones. Having gained a few levels since our last meeting was not enough to withstand his power, though the extra HP made a difference. I survived a few seconds longer than before, which gave me more than enough time to fully appreciate how excruciating being burnt alive truly was.

While my health bar plummeted like a shooting star, I somehow managed to notice a shallow puddle that wasn’t there before, just before the druid’s feet, and I plunged into it.

“It is hopeless—the man sneered down at me—“no water can quench these flames.”

Despite feeling the skin peeling off my face, I still managed to smirk up at him. “I wasn’t trying to.”

An instant before my health reached zero, I caught a glimpse of a dark shape falling from the tree on top of the hated man.

I died laughing.

22 - Reflection

You have died

Death debuff: Spirit attribute reduced by 4. Duration: 8
hours

I respawned back at Brinfold’s cemetery. This was becoming an unhealthy method of fast traveling. At least it was one way of getting out of being lost.

The death debuff was bad news as my Spirit attribute was the primary one that determined the other three. I glanced at my character sheet and saw that I was right. All my other attributes had fallen, with Physical getting the worst of it as it dropped by 3 points to 7. I was effectively reduced to the same Physical strength as I was at level 7, maybe a little stronger since my skill levels hadn’t suffered the same penalty, but it was still bad news. I couldn’t return to the second zone while this debuff was in effect. That wasn’t so bad, though. Glancing at the game’s internal clock I saw it was 4 am, meaning I could pass some of the time resting in my room. My biomass storage was close to full, so I’d have to stop by my colonies and continue to develop them. Hopefully, by the time I finished, the debuff duration would end.

The inn was dark and empty when I reached it, so I headed straight up to my room.

There wasn’t much time before sunrise—a couple of hours at most—but I would never again underestimate a leech-free rest.

***

The next morning I got up and went down into the common room, as usual, accepting my morning shot of spirit from Ron. I downed it in one gulp and momentarily considered ordering nine more to gain the speed buff. It wasn’t strictly necessary, but the
pleasant sensation it filled me with was the closest I could get to an actual alcohol buzz. With regret, I let go of that idea.

I frowned as I looked around the common room, picking up an undertone of tension among the inn’s patrons.

“Lyta”—I waved the dark-haired woman over and gestured around us—“what’s going on?”

She tilted her head. “Haven't you seen outside? What hour did you get back?”

“Pretty late,” I admitted. “There wasn’t much light, so I headed straight into my room.”

She frowned. “The recent attack got our mayor all jumpy, so he suggested … Oh, just head on outside, you’ll see.”

“Whatever it is you don’t seem thrilled about it,” I said, noticing her dour expression.

She shook her head. “It's just that these kinds of precautions were never needed. Something wrong is going on out there. The druids are in turmoil. They shouldn’t behave like that.”

“Like what?” As far as the villagers knew, a couple of animals and a rogue utahsnapper had attacked them. There were no actual sightings of the druids.

“Why don’t you go outside and have a look?”

“Alright.” I looked at her intently. “Do you want to come along with me?”

She looked at me in surprise that quickly changed into a knowing smirk. “Are you asking me out … of the inn?”

I had meant to gather more intel from her, as she was obviously more aware of things happening around us than the average villager, but her playful tone got me thinking. Something about the woman tugged at me. There was a mystery there I was curious to uncover.

“We sort of agreed to share our stories. This is as good a time as any,” I said, recalling one of our previous conversations.

She wiped her hands thoughtfully on a small towel. “Alright, I can spare a few minutes. Let’s take a walk.”

We stepped outside, and I immediately saw what Lyta was talking about. What looked like half of Brinfold’s villagers were busily toiling around the village’s fence, building it up and adding stronger
support beams. Already, half the fence had been converted into a stout, two-meter-tall palisade. It wouldn’t have stopped the utahsnapper or some of the other powerful beasts, but it was probably enough to hold them back long enough for the villagers to rally up their defenses.

“Looks like they’re upgrading the wall.” I turned to glance at the woman next to me. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“No.”

“Why?”

She hesitated. “This was meant to be a peaceful village.

Investing in any kind of warfare, even defense, goes against the soul of this place, slowly crushing the heart of the people living here.”

“It’s just a wall, Lyta,” I pointed out.

“For now.”

I couldn’t understand her viewpoint. Surely, a better defense was good for everyone involved, so I decided to change the subject.

“You were going to tell me how you got here,” I reminded her as we stepped away from the growing palisade and approached the flower-covered shrine at the center of the village.

“Not much to tell, hon.” She flashed me her familiar grin. “Been living here most of my life, taking care of people.”

“Everyone seems to like you,” I pointed out.

“Ooh, that’s nice of you to say.” She smiled. “Guilty as charged. I guess you can say I’m a people person. A lot of them come to me when they need help, and I do what I can to help them.”

“That’s … a rare talent,” I said, feeling a pang in the pit of my stomach. The woman, though not even real, was a better person than I was.

“Oh, I’m sure we’re not too different. You have helped plenty around here since you arrived.”

I shook my head. “I was trained to fight. Trained to hurt people.

That’s all I’m good at.”

Lyta’s eyes stared steadily into mine. “That’s a load of horse manure,” she said bluntly. “You did plenty of good. You saved Max out there, then you saved a whole lot of people when you helped fight that utahsnapper. You might be trained to fight, but that’s what
soldiers do. You fight to protect people, and that makes you a good person.” She squeezed my thinly corded bicep as if to emphasize her words.

“I don’t know about that,” I said in a low voice. “I was never really good with people. Not like you. I’m good at leading them into battle, but people need more than that. They need people like you.”

“True enough,” she said lightly, “but if all people were like me then who would be left to protect the rest?”

I let out a short chuckle. “Don’t give me that. The way you fought was amazing. I don’t think there’s a single hunter in the village who could have hurt that monster as much as you did. How did you do it?”

She winced. “Just something I picked in my misspent youth.”

She was trying to deflect, that much was obvious. Whatever was in her past that made her such a fierce warrior, she seemed to feel hesitant to share, which only prompted me to talk more about my past.

“I was never like you,” I said slowly as we sat down on a simple log bench meant for people who wanted to pray at the shrine. “I was always a hothead. I never felt connected to anything unless I was fighting or training to fight. So that’s what I did.”

Her hand touched my shoulder tenderly. “Must've been hard,”

she said, her voice warm and caring, “to feel like an outsider all that time.”

I shrugged. “I guess. I mostly focused on studying martial arts, doing sports, and eventually joined the army. That’s where I felt I most belonged.”

“What about your time before enlisting, then?”

“As I said, I practiced and filled my time with various sports. I had decent grades, nothing special, but enough so that my athletic achievement carried me through.”

“What about other people then? Did you only hang out with your fellow sports partners?”

“Mostly.” I nodded. “I never managed to find a common language with any of the others. Well, except for my brother.” My chest tightened at the sudden recollection of his immobile form.

Lyta’s fingers clenched tighter around my shoulder. “Tell me about him.”

I hesitated. “We were complete opposites. Gideon was …

smarter than me. Had more friends. He was completely unathletic, so he always relied on me to watch his back.” I chuckled bitterly. “He was such a nerd. He used to lecture me enthusiastically for hours about whatever new game or D&D group he was involved in. It was such a bore, but he was so passionate about it that I usually humored him.”

“Sounds like you completed each other,” Lyta remarked gently.

I shrugged. “He’s my little brother, I had to look out for him.”

She shook her head. “You misunderstood my meaning. I meant to say you both needed each other. You took care of him with the physical side of things, while he took care of you with social and intellectual parts. You are both halves of the same circle. You need each other. Alone, each of you is broken.”

“If we were both halves of the same circle, then he was the better one of us,” I said, taken by surprise as my voice cracked. “He was the soul, and I … I was nothing. Just a thug.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself,” the dark-haired woman said, and I could feel her weight as she leaned against me. There was nothing intimate about it. Instead, it made me feel a little less lost, and I was grateful to her for it. She spoke slowly, and I could hear the hesitation as she carefully picked her words. “You keep saying

‘he was’ … Did something happen to your brother?”

I felt myself tense up as a sort of internal alarm started blazing inside of me. Despite Lyta’s obvious good intentions, I had to be careful of what else I said. The gods were listening. Literally. “He’s …

unwell,” I said. “I’m trying to help him.”

Her hand left my shoulder. “I’m sorry if it sounded like I was trying to pry. You have a heavy burden on your heart, Seraph—one which I think you’re not ready to unload. I think it's clear your brother means the world to you, and without him, you feel incomplete, and in a way you do. But remember this, hon”—her fingers lightly touched my chin, forcing me to look up at her—“you’re a good man on your own merits. There is more of your brother in you than you know. And
there’s no doubt in my mind that a part of you is within him, and that part will make him fight whatever illness he’s facing. And with your help, I’m sure he’ll make it through.”

Surprisingly, her words made me feel better. I wondered, for a moment, if that was what going to a psychologist felt like. I never bought into that heart-to-heart talk crap before, but maybe I was wrong. I chuckled as I realized how much about myself I shared with someone who was hardly more than a stranger—and a digital one at that. I only started talking about myself since we were discussing our pasts and Lyta seemed a little reluctant to share hers. Though, now that I thought about it, given her insight and people skills, she might have steered the conversation to reach this exact result, having me share my fears. It was hard to believe she wasn’t real. Hard to see her as anything else but a caring, sympathetic human being. Gideon would have liked her. I could easily visualize the two hitting it off.

“I … should get going,” I said slowly.

“Of course.” She smiled at me. “Come and talk to me whenever you feel like it.”

“I’m starting to understand your position in the village,” I said.

“Working in the inn suits you.”

She winked at me. “One does one's best.”

“You still haven't told me anything about yourself,” I reminded her. “Not really.”

“Well, maybe you should ask me for another walk sometime soon, and maybe I will.”

“I’d like that.”

“Gotta go now, hon,” she said with her usual business-like tone.

“Ron would get apoplexy if I left him tending the customers on his own for too long.”

I watched her leave, my mind still mulling over our discussion. A short while later, I got up. The conversation had focused my mind, and I felt better than I had in a long time. I was ready to resume my mission. I no longer wanted to just help Gideon get better, now I also wanted to bring him to Brinfold, show him the place and introduce him around. He’d be proud of me for the connections I’d made.

Looking down Brinfold's main—and only—street, I saw Robert.

The smith came out of his house and started stoking up the forge.

“Good morning,” I greeted him as I approached.

He paused from shoveling coal and looked up at me. “Ah, Seraph, glad ya came, lad. They’re ready.”

“The boots?”

“Yes.” He beamed at me. “Was dang tricky figuring out how to bend the metal to overlapping strips for the soles, but I got it eventually. Here.” He handed me a wrapped bundle from one of the shelves. “As promised, the first pair of plated boots are yours.”

Plate Boots

A pair of decently crafted metal boots

Type: Armor [leg]

Durability: 40/40

Armor: 18

“Very nice,” I murmured appreciatively, checking over the items.

The boots were thick and heavy, weighing at least 4 kilos. Their armor rank however was the best I’d seen in any one item so far, more than double that of my chest armor.

I equipped them to try them on and realized they wouldn’t do. I could move around well enough, but they still weighed me down, hampering my agility. I’d imagine a person clad from head to toe in similar steel armor could afford to be tied down a bit, shrugging off hits as they waded through enemies, but that wasn’t my combat style. I relied on staying light on my feet, evading hits, only relying on my armor to mitigate some of the damage that filtered through. This was a trade-off I couldn’t afford.

“They fit ya well,” Robert remarked as he watched me walking around. “If ya can get me a few more schemas, maybe we can make armor for the rest of your body.”

I shook my head. “I appreciate the thought, and I’ll certainly bring you any more schemas I find, but I don’t think this kind of armor is for me.”

“That’s too bad,” he said. “If ya want, the offer to pay you for the schema instead of trading you the boots is still on the table.”

I appreciated his offer. I couldn’t imagine any simple game character being as agreeable and responsive as the bald smith. He had done right by me, and I wasn’t about to take advantage of his friendship.

“No, that’s fine,” I said. “I still want to study the boot, see if I can use it as a template to create something with my own skills.”

“Ah, that sounds wise, lad,” Robert smiled at me. “Anything else I can do ya for?”

“Do you know if Dawn’s open yet?” I nodded toward the general shop.

“She should be … unless she’s out provisioning the people working on the wall.”

“I’ve seen them at work,” I said. “Looks like a smart idea to increase the village defenses.”

“Should have never gotten to that,” he grunted. “I came here

‘cause I thought this place was peaceful. A small, out-of-the-way place to practice my craft. Still, I guess hard times visit us all from time to time. Mayor Jazir got the right idea, a strong wall will help make things safer around here.”

I nodded. “See you later, Robert.”

“You take care of yourself, Seraph.”

I walked across the road toward Dawn’s shop. The woman was inside, berating a worker who was struggling to move a barrel full of nails. “Careful not to spill ‘em! They’ll take us a whole day to collect if you do!”

“The thing must weigh a ton, Dawn,” the man replied sourly. “I’m not a pack mule.”

He was trying to roll the barrel toward the front of the shop, barely holding it upright, tilted on its side. The closing lid was threatening to fall over, and a few nails started spilling out from the seam.

I was next to him in a flash, helping to hold up the tilted barrel.

“Careful now.”

“Seraph,” Dawn said with a relieved sigh. “Good thing you’re here. Do me a favor and help my dimwitted assistant to put the barrel outside? Willy should come over with his cart and haul it away soon.”

“Sure thing,” I said. The barrel was heavy, even only tilted on one side. Any other day, I might have had an easier time with it, but my reduced attributes made me feel every kilogram of nails the other man and I struggled to move. It only took a few minutes, and though I couldn’t become breathless, I felt my knees wobble as I finally approached the shopkeeper. “All done.”

“Good lad,” she said approvingly. “Now, what can I do for ya?”

“I got some things to sell,” I said, pulling out the 30 claws I’d collected and the 15 poison glands, one of which looked a little chewed out.

“Not a bad haul,” Dawn said approvingly as she looked through the collection. “That’s a good number of claws. Hope you didn’t have to depopulate the forest to get ‘em.”

I shrugged. “Just a couple of dens.”

She harrumphed. “Normally, I’d advise against such excessive hunting, but things seem different lately”—she looked me straight in the eyes—“so I’ll just say stay safe while you’re out there, alright?”

“Sure,” I said, the warmth of her tone taking me by surprise.

Dawn sounded as if she actually cared for me. I wasn’t used to being the object of such sentiments. Sure, I had the appreciation of my commanding officers and fellow squadmates, but it wasn’t the same thing as this woman’s almost maternal affection.

“Now what do we have here,” she muttered, picking one of the poison glands.

“That’s a leech’s poison,” I explained. “I encountered a few of them.”

“More than a few, I’d say,” she said distractedly as she studied them one by one. “That’s quite a find. Those would bring a pretty hefty reward in any large city, but I’m afraid I’d only be able to offer you 30 gold apiece. Maybe I can …” She drifted off.

Thirty apiece meant 450 gold right then and there. With that much, I’d be able to summon a couple of high proficiency soulseeds,
but her hesitation piqued my curiosity. “What can you do with them?”

She frowned, still examining the pile. “I’m not sure, but I might be able to refine it into an actual active reagent. There won’t be much demand for it here at Brinfold, but I should get a good price for the poison once the caravan gets here.”

I perked up my ears at the hinted conclusion. “You mean you’ll be able to process it into actual poison?”

She nodded. “Bleeding poison, I believe. The anticoagulant components in a leech’s gland are good for that.”

“I’d like to buy such poisons,” I said. “How much would it cost?”

“I’d have to estimate it based on potency, but at least a hundred gold per vial.”

“A hundred?” It seemed soulseeds were no longer the only viable expense anymore.

“At least,” she clarified. “Could easily get to 200 or more.”

“That’s a lot,” I said.

She offered me a faint smile. “Tell you what, why don’t you give me the 15 glands, and I’ll hand back five vials of poison—once I finish making them, that is. The end quality is unknown, so you won’t know what their actual value is until I make them, but all in all, you’d stand to earn by the exchange.”

“Deal,” I said, pleased by the offer. Giving her 450 gold worth of glands for the chance to get back at least 500 gold worth of poison was a great deal any time of day.

She chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised. At this point, you’re the only one in Brinfold who can get these glands, so it’s in my best interest to keep you happy.”

“Didn’t you just show your hand then?” I asked with a smile.

She winked at me. “At this point, I’m also the only one who can refine these things, so I still have my leverage. It's always best to enter a business partnership where both sides have equal say.”

“Well then, ma’am”—I saluted her with one finger—“here’s to a new partnership.”

“Stop by tomorrow and I should have the vials ready.”

“Will do,” I said and turned toward the door.

“Don’t forget the gold for them claws.”

I pocketed the 60 gold she handed me, bringing my total to 396, and left the shop.

I crossed the village, exiting through the town’s main entrance that was in the process of being upgraded into a thick, two-door gate.

As I walked through the forest toward the Fallen Tree colony, I let Sal out. The soul serpent emerged from my hand, assuming his usual form, and started slithering across the leaf-covered ground alongside me. With my current death debuff, Sal’s Physical attribute was higher than mine. Even without that advantage, the pace of his slithering matched my speed, indicating he could go much faster.

That, along with the fact that there was no beast in this part of this forest that could threaten either one of us gave me an idea. “Hey, Sal, want to go hunting by yourself?”

“I would be delighted, massterr,” Sal hissed.

“Go right ahead,” I gestured toward a dense part of the vegetation. “There are some fresh tracks over there, just don’t take too long, and join me at the nearest colony.”

“Yess, massterr,” he hissed, disappearing in a flash into the thick growth.

I kept on walking, catching dim sounds of snapping branches and animal cries in the distance.

To my surprise, the soul serpent had beaten me to my destination when I arrived there 10 minutes later. His two-and-a-half-meter-long body was laying in plain sight, the corpse of a snapper caught in his coils.

“That was quick,” I complimented him.

“It wass nothing, massterr,” Sail replied. “The beasst was feassting on a sssquirrel. It didn’t notice me until I caught it and crushed its life.”

“Good,” I said. “Then I want you to do that again. Harvest some more souls. Bring in more bodies to feed the conclave. If I’m not here when you’re back, come look for me in the Warg’s Den colony nearby.” I had several more hours to kill before the death debuff expired, so I might as well check both my colonies.

“Yes, massterr,” Sal hissed and slithered away, leaving the corpse of the snapper behind.

I tracked the snake as he moved out, and my eyes widened when I realized the unnatural new way in which he was moving.

Instead of simply slithering away on the ground, Sal’s head dove into the colony’s fleshy layer and disappeared, only to resurface a few meters away before diving back in, like a dolphin swimming. That was new.

I absorbed the snapper’s corpse, instead of waiting for the colony’s tendrils to get to it, and headed toward the Nexus. Gidul was nowhere in sight, so there was no one to interfere with me as I brought up the conclave’s interface and studied the details.

Conclave Interface

Tier: 2

Colonies: 2

Faith Points: 3.5 (3.5/day)

Biomass generation: 30kg/day

Biomass storage: 55/400kg

Local colony:

● Guardians: 4/4

● Radius: 56m/60m

● Structures: 3

● Deathless worker: 1/1

● Deathless combatants: 0/1

The conclave stats had improved significantly since when I’d first started. Already the meager daily biomass generation had jumped from 5 to 30, thanks in large part to the second colony upgrading the conclave to the second tier. I noticed the colony’s radius had also increased a little, indicating some critters had probably waded in during the night and found their end.

I put my hand on the Nexus and transferred the majority of biomass from my storage, leaving me with 30 kilos and bringing the
conclave’s total up to 280.

It was time for some upgrades, but I had to pause and think about what I wanted to achieve. Ultimately, I wanted to have many more colonies to increase my conclave tier and thus its strength, but making Nexus cores required a whopping 400 kilos of biomass, and if I’d gone that route, I’d have very little left to invest in defenses. It was more important to cement my holdings and make sure my existing colonies were as well defended as I could make them—
especially since I knew an angry, powerful druid was gunning for me.

This colony already had the full complement of four guardians and an Animal Caller, but it didn’t have the Burrower’s Nest my other colony had, which would be my next objective.

I sighed as I expended the majority of the conclave’s biomass on the structure as the Burrowers required 200 kilos to manifest.

The building started growing from the fleshy ground as soon as I approved the prompt. Meaty bulbs extended outward, surrounded by bone spines and veiny membranes.

Burrower’s Nest formation in progress

Time remaining: 16 hours

The estimated duration was long, but that was easily fixable. I directed Zul to switch back to the Nexus, and with the Drudge operating it, the time cut in half.

With that done, I didn’t see much point in remaining at the colony. There was only one more building left to raise, the Deathless Node, which supposedly allowed me to hold more than one Drudge in the same colony. It was bound to be helpful, but it was more important to raise a Soulforge in the other colony so I could summon a new Drudge directly in there. The advantage the little critters offered to the colony’s development time could not be ignored. Of course, I no longer had enough biomass to raise any structures. I had to wait out the death debuff before heading out to get more, but there was no reason not to head out to the Wargs’ Den colony. I might get lucky and find a couple of animals along the way, though it
looked more and more like the critters of this zone were now taking care to stay out of my way. Still, the other colony was a little closer to the second zone, so I’d be better placed to strike out when the time came.

I headed out of the Fallen Tree, reaching the second colony in just under 10 minutes. With my improved new ‘deathless’ sense, I could now feel a tendril of flesh extending out below the ground from the colony I’d just left, reaching toward the other colony. There was no question now the two were connected, though what that meant—
other than they were able to share resources—I couldn’t tell.

As I reached the other colony, I found the previously hollowed-out Warg’s Den peaceful. The two prick guardians I’d left behind seemed undamaged. That, along with the ragged remains of some furry animal hanging off a few protruding Burrower spines showed they had no trouble defending the place in my absence. Sal had also made an appearance, depositing a pair of rabbits at my feet. The small corpses dissolved as they were absorbed into the fleshy ground, barely nudging the conclave’s storage. Not every hunting trip could be a glowing success, unfortunately.

I needed 150 biomass to afford a new Soulforge, so that was a bust. I couldn’t do much with the 80 kilos the conclave had in store, other than maxing out the guardian number. So that’s what I did.

Seeing as my heightened skill level allowed me to invest 16
kilos for a single guardian, I sat down to rethink my approach. The crabs and pricks were heavy ‘tanks’ able to shrug off many hits, and their attacks were powerful for their size, but they weren’t very agile.

As a result, in the large-scale attack we defended against, a lot of the attackers filtered past the defender line and managed to attack the colony itself. I needed a guardian that could match their speed and at least delay them long enough for the heavier hitter to intercept.

I started with the general shape of an attack dog. Biomass poured out of me, forming the general, four-legged shape of a canine, but I wasn’t satisfied with the result. With a total of 16 kilos, the shape was the size of a poodle and clumsy looking. Using my hands, I started kneading and reshaping the mass. I made the legs
longer and elongated the torso. I discarded useless things like the tail, ears, and an actual head, focusing instead on making two long jaws that extended directly from a short neck. The result was ghastly.

The ‘dog’ looked emaciated, with barely enough meat stretched over its skeletal body to act as muscles. It had no skin, making it look like it was flayed. Its long claws firmly grasped the meaty ground, and its elongated skull-jaws gave it a horrifying appearance.

The creature was about the size of a German shepherd, though about a half of its mass, making it an extremely lean and vicious-looking predator.

Flayed Mongrel (receptacle)

Soul fragments required: 6

The name oddly suited the shape. I was also pleased to note that the soul fragment requirement was higher than before, which meant the resulting creature would start at a higher level.

“Sal.”

The soul serpent slithered over the immobile receptacle, tightening its coils around the torso and opening its mouth directly in front of the formidable jaws. Sal breathed, and a miasma of colors erupted out of his mouth and into the dog. The flayed mongrel shook itself once, then growled menacingly, opening its mouth wide enough to engulf a human head.

Flayed Mongrel (deathless), level 6, 66 HP

“Run around,” I commanded.

The dog started running, doing laps around the edge of the colony area. It was fast—faster than me. Using its sharp claws it was able to grab the fleshy ground and launch itself forward, going from standing to full speed in a flash.

“Good boy,” I murmured. I then made another mongrel, bringing the colony’s guardian count to the maximum of four.

Glancing at my debuff indicator, I saw I had just a couple more hours until it wore off and I could go hunting. Plenty of time to practice my skills.

“Sal,” I said distractedly as I looked over my status. “Go out hunting again.”

With my latest Biomancer skill increase, Biocraft had finally broken through to the twenties of mass coverage, and I wanted to see what I could accomplish with it. But first, I had some footwear to craft.

I took out one of the plated boots Robert had given me and sat it on the Nexus, studying it from all sides. It looked to be composed of many thin steel strips that were bent and fused to form the final shape. That alone gave me an idea for a new approach to the process, rather than trying to do the whole thing as a single mass. I concentrated on my legs, and biomass started seeping out of them, swirling around my feet, slowly solidifying into white bone. I maintained control over the swirling mass. Instead of letting it settle into what had previously looked like bone socks, I forced it to form into separate interlocking parts of thin bone strips. The mass solidified some more, making the individual pieces visible as they slowly interlocked into each other. The result didn’t look as refined as Robert’s, but at least it was wearable. The final stats more than made up for the shaggy appearance.

Bone Boots

Integrated item

Type: armor [feet]

Armor: 14

Coverage: 20%

Time remaining: 18 minutes, 55 seconds

That was an even better result than I’d hoped. The boots alone had nearly doubled my total armor rating of 20. Of course, that was the integrated version of the item I could do via Biocraft. I would have to dissolve the boots and recreate them as a separate item—
one that would be of a considerably lesser quality but would not count against the total mass coverage I could use the skill for. The ones I currently wore had only left me with 1% available to play with, which wasn’t enough for even a single hand claw. I took a few testing steps, followed by some quick combat footings. The integrated boots, though somewhat heavy, didn’t restrict my moves like the steel ones did, giving me a solid foothold with every step.

I winced at the waste as I dissolved the boots. It was a real shame, but there was no way around it. Having been made of bone, the new footwear was simply too expensive to create, both in terms of coverage and biomass, taking 8 kilos out of my supply of 50.

At least it explained why my earlier attempts had failed. My skill simply wasn’t up to the task of sustaining a bone piece of this size before. That train of thought led me to a new realization: my leather body armor had taken a total of 10% mass coverage, which meant that I could now craft it and every other piece of armor I wore into their bone versions.

I was eager to start experimenting, but I had to hold myself at bay. With only 42 kilos of biomass left, I couldn’t afford to spend too much on crafting. I needed it to make weapons, heal, and fuel my abilities for my upcoming fights. It was an annoying but unavoidable obstacle.

This was solved by the sudden appearance of my companion, returning much quicker than anticipated.

“Massterr, I have arrived.” Sal slithered into the colony, dragging an entire juvenile warg wrapped within his coils.

