“So, what does this mean?” Matt asked, breaking the silence. After August had revealed the message, the line had gone silence, both deep in thought.

“What does this mean? Are you that clueless? Someone else is both aware of your history, and our current arrangement. They also appear to have latched on to your idea of blackmail, but they seem to have the reach necessary to do it properly. And whatever reason they seem to want you to keep going about your business in Genesis, Mr. Harper, that is what it means!” He shouted angrily.

“Who could have-”

August cut him off with a sigh, suddenly sounding very tired. “I don't know who it is, and if I don't, you certainly wouldn’t. For now, continue whatever activities you’d planned, since apparently I'm not the only one watching.”

Without another word August hung up, leaving Matt sitting in silence as held the phone, looking blankly around him. Before he could do anything else however, he jumped as the phone rang in his hand, showing that Sarah was calling him back.

“Matt? I saw that the line had cleared, is everything...ok?” she asked nervously.

“It’s not perfect, but it’ll do for now. So what can I do for you?”

“Um you rang me before remember? I take it you needed something?” she asked.

“Oh yeah! Sorry, August kind of threw me there for a minute. I initially called to get some information from you; do you think you could help me out?”

“Probably but it depends. What are you looking for?”

“A while ago, you looked for trainers for my class right? Well I'm going to go and see if I can track one down, so I was hoping you could give me a place to start looking.”

“That I can do, just give me a few seconds to find those files again… Ah, here we are. Now were you looking to go after any in particular?” she asked.

“For now let’s just go with the closest one and see where that gets me.”

“Well, I don't know if close is the right word, since it looks like they’re a good month away if you’re on foot, though you could cut that down if you’re mounted. You picked up a ride?”

“Not yet, though it doesn't look like I can put it off much longer. So where am I headed?”

Mary listed off a series of directions and gave him a few landmarks to help him to reach the trainers last known location.

“I’ll warn you now though,” she added. “I wouldn't trust the landmarks perfectly, since you destroyed or moved a lot of them with the upheaval, but this is all I've got at the moment.”

“Ok. I think I got all of that, thanks for the help. Hey before I go, got anything else for me?”

“Not that I can think of... Oh! I had a bit more of a look into skills that you should try and learn? There's a hunting one called communal instincts that give you a better understanding of how animals think and act. It’s supposed to be for tracking, trapping and training them, but it would probably help you out as well.”

“Could be useful, I’ll keep an eye out for anyone who could teach me. Thanks Sarah.”

