Harry took two steps toward the tunnel mouth, slowed, and stopped. He checked his meters.
H: 110 | V: 93 | TM: 15%
His gaze drifted back to the bodies scattered across the stone. The venomstalkers lay twisted where they had cut their heads open to remove the venom sacs. Black fur matted dark, the sharp chemical stink of their blood hanging in the air. His mouth pulled tight.
Jo noticed at once. “What is it, Harry?”
“I should top up my vitae.” He lifted a hand and gestured at the corpses. Let it hang. “But…”
“But they’re dead,” Jo said.
He scowled. “Yes. It feels wrong. Like eating something you found in the garbage.”
Jo’s expression pinched. Cedric made a low sound in his throat and looked like he’d bitten something sour.
Stan shook his head. “None of ya ‘ave seen real hunger.”
Harry thought about that. “You’re right, Stan.” He looked out of the tunnel. “Could you all wait outside?”
Harry waited for them to leave and walked to the nearest body. He crouched beside it.
The thing was truly ugly. The wolf torso was heavy and furred, ribs spread wide where the spear had gone in. The spider legs that sprouted from the sides were hard to look at. Jointed wrong, claw tips curled inward when it died. Rising from the shoulders was the long neck, scaled and flexible, ending in that broad snake head, now carved open and glistening wetly. None of it fit together. It looked like it was assembled by a madman, not something born to nature.
Harry drew a slow breath to steady himself and bent down to where the neck emerged from the body and sank in his fangs.
He had to work harder at pulling the blood. It was cold and sterile without the thundering heart. There was none of the sharp rush, no blissful flood of ecstasy that usually drowned out everything else. This was dull, thin, functional.
The vitae and healing started, weaker than usual, and stopped early. Less than half of what he would have gotten from living prey.
He grimaced and leaned back.
Oh well. Hopefully it’ll help dilute this corruption some more.
:: System: Affirmative
H: 120 .. 119 .. | V: 113 .. 112 .. | TM: 0%
Harry wiped his hand on his trousers, stood, and headed out of the cave.
Stan was waiting at the entrance. Beyond him, Cedric moved along the edge of the clearing, bending to gather branches and fallen limbs. He weighed each one in his hands before taking it. The pieces vanished as he straightened. Apparently he now had the Inventory skill.
Jo stood near the large tree where the fight had ended. The hexapuma and her cubs were gone. Jo crouched low, eyes on the ground, fingers brushing disturbed leaves and broken stems.
She straightened and pointed southeast. “They went off that way. She was still favoring her paw, but she’s moving alright.”
They gathered around Jo who pulled out Korven’s map and studied it. Eyes flicking between the parchment and the treeline.
Harry glanced down at the map. “Should we go up to the river and follow it?”
Cedric shook his head at once. “I do not like the idea of being pinned against the river if we run into trouble. There will be more venomstalkers about, and who knows what else.”
“Avoiding the stalkers will be a problem either way,” Harry said. “When we were removing the sacs, I saw they have large pit organs behind the eyes. They can track us by body heat.”
Stan grimaced. “That’s not all. When I used Inspect, Olly said they can feel movement through their spider legs.”
Harry let out a dry breath. “Wonderful.”
He pulled up his map skill. The clearing they stood in showed sharp and clear. Everything beyond it dissolved into featureless gray fog.
Jo folded the map and pointed west. “Let’s go straight that way. Harry, you’re in front with Blood Sense. Stan and I both have Awareness and Danger Sense now, we’ll take the flanks.”
Cedric straightened, chest puffing out as he struck a pose. “I shall anchor the center.”
Harry chuckled. “Sounds good.”
They went into the tree line, Harry leading, senses stretched forward as the forest closed in around them. Life crowded in at once, quick flickers from squirrels in the underbrush, birds flitting in and out of the branches overhead, and beneath it all a constant, diffuse buzz of insects.
Harry waited until they had settled into a comfortable pace and switched to party chat.
- Harry: What else did everyone get leveling up?
- Jo: We got the usual first level reward. A point in every attribute plus two more. I put the extra into Agility.
:: Species: Human
:: Class: Archer 1 (172/1,000)
:: Health: 60/60 (Endurance * 10)
:: Strength: 4
:: Agility: 7
:: Endurance: 6
:: Willpower: 4
:: Presence: 4
:: Intellect: 5
- Jo: I took Awareness, Danger Sense and Inventory. And raised Longbow as much as I could. And I got another level of Arcane Quiver, which thankfully included forty arrows.