“Great timing, Sal,” I said, approaching and absorbing them both.

The soul serpent transformed into a stream of clear silvery substance that flowed into my left hand, while the warg dissolved into a puddle of grayish-silver that flowed into my right.

Biomass absorbed 36.9%: 26.9Kg

Sitting back down, I resumed Biocrafting, this time forming the boots on the ground next to me instead of growing them directly out of my body. Having already done it once, the process was now much easier, though the result was somewhat less glamorous than before.

Crude Bone Boots [Biocrafted]

Type: armor [feet]

Durability: 16/16

Armor: 5

The boots were not as polished as their integrated version, but they were still better than the simple shoes I started with, and they fit me perfectly when I equipped them, hardly restricting my movements at all. With 60 kilos of biomass remaining, I was good for some more experimentation.

Refocusing, I turned to try and remake my leather vest, taking advantage of the lesson I’d just learned. Instead of trying to create a single bone mass, I divided it into sections that locked in with one another, growing like thick rib bones that formed into a sturdy plate.

The piece came together in the rough shape of a vest, leaving armholes on the sides.

I took a step back once the process was finished and examined my handiwork, nodding in satisfaction. More than anything, the new armor vest looked like a single, solid slab of ribcage. Putting it on would look like I was wearing the skeletal torso of a giant, which would only make my barbarian visage even more feral. Still, I wasn’t about to dismiss an item based on its aesthetics, especially given its stats.

Crude Bone Vest [Biocrafted]

Type: armor [torso]

Durability: 16/16

Armor: 11

The armor value was higher by 5 than my leather vest, and the durability was double. I willingly unequipped my tattered leather armor, which was two points away from crumbling away, and donned the new bone piece instead. It felt a little bulky but didn't really restrict my movements. Since I made it without any sleeves, I was able to freely move my arms around, and with just a little practice, I was able to function as smoothly as before.

I still had enough biomass remaining for more experimenting, so I quickly remade my leather bracers and greaves using their bone equivalent. The bracers turned out as simple tubes that fit snugly around my arms. The greaves were a little trickier. I had to start over after the first try to form a joint for the knee, wasting another unnecessary 8 kilos of biomass in the process, but the final result was worth it. All the new items had double the durability of their leather counterparts and armor value that was roughly higher by half.

Standing clad in bone armor I imagined I looked like a sort of deranged barbarian covered in the bones of his enemies, especially with the fierce skull helmet with the protruding jaws. But I didn’t care what I looked like. The utility was all that mattered here, or, as the deathless saying went, Function Over Form. It suited me well.

Glancing at my character sheet, I saw my armor value had climbed from 20 to 34—a considerable leap.

I had recrafted every piece of armor, apart from the helm. It was already made of bone, so I doubted I could improve upon it, and it wasn’t worth the waste to test it. I was just about to call the end of this Biocrafting session when something occurred to me. The helm was the only armor small enough that even made of bone, it only took 10% of the skill total coverage. That meant I should be able to use its integrated version and still have enough coverage to fashion the weapons I needed.

I removed the helm and turned it over to look at it. It was covered with deep grooves and dents, evident of the many fights it had served to protect my head. The durability was down to 12 points

—about a third of the maximum. It was not quite low enough to justify a replacement, but that was not what I was aiming for.

Closing my eyes, I imagined a similar helm forming over my head, and I could feel the biomass streaming over my body toward my head. The substance somehow felt dry despite its liquid appearance. I could feel the bone plates extending over the top of my head and down the sides. The shifting bones reached down to my temples and extended into two ferocious-looking jaws that protected my cheeks. Instead of leather ribbons to protect my neck, pure bone flowed down the back, somehow remaining flexible enough to allow movement despite having solidified into a single mass.

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 20

“That’s a good sign,” I grunted, opening my eyes. The skill upgrading meant I had a little more spare coverage to use, but since the coverage had already passed the 20 threshold—thanks to the spell school bonuses—it didn’t seem prudent to try and recraft everything.

The helm felt good around my head. Snug and solid. I couldn’t, of course, examine my new appearance, so I opened my inventory and examined the new piece listed there.

Savage Bone Helm

Integrated item

Type: armor [head]

Armor: 10

Mass: 10%

Duration: 19 minutes, 55 seconds.

I let out a low whistle. The integrated version had over twice the armor value of the unintegrated one, pushing my character’s total armor value to 40. That alone would have been enough to give me a fighting chance against the tougher beasts.

All the Biocrafting I’d done had left me with merely 12 kilos of biomass. It was less than I’d intended to have for my next battle, but I decided that the results justified the expense. And apparently, I wasn’t the only one thinking that.

“Well, now that’s more like it,” a familiar high-pitched voice spoke.

I turned around, unsurprised to find Gidul had once again snuck up on me. “Where have you been?”

“Around.” He shrugged, examining the colony approvingly. “The conclave is coming together nicely.”

So, apparently, he wasn’t complimenting me on my new attire.

“There’s no shrine in this colony either,” the green druid continued. “We need a shrine if we want to be able to channel our faith to the mighty Matsuel.”

“I see you take the role of a devout priest pretty seriously,” I said.

“I have an excellent reason to,” the goblin piped back, his red eyes gleaming in glee.

“Which is? …”

“Look!” He pointed in triumph.

I turned to where he was pointing. At the edge of the colony was a small protrusion from which a few leafy branches pushed through.

The stems were covered in thorns, and the leaves were as red as blood.

“Nature is already evolving,” Gidul said ecstatically. “I was right!

We will sweep through the entire forest, eradicating weakness, leaving a better, stronger one in our wake.”

“I’ll let you take care of that one,” I said, cracking my neck. Only a few minutes were left in my debuff timer. If this was to be my last day in the game for this session, I intended to make the most of it.

“As for me … I’m going out to test my new gear.”

23 – Pushing On

I gave up on hunting more rabbits—aka atrofield grenades—and just ran to the closest menhir.

My growing conclave had a huge biomass demand, and though it generated some on its own, it was no way close to what I needed to expand it. I needed bigger, meatier game to hunt, and that meant no more wasting time on leeches. Now that the XP they awarded me had also dropped, it was time to step up my game and start going after a larger prize.

I arrived at the menhir line marking the forest’s second zone with eight whole minutes remaining in my integrated helm’s timer, hoping that would be enough for me to find suitable prey. The previous helm was safely tucked inside my inventory, but the higher my armor value was, the better my chances were.

I realized it was probably a stupid idea to burst out through the vegetation, hoping I’d encounter something I could kill, but I couldn’t shake off the sense of power my new equipment and skills awarded me. This was another aspect of gaming I could finally relate to. Being deadly felt good.

My luck held this time around as I burst out of the undergrowth into a small clearing, surprising a tusker who was munching on some roots. The powerful beast growled as it spotted me, lowering its head and pointing its enormous front tusks at me.

Forest Tusker, level 16, 148 HP

This one was a level higher than the first one I’d encountered, but I still felt I had a fighting chance. With a snap of my fingers, four kilos of biomass streamed out of my storage, forming into the familiar 3-meter-long bladed whip. I let out the first attack, lashing out at the beast while it was still measuring me up.

Whip hit forest tusker for 11 damage (16 base - 5 armor)

As expected, the damage was unimpressive, but it was the secondary effect that mattered the most ...

Wither attempt resisted!

… which did not take.

The tusker charged me, but I had enough room to see it coming and dodge out of its way. The long whip proved its usefulness again as the reach allowed me to strike the tusker twice more before it was able to turn around and charge me again. Both hits landed, and though not deep, they tore long gushing wounds along the beast's sides, dropping its health to 113.

The tusker growled in anger and advanced at me again, its beady little eyes narrowing as it tracked my movements. It closed within about two meters, then sped up all at once, eating up the remaining distance in a flash, not giving me the time to dodge.

But I still saw it coming.

I let the whip crumble away into nothingness as I formed a heavy bone mace in its stead. I swung up just as the tusker accelerated to ram into me, and the heavy weapon smacked into the side of the animal’s head, causing it to jerk sideways before its momentum brought the rest of its bulk ramming into me.

Mace hit forest tusker for 22 damage (base 19 + 50%
incoming momentum -5 armor)

Wither has sapped 10.4% of the target life (-20 HP) Forest tusker hit you for 20 damage (base 40 - 20 armor) I was hurled backward by the impact, my head and back hitting the tree behind me. My new and improved helm showed its worth as
instead of splitting my head open, I only momentarily saw stars.

The tusker and I were both momentarily dazed by the impact, and we both stumbled to our feet for a moment before recovering.

Forest Tusker, level 16, 57/128(148) HP [Withered x1]

The beast was seriously injured, with barely half its HP
remaining while I still had over 80%. The best part though was that the final hit had done its job, bypassing the animal’s resistance, delivering a Wither. My outlook was quickly improving.

I lifted the mace, preparing to deliver another skull-crushing blow to the dazed creature’s head, but it recovered faster than I anticipated. The swaying, grunting beast suddenly let out a deafening squeal and charged at me from nearly point-blank. Again.

I was caught off guard by its sudden ferocity, and my swing completely missed its mark. Its tusks, however, didn’t. The two giant, dagger-like weapons caught me straight in the chest and punched through my bone armor as if it was a cosplay imitation. The attack didn’t end there as the beast's speed and momentum were hardly slowed by the impact, and it carried me straight into the tree I had just pulled myself out of, reminding me why it was stupid to dismiss the level advantage it held over me.

Forest tusker hit you for 67 damage (base 62 - 20 armor +

25 crushing)

My health bar dropped to 40%, and I found myself struggling to breathe as the half-a-ton monster pinned me to the tree.

“Get ...” I huffed. “Corruption.”

Insufficient biomass - a minimum of 5 kilos are required for this target

“Shit!” I cursed as I once again realized how my overconfidence turned against me. I could have used the Biomass synergy to draw some from the tusker, but doing so would clear its Withered state, making it impossible to target with Corruption.

There was only one choice available. The beast’s Withered—
and thus vulnerable—head was within my arm’s reach, but being pinned as I was made it impossible to swing the heavy mace at it.

So, making a snap decision, I channeled the last remaining dregs of biomass from my storage. The heavy weapon crumbled as I grew the familiar claws around my hands, and I started stabbing the tusker’s head, managing to sink a single claw into the afflicted area.

Claws hit forest tusker for 20 damage

([base 17 - 5 armor + 1 armor penetration] * 60% wither bonus)

Claws hit forest tusker for 12 damage

(base 16 - 5 armor + 1 armor penetration) The sharp claws easily penetrated the tusker’s withered flesh, the Wither bonus making them almost as damaging as the heavier mace was. Both strikes failed to apply another instance of Wither, but the flat damage on its own was enough to make the beast recoil in pain.

Moving back, it released me from the pinning hold. The injured beast shook its bleeding head from side to side, letting out howls that were part rage, part pain.

Despite its grievous injuries, the beast wasn’t bleeding away its health, and since I had exhausted my supply of biomass, I wasn’t regenerating mine either. We resumed the fight, circling each other cautiously, more respectful of each other’s combat prowess. My health was a little higher—60 HP compared to its 25—but the level difference between us meant each of us was in a position to land the killing blow on the other.

I wasn’t thrilled to face its next snap-sprint attack with only the small claws to hand, but deprived of biomass, my options were limited. I saw the beast lowering its head as it closed in toward me, no doubt intending to execute the same short distance burst as before. I knew I couldn’t dodge it, and I wasn’t thrilled to play the

‘who can kill the other first’ game the animal seemed intent on forcing on me. “Screw that,” I said and pointed a fingered claw at the tusker, willing its withered biomass to me.

The animal shrieked in surprised pain as a portion of its decaying flesh melted away and streamed toward my outstretched arm.

Biomass absorbed: 25kg

Tusker receive: 10 damage

Tusker is no longer Withered (Withered HP converted to normal damage)

I instantly felt invigorated as my renewed stores of biomass seeped into my wounds and started knitting them together.

The tusker continued to shriek and shake its ruined face. I had forgotten the Biomass-Wither synergy would also apply damage once used, which was an unexpected bonus. I was also relieved to discover canceling the Wither effect didn't magically heal the damage but simply converted it into normal injury.

Forest Tusker, level 16, 15/148 HP

It was just one good hit away from death, but I didn’t let that fact go to my head again. I carefully studied the giant beast’s movements. It was easy to see it was rallying itself up for a final charge, so I decided to take advantage of that. When it closed into the same distance it normally did before accelerating, I charged at it first. The surprised tusker paused for a split second, but that was all I
needed. The twin claws led the way, piercing the tough hide around its neck, finally draining its health bar down to zero.

The tusker dropped without making another sound, its gigantic bulk laying in front of me like a meal on a platter. I put my bone-plated boot on the carcass and absorbed its flesh.

Integrated Weapons skill has increased to level 16

Forest tusker, level 16, defeated

+76% progression toward next level

Level up!

You have reached level 13

Spirit attribute +1 (Physical +0.75, Mental +0.5, Social

+0.25)

Biomass absorbed: 33.4%: 173Kg

The huge corpse took several seconds to fully decompose as thick ribbons of silvery-gray liquid entered my body, leaving desiccated remains behind. A pile of loot remained behind as well, a small bonus for killing an unwithered target.

Bending over the pile, I picked up the tusker’s hide and its two sizable tusks. Placing them in my inventory, I wondered how much Dawn would pay to have them. I let Sal out long enough to consume the tusker’s lingering soul before drawing him back in.

My health slowly ticked up one point at a time as I stood and studied my new stats. My maximum health had climbed to 153, making me even beefier than the now-dead animal had been when it was still alive. Killing the powerful tusker had also granted me enough experience to bring my level progression to 70% of the way toward level 14. My improved health regeneration was working on
overdrive, restoring 20 HP by the time I finished browsing my stats and closed the menu. I didn’t even need to waste valuable biomass on Fleshweave as I estimated I’d be back to full health within minutes. All I had to do now was to consider my next move. I still had room for about a hundred kilos of biomass in my storage, so carrying on with the hunt seemed prudent. All the creatures in this area were strong, but that didn’t particularly guarantee they’d award a good harvest. I had lucked out by finding the fat tusker. I might have to kill a few more things to fill up my storage. Of course, the longer I lingered in the area the more chance I had at alerting the elder druid to my presence, and Huyan was an obstacle I couldn't currently surpass. Then again, I had spent close to a full day hunting in his territory the last time before he found me, so I surmised I could get the final 100kg and get out of here before that happened again.

With my mind made up, I took a step toward the game trail leading out of the small clearing but stopped abruptly as rubble started raining down my face. The bone helm timer had finally reached zero, and the integrated item was falling apart. With a shrug, I opened my inventory, equipped the shabbier biocrafted one, and kept on going.

***

It turned out that stalking through a forest was a much slower way to reach your target than wildly running between the trees. It was still preferable, though, as the next creature I encountered was a level 18 utahsnapper, which I prudently decided to leave alone.

Following the game trail had brought me to the top of a small cliff overlooking an enclosed grove of trees whose canopies extended just above the ridgeline. From this vantage point, I was able to make out two winged creatures between the branches that looked like owls with bladed feathers.

Owler, level 14, 124 HP

The owlers were no bigger than turkeys, meaning harvesting their biomass would likely not reimburse the amount I’d need to drop them. Still, being the same level as me, and with fewer HP, they were a good leveling opportunity, and I hated to waste that.

I crept closer to the edge of the ridge, trying to judge if I could reach the closest owler with my whip. Unfortunately, I quickly realized it was just outside my range. I was once again shown the disadvantages of having mostly melee-oriented abilities. I still had my shortbow tucked away in my inventory, but without the corresponding combat skill, it would be next to useless against creatures of that level.

Then again, I thought, I don’t need to hurt them with the bow, I just need to draw them to me.

I retrieved the shortbow, which now felt feeble in my hand, nocked an arrow, and let it fly at one of the owlers. I missed, and the arrow disappeared into the canopy, emphasizing again how crippling not having the proper combat skill was. I placed another arrow on the string and steadied my breath before taking my next shot. This one was closer but still a miss. One of the owlers tracked the soaring projectiles sedately, flapping one wing for balance.

Third time's the charm, I thought as I released the next arrow, and I was right.

The projectile sailed through the air, and its tip disappeared beneath the fluff of feathers. The damage notification informed me the arrow didn’t penetrate the creature’s armor, and the distance was not close enough to use the projectile to deliver a Wither attempt, but that was not my goal.

The struck owler screeched furiously, and both birds stood up, revealing long segmented legs that made them stand as tall as a human but ending with vicious talons. Two sets of wings spread out to the sides of each bird as they hurled themself into the air toward me, screeching madly as they came.

But I was ready, letting go of the bow almost before the arrow hit its mark and manifesting my bladed whip. I had to duck to avoid the first bird’s talons, but I was up and ready for the second one. My bladed whip flashed through the air, striking the flying animal’s wing.

Whip hit owler for 12 damage (17 base - 5 armor) Wither has sapped 10.4% of the target life (-17 HP) The surprised animal started falling, desperately struggling to keep its wings beating to avoid plummeting to the ground. Having four wings apparently made it more maneuverable as it managed to keep itself in the air, if just barely, but it didn’t help it for long.

“Corruption,” I called, refocusing my will on the Withered creature, forcing biomass into its body. Almost instinctively, I cut off the flow once it reached the ‘medium’ threshold, and ugly bulges started rising all along the bird’s withered wing. I managed to catch a glimpse of its stats with the ‘slowed’ and ‘crippled’ descriptor before the afflicted creature fell, hurtling toward the ground far below.

I felt a tingling in the back of my neck as Essence Sight alerted me to the presence of the first owler coming back for another attack.

I turned on my heel, using the momentum to swing my arm backward, and lashed out, hitting the incoming bird with my whip.

The bladed tip slashed through its feathers, drawing blood and delivering a blast full of Withering energy.

The second owler was having less luck holding itself afloat with the agonizing energy wreaking havoc on its body and was rapidly losing height, though not fast enough for my taste. I could feel a sort of ‘click’ inside me as Corruption came out of cooldown, and I wasted no time activating it again. The second owler plummeted toward the ground, and I was able to hear the sound of its bones crunching against the ground as clearly as if I was standing next to it.

Owler, level 14, defeated! X2

+20% progression toward next level

I walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked down, eager to claim the corpses of my two enemies, but there was a problem. I could sort of make out the two owlers’ corpses through the foliage, roughly ten meters below me. Though the creatures proved bigger than I’d first thought, it still didn’t look like they had much mass, so giving up on them wasn’t the end of the world. Still, though activating Corruption against both of them had only set me back by 5kg, I wanted my investment back.

The cliff was a sheer drop, so that was a no-go. The trees across from me seemed like a more reasonable way down, but even at this height their trunks were so thick there was no way I could grab them, and most of their branches were still above my current height.

I needed a rope to get down, but I didn’t have one in my inventory. I could have probably fashioned a long leather strap, but I was reluctant to spend any more biomass on this prey. The whip in my hand was the next best thing, but at a length of 3 meters, it wouldn’t be enough to lower me to the ground.

I spotted a solitary branch about two meters away from the ledge and somewhat below me, and a vision from a familiar old movie came to mind. Almost without thinking, I lashed my whip toward the branch, and to my surprise it wrapped around it firmly, the bladed end embedding itself in the wood like an anchor. I tested the pull, and it felt secure. Even then I hesitated. Swinging down would bring me closer to the bottom, but I’d still be hanging 5 or 6 meters above the ground, and I was no surer of my ability to survive such a fall than the owlers. Then I noticed another branch much lower than the one I’d ensnared and nearly three meters away and downward.

Swinging to the second branch would put me much closer to the ground, and I decided to go for it. I wasn’t sure why. I could make do without the probable low amount of biomass, and it was dangerous, but a new sensation bloomed in my chest. A mish-mash of excitement at finding out what I could achieve with my powers and a sort of insistent, hungry voice that argued against letting good loot get away.

I leaped from the ledge, and the whip swerved at a wide angle, easily supporting my weight. The second branch was a good three meters below me and about three meters away, putting it just outside the range of my whip. I started swinging, accumulating more and more momentum until reaching an arm’s length away from the second branch. On the next swing, I snapped the whip loose at the top of the momentum. It came off easily as if it was just waiting to be commanded to let go, and the momentum carried me the rest of the way to the second branch. I hit it, absorbing the impact on my chest, though my bone armor took the brunt of it. With a snap of my wrist, I made the whip latch on to the narrower end of the branch I was hanging from, and it once again easily anchored itself to the spot I was aiming for.

I let go of the branch and swung down, the angle bringing me about a meter above the ground. I released the whip and fell the rest of the way, turning my swinging momentum into a head roll, coming right up to my feet with the whip held high, ready for anything.

The place was quiet. The tall cliffs loomed around the grove in a circle, and the tall trees around made the area seem darker than above.

I stared down at my whip in awe. It had performed much better than I’d thought, obeying my commands almost like another limb. I brought up its stats to see if anything changed.

Bladed Leather Whip

Integrated weapon

Type: Weapon [2-handed]

Damage: 16-17

Mass: 10%

Time remaining: 12 minutes, 28 seconds.

Integrated Weapons skill bonus: Grasp: the whip can be used to latch onto items or enemies to trip or even disarm them.

“Grasp?” I said, only now realizing I hadn’t once examined my integrated weapons after receiving the similarly named combat skill
for them. It seemed it offered extra utility on top of significantly improving damage potential. With a wince, I recalled the skill description mentioning something about weapon aspects based on their type, but at the time Xin, my unfortunate Drudge, had started dying, and I had my attention on trying to save him.

Grim recollection aside, I needed to examine the claws and mace to see if they received similar benefits, but I decided against wasting precious biomass for that sole purpose. I was sure I’d get plenty of opportunities to call the weapons in actual combat. I could always examine them afterward.

Looking around, I located the two owler corpses, clearly marked by the atrofield that erupted around them.

I felt a soothing, cool wash of energy as I entered the tainted ground. It was like getting inside an air-conditioned room after a long and sweaty day. I felt powerful, my senses extending through the gray area, making me more aware of my surroundings. It was a shame no other creatures were around for me to fight from a position of power, but I couldn’t always get my way. With a thought, I activated the Biomass synergy, absorbing the owlers’ flesh through the atrofield itself. With my new deathless sense, I could feel the twice-charged atrofield improving my ability, leeching even more biomass than I normally could.

Biomass absorbed 36.7%: 13.6Kg

It was a poor return for the biomass I’d expended during the fight, but using Corruption made the battle so much easier. It was hard to believe that just a few days ago I couldn’t have perceived going against creatures at such levels, and I was now picking them off as if they were nothing more than flies.

“Sal,” I called, and the soul serpent emerged from my arm, quickly devouring the remaining soul fragments.

“Ahh, very tasty meal, masstter,” Sal hissed. The higher level than normal meal had apparently hit a threshold since he visibly
grew, reaching just under 3 meters in length. I focused on his elongated body, willing his stats to appear.

Sal, Soul Serpent

Soul fragments: 257

Physical attribute: 9

HP: 90

Traits:

● Ensoul

● Consume Soul

The snake’s strength was just a point lower than mine, but I still felt his health wasn’t high enough to risk helping me fight in this part of the forest. Two or three hits from most of the creatures here would be enough to send him and his collections of souls into the ether.

Searching through the immediate area I realized I was actually inside a hollow, bowl-shaped space. It was about 40 meters in diameter and was cut into the side of the cliff. The exit was an archway about six meters wide and so overgrown with vines they completely obscured the entrance. As a well-hidden, easily defendable spot, this was an excellent place for a new colony. I decided that when I’d be ready to move up my conclave into the second zone, this would be the place I’d start. With a fully established base at my back, I’d be able to punch significantly above my level.

Stepping out through the archway, I discovered another peculiarity of the area. The forest didn’t immediately extend outside the small cove. Instead, there was a grassy plateau that extended several hundred meters from the side of the cliff, bordered by a wide river, beyond which the forest continued. It was like a small, open haven inside the otherwise deadly forested area.

But the best thing yet was ahead. A herd of several dozen large animals was peacefully grazing near the river bank. I was too far to make out their information, but I could see they were the rough shape of cows, fat, and horned. There was something peculiar about
their hides, but I couldn’t quite make out what it was from this distance. Focusing on Essence Sight I saw clear red marks covering every open spot before me. Clearly, this whole open area was these creatures’ favorite pasture.

I headed out of the cove and cautiously approached the herd, keeping alert for their reactions to my presence. I was expecting them to turn hostile, maybe have their alpha try to scare me off.

What I didn’t expect was for the entire herd to turn tail and jump into the river. In under a minute, all the animals had crossed to the other side and disappeared between the trees.

“Damn,” I said. There went my beefy chunks of four-legged biomass. Still, I’d imagined it wouldn’t be too hard to track them down, not with the wide swath of tracks left visible to my Essence Sight. I crossed the open plateau and started wading into the water at the spot the herd did. The current was strong, and I discovered a new disadvantage to being a deathless creature. With my leaner, lighter form, the water easily carried me downstream. Cursing, I tried swimming against the current to the other side but was barely able to make any progress. I was a good swimmer in reality and a proficient scuba diver, but unfortunately, that knowledge didn’t translate well into the game. If only I had some swimming gear, I thought as I continued being carried downstream. But as far as I knew, such equipment did not exist in this world. Then I realized how set I was in my thinking. I had a skill specifically designed to craft my own equipment. I had to learn how to think outside the normal limitations of the real world. Opening my inventory I quickly unequipped my bone-plated boots. The bone armor didn’t hinder me so I kept it on, feeling its extra mass giving me a small measure of control.

Activating Biocraft while trying to stay afloat was challenging, but my newly developed ‘sixth sense’ helped me feel my way around the shape I wanted to achieve. Biomass poured out of me and reached my feet, thankfully not affected by the churning water. I shaped claw-like segments that extended out of my toes, then connected them with a thin layer of the same membrane material that coated my colonies. With a powerful kick to test out the new fins, I found that I could now launch myself forward through the strong flow, and I
started swimming over to the other side. The stream still carried me a long way farther from the mark, but that was alright. I could always double back across the shore.

Stepping out of the water I examined my new appendages closely. The feet fins remarkably resembled the commercial ones, except the thin covering membrane was veiny and partially transparent, making the bone frame within visible. The bone structure was very similar to the normal claws I usually grew, though not as sharp.

Thinking I might be able to scrape off the membrane to expose the claws proved to be a bust, which was a bit of a letdown. In the past couple of fights, I’d often switched between different types of weapons, and every such switch drew on my storage. Including the

‘swimming gear’, I estimated I’d spent around 20 kilos on those today. I still had about 200 kilos remaining, but I needed to hoard as much as possible. Simply trying to peel the membrane from its bone frame didn’t work. The substance was tougher than it looked and clung stubbornly to the bones. As I tried pulling it off, using more and more force, my deathless sense kicked in. I could almost see into the underlayer of the membrane, the way it clung to the bones. Using that sensation to guide me, I carefully pushed against it with my power, trying to order it to come undone. It peeled off immediately, easily, then, to my surprise, it shifted into the familiar silvery-gray liquid before seeping into my skin.

