4 Break Them

I grinded my skills for three days before I ran out of food from my backpack. No matter how much I rationed out the food, I couldn’t squeeze any more days out of it. If I hadn’t found Michael’s backpack too, then I’d have run out within the first day as well. That wasn’t because the guy was a heavy eater, either.

Michael always brought extra for me. He and his mom understood my situation, so they always packed leftovers and extra meals for me. When I first figured that out, it brought a tear to my eye. I remembered the little things like that, they spurred me forward in this cave.

During those three days, I gained quite a few skill levels, but unlocking more skill trees required character levels, attributes, or maybe achievements. For all of that, a singular step stood in my way - I needed to kill a bat.

They still scared the living hell out of me, but to quell those fears, I studied the bats’ movements and lifestyles. I found the bats flew around at certain intervals, those spans as far apart as mornings and afternoons. Between those periods of activity, the creatures alternated between comas and napping. They breathed most of the time, but in the comans, they ceased all activity entirely. It was as if they starved. Either way, my plan involved waking up one bat during their comatose state before trying to kill one.

This avoided being swarmed, as the other bats would be resting. When I first spawned in BloodHollow, I fought the bat during their coma induced state. The only thing keeping me alive then had been dumb luck.

Not wanting even more luck to keep me alive, I planned out the fight this time. I chose a flat, open location, since the bats had poor maneuverability. Their raw power acted as the trade off for that, so I would kite one bat around until my Agony aura finished them off.

Crazy as that plan sounded, it was my best shot. A swat from a bat's wing ruined my leg before, and fighting an uninjured one meant they’d be even stronger. Making matters worse, this strategy of mine required lots of time to work itself out. I had the tools for success, however.

From a bit of practice, I uncovered that most rolls required ten or so stamina. Each minute, I could roll four or five times without losing stamina. That meant I needed to dodge the bats without rolling if I could help it. A hefty task, surely, but with all my new buffs from this system, I stood a solid chance.

Arming myself with those thoughts, I walked over towards the flat piece of ground before I activated Agony. With all my damage reduction and willpower bonuses, I found the aura was around eight feet from me in all directions. Not large by any means, but it proved serviceable for defense.

Before I began, one of my knees wobbled. I stared at the cavern roof, thinking of the creature’s teeth again, how it moved like living stone. Doubts raced across my mind like cars in a freeway, each of them threatening to run me over.

I blinked. This was it. I had to move or die. I gave myself a few slaps on my cheeks, the crisp, stinging pain waking me up. This would be my last day with any real food, so killing a bat needed to happen and now. I would grow weak from starving soon, and it wasn’t going to get any easier either way.

Taking the leap, I picked up a stone and tossed it overhead at the landing place of a bat I scouted out earlier. The rock landed on the bat as I sprinted towards the falling pebble. Reaching the stone, I winced while catching it in both my hands. I even bent my knees as I caught it to reduce the impact and following noise.

I took a shaky breath. I passed the first stage of the plan. If that rock hit the ground, the bats might’ve been on me like ants over a grasshopper. Peering up, I glared at the pale, disgusting creature above. The bat unfurled its wings, popping into existence before it squealed out in a light, airy tone.

I trembled. Now it was go time.

I revved up Agony until it reached about eight health a minute. A cracking headache and familiar exhaustion smothered me. The bat dove down. When it reached Agony’s range, I darted sideways. Wind off its descent brushed my chest, and the creature crashed into the rock like a truck. I smiled. The plan was going perfectly.

See, other bats crashed into the ground at random, some falling down from time to time. The sound of it falling mimicked the impact of that first charge. The other bats rustled above, but they remained asleep thanks to that quirk of theirs.

Now, it was time for the hard part. I closed the gap between the bat and me before the monster reeled back at Agony’s aura. I set up my stance for boxing, mainly for the speed boost. The bat glanced around before echoing its signal. Turning towards me, it flexed its wings and bolted forwards, fast as a bullet. I rolled sideways, the monster passing inches from me. Its wing brushed my face, leaving a slight cut.

