Gabriel had gone back to The Cradle that day before the rain started; followed his lessons on Runes and Dark Magic, and the next day, with a still not entirely clear sky, he was out hunting again in the same spot. His target was that of leveling up.

An entire day out hunting monsters of higher levels had nonetheless given him an increasingly lower amount of experience.

To tell the truth, Liz and Gabriel hadn’t been able to hunt too many monsters the previous day, given the fact that they did not want to entirely zero on Energy. However, they had given their all in regards to Mana and Spirit spending. Alas, facing the same monsters over and over again seemed to be counterproductive; they quickly noticed it when their experience from killing and adult boar went from almost one percent to less than 0.3 percent.

Of course, boars were not all they had hunted, not by a long shot. They hunted down massive Hercules beetles capable of throwing darts of earth at them; they hunted down invisible panthers that reminded them of the one they had met the day before they jumped in the Hearth with Olivia; finally, they met grass-covered monkeys that were too agile for their own good.

At the end of the previous day, they had managed to raise their level to halfway through Level 35, Class Level 29, and they were this close to increasing Spirit Level. Gabriel felt that the kill currently in front of him would make Liz gain her thirty-second level.

After the initial period of adjustment to the new environment, Gabriel noticed that the thrill had faded away quickly. It wasn’t that they were not challenging. Gabriel and Liz had to continually switch up the strategy to avoid being damaged; however, it was an underwhelming experience. The monsters were simply not as challenging as it was fighting another human, like Arya, for example.

Fighting with Arya had been a compelling yet sobering experience. They had been shown their limits and to what length they had to go if they wanted to go past them.

The only real challenge they had faced in the Ravenous Wilds was a hawk, releasing blades of wind. Mind, the blades were not strong enough to pierce through Toughen, and even while not using Toughen, they did not damage Gabriel much while getting almost entirely unnoticed by Liz; however, it revealed to be a formidable beast to catch. Gabriel had to go all out with Meridians, Dash, Burst Attack, and Built to Fly to catch the monster and bring it to the round.

The sky was still cloudy, and the wind blew rather harshly, but they didn’t care because what they were about to face at that moment was, finally, their first Guardian ranked monster they met.

The beast was a huge anteater-like creature. The monster in question had six mouths. His long mouths hung all around its body; from them, it could spit poison. Gabriel and Liz had seen it use its poison; the creature had body armor too, and it was covered in musk, much like the boars they had extensively fought.

They had found the Guardian at the edges of a burrow under one of the largest trees they had seen. It was its den.

Muskeater (Guardian)

Race

Armorid

Level 41

Class

Poison Spitter

Level 35

Element

Life

Life - 1

Pools

Life

Energy

Mana

621/621

?

232/232

Attributes

Affinity

133

Bound

Alacrity

?

Bound

Power

63

Bound

Recovery

?

Bound

Resilience

102

Bound

Stamina

65

Bound

That level of Affinity is dangerous, Liz. I don’t know if we should take it on.

The lizard looked at him fiercely; she mimicked a punch and beat it on the palm of her hand.

You say we can take it, eh? Is your light ray up? Given its Affinity and Resilience, I doubt mine will really be of any serious effect, if at all. However, yours is powered by Power before Affinity; maybe it will have some sort of efficacy. You should try and see if Burst Attack powers it up.

Liz’s solar beam was a Light-based attack that could be released at will, like a regular attack, and did not consume any Spirit points at all. They had extensively used it the previous day, but it was not exactly a powerful weapon; the passive empowering effect it had on Lizzy when her frills were fully charged up, though, that was something interesting. It gave a not countable yet visible boost to her Alacrity, Power, and Stamina. Gabriel could easily notice the change. The only downside it had was that it had to be discharged or her frills started aching, but it was something that required a lot of light exposure, and with her frills completely open, so it was not a deficiency of hers.

Liz took on Spirit Fade, Gabriel shielded himself to the senses with his tainted Mana. Then they both attacked at the same time.