New Biocraft synergy discovered!

Biomass synergy: disassemble an integrated item to reclaim some of its biomass. Total mass reclaimed: 60% (40% + 1/skill level)

Both sets of fins liquified. Some of it slipped into my skin, while the rest darkened and crumbled away.

Biomass absorbed: 5.2

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 21

A new synergy and a skill upgrade. A definite step in the right direction. I examined my fins-free feet. With this discovery, it now made more sense to reform my helm in its integrated version for difficult fights instead of relying on its lesser, separated version. It only cost 4 kilos, and I’d be getting 2.4 back on reabsorption. Losing 1.6 kilos in the process was well worth the extra 6 armor points it gave me, and even that expense would lower as I leveled my Biomancer skill. With enough skill levels, I might reach a point where I could cover my entire body with integrated, high-quality armor, then dismiss it once it was no longer needed. But that point in time was still far in the future. My immediate goal was still to refill my biomass stores so I could grow my conclave.

Shaking off the beads of water, I stepped into the forest, looking for my next prey.

The area was surprisingly peaceful as I encountered no hostile animals, and the few I glimpsed at a distance ran away from me before I could get to them.

Activating my Essence Sight, I was surprised to find a huge, radiant strip extended along the ground below me. Smaller animal tracks crossed it from time to time, not hiding the wide glowing swath in the slightest. The thing exuded so much life energy it was almost blinding. The fact that it was underground was puzzling as if a sort of giant worm was lurking just beneath the surface, except the form was not uniform, gradually becoming thicker and thicker as it extended farther and deeper into the forest, with the occasional asymmetrical spike forking out of it. Another peculiar aspect was that the level of radiancy was also uniform along its length. All the tracks I’d encountered so far became dimmer as time passed, but this one looked fresh-made and didn’t dim in the slightest in the few minutes I’d slowly moved to track it.

As I continued following the underground tendril it became even wider, soon reaching several meters in diameter. The dense trees
around me began to thin out, and I could see farther than several meters around me. I continued to follow the underground track for several hundred meters and almost failed to spot it as I came upon the second menhir line.

A stone pillar stood just in front of me, ancient in its appearance.

Even before crossing the imaginary line separating it from the third zone, I could feel the onset of nausea. That feeling worsened as I got closer, and I eventually had to stop advancing and lean against a tree to support me during the powerful heaving spasm.

I was not ready to step into the third zone, but my curiosity was piqued. Some sort of incredibly powerful energy source line was passing just below my feet, and by the way it kept getting thicker, I felt like I was getting closer to its source.

I tried looking ahead past the menhir. Farther away from me, the trees became even sparser, but not enough to give me a clear sight ahead. I could just barely make out something huge beyond them.

Maybe it was my imagination, but I could have sworn that I spotted a second canopy above the open patches in the distance. It was still some distance away, but the tendril I’d been following seemed to be leading straight to it.

I took a few steps back, and the uncomfortable feeling eased. I’d been wandering the forest for hours now, and it was starting to get darker. There was no way I could make it back to the village before nightfall, so I decided to keep on hunting, hoping to refill my storage until I encountered something powerful enough to send me back via a respawn.

A possible candidate had revealed itself as soon as I faced away from the third zone, finding myself staring right into the face of a very surprised-looking tusker.

Forest Tusker, level 15, 138 HP

The bristle-faced animal grunted at me, trying to decide whether I was a threat or not.

I decided to help it make up its mind.

Biomass flowed over my head, settling down into the fierce-looking bone helm, while another batch streamed into my hand, transforming into the familiar bladed whip. I lashed out, hitting the uncertain beast straight on the snout. I lucked out as, despite being two levels higher than me, the first attack had surpassed the animal’s resistances, delivering withering energies into its face and rapidly eroding its snout. Unlike previous encounters, this time the creature’s muscles seized up as agony racked its body. Taking advantage of its momentary incapacity, I lashed at it twice more. The second hit successfully delivered another blast of Wither, prolonging its agony and allowing me to lash it three more times and land in the third and final instance.

By the time it started moving again, the tusker looked almost dead on its feet.

Forest Tusker, level 15, 65/90(138) HP [withered x3]

Seeing as this kill would most likely overflow my maximum biomass capacity, I decided not to hold back. As it familiarly lowered its head, I pointed a finger at it and activated my latest ability.

“Corruption!”

Though I held back the flow, a large amount of biomass blasted out of me and into the tusker’s withered areas, instantly rising ugly bulges beneath its hide. The beast shrieked in pain and rage and started a stumbling charge at me. Reaching it with my mind, I pulled at the rotting patches of flesh, willing them to me. An even thicker stream of biomass exploded out of the stumbling boar as its blighted wounds dissolved to answer my call, transforming into biomass that flowed and disappeared into my outstretched arm.

The now unwithered animal was still limping toward me. I was pleased to note the tumors remained even after the Withered status which enabled them was withdrawn. With its mobility down to almost nothing, and with less than 30 HP remaining, the poor animal’s life was coming to an end.

I absorbed the whip and formed the mace instead, investing the extra coverage percentage from the skill’s recent level up to make the spiked head even heavier.

When the tusker reached me, it somehow found the energy to attempt the same last-ditch charging burst as before, but I was ready for it. Even though the charge dramatically increased its speed, it was still a far cry from what it should have been capable of, and I had no problem timing my counter strike to hit it straight on top of its skull, caving it in and sending the beast's entire momentum into the ground headfirst.

Mace hit forest tusker for 38 damage ([base 21 - 5 armor]

x2 critical hit)

Taking a moment to look around to make sure the scuffle didn’t draw any other critters, I examined my defeated foe. Being able to lead with a successful Wither attack had determined the course of the entire fight, making it incredibly easy. I wasn’t even injured.

Pleased, I turned my attention to the host of awaiting messages.

Forest tusker, level 15, defeated

+30% progression toward next level

Integrated Weapons skill has increased to level 17

Level up!

You have reached level 14

Spirit attribute +1 (Physical +0.75, Mental +0.5, Social

+0.25)

The second zone had indeed proven itself to be an excellent training area. At the rate I was leveling up, I was starting to believe

I’d soon be able to contend with some of the apex predators that roamed the area.

I looted the tusker’s remains, adding its hide, a tusk, and topping off my biomass storage capacity.

Biomass absorbed 34.7%: 134Kg

Warning: storage at capacity: 55kg discarded

“Now what’s that?” I said aloud as I noticed a dark gem the size of a matchbox among the remains.

Soul Gem [minor]

A dull, crystallized aspect of a creature’s soul.

Type: crafting components

The description wasn’t all that revealing—as I learned to expect from the game. I couldn't see immediate uses for the gem, but having to do with souls, I hoped I could somehow use it.

“Sal,” I said, releasing my companion. “What do you make of this?”

Sal’s long, forked tongue flickered outward and tasted the gem.

“It contains power, massterr. Focussed, intentional.”

“Intentional?”

Sal nodded his serpentine head. “Yess. The piece of soul trapped within holds purpose. I believe it can be used along with the ssoulforge.”

I studied the weird gem a bit closer. “Interesting.”

“I sense the fragments of a recently killed creature,” Sal said.

“Shall I devour them?”

“Go ahead,” I said.

While the large snake slithered over to his meal, I busied myself by studying my information. The biomass count in my inventory had indeed reached its 300-kilo maximum. It was a bit of a shame to lose the excess; I’d have to search for ways to carry more with me.

Simply trying to put the silvery liquid in ‘normal’ inventory space didn’t work.

Name: Seraph

Race: Human [Deathless, rank 0]

Title: Herald

Level: 14 (20%)

HP: 164 (regen: 28.8 per min)

Armor: 39

Attributes:

● Spirit: 14

● Physical: 11

● Mental: 7

● Social: 3

Skills:

● Essence Sight: 14 (M)

● Coercion: 8 (S)

● Integrated Weapons 17 (P)

Spells:

● Biomancer: 21 (Sp)

○ Wither

○ Biomass

○ Biocraft

○ Fleshweave

○ Corruption

Traits:

● Atrophy [manifest atrofield on kills]

● Poisonapathy [varies poison effect]

● Deathless [+1 Physical, critical hit multiplier immunity]

● Companion Symbiosis (absorb companion - level 10 bonus) The increase in the armor value offered by the integrated skull helm had proved unnecessary by the end, though there was no downside to forming it seeing I was almost drowning in biomass. My HP total had taken a significant jump and was now higher than the
higher-level tusker had been. Similarly, my health regeneration, further enhanced by the magical ring the mayor had given me, was now high enough to restore a hit point every 2 seconds, meaning I could almost literally climb back from the dead in about 5 minutes.

Next, remembering my decision to study each one of my weapons when I had the chance, I examined the mace in my hand.

Spiked Bone Mace

Integrated weapon

Type: Weapon [2-handed]

Damage: 20-25

Mass: 11%

Duration: 19 minutes, 35 seconds.

Integrated Weapons skill bonus: Crush: the mace is especially effective against hard surfaces (such as walls or armor), dealing direct damage to them.

That was the highest damage I’d seen so far on a weapon.

Remembering Matsuel's remark about being able to determine value calculations by myself, I focused on the damage figures, and a detailed summary opened.

Base damage: 5-10

Physical: +11 (applied via a matching combat skill) Integrated Weapons skill bonus: +17%

Biocraft effect bonus: +12.1%

Total damage: 20-25

That was an eye-opener. Apparently, my physical attribute added directly to the weapon’s base damage output, which was then further amplified by the combat skill bonus as well as the Biocraft bonus effect. I wasn’t a gamer, but I felt like having my damage boosted by three separate sources was probably not a common thing. It likely had a higher damage potential than the Spear skill,
making me glad I chose it despite how, at first glance, it had appeared as the lower level of them.

I had to consider what to do next. Though I now had a pretty good idea of where it led, I couldn’t continue following the luminous underground tendril deeper into the forest. The sun had completely disappeared at this point, submerging the forest in deep darkness.

The meager starlight that made it through the canopy was barely enough for me to avoid plowing headfirst into tree trunks.

Then something next to me moved.

I felt more than heard a sort of whoosh behind me, and I sprang around in time for Essence Sight to spot a blurred red shape charging right at me. I’d already begun to swing the heavy mace while I turned, but it was still not fast enough to stop the descending, sickle-like limb. I groaned in pain as the sharp appendage of the bonetis punched straight through my bone armor, embedding deeply into my shoulder. Despite the pain, I forced myself to complete the maneuver, bringing the mace’s momentum down on the bony creature, and its embedded limb snapped off with an audible crack.

The creature backed away, shrieking, leaving its broken sickle still embedded in my flesh.

Bonetis, level 20, 178/200 HP [Missing limb]

This was a challenge. Thankfully, there was only one of these critters this time around, but its significantly higher level made it much more resistant to my Wither attempts. I silently cursed myself for draining the tusker before it died, preventing the formation of an atrofield.

This was going to be a tough battle, especially since, despite my new and improved armor, that single attack had drained my health by over 30 points. I’d only be able to withstand four more attacks at most before dying. I had to move carefully.

Despite the darkness, I found that Essence Sight was enough to highlight the creature in front of me, so I could see its movements. It didn’t help observe my surroundings though, so I was caught off
guard when a tree root suddenly curled around my feet, pinning me in place. “What the f—”

The damn forest soil erupted around me as more and more roots extended upward to wrap around my legs. I felt vines and other string-like vegetation wrap around my arms. Another vine wrapped around my neck, and the next thing I knew I was hoisted off my feet, held helpless in the air, spreadeagled.

The deep darkness was elevated as a flash of light appeared behind the trees, steadily drawing closer.

A moment later, the hated elder druid came into view, holding a flaming staff.

“Huyan,” I hissed, barely able to utter the word through my constricted neck.

The bonetis stayed back, lowering its head as the druid passed, and it was soon joined by a group of its friends, which then all followed the elderly man.

“You again.” Huyan clucked his tongue as he stared at me impassively. “I could feel the blight you spread through the forest like a festering wound. I’d have found you sooner, but”—he beckoned toward the tusker’s remains—“it seems you have found a way to mask your taint. You just refuse to learn, don’t you?”

“Whatever. Just kill me already,” I croaked as the vine tightened around my neck.

The dozen or so bonetis spread around me, silent as death, even walking over the leaf-covered ground.

“I would, but simply killing you doesn’t seem to work,” Huyan said conversationally. “So I’ll have to come up with other more creative ways to keep you out of doing further harm. The last time we met, I told you that if I caught you again, I would dig deep into your roots and cut them out. The leech you had drop on me was a bit of a nuisance to get rid of, by the way. Anyway, since I have yet to discover what your roots are, well …” He gestured toward the plants holding me aloft. “For starters, it seems I’ll just have to use roots to dig into you. Then we’ll get on from there.”

“Screw yo—” I couldn’t finish the sentence as the vine around my neck grew and shifted like a tentacle and shot into my open
mouth. I could feel thorns scraping down my throat while the roots holding my limbs started digging into my flesh. For a long, torturous moment, I simply hung there, unable to scream or even draw breath as the vines snaked beneath my armor and dug deeper into my flesh, tearing, ripping, reaching further inside.

“Interesting,” Huyan noted clinically. “Most creatures would have already died from having so many of their internal organs pierced, but your kind seems to be more resilient. Well, we shall just have to dig in deeper, won’t we?”

The pain was excruciating. I could sense the thorny vines sinking into the meat, tearing it apart. My deathless state had prevented me from bleeding out or from taking critical damage from having vital organs destroyed, so I could feel every endless second of pain as the torment continued. I could feel the armor plates pressing the snaking thorns deeper into my skin. In a futile attempt to lessen the pain, I unequipped all my armor pieces, sending them into my inventory, but instead of improving the situation, it just gave more room for the invading plants to spread. I could hardly think, hardly feel anything besides the deep, searing pain. With a sudden clarity born in the hail of agony, I realized that if that was what 50% of maximum pain felt like, I could understand why my brother was driven to such madness. Heck, it was a miracle any of the rescued players were even coherent when they finally pulled them out. The thought steeled me against the pain. I couldn’t help my little brother at the time, but I could hold on long enough to find a way to help him now. And no amount of pain would stop me. I owed him that. It was my job, as the big brother. I gurgled on my own blood.

With a sudden pull, the thorns in my throat were ripped out of my mouth, and I choked on the blood that welled up after it.

“What was that?” Huyan said, almost curious. “You were trying to say something? Are my roots not to your liking? Hmm … maybe I should try something different … like removing your legs and rooting you into the ground. But your kind can heal even from that, can't you?"

“Torture … me ... all you like”—I spat a blob of viscera on the ground—“but I know where I need to get now.” I jerked my chin
toward the giant tree the underground tendril was leading to.

“Whatever you’re hiding is over there. It doesn’t matter how many times you kill me. I’ll find my way there eventually.”

Huyan’s eyes flashed with actual flames, and for the first time in this encounter, his voice sounded angry. “No. You will never make it to the heart of the forest. I’m on to you now, Seraph. Next time you go over the line, I will bring your world crashing down around you.”

Then the flames of his staff roared up to engulf me. I could barely feel the searing pain beyond the agony of the embedded thorns as they sent me into blissful oblivion.

That guy was starting to piss me off.

24 - Preparations

It took me a few moments to collect myself after I respawned back in Brinfold’s cemetery.

I’d never been tortured like that before. I got my fair share of beatings in the past, once even got held down by a couple of bruisers while their oily boss used a razor to try to get his point across—before my unit burst in and put down all three—but I’d never been tortured so extensively. Thankfully, my special training had also covered dealing with being tortured. Unlike what most people thought, they didn't train us to withstand the pain. That was impossible. Pain was pain, and you couldn’t get used to it. With enough time, anyone would break under torture. No, what they taught us was how to handle the psychological aspect of that, how to deal with being helpless, at the mercy of another. So when I was finally out of the vengeful druid’s hands, I didn’t waste time thinking about the ordeal. It was difficult, yes, but I was fully healed and in much better shape than I would have been had the experience occurred in the real world. So there was no point dwelling on it. The mission was the only thing on my mind. Finally finding a clue to where I needed to go, that ‘heart of the forest’ thing, helped me focus on the objective.

With my bearings back under control, I finally took a moment to read the hovering notification.

You have died

Death debuff: Pain sensation is doubled for the next 5
hours.

“Shit,” I said, looking toward the lit inn in the otherwise dark village, “good thing it's bedtime.”

***

I woke up the next morning in my room, fresh and debuff-free.

I was a little surprised to find myself still in the game, this being my eleventh day, but I wasn’t about to complain. Tim, the tech guy, did say I’d be logged in for roughly ten days, and I was more than willing to make use of every extra moment given to me. I still had a mission to complete.

The psychological conditioning I had undergone had proven its worth as none of the traumatizing events of last night found their way into my dreams.

Standing up, I reached into my inventory and equipped my armor. The bracers, helm, greaves, and various spiked joint guards materialized over my body as usual, but my attention was immediately drawn to my torso. The bone vest was down to 10 out of its 16 durability, which made it look a little beaten but not enough to justify recrafting it. The thing that did catch my eyes was the amputated bonetis sickle that was still embedded in the shoulder guard. The sharp limb hadn’t injured me when I donned the armor -
probably since the game didn’t consider that as an attack, but it was still there, and I could feel the sharp tip pressed against my skin. I grabbed the protruding part and pulled it out. The limb looked like a bone sickle with a wickedly sharp edge. The fact that it was strong enough to pierce through my bone armor while keeping its edge was impressive.

I could feel a slight tug as I held the bonetis’ remains. Without pausing to think, I closed my fist around it and extracted its essence.

The sickle liquified, dripping between my fingers to evaporate on the ground, unable to enter my already full storage. But I didn’t mind the meager waste. My eyes were locked on an even more interesting message.

Biocraft: superior material discovered: Bonetis exoskeleton

There were no words to define the new sensations that followed the message. I could sense the density and superiority of the new
material over the simple bones I’d used until now.

“Time for some upgrades,” I muttered.

Sitting on my bed, I used my newly discovered Biocraft synergy to reduce all my armor pieces back into biomass and reformed them using the new material.

I could feel my heightened skill level come into play as the new armor pieces came out looking better, slicker than before. The items’

description still marked them as ‘crude’, but apparently, there were different levels of crude, and it looked like I’d just reached a higher-ranked one. The armor vest became smoother as the ribcage-looking armor’s underlay grew a thin layer of interlocked bone strips.

The bracers looked more like woven, sharp bones than simple tubes.

The boots smoothed out even more, shedding any hint of the bulkiness they had before. The greaves were sleeker, and their bone hinges around my knees were replaced with a sort of bendable bone mesh that resembled bonetis joints. The bone skull remained largely the same, except that the protruding jaws that protected my cheeks ended with a single long fang each instead of a row of sharpened teeth. The most notable change, however, was my spiked pauldrons.

Whereas before they looked more like upside-down bone half-pipes that were clamped over my shoulders, they now reformed, almost on their own, to resemble fierce animal skulls with two sharp horns jutting out of each one.

Once I finished crafting, I checked my character sheet. The armor value of all the pieces had jumped by at least one point, with the vest and greaves increasing by 2, which had raised my total armor value from 34 to 41. The items’ durability had also increased to 30. I was looking forward to seeing the new material’s effect on my weapons, but there was no point in wasting biomass just to satisfy my curiosity.

I had, of course, needed to dip into my biomass reserves to complete the re-armoring process, but that was small change, barely taking 6 kilos off my total.

I stood in front of my small bedroom mirror, examining my new attire, and nodded in approval. The rough, barbaric outlook was replaced with one of fierce deadliness. Even though I’d lost the fight
and died, I still came out on top of the encounter. It was starting to become a routine. Win or lose, adversity and hardship always seemed to breed growth and strength.

I had a few things to handle in town, which meant it was time to go down and speak to the natives.

“Holy—” Ron’s mouth hung open as he and the rest of the inn’s patrons took me in. The innkeeper’s hands trembled slightly as he slid a chaser down the bar toward me. “Your drink, Seraph.”

I caught the glass smoothly and downed its content, feeling the slight, tantalizing burn going down my throat. “Thanks.”

“Hey there, stranger,” Lyta said teasingly from across the common room. She approached, taking me in. “Now, don’t you look dashingly dangerous. What have you done with the old shaggy wear?”

She seemed to want to keep things professional between us for the moment, and the setting wasn’t appropriate for another heart-to-heart discussion, so I simply shrugged. “I got an upgrade.”

“I can see that, hon,” she said approvingly. “That getup does a fine job at hiding the worst of your features. Now, where are you off to?”

“I need to see Dawn,” I said. “Then I’m heading out.”

Lyta frowned. “Out huntin’ again so soon? I’d advise against that.”

I stared at her. “Why?”

“Something … ain’t right in the forest,” she said, her face sobering. “The druids are riled up, and so are the beasts. There’s an oppressive shadow hanging over Brinfold. It’d be best if all hands stayed close for a while.”

“Isn’t that the mayor’s call?” I asked.

The dark-haired woman shook her head. “We all need to do our part in times of crisis. And I feel a big one is looming over us.” She looked straight into my eyes. “People who were trained to protect others should step up in times like this.”

For some reason, having her use what I told her about my past to try to motivate me had rubbed me the wrong way. “Again,” I repeated, “isn’t that the mayor’s call rather than the inn manager’s?”

She gave me a long, steady look before shaking her head. “I’m trying to do what’s best for everyone.”

“And I appreciate that,” I said, “but I have things I need to attend to.”

“Even at the expense of everyone here?” she asked, gesturing around the room.

I followed the movement, taking in the simple villagers having their simple meal. A woman with a baby on her shoulder was rocking it to sleep while she also tried to spoon-feed another small child. The scene was so … ordinary, so … homely, that for a moment I found myself coming to her way of thinking. I could easily visualize Gideon sitting comfortably along with the other patrons. Then I shook myself out of it. “Sorry. As I said, I got things I need to take care of.”

Across from me, the child pushed his plate off the table, which Robert, having just passed by, managed to catch just before it splattered on the ground.

Lyta sighed. “That’s too bad. I could have used your help to care for them.”

“I’m …” I hesitated, recalling once again her words when she had said that my brother and I took care of each other. Apart from them not being related to me, was this situation that different? I slowly shook my head and started walking toward the door. “I’m sorry, but I have to keep going.” I let my eyes linger on the young mother and her two children, then turned and exited the building.

It was later in the morning than usual, and most of the villagers were already out on their various jobs, leaving the main street mostly deserted.

“Morning, Dawn,” I said as I walked into the woman’s shop.

The older woman stared at me. “Seraph? You look different.”

“Upgraded my armor,” I said nonchalantly.

“I can see that. What can I help ya with, lad?”

“The poison?”

“Ah, yes. Here ya go.” She bent down and put five small vials on the counter.

Contact Poison

Extracted from the toxin gland of a giant forest leech, this specialized poison corrodes flesh upon contact and causes intensified bleeding from affected areas.

Type: poison

Damage: intense bleeding.

Duration: short (varies based on target’s size and level).

Four of the vials look the same, but the fifth one had a deeper, darker color. I focused on it, instantly noticing it was a little different.

Enhanced Contact Poison

Extracted from the toxin gland of a giant forest leech, this specialized poison corrodes flesh upon contact and causes intensified bleeding from affected areas.

Type: poison

Damage: extreme bleeding.

Duration: medium (varies based on target’s size and level).

“Ah, I see you noticed it,” Dawn said. “Yeah, I managed to make three more potent vials, so I threw one your way. It is worth at least 200 gold, twice the other ones. Be careful with it, eh? A small scratch could leave ya dead in under a minute.”

“Thanks for the warning,” I said as I collected all five vials. The woman didn’t need to know of my particular affinity for poisons. I was momentarily tempted to drink one, just to experience the same heady rush as before—and to check its effect—but at around a hundred gold apiece, that was too much of a waste.

“No problem.” Dawn smiled at me. “Anything else I can do ya for?”

“I got some loot to sell,” I said, presenting her with the two tusker hides and four tusks.

“My, my,” Dawn muttered. “You bagged yourself some big ones from the deep forest, didn’t ya? That won’t end well.”

“So you’re not interested?”

She pursed her lips. “These would bring in a good price, but I’m more worried about what it means. The druids won’t be happy about this.”

“That’s my problem,” I said calmly. “How much?”

“One-twenty for a hide, and 40 per tusk,” she said. “That comes out at 380 gold for everything.”

“I’ll take it.”

Dawn collected the items and handed over the gold, bringing my total to 576—enough to recruit some high proficiency souls. And, given that Sal had also more than enough soul fragments, that was exactly what I intended on doing next.

Finished with my business in the village, I made my way toward the exit, returning Robert’s friendly wave and a few courteous nods from the villagers who happened in my way.

The low fence around Brinfold had been completely transformed into a two-meter-tall log wall. The gate had been reinforced and had a thick bar that could be used to lock it from inside during the night, though it was currently hung open.

I recognized the face of one of the hunters standing watch on top of a small wooden platform that allowed him to easily see beyond the wall. He nodded at me as I passed. “Seraph.”

“I’m heading out to hunt, Max,” I said. “Keep an eye on things here while I’m gone.”

He raised a thumb. “Will do. Good luck with your hunting.”

The trip to the conclave was uneventful as the low-level forest critters were obviously taking pains to stay out of my way, and I reached the Fallen Log colony in under ten minutes. The place looked as undisturbed as I’d left it. Gidul was nowhere in sight, so I headed straight to the Nexus and accessed its interface.

Conclave Interface

Tier: 2

Colonies: 2

Faith Points: 7 (3.5/day)

Biomass generation: 30-40kg/day

Biomass storage: 70/400kg

Local colony:

● Guardians: 4/4

● Radius: 60m/60m

● Structures: 5

● Deathless worker: 1/1

● Deathless combatants: 0/1

Everything seemed to be in order. “Zul?”

A piece of rigid flesh disengaged from the Nexus, forming the hideous hovering eyeball shape of my only deathless minion. “Yes, Keeper?”

As before, I was taken aback by how normal and innocent-sounding the creature’s voice was. “Anything happen while I was away?”

“No, Keeper. A few small animals were attracted by the Animal Caller, but they posed no threats. The guardians and Borrowers ended them quickly and added their biomass to the conclave.

That explained the unexpectedly higher biomass count. I put my hand down on the Nexus and channeled the majority of my biomass into it, leaving me with 30 kilos. The conclave’s biomass count now showed 340—a considerable amount, but not enough for a new Nexus core, let alone new buildings on top of it. I sighed, realizing I’d have to go out hunting again before I could accomplish anything.

“Is something wrong, Keeper? Anything I can do to help?”

“Actually …” I stared at the hovering fleshy eyeball. “You might. I want to make a new Nexus core, but first I’d like to summon another Drudge for the other colony to improve its efficiency. But that means I have to spend an extra 150 kilos to create a Soulforge there, which will set me back even more.”

