Feyre

  I woke up aching. It turned out that sleeping on a hard, cold, stone floor was actually worse than wooden branches. The white Mousicorn was still with me so I gently moved it off and got to my feet before looking outside. It was incredibly early, I was starving hungry, and I needed to get out of this damned forest. So I picked up all my belongings and made my way back down to the river and followed the flow back down the mountain.

  I could see from all the way up here, a bricked road like path which crossed the river at some point. That became my destination in my mind and I trekked downwards, still ignoring my rumbling stomach and the gnawing hunger. The trail wasn't as difficult going down as it was going up, so I made good progress and made it back to where I'd first made my fire by noon. After a slight break where I tried spearing a fish and failing miserably; I continued on. My stomach hurts... There are berries over there but I don't know if they're edible. I continued in my journey to the path.

  I made it to another clearing before night fell. Again I heard a howl, extremely close to me. I sprinted to a tree but I was too late. A wolf stalked out of the bushes, growling. I froze as our eyes locked, there was intelligence behind its eyes. It snarled at me and started circling. I half expected the whole pack to jump out at me but fortunately that didn't happen. I at least didn't have to try fend off more than one wolf at the moment.

  "Holy... you're a great big dog ain't ya?" I said, trying to steel my nerves.

  [System]

  [Successfully Identified [Greater Wolf].]

  I was shocked by the system notification but willed it away and focused on the Wolf. The Wolf didn't make a reply, thankfully. So I grit my teeth and leapt. Leapt towards the tree and clambered up, my dress ripped but I didn't care. The Wolf lunged forwards and snapped at my heels as I pulled myself up onto a branch that was just out of it's reach. It's claws were daggers, swinging faster than my eyes could follow. With eyes of red it stared at me, judging me. I took in a shaky breath and gripped one of the rocks I had in the makeshift pocket.

  Raising my arm I attempted to aim at the beastial head before I chucked the rock straight downwards. I missed, the Wolf dodged to the side and growled at me in harmony with my stomach. I threw another two rocks in rapid succession. The Wolf dodged the first one but didn't recover in time to dodge the second one. It struck the nose and I heard the slightest of whimpers before the growling grew to ferocious barks. Suddenly, the monstrous legs tensed and it made a sprint at the tree. I had seen action films where the monsters and beasts would manage to climb trees and walls through momentum and some other circumstances so, instead of being hopeless and despairing like the characters in the films, I jumped down with my whittled stick and plunged right into the Wolf's back. I landed with a thud on its head and dazed it for long enough for me to pull my makeshift spear free before attempting to stab it again.

  The Wolf shook like a dog removing water, its whole body convulsed left and right, throwing me off and into the ground. I landed on my side and rolled a bit to try and lessen the impact. It didn't work very well and I ended up slightly winded, on the floor, my sharp stick on the ground just out of reach. It shook its head and stared at me as I struggled to get to my knees before reaching for my spear and clutching it with both hands in front of me.

  I felt like a child with a toy sword versus some sort of behemoth in an anime, desperately hoping for a hero to come and save me. Of course they never came. Heroes don't exist like they do in fairytales. I breathed in and out while shoving the pain to the side. I could be in pain later. Right now? Right now I needed to not be weak. I held my woefully inadequate stick like a Shinai and grit my teeth as I stood. My ankle flared in agony and I ignored it to the best of my abilities, only giving a slight stumble. The Wolf was back to being its usual growling self, no longer disorientated from the surprise weight on its head.

  "Alright Feyre... You can do this..." I breathed in. "It's just like a game..." I breathed out. "Except if you die here you die for real... again." I hold back tears and glared at the Wolf, right between the eyes. I screamed in a mixture of rage and agony as it snarled and lunged forwards. I dived to the side as close as possible, landing on my side again before scrambling to my feet and jabbing at the Wolf's side. It yelped as the spear got lodged in its underbelly. I let out a cry of surprise as it wrenched to the left, taking my spear with it as it went.

