Water splashed around as Shay threw his arms to propel himself toward the muddy shore. The pond wasn't oversized, but deep, being his lucky savior. Its whereabouts were unknown, as only towering trees surrounded his presence. Rustles of leafs, branches and grass distracted his sharp sense, trying to analyze his location.
At least he had his soaked backpack, storing his weight—which impacted the swim—, now unusable necessities and the magic stones.
He scrutinized his environment, standing still—using his Predator's Awareness. He mumbled, "Well. Shit. Where am I?" A puzzling expression shaped his face, scratching his head when he observed the surroundings again.
Sigh.
A cliff-like earth leaped over the lagoon, creating a helpful resting place. Physically, his amazing shape held on, but his spirit needed some rest.
"What did I do to deserve such shitty treatment?! Being the only person pulled sucks. Which means it was intentional, right?!"
He screamed and kicked rocks without control, sending one pebble like a shooting star to the oblivion, high and distant. With surprise, he could perceive the flight curve, reaching over the humongous woods and flying past them.
The self-made distraction helped him with concentration, thinking about the future damage from the stone bullet. "I kinda wonder—"
[First Alpha Growler killed.]
[Reward: Agility: 20 (13%) -> 22 (7%)]
[Bestiary]
[Lower Growler - 0/50] [Skill: Growler's Sight]
[Alpha Growler - 1/30] [Skill: ?????]
Shay's eyes focused, watching through every piece of information. As he read further, his peepers gradually twitched. Such serendipity improved his mood, stabilizing his psyche. His luck excelled in at least one aspect, which was the system. The few times an opportunity jumped into his arms would be unthinkable to others, and he was quite aware of the fact.
Suddenly, from the rock landing zone, sharp howls resonated through the area, sending shivers down his spine. He couldn't imagine how strong the mourning wolves were, being able to produce such a noise combination from afar, balancing out the weak sounds of the forest.
Unbeknownst to him, the creature he killed with utter randomness was the same wolf he had blinded. The one that ran toward the epicenter of Growlers' territory. This particular one had two larger partners beside him, covered by crimson red fur, unrecognizable from the shadows created by the moon.
"I should make a shelter, somehow," he said to himself, looking for a perfect tree which suited his idea.
After scanning around, right under his nose, a gigantic tree with thick branches should suffice. Its leafs could serve as a cover, while lying on one of the wings. However, another problem occurred while thinking about sleeping through the night.
Growl!
His stomach, shrinking and trembling from the lack of food, brought him back to reality. He should hide his presence, yet starvation slapped his mind.
Although all his belongings were soaked, he threw the backpack against a close by timber and looked at its contents. Therefore, he found nothing of any use. Each waterproof sealed provision exploded inside it, messing up one entire section of the bag.
"I won't certainly be eating that."
Rustle. Rustle.
Right next to him, concentration skyrocketing, he sensed something with no danger sign written all over it. His skill would send a shock, if it was, meaning only a single thing.
'Food!' he shouted in his thoughts, his hands shaking, drool falling down of his dried up lips.
A small rabbit, full of flesh, searched for herb leafs for its evening meal. Well, it became dinner itself. Shay sneaked swiftly beside it, grabbing the poor creature by its long ears, screaming in agony. It wiggled, screeched, and tried to bite his hand without success.
"Shhh, I'll make it quick."
Shay made a calming tone, killing it with a Growler's fang. Food gained, but a crucial and dangerous part came right after. The flames flared, a stark contrast against the dark, transparent cloak. He crept around and accumulated twigs of different thickness and scraped piles of leafs, serving as kindling.
Then he backed off to his spot, making a fire tent made of sticks. Close, he used the hardest stick as a base, rubbing another one against it, with the help of a green cover.
Voilà, a flame, was born. The gentle breeze soothed his worries as he carefully tended the small blaze. While the blazes grew, he gutted the bunny with a claw, preparing a slice from the rodent on a separate stalk, placing it closer to the heat.