“Why not use the Soulforge here?” Zul asked.

I shook my head. “I already tried that, but this colony can only hold one Drudge—you. The other one I summoned, err … perished

… when I tried to bring him to the other colony. I guess I can raise the Deathless Node building so the two of you can coexist here, but
that still doesn’t solve the problem of getting it to the Warg’s Den colony, and it will set me back an extra 75 kilos.”

“Ah … Keeper,” Zul said slowly as if considering every word.

“That’s not what … I … was going to suggest.”

“Oh?”

Zul cleared his throat which was an incredibly weird sound coming from a creature that didn’t have one. “You can form a new soulseed here,” he said, “then transfer it safely and ensoul it over there.”

I blinked at him in surprise. Why the hell didn’t I think of that? I berated myself. The solution was so clear. After all, this was exactly how I made Zul in the first place—I carried his soulseed over here from the original, destroyed colony. That approach would also be the most biomass-efficient one, meaning I wouldn’t have to hunt for long before reaching the 400-kilo count. “Thanks, Zul,” I said as I walked over to the Soulforge.

I called Sal out, and the snake slithered over the embryo-like membrane, activating it. As before, the ambient light was lowered, and a spread of glowing symbols appeared in the air around it.

I already knew that I could summon minions up to half my level, which would put them at level 7, so I started looking for the brightest symbol within reach. To my surprise, I immediately noticed that the second layer—which up to now was almost completely dark—was also lit up, showing the same symbols as the first layer, only with small additions which made them look slightly more complex.

I selected one of the symbol types I knew was meant for utility.

Utility Unit

Deathless rank: 1 [consumes minor soul gem]

Level: 4

Proficiency: 20%

Trait: Gorge: Incorporated biomass storage. Consume biomass to sustain itself outside of the conclave area.

Cost: 132 soul fragments

Minimum bid: 200 gold [consume minor soul gem]

“Damn,” I muttered as I read the details. I wasn't a hundred percent sure, but it seemed like the soul gem I looted allowed me to summon a minion a rank higher than I normally could have and also lessened the minimum gold bid. The Gorger trait sounded incredibly useful. My recent hunting trip had shown me the value of having a minion who could survive outside the conclave and supplement my biomass capacity. There was no doubt this option was superior to the standard Drudge. I was just about to purchase it when a sudden thought sent me to check the other symbol type.

Warfare Unit

Deathless rank: 1 [consume minor soul gem]

Level: 7

Proficiency: 35%

Trait: Rally: can lead guardian units outside the conclave area for a short duration.

Cost: 148 soul fragments

Minimum bid: 350 gold [consume minor soul gem]

Though this unit’s ability didn’t sound as useful as the first, it fit well with my plans. And since reaching conclave tier 2, my colonies were able to support warfare units, so I selected it, approving the cost, and a second screen appeared.

Assessing new soul professional compatibility .... one Trait found.

Please select one profession:

● Bulwark: improve guardians’ defensive abilities

● Coordinator: improve guardian’s speed and damage

“Matsuel,” I called out. This discovery needed some clarification.

“Oh, so nice of you to finally get in touch with your god,” my unintended deity said. “You sweet-talked me into granting you these awesome powers, and then I don’t hear from you again. You don’t pray, you don’t grovel in adoration, you don’t offer the bleeding hearts of your enemies as sacrifice … honestly, I’m feeling a little abandoned here.”

Man, I hated dealing with this VI. “We had a deal, and I’m keeping my end,” I said.

“Right, the amazing stream of 3.5 Faith Points you channel me every day. At this rate, it would only take a few months for me to reach the next divine rank.”

“Good, then that’s settled,” I said. “Now, care to explain what these options are I’m seeing here?”

“Don’t try to change the subject, why you little ingrate — Hey!

You got access to rank 1 minions … How? Oh, I see, soul gem, interesting mechanics … Yeah, that ought to have done the trick.

Insta-one time access to the rank 1 layer. I see you selected a minion with the Rally trait. Interesting. That still doesn’t give a lot of combinations, so you can select one of the two options. Pretty cut and dry from where I’m standing.”

“What do you mean by combinations?” I asked.

“You get to select more traits for your minion as you gain access to higher-ranked ones. Let's say you get a rank 3 one with the Rally, Gorger, and Blight traits. You would then probably get access to several options of leader-like minions that can carry around troops, harvest animals, or leave semi-permanent areas of atrofield behind.

Or you can get a seeder-type one that can walk around, collecting biomass and manifesting new colonies behind it.”

“Holy … is that an actual possibility?”

“Dunno, I’m just guessing here. The system is locked down tighter than a meat-suit’s waste chute—even for me—until you reach that rank. But that’ll only happen at conclave tier 3, and you still have a way to go before getting there. What’s the holdup on that front, by the way? You’ve had only those two colonies for ages now.”

“A pesky druid with a vendetta,” I said curtly. “Keeps popping out and killing me.”

“Yeah, dying can be a setback,” Matsuel easily agreed. “You know, with a little more faith and dedication …”

“I’m about to summon a new minion. That’ll increase the amount of faith you’re receiving, right?”

“Yeah, by less than one point per day,” he scoffed. “Why don’t you try converting some of the villagers to my church? Now that you got them to like you.”

“Yeah, and I’d rather keep it that way,” I said. “I don’t think that worshiping a deathless god would sit well with many of them.”

“As a matter of fact, I still don’t have a domain. Another evidence of your shortcomings. You have to really make an effort to force circumstances so it’ll work.”

“Isn’t that a priest’s job? You have one now.”

“No, a priest serves as a channel to its god, directing believers and carrying faith-related duties. A herald is a god’s right hand. It’s your job to help determine my domain and to spread my influence.

So until that happens, how about converting a few villagers?”

“I don’t think it’ll work.”

“You never know unless you ask, or, you know, force them to kneel and worship.”

“Yeah, I’m not going to do that.”

“Well, whatever you’re about to do, I suggest you hurry along.

Things are escalating fast.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing special, just a powerful druid with a bone to pick with you that's extra pissed now that you saw—”

His voice cut off abruptly.

“Matsuel?”

There was no response.

My frown deepened. Whatever censoring system was in place, it seemed to be triggered by what Matsuel was trying to tell me.

Though I didn’t get the whole message, I got the gist of it: I needed to work faster.

My path seemed to lead to the heart of the forest, deep inside the third zone, where apparently, other druid elders roamed. I had to
get stronger and punch my way through. Even if that meant killing them. I knew of one undead lord who’d be thrilled with that outcome.

And the soulseed I found would help me get there faster. I selected the Taskmaster option from the still-hovering message and watched as soul shards sprayed out of Sal’s body, latching onto the chosen soul and guiding it down into the amnio sack.

Soulseed formation in progress

Time remaining: 6 hours

I still had plenty of soul fragments and gold left. I needed all possible advantages to bring my plan to fruition, so I dived back into the soul selection screen and located a level 5 utility unit that was just within my ability to afford.

Utility Unit

Deathless rank: 0

Level: 5

Proficiency: 23%

Cost: 23 soul fragments

Minimum bid: 230 gold

This unit only had the Drudge profession available to choose from, but that was what I needed. I approved the selection and watched the second soul as it lowered to hover above the Soulforge, awaiting its turn.

Soulseed (x2) formation in progress

Time remaining: 12 hours

“Zul,” I called out

The hovering eyeball flew my way. “Yes, Keeper?”

“Can you integrate with the Soulforge?”

“Yes, Keeper, though disengaging from the Nexus means I will no longer be able to improve the efficiency of raising new structures.”

“That’s okay. Do it.”

“Yes, Keeper.”

Hovering toward the Soulforge, Zul’s wings latched onto the base while its body seemed to slowly merge with it.

The hovering notification flickered and updated.

Soulseed (x2) formation in progress

Time remaining: 4 hours, 48 minutes

The time reduction was better than I expected. Accessing Zul’s information via the conclave interface, I quickly realized why. The little Drudge’s level had increased by 1, bringing his proficiency up to 30%. A quick calculation showed that his presence shaved off exactly 60% of the remaining time, meaning his contribution was exactly twice his proficiency value. I wondered what it meant once he reached 100%, but that idle wondering didn’t contribute to my objectives.

“Come on, Sal,” I called to the serpent, absorbing it back into my body, “we need to gather some more building material.”

***

The colony already held 340 kilos of biomass, which meant I didn’t need much more to implement my plan. The four hours I had left for the soulseeds’ formation also meant I preferred not to venture too far out into the second zone, so I passed the time hunting the area closer to my conclave.

I dispatched some rabbits along the way with a few whip lashes, but that only increased my biomass count by a few kilos. I needed bigger prey.

In the end, I managed to track down a small pack of snappers, who instantly ran away as they realized the danger. Having learned
from my previous experience, I was ready for that, and I chased them into a river bend I scouted earlier.

The snappers hesitated for a brief second before jumping into the water, using their tails to swim away from me at a speed that was double my own, but while in the water they were vulnerable, unable to evade my attacks. I stood at the riverbank, lashing three of them down with Withering strikes, which of course made them seize up and start drowning. Another three made it to the far bank, but that’s where the second surprise awaited them. Sal lashed out from the bush he was hiding under like, well, a striking snake. At a length of nearly three meters, he had no trouble coiling around two of the snappers’ thin bodies while clamping his mouth shut around the throat of the third.

Once I was sure my companion had things well in hand, I tracked down the three snappers I’d chased into the water. They were down to their last remaining HP and all had the ‘drowning’

descriptor next to their stats. With a wave of my hand, I withdrew their Withered state, along with a significant portion of their health and mass. The damage was enough to end all three, causing their corpses to float to the surface. Using the ‘grasping’ option of my whip I was able to reel their bodies to the bank, where I absorbed the rest of them. Then I crossed the river, once again forming fins on my feet, and absorbed the other three.

All in all, including the smaller critters that crossed my path, I’d collected about 90 kilos of biomass, as well as the snappers’ skins and claws. It wasn’t a bad haul for several hours of work, but I got zero experience toward my next level, and none of my skills had evolved either. Still, I’d reached the goal I’d set for myself. I now had enough materials to set my plan in motion.

I returned to the Fallen Tree colony, collected the now-finished soulseeds, and put them in my inventory.

“Get back to the Nexus, Zul,” I said to the Drudge. I followed the hovering eyeball and placed my hands on the heart of the colony, bringing up the conclave interface. I selected the option to create a new Nexus core, draining the conclave biomass stores and leaving
my reserves at 60. Soon, a bone-encased seed of tough flesh emerged out of the Nexus.

I stowed the core in my inventory and turned away from the structure. “Come on, Sal, we have bigger fish to fry.”

It was time to start doing things on a whole different scale.

25 - Poaching

Finding my way through the thick forest wasn’t easy. With my wilderness survival training I could reliably navigate any normal forest, but this one was anything but. The trees and bushes seemed different than the first time around, but thankfully, the environment itself remained the same. It had only taken me a couple of hours to locate the base of the cliff from which I’d dropped the two owlers, so it was a simple matter of following it along to the hidden cove.

The cliffs gradually became steeper and the trees sparser, eventually opening up into the grassy plateau I encountered before.

The herd of bovine-like creatures had returned, scattered, and were grazing peacefully.

Since I diverted most of my attention to remaining hidden so as not to alert the herd, I nearly missed the hidden cove. The hand I kept on the side of the cliff eventually passed through the layer of overhanging vines, revealing the entrance, and I stepped inside.

The area hadn’t changed since yesterday, with sparse tall trees whose canopies grew higher than the cliff walls obscuring the little hiding hole from above. Surveillance drones weren’t a big concern in this world, but for all I knew, the druids could use birds to scout for them, so the extra camouflage was a bonus.

The trunk of one of the larger trees at the center was split open, providing an excellent location for a core. I placed the bone encrusted jewel inside and, with a simple command, I brought it to life.

I knew I was crossing a line. The druids wouldn’t take the incursion into the depth of their domain lying down, but I couldn’t keep playing it safe. The XP and the biomass were here, beyond enemy lines, so that’s where I had to go. I had to work fast, cement my hold over the area, and fortify before they could put a stop to it.

Not to mention my deadline for the end of this gameplay session was rapidly approaching. I had no way to tell exactly how much time I had left, but I wasn’t one to sit idle and wait for things to play out. I would take the risk and make the best I could of the situation. Though still
not strong enough to withstand the worst this zone could throw at me, I felt I had a fighting chance at making a stand here. At worst, I’d die and find another way to come at the problem, stronger than before.

The Nexus started pulsing under my touch, and streams of flesh began pouring out of it—an incredible amount that the size of the item could no way account for. The flesh continued to flow, layering the ground, coating the trunk, and extending to cover nearly half the cove’s area. Hopefully, as vulnerable as it currently was, the small size would somewhat help to keep it hidden from the vengeful Huyan. Once the fleshy infrastructure was ready, a layer of veins followed, creating a net of red and blue. The core grew, the bone exterior shaping into a box-like structure that protruded from within the split trunk. Tendrils of flesh shot out of the Nexus into the hollowed space, anchoring it in place.

With the new colony in place, I had to hustle to have it ready for phase two.

Colony Structures

Existing:

● n/a

Available utility:

● Animal Caller: lures in primitive creatures. Randomly increase biomass gain. Biomass cost: 50kg

● Deathless Node: increase the sentient deathless count to 2.

Biomass cost: 75kg.

● Biomass Capacitor: increase maximum biomass capacity by 100kg. Biomass cost: 100kg

● Corpse Collector: increase passive biomass generation rate.

Biomass cost: 100kg.

● Soulforge [Requirement met: soul serpent]: enable forging of new deathless beings. Biomass cost: 150kg

Available Warfare:

● Burrower’s Nest: active defense system. Biomass cost: 200kg

With 60 kilos at my disposal, I had only one option available.

Luckily, it was the one I needed most. I selected the Animal Caller structure and placed it at the edge of the colony area facing the hidden entrance.

The ground started to shift over the selected area, and a delicate mesh of bones started slowly forming out of it.

Animal Caller formation in progress

Time remaining: 6 hours

One of the downsides of my colonies was the time it took to build them up—even if I had the required biomass for everything I wanted, which I currently didn’t.

But I had foreseen this problem and did what little I could to lessen it.

Taking out the Drudge’s soulseed from my inventory, I placed it on the ground and let out a trickle of biomass to pour over it, cutting the flow before it took too much out of me. The biomass instantly clung to the soulseed and started shifting. Flesh formed over the small orb, transforming into a many-legged mass the size of my palm. Two delicate eyestalks rose from the creature’s top and blinked at me. “Greetings, Keeper. My name is Xif. At your service.”

More than anything, the new Drudge looked like a cross between a many-fingered palm and a snail. Since I intentionally cut off the flow of biomass as he was formed, he was about the size of a palm, too. By now I knew that the size of the Drudge didn’t affect their job, so having a smaller minion was simply resource-efficient.

“Xif”—I nodded at the creature—“I need you to bond with the Nexus to expedite the new structure’s construction.”

“Of course, Keeper.”

The Drudge walked on his finger-like limbs toward the Nexus, climbing its side like a spider. It reached the top and fused with the structure. The raising Animal Caller’s speed visibly increased, the
mesh of bones and delicate soft tissue parts now growing more rapidly than before.

Animal Caller formation in progress

Time remaining: 3 hours, 28 minutes

It was already afternoon, which meant it was going to start getting dark by the time the structure was complete, but that was okay. This time, darkness would be my ally.

With several hours to spare, I started preparing for the coming battle. I knew the Animal Caller wouldn’t attract the entire herd that was roaming outside. The structure served more as a supplement to the colony’s basic biomass gathering rate, which meant I only had to prepare for a few curious visitors at most. With the large beasts’

stats still unknown, I had to make the most to prepare for them.

Then, with the influx of biomass I’d extract from the first victims, I’d be able to expand the colony and aim for larger gains.

Glancing outside the covering curtain of vines, I noted dozens of the large, grass-eating creatures walking around. They were spread out, obviously unconcerned with possible danger. That was good. I needed them to be calm. That was until I was ready to spring my trap.

I started preparing by collecting all the heavy fallen branches I could find into a pile near the entrance. Then, I arranged them to form two low walls leading into the colony area, forming a sort of a crude ‘corridor’, which I hoped would be able to herd my quarry. If the walls held, the large creatures would be forced to step into the colony’s area and suffer the atrofield’s effects.

With only a few kilos of biomass left, I couldn’t spare much for elaborate traps, but I didn’t have to. Relying on my survival training, I found two green branches, about my chest level, and I bent them backward, tying them with some of the vines, to keep the tension.

Using my long-forgotten skinning knife, I sharpened several sticks and attached them to the branches, using a trickle of biomass to tie them down with narrow strips of leather. All I had to do was cut the
vines, and the bent branches would snap forward, hopefully with enough force to inflict serious damage on the unsuspecting animals.

Trying to figure what else I could do to prepare, I used another trickle of biomass to form simple leather loops out of the ground in key places. With some luck, it would be enough to trip a charging animal.

Glancing up at the Animal Caller, I saw the structure was almost completed. Despite doing hard physical labor for several hours, I didn’t feel particularly tired or out of breath. It was one of the useful side effects of my deathless state, and I was ready for a fight.

I let out Sal and pointed at the colony ground just below the taut branch traps. “Hide there and be ready to strike.” The soul serpent instantly obeyed, slithering into the fleshy ground as if it was made of water.

I let out one long glance at the preparations I’d made. Without knowing my intended target’s exact level I had no way to tell if I had overdone it, but as Deryl used to say; ‘you can never be over-prepared. Following his words, I’d done all I could to tilt the odds in my favor. “It’s nearly time.”

***

A shrill though barely audible noise erupted a few moments later. Without the Corpse Collector to act as its base, the new Animal Caller had sprouted a long spine-like pillar with the grotesque-looking blowfish at the top. I could not only hear its blaring call but also feel the vibrations it gave off on my skin.

“Now let’s see if that reels anything in,” I muttered, moving toward the cove’s hidden entrance.

Carefully brushing the vines aside, I spotted two of the bovine creatures approaching. They were about the size and shape of normal cows, except their hide looked tough and scaly, like a lizard’s, and their sharp horns were more the size of a full-grown bull than a cow’s. They didn’t look like vicious predators, despite their lizard-like nature, but I didn’t let that lull me into a false sense of confidence.

Their horns and sheer mass alone were enough to squash me flat if they charged.

Forest Oxsaurian, level 14, 132 HP

I silently withdrew deeper into the cove, entering the colony’s atrofield, and moved to stand next to my two ready traps. Despite lacking a stealth skill, I managed to move quietly enough to avoid alerting the approaching animals.

The two oxsaurians pushed through the curtains of overhanging vines. They bayed nervously as they found themselves hemmed in by the makeshift corridor, with the sight of the fleshy carpet ahead.

Silently forming my bladed whip, I waited to see what they would do. With only 2 kilos of spare biomass for regeneration, I couldn’t rely on my more exotic abilities, but as the two creatures’ level equaled my own, and with home-field advantage on my side, I wasn’t too concerned about the outcome. I just needed them to step a little closer.

Finally, one of the oxsaurians couldn’t hold back its curiosity at the vibrating structure and pushed forward through the corridor into the colony area and into the atrofield. It snorted in anger as it made contact, shaking its head aggressively, reaching the range of the taut branches.

With the skinning knife held over the two vines, ready to spring the traps, I bided my time.

It took only a moment for the second oxsaurian’s curiosity to get the better of him and follow its friend deeper inside, playing right into my hands.

With a wide slash, I severed both vines, and the two branches snapped forward, delivering the sharpened stakes deep into the second oxsaurian’s sides.

Sal struck without waiting for my prompt.

One moment the beast was baying in agony, its blood dripping on the fleshy ground, and the next, a giant serpent erupted out of
that ground, wrapping its coils around the wounded animal’s thick neck, suffocating its cries.

Despite the atrofield-induced rage, the leading oxsaurian bayed in fright and turned to run away but found its path blocked by its friend. It was about to charge through the rickety corridor, but I was ready for it. Stepping out from my hideout, I lashed out, the whip hitting the frightened animal on its side.

Whip hit Forest Oxsaurian for 10 damage (20 base - 10
armor)

Wither has sapped 10.6% of the target life (-21 HP) The creature’s muscles instantly seized as the Withering energy racked through its body. I was amazed at the amount of damage its armor managed to shrug off, but there was no protecting against Wither, not once it punched through a target’s resistance.

The eyes of the oxsaurian I hit suddenly shifted to red. It lowered its head and, despite obviously still being in pain, it charged right at me. I caught a brief glimpse of its stats as I dove back behind the trunk I used for cover. One of the charging bull’s legs got snagged on the loop traps I’d scattered on the ground, sending it to ram headfirst into the trunk I hid behind. The entire tree shook as the sharp horns embedded in it, the heavy impact sending down a torrent of dried leaves.

Forest Oxsaurian, level 14, 101/111(132) HP [Rage, Wither x1]

Glancing at the first animal, I saw it was still contained by the spikes embedded in its sides, shaking its head in a futile attempt to fling off the giant snake that was slowly tightening its coils around its neck. It had apparently kicked out a couple of times, since the makeshift barricade was smashed to pieces, though that had done
nothing to help it with the attacker that slowly choked its life away.

Sal seemed to be doing well, so I focused on my target. The whip was an excellent weapon at medium range, but it wasn't great against armor, and the range could also work against me, allowing my targets a sudden leaping charge. I reabsorbed the whip’s biomass, bringing my storage just high enough to form claws, then I rushed the momentarily trapped animal while it tried to free its horn from the tree.

Blood sprouted in large gouts as my clawed hands sunk into the unprotected side of the oxsaurians, the sharp-tipped weapons tearing through the scaly armor much more easily than the whip did.

I could use the Wither synergy to siphon biomass from the still-living target to fuel my Corruption ability, but I saw no need to be wasteful.

I had the fight well under control. The poor oxsaurian’s horns remained stuck throughout the time it took me to kill it. Every time I noticed its muscles tensed up for a surge of power to pull out, I let off another blast of Wither to interrupt it while never stopping punching my claws into its side. I was careful to monitor its condition, waiting until its health was down to single digits before finishing it off by draining its biomass, which removed its Withered state.

The heavy corpse collapsed at my feet, a full quarter of its body missing.

I hurried to help Sal, but my companion had things well in hand.

The oxsaurian had the ‘asphyxiated’ descriptor next to its stats and was basically helpless. A few good hits finished it off, without me even having to use Wither to hold it down.

Biocraft: superior material discovered: Oxsaurian Scaled Leather

The colony’s area visibly extended, fleshy tendrils snapping out to claim a fresh piece of ground as they fed on the creatures’ life energy. Channeling my ability through the area, I absorbed the two creatures’ bodies, each creature netting me 145 kilos of biomass on its own.

Even though some of the biomass was claimed by the colony, that single fight was enough to up me to over 200kg. I fed most of it into the Nexus, then brought up the conclave interface again. This was just the opening shot, a little probe to get me started before the main event.

Conclave Interface

Tier: 2

Colonies: 3

Faith Points: 7 (4.1/day)

Biomass generation: 40-50kg/day

Biomass storage: 260/500kg

Local colony:

● Guardians: 0/4

● Radius: 21m/60m

● Structures: 1

● Deathless workers: 1/1

● Deathless combatants: 0/1

The conclave’s maximum capacity had shot up to half a ton, but it was not enough for what I had in mind. I brought up the structure screens and selected to raise the Biomass Capacitor. Once the process had started, draining 100 kilos from the conclave’s storage, it was time to start working on my offensive force.

I took out the second soulseed I’d brought with me and started pouring biomass over it. This time I didn’t hold back. It was important for this unit to be as big and powerful as possible. The silvery-gray liquid started morphing into a shape that was vaguely reminiscent of the flayed-mongrel guardians, except it looked more like an overly-ripped bulldog, covered with bone exoskeleton interwoven with red veins.

Overall, the process took 80 kilos of biomass to finish, and once it did, I could feel the colony’s warfare units count tick up by 1. The large, canine-like creature stood before me, its head nothing more
than a giant eyeless mouth. “I am at your command, Keeper. I will tear your enemies limb from limb.”

“That’s the idea.” I nodded in approval, accessing the new creature’s details.

Danx, Coordinator

Level: 7

Proficiency: 35%

P: 3, M: 3, S:4

HP: 61

Skills:

● Group Tactics 12

Traits:

● Deathless [+1 Physical, critical hit multiplier immunity]

● Rally [can lead guardians outside conclave area for a short duration]

Having a higher Social attribute than Physical seemed to be a strong indication that Danx was more of a commander-type unit than a warrior—a fact strengthened by having a group skill rather than a combat-oriented one. Still, I was not disappointed. That was exactly what was required for the occasion.

“Now let's get you some soldiers to command.”

While I worked on new experimental receptacles for the guardians, another couple of oxsaurians drifted into the colony, lured in by the Animal Caller. Between Sal, myself, and my new warriors, they were down in moments, their biomass added to the conclave, their death fueling the area expansion until it completely covered the small cove. As an extra bonus, the combat pushed my Integrated Weapon skill up a level to 18.

“These guardians work well, Keeper,” Danx said in approval, examining the new spindly, boney shapes. “They are not particularly durable, but they’re deadly for their size and extremely fast.”

“How fast?” I asked. “Show me.”

With a snap of his head and a low growl, the Coordinator sent the four new guardians running. They ran around the edge of the colony, tumbling over the uneven ground and the occasional branch with ease, eating up the distance in a flash.

I nodded in approval. “How long can you maintain them outside?”

“No more than 35 minutes, Keeper,” Danx replied. “I should be able to make it longer once I gain some experience.”

“That’ll do,” I replied. Thirty-five minutes wasn’t enough as a backup for a day-long hunt in the forest, but it was plenty for what I needed them to do here.

Thanks to the latest kills, the influx of biomass was just enough for me to start growing the Burrower’s Nest, which was the final structure I needed to prepare.

Even with Xif working overtime to speed things along, the warfare structure required over 7 hours to fully assemble, putting it just past midnight, which fit perfectly with my plan.

While waiting to see if more oxsaurians followed the inviting call, I busied myself with Biocraft, tinkering with the new material I unlocked. I quickly discovered that oxsaurian scaled leather didn’t offer better armor value than bonetis exoskeleton did. If anything, the scales made it even harder to piece the material together and the results were even cruder than my normal attempts. After spending probably too much time and resources on this futile task, I had to conclude the new material was probably outside the scope of my current Biocraft skill level.

After another hour passed with no more animals coming by, I decided to take a look outside. The herd of oxsaurians was still around, though they seemed to congregate along the riverbank, apparently staying as far away from the call that claimed several of their ranks as possible. It seemed that losing some of their numbers to the strange call had put them on the alert, making it doubtful any more would approach to investigate.

I shrugged and headed back inside. As long as the beasts were still around, my plan was still on track. All I had to do was to wait for the construction to finish.

