The sounds of the jungle echoed around Noah as he fought his way through the dense undergrowth. Every step was exhausting, forging a path, fighting the jungle.

As the hours passed, passage through the jungle started to become easier, became more a rote exercise. Noah’s mind started to wander as the exhaustion and tedium slowly overtook him. A new screen flashed in front of his face shocking him out of his reverie

Skill Gained

Jungle Travel [Level 1]

Manoeuvring through a jungle biome has become easier to you

“Oh cool, you can get skills for stuff as simple as this? Sweet.” “I’m guessing the skill will level up by just doing it more?”

“Yes, that is generally how skills go. Repeated actions will steadily level up the skill. Extreme actions will give increased XP to the skill”

“Ok, lets get this skill levelled then”

With renewed vigour Noah resumed hacking and slashing his way through, creating a trail of destruction as he forced his way through the jungle. Unbeknownst to him, the jungle was slowly re-filling the path with new life. The plants growing fast enough for the eye to discern.

A loud growl suddenly split the air making Noah jump, the noise was shockingly close. Slowly he crept closer. Cautiously moving a leaf to the side, he saw a standoff between two creatures.

One was 3 of those shimmering snakes, the Quilaxon Constrictors, the other was what looked to be a cross between a tiger and a spider. A black furred creature as large as a tiger, but with the 8 legs of a spider.

Noah stared at it intently, both intrigued and horrified

Identify succeeded

Adult Catican Male

One of the apex predators of the jungle

“I think I best avoid this; this looks way over my level”

Despite thinking that, Noah crouched there transfixed by the scene before him. It looked like the Catican has wandered into the lair of the snakes and now wanted some dinner.

Both groups started ripping into each other, the Catican’s strikes gouging huge rents in the armoured scales of the Quilaxons. They in turn were trying to disable the eight monstrous limbs, crushing, and ripping at them.

The scene of carnage felt like it both lasted for hours and was over in an instant. The remains of the snakes were scattered all over ripped to pieces. The Catican didn’t get away scot-free, but still looked more than capable of tearing Noah into tiny parts.

Noah was finally released from his terror filled transfixion and started slowly sneaking away. He almost gave away his location when a screen popped up startling him. He banished it to the corner of his vision while he steadily made more distance from the remains of battle.

A while later he felt safe enough to resume his march through the jungle. As night fell he managed to find a crack in a small hillside big enough for him to hide in to sleep. Carefully he crept up to it and peered inside. Luckily for him there was no trace of anything that might have chosen it as a home.

Feeling slightly safer, he remembered the screen that has almost given him away.

Skill Gained

Sneak [Level 1]

You have started to learn the basics of moving unnoticed

“This is highly unusual; I have just been notified that you have been given the option of combining skills. This doesn’t usually happen until much higher levels”

“Well now, that sounds interesting, what does that do?”

“Combining skills gives you a new skill. This new skill will level slower than your standard skills, but it is noticeably more powerful. You do also get to keep the original skills”

“Awesome, what’s this new skill I can get”

“The new skill is called Spectre step. It is a skill gained mostly by high level assassin classes, but is still useful for those that choose a different Path”

“Ok, how do I get this skill? Do I mentally choose a button or something?”

“These skill combinations are sent to me, to store until you have a free moment to look at them. I then send it to you. I have just sent it now. It will show you the skill and then you can choose to accept or not. Some choose to refuse the skill combinations as they are focused around Paths that will not be able to utilise it very well, or they just don’t like the sound of it.”

“Ah cool, I see it, damn that looks cool”

Skills Combined

Sneak [Level 1]

Jungle Travel [Level 1]

Skill Gained

Spectre Step [Level 1]

You have learnt how to move through the world like a ghost

“Spectre Step allows you to move quickly through an area, at low levels only turning slightly incorporeal. The skill also deflects senses from you. The skill lasts only for a short while, at level 1 it will only last for a minute”

“That sounds like if I level it, it will last longer, and I might become ghostly for a bit? That sounds so cool!”

Breaking out some of his ration he made a small meal and soon after that despite the cacophony of noise outside of the cave, exhaustion claimed him, and he fell into a deep dreamless sleep.