The three of them ate like it was a competition, devouring a quarter of the moose by the end of the night. Noah watched as the drakon, Recter finally slumped with a contented sigh. Level 79. He had checked the leaderboard again while they ate, confirming the drakon’s place, and found he was a whole 20 levels behind him. He had felt it when they fought too, Recter had held both of them at bay without blinking an eye, and he was just testing them.


    “Are you the reason that the monsters are gone?” Noah asked on a whim.


    “Part of it.” He replied, nodding.


    “Why not just move further up the mountain?” He asked. Recter’s face soured.


    “I’m too weak.” He bit out. Noah choked. “Last time I went up there I nearly lost my arm. I had to recover for days after that.” He shook his head, “I didn’t even stand a chance.”


    “What was different about them?” Noah questioned.


    “It was the same as the last advancement, but more pronounced. I believe the beasts ahead are the equivalent of Iron, perhaps even further on their path as well.” Recter explained.


    “Could we take one of them together?” Noah asked. The drakon paused and looked at Noah and then at Ta’Ku.


    “Perhaps.” He said, climbing to his feet. “Let''s find out! Noah grinned, grabbing his pack and hammer. Ta’Ku groaned.


    “What about the food?” He mumbled.


    “If this works, we will be eating real soon!” Noah replied cheerily. Ta’Ku scooped up the last bits of meat and stuffed them in his pack before catching up with the others. The two of them strained to keep pace with Recter as he sprinted into the blizzard. They continued to run through the evening and into the night until he suddenly stopped.


    “We are here,” He said. Noah looked around. Nothing was different about the area; it was just as snow-covered as everything else. He stepped beside Recter to ask him more, but paused as his foot seemed to cross an invisible threshold. There was a sense of power in the air and it was as if the air was denser, or perhaps something in the air was thicker. Essence? He wondered, recalling the information he had learned from the System. Ta’Ku gasped beside him as he felt the change.


    “One should be coming in our direction any time now.” Recter warned. They all drew their weapons.


    “How do you want to do this?” Noah asked.


    “I will attack first and attempt to draw the beast’s attention. You should circle the creature and aim to immobilize it.” He explained. Noah nodded. Then they heard a screech and the whistling of wind.


    “Above us!” Noah shouted. The three warriors dove in different directions, just missing the talons of the giant eagle. Recter was the first to his feet and launched his spear at the bird, the tip puncturing its chest. The eagle let out a piercing cry and arcs of lightning flew from the bird, all connecting with the drakon. There was a bright flash and then Recter fell to the ground, convulsing. Uh oh. Noah located the eagle, it had risen into the sky and was circling above them. He could make out the spear embedded into it and knew that was his only shot.


    “Ta’Ku, we need to drive the spear further into it, but we’ll have to get close. It should dive for one of us next. Whoever it goes for will have to take the opportunity to attack,” Noah told him. Ta’Ku gulped, but nodded in agreement. They waited for a tense moment before the eagle dove, targeting Ta’Ku. Noah dropped his hammer and pulled out his knives, sprinting toward Ta’ku’s position. As the bird neared, Noah watched as Ta’ku took his swing at the shaft of the spear, just missing it but connecting with the bird’s belly. The talons of the eagle wrapped around him, and at the same moment Noah vaulted through the air with his knives extended and landed on the bird’s back, driving the blades into its shoulder. The bird screeched in pain and took to the air in an awkward flight. He climbed up its back, wrapped his arms around its massive neck, and began to squeeze. The eagle began to shake and spiral before plunging to the earth in a death dive. Noah looked on in horror as the ground sped toward him, and squeezed all the harder. There was a flash of light and his body fried as electricity coursed through him. Then it went dark. Recter climbed to his feet in time to see his companions tackle the raptor from the sky. Worthy indeed. He raced toward them, wincing as he recognized the flash of light that enveloped Noah. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    They crashed into the ground with a loud thud, and the bird twitched as it tried to get back up. Recter drove his spear through the raptor''s brain, finishing the job. Ta’Ku groaned in pain but climbed to his feet, and only Noah was unable to move himself. He had a blank look in his eyes and his body occasionally spasmed.


    “Let’s drag him down the hill a ways” Recter suggested. Together they pulled his body across the snow and set him past the threshold before returning for the giant bird carcass. About an hour later, Noah gasped and his eyes shot open.


    “He’s alive!” Ta’Ku laughed before helping Noah to his feet. Noah shook his head.


    “What happened?” He asked.


    “The bird zapped you and drove you into the ground. You are sturdy so you survived.” Recter offered. Noah nodded, thankful again for his high constitution.


    “Ta’Ku mentioned that you are capable of starting a fire. Will you do that for us?” Recter asked shamelessly. Noah laughed.


    “We are low on wood, but I think we have enough for one more. It will take some time though.” He said. Recter nodded and Noah set about his work. While he did he noted the System message that he had received while he was unconscious.


    [3,333 XP Gained.]


    That message made it all worth it. He built the fire and they roasted large chunks of the bird. When they finally tasted it, they gained another source of motivation. Whatever made these beasts stronger also affected how delicious they became as food. They feasted upon the bird, nearly finishing it in one sitting before stowing the rest for later. After their meal, Noah and Ta’Ku began to spar and Recter soon joined in. They spent the evening training and exchanging pointers until the stars were the only light in the sky. When they finally rested, Noah realized he may have prized information for their new companion. They gathered around the fire.


    “Recter, are you aware of how to advance your grade?” Noah asked. Recter groaned.


    “No, I am not. With all that I’ve tried, I’m starting to think that I will be permanently stuck at the E grade.” He said. Noah sucked in a breath. E grade? And the elves thought we were lucky.


    “I learned the method from a System reward recently. I would be happy to share my knowledge if that’s fine with you.” Noah explained. Recter narrowed his eyes at Noah, seeming to search his soul for a hint of deception.


    “Why help a competitor?” Recter eventually asked.


    “You are not my competitor.” Noah started. “I have seen what will come, and none of us, not even the mighty drakon will be able to face it. I will share this information because if we want to save our people, we will need every advantage we can get.” Noah finished. Recter took in his words and seemed to mull them over.


    “You are not a deceiver. That is even more troubling.” He said. “In that case, share the knowledge with me, and I will share it with others as well.” Noah explained what the System had told him and what he had learned from his experimentation. Recter was quick to try it and had a similar reaction upon seeing the essence requirement for his upgrade.


    “100,000 Essence. That will take some time, but at least now I know the way forward.” He stated. The number was about what Noah had expected based on the System’s typical progression, but it still caused him to sigh. They had a long road ahead of them if they were to complete the mission that the System had sent them on. For the first time in several weeks, Noah pulled up the screen that counted down to their end.


    [ 1,070 days remaining.]