It was so damn close. Without an uninjured wing, the bat moved much faster. It neared me once more, and the process repeated itself. The bat scratched me several times before clipping my shoulder with a solid gash. It hurt less than I expected, but more than I wanted, like pulling a tooth.

Soon, a sheen of sweat traced us both. The conflict dragged on, minutes turning to hours. By the time the bat had any wounds, we were both heaving for air. Gashes littered my body, but the bat fared no better. Blood poured from his mouth and pieces of his skin. His crashes had covered him in scrapes as well.

Once his teeth started falling out, I secured my victory. The bat slowed before I began slipping in punches. I dashed in, jabbed, then dashed out. The monster always chomped where I hit it, but I pulled back well before it snapped my hand in its jaws.

The bat lost the ability to move after a while, its own tenacity working against it. I pummeled the poor thing as Agony slowly whittled away its life. The body felt like slamming my fist into stone, but that wouldn’t stop me. After fifteen minutes of punching it, the abomination finally died.

Underleveled bonus active. Level up! 3 levels gained!

Staring at the three, I pinched the bridge of my nose. The sheer drop off from the twelve I gained before left me wincing, but it made sense. The other had a first kill bonus, and my higher level meant slower level gains. I still bit my lip at that, however.

Either way, the attribute screen popped up. I added all three points into endurance. I figured twenty points in it would unlock another perk, following the pattern from before. Even then, the health kept me alive while the health regeneration meant Agony strengthened.

In that way, endurance was my bread and butter stat.

The next set of perks appeared, this time for level fifteen. Based on the previous sequence, I gained a perk on level one, three, five, then once every five levels. Being level sixteen now, I owned five perks in total.

Perk Selection. Choose One.

[Unrelenting(endurance 20) - Your endurance is very impressive. +50 health and stamina, +5 health regen, +50 stamina regen. Adds 1/10th of your endurance to willpower.]

[Fledgling(Reach level 5) - You've just started learning. +10% to experience.]

[Beginner(Reach level 10) - Now you know a little. You can step out of the tutorial zone now.]

Considering how I killed bats, my choice became obvious. Unrelenting was exactly what I needed right now. It also gave me more room for making mistakes, something I would do in time. My hands trembled at the thought of a bat biting me, but they also shook from exhilaration.

I was alive. I did it. I jumped up and down a bit, there in that lonely cavern. Somehow, that tiny celebration meant more to me than any birthday, aced test, or fight I’d had before. It was a palpable relief. I could fight my way out of here, one bloodied bat at a time.

Peering back at my screen, I picked Unrelenting and finalized my selection. Instantly, the pain of Agony weighed less on my mind. With that wave of relief washing over me, I focused on my status for a minute. My attributes were starting to beef up by quite a bit. The extra willpower really helped too, since it made agony better and helped me keep focused.

Finishing my rudimentary analysis, I checked out my skill trees. I had over a hundred tree points after the last few days and the fight just then. My skills started to slow down their level ups, but I had enough for what I needed.

| II Determinator(Tireless, Unyielding, and Unrelenting unlocked, all before level 20[0/100]), I Vicious(Fight in a battle with an opponent 20 levels over you and win, Scorn, Desperation, and Death's Dance unlocked)[0/25] |

With a few quick thoughts, I put one hundred points in this next Determinator tree. Four notifications appeared.

Nothing can stop you. They tear your legs off, you walk with your arms. +15% to regen stats.

They tear off your arms, you crawl with your chin. +15% to regen stats.

They tear off your chin, you crawl with your tongue. +15% to your regen stats.

They tear off your tongue, you crawl with your teeth. You are a walking, breathing storm. Let them hear your thunder and see your lightning. +25% to regen stats and +10% to willpower.

That changed everything for me. Imaginary numbers or not, these represented my best chance at survival. Each notification meant Agony grew stronger than ever. Feeling elated, I poured twenty five points into Vicious. Five notifications came as expected.

Whether you stand or fall, your enemy will feel your intent. +1% to damage dealt.