  I fell as I tried dislodging the spear as the Wolf went, failing and ending up without my weapon. The Wolf seemed to see my weakness as it ran at me again. I grabbed the only rock from my makeshift pocket that hadn't fallen during the previous altercations and swung in a wide, haymaker. The sharp flashes of anguish reached my mind at the rock slammed into the Wolf's head, right as it bit down.

  I screamed, obviously, I was not immune to pain. Blood ran down my arm as the wolf thrashed its head back and forth, dislocating my shoulder before I was chucked into a tree. My back seared with dull agony that paled in comparison to the torture that I felt from my now mangled right arm. I hacked and coughed as I tried to regain my breath.

  The Wolf stalked forwards, it's claws digging into the soft mud and dirt. That's when I had a last ditch effort sort of idea. My left hand curled around the mud and formed a mud ball. I promptly rolled out the way of the Wolf's claws and pushed the mud ball straight into its face, covering its nose and pulled my hand back incredibly fast as it snapped its teeth at me. My plan seemed to work as the wolf seemed disorientate it and gave me time to recover myself. It hurts... It hurts so much...

  I got more mud balls and started throwing them at the wolf, getting one of them straight into the left eye. The Wolf howled in outrage and I lunged forwards, yanking the makeshift spear out with my left arm. My right was completely useless, but it seemed that whatever made this new body of mine was kind enough to give me ambidexterity so I quickly fell into a one handed Plow Guard. The Wolf turned towards me and I lunged, stabbing at its triceps.

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  The Wolf's blood fell to the ground and it buckled as my Spear dug deep before pulling out. The Wolf howled again and I grit my teeth. Adrenaline was still pumping through me and I lunged forwards again, pushing my advantage. Another four attacks landed but only one of them actually made anything more than a superficial cut.

  Snarling, the Wolf swiped with its already injured left leg. I jumped back and quickly darted forwards as it stumbled, not expecting to completely miss. My spear snaked out and this time I went for the throat, missing only because it turned away. Because I wasn't expecting it, the Wolf's hind slammed into me, knocking me onto my back again. It pushed the offensive this time, its gaping maw open wide as it pounced.

  My spear hurtled up, my mutilated right arm also joining my left as my spear went lengthways into the Wolf's gob. It snarled, its teeth biting deep into the stick as it drooled and put all it's weight into the attack. My arms screamed at me in pain, not able to support the spear much longer. So I twisted as far as I could and led the Wolf's snout straight into the muddy ground.

  It fell to its side and attempted to roll back to its feet at the same time as me. Luckily, I was faster and had time to hobble away before it got up again. This is bull. Why is it still going!? I yelled out an unintelligible war cry and ran, ignoring the agony dulled by adrenaline in my ankle again. I didn't run towards the wolf though, no, I ran to a bunch of bushes. Bushes that had extremely brightly coloured berries that just screamed poisonous. Picked one of each, a green and yellow one, a red and orange one, and a blue and purple one. The green and yellow one made my fingers itch just from touching it. I smirked and dropped it to the floor before piercing it with my makeshift spear.

  The spear was looking worse for wear, the tip had cracked off at some point and the teeth marks running up parts of it made it look like it was about to break. However, the berry goop covered the remnants of the tip and I smirked wider. I really hoped that this would work, but I knew it was possible that it wouldn't so I also crushed the other berries over the point.

  The Wolf wasn't just watching me do this though. I saw it struggling to stand and then flexing its claws before readying itself for a charge. I crept to the tree I climbed earlier and put my back to it, holding my spear in a one handed Long-point Guard. The Wolf bayed deeply and sprinted at me full speed while I waited for a moment to try make sure my plan had the highest chance of succeeding. At the last possible point I could, I sidestepped, watching the wolf crash into the tree teeth first, wincing at the cracking sound and teeth I saw fly out. I thrust at the Wolf's throat again, scoring a deep hit and lurched backwards letting go of the spear after I pulled it out due to my arms giving out with my legs.

