Walter sat up quickly, knocking away whatever touched him while grabbing a knife from under his pillow. Rolling off the cot, into a crouched fighting stance. His instincts reacting before his mind had time to awake. His blood pumping from the adrenaline rush he was wide awake and on edge.

“What the freak, man” Stephanie screeched at him. Standing defensively “You told me to wake you up after I finished those jobs, you DICK!” throwing what she had in her hand at him.

“Sorry,” Walter said slowly standing up. “I should have told you to announce yourself instead of trying to shake me awake.”

“I barely touched YOU!” she screamed her hands shaking.

“I know and I’m sorry but you can’t scream. We don’t know what is out at night,” Walter said holding his hands out trying to placate her. “I need you to breathe and come sit down.”

After getting her to breathe and sit down, he reminded her that when she updated her status that The System would put her to sleep. He didn’t tell her that all the experience she would be spending would knock her out a lot longer than it did him. She would possibly be asleep past noon and would give him enough time to explore a couple building near them.

He knew it was a dumb idea to leave her asleep and alone but it would be worse if she followed him. Watching her spend her points, he bent down to pick up the item she threw at him. Holding a plastic cylinder he clicked the button on its shining light from its end. This world was full of treasures he wished his old instructors would have trained them on.

Deciding to leave Stephanie alone, he blew out the candle they were using for light. Grabbing his gear he headed to the roof to see if her scream brought any beasts near. Hearing quiet scampering on the ground around their base, Walter looked over the edge his eyes slowly adjusting to the moonlight.

He saw rat beasts circling the dumpster he burned all the bodies in. Quickly realizing that he never checked the dumpster for more of the black mana orbs. If any of the beasts managed to consume one, they would quickly evolve and become a bigger problem.

Unslinging his bow, Walter started shooting the beasts not wanting to give up the free experience. Watching the rat beasts scatter, he shot the last one to slow to escape back into the alley. Making sure no beasts were coming back, Walter hustled downstairs. Gathering the arrows as he went, he went to the dumpster last. Opening it up, he shined his light on the charred corpses inside.

Using the butt of his spear, he moved around the remains until he heard something clink on the metal. Carefully moving the charred corpses out of the way he saw another black mana orb. Fishing it out, he started back to his base.

A shadowy form flew above him, blocking the moonlight briefly. Dropping his spear he quickly unslung his bow searching the sky. His arrow drawn ready to shoot, something collided with from behind. His arrow flying off into the distance, knocking him to the ground.

He went rolling forward with the blow, drawing his knife as he spun to see what was attacking him but nothing was there. Quickly leaping forward he felt the rush of air blow past him as the beast dove at him from above. As soon as he landed and pivoted, activating his skill rocketing at his assailant.

The beast reacted before Walter could collide into it. Shooting past Walter's head, the tip of its wing slicing his cheek open while knocking his kukri from his grip. As he swung around to follow the beast’s path, he saw it land on the roof of his base. Its profile accompanied by two others like it.

Taking a step backward, he fumbled into his pocket holding the black mana orb and pulling it out. He watched their heads twitch and their bodies puff up as if excited. He needed to get a little space and get them in a confined space to be able to hit them.

“You want this don’t you,” he said holding it up in front of him. Then spinning around he threw it into the building behind him “GO FETCH!”

The beasts screeched in anger as Walter threw the mana orb through the window of the building. All three of them diving off the roof to be the first one to it. The middle beast swooped a little lower than the other two, it’s talons aimed at the back of Walter’s head.

As the orb left Walters's hand he dove forward and spun. Swinging his spear upwards as he landed on his back barely knocked a talon from hitting him as the beast flew past him into the building. He could hear the beasts fighting inside as they vied for the orb.

Running to his bow, he crouched down and readied his shot. He could hear the beasts fighting in the darkness as they squabbled over the orb. He could hear the sounds of them crashing around one erupting out of the darkness into the moonlight. The feathers on its body ruffled, the orb clenched in its talon.

He took a bead on it and released his arrow. He watched it embed into the breast of the beast for a kill shot. As the beast crashed into the ground dead, the orb bounced out of its talons rolling along the road. The second beast zoomed out of the darkness; its eyes locked onto the orb with its beak wide open.

Walter threw his bow at the second beast smashing it in the face before it had the chance to get the orb. It crashed into the road next to the orb looking at Walter as he ran up and grabbed the orb. It lunged at Walter with its beak from its prone position.

Walter dodged out of the way from its awkward peck, countering by stomping on its beak. As he crushed it beak beneath his heel, the beast thrashed around. One of its feather slicing through Walter’s clothing into his leg. Jumping back before going for a killing blow, Walter ran from it scooping up his spear.

Turning to go back and kill the beast with a crushed beak he watched it slowly take back to air wobbling a little as it did. Walter knew that even injured; the beast was too dangerous at night flying. Turning around he used his skill skitter and rushed into the building he originally threw the stone.

Running through the entrance, the third beast lunged out of the darkness at him missing. One of its wings held awkwardly at its side as it hobbled around the room. The second beast flew into the room and landed next to it. It stared daggers at Walter, as it brushed a wing at its face.

These beasts were incredibly intelligent and that scared Walter. If these were pack creatures and near, Walter would need to find a new base. If he survived this fight.

The beast with a broken wing suddenly charged Walter, swinging its good wing at him. The wind whistled sharply as it swung at him. Jumping back from the swing, the wing continued in its trajectory right through a wall. Its sharpened feathers slicing easily through the wall like butter.

The broken beak beast took this as a chance to leap at Walter with its claws bared. Dropping the orb Walter countered with his spear trying to keep his distance. Knocking the talon down into the ground its nails left gouges in the ground.

Walter then used his skill and dashed between the two beasts and aiming for broken wings back he stabbed. Sparks flew from the feathers as the tip of his spear parted them, stabbing deep into its back. Pulling his spear out he spun it around and bashed the opposite end across its skull dropping it.

The broken beak beast took this as a chance to grab the orb in its talon and try to escape by crashing through a window. As it went to take off, Walter threw his spear like a javelin at the beasts back. The beast lifted off the ground from the force of the throw before it crumpled into the ground.

Stepping through the broken window, he went to collect his spear from the beast. Placing a foot carefully on its back worried about slicing his boot he gently pulled thinking it would come out easily. It snagged on something, and as Walter changed his positioning pulling harder on it.

Something jumped on his back as he choked up on the shaft of his stuck spear. As the talons of the beast sunk deeper into his shoulder blades. Catching himself on the spear shaft he stopped himself from falling on the razor feathers of the beast under him.

Feeling the creature dig its talons deeper, Walter screamed and used his skill, ripping himself free of the beast. He shot forward and tumbled away from the creature but spun quickly to his feet ready to fight more. Walter saw the beast with an arrow stuck in its chests wheezing as it went for the black orb.

Its gasps for air sounding wet, labored, and painful. He watched it slowly put its beak over the orb and swallow. Immediately falling the beast began to convulse and froth at the mouth. The arrow slowing pushed out of its chest with a sputtering whistle as bloody foam escaped the wound. A second set of wings began sprouting from its back as it opened its beak up in a soundless scream.

Walter was watching a beast evolve before he realized it and acted. He rushed the beast stomping its head over and over. Watching it try to heal as it evolved, he kept slamming the heel of his boot down on it. He only stopped after it quit moving and he couldn’t breathe. Looking at the horizon the sun just began its majestic rise into the sky. Collapsing to a sitting position drained of all will to move, he sat there and watched the sky shift colors.