My legs burned. I wanted to stop; wanted to rest. I didn’t know how long it’d been. Hours, perhaps. Or maybe just minutes. Time was meaningless. All that was certain was the sweat dripping down my face, the sting as it touched my eyes, and the pack of snarling rats right behind me.

Of course, they couldn’t just be normal rats, oh no. That would be too boring and normal for this magic fantasy world. Instead, they were giant, dog-sized rats with sharp claws and nasty fangs. Because of course they were.

A loud hiss resounded behind me, picked up by the other half-dozen or so rats in a hungry chorus. Were they yelling at me to stop fleeing? Taunting that I’d dropped my bag in fear upon spotting them? Mocking me for stumbling into their pack on my way to fetch water from a river I’d heard nearby?

All salient questions.

But the one I wanted to know the answer to most was how in the name of all that was right and good in the world would I get out of this alive. I’d danced past trees, dashed through bushes, and darted across streams. Yet still they pursued me.

This couldn’t continue for much longer. I couldn’t continue for much longer. I reached for one of the last three stones from my pouch, struggling to gain purchase as I focused on pumping my legs as hard as possible. I never stopped running, weaving through the woods. When I finally grabbed one, I positioned it into the sling and starting spinning. I waited until I ran into a relatively straight clearing between the trees, glanced back to confirm my target, and released.

The stone thudded into the forest floor, blowing a small cloud of detritus into the air. The lead rat charged through the dust unabated. It didn’t even sneeze.

I shook my head, half from frustration and half to fling some of the sweat from my brow. I’d been arrogant. How could I possibly think that a five-minute training session would prepare me to fight off actual monsters within their territory? I should have been carefully watching my every move, sneaking through the forest undetected all the way to the mountain. Instead, I’d just been stupidly acting like I was taking an afternoon’s stroll through some national park.

But these lands were not those long since dominated by humankind. This was nature in its truest, purest form. It was survival of the fittest, and this city dweller was not fit for this environment.

My muscles, unused to such prolonged strain, were tightening. There were cuts on my feet and shins from the variety of thorny plants impeding my escape. My heart pounded within my chest, pumping as much adrenaline-fueled blood through my veins as it could.

But I was slowing down. My strides were shortening, and with every adjustment to avoid upcoming trees, the distance drew closer. The rats were only a few paces behind me now, and I could practically feel their claws reaching toward my back. I had to do something, but what? I was nearly out of stones to sling, and even if I could land a hit, I only had two left.

That left my magic. Fortunately, after that meal, my mana had been fully restored. Unfortunately, I needed to concentrate to channel my mana and invoke a skill. Not only that, but my main skill, [Heat Transfer], took time to complete and only worked in close proximity. It didn’t require direct contact anymore, at least.

I shot a glance back and confirmed that the lead rat was now within a few feet and closing. Its red eyes narrowed atop its protruding snout. I tried to ignore the death teeth and focused on its nose and whiskers.

I shifted some of my attention to the energy within. I let it grow and spread through my body, all the while fighting to lift my leaden legs. They were numb from overuse, and only my fear kept me moving forward.

Finally, my mana was circulating and, gasping, I said, “[Heat Transfer].” My skin pleasantly cooled as energy moved from me to the rat. Unlike with the foot-long fish, I focused all the energy onto the rat’s nose, which was the closest part of its body to me.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. I could feel the mana disperse, losing the heat to the humid air. But once the rat closed to almost arm’s length, it yelped and flinched its head to the side as if it had touched a hot stove.

Yes! The rat jumped out of range, and I canceled the skill, conserving my mana. I couldn’t afford to run out this time. It was my lifeline.

Now it was a question of whether to stop or keep running. I’d hoped that one hit would be enough to scare the pack away, but another rat had just moved up to lead the chase. The one whose nose I’d affected had swiftly recovered and resumed its pursuit as well.

If the skill’s range was further and could work on multiple targets, I’d be done in a few seconds. But those weren’t the conditions for this fight. It was looking like [Heat Transfer] wouldn’t be able to help me after all.

I thought about using it on one of my two stones, but the problem of not being able to aim while running remained. And since I had to keep moving, I couldn’t heat any of the trees or leaves or something and repel the rats with fire. I also wasn’t sure how good an idea it would be to start a forest fire to begin with. Though with this forest being a humid jungle, I doubted if I even could. There was moisture everywhere, even on the tree trunks.

