“We should get a move on,” Fishfood said once everybody had collected their proof. “Wolves will be attracted by the smell of blood, and we don’t know if these goblins were a splinter from another group.” There were no complaints from the group, so they headed deeper into the forest in search of more prey.

”Does something taste odd to you?” Nero asked Jorry quietly as they walked. It wasn’t that he didn't trust the group, merely that he wanted to keep his suspicions to himself until he had proof.

”No,” the snake’s head shook in the negative. “The same as usual. Blood, trees, bugs, something rotting, wolves, dirt, it has all been here since we got near the forest. There is some stale water not far from here is that it?”

Nero shook his head, it smelled a bit like fur, though with an undercurrent of something else, so it might be wolves. That wouldn’t be surprising since they were all over the area apparently and their smell would permeate the forest. And Jorry’s senses were acuter than his own so he would know if they were close. The blood wasn’t anything new, and the rest was stuff that wouldn’t be out of place in a natural forest. The rotting smell could be a tree or a body from any of the other fights in the woods.

*Ding*

Assimilation complete.

Assimilation level up.

Kaesar decided to give up that train of thought for the moment and focus on this new development. With this new level up, he could try to assimilate another of Jorry’s traits. He first tried to absorb his scales again and when that failed he tried to get the flexibility of a snake. Both options didn’t work so Nero tried to go with his final idea. If this weren’t possible, then he would have to find another animal to join the Nest before he could continue to assimilate traits. At the same time though, Nero was very iffy about this idea. Contrary to when he first got the skill, he was much more wary of messing with his senses, especially since his setting was now at fifteen percent.

“Assimilate tactile receptors.” There was a pause before Kaesar got his response.

*Adaptive assimilation possible of ‘Black rat snake’s tactile receptors.’

Assimilate?*

Adaptive assimilation likely meant that it wasn’t possible to receive the exact same sense of touch as Jorry, but Nero could still get something. Though he was wary of a sudden increase in his sense of touch, Nero braced himself and activated the skill.

Though he ended up not needing to be so tense as once the skill activated it took a moment for him to even realize what it had done.

Nero stopped following the group, though they didn’t really notice as he had dropped behind them to talk to Jorry. He sat on a nearby log and removed his boots and socks. Kaesar hesitantly set his bare feet on the forest floor, wincing as he did so from the new sensations. He placed them in his pack and slowly stood up barefoot. Nero took a few hesitant steps, wincing from the occasional twig that dug into his feet.

Anybody who has walked barefoot through a forest for the first time knows that it is not an enjoyable experience. Sharp twigs, small stones, bugs, and mud are only a few of the things that can put anybody off doing it a second time. Not to mention the shards of glass one might find in most forests these days. In real life Augustus would never have done something like this, the hygiene risk alone would make it not viable. But in Gods’ Nature, where he didn’t have to worry about infections that weren’t magical, where any cuts he received were healed in moments by his Hp regeneration, doing this could be immeasurably beneficial in the long run.

A snake’s senses were a mixed bag, their sense of sight and hearing were actually comparatively worse than the average human’s, but the rest were heightened to compensate. Their sense of smell/taste could detect things a considerable distance away in the right conditions. Some serpents also had a sixth sense as they were able to identify heat to a precision of half a degree, though since black rat snakes were not a species with said ability, Nero did not have the option of assimilating that useful trait. But all snakes, with no exception, had an almost supernatural sense of touch. As should be expected of an animal that spends its life on its belly, it could feel the vibrations in the ground to an absurd degree allowing it to hunt even the lightest prey.

What Nero had done was assimilate the tactile receptors that allowed serpents this ability. It had been the only other trait of Jorry's he could think of that would provide benefits. Black rat snakes were just not that special or unique when it came to features, so his options were limited. Kaesar had been worried about his sense of touch increasing too much, but thankfully he needn't have worried. Much like how certain parts of the body are more sensitive than others, the trait had increased the areas most used with the sense of touch. His hands and feet.

Pulling off his boots had been interesting, he was feeling the coarseness of the leather, the dry dirt, the folds, and creases from wear and tear, as if for the first time. It was when Nero stood up that the full effect could really be felt.