Putting down the phone, he took a deep breath and tried to relax. He’d gone from under threat to safe to whatever situation he was in now in less than a day, and it still hadn't fully sunk in yet. Getting up and stretching his legs, he decided to go for a walk to clear his head and get some fresh air.

~~~~~~

Logging back in after his walk and a meal, Jicker found himself once again at the city gates, though now with a destination. But if he was going to get there anytime this month he’d need to find something to ride. Looking around he saw that Oda had left the horse he’d been leading around tied up nearby to a nearby post, which it had managed to walk around to the point its lead was only a few inches long.

Helping out the poor animal, he wondered if he should try and get himself a proper horse, but soon dismissed the idea. A decent horse was too large for him to ride properly, and the ones sized correctly were too slow to justify the hassle. Other options were either designed to only be ridden on certain terrains or were little more than a joke. He could still remember the weeks he’d been stuck riding on a bright red goat that was apparently the only way to safely cross a certain marsh.

No, if he was going to spend his time riding something around for weeks at a time then it would be on an animal he liked, rather than just merely tolerated. With that decided he didn't bother trying to find anything in the stables and instead hoped he could find something suitable to work with on the way there.

The roads were quiet today, and until proper trade agreements had been set up with the Rising Moon they’d probably stay that way. People were beginning to accept they owned the city now, but they weren't sure whether they wanted to do business with them. Until people had decided one way or other, traders would be waiting nervously to resign their contracts or form new ones. But for now at least it meant that he could walk down the main road without needing to worry about being rundown by a cart fighting its way through the crowds.

When he’d first left the orcish city, he’d been uncomfortable travelling around in the open, but he’d just attributed it to having been stuck underground for so long. But now that he wasn’t running from anyone or racing against a dead line, that same sense of unease began to creep back into his mind, making him wonder whether it was something Gremlins had to deal with. Getting off of the main road, he moved into the edge of the trees and began to travel under the forest canopy, keeping an eye on his compass to make sure he didn’t lose his way.

Even though his pace slowed down as he had to navigate around obstacles and climbing over the terrain, he immediately felt more comfortable than being out in the open. With nothing forcing him onwards as he went he found himself able to appreciate his surroundings, and actually experience things rather than just force his way past. The air was crisp, the plant life around him was vibrant and green and bird calls filled the area. Compared to lurking in the shadows to reach his objective, it was a much more pleasant way to spend his time.

Taking the odd break as he went, his pack slowly began to fill as he collected herbs and other plants that stuck out to him, getting a level of herbalism for his troubles. He wasn’t sure what most of them could be used for, but he had a feeling he’d find some information in the book Molta had given him.

The day was quiet as he travelled through the woods, and by the time night began to fall he’d made good time, having covered a little over a dozen miles. Setting up a small campfire to wait out the night, he set up his bedroll and lay down, staring vacantly into the flames as he relaxed. Going into his bag to find something to eat, he paused as he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. Jicker found himself slightly surprised that it had taken this long for the Silhouwolves to come and see him, since Penumbra had a habit of demanding things from him as soon as he entered.

“What do you want this...time…?” Jicker said as he turned to face them, trailing off as he saw the creatures in front of him.

There were a wide variety of monsters living in Genesis, and with magic in the mix they ranged far beyond normal animals, including everything from dragons to the oddities standing around him known as wickerlings. Even shorter than he was, the forms illuminated by the fire in front of him were irregular in shape, made of twisting vines and broken lengths of wood in a rough humanoid shape. Their heads were covered with a large plate of bark with random carvings on it to form something resembling a face, though the mouth split open to show jagged wooden teeth that looked all too functional.

He’d encountered wickerlings before, as they were a recurring pest that sprang up in Genesis with surprising speed. From what players had gathered about them, they’d been a goblin chieftains attempt to build a golem army, with the help of a mischievous forest spirit. Whatever plan they’d had backfired dramatically, as the newly formed constructs not only killed off the goblins entire clan, but tore apart the spirits forest for materials to create more of their kind. Somehow they’d gained a crude self awareness of their own, and wasted no time in attempting to wipe out anything that approached their tribes and ambushing travellers they thought they could handle. Their bodies had become cruder over the years as they slowly lost the dexterity to create the next generation, but they kept the same savagery, though no one was sure why they ate their victims exactly, since they had no digestive system that could be found.

But with dozens of them dropping from the trees and pulling themselves out of the ground, all of their history seemed irrelevant as he turned and ran. As he picked up speed he saw the wickerlings pull out spears and knives of hewn stone, raising them up as their piercing cries filled the air. They wasted no time and began to chase after him immediately, running after him as he fled.

Racing through the trees, Jicker looked around desperately for a way to hide or escape from the creatures chasing him, seeking a way out. As he ran he could hear them gaining on him, now only a few dozen feet behind him and closing fast. A sharp pain bloomed on his shoulder as a spear was thrown from behind, leaving a deep gash as it passed. The sight of blood only seemed to incite them more, their cries picked up in volume and intensity as they threw another volley of spears in an effort to bring him down. Narrowly dodging aside to avoid them, he tripped on an exposed root and fell, tumbling down a steep embankment before landing in a shallow creek bed.