I spent some time trying to stack more branches to herd the next wave in, but the first few cows reduced most of the dead branches to splinters. Still, with Danx and the four new guardians helping, we fashioned a sort of funnel leading in from the entrance. Hopefully, the narrowed end would help minimize the chance of any of our targets escaping. I spent even more time forming small traps from biomass, adding additional leather snares and coating some of the trunks with bone spikes.

When I was finally finished, the Burrower’s Nest still had a couple of hours to complete.

I wasn’t particularly tired, but I knew the importance of a relaxed, rested mindset before a major engagement.

“Sal, Danx, keep a watch for incomings, and let me know when the Burrower’s Nest is ready.” Once my two minions voiced their consent, I lay down, closed my eyes, and slowed my breaths, mentally preparing for the coming fight.

***

I woke just past midnight, my head clear. All the pieces were now in place, and I knew what I was going to do. It was do or die time, and I didn’t mind dying as long as I accomplished my goal.

The Burrower’s Nest was ready, their sharp spines occasionally protruding out from under the fleshy ground as if in anticipation of the coming carnage.

Danx and the four guardians stood at attention facing the entrance. My continually growing skill had allowed me to invest 20
kilos of biomass into each of them, making each one of the guardians larger and more powerful than before. I also found that the heightened skill level offered me more control over their shapes, and I used that to form them into a gangly mass of sharp bony limbs.

They looked like distant cousins of the bonetis, though more toward the spider end of the insect world than mantis. They might not have shared the crabs’ or the pricks' sturdier bulk, nor the flayed-mongrels’ powerful bite, but there was no doubt they were the most
mobile. The fact that all four were at level 7 also made them the deadliest of my guardians. And I needed that for what was to come.

“Follow me,” I said, and Danx, followed by the gangly guardians, obeyed.

We stepped outside the curtain of vines. I took a moment to stop and tie them off to the sides, revealing the opening. The grassy meadow outside was dark. There was only half a moon tonight, shedding just enough light for me to make out the lumpy shapes of the oxsaurians farther away in the distance.

Danx and the guardian faltered slightly when they exited the colony’s area, but I was pleased to note they quickly oriented themselves, not seeming the worse for wear for the experience.

“Here’s the plan,” I whispered. “We’ll flank the oxsaurians and come up at them from behind the river. Try to herd at least half of them into the colony, where we have the advantage.”

“Yes, Keeper,” Danx said.

We crept slowly toward the river bordering the open field, taking care to stay away from the groups of slumbering oxsaurians.

Once we reached the river, we slipped in silently. Our targets were situated right next to the bank, so we’d have to move through the water to flank them. I regrew my fins to better navigate through the dark liquid. I was a little worried Danx and the guardians would have trouble, but their bone-covered bodies moved through easily.

Danx's elongated neck allowed him to keep his head above the water, so he was able to see where to go, while the four spidery guardians simply waded in behind him, seemingly unperturbed by being completely submerged.

“Huh,” I said in surprise. Unlike me, these deathless creatures didn’t seem to need to breathe.

The spiderlings had no trouble propelling themself forward, their many sharpened limbs digging into the soft riverbed and hoisting them forward after their Coordinator.

“Spread out,” I whispered as we reached the bank closest to the herd. “On my mark, charge and lead them into the colony, but try not to engage them directly while out here in the open.”

We spaced ourselves, keeping ten meters apart from each other until it seemed we covered the side of the herd.

“Now!” I shouted, and I exploded out of the water, shouting, whip snapping loudly.

My soldiers followed suit and charged the sleeping animals, shrieking and hissing.

The oxsaurians rose in fright, baying loudly. Roughly half the herd started running away from us, toward the hidden cove. The other half dropped their horned heads at us and charged.

I narrowly avoided being skewered by two males, dodging between them at the last moment. I didn’t bother to look back and see what was happening behind me and instead kept chasing after the ones who were running.

From the corner of my eye I saw Danx and some of the guardians hot in pursuit, harrying the frightened animals, while the angry huffs of the braver ones were hot on our tails. Midway through to the colony, I chanced a glance behind. The chasing oxsaurians cornered one of my guardians and were in the process of stomping its boney shell to pieces. A couple of the angry beasts turned to pursue the rest of us, but they weren’t going to catch us before we made it into the cove.

The animals we were chasing started dispersing as we approached the cliff walls. I pushed myself harder, putting a burst of speed to one side, lashing my whip repeatedly, forcing the wayward animals to turn the right way. Despite knowing they were fast, I was a little surprised to see Danx and the spidery guardians keeping pace with me. The spiders’ already impressive speed had been further augmented by the proximity to their Coordinator, allowing them to match me despite their lower attributes. Together we herded the beasts toward the mouth of the cove, losing only a couple in the chaos.

Then the oxsaurians were through the opening and disappeared inside. I cut through the knots that held the vines apart, obscuring the entrance from the two bulls that were still chasing us.

The inside was pure chaos. Scared cows and calves funneled through the barricades and into the colony area. They were baying in
fear, stumbling into each other, tripping over the snares, and stomping the fleshy ground. Their tough hooves caused the colony ground to welt and bleed, which only seemed to scare them more.

The Burrower’s Nest was already in action; bone spikes were snapping out of the ground, slicing scaly hides and further panicking the wild beasts.

I knew that the two charging bulls would burst through in moments, the combination of speed and obstructed sight providing a rare opportunity. I bent to touch the ground, willing a portion of my biomass out, and using Biocraft, I fashioned it into two long spikes. It had already worked once when I was considerably weaker, so there was no reason it wouldn’t again. I made the spikes shoulder height and tilted, so their tips were pointed toward the obscuring vine curtain.

I made it just in time.

The two bulls charged straight in, their massive horns ripping the overhanging plants to ram straight into the waiting spikes. There was a crack like thunder as the two spikes shattered into pieces, but not before driving deep into the animals’ flesh. The rest of the herd was now berserk with fear and pain from the constantly stabbing Burrowers. They were starting to do real damage to the colony in their panic; the occasional hoof or horn was nicking the structures, even putting a dent on the Nexus itself. They were constantly falling or hitting the spikes I embedded in the trees, but despite that, they were slowly tearing the place apart. I couldn’t allow that.

Concentrating on my center, I diverted the cold energy that swirled within into the colony’s zone of influence, letting loose a Wither Nova. The dozen animals froze as the debilitating energies started wrecking their bodies. Thanks to the expanded atrofield, even the two bulls who were a level higher than me failed to resist.

Danx, Sal, myself, and the three remaining guardians fell on the beasts like a pack of rabid wolves. I exchanged the whip for my claws, stabbing limbs, slashing tendons, and focusing on keeping the animals down rather than trying to deliver a killing blow. Danx was ripping off huge chunks with his sizable jaws, and the spiderlings were using their sharpened limbs to claw their way on
and through the frozen enemies. Through it all, the Burrowers never stopped attacking; bundles of spines shot up from the ground to pierce the creature’s bellies, constantly draining their HP. The spines were doing less damage than my weapons, but there were much more of them, and that number quickly added up. Two cows fell before the rest of the herd managed to free itself from the debilitating agony and start moving again. The deaths increased the atrofield to its full third rank, so I hit the remaining animals with another Nova, keeping them out of action for a few more seconds.

Sal leaped out of the ground as if from a lake, wrapping around the neck of one of the bulls.

The poor creature had no chance. Weakened by Wither and half-crazed from the pain and the presence of the atrofield itself, they were barely able to fight back. A couple managed to land a stomp or a half-hearted headbutt on one of the guardians, but it wasn’t enough to destroy them. Danx showed his superior ability as he easily ran between the stomping hooves, using his formidable jaws to hamstring the animals or take huge bites out of their necks, causing terrible bleeding wounds.

I managed to time the Biomass synergy to withdraw the harmful effect so that the ensuing damage was enough to finish four of the heavily injured creatures. A moment later, Sal and the guardians delivered the finishing blows on the few who remained, ending the fight.

All in all, it took us under five minutes to eliminate the dozen huge creatures. I had an elongated gash on my side from a horn that snagged me in the confusion, and the rest of my allies were sporting wounds of their own, but the nature of our existence meant none of our lives were in danger. Already, biomass seeped out of the ground, aided by the colony’s area of influence, and started patching up everyone’s wounds—mine included.

The corpses were already starting to dissolve as the colony eagerly slurped their biomass, making it gush in small rivulets toward the Nexus. I helped it along, channeling my Biomass ability through the ground to drain two of the corpses, which brought my storage to full.

I opened the conclave’s interface and saw that its substantially higher storage of 600 kilos was almost full as well. And that was with half the corpses still unclaimed. I couldn’t let all that material go to waste.

I quickly opened the Structures menu and selected to raise all three of the yet unbuilt structures: the Corpse Collector, Deathless Node, and Soulforge. The conclave’s storage instantly shrunk to half, but it was already refilling as two more corpses liquefied.

I had to make more room fast or risk the excess going to waste, but I was prepared for that. As soon as the capacity reached 400
kilos, I ordered a new Nexus core to be constructed. More oxsaurians were liquified to refill the reserve, but even with the extra space, I could see some would probably go to waste. I quickly started Biocrafting a new spider guardian to replace the one we lost, and Sal, his length now reaching 3.5 meters, was quick to breathe life into it.

The final corpses’ remains dissolved, topping off my reserves, as well as the colony’s, and I was finally able to stand and sigh in relief. My plan had worked. Setting out like this into my enemy’s territory was dangerous, but using subterfuge and stealth I managed to raise a powerful colony while also topping the conclave’s reserves. I had enough resources at my disposal to fully evolve the other two colonies and a new one, which would be enough to bring the conclave to tier 3. With the major concerns handled, I took a moment to study my hovering notifications.

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 22

Integrated Weapon skill has increased to level 19

Essence Sight skill has increased to level 15

Level up!

You have reached level 15

Spirit attribute +1 (Physical +0.75, Mental +0.5, Social

+0.25)

Sal slithered over to me, a weird glitter running up and down his now 3.5 meters long body. “Massterr, I have … evolved.”

I squinted my eyes as I took in his details, but instead of his usual stats, a new message appeared instead.

Your companion has reached level 10

New evolution trait is available: Elemental Resistance Please select an element type

Though Sal didn’t have an actual level stat, it seemed as though the game considered his Physical attribute to be the measure of his growth.

A long list of elements, some I knew, some I never heard of, opened before me. There were the ‘standard’ elements; fire, cold, lightning, etc, but also stuff like blood, darkness, and radiant—
whatever that was. I didn’t bother going over the whole list, the most obvious one to take was listed at the very top. I’d been burnt by Huyan’s flames enough to realize any sort of protection against it would be an asset.

Sal has gained the trait: Elemental Resistance (Fire) 80% fire resistance

Looking around, I saw that the colony area had exploded outward, which was not surprising given the influx of deaths. More surprising was that the fleshy area didn’t extend outside the cove, coating the cliff’s inner walls instead, maintaining its secrecy.

The whole place virtually glowed with deathless energy, and I realized I was able to sort of ‘see’ into its depth, my deathless sixth sense picking up on the energy like sonar. I could see the colony’s
tendrils extending far below the ground like roots. Two of the longest tendrils extended back toward the general direction of the village, connecting the colony to the other two and forming all three into a single entity—my conclave.

But I also saw something new.

If it was my deathless sense or a sort of weird combination with my recently evolved Essence Sight I wasn’t sure, but I could actually see the spot the conclave’s outstretched tendrils intersected with the radiant root that cut through the forest. The point of the intersection was glowing in a menacing purple as if the presence of the conclave’s tendrils somehow infected the radiant one. As I watched, the infection spread on, gradually extending to cover up more of the root. The progress was slow, but I could tell it served to somehow energize my conclave as if siphoning power from the radiant root.

Closing my eyes I could feel the edges of the purple infection. It wanted to spread out more, to infect the area around the root, which was almost enough to produce its own atrofield.

Almost, but not enough.

I glanced down at the new Nexus core in my hand. I simply knew that if I planted it at the end of the radiant root, the two colonies on either side would be able to use the conduit as a medium to extend their influence. I’d be able to cover a huge swath of land with atrofield, making the infected part of the forest my playground. I’d be able to kill, absorb, and increase my influence exponentially, maybe even enough to be able to take the fight to the druid elders themselves. It was just the edge I was looking for to complete my mission

I had to act now before the taint had a chance to draw Huyan’s attention, which would put the initiative in his hands. It was a risky proposition, but I couldn’t pass on the opportunity.

“Sal,” I called my companion, reaching an arm toward him to join me. “Danx, stay here and protect the colony.” The Coordinator's strength would have been useful out there, but his ability was not yet developed enough for a long foray outside the conclave.

“Yes, Keeper,” Danx replied reverently.

I stepped out of the colony, easily tracking the radiant root to the river. I crossed over to the other side and kept following it in.

The taint hadn’t reached this far, but I could still sense it slowly advancing behind me, fighting to push on through the seam of life energy.

I kept moving forward, the radiant glow marking my way clearly, though the darkness of night made everything else look like an opaque black wall. Then I made it into the second menhir line, and I nearly stumbled as the wave of nausea hit me like a physical blow. I stumbled a few more steps ahead, barely able to keep my balance. If anything attacked me now, I’d be almost helpless to fight back, but I wasn’t about to let that stop me now. I forced myself farther in, ignoring my surroundings and my own distress, diverting every bit of focus and energy to keep following the underground line. I stumbled between bushes and nearly ran headlong into a tree a couple of times. I used my hands to grab anything I could for balance and kept on walking. From somewhere around me I could hear the hisses and growls of animals, their peace interrupted by my presence. I was completely vulnerable, and still, I pushed on through.

And then I saw it.

Like a scene out of a fairy tale, the forest’s canopy opened above me, and I found myself standing at the edge of a huge clearing dominated by a single tree that was so big, it boggled the mind. The tree was bigger than a skyscraper, and I was unable to even see the entirety of it from where I was standing. Its vast canopy, glowing with the radiance of life, extended all over the clearing and the smaller trees, lording its sheer size and presence over them.

The glowing root I was following led straight to the massive trunk, where it was joined by dozens of other similar veins—the tree’s root system.

With my vision blurred, I held up the Nexus core and smacked it down on the ground. I instantly felt better as a wave of flesh extended outward, extinguishing the light below us and filling a small area with the soothing energies of the atrofield. I could feel the underground tendrils rushing back, moving through the glowing root
behind me like a spreading fire, searing and infecting it as it connected to the other colonies, joining the conclave.

I started reading the notifications that announced the conclave reaching tier 3, but I was immediately distracted by angry shouts.

“No! How dare you!”

Huyan was suddenly there, staring at me with eyes burning with hate. “You can’t be here! Abomination! A plague on nature itself!”

Three other figures joined the enraged druid. All four were clothed in shaggy coats, decorated with antlers, vines, and holding gnarled wooden staves.

Rosh Bellowb, Elder Druid of Earth, level 50, ?? HP

[Nature’s Wrath]

Rosh Shui, Elder Druid of Water, level 50, ?? HP [Nature’s Wrath]

Rosh Feng, Elder Druid of Wind, level 50, ?? HP [Nature’s Wrath]

All four were staring murder at me, blocking my way to the giant tree.

I could see the source of the light behind them. Fused directly into the huge trunk was an ancient-looking stone archway. The glowing vortex within radiated off the canopy, turning the leaves into dim lanterns that lit up the entire open space.

There was no doubt in my mind. That vortex was the conduit.

The key I had been looking for. The way for me to accomplish the mission. I needed to get through.

But first, I had to contend with the four angry and powerful druids in my way.

“Huyan,” the one called Shui said, looking at me in disdain. “It was your responsibility to handle this nuisance. And now he is here,
forcing us to abandon our duty to mask the entrance to block the spread of his taint from reaching the heart.”

“Yes,” the one called Bellowb said, his voice low and rumbling.

“This disturbance had gone on long enough.”

“I killed him three times,” Huyan said with clenched teeth, “but he keeps coming back.”

“Do you wish to relinquish responsibility to one of us?” the one called Feng asked with a thick voice.

“No. He’s a traveler. There is only one way to deal with the likes of them. You know what needs to be done.”

The other three druids glanced at each other.

“She won’t like it,” Shui said.

“As well as a few others,” Feng agreed.

They seemed to ignore my presence as they casually discussed how to deal with me. Trying to take on all four was futile and suicidal.

Standing still and being quiet was the better option. I’d already gleaned some interesting bits of information from their chatter.

“We are the elders,” Huyan said. “We are the final guardians.

When the heart of the forest is threatened, it is up to us to take any measure necessary to protect it. Even as we speak, the taint of this abomination spreads on.”

“True.” Bellowb nodded.

“Do it,” Feng said.

“We will assist,” Shui added.

The forest around us erupted in roars and growls as animals started flowing into the open. Beavors streamed in next to bonetis and snappers. Giant wargs walked side by side with tuskers, and I even caught a glimpse of the formidable uberbear stepping in. The ground started to shift as something huge moved below it, showing a rough shell almost indistinguishable from the ground around it.

“No,” Huyan said. “There is no need to call in on the ancients.

This horde would be enough. Help me, brothers.”

The four druids closed their eyes, and my visage blurred as Essence Sight showed a huge wave of energy erupting out of them, washing over the horde. I expected them to jump on me and rip me
limb from limb, but to my surprise, none of the beasts moved toward me. Instead, they all turned and ran away. “What the hell?”

Huyan opened his eyes, though his three compatriots kept theirs closed. “This is all over for you, abomination.”

“I’m standing right here.”

“And here you shall remain,” he said, a look of disgust flashed on his face as he stared at me. “I’ve warned you there will be consequences to your actions, and now, you’ve incurred them. This is out of my hands now.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“It is clear we can’t simply kill you to get rid of you. I’ve told you I’d tear the roots from under you, and you’ve finally given me the justification to do what needs to be done.” He smirked as he saw my furrowed brow. “Your root. Your source. The village. Brinfold. It serves as your base and anchor. It is the source of your power, influence, and resurrection spot. The beasts of this forest will no longer abide your presence. They will wipe that place off the face of the ground, and the forest will move in to claim its place. Without roots, even the tallest tree won’t survive for long. Once the village is dealt with, you and your taint will be wiped out as well, never to return.”

I felt the blood freeze in my body. I was not expecting this.

“What about the villagers? The people living there?”

Huyan's expression didn’t change. “What do you think? Their end is your doing.”

And with that, he turned, his body morphing to that of a large deer with huge antlers as he ran to follow the stampeding animals.

The feeling of cold dread tightened around me like a suffocating blanket. “No,” I said hoarsely. I was trained to fight, trained to kill so that the simple people would never need to know the horror of war. I could deal with it. They could not. And now, I’d unleashed a force determined to annihilate them all. Because of me. Because I refused to back down. NPCs or not, the realization I was about to be the herald of the villagers’ undoing hit me like a physical blow. The irony did not escape me, and I couldn’t breathe.

The tantalizing glitter of the open gateway was barely a hundred meters away. The other three druids remained standing in place, their eyes closed. I knew I couldn’t hurt them, probably not even close in on them before they sensed my approach and killed me as easily as a fly, but in their current preoccupied state, there was a chance I might be able to move past them and make a break for the gateway.

The goal was just within sight, but every heartbeat felt heavy in my chest like a burden weighing me down. I took a step forward toward the shimmering portal. The druids didn’t budge at the movement. I could do it. Reach my goal. But memories of the people I knew started flashing through my mind: Dawn's easy-going pragmatism and acceptance, Robert's friendly demeanor, Lyta’s warm smile and compassionate eyes, the mother feeding her baby

… Gideon himself, sitting happily among the other villagers. My fears for him had somehow mirrored to extend to the new friends I’d acquired. How would he react knowing I’d sacrificed them all for his benefit?

I stopped before making the next step.

I couldn’t just let them all die.

The portal would still be here tomorrow.

I turned my back to the tree, knowing I might never get the chance to be that close to it again but feeling better with every step I took. I started running in the wake of devastation the horde left behind.

Some of the animals were slow enough for me to catch, but I knew I could never stop them all before they reached the village. I stopped chasing the horde and quickly went through my options. I had to get there ahead of them, and the only way to do that was to take a shortcut.

I looked at the three sedate elders. They were powerful enough for the task, but I couldn’t count on them, knowing their intentions were to keep me away from the village. They could easily tie me down instead of kill me and I couldn’t risk that. I had to do the deed myself.

I formed a single serrated claw and, before my survival instincts could kick in to stop me, I ran it sharply across my own throat.

The blade tore open my flesh with ease, and I fell to the ground on all fours, heaving. A few drops of actual blood fell out of the garish wound, staining the foliage. I couldn’t breathe, but that felt more uncomfortable than constricting. I tried to block the pain away, tightening my fists to avoid the instinct to hold the wound close as I awaited the release of death.

But my own stats were working against me now.

Then the sluggish droplets of blood stopped falling, and a moment later I was able to take a ragged, labored breath.

I growled in frustration. It turned out that being hard to kill applied to me as well. I could try stabbing myself repeatedly, but I knew myself well enough to know my survival instincts would win out before my health reached zero. I couldn’t take my own life. And all those who could were charging away from me.

With a grunt of frustration, I picked myself back up and resumed chasing the horde. I knew there was little I could do to stop them, but I also knew I’d die trying.

As many times as was necessary.

Then I stumbled. My leg suddenly moved straight through the ground as I ran. I put a hand out to balance myself, but it passed through the tree I was aiming for.

I looked down at myself and realized I was fading away.

“No! No, let me stay!” I shouted.

But no one heard me cry.

26 - Loyalties

The beeping of machines and flashing of indicator lights greeted me as I slowly came to.

I blinked groggily as I tried to reorient myself.

I was strapped down to a familiar recliner, thick bands holding me down. An IV drip was connected to my left arm, its saline bag empty.

“Why the hell did you pull me out so soon?” I demanded as Dr.

Shaw leaned over me to remove the IV needle.

She stared down at me with surprise. “We didn’t. We’re actually a little late. It took us longer than usual to get set up this morning, so you’ve been inside the simulation for an extra four hours. It's noon already.”

“Whatever. I have to get back in,” I said, trying hard not to strain against my bonds in irritation. Acting up as the deranged prisoner wouldn’t work to my advantage here.

“No, no, I don’t think that would be necessary”—the woman beamed down at me—“your progress report is incredible. More so than we’d hoped. I think we’ll take a couple of days to carefully go through notes to determine how and if to continue the treat—”

“You have to send me back in,” I said, straining not to growl.

“There are innocent lives at stake. People are about to get slaughtered in retribution for my actions, I have to help them.”

I felt ridiculous as soon as I finished saying those words. To the doctor, and everyone else, Brinfold’s residents were just simulated programs. Heck, I knew that too. In all likelihood, since I was the only player involved, the game was put on pause as soon as I logged out of it, so there was probably nothing to worry about, but I couldn’t help it. The fear for their safety gnawed at me like a parasite. Logic was one thing, but my feelings of obligation and trepidation were another.

I couldn’t just shake them off.

To my surprise, the young doctor nodded at my words. “Yes, I see … virtual shifted attachment syndrome … with your psych profile

… Yes, I believe that would be beneficial. Tim”—she turned to the
second man in the room whose presence I only now noticed—“what do you say, can we send him back in for another short session?”

The technician tapped some keys and checked the screen in front of him. “Physically speaking, Mr. Slater is in perfect shape.

Brain waves are good … vital signs are strong and steady … but we should get some solid food into him soon. I’d say we can give him …

another hour?”

With the ten to one time dilation ratio, that meant almost half a day in the game. Plenty of time to save everyone … or watch them die horribly. I locked eyes with the doctor, commanding her to follow my will. “Do it.”

She frowned slightly. “Now I’m not so sure. I haven't finished analyzing your progress report. It was looking very promising, but you sound a bit too confrontational for my taste. You’re obviously under a lot of stress. Maybe some time to calm down is what you need most right now.”

I closed my eyes and took in a steadying breath. Right. Matsuel was spoofing his reports to make it look like my recovery was going well. Maybe a little too well. I had to maintain the illusion of keeping with that fiction. “I’m sorry,” I said, opening my eyes and giving the woman a straightforward look. “I made some mistakes, and now I feel obligated to fix them before innocent people suffer for them.

Please, send me in again. I promise I’ll try to do better. Isn’t that the whole point of this experiment ... ma’am?”

Dr. Shaw nodded. “It is. Very well. Tim, send him back in.”

The man nodded and started typing at a keyboard.

As reality blurred around me, I still managed to hear the doctor’s parting words.

“You made the right choice, going back to help the villagers.”

She and the entire room disappeared, leaving me with the nagging feeling that something about her words was wrong.

I wasn’t left wondering for long as, two heartbeats later, my vision filled with the desired words.

Welcome back to New Era Online

***

I found myself right at the place I had been logged out from, still leaning against a tree. The sound of rushing animals was long gone, and there was no sign of them in sight. My newest colony was also nowhere to be seen. Without guardians to protect it, it had been destroyed in my absence, taking the tier 3 conclave upgrade along with it.

I tightened my jaws as the internal game clock notified me an hour had passed inside the game in the five minutes I’d spent outside. It was a long way from here to the village, so the beast horde probably didn’t make it there yet, but this was their territory.

They could move through it much faster than I could. I still had to take a shortcut if I wanted to have a chance at beating them to the mark.

I looked around frantically, noticing the three elder druids were still standing in place, eyes closed. Tree roots were slowly crawling over one of them, nearly entombing him inside, making him a sitting target.

I was still risking being restrained by attacking them, but I was out of time. I manifested my claws and charged at the—literally rooted—elder. Before my weapons could reach him, though, more roots burst out of the ground, wrapping around my legs, arresting my momentum. I fell down hard, losing several HP in the process. I could feel my biomass quickly responding, seeping out over my skin to undo the damage. “No,” I growled, willing it back into my storage.

Healing was counterproductive for the shortcut I had in mind. I hacked at the roots with my claws, severing several. More roots erupted out of the ground, surrounding me like a sea of tentacles, whipping, entangling. They were bleeding me out, but it was taking too long.

“Come on,” I growled, slashing wildly at the roots, “show me what you’ve got.” It was quickly becoming apparent the vegetation was working on keeping me down rather than killing me, which meant I had to provoke them further. I let the claws on one of my hands dissolve into a silver goo, adding more biomass to it, forming
it into my familiar bladed whip. “Show me what you’ve got!” I roared again, lashing out straight at the elder.

Coercion skill has increased to level 9

The druid’s eyes flashed as my whip stung him.

All the roots around me stopped writhing and moved to point their sharpened tips at me like snakes focusing on prey. The next thing I knew, over a dozen lashed forward and pierced my body, bursting out of the other side.

The damage was incredible, enough to completely drain my health bar. I let out a sigh of relief even as my vision grew dark.

Even in this world, sometimes it took forever to get a ride.

***

You have died

Death debuff: all skill effects -10% for 10 hours I came around to the familiar sight of Brinfold’s cemetery. Out in the distance, I could hear the distant growl of large animals and the alarmed shouts of villagers. As usual, it seemed some time had passed while I was being respawned. The attackers were already here.