It is to kill all that come your way. +1% to damage dealt.

You feast on hatred. +1% to damage dealt.

You live for their deaths. + 1% to damage dealt.

They will feast on your hatred too. +1% to damage dealt.

The damage worked in the background, something hard to notice but still effective. Compared with the Determinator trees, it paled, but I appreciated the award regardless. With my perks and attributes settled, I inspected my other screens.

Level 16 Attributes (3 Points Left)

Strength - [8.8] - Increases carrying weight, maximum speed, and physical power.

Constitution - [5.5] - Increases the hardness, density, and weight of your body.

Endurance - [23.1] - Increases regeneration of stamina, health, and their totals.

Dexterity - [4] - Increases ease of movement, flexibility, and reflexes.

Willpower - [11.3] - Increases internal motivation, mana regen, and Mental Resistance.

Intelligence - [4] - Increases memory, critical thinking, and total mana pool.

Charisma - [4] - Increases likeability, persuasion, and decreases prices at shops.

Luck - [3] - Increases money found, odds in your favor, and chances of rare events.

Perception - [4] - Increases comprehension, the five senses, and awareness.

Character Screen

Health - 301/301 | 29.24/health a min | Mana - 40/40 | 2.26/mana a min | Stamina - 301/301 292.4/stamina per min

Damage Resistance - 6.1% | Mental Resistance - 8% | Elemental Resistance - 0% | Plasma Resistance - 0% | Radiation Resistance - 0%

Physical Power - (+)9.8% | Debuffs - Agony(5.15 hp/min)

The discomfort of agony weighed on me less for a good reason. My health increased by leaps and bounds, but Agony’s debuff hadn’t. Yet. Willpower also helped me with the pain as well. My regen stats also augmented into different beasts altogether. That health regen rose high enough that it may help me in an actual fight, and the stamina regen boggled my mind.

I leaped, rolled, and jumped. No matter how much I moved, I never tired out. On one of my jumps, I rolled an ankle before busting my ass on the ground. I stopped my yelp, wincing at pain radiating up my back.

Well, moving all the time probably wasn’t the best idea anyways. After that, I checked out Agony.

Agony - Drains all nearby unit’s health, including the caster. The more health the caster drains from themselves a second, the larger the effective range of the aura. Damage to self reduced by constitution. Willpower increases damage of Agony. Current conversion: 1.11(Willpower bonus)/.939(Constitution bonus) = 1.185

I dwelled on the numbers, wishing I practiced more algebra. I rubbed my temples, trying to do the mental computations required. After a minute or two, I took a different approach. Scoping it out by feel, I willed Agony to activate. I kept raising it until, and my hands started shaking after a little while. The dull aches turned into sharp stings as I pushed Agony to my current health regen.

At this point, I’d have died from the aura in less than ten minutes without my constant rejuvenation. That aura suffocated me like I dipped myself in acid, the bright burning putting me on edge. A notification rang in my ears from it.

Skill Level! [Pain Tolerance | Level 53]

I sensed an ever so slight reduction in pain. It didn't really matter. This discomfort overwhelmed me, like having a hot nail hammered through my hand. The pain never receded, and after a while, all I could do was exist.

But I reminded myself why I did this. I was going to survive, so I bathed in that pain. I forged myself in it. The torment turned into an eternity. I took deep breaths, trying to manage the intensity. One breath. Two breaths. Time crept by until I shut Agony down after maybe ten minutes.

I couldn’t handle it anymore.

Sweat dripped from my brow. My eyes watered. Glancing over at the dead bat, the corpse had deflated during my stay here. Blood leaked out from it in all directions, like rivers of red. The bones softened, and the skin dried. Agony destroyed the corpse at a basic level, and far faster than before.

Learning to move with that kind of pain was going to be difficult. It would be harder than my mother dying. It would be even harder than having to see my father break down after he lost her. But, Agony couldn’t be harder than coming home to the smell of cheap booze on dad’s breath.

The dread of those nights reminded me of my anxiety now. Just like then, I steeled myself. I swallowed this piece of me that wanted it all to end, to just let go. I wouldn't break down like my father had. He walked a path that I wouldn’t follow.

