Eventually, after a lot of prying and having to use one of her knives for leverage Hailey had collected the charging boar’s tusks. She cleaned the bit of gore on them off in the grass and stashed them away in a second smaller bag that Tennison had the foresight to buy.

  I’ll really have to thank Tennison when I get back. He’s been a huge help with all of this. Any other Watcher and I would already be dead.

  Her journey continued on without much excitement. There was another boar that jumped out at Hailey, but it was clearly much lower in level than the first one. It was significantly smaller, slower, and it managed to die on it’s first pass to Hailey’s knives. This yielded Hailey another set of tusks.

  To pass the time she checked her status, finding that she had hit level 4.

  Charging Boar slain. Experience rewarded. Bonus experience rewarded for level difference.

  Charging Boar slain. Experience rewarded.

  *Ding* Assassin reaches level 4. Stats increased. 2 Free Points awarded.

  It turned out that the small boar had been just enough to push her into the next level. Not that she was going to complain about the lack of bonus experience.

  There was also a bird. Well, it looked like a bird, but it was too high up in the sky for Hailey to get a good look at it. It had been following her for a while but then it disappeared at some point, taking a weight off Hailey’s mind with its absence.

  The sun was beginning to set, and it was time for Hailey to setup camp. Sleeping out in the open was too dangerous so there were only two real options available to her. She would need to find a cave, or a large tree that could support her weight.

  Hailey weighed her options. Looking around she saw that the forest-side of the valley looked like it was being cut into by the mountain. With any luck there would be some caves over there. She would have to cross through the forest to get there, but it was only a couple hundred meters at most. It was her best option at the moment.

  She drew her hunting knives and readied herself, feeling the world perceivably slow down around her. She made her way into the forest, taking her time to pick through the forest floor, avoiding making any more noise than necessary. A few minutes later and she arrived at the exposed rocky wall denoting the end of the valley and the beginning of the mountain. She set off, walking along the wall looking for somewhere to spend the night.

  For some reason Hailey had thought that there should be plenty of caves, but things were sparse, especially when she had to look for one that she could occupy. She was about to start looking for a tree, but then she spotted it. A cave, formed into the wall of the mountain about two meters up from the ground. A mound of overgrown rock led up to the entrance, which conveniently had a little flat section at the mouth of the cave. It look perfect for building a fire on.

  Hailey climbed up and saw the cave was barren. It was less a cave and more of a rocky outcropping. It was no more than three meters recessed into the wall, which would give Hailey more than enough room to lie down in her bedroll. The cave floor was clean, no bones or animal excrement to be found.

  Hailey threw her pack into the cave and climbed back down to the forest. With the fading light she would have to be quick and gather enough firewood to keep a fire going through the night. She remembered that she needed dry wood, as it would burn easier. The forest was more than happy to provide an ample amount of wood. Hailey happened along a downed tree and was able to hack off some of its reasonably sized branches with her hunting knife.

  Huh, I guess my strength is coming along nicely. She thought. It has now more than doubled since my awakening. I don’t know if I would have been able to cut through those branches otherwise. And hauling all of this back would have tired me out, for sure. It still is exhausting, but I can’t wait to see how far I can push it.

  The mound of firewood grew, and just as the last light was peaking through the forest Hailey managed to get a fire going using her fire starter. The heat the fire put off felt nice on Hailey’s skin as the air cooled down quickly without the sun beaming down. Hailey rummaged through her pack and ate some of the hardtack bread. It was nearly tasteless, and required a good bit of water from her canteen to help get it down, but it filled her up all the same.

  I wonder what kind of food they have in Oreside City. Not knocking Mrs. Filch’s food, but I think I am ready to try some variety. I remember hearing from the miners who would make the trip that there were more places to get food than one could visit within a week. That sounds so nice right now.

  Daydreams of food turned into actual dreams of food as Hailey turned in for the night.

  -_-_-

  Hailey woke with a start. It was dark. Something was wrong. Her head swiveled trying to find some detail in the blackness of the cave. Outside the fire had died, only thin whisps of dull red coals remained.

  Fuck the fire died, Hailey thought. She grabbed a bundle of thin sticks and threw them into they nearly dead fire, the action kicking up a few red cinders.

  A snarl caused her spine to stiffen and before she could untangle herself from her bedroll a large mass pushed its way into the cave and chomped at her, managing to get her left forearm in its grasp. Pain shot through her arm as the monster’s teeth sank into her flesh.

  Adrenaline shot through her. She grabbed her knife and blindly stabbed at the monster. The knife found purchase and sunk into its flesh, causing the beast to roar out in pain, letting her arm go. The reprieve was momentary as the monster’s claws went to work tearing into her bedroll. Hailey pushed herself out of the entrapping fabric and rolled out of the cave, narrowly missing the fire, then tumbled down the overgrown mound. She found that the plants that had managed to grow between the rocks offered poor padding.

  She was covered in cuts, scrapes, and bruises from her escape attempt, but it was a short-lived escape. The monster had followed her down. In the low light offered by the moon, Hailey could just make out that the monster was some kind of wolf. The monster howled, shaking her to her core.

  You have been stunned for 3 seconds by [Wolf’s Howl].

  The system’s voice called out in her mind. Her eye twitched as she struggled to move but found that her body was non-responsive. She could feel her heart hammering away in her chest.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck, was the repeating thought passing through her mind as she watched the wolf.

  One heartbeat and the wolf lowered its head, finishing its howl. Hailey could feel its yellow eyes staring into her soul.

  A second beat, and the wolf looked at her, preparing to lunge at the defenseless offering in front of it.

  A third heartbeat, the wolf launched into the air. Hailey stared on defiantly trying to defy her fate.