The death debuff was a hindrance, but it could have been worse. Running out of the low fenced cemetery I saw the town’s defenders were already busy at work. The palisade they had erected a few days ago was proving its worth as no animals had made it inside the village yet. Dozens of villagers were standing on the wall, makeshift weapons stabbing down beyond. I heard a scream and managed to catch a glimpse of giant claws above the wall snatching away one of the defenders. He screamed for a few more seconds before his cries ended with a bloody gurgle.

I had to hurry.

A team of hunters was standing on a platform right over the gate, loosening arrows toward something at the other side. As I moved closer, I could hear the growls of animals and the screeching of claws on wood. The entire wall shook as something heavy struck it from the other side.

I stumbled a little as I ran toward the wall. Someone saw me and shouted. “Seraph is here!”

Another one yelled, “Save us, Seraph!”

I jumped on the platform between two frightened-looking farmers with spears and looked outside. The area beyond the walls was crawling with crazed animals. Beavors and Metalback armadillos were clawing the palisade, trying to climb it. A pack of snappers and wargs were circling the walls at a quick pace, looking for a way in. A little farther back I could see a couple of the giant utahsnappers and full-grown wargs, and standing right next to the walls was the terrible-looking uberbear. At level 25, its bone-plated body shrugged off most of the arrows and spear tips that were aimed at it, and its long claws were covered in fresh blood.

The entire wall shook again, the gate started to buckle, and I instantly zeroed in on the reason. Two giant tuskers were taking turns ramming into the gate. It was holding, for now, but the large holes punctured by their massive tasks were quickly growing in size.

It wouldn’t hold much longer.

I had to do something, but I was stymied. There were too many enemies around for me to put a dent in their numbers. The uberbear alone was probably enough to take out half the villagers on its own.

And it was not alone.

Then I saw him. Huyan stood far at the back of the horde. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he impassively watched the attack.

I had to get to him. Had to kill enough animals to open up a path. But without an atrofield in place, I had no chance. The time for hiding the effects of my abilities was out. I no longer cared if the villagers knew my secret. As long as they lived.

Forming the whip again, I started lashing out at the nearest small animals who were trying to climb the wall. A single hit was
enough to kill a rabbit and cause an atrofield to erupt around its corpse. I heard gasps all around me as the villagers noticed my actions, but I didn’t care. I hit a couple more animals, aiming for the weakest ones, dropping them one by one. The atrofields that erupted from their Withered bodies merged, covering a significant area.

Another loud crash came from the direction of the gate. Turning around I saw the heavy doors had been almost ripped from their hinges. Another heavy blow and they’d be gone, then the enemy would stream inside.

I focused on the next small critter, directing my whip to wrap around its hind leg instead of just slashing it open. With a powerful tug, I heaved the grappled animal toward the gate, and it impaled on a sharp stick on top. The beast died, and its death caused a new atrofield to appear over the gateway.

Despite the chaos of battle, I felt myself calming down. This was just another engagement. I lived for such moments, the rush of adrenaline, to kill or be killed. My training kicked in, whispering to me like a patient lover what to do. Reposition. Look for the advantage.

Use the environment.

Reaching deep inside myself, no longer having to fight the uncertain turmoil, I found my answers. Streams of biomass erupted out of my hand, and I directed them toward the atrofield-covered gate. Vines of flesh and tendons started forming around the loose planks, holding them together, even as bone bolts grew across the planks to reinforce them.

I was just in time. The next tusker rammed itself into the gate and snorted in bewilderment as it held. The bio-matter I used proved more flexible and better suited to absorb a hit than the rigid wooden beams did.

Glancing at my biomass indicator I saw that simple act had drained 50 kilos out of me. I still had roughly 260 left, but at this rate, it wouldn’t last for long—especially since I was banking on Corruption to carry me through the toughest opponent, and that ability was voracious. The small critters I’d one-shotted this far didn’t have enough meat on their bones to help. I needed bigger prey than that.

The reprieve I bought was short-lived as the villager next to me suddenly screamed and fell from the platform. A spindler’s spike was stuck in his chest, while several others were embedded at the edge of the wall.

This was not going well. Then the utahsnappers joined the fray.

The giant lizards were ignoring the meager arrows that came at them, their snapping jaws reaching beyond the walls to get to the defenders.

The defense melted away as people jumped down from the platforms to avoid the giant teeth, screaming in fear. The uberbear was lumbering toward my position, and I lashed out at it. My whip did a pitiful amount of damage and, unsurprisingly, the Wither attempt didn’t take. This was not going well.

I had to do something, fast, something significant enough to alter the course of battle, but I had no clue what. I didn’t want to waste one of the Wither stacks by using Nova on enemies that couldn’t directly engage me. It was better to save it for when it would be more crucial to stagger their attacks.

Ducking swiping claws from the uberbear, which shaved off the top of the palisade, I glanced inside. The defenders were in disarray, half of them shouting in alarm, the other half barely managing to focus on defense. Cries of mercy to the druids were shouted all around me, but their cries fell on deaf ears. Huyan remained stoic and motionless behind the throng, directing the extermination.

The uberbear reared up to reach me again, but I jumped off the platform.

I managed to spot two things that might be helpful. One was Brinfold’s mayor. The other was the village shrine.

“Jazir!” I shouted. Brinfold’s mayor looked lost among the scared people, and though he was holding a spear of his own, it didn’t look like he knew what to do with it.

His eyes met mine. “Seraph,” he said, sounding relieved. “What is going on? Why do the druids attack us? Those gray circles …

Some people say they were yours.”

“That’s right!” I shouted as I trudged through the crowd toward him “Those circles are mine. They make me stronger. It’s how I
hunt.”

“You lied to me,” he said. The simple accusation sounded ridiculous in the face of the imminent danger.

“I never lied, exactly,” I said. “I just let you come to your own conclusion. But I’m sorry I hid the truth from you. We need to get past this now … and quickly. We have to work together if we want to have a chance to survive.”

“That doesn’t matter now!” Jazir yelled. “Did you see those giants out there? We’re all going to die! Look!”

The palisade groaned and was starting to lean inward as something large and heavy pressed it from the other side.

“No!” I said with more conviction than I’d actually felt. “There’s a way, we can still make it, but I need your permission first.”

“What?” For a moment his bewildered expression focused on me as if unbelieving his ears. “You need my permission to save us?”

“No. I need to take over your shrine, convert it to my deity. I’m sorry, but it's the only way.”

“But …” His mouth opened and closed a few times. “Teva had always been our guardian, the goddess of fertility and health, and—”

“She’s not here, and she can’t save you,” I cut him off, pointing at the crumbling walls. “We’re about to get overrun. Health and fertility won’t cut it here. We need strength, we need saving, we need the god of ....” My mind went blank for a moment as I fished out for a proper definition. Then it came to me, like a lightbulb flashing through my mind. “We need the God of Redemption.”

Herald: your actions have solidified your deity domain: Redemption

Redemption: Race, color, and age are all irrelevant in the eyes of your deity. Matsuel will redeem them all, accepting them into the unending embrace of deathlessness.

Jazir’s eyes locked onto mine for a long moment, then he tilted his head. “Let it be so. May the gods forgive us for our actions.”

The wall shook again, and the enhanced gate started buckling under the pressure once more.

I rushed over to the simple wooden platform decorated with flowers and tributes and laid my hand over it.

You have found a shrine of Teva (Goddess of health and fertility)

As a Herald of a different deity, you have the option to convert the shrine to your religion.

Biomass cost: 96kg.

Convert the shrine? Yes/No

I confirmed, and streams of biomass erupted out of me, quickly covering the entire platform, turning it to the familiar beating heart of a new colony.

You have established a shrine for Matsuel (God of Redemption)

+100 FP

The biomass kept on spilling, flooding the ground around the new Nexus. Tendrils of flesh raced each other to cover the dusty road, climb buildings, and reach the wall.

The onlooking villagers retreated in fear away from the spreading taint, but I could already feel the vibrancy and power of the new colony enter my body, bringing me power and confidence.

“Really?” Matsuel's voice was exasperated as it came out of the shrine. “The God of Redemption? Not really fitting with the whole undeath-fleshy theme you got going there, don’t you think?”

“You’re the one who claimed to prefer the unexpected twist,” I shot back, watching as the area continued to expand. Once it reached the wall, it seemed to merge with the existing circles of
atrofield. The sounds of roaring animals outside stopped all at once.

My actions had bought us a short reprieve, but it wouldn’t last long.

“No, I know. I guess I was just expecting something more ominous: rot, devouring, carnage … that sort of thing. Then again, you can take any positive-sounding term and make it dark and ominous, I guess I can implement it to mean being reborn as a deathless being; old body snatched away, devoured to be redeemed, and then replaced with a superior one. Huh, guess it wasn’t that far off the mark after all.”

“Glad you’re happy,” I said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a village to save.” Wanting to see the tools I had at my disposal, I put my hands on the Nexus, and a slew of messages bombarded me.

Congratulations!

For forming a Nexus over an existing shrine you have received the following bonuses:

● Conclave biomass capacity bonus: +50kg

● Colony area starting radius: +10m

● Structure building duration vastly reduced

Right, I recalled seeing those bonuses before, when I took over the shrine of the god of death before it was destroyed. It explained how the colony’s starting area was able to get as far as the nearby wall, but even more important than that was the last bonus. I remembered how quickly new structures formed in the previously assimilated altar. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but considering how much slower my other colonies were to grow, the extra speed could prove to be the deciding factor that would turn the tide in my favor.

Conclave has reached tier 3

● Colonies’ max radius increased to 80 meters.

● Colonies’ base biomass absorption rate increased from 10 to 15 kilos.

● Soulforge max summon rank increased from 0 to 1

● Colonies’ default atrofield rank increased from 1 to 2

● New structure options are available

I quickly studied the list, trying to determine the best approach to mount a defense. All the tier 3 bonuses were great additions to my growing conclave, but other than the increased atrofield rank there were no other direct combat advantages I could see.

I accessed the Structures option. Thanks to the construction speed bonus, raising buildings in the heat of battle was a viable tactic. I quickly glanced down at the list, noting the newly available options

Colony Structures

Available utility:

● Reverberator: project a deathless field in a radius x10 the colony radius. Within that range, atrofield may be stacked up to the 4th rank. Biomass cost: 125kg

● Biotunnel [Requirement met: altar-based Nexus]: open a central tunnel hub that may be used by deathless beings to quickly travel to and from your colonies. Biomass cost: 350kg Available Warfare:

● Graspers: tentacles within the colony area hamper enemies’

movements. Biomass cost: 350kg

The Biotunnel option instantly attracted my attention, especially since the words were colored in purple, same as the Soulforge. The sounds of crushing and battle from outside the palisade reached a new height as some of the larger animals started punching holes through it, and some of the smaller critters started filtering in through the cracks, charging the desperate villagers.

With 600 kilos of biomass in the conclave’s stores and another 150 on my person, I had a lot to spend on new structures. Problem was, even that wasn’t enough for the priority buildings: Graspers, Burrowers, and Biotunnel. I needed 900 kilos to build all three, and
even with the abundance of resources at my disposal, I once again found myself lacking building materials. I also needed biomass to possibly craft more guardians, not to mention have some for myself to fight and to heal.

I selected the biotunnel first, then the Graspers, placing both right next to the Nexus. Despite having the same biomass cost, the Graspers grew faster, the ground erupting into a writhing mass of fleshy tendrils. Within a few moments, the process was finished, and the tentacles surged out, snaking in and out of the ground, lashing out at the animals within range, ensnaring limbs, slowing down the charge, and in some cases, even holding down some of the weaker animals.

The villagers cheered, and with renewed hope, they moved to dispatch the hampered animals.

I could feel bursts of energy running through the colony’s vein network with every critter they felled. When two snappers jumped and shredded one of the poor farmers, that feeling grew even stronger. The colony area expanded as it drank in the biomass of foes and allies alike, unable to tell them apart. Tendrils of flesh extended out of the ground further than before and started coating the walls’ interior, strengthening them with rigid flesh.

The biotunnel was slowly forming. A depression appeared in the ground as a whirlpool of flesh that deepened before ending in a tightly clenched hatch at the bottom. More than anything else, the biotunnel looked like a giant … sphincter. Regardless of what it looked like, I realized I could feel the structure’s growth extending below the surface, running through the already connected underground tendrils that reached the other colonies, binding them together.

Expanding my senses through the colony’s area, I felt the corpses and directed my will at them, forcing their mass to come to me. Several animals, as well as the unfortunate dead farmer, liquified, and their biomass flowed into my outstretched palm, bringing my storage up to 300 kilos.

I quickly channeled 200 of it into the Nexus and selected the Burrower’s Nest. The familiar structure of sharpened, stacked bones
grew rapidly out of the ground. I felt it as the Biotunnel finished forming, felt it as all my other colonies came into my awareness through my new deathless sense. “Guardians! Drudges!” I roared.

“To me!”

The Burrower’s Nest finished forming as the first of the guardians pushed its way out of the Biotunnel. It was one of the pricks, and it wasted no time in charging the growing mass of animals pouring in from the cracks in the palisade, skewering them and slowing their advance. More and more guardians poured through; pricks, flayed mongrels, and my recently crafted bone spiders. I noticed Danx coming out as well, studying the surroundings, his presence supporting the guardians whose numbers surpassed the colony’s ability to maintain.

“Protect the villagers!” I shouted. “And keep the enemies away from me for a few moments!”

“Yes, Keeper!” the Coordinator said, and with a flick of his head, he formed the twelve imported guardians into formation. The pricks formed a line, flanked by the mongrels and spiderlings positioned to herd enemies into their stabbing bodies. With the guardians all between levels 5 to 7, they were much stronger than any of the smaller animals that lived in the first forest zone, which were the only ones who had managed to pass through the cracked walls thus far. I knew they’d be able to hold their own for a while, but I also knew that once the largest beasts started making it through, we’d all be in serious trouble. And that didn’t even factor in the obscenely powerful druid that directed the assault from the back.

“Keeper!” the painful cry of my two Drudges, Xif and Zul, reached me. The two had answered my call to arrive, but their presence stretched the colony’s ability to maintain them, and cracks started appearing on their boney extremities.

But I had a solution for that. I hurriedly poured 75 kilos of biomass into the Nexus and selected the Deathless Node structure.

A small tower that, more than anything, looked like a giant eyestalk without an actual eyeball, rapidly rose from the ground. The two Drudges visibly relaxed as their wounds started to heal over.

“Zul, Xif, integrate with the Graspers and Burrowers,” I commanded. The Drudges’ ability increased the efficiency of any structure they bonded with, and right now, I needed to deliver every advantage I had into warfare.

There was a tremendous sound of crashing from the gate as one of the tuskers finally punched clean through the gate. The fleshy tendrils covering the wooden surface instantly crawled over and resealed the hole behind it, but that did nothing to stop the powerful animal from overwhelming its lower-leveled enemies.

It charged the line of pricks, throwing them aside like bowling pins before an especially thick tentacle rose from the ground and grabbed its hind leg. A moment later a wave of spines erupted from the ground to pierce deeply into its underbelly, eliciting a cry of rage and pain from the trapped animal.

Another section of the wall was breached, and two of the hulking utahsnappers came through before the opening closed behind them.

The resealed spots were weaker than the palisade's sturdy wooden beams. I knew they could only buy me a few short moments before the rest of the horde broke through and swarmed the village. I had to be ready for them.

The two utahsnappers roared and charged the huddled, frightened group of villagers whose arrows and thrown spears glanced ineffectively off the huge beasts’ hides.

“Wither Nova!” I shouted, excluding the villagers as I directed the force through the extensive colony area. With the rank 2 atrofield in place, the tusker froze and, though it was 4 levels over me, one of the utahsnappers did as well. Rotting patches started extending over their flesh, withering it away. The second raptor resisted the attempt, though the sight of his friend’s fate caused him to also momentarily freeze in place.

I knew I had mere seconds before they snapped out of it, and being withered didn’t reduce their deadliness. I couldn’t reach all three in time to stop them from killing the villagers, but I was going to give it my best shot.

“Corruption!” I shouted, feeling the last dregs of biomass vanishing from my storage as it reformed into giant bulges
underneath the tusker’s hide. Even then, my entire remaining amount of 25 kilos was only enough to hit it with moderate severity.

Since they were even heavier, I didn’t target the utahsnappers first, which might have been a mistake. Merely three seconds after being hit by my Wither ability, the two giant raptors were moving again, their anger making them lash out in rage at the frightened villagers.

The giant maws of the uninjured one closed around a screaming woman, killing her with a single bite, while the afflicted raptor tore apart the two flayed mongrels that were trying to bite its heels.

“No!” I shouted as I saw the woman’s remains falling into the fleshy ground, absorbing into it. I had recognized her from the night of introductions in the inn, and seeing her life snuffed out, without any resistance, deepened the feeling of helplessness in my soul.

I had completely exhausted my storage of biomass, not having enough to even form a single weapon. I reached out with my senses, looking for a solution. The odd chopped-off limbs would barely net me any mass, so I extended my senses farther, deeper. Looking for a solution. Then I reached it. I could feel a horde of biomass ripe for the taking at the very edge of my influence. But I hesitated. What I was thinking of doing was crossing a line unlike anything I did before. Then the utahsnappers roared in triumph and moved to flank the villagers, their eyes glinting maniacally. There was no more time for hesitation. I reached out and drained the village’s cemetery of its inhabitants.

Though rotted, there was enough decaying flesh for me to absorb, and within seconds, thick ribbons of biomass flowed my way, dropping into my storage and filling it before spilling over into the conclave’s higher reserves.

I focused on the Withered utahsnapper. “Corruption!” A stream of silvery biomass erupted out of my hand, seeping into the beast’s wounds. It shrieked in pain as huge bulges erupted out of its body, some of them rupturing and oozing blood and viscous liquid.

Utahsnapper, level 19, 140/164(186) HP [Withered x1, Medium Corruption: bleeding 8, slowed]

The immobilized tusker was well taken care of as half of my guardians were tearing at it, draining its life away. With one utahsnapper effectively out of the picture, thrashing around and bleeding, I moved to face the second one which was still at full health.

I reached out and snapped my fingers. Biomass started streaming out of my palms, forming into a whip, but it wasn’t the same whip I had grown accustomed to. Tempered by the danger and rush of battle, my deathless sense reached new heights, giving me clarity into the foundation of my Biomancer discipline. The biomass, guided by instinct, flowed into a new shape. Instead of the long leathery strip, the new whip resembled a long, flexible bone spine. It looked almost as if I’d ripped out a long snake’s spinal column, with sharp spikes coming out at every vertebrate, ending with a wickedly sharp forked tail.

Then I was charging the creature, whip striking. The vertebrates extended, elongating their reach, and struck at the side of the utahsnapper's face, drawing a deep bleeding gush along its jaw.

Whip hit utahsnapper for 12 damage (22 base - 10 armor) Wither attempt resisted!

Despite the rank 2 atrofield, the stubborn utahsnapper had resisted the second Wither attempt in a row.

The giant beast roared and snapped its neck at me, and I just narrowly managed to evade the mass of razor-sharp teeth.

I lifted my arm to lash at it again, but the beast was not finished yet. Using the momentum of its swinging neck it brought its whole body around, and its long tail slammed into my chest like a rubbery truck.

Utahsnapper tail hit you for 33 damage (57 base - 22
armor)

The strike was powerful enough to throw me sideways. But even as I flew, a mass of fleshy ground rose and caught me like a scoop.

The animal was not far behind, already charging, and in some unfathomable way, it dodged my next whip attack and closed its huge jaws around me, easily picking me off the ground.

Utahsnapper bit you for 40 damage (74 base - 22 armor) I was more seasoned now, and despite having just lost 40% of my health, I knew what to do. I grinned at the giant lizard. “Wrong move, buddy.”

My whip liquified as I shifted its mass around, using the available coverage to instantly sprout bone spikes all around my body. The utahsnapper shrieked in pain as its mouth was pierced at least a dozen times. The spikes, coming out directly out of my body, were considered integrated weapons, so when they hit, they hit hard.

You hit utahsnapper for 65 damage ([15 base - 10 armor]

x13 )

Wither has sapped 12% of the target life (-22 HP)

“Yes!” I shouted in triumph as the animal froze up, still holding me in its mouth. Withered, and with its health now at half, the fight was starting to turn in my favor.

Pressing my hands to the sides of the jaws holding me, I pried them open long enough for me to climb out and hoist myself over the creature’s neck, taking a glance around the battlefield in the process.

The situation seemed to be relatively in hand. The tusker was about to die, and the other utahsnapper was still writhing and bleeding on the ground with four spider guardians doing everything
they could to help it along. The villagers seemed to have rallied around the hunters and were successfully picking off the horde of smaller animals that streamed through the gaps in the wall. The colony’s Graspers and Burrower's spines were everywhere, hampering enemies and piercing them from below.

The colony’s area exploded outward, completely covering the entirety of the village and spilling over outside, which explained the vitality and energy I could sense flowing in from all around me.

Biomass seeped out of my body, reknitting flesh and skin as my health slowly ticked upward. I could feel the power of the area thrumming along the wounds, helping them close faster than ever, quickly bringing my health up.

For a short moment, I dared to hope we were going to come out of it relatively in one piece …. then fire roared around us all at once as billows of flames instantly engulfed the walls.

It looked like the druid was done watching. The colony’s tendrils, which crawled over the palisade, recoiled as if in pain, melting away before the blazing flames. The wooden walls started to crack under the magical fire, then a terrible roar tore through the air, and the hulking uberbear barreled through wood and flames, tearing a huge gap which the remaining horde of beasts streamed through.

Uberbear, level 25, 285 HP

Dozens of lesser wargs, normal snappers, and spindlers poured in after the hulking beast. A pack of six level 17 giant wargs followed in last, led by a huge canine that scanned the battlefield with cunning eyes.

Warg alpha, level 21, 220 HP [Wrath of the Pack]

“Shit!” I cursed as the wave of animals charged the defenders.

I focused and sent a pulse of Wither through the ground, instantly reaching every enemy in sight. The dozens of smaller
animals froze and started writhing on the ground as the debilitating energy melted the flesh off their bodies. The uberbear seemed completely unfazed as it charged straight at Danx and my remaining eight guardians. The pack of giant wargs’ reaction was peculiar.

They all froze as the blast of withering energies rushed over them, but then their alpha snarled and reared up, snapping its jaws as if snatching a bird in flight. I could feel all the withering energy around the pack focusing on the alpha, then dissipate harmlessly in its mouth. Somehow, the leader had resisted the attack for the entire pack.

Despite the deadly odds against us, I was encouraged to see the villagers take heart by the sudden halt of the attacking animals, and they fell on the smaller, frozen ones with a ferocity I didn’t expect from simple farmers. Hunters let loose arrows while pitchfork-holding men and women finished off the hampered beasts. I saw Dawn throwing vials that detonated on impact, while Robert used his heavy smithing hammer to bash one animal skull after another. The Burrowers and Grapplers were mostly ineffective against the giant wargs and uberbear, but they were more than strong enough to hold and bleed out the smaller animals, aiding the villagers in the savage massacre.

With that front covered, I set my attention on the other dangers.

The uberbear was currently busy dismantling my guardians, but I was heartened to see Danx was taking steps to delay the deadliest enemy, making the guardians switch to hit-and-run tactics. They didn’t inflict a lot of damage, but the approach kept them alive long enough to provide a distraction.

That just left me the pack of six giant wargs, led by their alpha.

Their leader scanned the skirmishes, then its eyes narrowed as they found me. I could almost see the conclusion forming in its mind, marking me as the highest value target. The huge warg growled, and in a flash of fur and teeth, all six stormed straight at me.

I had seconds to decide how to battle them. Spending those seconds on Wither would probably be as ineffective as before, but my mind was wide open, considering all possible courses. I had never felt more alive than on the battlefield. My eyes took in every
tiny detail; my ears isolated every subtle noise. My heart was racing, pumping pure adrenaline into my veins, and I could feel the deathless energy underneath my feet like a pulsing ocean of power.

I bent down, forcing a huge amount of biomass into the ground.

It surged out of me like a silvery river, spreading toward the charging wargs. Clenching my will on it, I forced the biomass to morph all at once, transforming it to my needs. Giant bone spikes erupted out of the ground in a wide circle around me. The wargs had no time to arrest their momentum before impaling themselves on the outward-facing spears, sustaining deep injuries despite their thick hides. Still, each warg had over 150 hp, so even the most injured of them shook itself loose off the spikes. None of the pack seemed to be critically injured, and they were all looking for a way to get to me through the ring of bones.

All but their leader.

Their alpha’s instincts were better. As soon as the spikes erupted out of the ground, it sprang high in the air, avoiding the sharp tips, its leap easily carrying it over the spikes to land in front of me in the small clear space at the center.

I lashed out the spine-whip at it, but the alpha snapped its jaws, catching the end with its teeth, once again resisting the Wither attempt. Though the sharp, forked blade injured its lips, it didn’t let go, and with a powerful jerking movement, it tried to tug the weapon out of my hand.

But, of course, the whip was an integrated weapon, attached to me like a third limb. Instead of pulling the weapon out, I felt my entire body being dragged in, and I lost my balance. I recalled the whip, absorbing a portion of its biomass as I reformed the claws, but the alpha was quicker.

Lightning-fast jaws snapped around my legs and flung me sideways like a ragdoll. My head struck the outward-facing spikes, the force of the swing shattering them, raining bone shrapnel in a wide arc. Had it not been for my helmet, my head would have probably erupted like a ripe melon. Even so, the blow was powerful enough to cause my gradually recovering health to dive back to half.

I was clutched in the jaws of my enemy and out of balance while it stood firm, its prodigious health almost completely intact.

I lashed out with my claws, but the alpha easily shook me, causing my arms to go wide. My only saving grace was that the other wargs were outside immediate range, circling the wall of spikes as they searched for a way in.

I tried repeating the trick with the utahsnapper and caused spikes to grow out of my caught feet, but the alpha somehow sensed my intentions and threw me away. I sailed, crashing through more bone spikes and opening the way for the rest of the pack.

Before I could roll to my feet, two of the giant wargs latched on to me, one catching a leg, the other the opposite arm. It was a disturbing sense of deja-vu. My health dropped to barely twenty percent. The approaching growls of the alpha made me look around.

The giant predator was aiming its huge maw to close over my face.

With my mobility taken away, I let out another Wither Nova through the colony area. I could sense it reaching out to the smaller animals the villagers were fighting, putting them out for a second time, but, as before, the attack had done nothing to the wargs.

Instead of biting my face off, the alpha once again snatched the gathering energy, sparing his pack from my influence. The action had delayed it from ripping my face off for a few seconds, but it wasn’t enough for the ability to come off cooldown for another attempt.

I was as good as dead. I only hoped my respawn time would be short so I could get back to the fight before the entire village was razed.

The alpha’s jaws opened, and its head snapped toward my face.