Due to its low fat content, it cooked faster than other types of meat, swiftly filling Shay's belly. Right after, he extinguished the fire, as light traveled throughout the forest, even if various vegetations blocked its radiance.
'Now I can take a nap.'
Faint smoke blended with the pure air around him, as he desired to climb up the suiting tree.
Rustle. Crackle.
'Must be another rabbi—' Not being able to end his thought, a sharp sting pierced his mind.
Shay clenched his fists, taking a guarding stance. As he glanced at the creature, that somewhat resembled the Alpha Growler, yet felt different. Why would his sense feel sharper than a chirurgical needle then? His power should surpass the latter, however, the aura surrounding this fellow signaled otherwise.
The beast stalked, awaiting his prey's response.
'Should I attack first? What if it's a trap, regardless? Is it really solo? Beasts might be more intelligent in this area, though.' Impatient thoughts raced through his consciousness, his guard falling down from time to time, while his feet stepped around, fingers releasing pressure and clenching again repeatedly.
As he was occupied by the canine before him, far, far away, the other wolf prepared for a ranged strike. It opened its mouth, an orange glow accumulated inside, until force collected behind the blow, shooting a fire beam at Shay's rear, missing all the obstructions around.
He rocketed by the shot, soaring above the landscape, then plummeted to the pond. Smirk rose on his face, even through the comfortable heat escaping his back. Daily power struggles fueled his increasingly psychopathic behavior; that day was his breaking point.
After diving into the water, a green glow enveloped his body, healing the charred side. He remained motionless, awaiting a wavy form to near the overhanging precipice. Although, taking a while, the canine stepped closer, examining the depths.
In continuation, Shay, without the weight burden, launched himself into the cliff. Deepening ruptures created a landslide, sending down the whole earth platform. The present wolf whined as its legs slipped because of the unstable terrain descending toward its deathbed.
While rocks were falling down, Shay dodged all of them and jumped back up, further, to make sure he stood on a firm ground.
[First Supreme Growler killed.]
[Rewards:]
[Agility: 22 (9%) -> 26 (4%)]
[Strength: 20 (31%) -> 22 (18%)]
[Power Builder]
[Strength: 22 (18%)] - 4x
[Endurance: 16 (89%)]
[Agility: 26 (4%)] - 4x
[Dexterity: 22 (7%)]
[Intelligence: 18 (11%)]
Shay waited. Before the other dog approached him, as he examined his stats, new pop-up windows appeared.
[Agility reached over 100 points. System update in process.]
[Update completed.]
[Skill categories; passive and active, unlocked. ]
[New active skill gained: Thunder Dash]
[Description: Break the speed of sound up to 50m. Mana cost: 5]
[Mana Pools unlocked: Novice Mana Pool]
[New stat unlocked: Mana 0 -> 10 (0%)]
"I think it's time to try it," he said to himself, gazing at the quick reaching Supreme Growler.
Its velocity was plausible, either was its magical prowess development. Beasts and monsters also used magical energy as an enhancement of their physical forms. However, this attack was futile, as shay applied his new skill, punch prepared beside him, shattering its skull instantly.
"Even if I don't know my location, I suppose I could hunt…"
Shay loved to speak too soon, his body falling into a deep slumber right after his declaration.
******
An hour ago.
When the teachers followed through the portal, they started counting the heads, missing one after redoing it for two times.
Blarken, standing nearby, knew exactly who was gone, and frowned upon the realization. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot, increasing in intensity.
"Aubrielle, before you close the gateway, I need to check the area. I believe the lost kid might be somewhere in that forest," he said, traversing around the wave of students who traced each of his moves.
She sighed. When she comprehended his theory, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a two-pack of cigars with a cutter and a lighter, preparing to take a puff from one.
"Good luck with finding the student, Blark."
Without a reply, he stepped in, bolting in the opposite direction from Shay, heading west.