:: Awareness: 1
:: Danger Sense: 1
:: Inventory: 1
:: Proficient Ranged Weapon: Longbow: 3 (3 * normal damage)
- Harry: You’re becoming very dangerous with that bow.
- Cedric: Stan and I focused on defense. Everything we will face is going to be higher level, we hope to hold off the minions while Jojo takes them down.
- Harry: What about me?
Even through the party chat, Harry could hear the grin in Cedric’s voice.
- Cedric: While we deal with the minions, any boss fight will fall to you.
Harry laughed.
- Harry: I’ll do my best. So, what did you take?
- Cedric: I split the extra points between Endurance and Strength
:: Species: Human
:: Class: Fighter 1 (172/1,000)
:: Health: 100/100 (Endurance * 10)
:: Vigor: 80/80 (Strength + Endurance) * 5
:: Vigor Regen Out of Combat: Endurance/minute
:: Vigor Regen In Combat: (Strength + Endurance)/minute
:: Strength: 6
:: Agility: 4
:: Endurance: 10
:: Willpower: 3
:: Presence: 4
:: Intellect: 3
- Cedric: I raised my attacks and sword proficiency. And added some utility.
:: Quick Strike: 2 (+30% chance to hit. 10 Vigor)
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:: Power Attack: 2 (+10 damage. 10 Vigor)
:: Endure: 1
:: Inventory: 1
:: Map: 1
:: Proficient Melee Weapon: Sword: 2 (2.5 * normal damage)
- Harry: Sword and not the hammer?
- Cedric: The damage of the hammer was tempting. But if we are holding a position, sword and shield will be more effective.
- Harry: How about you Stan? Did you get a dozen more skills?
- Stan: Not as many as that. I put both my points in health.
:: Species: Human
:: Class: Jack-Of-All-Trades 1 (172/1,000)
:: Health: 80/80 (Endurance * 10)
:: Mana: 50/50 (Intellect * 10)
:: Mana Regen Out of Combat: Intellect/minute
:: Mana Regen In Combat: Intellect/minute * 50%
:: Strength: 5
:: Agility: 5
:: Endurance: 8
:: Willpower: 4
:: Presence: 3
:: Intellect: 5
- Stan: The rest I spent on combat. Can get skills later. If we live.
:: Shield Use: 2
:: Endure: 1
:: Inventory: 2
:: Iron Stomach: 1
:: Map: 2
:: Tactical Insight: 1
:: Proficient Melee Weapon: Spear: 2 (2.5 * normal damage)
- Harry: Iron Stomach?
- Stan: Health ain’t enough if I get poisoned. It’ll help.
They’d only gone a little farther before Jo spoke up. She cleared her throat and sounded like this was something she’d been meaning to ask for some time.
- Jo: Harry, you’ve never shown us your information.
- Harry: You’re right, I’m sorry. I guess it didn’t feel new and exciting while you were getting your Interfaces. Here you go.
:: Species: Human
:: Class: Vampire Level 2 (1,898/4,000)
:: Strength: 6
:: Agility: 6
:: Endurance: 11
:: Willpower: 15
:: Presence: 6
:: Intellect: 15
:: Health: 110/110
:: Vitae: 110/110
:: Thirst Meter: 0%
:: Skills
:: [Self-Heal: 0]
:: [Mesmerize: 1]
:: [Frenzy: 3]
:: [Sip: 0]
:: [Drain: 1]
:: [Identify: 1]
:: [Inventory: 2]
:: [Melee Weapons: 2]
:: [Map: 1]
:: Core Traits
:: [Fangs]
:: [Enhanced physical attributes: 1]
:: [Enhanced senses: 0]
:: [Blood Sense: 1]
:: [Immunity to poison, sickness, and disease: 2]
:: [Partial Immunity to cold and electricity: 0]
:: [Nocturnal Vision: 0]
:: [Respiration optional]
:: [Thermal signature reduced]
:: [Olfactory signature reduced]
:: [Immortal]
:: [Shadow Manipulation: 0]
- Cedric: Vampire really is a class.
- Harry: You didn’t believe me?
- Cedric: I never doubted.
- Harry: Right.
After that, crosstalk filled the party channel as Jo, Stan, and Cedric went over the information Harry had shown them, questions and quick confirmations overlapping as they worked through it together.