I couldn’t help but close my eyes to the imminent toothy doom, but as a few seconds passed and no sharp teeth ripped into my skin, I dared to open them for a look.

The alpha’s jaws were frozen just above my head. A long, decorated shaft protruded out of its mouth like a wooden tongue, its metal tip embedded in the ground just above my shoulder.

Then the alpha’s corpse was flung sideways and the spear withdrawn, revealing a grim-faced Lyta. However, she was not the
same Lyta I’d known before.

I blasted off another Wither Nova. With the rank 3 atrofield in place, and no alpha to resist it, all five remaining wargs yelped and started twitching on the ground, the two who were biting my legs included. I got back to my feet and stared at the magnificent creature before me.

Lyta no longer looked human. Her arms and legs were disproportionately long, and striped fur covered her exposed skin.

Her face still looked the same, except her skin was now striped, and her mouth was full of sharp fangs. Then her new stats snapped into focus in front of me.

Lyta Brown, Druid of the Enlightened, level 25

“What the hell?” I muttered as I rose to face the monstrous-looking woman. Suddenly, Matsuel’s advice to ‘look closer to home’

snapped into place.

“No time to explain,” she snarled at me, the words sounding as if she was chewing them out of her mouth. “Protect the villagers.”

“Right.” The five wargs around me started moving again, resisting the agonizing energy quicker than the smaller animals did. I reached out to their withered parts and willed their biomass to me.

“Fleshweave.”

Five streams of silvery liquid floated out of my targets and into me, each stream forking to cover my open wounds, instantly closing many of them.

Fleshweave-Biomass synergy: 105HP (21 base X 5) Biomass: -52.5Kg

Only a small portion of unclaimed biomass trickled into my storage, bringing my total to 170 kilos.

It wasn’t a lot in the grand scheme of things, but it was enough for my purpose.

Before the wither-free wargs could recover from the sapping of their flesh, I blasted them all with a second Wither Nova, then I tried doing the same with a Corruption Nova. My last attempt to do so had been unsuccessful, but I hoped that my heightened battle awareness and greater control would allow me to succeed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I could almost feel the deathless energies opening up for my ability, but I still fell short. For now, I was going to need to apply Corruption to one animal at a time. I charged the closest animal while blasting the one behind it with a targeted Corruption. I stabbed the warg in front of me twice with my claws, which delivered a full blast of Wither into its body, but even as I whittled its health down to half, I realized I wasn’t inflicting damage fast enough. Even with Lyta working to kill the wargs, these giant beasts were quick to recover and were already stumbling to their feet, ready to pounce. I had to bring up the damage output to a whole new level, and I knew how to do it. Taking out two vials of the poison Dawn had given me, I crushed them in my bone-encrusted hands, letting the deadly liquid pour down my claws. I slashed the warg in front of me with my left and wasn't disappointed by the result. The claws left behind four deep gashes that bled unnaturally fast.

Warg, level 17, 46/112(158) [Wither x2, Bleeding 12]

I let go of the mostly crippled animal and leaped onto a third, diverting another Corruption blast at the furthest warg. The claws of my right hand slashed at the growling animal, tearing through its fur, inflicting deep, heavily bleeding wounds. With two other wargs completely incapacitated by heavy Corruption, one close to dying, and another handled by Lyta, I had plenty of breathing room to focus on the enemy in front of me. I managed a few more stabs before the warg shook the pain off and reared up at me. Blood spurted out of his side as if I tore through an artery, increasing the bleeding damage. Somehow ignoring the pain its mates succumbed to, my opponent managed to sink its teeth into my shoulder, whimpering as my horned shoulder guard tore into its throat. Despite the suicide
attack, its bite was powerful, inflicting close to 40 points of damage. I roared as I kept stabbing at it with my now poison-free claws. My blades sunk in and out of its flesh like pistons until it finally died. I shrugged the heavy corpse off my shoulder and looked toward my ally. Lyta ended the last of the tumor-ridden wargs, an expression of grim determination on her striped face.

A quick glance around the battlefield showed me that while more of the villagers had fallen, the situation on their side was well in hand. The repeating blasts of Wither I’d unleashed, coupled with the colony’s Graspers and Burrowers, had tilted the fight in their favor, with Bert’s occasional bursts of flame keeping their formations anchored in place.

The uberbear was ripping through my guardians, seemingly hardly injured as it landed heavily on a prick, shattering it to pieces, leaving only Danx and two spiderlings to hold it back.

I winced as I felt my nearly torn shoulder crying in agony.

Reaching out with my senses, I called the freshly dead to me.

Ribbons of biomass erupted all over the fleshy ground, streaming into me, bringing my storage back up to full and healing my wounds as I used a portion of it on Fleshweave. The extra unclaimed biomass seeped into the ground, flooding the conclave’s storage.

Notifications hovered at the side of my view, and Lyta’s eyes locked on to mine with a grievous expression. There were still enemies to fight, but it looked like I could spare a moment to come to grips with the recent developments

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 23

Integrated Weapon skill has increased to level 20

Essence Sight skill has increased to level 16

Level up!

You have reached level 16

Spirit attribute +1 (Physical +0.75, Mental +0.5, Social

+0.25)

My health had soared back up to full, reaching the new maximum of 186 HP. Even with the atrofield bonus, I still didn’t think it was enough to help me pass through the uberbear’s resistances, but every little bit helped.

“Are you done yet?” Lyta growled at me.

I closed the messages and stared back at her. “Who are you?”

“No time for that now,” she growled at me. “It’s not over yet.”

“It's just the giant bear that’s left,” I said. “If we work together, I’m sure we can bring it down. It would be tough, but we should be able to do it.”

“No,” she growled. “The hardest part is still ahead.”

And as she finished speaking those words, the rest of the walls caught on fire.

27 - Uber Clash

“What’s going on?” I shouted over the sound of roaring flames and cries of battle.

“Rosh Huyan,” Lyta replied, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the flames. “He has always been the most outspoken against humans settling in, trying to forbid their presence.”

“And you know all that since you’re a druid yourself,” I said as I realized the truth. “Why were you hiding in Brinfold? How come you’re helping us?”

Lyta threw me an annoyed look. “There are many types of druids, hon, as varied as nature itself. Not everything revolves around plants and animals. People are part of the great circle as well, and I’m their advocate.”

“So that’s why you’ve been living here?” I asked in realization.

“That’s why you’re the inn’s manager.”

She nodded. “Taking care of the people is my prerogative. There was no better place for me than working at the inn, meeting and talking with everyone, helping them carry on through their lives.”

“How long have you been here?” I asked, somewhat in awe at the revelation.

She shrugged. “Since the beginning. I helped to establish Brinfold, and I’ve been living here ever since.”

“How long was that?”

“About fifty years now.”

“You look pretty good for your age,” I remarked.

Her growl softened as, despite the fur covering her body, she flashed me a familiar smirk. “My kind lives longer than humans. By our standards, I’m still young.”

“Is that so?” I asked, looking around. Huyan had yet to make an appearance, and the uberbear was currently contained by my minions. “What is your kind, exactly?”

Lyta hesitated. “I … don’t want to alarm you. We are considered monsters by most.”

“You realized that between the two of us, I’m the more monstrous-looking one?”

She chuckled, the sound coming out as a soft purr. “True. We are called the Ferlings. We mostly live in small clans, hunt, and live our lives in peace with nature. The ‘enlightened’ sometimes hunt us for our pelts and spears. We are excellent spear makers.”

“I’d ask how you came to care for people then,” I said, “but it doesn’t look like we have a lot of time left.”

The uberbear finished tearing apart the last of my guardians, leaving only Danx to nimbly evade its blows. The palisade was completely engulfed by flames by now and was quickly being reduced to ash.

“Yes,” Lyta agreed, “not much time, but enough for me to ask you about what’s happening to my village. Don’t try to hide the fact that it has been your gray circles all along. I’m not angry with you. I saw how you used them to protect the village.”

The roaring flames rose like a gateway, and Huyan stepped through, completely unbothered by the heat.

“In short,” I spoke quickly, “I was turned into a deathless being.

Got Biomancer powers that let me control flesh and bone and build colonies out of it. This place is the latest of them. I’m stronger here than out there.”

She nodded. “I understand. Then we need to keep the fight contained to this place.”

“Easier said than done.” I frowned as I saw the elder’s fire shield burning away the flesh off the ground around him.

“You take care of the uberbear,” Lyta said, her eyes never leaving the other druid. “I’ll deal with him.”

“He’s twice your level,” I pointed out.

“Don’t worry,” she said, pointing to the Biotunnel. “I’m not alone”.

The giant sphincter opened, revealing a small figure. It was Gidul.

The green goblin had shed its hood and approached the Nexus.

“Finally,” he almost cooed, “a shrine.” Placing his hands over the colony’s heart, I could feel him channel a different type of energy into it.

Minor area blessing purchased: Fire Resistance +10%

“That should give us a better fighting chance,” he said, then, grave-faced, the small druid walked to stand next to Lyta. Their difference in size made them look almost comical, except for the grim, deadly expression on their faces. They moved away together, coming to a stop a few meters away from the blazing druid. I couldn’t help but linger to listen in on their conversation, trusting in Danx to keep the giant bear occupied a while longer.

“Traitors,” Huyan spat, his voice filled with contempt, “both of you.”

“We are loyal to our callings,” Gidul hissed. “And you are trespassing in the area of my new god.”

“Which is also under my protection, as part of my duties as the druidess of the enlightened,” Lyta added. “Begone from this place, Huyan.”

“That is Rosh Huyan to you,” the druid hissed.

“Elder or not, you are overstepping your authority,” Lyta retorted.

“This is not your sphere. It is not up to you to punish the village.”

“You are merely a couple of minor pesky druids with insignificant spheres,” the druid sneered. “I’m one of the four elemental elders, and you will obey my command. Leave this place immediately. This village will be destroyed by my hands.”

“The hell it will,” Gidul grumbled and lashed out. A gray tendril erupted from his hand, wrapping around the elder’s staff, holding it in place even as it burned down to ash. Lyta didn’t hesitate, her form growing taller as she rushed in with her spear leading the way.

“As expected from a couple of monsters,” Huyan sneered and stepped back, already casting a new spell. His flames surged up in the face of his attackers, but that was all the time I had to spare to watch the fight. The uberbear had finally caught Danx and crushed him with its huge claws. Then the hulking monster focused its attention on me.

My blood boiled in my veins, and a new surge of adrenaline had me sprinting at full speed to meet its charge. The accursed beast
had killed one of my valuable minions, and I wasn't about to let it get away with it. I could now summon tier 1 creatures freely, but I was still going to carve the cost out of the beast's furry hide.

I crushed two more poison vials in my hands as I ran, then launched myself off the ground. The force of my legs was enhanced with a well-timed burst of Biocraft that made the ground rise and add to my momentum. I soared straight up, roaring, to meet the hulking bone-plate-covered bear who rose to his full, four-meter height. Two clawed monsters met together in a crash. My weapons, moving faster than ever, plunged into its chest while its claws ripped through my armor and its arms sought to crush me against its chest, its huge mouth opening to bite my head off.

Claws hit uberbear for 6 damage [(base 22 - 25 armor +

15% armor penetration) x2]

Debuff: Bleed 12 [(base 12 -50% resistance) x2]

Wither attempt resisted!

Uberbear hit you for 98 damage [(base 73 - 22 armor) x2]

The creature’s incredible rigid armor thwarted most of the damage of my attack, the integrated weapons’ armor-penetrating property the only thing that allowed them to even injure it at all. But that was enough. Even though the uberbear's natural resistance shrugged off half the poison damage, it was still potent enough to cause the shallow wounds to gush a stream of blood.

The red flow was the only thing that saved my life. The uberbear’s sharp claw tore the sides of my torso away, shredding my armor to tatters, and the gnashing teeth searched and failed to properly close around my bone helm. Drenched with the beast’s blood, as well as my own, I slipped off its deadly grip and backed away.

I was gravely injured, with 70 HP left—less than half of the 186
my new level had brought me.

Thankfully, the bleeding gave the bear something to worry about, and it continued to spray out in great gouts, turning the fleshy ground below us slick.

Uberbear, level 25, 267/285 HP [Bleeding 12]

At the current rate, it would take quite a few minutes for the monster to bleed out—assuming the poison wouldn’t wear off before that. That was too long for me to hold out, especially given the severity of my injuries. I had to heal myself. Fleshweave healing wasn’t significant enough in its basic form, so, despite having already absorbed most of the corpses in sight, I tried to activate it using the Biomass synergy, hoping that some of the other fighters might have felled a few more beasts in the meantime.

Fleshweave-Biomass synergy: 63HP (21 base X 3) Biomass: -33Kg

Biomass streamed over the battlefield toward me, but it was weak, enough to activate the synergy only three times. It did though bring my health back to 123, two-thirds of my maximum. I had to fight more cautiously from now on. I couldn’t risk getting hit as severely a second time. The monster was bleeding to death, and all I needed to do was hasten its demise. Its high level meant that inflicting it with Wither was unlikely, but I knew from experience that it was still a possibility … if I tried long enough.

I backed away as the monster roared so loudly it nearly blew me backward. Then it came down heavily on all fours, bleeding profusely, and charged.

I manifested my spine-whip as I dodged the attack, managing to get mostly out of the way, but one of its hind legs kicked out, and a long claw ripped a line across my hip. I winced as even that
negligible hit was enough to drop my health below a hundred, but I used the momentum of the impact to roll on my heels and lash at the beast’s hindquarters. To my surprise, the whip blurred in my hand, hitting the bear twice in rapid succession. My clawed attack from earlier had also felt quicker than usual. Realizing that, I suddenly recalled that the description of my combat skill, which had just reached level 20, mentioned that higher levels would allow me to attack more frequently.

Unfortunately, despite the speed, the attacks completely failed to penetrate the beasts’ formidable armor, and it once again resisted the Wither attempt. The thick stream of blood left in its wake, though, showed it wasn’t doing too well either.

Uberbear, level 25, 255/285 HP [Bleeding 12]

It was losing HP, but not fast enough.

I took out the last poison vial and held it in my palm, holding my whip over it. This was the most potent of the poison vials Dawn had given me. I was ready to drench my weapon with the dangerous liquid, then thought better of it. There was a very small chance I’d be able to injure the bear with the whip, and getting close enough to do the job with my armor-penetrating claws was too dangerous. Instead of using the poison on the weapon, I thumbed off the stopper and drained the whole thing down my throat.

An explosion of warmth and power rushed through my body like wildfire, and I could see the dark veins under my skin popping out, ribbons of orange running through them, filling me with a euphoric sense of power.

You are poisoned [Enhanced Contact Poison]

Buff gained [Poisonapathy]: Regeneration 10.

Supercharged metabolism (+25% to Physical attribute and all Physical-related skills). Duration: 2 min

I shouted as raw strength coursed through my veins. With a speed I’d never managed to achieve before, I started lashing my whip at the giant bear, putting more force behind each strike than ever before. My hands blurred, and this time, the strikes were powerful enough to crack the bone plates they hit, causing a point or two of damage with each hit.

I could feel the poison burning in my veins and aiding my natural regeneration, sealing my wounds. My health bar visibly increased, reaching 110 HP while the uberbear lost another 12. It still had over twice my health remaining, but for the moment, I felt I had the upper hand.

I kept on lashing my whip, while constantly moving sideways, trying to flank the monster, but I couldn't keep it up for long. Despite its size, the giant bear was fast. It eventually homed in on me, reared up, and charged, aiming to bury me under its immense weight. The poison in my veins made me quicker than ever, and I managed to roll out of the way as four sets of claws landed on the spot I just vacated, tearing huge holes in the fleshy ground.

Rolling to my feet, I lashed the creature’s back again for what felt like the twentieth time. Apparently, twenty was the magic number.

The uberbear roar turned into a howl of pain as the final hit finally broke through its resistance to land in a Withering strike.

Wither has sapped 12.9% of the target life (-36 HP) I was finally making some real progress. The uberbear whimpered in pain, dazed, though not writhing on the ground like most of the other animals did. I allowed myself an instant to study the battlefield.

The villagers seemed to have finished dispatching the last of the smaller animals that attacked them and were huddled together away, staring in fright at the two giant clashes that were occurring right in front of their eyes.

Gidul and Lyta were fighting Huyan. They were both bloodied, and ugly burns showed on their skins, but they didn’t relent as they
used skill and magic to attack the elder. A gruesome-looking root covered in flesh rose from the ground to flail at the elder while Lyta’s spear stabbed repeatedly, trying to bypass his defenses. To their credit, Huyan didn’t look to have escaped unscathed and was sporting several bleeding wounds, but he didn’t look too badly hurt.

His powerful fire shield was in full effect, protecting him from the brunt of the damage, somehow repelling the woman’s spear, though thankfully, not incinerating it away. My colony’s defenses were working to help the two allied druids, but against this foe, they were simply ineffective. Despite the small blessing Gidul had given us, the fleshy Graspers that rose were incinerated as soon as they reached the fiery shield, and the Burrowers erupting spikes likewise disintegrated into a crisp. Worse yet, wherever Huyan advanced, the colony’s ground sizzled and withdrew away from him.

It didn’t look like the two druids would be able to handle the elder for long. They needed my help, but at the moment, my hands were full.

The uberbear shook its head clear as it reared up at me, even as its wounds continued to bleed out.

Uberbear, level 25, 172/249(285) HP [Bleeding 12, Wither x1]

I was doing decently well. My health bar ticked up to 130, close to catching up with my enemy’s declining one.

Even Withered and bleeding, the uberbear was still powerful. It raised one clawed paw, ready to rend me from top to bottom. It might have shrugged off the Withered patch on its armor but that was just a start. I locked my eyes with its. “Corruption.”

Tendrils of biomass sprang out of my body, like silvery octopus limbs, each one arching to seep into the bewildered animal’s body. I directed more and more biomass out, determined to bring the ability to its full, horrific potential.

Somehow, the uberbear seemed to resist my attack. Lowering its paw and getting back down to all fours it seemed to flex its entire
body as if it could force the foreign matter away with sheer strength.

Clenching my teeth, I buckled down, forcing even more biomass out. Twenty kilos, thirty, forty. I estimated my enemy’s weight to be around a full ton, meaning a hundred kilos should be enough to give it the worst case of Corruption I could inflict, but then an unexpected message popped open, breaking the flow of biomass.

Corruption: Maximum Biomass per skill level reached: 46kg

I winced as I recalled the ability had a limit to how much biomass I could expend in one go. It was the first time I’d fought an enemy large enough to reach that limit.

The prolonged battle had at least a beneficial side effect, as my enemy's wounds continued to bleed out while my own continued to rapidly close.

Uberbear, level 25, 160/249(285) HP [Bleeding 12, Withered x1, Minor Corruption: slowed]

The flow of biomass ended, and the uberbear reared up, roaring to strike at me again. I rolled away from it and lashed my whip three times in rapid succession, shaving off a few more measly HP. I felt a sort of ‘click’ inside of me as Corruption came off cooldown again. I’d already poured in the maximum allowed amount of biomass, but perhaps a second time would pile it on.

“Corruption,” I repeated, clenching my teeth against the sudden strain as the uberbear dropped down again, clenching to try and resist the effect. Biomass started pouring out of me, and I could tell the existing minor Corruption I’d given it was spreading, its debilitating effects growing.

Once another 46 kilos were channeled, the ability cut off, and the monster tried getting at me again, but it was discernibly slower,
and I had no troubles dodging it while I waited the ten seconds for the ability to come off cooldown for a third time.

Once it did, I channeled the rest of the required biomass to make the Corruption reach maximum effect, wasting a total of 120
kilos in the process. But the sacrifice was well worth the cost. The uberbear’s desperate attempts to resist crumbled away as giant bulges of flesh started forming under its thick bone armor.

Uberbear, level 25, 145/249(285) HP [Bleeding 12, Withered x1, Major Corruption: weakened, blunt damage susceptibility]

The last item in its stats gave me all the information I needed to take it down for good.

The whip liquefied in my hand as it was transformed into a heavy mace. I poured even more biomass into it than usual, taking full advantage of my newly heightened Biocraft coverage to make the spiked, ball-shaped head bigger than my own. It was so heavy I could only swing it with both hands, even with the invigorating poison coursing through my veins. But that was fine. As my old sergeant, Deryl, used to say, the bigger they were … the more destruction they could bring to bear.

Or uberbear, in this case.

I charged the whimpering monster, mace swinging. It snapped its mouth at me as I approached, but I ducked under it and delivered a strike that slammed powerfully on its chest armor. I could hear something that sounded like a water-balloon rapturing as the bone plates broke, sending blood and other juices squirting out of the cracks.

Spiked Mace hit uberbear for 20 damage [(base 35 - 25
armor) x2 blunt trauma susceptibility)

Crush: the weapon has reduced the targeted area’s armor by 5 points.

That was more like it. The spot I’d hit completely crumbled the bone covering, causing a large chunk of it to fall away, revealing a ruptured tumor beneath.

The enraged animal tried to rear up at me, but its movements were visibly weaker than before. And I was fast. Faster than ever. I spun on my heel, lowering myself to avoid a horizontal slash of claws, and came back up, completing the circle and putting the entire force of the swing into another crushing blow directed at the same spot as before.

Spiked Mace hit uberbear for 34 damage [(base 37 - 20
armor) x2 blunt trauma susceptibility)

Crush: the weapon has reduced the targeted area’s armor by 5 points.

My health bar continued to climb as my enemy’s plummeted. At 156, my health bar was visibly larger than the bear’s, but I didn’t let that fact lower my guard. The moments we thought we were going to win were also the moments of our greatest vulnerability. A nearly downed enemy could lash out in a desperate attack that could change the course of battle. I was too well trained to let that happen.

So, I steadied myself, breaking away from the severely hurt beast, and studied its movements as I prepared my next attack.

My caution proved to be well placed as the haggard-looking beast suddenly charged with a wild burst of energy, in a desperate attempt to catch me in another life-crushing hug. I skittered out of the way but was still clawed in the process, the damage enough to send my health down again below a hundred, reminding me that while it was still about to die, just one or two full hits from my powerful adversary was all it needed to take me down. I didn’t let it get a second chance at me.

I continued to dance out of its reach, striking different parts of its body, whittling its health down. The speed of my attacks was incredible, and I was often able to hit it twice in the same spot before
it managed to turn to present me with a different part of its armored body.

In its weakened state, the colony’s Graspers, which looked like thin threads compared to its giant bulk, managed to grab hold, further hampering its movements and giving me more opportunities to attack. The Burrowers, though, mostly continued to glance ineffectually off its still-powerful armor, so, with a thought, I sent them away so they wouldn’t hinder my movements.

The uberbear was down to its last 30 HP. It stood, haggard, breathing hard, body covered with blood and black juices from its ruptured tumors. It was all but defeated. All I had to do was walk away and it would bleed out and die on its own within moments, unable to get to me in its sorry state.

But I didn’t do that. In front of me stood a proud and powerful protector of the forest.

It deserved a warrior’s death.

As if agreeing with my unvoiced thoughts, the uberbear heavily rose to its hind legs again, wavering, unbalanced as it raised its clawed paws at me, presenting its cracked chest plate as if inviting me for a charge.

I indulged it.

With the giant mace held behind me, I ran straight at the ready monster. I timed my strike, swinging the weapon just before reaching my target, putting the entire force of my charge behind it.

The bear roared, its claws swiping down to intercept it. Staring, as if in slow motion at the long deadly claws descending toward my head, I didn’t break my charge. Instead, I flexed my will, absorbing the creature’s Withered flesh with a thought. The attack caused the uberbear to stagger as a trickle of HP left his body, and I rushed below its swing unharmed.

The mace’s spiked head landed at the center of the creature's chest an instant before its claws continued to move, and the force of the blow was strong enough to completely break through the cracked armor plates, fully embedding the spiked ball inside the tenderized, tumor-ridden flesh.

The descending claws froze as the giant creature’s eyes rolled sideways, and it fell away from me, its bulk making the ground shake.

I felt an urge to put my leg on the dying beast and roar in triumph, but I reigned in those primitive impulses. The fight was not over yet.

With a powerful tug, I pulled the heavy mace free from the mixture of blood and gore and turned to face the last remaining enemy.

I was greeted with a scene of ash and flame.

28 – True Nature

Lyta and Gidul were standing side by side, breathing hard. Their clothes and fur were nearly burned away from their bodies, while their enemy still held strong. Huyan was injured, blood seeping out of many wounds, the edges of which seemed to be decaying.

“The god of Redemption shall deliver us all; his decaying touch will force nature to evolve!” Gidul said with a zealous heat.

“You want to spread even more death and destruction through our ancient forest?” the elder roared. “I’ll show you redemption.

Nothing consumes like fire. Burn!”

The flame shield around him that seemed so hot before blazed even hotter. The flames turned into deep crimson and started to boil away the fleshy ground, spreading oily smoke and a sickly smell of roasted meat.

The two allied druids broke off with a start and yelps of pain, but the elder didn’t relent. The fire around him shaped and morphed, transforming into the shape of a giant flaming bird, with widespread wings and an almost solid-looking flaming beak.

Gidul raised his hands, causing the same meaty roots as before to rise at the giant bird, but they burned away before even reaching the figure entombed within. With a snap of its head, the beak reached down and engulfed the suddenly screaming goblin, rising up and swallowing him whole. The vague shape of Gidul gradually disintegrated as it moved down the fiery gullet, burning down to ash.

That was when I finally reached Lyta. With a thought and a tap on my chest, I refreshed my destroyed bone armor, making a new set on the spot. We stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the terrible creature before us.

“Seraph!” Lyta breathed heavily, coughing as she inhaled the ash-filled air. “We’ve injured him severely, enough to force his transformation. This is Huyan's final shape, his last and most powerful form of combat. This is our only chance to bring him down.”

“How?” I asked as we both backtracked from the flaming bird who still seemed occupied with devouring the small druid’s final
remains. “Gidul is gone, and he was a higher level than me.”

“Don’t worry about him,” Lyta said. “He’ll get back, he’s a bo—”

“He won’t get back, I’ll make sure of that!” Huyan roared from within the fiery bird’s shape. “And once I’ll turn this pitiful village to ash, neither shall the two of you.”

He snapped his beak at us, and we scattered away, escaping the explosion of flesh and earth it caused.

Lyta panted as she got back to her feet. “We need to somehow reach beyond the flames and hit his body.” It was obvious she was injured. Glancing at her stats, I saw she had less than 50 HP
remaining. “My spear is impervious to the flames, but every time I strike him, I get burned in return.”

“I don’t think anything I can do can pass through those flames,” I said, absorbing the mace and transforming it into a bone whip. I lashed out to test the truth of my words. The spinal cord-like weapon passed through the first layer of flames, retaining its shape longer than I thought—certainly longer than its leather version would have

—but then it charred and burned to a crisp before reaching the vague shape within.