Liz’s solar beam empowered by Burst Attack was visually more noticeable. It was a thick beam of light that even shot her neck back for the recoil. Gabriel’s mouth ray of darkness did not incur in any Power-based empowering, so its efficiency stayed the same. In the end, other than surprising the beast, he had almost no effect; on the other side, though, Liz’s attack had an impact. It managed to destroy both the mouth the best had on its left side, thus, creating an opening for them to attack.

Gabriel did not let the chance be wasted. The beast might have some instantaneous Recovery effect. So, Gabriel traveled around it as fast as he could, shooting through the vegetation as Liz distracted it. The creature started spewing projectiles of poison that sizzled on impact; whatever life form was affected by it instantly withered.

The monster was indeed strong, and since it was a higher level than him, Gabriel could not afford to try to use his curses. He needed to deal with it as fast as possible. So he engaged Burst of Fury. The following attack turned into a bang, as he added every possible multiplier.

Gabriel plunged at the monster like a meteor shooting through the sky, his spear sunk like hot butter into the creature’s side before the momentum brought them both hurtling through the jungle and impacting on a massive tree. Hundreds of leaves detached and fell to the ground as Gabriel, a bit confused, extracted his spear from the gory entrails of the monster, and not noticing any Anchor message, quickly started stabbing its head with power that could be equaled to that of heavy artillery.

It took two hits to explode its head. Then Gabriel ran at his lizard, which fused with him, and they soon disappeared. They had learned the hard way the chaos such sounds would bring. In a matter of seconds, they would be engulfed by the creatures of the jungle if they did not go in hiding.

Atop the tallest uninhabited tree they could find, the couple smiled at each other; they had indeed leveled up, but more than they had thought.

You have killed (1) Level 41 Muskeater (Guardian)

You have gained:

Level + 62.3%

Class Level + 53.3%

Spirit Level + 12.1%

Dash Tier 9 + 54%

Congratulations, Gabriel Walker.

You have reached Level 35.

You have 2 unspent Body Attribute points.

Congratulations, Gabriel Walker.

You have reached Class level 30.

You can increase your Pools by 20 points.

Congratulations, Gabriel Walker.

You have reached Spirit level 32.

You have 2 unspent Spirit Attribute points.

Congratulations, Gabriel Walker.

Dash reaches Tier Max.

New effect: Increase your Alacrity by 600% for 1 Energy point. Permanently increases Alacrity by 100%.

“Finally!” Gabriel whispered.

“I think I understand the sudden level-ups we gain, Liz. They must be tied to the fact that we fight creatures not meant to be faced by a single person. With our Attributes, we can effectively take on by ourselves beasts, which only a party of people coil dare to tackle. If we were anything like the other people, we would be taking really ages to level up. But now it’s about time to evolve something vital for our farming.”

Congratulations, Gabriel Walker.

You have reached Level 35.

Select a First Tier Active Perk to receive.

Mana Shield;

Echolocation;

Taunt.

Oh, right, it’s the Perks first. Interesting...

Mana Shield allows the user’s Mana to passively act like a buffer for incoming attacks. While you are about to receive damage, your Mana will be affected before your Life. Mana Shield scales with Affinity first, then Resilience.

Cost: 10 Mana.

Duration: one night-day cycle.

Echolocation allows the user to perceive the world around them in ways sight cannot.

Cost: 1 Energy per use.

Taunt allows the user to grasp an enemy’s attention more easily. Aggressiveness, mind state, intentions, and direction of the Taunt affect its effectiveness.

Cost: 1 Energy per use.

Echolocation. That was what Arya was talking about, right? It should be part of the seering abilities she said were useless if one mastered battle senses. I guess I’ll follow her advice.

Now Taunt. I’m no tank; however, it could be situational. I could need to draw aggro off of Liz.

But Mana Shield. Scaling with both Affinity and Resilience. That’s something else. It might even damage Mana, but its recovery is not a problem for me.

“I think there really is not much to think about her. Anchor, I choose Mana Shield.”

The very next second, Gabriel felt the ethereal Tethers more strongly than ever; they tried to wrap around every inch of him, failing miserably, but leaving him with momentary mind-staggering pain. In the end, they offered him their blessing without latching onto him. Gabriel was drawn back into his Soul while the process took place.

In that state, he floated inside of his core, while all around him, a wall of Mana was being raised and simultaneously anchored to its core. Runes covered its walls entirely. Gabriel had barely the time to gaze at them before he was drawn back to the conscious world.

