Noah woke with a shiver and brushed off the snow that had accumulated on his fur dress. The fire had died out in the night, marking the last cooked meal for the foreseeable future. He sat up and looked around their camp. The snow had formed a small enclosure around them, shielding them from the worst of the wind. He didn’t think he would die from exposure anymore, but he still felt the cold. He walked a bit away from the others who still snored contentedly, and found a low point in the snow to hunker down into. The visibility wasn’t great, and what he could see was all the same white on white.
For some reason, he had woken up feeling a hollowness in his chest–a physical pit that drew his attention. As he sat in the snow, pictures of his family flitted through his mind. His parents, and their last conversation months before the end–their hurt and troubled faces when he refused to talk to a professional. His brother, Dan, who had been convinced that he could fix him with an unplugged weekend away from all the noise. When the trip to the cabin didn’t work, he’d gone on about cults and falling for the propaganda. Then there was Diana, his sister. She hadn’t believed him either, but she continued to be there for him through the end. In their last conversation, she invited him to come for Thanksgiving, insisting that it was no trouble to throw a second dinner that the rest of the family wouldn’t attend. That would have been today if he counted right. The tears froze in lines down his cheeks. If anyone was looking for him, it would be her.
I’ll find her. He told himself, not willing to consider the possibility that she hadn’t made it. Then he thought of Kyle, who believed he would save the world. Then of Matt and Julie. He had gotten lost in the pattern of the last couple of weeks. There were people waiting for him, counting on him, and he had work to do. First, he would get on the leaderboard, and he had an idea of the best way to do exactly that. He got up and walked back to the camp, feeling refreshed by the clarity he had found. He collected his pack and weapons and headed up the mountain, leaving his companions behind him.
He felt a rush of adrenaline as he crossed the threshold between the two territories, and he was immediately on edge. He readied his hammer and continued forward. One kill till my next breakthrough. As he trudged through the snow, he wondered what benefit the new caste would bring, besides the elevation on the leaderboard. When he reached Iron, he had gained a new level of awareness of his body, and yet the sensation of newness had completely passed. Perhaps if he reverted back to his prior state he would recognize the difference. The other notable change was the increase in strength he experienced, it felt like a percentage boost to his stats but there was no indication of it in his status. Up ahead, Noah could make out a tall leafless tree, and he quickly made his way to it. If he failed to find a monster to hunt, he would at least return with firewood.
He was just a few paces from the tree when it twitched. Noah frowned and rubbed his eyes. Snow illusion? A root burst from the ground and slammed into his stomach, throwing him into the air. Noah gasped and got back to his feet. He stared at the abomination and a pleasant thought occurred to him. Two-for-one special. He sprinted at the tree monster, brandishing his weapon. Another root jutted from the earth, but Noah noticed it in time to avoid its thrust and continued to the trunk. He slammed the sharp end of his weapon into the tree and it dug an inch or so past the bark. Another root came flying at him and he was forced to retreat from its path. He continued in this way for several more hits, each time creating a hole in the trunk, but not seeing any evidence of weakening. How exactly do you kill a tree? As he failed to avoid the latest root spear, he found himself wishing he had asked for an axe instead of his hammer.
Not knowing any other option, Noah hammered away at the tree alternating the blunt and pointed ends of the hammer in hopes of finding some weak point. In return for his efforts, he had been knocked around and shallowly pierced by the roots. After a particularly powerful attack, Noah noticed a clear amber liquid on the end of his spike. Sap? He grinned, he had found his way to make the tree bleed. The monster shook its branches in what Noah took to be anger, and several roots began harassing him at once. He was forced to dodge and roll in a continuous loop as he attempted to draw closer. Encouraged by the increased response, Noah doubled down and managed to sneak in a blow every few dodges. He focused his attacks on the already leaking wound and slowly began to see results. Just as the hole seemed to pour out the sap, Noah watched in horror as it closed in a flare of green light. Of course it would be able to heal. Noah frowned. How was he supposed to kill a tree that he could barely wound and that could heal what little he could do? Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He backed away from the tree to consider his options. Another root soared toward him, and he decided to strike it instead of dodge. It splintered at the blow and the whole tree quivered for a moment. There we go. He launched back at the tree, this time taking every opportunity to attack the roots. At first, the tree responded by ceasing its root attacks and allowing itself to take hits, but after several heals it started up its defense again. He had found its limit. Their exchange lasted another several minutes, and Noah found himself riddled with small holes and bruises. Nevertheless, it was the tree that gave out first, the life in its limbs suddenly sagging away. It was an odd sight to Noah, who still expected the tree to attack him. But as he began to break pieces from its trunk, there was no further movement or retaliation.
[10,000 XP Gained.]
Noah laughed aloud as the message came in. He wasn’t sure if it was the battle or that final laugh that did it, but an ear-splitting roar filled the air and a sense of pressure washed over him. Something akin to a two-headed cyclops ran toward Noah, shaking the ground beneath his feet from a football field away. Noah groaned. He left the firewood and sprinted down the hill, praying that it would stop at the line. He was bleeding from various spots on his body, and it ached to run, but he wasn’t ready to die yet. He could feel the creature’s eyes on him as he ran, and he desperately worked to keep his balance as the world seemed to wobble. He was tempted to convert his XP to essence and advance his grade, but he had no clue if he would stay functional in the process, so he didn’t dare.
He finally passed the threshold and felt the slightly unpleasant difference of what he deemed to be the essence quality. He kept running but glanced over his shoulder at the monster. It paused briefly, baring its teeth as it stuck its hand across the invisible barrier. It seemed to be unhappy with the idea of passing through and Noah wondered why it wasn’t as dramatic of an effect for him. It made him consider the possibility that stronger individuals may not be able to enter lower areas, or they were somehow impacted in doing so. That had some concerning implications if it was the case, but he would have to sort them out later. He ran until he found his camp, relieved to see his companions still sitting around. They jumped to their feet when they saw his state and grabbed for weapons.
“What happened?” Ta’Ku questioned. Noah caught his breath.
“I hunted a monster earlier but got taken off guard when another showed up. This one seems rather powerful though.” He said.
“Did it follow you?” Recter asked, still tense. Noah nodded.
“It stopped at the barrier, but I am not sure if it will stay there or not.” He responded. Ta’Ku’s eyebrows went up but he kept his thought to himself.
“Did you have a successful hunt?” Recter asked. Noah grinned.
“I did. And now I’m ready for my next breakthrough.” He said. As he finished, another roar erupted from the barrier followed by loud booming footsteps.
“It’s coming.”