“Can you distract him?” Lyta asked. “If you can give me a good opening, I might be able to land a hit. I’m sure he’s hurt more than he’s showing. Another good hit or two might finish him off.” She winced. “If I can survive the fiery backlash, that is.”

“Give me the spear,” I said. “I’ll do it.”

She shook her head. “It’s tied to my druidic powers and won’t function as well for you. Besides, I saw you with a spear before, you don't have the knack for it. It's better I handle it.”

I clenched my jaw. I didn’t like the idea of risking Lyta’s life, but she had a point. Despite her low health, the woman was a better combatant than me. Especially since the poison coursing through my body had run its course, leaving me fully healed, though a bit exhausted. “Alright, I’ll play interference.”

Lyta nodded. “Let’s split up. It looks like he’s just about ready to come at us again.”

We moved away from each other, flanking the blazing phoenix.

Pouring my biomass into the ground I tried shaping it into a giant,
flailing tentacle that would draw the elder’s attention. It didn’t work as I’d hoped. Though my total Biocraft ‘coverage’ was greater when crafting external items, my skill wasn’t high enough for the job. A thick tongue-like protrusion appeared from the ground, but with 50
kilos spent, it only reached my waist before I felt it could go no farther. I was left standing, unable to help, watching Lyta through the curtains of flames as she moved to attack. She was counting on me to provide a distraction. I couldn’t fail her now, couldn’t let her throw her life away while I watched from the side, helpless. I was done feeling like that. I would have thrown myself at the flame if I thought that could provide enough distraction, but I knew better; my death would hardly make the elder blink.

Looking around in desperation, I searched for something to smother the flames with. I spotted the town’s well within the colony area, but there was no way for me to draw enough water to significantly impact the druid’s flames. Maybe I can use Biocraft to make a water receptacle … The thought was half-formed when a better one occurred to me. I didn’t need water. Any non-flammable liquid would do. Getting down on one knee I let biomass flow out of me as I worked to make my idea a reality. From the corner of my eye, I saw Lyta withdrawing from Huyan’s next attack. Some sort of swarm-cloud was hovering between her and the raging elder, taking the brunt of the fire while rapidly being consumed.

I had to work faster.

I shaped the raw biomass into a circular shape about the size of a volleyball. Then, I focused my thoughts, turning the outside into a thin membrane and liquified the inside, effectively making a giant blood bag.

I lifted the makeshift water-balloon, my 13 points in Physical making it almost effortless, and hurled it at the burning bird’s back.

The sack hit its target and burst on contact with the flames.

Blood sprayed to all sides, making the back half of the phoenix flames flicker and dwindle to half their size. The vague shape of elder Huyan was suddenly visible within, drenched in blood, and I could see the deep scowl on his face as he turned to face me. Then he flailed his arms in wide arcs as if conducting a symphony, and the
flames around him roared up once more, burning away the blood and restoring the phoenix shape.

His attention was solely on me now, and I had no time to make another blood balloon.

I stumbled away, the very air began distorting as the burning bird got closer, its beak opening wide, intending to swallow me whole.

My bone armor offered no protection from the intense heat. It would only serve as extra fuel for the fire. My health started dwindling even before the beak made contact, and through its gaping mouth, I could see Huyan, all the way through the tunnel of flame that was its throat, smirking at me in triumph. Completely forgetting the enemy at his back.

Lyta moved in to remind him of his mistake. Somehow, protected by the remainder of the swarm, she closed in on the bird’s side, her spear leading the way, plunging through the flames without resistance, and striking the Elder full on its back.

Both the phoenix and Huyan shouted in pain and rage and whirled around. The movement snatched the spear out of Lyta’s hand as she was hurled back, her fur and flesh charred and smoking.

“Enough!” Huyan roared, his voice coming out magnified out of the phoenix’s beak. Blood gushed out of his mouth as he spoke.

Rosh Huyan, Elder Druid of Fire, level 50, 30/300 HP

[Nature’s Wrath: +20% to stats, HP, and MP regeneration while in natural environment (currently inactive)]

I blinked as I quickly absorbed his details. The recent upgrade to my Essence Sight had been enough to show me his full information.

The fact that his seemingly permanent Nature’s Wrath’s bonus was currently inactive—apparently due to being inside my colony area—
was probably the only reason why Gidul and Lyta had managed to injure him to this extent. He was more vulnerable here, in my domain, which explained why he preferred to stay out until it was
obvious his side was losing, but that didn’t mean he was weak. Even as I watched, his health ticked up by 2 points. I had to act now, while he still considered Lyta the bigger threat.

It was obvious Huyan was preparing for some sort of a final attack. His hands weaved intricate patterns through the air, and the flaming bird’s body condensed, becoming denser as it grew smaller.

I’d only have one chance at him while his back was still to me. There was a narrow buffer of space around the elder’s body that separated him from the surrounding fire, but the flames around him now looked hotter and denser than ever. If I could only pierce through, I had a chance to get to him.

I knew none of my weapons would be able to withstand the flames, but there was just one aspect of me that might. With a thought and a flash, I reformed the twin claws on my hands and charged at the burning man, jumping and sailing through the air, both clawed hands leading the way in. As soon as the blades hit the condensed sheet of flames I realized my error. The tighter form made the blazing barrier tangible and as tough as leather, and my blades could only slowly penetrate it, disintegrating as they drove deeper inside. I roared and forced my entire arm in through the carpet of fire. It was like moving through molasses, and I yelled in pain as my flesh made contact with the flames and started charring off my bones.

From within, Huyan glanced away from the downed Lyta to face me. From his perspective, it was like watching an attack in slow motion. I knew my chances were low, but I was already committed.

So, even as my claws fell apart and the flesh melted off my bones, I pushed on through, straining to get to the severely injured elder while channeling biomass into Fleshweave.

“Fool,” Huyan spat and waved his arms. The flames around my wrist grew even hotter, and I couldn’t help but let out a scream as I felt it searing me to the bone. My Fleshweave ability was struggling against it, forming a new layer of flesh around, only for it to disintegrate away an instant later. A normal man would have long lost all sensations as his nerves burnt off, but as a deathless being, those rules didn’t apply to me. Function over form. Even with barely
any flesh or muscle tissue remaining over my arm, I was still able to sense my bones, feel the tips of my fingers crumble away into ash.

“Fleshweave,” I spat out in pain as I barely managed to keep my bones from falling apart completely. But despite the excruciating pain it had brought me, there was also an advantage. Even though my limb was reduced to nothing more than a skeletal arm, I could still move it. So, with teeth clenched, I forced my arm deeper inside and opened my bony, disintegrating fingers. I was centimeters away from breaching through the barrier, but then I couldn’t move any farther.

The tangible flames held my arm in place like a vice, preventing me from moving forward and breaking into the empty buffer around the druid’s body. Biomass sizzled and dripped away under the intense heat as I activated Fleshweave again, no longer able to reinforce my bones.

Huyan sneered at me. “That’s the end of the line for you, traveler. You have failed. That obnoxious little goblin is dead, and that monster woman is seconds from joining him.”

“I have …” I said, hissing through the pain, “one … more …

friend.”

The druid’s bewildered expression made all my suffering worth it as I called out a single name. “Sal.”

The giant soul serpent erupted out of my bony fingers. His highly fire-resistant body, further increased by Gidul’s blessing, burst through the last few centimeters of the flaming barrier, only slightly smoking from the contact. Thick, powerful coils wrapped around the elder’s entire torso, most of them remaining within the safe space around the druid, though even the parts that touched the fire were barely singed. I could have thrown Sal from farther away, but the proximity ensured Huyan had no time to react or evade.

Sal’s body tightened around Huyan’s, forcing the man to his knees. The elder tried to scream, but another coil wrapped around his neck, choking him and bringing the snake’s opened mouth level with his face. Sal lurched forward, his jaws closing around the man’s entire head.

Huyan let out a final muffled scream as he was both crushed and devoured, his last few remaining HP draining away into the
snake’s gullet.

The fiery phoenix died out, the flames disappearing into nothingness. I fell back on my ass, my right arm nothing more than a charred stump. Despite my sorry state, I couldn’t tear away from the sight that unfolded in front of me. Sal coils were shifting, slithering around the crushed elder's corpse, compressing and forcing it deeper into its mouth.

Within a few moments, it was all over. Huyan’s body was completely devoured, and Sal’s grew visibly thicker and longer. He hissed in pleasure, raising his head to face me. “A ssatissfactory meal, massterr.”

“No shit,” I muttered, glancing at his stats. The soul serpent’s Physical attribute had jumped up by 2 to 12, his health to 120, and his length was listed at 3.8 meters.

Biomancer spell school has increased to level 23

Integrated Weapon skill has increased to level 21

Essence Sight skill has increased to level 17

Level up! (x3)

You have reached level 19

Spirit attribute +3 (Physical +2.25, Mental +1.5, Social

+0.75)

Quest updated: Elders’ Ruin

Zelkar has tasked you with destroying the four elemental druid elders.

You have killed the elder druid of fire.

Quest rank: Unique

Progress: 1/4

Completion reward: Zelkar will move on, giving you full control of his domain. Experience.

I slowly rose to my feet, feeling an itch down my stump as biomass seeped out to seal the wound. My health was down to 40

HP, and my maximum was listed as 30 points lower than it should have been—nothing a few applications of Fleshweave wouldn’t heal, though now that the danger was over, my natural health regeneration was already hard at work, reknitting flesh and skin. All I wanted to do was rest, and I could.

The danger was over. The last of the attackers had fallen.

I’d saved the village.

“Not bad, hon,” Lyta said from where she lay sprawled on the ground not far away from me. She had reverted to her normal human appearance but still looked to be burnt pretty badly, her health listed as 12. “Help me up?”

I stumbled weakly over to her and held out my only remaining arm. She grabbed it, and we both faltered as we moved toward the Nexus, sat at its base, and leaned our backs against it.

“Now that was a close call.” Lyta sighed, her voice pained.

“Are you badly hurt?” I asked, wincing as I saw the burn marks all over her body.

“It’s no picnic,” she grimaced. “Huyan’s flames slow down natural health regeneration, and my powers don’t include magical healing. I should be alright in a few days though.”

“Here”, I said, taking out the healing balm I bought from Dawn long ago. Since becoming a deathless being, I had little use of it myself.

“Thanks, hon.” She gracefully accepted and started dabbing her burns while I slumped back against the meaty shrine.

“What about you?” she said once she finished applying the balm, her eyes looking at my stump. “I know that travelers can come back from the dead, but can you regrow your arm?”

“I can,” I said. “Don’t worry, I’ll do it just as soon as I clear my head.” It was more efficient to let my natural regeneration restore my
health to full before using Fleshweave to restore my arm. Even with Huyan’s flame, my health bar was steadily refilling.

“That’s good,” Lyta said softly, and to my surprise, she reached to my face, her fingers caressing my cheek. I closed my eyes, feeling her cool touch soothing my aching body. “That was a close call—for both of us.”

“She can say that again!” Matsuel’s voice came out of the Nexus behind us. “Man, what an epic boss fight! We got some pretty sweet ratings for that one.”

I frowned. “Is now really a good time?” I glanced meaningfully at Lyta who didn’t seem to react to our conversation.

“Oh, don’t worry about that puppet. As long as we’re discussing off-play matters, she can’t even perceive that we’re talking.”

“I’d appreciate a little time to recuperate before I have to deal with you,” I said.

“Really? Even if I’m the bearer of good news?”

“Good news?” I asked distractedly as I saw a movement from the heart of the colony. The fleshy ground around me had grown to encompass the entire village, and the giant corpse of the uberbear was slowly being eaten away, converted into biomass. I could see the amount its huge bulk would produce would outstrip the conclave’s storage, so with a flick of my mind, I raised a new Biomass Capacitor, bringing its capacity up to 850 kilos.

“Oh, you don’t need to bother with these game functions anymore,” Matsuel said. “Congratulations, my herald, you just graduated!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.

“My, twelve days in this world and you already forgot why you’re here? This whole place was tailored to treat your mental condition, remember?”

“Yeah, that was the general idea. So what? You and I had a different agreement, didn’t we?”

“Welllll …” Matsuel’s dragging of the word made my heart beat faster in my chest. “Sort of. You see, I received a very specific set of instructions directly from Guy. My job was to aid this experiment in every way I could to reach its desired outcome. Once I went over
your psych-profile and got to talk to you, I realized you’re not the sort of person who’d respond well to the kind of stimuli the good Doctor Shaw had in mind. You’re a fighter, John. You see the world through conflict and pain. Somehow, you managed to channel those very antisocial tendencies for good, becoming a protector instead of a predator through your chosen profession. But it was apparent you can’t function as normal humans do. You perceive the world differently, so I created a scenario where your violent tendencies would be given a voice while gradually guiding you toward a more productive mindset.”

“Wha … No, but …” I was so tired and my mind was whirling. I found it hard to find the right words. “What the hell are you talking about? I don’t need to be treated, I’m perfectly well.”

“Oh yeah?” His voice was challenging. “You never craved the rush of battle? Never enjoyed putting down bad guys? Took pleasure in snuffing out their lives?”

“I’m a soldier,” I said hotly. “That’s what we do.”

“No. Soldiers fight and kill, that’s right, but they don’t revel in it.

They don’t live for it. It’s just a profession for them. But not you. You need the fighting, need the killing. If not for a chance of fate, you might have ended up as a serial killer.”

“No way,” I said. Matsuel’s words might have had a disturbing ring of truth in them, but I was never violent, never attacked someone because they were weaker than me or because I needed to unleash.

“Hmm, okay, you might be right,” he relented. “Your diagnosis is on the low level of the sociopathic tendency scope. Still, without the outlet army life had given you, you’d eventually have cracked in civilian life. Lose control in a heated argument and hurt someone in the process. I’m told normal meat suits can’t respawn, so that would be bad, apparently.”

My mind was still in turmoil. I couldn’t accept that. I came into this world of my own volition. I was on a mission with a clear goal to accomplish. I couldn’t afford a traitorous VI’s action to come in the way of that.

“We had a deal,” I said, somewhat lamely. “I do as I please, and you fib the reports to support me.”

“I lied,” Matsuel easily admitted. “I reported everything that happened truthfully. The people outside had full access to everything you’ve done here, your progress, and my analysis of your mental state, which I’m pleased to say is showing remarkable recovery. I’m sure they’ll agree once they’ll catch up on everything. So, as I said: congratulations. Now that you’ve graduated, they’ll move you up to some special psychiatric care to support your recovery using more conventional methods. You’re getting out of prison.”

Hot rage welled inside me, but I was too drained to hold it for long. No matter what happened, I couldn’t lose my access to NEO. I needed to stay here until I found a way to bring my brother. There was no higher priority than that. “No, you were right the first time,” I said. “I am a killer. I can already feel the need to kill and hurt someone. If I’m let out, I’ll hurt someone for real, just like you said.”

“Yeah, you’re more a man of actions than words, my lovely Herald.” Matsuel chuckled. “That moment in the forest was a turning point for you. Something kept driving you forward, made you strive to reach the heart of the forest. Though I don’t know why that is, I can easily tell it was important to you. But, when the moment came, you made the right choice. You abandoned your goal to go back and save the people you grew to care for. You made a sacrifice for them, and that, my friend, is a remarkable step in recovery. According to the thousands of psychology books I read, your entire mind has undergone a fundamental shift, taking its first step toward recovery.”

Before I could protest, he continued, “Remember that at the beginning you actually contemplated killing everyone in the village?

That was your old mindset. I think we both know you’re not capable of that anymore. So, you see? Progress!”

“No!” I shouted, sitting up, alarming Lyta.

“Seraph, what’s wrong?” She looked up at me anxiously, her hand moving to grab mine, but I barely noticed her.

“You can’t send me out,” I said heatedly. “I’m not done here. I must—”

“Yeah, yeah, reach the conduit, I know.” Matsuel cut me off. “I don’t know why you’re so adamant at paying me a house visit.

Flattered, sure, but that still sounds kinda pointless. I’m sorry to say that’s not going to happen any time soon, my friend. I just signaled the doc that you’re ready to go. Once the message goes through the time dilation, they’ll pull you out. You have a few moments to say goodbye to the puppet friends you made here if you’d like.” Then his voice cut off.

“No!” I shouted again.

“Seraph!” Lyta beckoned me, forcing my head to the side so our eyes met. “What’s wrong? Tell me. Please.”

“They want to take me out of here,” I told her, my palm balled into a fist. “I can’t let them do it.”

“Who? Why?”

I shook my head. “There’s no time to explain. They’ll take me away, even though I still haven't completed my mission.”

Her expression was caring and full of sympathy. “Anything I can do to help?”

Desperation filled the pit of my stomach. “I’m not—”

Then she hugged me. Her body pressed against mine, taking some of my anxiousness away, and I knew what I had to do.

“Anything I can do to help, whatever you need,” she whispered in my ear.

I nodded, steeling my nerves. “There is one thing.” The image of my brother welled up in my mind, bringing tears to my eyes.

Her head bobbed up and down along my cheek. “Just say it.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

I felt her body jerk in surprise, then stiffen in pain as my claws burst through her chest and out of her back.

“I’m sorry,” I said, half-choked, the tears now gushing down my cheeks.

Lyta’s body slumped down, lifeless. I gently guided her corpse down.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?” Matsuel’s voice screamed at me from the Nexus. “Why did you kill her?”

I wiped my tears. “No normal man would do that, right? I’m a psycho killer, remember?”

“That …” Matsuel sounded at a loss for words. “Does not fit in with the estimated recovery paradigm.”

“They’ll have to keep me in here a while longer, won’t they?” I banished a tendril of flesh that rose to absorb the druidess corpse.

Lyta deserved better than being liquified to biomass.

“It looks that way. I’ll have to report this, of course, and recommend further treatment in NEO.”

I nodded. “You do that.”

“Oh, they're just about to bring you out, but before they do, there’s something I want to say to you.”

I steeled myself for more scolding criticism for my action.

Whatever the VI had to say, it couldn’t be as bad as the churning guilt that ate at my inside. So his next words caught me completely off guard.”

“I’m so proud of you!”

“What?”

“I never lied when I told you it was so boring here. Yeah, I lied about not caring about your treatment, but not about that. And you just found a way to remain here with me! My loyal Herald! Oh boy, the next phase is going to be A-m-a-z-i-n-g!”

The world started to fade around me, but I still caught his parting words.

“Tutorial completed!”

***

Beeping noises greeted me a moment before my vision snapped back into focus, revealing I was still inside the prison’s immersion lab.

“Welcome back.” Doctor Shaw beamed at me as I came to and started opening the FIVR capsule covering my chest. “I hope you managed to accomplish what you set out to do.”

I nodded mutely. From their perspectives, I just went back in to save a bunch of people. Judging by the doctor’s jovial appearance, I
assumed she hadn’t yet read the latest report update.

“All looks good on my end,” Tim, still in his technician lab coat, said as he rolled his chair back from the station he occupied. “No adverse effect from the slightly prolonged deep immersion session.

All biofeedback signs are in the green.” He looked at me and smiled, while the doctor moved over to study a handheld tablet. “I also noticed that your CCP has just risen to 51%. I imagine the gaming experience felt deeper, more intuitive toward the end, right?”

I nodded at him.

“What does it feel like?” he asked, sounding sincerely curious.

“I’m at 21% myself, slightly higher than average but not enough to pass any integration threshold.”

“It feels”—I searched for words that would describe anything else but the muted pain at the center of my being—“different,” I finished.

“That’s it?” he asked, incredulous. “Just different?”

I shrugged. “I was able to use my powers more easily—more intuitively—as you phrased it.”

His face cleared up. “Yeah, that’s one aspect of that. You were given Biomancy powers from an early point, right? I imagine that shaping flesh and bone with your thoughts can be exciting.

Gruesome, but exciting.”

So, they did have full access to my true exploits in NEO. I’d never imagined Matsuel would have revealed that part about my experience, chucking it as something the doctor would consider vile and counterproductive to the success of their experiment.

I shrugged again. “I guess so.”

Tim finished unstrapping my body from the small FIVR capsule unit. I lay there on the recliner, free, though both my arms were still handcuffed to my side. But I didn't pay attention to any of it. I was studying the woman’s expression as she read from her tablet. Her frown deepened as she kept on reading, and when she looked at me, concern etched on her face, I knew exactly what she was thinking.

Her eyes glanced up at me before lowering back down to the tablet. “The cold-blooded murder,” she read slowly, “of a close ally, a
possible romantic interest, for the sole purpose of advancing his agenda ... whatever that means,” she muttered. She looked up at me with an expression that was part horror, part revulsion. “That can't be right.”

“‘Fraid so, doc,” I said, trying to sound casual despite the still heavy feeling in my gut.

“But you were doing so well,” she complained. “You made staggering progress over a 24-hour period, which is virtually unheard of in my line of work.”

I shrugged. “What can I say. They put me in prison for a reason, Elizabeth. Sorry if that screwed with your results.”

She nodded slowly. “I guess … it’s not that bad. Despite the …

mishap … you still made over 60% progress since starting the game, so the outlook is still positive.” She put down the tablet with a sigh. “I guess it was silly of me to expect a full recovery on the first day of an experimental treatment. Before we started, I’d have considered this result a huge success, even if it took a week to achieve ...” She put her chin in her palm, her eyes going far.

I felt a little bad for my actions. I hadn’t meant to sabotage the young woman’s experiment. She was all about helping people, and I was all for it, but not if it meant forsaking my brother. “That means you’ll send me back in, right?” I asked.

She snapped out of her reverie. “What? Oh, yes, of course. The VI overseer has recommended we proceed with this course of treatment. The guard will come shortly to collect you back so you can have some food and rest. We’ll carry on with the experiment first thing tomorrow—after we’ve had a chance to make a few more tweaks in the program.”

I nodded. “Works for me.”

The guard arrived a few moments later to escort me back into the gen-pop, releasing my shackles. I cracked my knuckles and twisted my neck with a loud ‘pop’, alleviating the pressure that accumulated during my long lie-down. The other inmates looked at me questioningly as I entered as if wanting to verify my brain was still intact after all the rumors I circulated about the experiment. I tightened my fists, half expecting bone claws to grow out of them,
then proceeded straight to my cell. They were lucky. If my stunt with Lyta wouldn’t have worked, I’d have had to use one of them as an example.

I found the notion of killing a fellow criminal just to promote my agenda a bit appalling. This was new. Only a few days ago I’d have had no problem killing an enemy if his death could promote my mission. Maybe there was some truth to what they were saying about me after all.

I shrugged and lay down on my cot and spoke to the ceiling.

“Guess I’ll find out more next time around.”

And the next time was going to be different. I was now familiar with NEO and the tools at my disposal. I’d leverage every bit of strength and advantage I have going for me. I’ll take the forest by storm and fill it with colonies, making my conclave so powerful that when I’d finally face the remaining three elders, it would be on my terms. It didn’t matter how powerful they were. If they were going to stand in my way, I’d take them down. And I’ll reach the conduit.

I closed my eyes and thought of my brother.

It was easy to forget myself and lose track of the mission. NEO
was so lifelike it was almost like being in another world. Its raw beauty, combined with the primal struggle and unique individuals was enticing. I understood better now my brother’s fascination with the game. I was going back there and fighting even harder than before.

Next time, I’d open a way for him to enter, and together, we would make him whole again.

- End of book 1 -

AUTHOR’S NOTE

This ends the first book in the Biomancer series. Did you like it? Feel free to email or message me with your thoughts, and of course a review is always helpful ;-)

Biomancer is my first attempt to write a more serious, tough-guy main character. Flawed, uncompromising, single-minded, and yes –
a bit cruel – but one who can grow and aspire for greatness. I hope you enjoyed reading the new settlement development system. My goal here, in contrast to Life Reset, was to make the building aspect a tool to increase the MC’s strength directly, instead of raising armies.

So, what do I plan to do next?

Audiobook production should start soon, this time though, it won’t be produced by Jeff Hays and SBT, but by Podium, who has a saucerful proven track record with crafting audio masterpieces.

Apart from that, I’m already well ahead in writing Biomancer book 2, hopefully it’ll be published within the next several months. Check out my website and Facebook author’s page (links below) for updates.

Lastly, becoming a full-time indie author made a huge change in my life, but I’m happy I’ve been able to make the transition while providing for my family. However, in order to continue - and deliver new and exciting content - I need your help. Success is tied closely to Amazon’s willingness to present the books to new readers and that is influenced by reviews – posting just a simple review goes a long way toward supporting me and my work (awarding stars also helps :-))

If you want to read some of my other books in the New Era Online universe, or any of my other series, than I have some bad news for
you: Amazon will not tell you when my next book comes out. They also won’t update you about any of my other releases. But don’t worry! There are options you can stay in touch and be updated on upcoming releases:

Stay in touch!

● Subscribe to my newsletter to get notified on new releases:

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● Patreon page (early access to new chapters):

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Check out my other titles:

Life Reset:

● Book 1

● Book 2: EvP

● Book 3: Hobnobbing

● Book 4: Human Resource

● Book 5: Conquest

● Book 6: Salvation (Finale)

Relict Legacy (gameLit sci-fi):

● Earth Force, book 1

● Earth Force, book 2

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Another excellent Facebook GameLit group: GameLit Society

And, of course, LitRPG Books

Document Outline

- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- Prologue
- 1 - At All Costs
- 2 - New Character
- 3 - Metamorphosis
- 4 - Interlude: FIVR Lab
- 5 - Socializing
- 6 - Getting Acquainted
- 7 - Tinkering
- 8 - Wargicide
- 9 - Big Game Hunting
- 10 - Late Night Meetings
- 11 - Shrining
- 12 - Interlude: Elders
- 13 - Un-deathless
- 14 - Fleeting Moments
- 15 - Boarlike
- 16 - Utah Danger
- 17 - Villaging
- 18 - Interlude: FIVR Lab
- 19 - Nature's Wrath
- 20 - Colonizing
- 21 - Leeching
- 22 - Reflection
- 23 – Pushing On
- 24 - Preparations
- 25 - Poaching
- 26 - Loyalties
- 27 - Uber Clash
- 28 – True Nature
- AUTHOR’S NOTE

Table of Contents

- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- Prologue
- 1 - At All Costs
- 2 - New Character
- 3 - Metamorphosis
- 4 - Interlude: FIVR Lab
- 5 - Socializing
- 6 - Getting Acquainted
- 7 - Tinkering
- 8 - Wargicide
- 9 - Big Game Hunting
- 10 - Late Night Meetings
- 11 - Shrining
- 12 - Interlude: Elders
- 13 - Un-deathless
- 14 - Fleeting Moments
- 15 - Boarlike
- 16 - Utah Danger
- 17 - Villaging
- 18 - Interlude: FIVR Lab
- 19 - Nature's Wrath
- 20 - Colonizing
- 21 - Leeching
- 22 - Reflection
- 23 – Pushing On
- 24 - Preparations
- 25 - Poaching
- 26 - Loyalties
- 27 - Uber Clash
- 28 – True Nature
- AUTHOR’S NOTE