I swore to myself to stand tall and towering in the face of this.

I'd sacrifice my soul for might.

*****************************

That night or day inched by in a persistent drip. Hunger set in after several hours. I ran away from the bat's corpse when other bat's lunged towards the corpse, along with some other creatures. At my cove, I clenched my teeth and clasped my fists before turning up Agony.

Hours had passed. My skin felt like fire and my bones like mush. This torture, this despair, this misery crushed me. I hated it. I hated this schema. I hated my father. I hated myself. I wanted it all gone, to all just wash away. Why couldn't I just fight monsters anywhere near my level? Why couldn't I just have an easier way of fighting them? Why did I have to melt my body to fight them, to turn to human sludge?

There were no easy answers. I simply had to do this to live. I couldn't help but hate. What else was there for me? The seconds stretched out like minutes. After several more hours passed, each second stretched out to hours.

Pain Tolerance plodded along after level sixty. Even after ages, I only reached level seventy-three. When that clicked in place, something changed about the skill. Each level up made a difference, becoming a firm boon instead of a slight gain.

I looked at Pain Tolerance again.

Pain Tolerance | Level 73 - At times, there is no way of avoiding pain. In those dark hours, your will is tested by how well you endure it. Minus 73% of perceived pain.

It was as I thought. If pain tolerance reached level one hundred, then I wouldn't feel pain. That was why every point gained made a difference now; I was approaching that soothing numbness. Agony still stung all over, but it kept receding until it lingered as a mild ache. In time, even that ache became a pang.

The hardship passed, and not a second too soon. Pain Tolerance leveled to eighty-three as I fell asleep in my little cove of rocks.

**************************************

When I awoke, the bat's swarmed in all directions, but maintained distance from my spot. Pain Tolerance leveled up to eighty-five as I slept. Gaining levels didn’t require being conscious, and I took a note of that for later.

It still surprised me waking up under the aura’s influence. I always shut the scathing ability off when I fell asleep, but I passed out before I could this time. My augmented willpower may have helped me more than I thought it would.

That wasn’t the only part willpower assisted. Agony evolved into a simmering aura. Any bat that flew within it howled before flying away. I grinned at that. They tried killing me before, but now they avoided me. It seemed my new and improved aura was living up to its namesake now.

Keeping it on, I avoided a swarm of bats feeding on me. More would die soon, but I bided my time until I could kill hordes of them at once. I glanced at my character menus and attributes before noticing a new skill tree.

| Ancient(Regenerate 100,000 health or 100,000 mana or 10,000,000 stamina)[0/100] |

Apparently, the Schema judged age by these regenerative stats. Considering how quickly I reconstituted, I burned through that time quickly. It also helped to have my health always whittling down from Agony.

I put all of my tree points into the tree, and it rewarded me with a notification, as always.

Some measure their time in seconds, others in eons. You are the latter. +10 health, mana, and stamina. +10% experience and skill gain.

I smiled in appreciation. Little boosts to my stats always aided, but that experience and skill gain made a real difference. Seeing how useful the tree was, I tried learning some new skills while waiting for the bats to settle down.

Peering down at my backpack, empty wrappers and plastic packages littered its insides. I hadn’t even opened the portion of the pack holding my textbooks and scholastic materials. I mean, Michael and I always acted like we’d study while spelunking, but we never had.

But now, the game had changed. Opening up the books, I studied them with diligence, hoping for new skills. I found a few of them.

Skill Unlocked! Mathematics | Level 1 - Understanding the universe requires viewing it. By seeing the world through numbers, you’ve gained new perspectives into this vast unknown. Plus 1% to computational speed.

Skill Unlocked! History | Level 1 - It is spoken by sages that history repeats itself. This is both a warning and a call, as it expresses a dual sided message. You may fall into the same mistakes as those before you, yet you may rise from the ashes of their mistakes as well. Plus 1% to historical recall.