“Well…”, he said, feeling for the firmness of the branches, “that had never happened before…”

He could feel it at that moment, around him, not visible to regular eyes, but eye-catching for his Mana Sight, a film of azure energy was extended all around his skin, it extended to what was immediately adjacent to his body too, or no… it was only the spear, and the bag. It extended to what was bound to him; his still regular clothes were not affected by it. Then the Mana Shield dissipated; he did not want to activate it; his Mana was already low for the moment.

“I’m just sorry it doesn’t extend automatically to you, Liz. I would gladly shield you from any pain,” he said with a gentle smile. To which the lizard couldn’t help but answer by placing her head in his hands for cuddles.

“Alright, next. What do we have.”

Congratulations, Gabriel Walker.

You have reached Class level 30.

You have been bestowed with a Skill Token.

Current amount of Skill Tokens: 1.

Do you wish to evolve one of your Skills?

Y/N

“Of course.”

Choose the Skill you wish to evolve:

Burst Attack;

Dash;

Helping Hand;

Toughen.

“It is about time I evolved Burst Attack, don’t you think so, Anchor?”

Select a Skill from the list:

Never a joy with you, eh?

Skills

Skill

Flowing Discipline of Air (Rare)

Description

All your attacks, direct or not, are of the Air Element. While using Kata of the Cloud, your Recovery and Stamina increase by 150%. While using Kata of the Wind, your Alacrity and Stamina increase by 150%. While using Kata of the Squall, your Alacrity and Stamina increase by 300%. Cost: 1 Energy per attack.

Element

Wind

Slot

Power

Type

Power Skill

Skills

Skill

Flowing Discipline of Water (Rare)

Description

All your attacks, direct or not, are of the Water Element. While using Kata of the Foam, your Resilience and Stamina increase by 150%. While using Kata of the Tide, your Alacrity and Power increase by 150%. While using Kata of the Surge, your Alacrity and Power increase by 300%. Cost: 1 Energy per attack.

Element

Water

Slot

Power

Type

Power Skill

Skills

Skill

Flowing Disciplines (Very Rare)

Description

All your attacks, direct or not, are of the Water, Wind, or Lightning Higher Element based on the Kata you are using. While using Kata of the Foam, your Resilience and Stamina increase by 150%. While using Kata of the Cloud, your Recovery and Stamina increase by 150%. While using Kata of the Tide, your Alacrity and Power increase by 150%. While using Kata of the Wind, your Alacrity and Stamina increase by 150%. While using Kata of the Surge, your Alacrity and Power increase by 300%. Cost: 1 Energy per attack. While using Kata of the Squall, your Alacrity and Stamina increase by 300%. Cost: 1 Energy per attack. While using Kata of the Tempest, your Alacrity, Power, and Stamina increase by 300%. While attacking your Power increases by an additional 1% per point of Power. Cost per attack: 1 Energy.

Element

Higher - Lightning

Slot

Power

Type

Power Skill

Skills

Skill

Reptile Impulses (Common)

Description

While attacking Power and Alacrity are boosted by up to 150%. Increases your Power and Alacrity by 300% for 1 Energy. (Does not stack with the previous bonus.)

Element

None

Slot

Power

Type

Power Skill

Skills

Skill

Spirit Power Convergence (Very Rare)

Description

Attacking while united with your Spirit uses double your Power. (Stacks with Spirit Fusion.) Increases your Power by 600% for 2 Energy. You may pay your attacks’ cost with Spirit points instead of Energy. Spirit unions Perks duration is doubled.

Element

None

Slot

Power

Type

Power Skill

Skills

Skill

Venomous Hands (Common)

Description

Imbue your direct attacks with a weak paralyzing venom. While attacking Power and Alacrity are boosted by up to 150% for 1 Energy per attack.

Element

Water

Slot

Power

Type

Power Skill

Oh my… Gabriel entirely ignored the two common Skills. He first studied the two Flowing Disciplines Skills of Air and Water. Then his eyes couldn’t help but fall on the encompassing one. It allowed him to produce Lightning.