- Cedric: Sir Harold, how many attribute points did you start with?
- Harry: It was forty-seven.
- Jo: By the gods, Harry. That’s more than twice the normal.
- Harry: Yeah. I didn’t know that back then.
- Stan: Do all vampires start with so many?
- Harry: I have no idea.
- Stan: I don’t know the words for it, but that screen of yours ain’t normal. People don’t start like that. Feels like something was playin’ with you ‘fore you ever had a say.
- Harry: Yeah, I’ve been thinking that for a while.
- Cedric: At least your reduced thermal signature and Shadow Manipulation will make it hard for the stalkers to find you.
- Harry: Small blessings.
They moved through the forest, picking their way around the trees, fallen logs, and dense brush. Harry stayed a hundred feet ahead, watching for threats. Cedric held the center. Jo and Stan ranged wide on the flanks, about twenty-five feet out. Everyone stayed tense and alert.
They’d gone maybe half a mile when Harry stopped and whispered into party chat.
- Harry: Hold on. There’s something up ahead.
Everyone froze where they were. No shifting. No questions. Just stillness.
Harry grinned at himself for whispering. No one outside the party could hear the chat no matter how loud they were. He took a breath to focus and stretched his Blood Sense ahead. Five larger presences stood out against the background haze, heavy and wrong, motionless. He recognized the threads at once. Venomstalkers.
He began backing away along the same path he’d come, careful not to rush.
- Harry: Venomstalkers. Five of them. We go south, away from the river?
Cedric answered without hesitation.
- Cedric: The farther south we go, the lower level of creature we should encounter.
- Harry: Alright. South it is.
He waited until the rest of the group had turned and started moving, spacing reestablished, noise kept low. Only when they were clearly no longer heading toward the stalkers did things change.
The five shapes shifted.
They were moving now. Directly toward them.
Harry swore under his breath.
- Harry: They’re coming. Keep going. I’ll see what I can do.
Harry stayed where he was, watching them close the distance. They were moving fast. Too fast. They’d be on the others in a few minutes.
System, they’re far too bold. We need to add some caution to the mix.
:: System: If you move approximately ten paces to your left, you will be directly in line to intercept the lead creature.
Duly noted.
Harry slid left, slow and deliberate, placing each foot with care. He crouched behind the thick trunk of a large oak, bark rough against his shoulder, spear tight in his hands. He angled the point toward the side and waited.
- Jo: Harry, what’s happening?
- Harry: They’re fast. Look for a place you can defend if you have to.
Harry watched them close with his Blood Sense. The lead venomstalker wove around trunks and brush, but every detour bent back into the same line.
Sound followed a moment later. A low, constant scrape as bodies slid through the undergrowth. Leaves brushed aside. Branches ticked and flexed against spider legs.
Almost.
Closer.
The first venomstalker slipped past the tree Harry was using for cover, its long neck angling forward as it cleared the trunk. Harry focused hard. The world narrowed. Motion slowed.
He lunged.
The spear slipped clean through the gap between the last two legs and drove deep behind the ribcage. The impact slammed back through his arms, a sharp jolt that rattled bone. The venomstalker hissed and sprang straight up, wrenching the spear from his hands as it crashed into the branches overhead.
Harry stepped back and circled around the other side of the tree.
Three of the venomstalkers were spread out to his right. One more bore straight down on him.
He broke into a sprint toward the one ahead. No time to draw another weapon. He raised his shield and committed.
Just before they collided, Harry cut hard to the left. The venomstalker snapped its head around and down in the same instant. Harry tried to catch it on his shield and missed. Fangs punched into his leg. Heat flared as venom flooded in. The head was already pulling away.
Harry staggered but stayed upright and kept moving.
The three to his right shifted as one and turned toward him. Behind him, the first venomstalker crashed back to the ground in a storm of broken branches.
Harry spent vitae on speed and bolted back the way they’d come, boots tearing through brush and leaves.
- Harry: Go, go. Keep moving. I’ll catch up.
With his Blood Sense, Harry felt the four unhurt stalkers pivot as one and give chase. The fifth wasn’t dead either. It lagged behind the others, movement uneven and slow, but it was still coming.
Harry checked his meters. The healing from the venom had already started, giving him a welcome cushion of health.
H: 110 .. 111 .. | V: 109 | TM: 1%
Harry laughed. He knew it was just nerves and adrenaline, but still.
No wonder the Dungeon hates me so much.
***
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