  The Wolf slumped to the ground and started twitching. Froth came from its mouth and it started bleeding from its eyes. I was suddenly slightly sorry for it. Sure, it was trying to kill me, and might have succeeded in that... but nothing deserved to die in suffering and pain. I walked over the the Wolf's convulsing body knelt down to pick up a rock. I lifted my arm and swung down. Then I did it again.

  And again.

  And again.

  Over and over.

  I slammed the rock into the Wolf's skull.

  I must have been high on adrenaline or something because I giggled at the sight of the Wolf laying there, unmoving. At least the pain wasn't too long? I giggled again and fell onto my but next to the wolf, heaving a large, shaky breath.

  [System]

  [You have slain 1 [Scout] [Greater Wolf] Level 2]

  [EXP gained = 250]

  [You have killed a Monster while Classless]

  [EXP gained = 100]

  [You have killed a Monster as an Otherworlder]

  [EXP gained = 25]

  [No Class Detected, all EXP going into Race]

  [Race Level Up!]

  [Race Level Up!]

  [Race Level Up!]

  ...

  [Race Level Up!]

  [You are now Level 12 (45/60)]

  [You have earned a Title!]

  [Title: "Venator"]

  [The Title "Venator" is available to be Equipped]

  [The Title "Venator": For every Level gain a bonus of +2 to STR, SPD, VIT]

  Of course I instantly willed to equip the Title, I assumed I still had stats even if I couldn't see them.

  [System]

  [Are you sure you want to equip Title? (Can be changed at any point) Y/N]

  I mentally clicked "Y" and then opened up my status. I was kind of excited to be honest, maybe the additions to my stats will mean I can see them.

  [System Status - Error: Incomplete]

  [Name: Feyre Agrifiti]

  [Title: Venator]

  [Level: 12]

  [HP: ]

  [MP: ]

  [TMCY: ]

  [Class: ]

  [Sub-Class: N/A]

  [Stats]

  [STR: (+2)]

  [SPD: (+2]

  [MCL: ]

  [MCY: ]

  [INT: ]

  [CHA: ]

  [VIT: (+2)]

  That was disappointing but I fully expected it. I looked at it for a bit longer and sigh as I closed the status with my mind. At least I can see my title.

  I stayed still for a while, the pain from my injuries not stopping my stomach from rumbling at me. I was in so much pain and it hurt. It hurt so much now that I had run out of adrenaline...

  I felt my eyes droop.

  I saw the shadows of the surrounding forest creep ever closer.

  I saw nothing.

  I slept.

  Karrlund

  I could tell something was horribly wrong. A Greater Wolf would never howl like that if it was fighting another wolf or beast. They only Howl like that if what they're hunting is incredibly weaker than it... and it managed to damage it. I was worried for whoever had fought it but the other guards for the carriage weren't being compliant and refused to guard for even one night. I knew Tyrril wouldn't hire these idiots again but I still worried about whoever was out there, Greater Wolves are one of the weakest Second Evolution Monsters but they are still dangerous. I heard a loud baying in the distance and frowned, the fight was still ongoing.

  I heard Pavolia approach with Emrik and we all looked towards where the sounds of the fight must've been. "I guess we can only hope they still live by the time we reach the bridge and take a 3 day break?" I turn to them, not actually able to see them in the dark, but feeling less guilty by not looking towards where I'm sure at least one person has died that we could have saved. Emrik patted my shoulder and sighed before replying. "Karrlund... We can't be blamed for someone else's mistakes. We can't save everyone... but tomorrow night I will do everything in my power to assist you and save anyone who's left, if there are any." I smiled at Emrik's words and Pavolia lit a flame on her index finger, so I could see her looking at me. She also had her two Copper Lords to add to this I guessed.

  "It is not your fault my friend... the people out there are not of any of the Guilds, if that fire seen two nights ago is anything to go by. That means they cannot be prepared to venture into the forest, and might even be bandits who tried to make the bridge their toll bridge..." She extinguished the fire and patted my back before heading back to her tent. Emrik then gently shoved me towards our tent and I complied. I had taken the day shift at the front of the formation and was exhausted again. I barely got my armour off before I collapsed into my sleeping bag.