However, Spirit Power Convergence… it’s not bad at all. Its powerful attack costs more but it gives two times the Power Burst Attack does, and the bonuses are not bad as well. However, Flowing Disciplines is simply way too good to skip. It doesn’t state that merely using the forms consumes points, no. It says while attacking. This means that I could maintain Kata of the Tempest and benefit from its passive Alacrity, Power, and Stamina boost, then pay Energy for massive attacks. And the fact that it increases by further 1% per point of Power is… massive. Depending on how many points I’ll put into it, my Power output will soar with my levels. Not counting the doubling I get from Meridians and other Skills I could pick up. It simply is too good to skip.

Gabriel did not really expect to be shown two Very Rare Skills from his regularly offered Skills; however, that was not all the Anchor had to offer.

Let’s see what else there is. Anchor, show me all the strongest Power Skills.

Dozens of Power Skills displayed, in front of him, each with a Legendary Rank. He took his time to read through them, but there were too many to really get into it.

Now, show me the rank at which I could really acquire these Skills.

The number of Skills halved, then their ranks shifted to that of Common and Rare. Among the nineteen Skills remaining, only one other showed a Very Rare rating, and it was a Spear related Skill… however, it shattered Gabriel’s hope. It wasn’t something tied to the Sk’rayr monks or his spear. It was a simple Spear enhancing Skill; it increased his Power, based on his battle style. However, it did nothing in the eventuality that he battled without a spear; and Gabriel did indeed battle without a spear when there was no need for it. Or if he had not enough Mana to spare.

I think Spirit Power Convergence cut it close, but my choice is Flowing Disciplines.

The change was immediate but not drastic. Gabe felt a gust of wind followed by the splashing of water wash over his soul. It seemed to be absorbing their properties, and then came the sound of thunder and the tingling of electric current. It indeed felt electrifying.

Then another message that only he could see burned itself in the air.

Congratulations, Gabriel Walker.

Your Class changes to Dark Battle-Mage

Gabriel’s eyes widened. And he started laughing loud, not even caring about the danger he would incur.

Ah! Man! I’m going to gloat so much once I free those guys!

It took him another few minutes to stop laughing but he felt ready to try his new Skills.

Are you ready to try it, Liz? I can not wait!

He was about to jump down the tree when he remembered that he had to place his points.

Right, right. So, Spirit Points go to Recovery, since we have to fix your discrepancies. Mine go into Stamina. This leaves us with Pool points. I guess it’s fair to say that we should invest them in Energy. Liz looked at him, clenching her eyes threateningly.

Alright, alright! Jeez. 10 in Energy, 5 in Mana for rounding it up, and 5 in Spirit. You regenerate more than you can spend already!

He checked his new status page.

Gabriel Walker

Race

Human

Level

35 (22.17%)

Class

Dark Battle Mage

Class Level

30 (11.05%)

Spirit

Spirit of The Shiny-Lizard

Spirit Level

32 (17.37%)

Pools

Life

Energy

Mana

Spirit

6/10

41/70

17/80

35/55

Attributes

Body

Spirit

Final

Affinity

38 (19)

7

45

Alacrity

36 (18)

11

49

Power

17

25.5 (17)

42.5

Recovery

51 (17)

10

61

Resilience

40 (20)

55 (22)

95

Stamina

28.8 (16)

10

38.8

I say it's looking fairly good. That Power, though, it's a punch in the eye. I think tomorrow and the day after that, we should focus on maxing Built to Fly.

"So, before going home, I think it's time we tried our new toy."

Gabriel descended with a jump. He didn't even bother to slow or halt its fall with Built to Fly, that much his Resilience could handle. However, he felt a tickle in his knees as he fell down with a superhero pose.

Shouldn't have done that. Ouch.

After that, they were on the run; Gabriel wanted to reach the edges of the forest. It was musk boar territory, they were abundant there, and he wanted to try his new Skill with as many targets as possible.

It took them minutes, but they found them.

Gabriel could see the boar family hunting down little fungi monsters with what looked like tiny spider legs jumping away from the boars; they weren't making an excellent job of it.

"Let's start with Foam."