Getting to his feet he looked back up to the top of the embankment Jicker saw that not only had the wickerlings stopped at the edge, but backlit by the moonlight was another group that had been waiting for him on the other side, and now both groups were apparently cheering at his predicament. As they spread out along the bank they began taking lazy shots at him, laughing as he dove out of the way. Moving behind an outcrop, he tried to hide from the attackers long enough to come up with a way out, only hiss in pain as a spear found its way into his calf. As he crouched down below his cover he pulled the spear free and downed a dose of anaesthetic and took stock.

As constructs, none of his poisons would have any effect at all, and he suddenly wished he’d taken the time to restock on incendiberries. His blowgun could hit them, and would probably do enough damage to take out several, but with his ammo limited he’d be swarmed over long before he could thin their numbers, and the last thing he wanted to do was go toe to toe with them all in a knife fight. Searching around desperately, he tried to think of something else he could try as rocks and spears pelted his cover and wickerlings began to move further along the embankment to get a better shot. The only other trick he really had at his disposal was adaptation, and he didn't have anything to work with, since any plant he could make would take too long and wouldn't be able to do what he needed. He looked to see if he could find an insect, a worm, anything he could use to create at least a distraction for him to get away.

His hands twitched as an idea flashed through his mind, bringing him to a point where he ignored the screams and cheers of those above. He was a step above his normal targets, but he was technically a willing target for adaptation. Taking a last look over his cover to make sure things hadn’t changed, he placed a hand on his chest and triggered the ability.

Warning: this ability cannot be used on yourself.

“Goddammit!” he screamed, his voice joining with that of the wickerlings. His idea had failed right at the start, before he could even make an attempt, and as he knelt against the rocks he saw the first of the enemy begin to hurl themselves down the embankments to engage him. Pulling out his blade, he readied himself as the first reached him, while the others cheered on their self-elected champion. Crying out as they charged, a spiked club held up, they launched towards him, causing Jicker to throw himself out of over to avoid their heavy swing. Fortunately, the bystanders had stopped their attacks while they waited eagerly to see the result of the impromptu coliseum match.

Lashing out with the scalpel, he carved a long gash into the side of his attacker, sending a scattering of twigs and wood chips to land in muck of the creek bed. Lacking a brain, a face and even a proper head, the wickerlings still managed to give a mocking smirk as his attack left no real damage. With a body made of wood held together with nothing but vines and magic, even the sharpest of weapons wouldn’t have much of an effect. Its expression changed quickly as his second blow took its arm of at the elbow.

Jicker smirked back as it howled for his blood. It was an old trick that been developed to deal with the undead, since short of massive trauma they weren’t going to stop. So instead it became less combat and more butchery, with every stroke designed to instead incapacitate the enemy rather than defeat them. Even with no vital organs or a need for a working brain, it was hard to swing a weapon when its arms had been broken or removed.

Enraged at being disarmed, it attacked ferociously with its remaining arm, flailing wildly with its club. Ducking low, he stepped to the side as it moved in to take a shot at his face and returned one that took it low at the leg, taking off its foot. As it collapsed it tried to stop its fall be propping itself up with the club, before sliding to the side and falling in the mud. As it scrambled in the muck and screamed at him, he moved in and began to hack at the side of his fallen opponent, until his blade came through to the other side.

When the short battle had ended the area went silent as the audience looked on, their spears lowered in surprise as their fighter had been beaten. But the quiet didn’t last, as their screams picked up again before a few, then dozens leapt down into the creek bed and began running towards him, weapons raised.

Standing his ground, Jicker lifted his own weapon and screamed back letting go of his stress at everything that had been going on in his life over the past few weeks, always being pushed around and led by throat from one situation to the next. He pounded on his chest as they at him trying to activate his ability in spite of its failure, wishing he could take a few more of them before they brought him down. As he did so he was hit with a stream of error messages, until a change came through just before the wave of wickerlings struck.

Warning: this ability cannot be used on yourself.

Warning: this ability cannot be used on-

Warning: this ability cannot-

Warning: this-

War-

Mother of invention! You have unlocked a-

He couldn’t read anymore of the message before he was struck by an electric shock, his muscles seizing uncontrollably, the loss of control causing him to drop is weapon and fall to his knees. His body burned as he felt his back twist and burn, his bones creaking under the energy pouring through his system. In between waves of convulsions, he was surprised to see that, despite the mind numbing pain, according to the game he wasn’t taking any damage.

But after a few minutes of his body’s reactions, the pain subsided, leaving him floating in a daze, unable to focus properly. He tried to look around but found himself unable to move his neck, or move much of anything in fact. But from what he could see, not only was his vision sharper than it had been, it also seemed…wider? As he looked through his frozen eyes he could tell his field of view of had expanded significantly, and by the appearance of the wickerlings that had stopped their approach, he’d grown substantially as well.

Without any action on his behalf he found himself moving forward with frightening speed, tearing the wickerlings in front of him apart with ease. He wondered how he was cutting them apart with his bare hands until he caught a glimpse of long rugged claws jutting from his fingers. Without any input by him, Jicker found himself moving through his attackers, striking at them without hesitation, their stone weapons bouncing off his apparently reinforced skin.

In moments the ones that had joined him in the creek bed had been destroyed, to the shock of the onlookers above. Before they could decide whether to fight or run however, Jicker found himself soaring through the air towards them, arms outstretched towards the nearest opponent.