  A fourth heartbeat and Hailey’s world moved. She was beneath the mid-air wolf, and stabbed upwards in one smooth motion, cutting into the beast’s ribcage. Holding firm, the beast’s momentum helped to drag the knife through its torso, gutting the monster from near sternum to tail.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  The wolf crashed to the ground, trying to make its disemboweled body work, but soon became still. Hailey stood up, her arm screaming in pain as her blood trickled out of the puncture wounds. She tried to move that arm’s hand but found it barely responsive.

  The healing ointment. I need to get that into the wound. Hailey looked around. Her bag was still in the cave. She took a step to climb back up the hill, but a snarl turned her blood cold. As she turned, she saw not one, but three more sets of yellow eyes shining at her in the darkness.

  “Oh fu-“ Hailey managed to get out before having to dodge to the side, missing the set of gnashing teeth by inches as the wolf sailed past her. The dodge turned into a well-timed roll and Hailey sprinted away into the forest as fast as her legs would carry her. Her heart pounded as she pushed her body’s new stats to the limit. Her inability to see well caused her to hit quite a few trees and bushes along the way, hampering her fleeing attempt.

  Behind her three wolves barreled through the forest, their forms allowing them more maneuverability. They were almost nipping at her heels when she broke through the edge of the forest and ran back into the clearing. She looked back and saw that she was somehow out pacing the wolves now. That was, until she managed to trip on an exposed rock and fell, going ass over tea kettle.

  The world moved slowly as she flipped over, a shrill screeching sound filling her world. She hit the ground hard, landing on her back and winding herself in the process. Dirt showered her as she struggled to make sense of it all. She gasped for air, then froze. In the air above her was a giant-ass bird that looked like it almost glowed in the moonlight. Dirt rained back down on Hailey from the bird’s claws as it launched itself into the sky with a powerful beat of its massive wings.

  The bird dove back down, this time not at Hailey, but at the pack of wolves that had been chasing her. It shrieked again, moving in a blur of motion. Hailey blinked and the next moment the bird was pulling up, with two wiggling masses in its talons. A howl sounded out from one of the wolves, but was quickly snuffed out by the giant predator

  Air rushed into Hailey’s lungs as she finally managed to get a full lungful of air into her. She pushed herself out of her nearly consummated tomb and got back on her feet. The remaining wolf eyed her, then the shrinking figure of the big-assed bird, then her again as it set its sights on her. The wolf moved first. Hailey turned and continued to run away to the best of her ability.

  Her lungs burned. Her body was crying in pain. Her arm, screaming. But she had to run. If she didn’t, she was dead. The hunting knife was still in her hand, thankfully, and her perception’s time dilating effects were in full swing still. It gave her just an extra bit of time to pick her path and avoid any more unfortunately placed stones.

  Hailey kept running. Not bothering to look back at her pursuer. She could hear it crashing its way through the valley. She ran and ran as her life depended on it. 1Eventually, as the adrenaline rush died off, her mind caught back up with her instincts.

  How am I out running the wolf? This doesn’t make any sense. It should have already caught up with me. Hailey looked back, and the wolf was no where to be seen. Hailey slowed down and stopped. She put her hands on her knees as her chest heaved.

  “Fuck. That- wasn’t good,” Hailey said out loud to herself as she tried to suck in as much air as possible. “I nearly died there. Three times. And fuck. My arm. My arms fucked. The ointment.”

  The words died in her mouth. The healing ointment, her arm’s only chance at getting healed was in her pack. The pack that was left behind in that gods forsaken cave. The cave that she would not be able to find without a lot of effort, and even then, there were the wolves. The wolves that would be waiting for her, she was sure of it. She would want revenge on the one who killed her packmate if she was a wolf.

  The pain in her arm jolted her mind back to the current reality. She took stock of herself. She had both of her knives still. And the rapier had somehow managed to stay tied to her belt. Other than that, she had her new boots, which now were covered in scuffs and dirt, but were otherwise perfectly intact.

  She had no food. No water. And no way of healing herself. And it was still nighttime, and she was lost. The path down the mountain was no where to be seen.

  At least I still have the system. Maybe it has something for me. Status.

  Forest wolf slain. Experience rewarded. Bonus experience rewarded for level difference.

  *Ding* Assassin reaches level 5. Stats increased. 2 Free Points awarded.

  *Ding* New Active Class Skill acquired. [Shadowmend]. Your body has grown increasingly familiar with entering and emerging from shadow. Enough so that you may now use absorbed shadow to reform your body as needed. Cost: 10 Mana Points & 1 ASU. Must be out of combat. Must be enveloped in shadow.

  *Ding* New Passive Class Skill acquired. [Night Sight]. As one who lives and dies in the shadows your eyes have adjusted to your shaded reality. Allows you to see better in low-light situations. Upkeep cost: 10 Mana (Restricted).

  *Ding* [Shadowstep] has reached level 3.

  What was that phrase people use? The system provides what’s needed? That seems damn appropriate right now. [Shadowmend] is exactly what I needed. What’s an Absorbed Shadow Unit, and how do I have 4 of them? I can worry about that later. I need to get my self healed before that is no longer an option, but first.

  Hailey willed [Night Sight] to activate. Nothing happened at first, but slowly the world gained an almost yellow tint to it, as the details of the world around her became more apparent. It wasn’t perfect. Looking down at the grass, Hailey couldn’t pick out individual blades, but she was able to see that it was grass, which was still quite a bit better than before.

  Looking around Hailey spotted a tree, and with her enhanced vision she saw it was casting a shadow in the moonlight.

  Perfect, Hailey thought as she walked over, her body groaning in protest with every movement. It seemed that she had done more damage to herself than she had realized. She nearly fell over as she took a seat and leaned against the broad tree trunk. Enveloped in shadow she casted [Shadowmend], and the world went black.