Gabriel dropped directly into their hunting grounds, as if in the protection of the fungi, or at least that's what the boars seemed to have understood, given their hasty reactions. They all growled at him as they attacked him head-on.

It's all or nothing.

Gabriel started with the Kata of the Foam, taking on a defensive stance, embracing the boars' attacks as he swiped his spear in a circular motion. He could feel his Stamina and Resilience soar while ambient Mana around him coalescing on his front and back. It quickly corrupted itself to water-tainted Mana, then extended outward, covering his body and acting as a cushion for him.

The smallest boars received the brunt of the spear attack and were catapulted away. The remaining parents were not stopped in their assault but pushed back the moment they connected with Gabriel swirling form; they were engulfed in the waters now flowing atop his body and finally hurled a few feet behind the man's back.

Gabriel looked at the results. They were very pleasing. He had been damaged, but he had only smear wounds and tears on his arms, where the adult boars had probably scratched him with their horns. He smiled. Then he shifted to the Kata of the Tide, his second most used form.

This time water-tainted Mana converged around his limbs and the Sk'rayr spear. Then he started dancing on the battlefield like he had never done before, Power and Alacrity increased without him having to use Skills or keeping his muscles clenched. It was something entirely new for him. Yes, it still did not rival the boosts that Burst Attack gave him, but that was not even remotely the end of what his new Skill could offer him.

With Mana of the Tide, Gabriel quickly dispatched the boar cubs; his water element slashes left deep gashes in their armored hides and splashed them with water.

I bet if I manage to get deeper insights into water-tainted Mana, my attacks could become even more powerful.

As the two adult boars were more furious than ever, he knew it was now time to try Kata of the Surge. So, his mind reached the state peculiar to the form, and his body prepared to enact it. The quantity of Water-tainted Mana around him multiplied several folds, as did his Power and Alacrity. He was now able to utilize the same strength Burst Attack gave him while using Energy points, but he had yet to perform any attacks, so his Stamina was not being drained in the slightest. It was marvelous, in fact, how he could abuse ambient Mana without having to pay, not even a token point of Mana.

Gabriel evaded a boar's instantaneous rush with his own Dash; it was one of their Skill. It turned the boar into a pig-sized projectile shooting at him. Gabe focused on the other boar, slightly scared maybe, or too mad for having witnessed the slaughter of its litter. He swiftly got in range, then shifting his mass upwards, Gabe made his spear soar, the massive amount of swirling water-tainted Mana concentrated on the shaft, then shifted to the tip of the spear, and when it encased itself in the monster's skin, the full brunt of the attack launched the boar away. Gabriel knew then that it had killed the monster in one strike.

Swiftly evading another attack, he prepared to use Kata of the Storm.

As his mind reached the form's core essence, water Mana started sizzling, quickly converting itself into lightning. Lightning covered his body entirely, sizzling her and there, running toward the length of his spear and spreading on the ground like a Tesla machine, then something made it come to a halt, a strong resistance.

The lightning power sizzled out of existence, the water-tainted Mana taking once again its place. Something is wrong. It occurred to Gabriel that very moment, he was lacking something. He felt capable of using Kata of the Storm, but only partially.

There was a fundamental aspect of it lacking.

Of course! Damn! Of course! I don't even know the basis of the Discipline of Flowing Air!

Gabriel cursed as he swiftly avoided the flying boar and, hitting him with the tip of his spear, cast Battle-Seal on his spine.

The curse thankfully took effect, and Gabriel finished it with a stab empowered by Kata of the Tide. Then he sat on its hulk.

"Liz, I might have fucked up…" Gabriel said to the mocking wind.

Liz manifested in front of him, coming out of Spirit Fade.

"Yes, we still lack the wind, Liz. We are not the embodiment of lightning yet. Man, I hope we'll even be able to learn it one day, Ayra said tha-"

A drop of water, not the one he produced, hit Liz's muzzle; a second later, another hit roughly the same spot. Following Liz, Gabriel raised his head to the sky; at that exact moment, a drop of water hit his eye. Squinting, he saw them, cumulonimbus littering the sky. Then he felt something else, which would become the embodiment of his recent failure, the sound of thunder.

A storm was brewing, and he was at more than an hour from The Cradle.

Fuck.