~~~~~~

It had been half an hour since the last of the wickerlings had been destroyed, torn apart with its remains thrown aside carelessly. It had quickly become clear that his body had started working on some kind of forced autopilot, leaving him unable to take any action. With no way of participating the fight, Jicker had taken the time to look back at the notice he’d received when the ability activated.

Mother of Invention! You have created a new ability!

Lesser Rageform: When activated, this ability will change the user into an uncontrolled bestial state, desiring survival and focusing on the thoughts the user had when it was activated. Duration and permanency chance is based on adaptation. Your character will remain in this state and continue to be active even when logged out, and during this time you will count as a creature rather than a player. 3 day cooldown.

This ability cannot be taught. This will be replaced once a higher level version is acquired.

Another ability created, and again it had been a stroke of luck, though spending several hours roaming the forest as some kind of beast man wasn’t exactly how he’d planned to spend the evening. He’d considered logging out for a while and letting the ability run its course, though he decided to stay so he could at least be aware of what he’d be responsible for.

With all available enemies defeated and no other threats around, the Rageform didn’t seem to have any real goal, and settled on running randomly amongst the trees, jumping and climbing with surprising agility. It was only when it decided it was thirsty and went to grab a drink from a nearby pool did he finally get a proper look at what he’d become.

From his best guess he’d shot up several feet, putting him at around eight or nine, though his hunched over stance dropped it a little. His face and jaw had elongated into more of a muzzle, causing his eyes to slide further around his head and expand his view, while giving him a vicious set of teeth. His skin had turned a pallid grey, covered in rough bumps of what looked like scar tissue. When he’d changed his muscles had grown violently, swelling to almost comical size, and while his legs had undergone the same treatment, they’d had the additional effect of his bones breaking and reforming to become more reptilian, allowing for his surprisingly high jumping ability.

Unfortunately his clothing hadn’t survived the changes, being torn apart as he grew right through them, though the games nudity safeguards had left him with his modesty even when a snake like tail had ripped through his pants when it sprouted. The Rageform apparently considered keeping his belongings part of protecting him, and had grabbed his pack from where it had fallen once he’d tore the shoulder straps off.

The few other animals he came across seemed to recognise him as a threat as soon as they saw him, quickly running away or hiding where they could, though a few tried to fight him. One bear in particular tried to challenge him when he’d wandered to close to the cave it had been sleeping in, only to have its neck broken, as he rushed it while it was still roaring at him. On the plus side it gave the Rageform something to eat since his dinner had been interrupted by the wickerlings.

