Chapter 31


    When Ta’Ku awoke, he was lying in a bed of snow and could feel the heat of a fire not far away. He stared motionless into the now clear sky above. He did his best to ignore the pain, but its presence was pervasive. I can’t believe I’m alive. The cyclops had been far stronger than any other beast they had fought, and in a single hit, it had completely destroyed his body. It was demoralizing. Worse though, he knew that Noah wouldn’t slow down and fight weaker monsters. Enough of that. He would have slapped himself if his arms worked. He chuckled painfully and heard someone stir nearby.


    “Ta’Ku?” Noah asked.


    “Still alive.” Ta’Ku wheezed.


    “That’s good, I was starting to worry you would become a zombie or something.” Noah responded. Ta’Ku frowned. Zombie?


    “So can you move yet?” Noah asked when Ta’Ku didn’t respond. He tried to move but didn’t get past minor twitching.


    “Not yet.” He responded, managing a grimace.


    “You’ll get there.” Noah reassured, smiling at him. The silence settled over them, and they sat in contemplation for a moment.


    “What do you think we should do next?” Noah asked,


    “What do you mean?” He responded. Noah’s eyebrows furrowed and he stared at the clouds.


    “I made it on the rankings.” He said after a moment. Ta’Ku pulled up the list and scanned it, finding Noah in the highest position. World’s strongest.


    “Congratulations!” Ta’Ku said, “This is what you have been working toward!” He said encouragingly. Noah sighed, and Ta’Ku frowned at the response.


    “It is what I have been working toward, but that’s the problem. I am feeling lost on what to do next.” Noah explained. Ta’Ku considered that. Since their departure from the village, they had been running and fighting nonstop, clawing for their place on the leaderboard.


    “I suppose that makes sense, but aren’t you aiming for Bronze?” Ta’Ku pushed. Noah nodded.


    “I am. That’s true.” He agreed, letting out a long sigh. “I think I am just feeling worn down from all the fighting, and I have been missing my family.” He shared.


    “Ah, I understand. I also wish to see my mother and I wouldn’t mind visiting the village.” Ta’Ku replied before adding, “You know, I used to think I enjoyed fighting before coming with you. Now I dread the next beast.” Noah felt a tinge of guilt as he heard the last bit and made up his mind.


    “After you can move, why don’t we make a trip down the mountain and see how everyone is getting along. I think we could use the change of pace too.” Noah said.


    “Are you sure?” Ta’Ku questioned.


    “I am. We still have plenty of time to reach Bronze, a small break won’t change that.” He answered. They lapsed back into silence. Eventually, Noah stood and shook himself off.


    “Well, I think I will go find something for us to eat. Unless you are interested in cyclops meat, I may be gone for a bit.” He said.


    “I’m not touching that.” Ta’Ku said with puckered lips. Noah laughed.


    “I’ll be back later.” He said as he strode from camp. Ta’Ku watched him leave until he was no longer in his line of sight. Then he sighed. A Dan’Kar shouldn’t slow their partner down. The thought was there, but it didn’t grip him the way it would have a couple of weeks prior. It will be nice to see everyone.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Noah ran past the boundary line, immediately feeling refreshed as he entered the essence-rich environment. His whole body seemed to glow with energy, and he felt significantly stronger than he had just moments prior. This may be a bigger problem than I thought. Noah grinned as the power coursed through his system and he took off running. He stopped by the fallen tree monster, loaded his pack with wood, and began searching the area for his next opponent. He didn’t have to wait long. First came the sound of heavy rain, and then the ground began to rumble. Soon he could make out a blur of beasts moving in unison. Noah watched in awe as they came into view. It was a herd of deer–each uniquely affected by the system. At the front of the herd was a massive white stag, only visible due to its onyx antlers.


    Are these all advanced beasts? He stood completely still, hoping they would pass him by, leaving him with a stunning show and nothing more. It wouldn’t be though. The stag slowed to a standstill, and its herd responded in perfect obedience. There was an unnatural silence as Noah held his breath and watched as the stag turned his head to lock eyes with him. Noah’s heart began to race. I am so dead. Despite his morbid imagination, part of him was longing to fight again, to get to the edge of death and come out on top. He had resonated with Recter and his hunger for power, his determination to overcome the next obstacle. Part of him wanted to race ahead toward Bronze and never look back. He took a deep breath. The rising ambitions troubled him, but they also gave him the strength to move forward. I will not lose myself. The deer began to charge and Noah drew his hammer. I’ll take a break. After this fight. With a grin, he sprinted toward the approaching beasts and met their beady eyes with a predatory stare.


    The first deer rammed itself into the blunt of his hammer, its hind feet promptly flipping over its head as it came to a sudden stop. Woah. Noah stared down at his arms in wonder before receiving the charge of the next deer.


    [1,000 XP Gained.]


    Maybe I will survive after all. He thought, noting that perhaps only the stag had reached the next threshold. A set of antlers stabbed into his back, piercing his furs with ease but only just puncturing his skin. He gasped in pain as he disabled the deer in front of him and turned on the offending beast. A well-placed hammer strike took it down and he took the next antlers to his side.


    [1,000 XP Gained.]


    [1,000 XP Gained.]


    He tuned the System out as he desperately searched for a path to survival, his senses overwhelmed by the thundering of hooves and the blur of stampeding bodies around him. He caught a flash of white before a sharp pain erupted in his side. He could feel the warm trickle of blood but didn’t have time to respond. He began swinging his hammer in a wide arc, thankful for the increased strength that his breakthroughs had provided him. The individual beasts were weak to his newfound power but there were hundreds of them and they only needed to wear him down. This was the first horde that he had seen since the orc village, and its strength was alarming. Will they disperse if I kill the stag? The reptilian beasts had frenzied when their leader had been killed, losing their unified presence of mind. Another antler pierced his leg and he stumbled forward, only to be struck by another. He would have to try.


    He slipped into an almost feral state, seeing only the next target of his aggression. Each blow he took pushed him further into this berserker mentality and he lost track of his bearings as he began to see red. Flashes of brown, red, and white flittered through his vision as he swung his hammer in a rhythmic frenzy. He was vaguely aware of System notifications coming in but had no presence of mind to read them. Thump. Thump. Swing. Slam. At some point, his arms started to move slower, and the aching throughout his body intensified, yet he barely noticed. Thump. Thump. Swing. Slam. Another deer bit the snow.


    Noah came to, staring at the red snow in confusion. Pain arced sharply through his body and his breathing came in shallow gasps. He lifted himself up, staggering on his feet. He was surrounded by a sea of corpses and a single remaining figure limped in a similar gate to himself. The stag was battered and red and struggled to hold up its antlers. Noah reached for his hammer and found it broken nearby its head separated from its handle. He noticed his swollen, purple hands and grimaced as the flashes of memory blinked through his mind. He gritted his teeth and found his pack trampled into the snow nearby, pulling one of the knives from within. He unsheathed it and made his way toward the mighty stag, now a shadow of its former self. With a burst of speed, he put the beast out of its misery and sank to the ground, the last of his strength fleeting as he rolled to his back and stared into the snowy sky.


    [10,000 XP Gained.]


    Noah exhaled in relief as his consciousness drifted away.