As Thalric walked through the dense woods, his lungs took in the air with a deep intake, savoring the rich taste of mana’s fusion with the atmosphere. It was not a foreign term, as all energies from his world were an aspect or byproduct of mana. Even Divine Energy was simply an elevated form of mana. And given that this world labeled Divine Energy as Celestial Mana did suggest that gods existed in this world. Or at least godlike entities.
An unfortunate revelation, as that would make things a bit more difficult. But he would deal with that in time. Moreover, he could use mortal magic if he so desired, which came with its own set of complications as he did not know his current esoteric limits well enough to dabble too heavily with the arcane. Not until he fully adapted to his physical body first.
His thoughts came to a halt as he heard subtle sounds in the shadows and foliage. Multiple predators, silently stalking their prey from what he could infer. Thalric decided to stop his steps, standing straight with his weapon lazily resting over his shoulder. Shortly after, four wolves appeared from their hiding spots and circled him in an organized manner. Thalric observed the wolves individually for a brief juncture, which caused floating words that appeared over their heads.
[Grey Wolf | Level 3]
[Grey Wolf | Level 4]
[Grey Wolf | Level 3]
[Grey Wolf | Level 4]
This cleared some misunderstandings he had earlier on how individuals deciphered the strengths of their opponents. Even though it did not factor in Perks, Attributes, or Titles; any information was useful in a conflict. And according to their levels, they were theoretically weaker individually than the wolf he had casually killed the day before. Although the beasts outnumbered him, he could tell that they were unworthy opponents. Thalric had instincts that had been drilled into him by battles that shook reality itself and the knowledge of countless warriors that waged war under various banners. He could measure the worth of most enemies with a glance, even without floating words as an aid.
Then his attention shifted to his aching stomach and next at the wolves around him. Thalric slightly frowned, not looking forward to eating wolf meat. While gods did not require sustenance to live, they did enjoy a good unicorn or sacred boar every few millennia. He knew wolf meat to be an acquired taste as many of his followers had sometimes gone on long rants in their prayers about the tough and gamey taste. It seemed as though they assumed the deity had no other responsibilities than to attend to their minor grievances. Naturally, he listened, as he always had.
Shoving aside irrelevant thoughts, Thalric moved his battle axe down in a gradual movement next to his side, shifted his body at an angle, and prepared for combat. At the same time, the wolves rushed at him in unison, intending to tear him apart. Thalric swung his weapon in a wide arc, causing the beasts to distance themselves, catching them off guard. He quickly darted at the closest wolf, slicing the blade deep into its skull in a single fluid downward strike, its body going limp instantly.
Increasing their pace towards their target, a wolf came for him on both his left and right as their brethren fell to the floor. Thalric spun on his heels and rolled out of the way at the very last moment, the two wolves getting caught up with the confusion of running into one another. Thalric used this time to find the straggler, and a clean slash aiming to decapitate made quick work of the lone wolf.
Just in time for his assailants to realign and move to kill him. Thalric quickly turned and threw his battle axe with all his strength at one of the wolves which pulverized it before the other could react. Thalric met the gaze of the last charging wolf as it closed in on him. Then he said a word.
“Vulkrath”
And the weapon dislodged from its victim and soared back to its owner at great speed. Due to the wolf being in its trajectory, the weapon simply pushed through the beast as if it were nonexistent, blood and other bodily components exploding in complete disorder as the battle axe returned to Thalric’s hand.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
“I’ve always loved that trick.”
A smile stretched over his lips as blood coated both his wet blade and all over his body. It was during the ecstasy of overcoming foes that he found pure joy.
He glanced at the corpses and the messages that appeared after the last wolf he killed. The messages seemed to respond to his intent, vanishing when he did not need them, and staying out of the way during battles. He appreciated this as it prevented distractions that could jeopardize his safety.
[Level 3 Grey Wolf Defeated! XP Gained!]
[Level 3 Grey Wolf Defeated! XP Gained!]
[Level 4 Grey Wolf Defeated! XP Gained!]
[Level 4 Grey Wolf Defeated! XP Gained!]
[You Have Reached Level 5!]
[Say ‘Status’ to Observe Further Changes]
He obliged, curious of his growth.
[ Name: Thalric
Titles: Outsider, Former God of War
Level: 5
Class: Peerless Conqueror (X)
Class Perks
Simulated Planning
Attributes
STR: 179
DEX: 172
CON: 176
INT: 132
WIS: 125
CHA: 119 ]
Closing his status, Thalric nodded and swung his battle axe in practiced forms. He felt the jump in strength and coordination right away. His mind felt sharper, and his reserves of mana had expanded.
"I could get used to this."
Thalric returned his focus to the corpses and then sighed. He had meat to prepare and cook.
----
In a clearing, an estimated half a mile away from his little skirmish, the crackling of fire wafted through the air as the sunlight dimmed. He held the blade of his axe in the fire at an angle that allowed the meat to sizzle atop the side of the blade as it cooked. Thalric hadn’t immediately begun cooking the food after it was prepared. He had to find a small river to bathe in before, because while he enjoyed a victory, he did not enjoy the smell of caked blood and would not submit himself to the stench unless broiled in an active campaign. Fortunately, his clothes were as easy to wash as his skin, as they were not exactly of mortal origin.
After a little over an hour, he judged that the meat was completely cooked, and he pulled back his blade. He allowed the meat to cool off for a few minutes and then dived in, his body craving food.
It did not take long to finish the two pounds of meat that he had prepared for the night to disappear into his ravenous stomach. The sun had set, and the moon, accompanied by the stars, was out on full display. Feeling satisfied with his hunger quelled, Thalric jumped atop one of the tree branches nearby and lay against its trunk as he drifted to sleep with memories of forging weapons from the stars.
---
The sleep felt like it ended just as it began. He awoke at dawn, the sun was peaking over the horizon, and his body felt rested. What was crackling throughout the night were ashes as the campfire had been snuffed out from its flame. He lifted himself, dropped down to the ground, and then took his battle axe over his shoulder to begin an early morning hunt. Hopefully, the prey today would be something other than wolves. Thalric could taste the prior meal’s flavor even now, with it stubbornly remaining on his tongue like a loitering nuisance. It was during these internal grievances that he heard the sounds of shouting and screaming coming from the north. He turned in that direction and sprinted forth, making sure to keep his footing light and as quiet as possible.
When the noises grew closer, he crouched low behind a bush. He peered into one of its openings to see a dirt road occupied by a stopped carriage marred with bloodstains, bodies on the ground, and a group of poorly equipped men looting the trunk. As his eyes went over the obvious act of banditry, their levels revealed themselves.
[Human | Level 9 ]
[Human | Level 7 ]
[Human | Level 11 ]
[Human | Level 8 ]
[Human | Level 8 ]
[ Human | Level 6 ]