It was approaching midnight when the Rageform finally expired and returned him to his normal shape, though it didn’t happen gently, giving Jicker the rare opportunity to feel his bones break in reverse. As he was left shaking on the ground, he got another notification.

You have the gained shifted status.

Until your body recovers from having forcibly entered another form, your strength, stamina and speed will be halved.

Duration remaining: 6 hours

“Well, that wasn’t fun,” he said to himself as he struggled his feet. Reaching into the remains of his pack he pulled out the cemetery clothes he’d picked up before and put them on before looking around to see where he’d ended up.

He was still somewhere in the forest, that much he knew, but he’d ended up travelling a lot further in than he’d planned to, though how far was still unknown. He’d tried to remember the path the Rageform had taken, but the rapid, jerky movements in the dark had made it difficult to follow, even if he could make the same leaps and bounds it had to get around. Seeing nothing better to do he found a small corner formed by a fallen tree and got a campfire going, settling in to sleep for the rest of the night.

~~~~~~

As daylight broke through the forest canopy, Jicker awoke, his body still complaining from last night’s adventure. With proper lighting to see his surroundings, it became far easier to tell the direction he’d come, with deep gouges marking various trees he’d grabbed and leapt from as he’d moved. For all the speed and strength of the Rageform, it wasn’t exactly subtle, and had left an easy to see trail of marks if you were looking for them. It took him a little over two hours to make his way back to the creek bed, and another to find the site of the battle. He was grateful that his body had decided to just race away in a single direction, otherwise it could have taken days to get back, over which time his dropped equipment likely would have vanished or have been picked up by someone else. As it was it didn’t take too long to find and retrieve his weapons, though his armour and shoes were going to need to be replaced completely. Using the remains of his jacket he tied his pack onto his back and wrapped his feet in what was left before checking his compass and setting off.

He considered just going back to Ardenvale to replace and repair his equipment, but not only was there a chance that people would be looking for him there, he also didn’t want to face people while looking homeless after being gone for only a day. With that in mind he pressed on, deciding to keep going despite this setback and would try and replace what he could at one of the towns along the route Sarah had suggested. It would be at least several days before he got to the first one but he’d worn worse before, and stepping on rocks and sticks was still better than broken metal and glass.

A branch snapped behind, causing him to spin and draw his weapon, only to see a silhouwolf watching him.

“Oh sure,” he said to it, causing the animal to stare at him. “Now you come and see me, but when I get attacked you’re nowhere to be found.” Sighing he realised that he couldn’t expect wild animals to look out for him, and it was hardly their fault he’d set up camp in the middle of a wickerling ambush. Shaking his head at his own foolishness, he double checked that his pack was securely in place and that it wasn’t going to split open, and began traveling again.

It was several hours after sunrise when he decided to stop for a bite to eat, looking for a place to sit and relax. The creek bed that had wound its way along had been replaced with a wide river, birds sitting atop its currents and plucking fish out of the water with practiced ease. As he sat down on its banks he pulled out bread roll from his pack and began eating, letting the sounds of the river wash over him. It was hard to tear himself away from such a peaceful sight, but eventually he felt it was time to get moving.

As he went to stand however, a hand landed heavily on his shoulder, forcing him to stay seated.

“Well then,” a harsh voice said from behind him. “What do we have here? All alone without anyone to help you?”

Jicker swore to himself. He’d been hidden while moving through the forest, not needing to be o the lookout for threats from other people. But now that he was by the river he could be seen by anyone looking closely, and apparently this person, whoever they were, had been.

Sighing heavily, Jicker looked upwards. “How does everything keep managing to sneak up on me?” he asked of no one in particular.

“With ears like that I’m surprised I managed it myself,” the voice answered. “But that not really important right now is it.”

Before Jicker could ask what he meant by that, a heavy blow connected with the back of his head, and vision quickly faded to black.