Not that it stopped the rats from digging in with their claws and leaping from tree to tree. That was how the rats were keeping pace without getting in each others’ way. One would follow me on the ground and lead the others, three more would be right behind said leader, and the rest scurried along the tree trunks or between the branches overhead.

Okay, so if [Heat Transfer] didn’t work, what about my other two active skills? [Electrolysis] could send electricity along a conductive path, but 5 volts were not enough to penetrate the skin. That left [Throw], which I couldn’t use properly on the move. And I was almost out of ammo anyway.

Ahead of me, the trees and bushes grew prohibitively large, but there was still one gap I could head for so I wouldn’t have to slow down and make a sharp turn that would get me killed. I ducked under a thick branch in my path and rushed past it like I’d done a hundred times before. It was a big mistake.

What I’d rushed into was not more labyrinthine jungle, but a clearing with a dense border of impassable flora. In the middle was a circle of leaves and branches that had presumably fallen from the forest canopy above. It was shaped like a natural dome and formed an enclosure with but one entrance.

I stopped running at the far end of the clearing, collapsing onto my side as my legs cramped up. I tried desperately to push past the pain and get back into a fighting position, but I felt as though a million needles were piercing my skin.

My sweat turned cold when I spotted the rats slowly entering the clearing. They were all but grinning, confident that I had nowhere else to run. That’s when I realized. This was no mere clearing, nor was it any coincidence that they had trapped me here.

This was their den. And they had been guiding me here this whole time.

The last rat sauntered into the den, and now I could see the entire pack at once. Seven pairs of red eyes stared menacingly at me while I writhed on the floor, helpless.

No. Not helpless. Not anymore. If I could survive a swarm of bloodthirsty fish, a massive shark, and a blasted tornado, then I could survive a pack of overgrown lab rats. After all, I was a scientist. A [Materials Scientist].

I pressed my palms into the calves of my legs and shouted, “[Electrolysis]!” A surge of mana accompanied the jolt of electricity that arced through the sweat-soaked skin and into the cramped muscles. My legs spasmed, but the pain miraculously disappeared. It had worked.

Rising to my feet, I invoked [Heat Transfer] and focused on one of the stones in my pouch. I needed it to get as hot as possible. The second stone I placed into the cradle of my sling and started spinning it.

I wanted to shout in defiance but kept my tongue. The more time I had, the better. And I was in no particular rush to die.

The rats felt differently. They hissed, and two of them charged forward from the line. The rest didn’t move, apparently content to watch.

They crossed the hundred-foot diameter clearing swiftly, but I was ready for them. I used [Throw] to accelerate the stone into the open mouth of the right rat, then spread my legs and planted my feet squarely to the left one, dropping the sling.

The first rat started flailing about, choking on the stone lodged deep within its throat. When the second arrived, I grabbed the fur on either side of its hideous, oversized snout and pivoted, trying to redirect the rat’s momentum. The rat’s snout came up to my chest, letting me get a solid grip as I flung the rat into the air back toward its friends with [Throw].

It crashed onto its head halfway there, not enough to kill it but enough to make it squeal in shock or anger. Maybe both. The rest of the pack was similarly unpleased and began making a lot of noise.

Three more of them ran toward me this time, but the stone in my pouch was searing hot and ready to go. I grabbed the searing stone, its heat not bothering me as much as I thought it would, and [Threw] it toward the circle of dead grass and branches at the center of the den. The plants easily caught fire and set ablaze, vaporizing pockets of moisture in explosive bursts of steam that burned the skin of the rats caught in the blast.

I grinned, not having expected it to work that well.

My grin disappeared as the first of the burned rats emerged from the flame, glaring with unmatched fury. It pounced with its outstretched paws, and I dove to the side to dodge.

I wasn’t quite fast enough, the side of my chest cut open by the rat’s sharp claws, but I could still move. It was just a flesh wound.

A second burned rat leaped out from the fire and almost landed on top of me. I rolled out of the way, jumped up to my feet, and caught its outstretched paw just behind its claws as it swung for me. I used [Throw] to help guide my motions as I redirected the force of the rat’s attack into a force that flung it toward the one that scratched me.

The skulls of both rats audibly collided, knocking both of them out. That three-fold strength multiplier from [Throw] was really coming in handy. I doubted I’d have been able to do that otherwise.

Predictably, the fire petered out. The third rat caught in the initial blast had not survived, and the remaining three were still standing back, including the one I threw earlier. I wondered why they hadn’t attacked yet. Was this some sort of game to them? Or were they just evaluating my fighting capabilities?

