I catch my breath while basking in the sensation of conquering a foe, and a deadly one at that.

Somewhere along the way, however, the sensation begins to spoil. Should I have killed that thing? Absolutely. This isn't even a question that would pass through its mind and I would have been dead if I didn't act.

That doesn't leave me feeling good or proud of myself though. I actively enjoyed killing something. And I mean enjoyed it. What's to stop me from losing it completely and never coming back to my senses?

I mentally shake myself. You know what? I mentally shake myself and physically shake myself as well.

...Which was a bad idea. The pain in my leg causes me to belatedly realize I am still quite hurt and could very well run into another vicious hellbeast soon.

I look at the corpse and sigh. I want to move it to cover my tracks, whether or not it's actually necessary. However, I just can't. I have to use the pry bar to hobble around despite my increased stats and there is no way I can move this corpse while in this condition.

I leave it be and make my way a couple minutes closer to the area from which I came and make myself scarce. I need to let this heal and see if it does so the same as my previous wounds. I feel confidant it will, but I want to be certain.

I also very much want to check my status. I can tell I've gotten a few notifications at least but I left it on do not disturb. I can't imagine having that screen around being helpful in a fight.

I ignore the death notifications of the Raptor Geese and make my way to the good stuff.

Move Silently has increased to lvl 2, 3!

Battle Dance has increased to lvl 2!

Reckless has increased to lvl 2, 3, 4!

Rapid Strike has increased to lvl 2, 3!

Savage Instincts has increased to lvl 2!

Fear Resistance has increased to lvl 25!

Mana Detonation has increased to lvl 3!

You have discovered the skill Fear Manipulation® lvl 1!

Fear Manipulation®: A stranger to fear you are not. Your time spent under the effect of fear has given you knowledge of its inner workings. Gain insight into how to carry yourself in order to most greatly induce fear in others. Gain the ability to channel and control the essence of fear. Effects increase with skill level, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Willpower.

Fear Manipulation has increased to lvl 2!

Congratulations! You have reached lvl 4! One stat point awarded!

...That seems like a lot? Or maybe not given the number of skills I now possess.

Thirteen AC and a stat point, wooh!

Okay, I'm not that excited, but dammit I want to be. This is definitely not worth the pain and struggle, but I need to at least try to see the good in this situation.

It just so happens that the good in this situation doesn't make up for numerous near-death experiences I've had. Seriously, I need to sleep... eventually.

I refuse to fall asleep in hostile territory though, and this is easily the most hostile territory in which I've ever found myself.

I empty my AC into the Path of Reflex and end with it at (27/100.) Only a little past a quarter complete. I got three notifications like normal though.

Congratulations! You have earned 1 Agility!

Congratulations! You have earned 1 Endurance!

Congratulations! You have earned the skill Reflex Control lvl 1!

Reflex Control: Reflex by its very nature works without conscious thought. Gain a minor ability to influence how your reflexive actions will be carried out.

Honestly, that skill seems like it could be either extremely useful or absolutely useless dependi-

I may have forgotten about the awful sensation of increasing my stats but at least I was already on the ground. This time its a bit different. And worse. The twitching is now more of an intense thrashing and my insides feel like they've been boiled.

I'm definitely gonna wait to allocate my stat point from leveling to four.

I curl up and begin rocking lightly. Everything has a price and I'm sick of paying it. I haven't slept in what feels like forever, I'm bloody, hurt, physically and mentally drained, emotionally exhausted, and I just want someone to whom I can talk about all this.

My hopes spark as I hear a shuffling near my hiding spot. Maybe someone else is trapped in here as well. I begin my attempt to sit up and freeze as my thoughts catch up to me; there is no way whatever is making that noise is human. I attempt to remain as still as possible while waiting for whatever is there to pass. I keep my eyes focused on the origin of the sound while holding my breath as tightly as I can. I hear it move past and notice that it must be at least a bit larger than a human to make the sounds that it is.

I wait a minute before lowering myself back to the ground as silently as possible. If only Move Silently helped while just hiding.

I contemplate how long it's going to take me to heal before the world suddenly spins into a blur of color and my stomach drops so quickly I'm afraid it's going to crawl out of my ass and run away.

Wow that was a weird thou-

Pain blooms across my body and I feel it give way as I collide with the ground. All I can feel is pain and all I can hear is my own heartbeat, the ragged rasp of my overworked lungs, and the slow, steady gait of impending doom.

I turn my head in an attempt to get a good look at whatever is finally going to end me, however, my vision lurches so violently I begin to dry heave.

By the time I'm done I notice a Kangaroo-like creature towering over me. The things build is, from what my pain-addled brain can tell, quite a bit more threatening than that of its Earth... parent? Grandparent? Second cousin thrice removed?

Whatever. It's absolutely frightening.

The beings entire bearing is primed for violence and I am the unfortunate recipient.

As it approaches I can make out more detail about the creature. Muscle like steel cables ripples beneath its charcoal fur. It's tail sways in large arcs while somehow managing to appear both thiicker, studier, and more easily controlled than its Earth counterpart. A rumbling hiss escapes so strongly from between the creatures yellowed, serrated teeth that my chest vibrates in time with the sound.

I'm spared for another couple seconds as something glimmers in the things eyes. It reaches toward me with hands far more dexterous than I feel it should possess and stops it a mere inch from my throat.

Is this what that damn Raptor Goose felt while I stalked over, savoring its terror? Undoubtedly.

Great, now I'm going to die -not even on the actual planet Earth, mind you- while feeling remorse for an insane, bloodthirsty, and already-deceased monster.

The final blow never comes, however. Instead I feel a yank at my neck and am left utterly confused. That didn't even really hurt. Was this thing trying to play and didn't realize that it might as well be God compared to my pathetic existence? Obviously not. Maybe I can figure out some way to communicate with it. That is, if it doesn't change its mind or find my attempts at communication to be an adequate enough reason to kill me.

I feel liquid on my face and body and bask in the sensation of water on my skin. It-

I begin throwing up violently for the umpteenth time. I sputter and cough, gag and choke. This is the most rancid water I've ever...

Turning my head slightly I see a shit-eating grin on the things face and notice my pendant around its neck. How did I not lose that earlier?

More liquid hits me in my face and mouth and I finally realize what has happened. The thing passed me, waited until I fell into a false sense of security, sneaked its way to me, grabbed and threw my entire body like a rag doll, was ready to kill me, and then decided to steal my pendant instead.

I'm sincerely more upset about the fact that it stole my deceased Grandfather's pendant than the fact that its chuffing at me while pissing in my face.

And that is exactly what it's doing. Unleashing the most vile fluid I've ever had the displeasure of smelling all over me. This is the most humiliating thing I've ever experienced. This is by far the worst day of my life. Why is it even doing this? Everything else just tried to murder me. Why is this sadistic shit degrading me like this? I want to cry and the moment I realize this, I swear the thing lets out a vicious cackle. The fetid stream comes to a trickle and it kicks up grass and dirt onto me like a dog covering shit. It begins to lumber away, and as it turns my way one last time before it disappears I'm able to read its status: Korgath the Malicious [!]

No weird animal name despite looking like the apex version of a killer kangaroo, no level, and what seems like one of the weirder things I've seen since all this began, not just all-encompassing rage and murderous territoriality, but also an actual personality,

Monsterality? Thingality?

Ugh. Personality, fine.

All I can think to myself is how utterly unexpected something like that is before curtains of blackness drop like a wet blanket over my vision and unconsciousness finally, gloriously claims my soul.