Touch was perhaps the sense we use the most unconsciously. We can always tell when there is an increase in light, noise, smell or taste but what does an increase in the sense of touch feel like? Unlike when he had assimilated Jorry's sense of taste, Nero wasn't overwhelmed by these new sensations. Mostly because he no idea how to interpret them.

Kaesar could definitely feel vibrations in the ground, likely from the rest of the group as they kept walking. He could also feel fainter ones farther away, though how now and in what directions he didn't know. Nero could feel the earth shift under his feet as he adjusted his balance.

He could detect movement in the soil a bit further away. Whatever it was, it was displacing the dirt and rocks without actually moving them. It was like when it moved into a location, whatever was there merely disappeared only to reappear once it had moved on. Nero wasn't sure what it was, maybe a magical form of an earthworm or something. It was more significant than the other things wriggling in the soil, but its exact location and size he was in no way practiced enough to tell. Either way, that was only one of the new things that he was experiencing with the most recent assimilation.

Whether it was the patter of nearby ants or the creaking of trees as they shifted in the wind that he felt more than heard, Nero was suddenly way more conscious of the world around him for the first time. With Kaesar's enhanced sense of taste as well as his flickering tongue he could know the general gist of what was around him, but suddenly he could feel it as well. It was providing much-needed context to some of the sensations he had been trying to understand for the last few months.

Taking a few steps forward, wincing because of a particularly sharp pebble, Nero tried to adjust to this new dynamic. He wasn't anywhere near understanding everything he was sensing, but that would come with time and practice. Though he hoped he would develop calluses soon enough on his feet as the occasional sting was getting annoying.

Ignoring his prickling feet, Nero sped up to catch the rest of the group. His arrival was noticed and Newt, who was in the back of the column, asked the obvious question.

"Where'd you go?"

"I was testing out a new skill," Nero answered simply.

"A new skill? You mind showing me?" The woman looked at him in interest, trying to see if there was anything different.

"It's passive, so I don't really have anything to show." He shrugged his shoulders in seeming helplessness.

"And it requires you to not wear shoes?" Hacker asked in disbelief, noticing his lack of footwear.

"Pretty much, though I doubt this is the weirdest skill you've ever seen."

"Damn right!" Clarent said with a laugh. "I know this one guy, real suave, gentlemanly looking guy, but he has a skill that turns all his fingers into tentacles. Supper creepy."

"That's nothing," Killer said with a vicious smile. "I've heard about this one pioneer who can turn skin into armor. They say he's covered in an extra layer of skin that he peeled off from another player."

The conversation kept on like that for a while, each listing off a variety of skills they had either seen or heard of. It continued for a while, each skill getting more outlandish and dubious as it went on, but was stopped once the group discovered another bunch of goblins.

Nero hadn't joined in the discussion he had started, still trying to get a read on his new abilities. While was doing so, he discovered that the creature in the ground, the one he had noticed before was following them. It kept its distance and made no action besides staying with them, so Nero didn't say anything to the rest of the team.

This group of goblins only consisted of four and were taken down quickly, though one managed to score a good hit on Hope. She was healed easily by Clarent, so I wasn't an issue. Nero had been worried that their follower might try and take advantage of their distraction to try something, but when nothing happened, he relaxed a bit.

The rest of the day passed like that, the group running into the occasional goblin horde and whipping them out if they were able to or steering clear of them if they were outnumbered. They saw the rare wolf tracks but anytime they tried to follow it would lead nowhere so they would be forced to give up. Occasionally they would run into other players or NPCs who were doing the same, and the respective groups would steer clear of each other, clearly wary of a fight.

Throughout the day Nero kept his focus on their hidden follower. It generally stayed a small distance away, but it would sometimes fall back, out of Kaesar's range, only to return soon after. After a few hours, Nero was starting to think it was some sort of scavenger and followed them to eat their kills. The sun was on its way down when the group settled near a stream for a break and a drink.

"We've been lucky today, twelve goblin packs," Fishfood said as he leaned against a rock. Caren's floating head was playing in the water beside him, though she passed right through without even causing a ripple. "How many ears do we have?"

"Ninety-six, that's a little under four gold. Not bad for the day." Newt replied.

"If we keep this up we should be able to level up in two, possibly three days," Hacker said as he leaned against a tree. The entire group had been killed yesterday, which reset their experience to zero for the level. Nero, who was of a lower level and hadn't died, had actually managed to increase to level fourteen not even an hour ago.