Skill Unlocked! Biology | Level 1 - Understanding the body, what composes it, and how it operates grants insight. Whether you use that insight to put someone together or break them apart is up to you. Plus 1% to biological recall.

Those skills came with the standard, cool descriptions, but patience came with a nice bonus instead.

Skill Unlocked! Patience | Level 1 - To be patient is more than tolerance. One may remain in place for hours, yet dread each moment of that passing time. True patience involves accepting that time as necessary. In the end, it is the willingness to endure. Increased willpower while waiting.

Maybe it wasn’t some groundbreaking evolution, but the skill chipped in. My other stats did as well. With all my stamina regen, I slept less, so by the time the bats entered their comas, I drilled in chapters of each subject. In fact, I probably studied more in the last eight hours than I had in all my years of school.

Motivation was a hell of a drug. I kept studying until I reached two more ranks in Ancient. The notifications stuck out in my memory.

Many move through life in a haze. You wandered out of that haze long ago. +10 health, mana, and stamina. +10% exp and skill gain.

You live through the olden ways. Those ways lead you down the path of legends. +10 health, mana, and stamina. +10% exp and skill gain.

I shut a textbook, unable to tolerate it any longer; I was ravenous. I hadn’t eaten in over two days. Settling my resolve, I stepped out into my open clearing before throwing another stone at a bat.

Skill Unlocked! Throwing | Level 1 - In fighting closely, one presents themselves to death. By fighting from afar, one presents death to others. Plus 1% to throwing speed and force.

I caught the falling stone again, and the bat squealed before diving towards me. This time I dodged with a subtle side-step, keeping the monster in Agony's range. I learned from my last fight that these pale creatures mirrored flying bulls more than their aerial counterparts. After some practice, anyone could lead them around without too much effort.

Considering the mellowed pressure, I kited the bat around like a practiced matador. The bat squealed out of pain at times, but it never wailed with enough intensity that other bats awakened. At the same time, the unrelenting fear and pressure on me lessened. Unlike the other fights, I kept my composure because I controlled this battle from start to finish.

I showed no mercy. I darted, weaved, and ducked through the entirety of the conflict. I kept that control even as this bat learned while we fought. The creature cut off my escape a few times, some of those interceptions leaving me with gashes. Yet despite its efforts, the bat melted under Agony’s wrath.

Its spirit waned until it crawled across the ground. I abused that weakness, charging in and mauling it with my fists. When it died, my bloodied knuckles dripped blood that decayed to black on its corpse. I rose a hand, victorious.

Underleveled bonus active. Level up! 3 levels gained!

The attribute screen cropped up yet again, and I placed all three points into endurance. Each point made Agony stronger from the health regen, and that doubled down with the Determinator trees’ awards. I filled into that emergent build, reaping its rewards as I killed a few more bats.

In time, these monsters would be child's play for me to handle. From what I could tell, they had about twenty-ish health for each level. A level thirty-five bat had seven-hundred health. If I could get Agony smothering a large area, I could kill these things to extinction. In fact, I likely would out of spite.

That grudge of mine fueled a simmering anger. Wiping blood off my knuckles, I stepped away from a bat’s corpse as another lunged down. The new bat cannibalized its brethren, but before it finished the meal, I stepped in. I stayed and fought it with a smile on my face.

Within about twenty minutes, the bat’s body rested under my worn shoes, having just been stomped to death. I reached down, finding a massive gash on my chest. I didn’t worry about the wound, however. I frowned at my gray shirt, which wouldn’t regenerate back.

Marveling at the hideous wound, it unnerved me more than it hurt. That discomfort still radiated from the slash, and if not for my Pain Tolerance, I'd have died there.

But, I had very high Pain Tolerance, and the bat did not.

Underleveled bonus active. Level up! 1 level gained!

I put my attribute point into endurance, giving me well over the twenty five I needed for the next perk. When I read its bonuses, I grinned a wide, malicious smile. These monsters, who days ago tried eating me, would be dying soon.

And I wouldn’t stop until none of them were left. I would break them just as they tried to break me.

One bone at a time.