Unfortunately, now I was out of tricks. I had no more stones to throw; it’d take too long to recover the one in the first rat’s throat and the second stone was nowhere to be seen amidst the ash.

As one, the remaining rats walked in step toward me. I considered fleeing through the brush behind me, but my assailants had already demonstrated their ability to scale trees and move unhindered. I wouldn’t make it five feet before being caught.

I could try to heat the ground around me and start another fire, but the first one only worked as well as it did because of the bed of kindling. I’d also have to stand in one place to transfer enough heat to light the grass, which wasn’t the best idea.

Not allowing me time to think, the rats charged. With four of them, I couldn’t dodge every one. So I bolted for the middle rat positioned closest to me in the line. I ducked underneath its snout and braced my legs to stay upright as it slammed into me. Pain erupted in my legs as the rat’s claws dug into them. They felt sharp and cold against my warm blood, which gushed from the wounds.

I endured the agony, persevering as I reached for the short arm above its paw. I kept my back to the beast, leaning my neck away from its bite. The other rats closed in, swiping their claws. Rat in hand, I used my hips and what leg strength I had left to pivot and swing the fur-faced monster into the others’ attacks.

Anguished squeaks assaulted my ears as it released its grip, but I continued using the rat as a shield against its pack mates. I overcharged [Throw] to increase its power, letting me move the rat easier. So long as the rat flew even a bit, the skill would trigger. I only aimed for close targets, letting me catch my involuntary projectile immediately afterward and use it again.

A cascade of claws descended upon me. Some I blocked with the now silent rat in my hands. Many found gaps in my unwieldy defense, slicing skin on my legs, arms, stomach, and back. Blood pooled at my feet, making the grass slippery. It reached the rats’ feet, painting their brown fur a deep crimson that complemented their blood-stained claws.

That should just be enough.

“[Electrolysis]!” I screamed at the exact moment one rat’s fangs dug into my shoulder. The pain brought me to tears, and I fought to suppress the urge to cry out. Instead, I concentrated on siphoning my mana through my salted blood all the way to the rats standing in it.

Their screams joined mine.

The lead rat released my flesh from its jaw and fell to the forest floor, stunned. The others were similarly disabled, their limbs convulsing.

Encouraged, I used [Mana Charge] to multiply the effect. I could feel the rapid drain of my mana as I sustained both skills, like I was vomiting on an empty stomach. But I didn’t stop. I wouldn’t let them recover. It was them or me.

One rat at the edge of the blood pool rolled out of it, breaking the conductive path connecting us. I canceled my skills, hoping the others would be slow to recover from the electric shock, and channeled [Heat Transfer] into my hands.

I drew upon the energy in the air, the warm blood on the ground, the region of grass and dirt in range, and the rest of my body. The heat from my body and spilled blood moved easily, while transferring energy from the surroundings required more effort and mana.

The heat gathered into the underside of my hands, focusing on the skin. I concentrated on keeping the tissue connecting the outer layer of skin to my nervous system cool, letting the flesh of my hands serve as the primary conductive path for heat transfer. As a result, the palms of my hands burned searingly hot, but only warmed the underlying skin — and my hands’ pain receptors — to an uncomfortable level.

The thin volume of my skill’s target allowed this process to complete in a couple of seconds; the same amount of time for the giant rat to recover and leap furiously toward my neck with its mouth wide open.

I caught the rat’s snout in the diamond of my hands and squeezed, eliciting an anguished squeal as its furred face burned. Its paws, which had been reaching out to slash at me with those claws, now flailed upward in a feeble attempt to swat me away. But its little arms were too short.

I was too weak to kill the rat with my strength alone, so I slammed it down to my side atop another rat that was beginning to stand up. They collapsed together, and I used [Electrolysis] again to give them all another shock.

As useful as it was to stun them again, it wasn’t fatal. If only I’d had a knife or even another stone, then I could have finished them. I searched the den for anything hard I could use as a projectile or even just a weapon, but couldn’t see anything useful.

The cuts and gashes across my body stung, and I was feeling lightheaded. It sure would be nice to have claws like these bloody things. They were certainly sharp enough.

My eyes widened. Of course, I should have thought of that sooner!

I knelt down and grabbed the paw of the dead rat I’d used as a shield. I pressed against the palm, extending its claws out. Upon closer inspection, they really did look like metal.

Moving to the first rat on its side, I reached the claw to its neck and slashed its throat. It wasn’t the cleanest cut, and I barely knew what I was doing to begin with, but it drew blood and looked fatal. That was good enough for me.