"Do you guys want to keep going or head home? We don't want to be out once the sun sets and have to fight in the dark." Fishfood asked.

"We have a few hours still, might as well stay out. Besides, there is a cave dungeon near here filled with ratmen. It showed up about a month ago, and they breed like crazy so it should be packed." Killer said, Slayer grunting in agreement beside him.

"What's the recommended level?" Hacker asked, interested.

"Fifteen to twenty from what I remember. We should be fine so long as we don't get swarmed."

"Place like that is bound to be controlled by someone, it is too good not to use on their own trainees," Newt said doubtfully.

"Nah," Fishfood suddenly spoke up. "I think I know which one you're talking about. Normally the local military uses it, but they are busy around this time of the year. I heard the General talking to the bosses about potentially buying the rights for its exclusive use."

"Wouldn't other people be using it though?" Hope raised her own doubts.

"Probably," Killer shrugged. "I hear it's pretty large though so we shouldn't have too much trouble."

"Alright then," Fishfood stood up. "Sounds like a plan, anybody have anything else to say?" The rest of the group remained silent, Nero included who had taken this little break time to wash his feet from the accumulation of grime throughout the day. "Killer, lead the way."

"It should be about twenty minutes east of here." The scout said as he looked to the sky.

It ended up taking more than a half hour and some time backtracking, but the group managed to find the cave system. There were other people there, milling about and chatting or exiting the cave to head back to town for the night. Their arrival garnered barely any attention, and the group was able to make it into the caves without a problem.

As they lit their pocket lanterns, Nero took a look around the area. Unlike where he had fought the ratman before, this area was a full-fledged cave rather than a mining tunnel. It was damp and dirty, stalactites and stalagmites dotted the area at irregular intervals, and the ground was uneven. With his newfound sense, Kaesar was able to feel things wriggling in the dirt and taste the distinct smell of bat droppings.

"Try and remember the way we came, we don't want to get lost down here," Fishfood told the group as they made their way forward into the depths.

After a few minutes of exploring and not finding a single ratman, the group stopped some nearby players on their way back to the surface. They were able to get some directions to areas where the ratmen regularly frequented.

What made a place a dungeon in Gods' Nature didn't have anything to do with its actual structure. A dungeon, as Nero had read was 'a place where monsters live and spawn.' A bit like holy lands, dungeons were places that monsters respawned at rather than in a safe yet random location in the wild. If monsters stayed in one location long enough they 'infected' it with their power and turned it into a dungeon. The weaker the monsters, the more was required to create a dungeon.

The ratmen had lived in this cave system for over a month, and they were estimated to number more than two hundred upon their arrival. This was more than enough to turn this location into a dungeon. Since then they had started to develop habits that their hunters had noticed and took advantage of.

The group found their first ratmen where the other players had told them to look. It was only a group of three and, though ratmen were tougher than goblins, they were dealt with rather efficiently by the group of nine.

Jorry, in particular, seemed to enjoy using his new spell on an enemy that once almost killed the pair. Every red number that flew from the ratman's body as Jorry's new spikes gouged their way into its flesh was accompanied by a hiss of pleasure from the snake. It is a new side to Jorry, one Nero had only seen briefly. He knew the snake could be petty and, but this was the first time his companion was deliberately cruel.

The first fight was simple, the second one was anything but.

It started out with no complications if a bit more severe than the first due to the number of enemies. Jorry, whose tongue was better at scouting in the dark cave than Killer's eyesight skill, notified the group of approaching ratmen. There were seven enemies so the group decided to lure them to a broader area where Haker could use his magic more efficiently, and they could coordinate better. They ended up in a large, cavernous room dominated by a large stone that made up most of the floor.

The fight started like the first one the group had fought that day. Slayer took on two at once while the rest squared off individually against the rest. Hacker and Clarent provided support when needed. The one Nero and Jorry were facing was larger than average, but once Jorry was wrapped around its neck its desperate flailings for air were of almost no threat to the pair who were now much stronger than they were in that old mine shaft.

When Hacker managed to score a lucky shot on one of Slayer's foes, rupturing its eye with a bolt of lightning, the fight was all but over. One by one the ratmen started to fall until only Newt's and Hope's was left as those two focused more on control rather than damage. Seeing that the others were done with their kill's Hope decided to stop playing around and tore one her stilettos from the ratman's shoulder and buried it under its jaw. When Newt's was dispatched by Killer from behind the group, let out a sigh of relief, the adrenaline wearing off slightly.

Perhaps it was nobody's fault that the group was not ready for what happened next. It was mostly coincidence that they had chosen a room with a floor of stone rather than one of dirt. Stone actually conducted vibrations better than dirt, but only if it was in direct contact, otherwise the area where rock met soil acted as a buffer and muted most things Nero would have been able to sense. Furthermore, Killer's eyesight skill and Jorry's enhanced taste buds were useless when your enemy buries itself under the earth and leaves no air holes.

So the group was utterly unprepared when wolf dropped from the ceiling into their midst.

There was a moment of confused inaction as the everybody stared and tried to understand what they were seeing. That moment was all the carnivore needed to leap at Slayer who, much to her credit, managed to get her shield between them before it could tear out her throat. The wolf snapped at her, jaws and claws desperately trying to find a soft target as the tank pushed herself backward in an attempt to make room to rise to her feet.

The rest of the group had gotten over their confusion for the moment and were rising to their feet to help out their party member. Killer, in his rush to help his twin, didn't take care to look up for any further enemies. The next wolf that landed did so on his back. It sent the two sprawling in a tangle of limbs and fur. It was lucky the wolf wasn't prepared for such an opportune landing otherwise the scout would have likely died right there. As it was, he received some deep scratches, and the canine managed to get its jaws around his arm, forcing a pained cry from his lips.

"Hacker! Newt! Stay with Clarent and keep an eye on the ceiling. Tell us when others are dropping. Fishfood! Blast the one in front of Slayer." Despite the panic and confusion and his speeding heartbeat, Nero found himself able to give directions clearly. Their main priority was to get Slayer on her feet and regroup since she was their main tank. "Evolve!" The claws that covered his fingers were quickly buried in the guts of the wolf attacking Killer causing it to yelp in pain and release the scout's arms. Not wasting the opportunity Killer drove one of his daggers into its ears causing a huge red 250 to float above its head and killing it.

"Watch out! Four more!" They didn't have time to celebrate however as more enemies started falling from the ceiling. Nero was barely able to look up before rolling away hurriedly as one of them landed where he had been standing.

"Keep them stunned for as long as possible!" Kaesar yelled, hoping that Hope and Newt would follow through. Fishfood had already helped Slayer to her feet and left her to deal with the first wold while took on one of the new arrivals. Nero would have to deal with the one in front of him by himself as Killer would be next to useless with his mangled arm. "Clarent heal Killer!"

The wolf lunged at him, and Kaesar desperately sidestepped and swung at the wolf who jumped to the side to avoid his claws. That was fine though because as Nero was lunging at the enemy, Jorry launched himself from his partner's arm and onto the wolf's head. Like that ratman all those weeks ago Jorry acted as an impromptu muzzle, only this time he activated his spell, digging sharp bone-like spikes into the canine's jaws.

"We've got three more!" Clarent cried.

"Fuck!" Nero wasn't one to swear often, but even he couldn't help when facing this situation. The wolf he was facing was already starting to claw at Jorry, tearing bloody stripes through his scales. "Killer you take one, Hacker help him!" Unless they got lucky, all they would be able to do is stall it for a bit.

But even as Nero said so, he was moving. Instead of trying to kill his current foe, it was better to disable it for the moment. Getting beside the wolf, Nero dug his claws into the sides of the enemy. Bone scraped against bone as Kaesar got a good hold. Using all of his above average strength stat, he hefted the massive animal into the air, causing the canine to finally realize it might be in trouble but it only had a few moments to wriggle for freedom before it was brought down.

"Evolve!"

There was a satisfying crunch, and then a whine as the bone like spike Nero had grown on his knee dug into the wolf's back. A massive red 148 floated in the air followed by a smaller 12. Because of the improvised spell creation, Nero hadn't fortified his knee enough to deal with the weight and had thus damaged himself. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to deal with the pain as he still had enemies to deal with.