The second rat recovered and moved to its feet. I moved the paw over, rotating the rat body in place, and killed the beast like its friend. That left four.

I dragged my weaponized corpse over to the next one, too tired for anything more, and repeated the action. My mana was running dangerously low. I felt its absence more keenly than before. I wouldn’t be able to keep [Electrolysis] up for much longer; I had to hurry.

As I approached the last one my mana depleted. No longer under the effect of [Electrolysis], it stood and jumped out of range before I reached it. This was not good.

My injuries were extensive. My body shook with chills, each breeze stinging my wounds as if pouring salt into them. I was out of mana, and lacked the strength to lift the rat’s claws high enough to block an incoming attack, let alone move in for a meaningful strike.

The rat’s red eyes glared at me. Within, I saw a rage I hadn’t seen in any of the other rats. It did not hiss, did not squeak. It simply stood still with silent intensity.

Raising my head, I matched its intelligent gaze. I stood tall, dropping my “weapon,” and rose my bloodied fists. If it wanted to finish me off, I wasn’t going down without a fight. I had already defeated six of its brethren. Let it try.

Fatigue was catching up to me, threatening to pull me down, but I refused to let it. When I felt my head dip, felt my mind slip toward sleep, I focused on the pain, amplifying it in my mind to stay awake.

I don’t know how we stood there, observing each other. The rat was not in perfect condition either. I still spotted the occasional twitch of its leg and arm muscles, perhaps a lasted effect of the electrocution. Its fur was mottled and bloodied, and I noticed from a bump on its singed head that it was the rat that I’d thrown earlier after lodging the stone in the first one. Maybe I’d done more damage with that than I thought. Can monsters get concussions?

The deadlock continued until, suddenly, it ended. The rat broke eye contact and fled toward the entrance with about half the speed it had pursued me with. When it left the den, I watched for a few extra moments to make sure it wasn’t about to return.

Then I collapsed onto the grass and lay on my back, panting. I’d made it. Somehow, I survived that mess. Part of me was relieved, while another part was incredulous.

For the most, I just felt pain. If the rat returned, I wouldn’t be able to stand back up. The adrenaline keeping me active was receding, and my blood was still running. The shivering intensified as the cold took over me. I wished I still had mana so I could pull heat from the surroundings into myself.

But I didn’t have mana, and I didn’t have any food with which to replenish it. My eyelids grew heavy, and though I knew I shouldn’t, I just couldn’t help it. I was so, so tired.

Surely a quick nap couldn’t hurt, right?

Just…five minutes…

Hidden within the thicket, a shadow eyed the fleeing rat. With its injuries it shouldn’t survive much longer. Many predators were abound, and at least one would likely enjoy an easy supper this night.

But then, they might not. Nothing was certain unless you took action to make it so. Gerik conjured a thin string of darkness in the space between trees. It looped and swirled ahead of the rat, invisible to all but the most discerning eye.

Gerik felt sympathy with the beast. It was simply following its instincts, hunting seemingly weaker prey. Such was the way of life for all animals.

And animal it was, for no monster would have been bested by such middling talent. Yet, the fury in its eyes. The determination. The focus. Gerik could see the mana coalescing, gathering in its core; it was on the cusp of evolution. If allowed to finish, it would gain all the power and intelligence befitting a true monster, coupled with all the lessons learned in its time as a mortal beast. Including its memories.

Such a threat could not be allowed to roam free.

Ignorant of its own peril, the rat bounded forward. When it reached the designated zone, the string instantly constricted, beheading it. The cut was swift and painless, leaving no excess blood.

Gerik returned his attention to the clearing, surprised at his target’s versatility and endurance. The boy had a strong will, though an undirected one. There were countless ways the battle could have been won easily, had he only been more familiar with his own abilities. A common occurrence among the nobility, sheltered as they were.

And yet, any of Gerik’s previous clients would have died long before. He nodded in a gesture of respect, unnoticed though it may be. Still, good deeds deserved to be recognized. The gods would bestow their own rewards. Gerik would grant his.

With a thought, Gerik sank into the branch he was perched on and emerged from another 5.2 selles away, dropping down to the forest floor near the bank of the river. Before him was the bag Micah had lost during the untimely encounter.

A strip of darkness appeared above the bag, expanding into a fan. In a quick motion, it swung downward, blowing a light gust of air toward a certain cat beastkin. That should be enough for the [Scout] to go on. With her skills, she should arrive 4.7 minutes before the target lost too much blood.

Satisfied, Gerik leaned back against the tree, disappearing into its trunk without a trace.