Leaving the likely paralyzed wolf to Jorry, Kaesar turned to asses the situation. Slayer was close to finishing off her opponent but would likely take another little bit, so she was not an option at the moment. Hope and Newt were dealing with one each but were nowhere near finishing them up. One of the new arrivals had decided to target Fishfood, and he was barely keeping both enemies at bay with Caren's help. Nero thought he could last a few more moments and so chose to intervene where it was really needed.

Even injured, Killer would have been able to kill one of the wolves with Hacker's help and Clarent's healing. But two was way over the trio's ability. Killer was able to keep one at bay with his knives for the moment while Hacker tried to shock the other into submission. Unfortunately, the mage was apparently low on mana as each individual bolt of lightning was tiny in comparison to his usual abilities. Only the fear of pain kept him from being mauled. But when one of his shots missed, the wolf took full advantage of the opportunity to lunge at him.

Thankfully Nero arrived quickly enough to bodyslam the airborne wolf, sending it flying. "Help Killer!" Kaesar said as he dove after his foe. Hacker nodded and took a breath before helping his friend.

Nero needed to kill one of the wolves quickly before Fishfood was overrun and, seeing Slayer shield bash her current enemy before going in for the finishing blow, he got an idea. In a repeat of what had happened with Hacker, Nero bodyslammed a wolf that was lunging at Fishfood. "Slayer!" The tank looked up as she pulled her sword from the wolf's neck and nodded as she went to intercept the sliding canine.

Nero's timely aid had not gone unpunished however as the wolf he had first knocked back took this chance to lunge at him from the side. Kaesar barely had time to turn slightly before the monster was on him. His hands instinctively went for the opponent's jaws in a desperate attempt to stop it from ripping his neck out. His hands managed to find their way to the upper and lower jaws as he tried to keep them from closing but, even with his bone coverings, the teeth still dug into the palms of his hands. Worse yet, his sides were left undefended from the monster's claws as they tore great furrows in his sides and shoulders.

Crying out in pain, the fifteen percent sensitivity really showing its effect, Nero drove his newly spiked knee upwards into the wolf. Right into the groin.

It doesn't matter which sex or species, that is always one of the most sensitive places on the body. The wolf went slack with pain for a moment and a moment was all Nero needed. He squeezed his hand around the enemy's jaws, teeth digging into his bloody palms, and he pulled. With almost superhuman strength, the wolf's lower jaw dislocated. It howled in pain, though the sound was distorted by the broken jaw, Kaesar didn't give it the time to gain its bearings.

With an adrenaline-fuelled shove, the roles were reversed, and Nero sat astride the enemy. With an animal like fury, he tore into the wolf's soft underbelly. His own claws dug into soft flesh over and over again. Unmindful of the pain in his hands or his shoulders he kept clawing, sending bits of fur, guts, and blood flying.

By the time Nero calmed down, the wolf was already long dead, its lifeless eyes staring up at him in a pained expression. Looking up, Nero noticed that the rest of the group was finishing up their own foes and helping each other to do the same. Though he wanted to collapse in exhaustion, Nero had one more thing to do before he could relax. Barely managing to stand, and ignoring the blood that flowed from his open wounds and the little red 1s and 2s that showed up as he did so, Nero shambled his way towards the wall of the room.

Digging his fingers into the compact soil, Nero closed his eyes to properly search for vibrations. Sure enough, the group's stalker was making its escape above their heads. Within moments it had left Kaesar's detection range, and he finally let himself relax as he slid down the wall.

"What the fuck was that!" Nero blearily opened his eyes, a struggle because of the adrenaline wearing off, to see who had asked the question. It was an unfamiliar voice, and he realized this was the first time he had heard Slayer speak.

"That was fun!" Jorry said, his voice as flat as Nero had ever heard it.

Kaesar couldn't help it, he really couldn't. He laughed. He laughed hard and long, each movement sending waves of pain from his wounds but he still laughed on. Jorry had finally used sarcasm correctly!

****

"I prefer the gorgeous freedom,

And I fly to lands of grace,

Where in wide and clear meadows

All is good, as dreams, and blest.

Here they rice: the clover clear,

And corn-flower's gentle lace,

And the rustle is always here:

"Ears are leaning... Take your ways!"

In this immense sea of fair,

Only one of blades reclines.

You don't see in misty air,

I'd seen it!It will be mine!"

'I Prefer The Gorgeous Freedom'

By Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok