Day 40

Name: Felix Blackburn Race: Human* Age: 23 Advancement: 1 Trait: Outsider Body: 8 Mind: 5 Soul: 5 Ability: Invert [3] [Novice] Skills (1/3) Stealth Ops [4] [Body] Perks (1/10) Sublime Grace

My Body and Soul stats had gone up by one point each. Which correlated to rank ups of my Ability, and Skill respectively. It was worrying to see my Mind stat lag behind, and it would keep lagging behind until I got some kind of Mind Skill to boost it. For that, I would need a Soul Point, and to get that, I would need to Advance. That had not happened yet, but I was very much looking forward to it when it did.

I also lost a lot of weight during my time here. I still had some love handles here and there, but overall I was in the best physical shape of my life. My black hair had grown out into an unruly mess. Along with beginnings of a full beard. I thought about shaving it off with the dagger, but what was the point of doing that? Not like, I’d need that clean-shaven look anymore.

My hunting had been unsuccessful so far. Not because I could not find prey, but because I did not have the guts to kill one when I did. It had looked so easy when I had watched someone else do it on TV. But I could not. It was easy to kill fish because it felt so impersonal. But an animal somehow felt different.

During one of my explorations, I had found a grey horned rabbit, happily munching away on his food. It looked like a regular rabbit from Earth, but with a horn- like a unicorn.

It did not detect my presence, and I had a perfect angle to spear it. I sat there on my tree, aiming my spear, and getting ready to throw it. Except I did not. I lost my nerve. ‘There is still fish in the cave,’ I told myself and kept moving. A lie, of course. I would need to overcome that if I was to survive in this forest. No, not just in the forest, but in The Tower as well. A moment of indecision could be the end of me.

Day 45

I decided to undertake another project. I have explored most of the woods around me, and it was time for me to venture out further. I did not know what I was looking for out there. Some edible fruits, maybe, or some wild onions. I would need the vitamins after all. Or perhaps I was just looking for other people. Not just humans either, alien beings as well. Well, from their point of view, I would be the alien in this case. An Outsider, in fact.

I packed some of the smoked fish, filled my waterskin, and set out. I did not want to leave my cave uncovered, in case some critters decided to move in while I was gone. I cut out a large bark off a dead tree and used it to close off the mouth of the cave.

It was still early in the morning when I left. As always, I stuck to the trees. My speed had increased with practice, but I was still moving slower than I would move on the ground. Keeping up [Stealth Ops] while also climbing and jumping from tree to tree was becoming much easier as well.

I marked the trees as I went, so I could easily find my way back. I did not have a compass or any real navigational skills, so this was the next best thing.

The forest was full of life as always. I saw and heard many different kinds of birds that I could not name. There were also these green foxes that were really good at blending into the moss green of the forest floor. It seemed like they were always hunting the horned rabbits. Of course, there were the saber-toothed tigers out there as well. Kings and queens of the forest, I am sure. I could not imagine any other animal that could hunt them. Bears maybe? I had not seen any bears yet. The fact I was most pleased with.

I ate when I got hungry, drank when I was thirsty, and rested when tired. It was hard to imagine, but that tiny slice of the forest near my cave had become my home. I only became aware of that fact when I spent the night outside again. My cave had become a place of refuge and peace, and somehow I started associating it with safety.

My first night outside of my camp was uneventful. The next morning I set off again.

Day 47

I found the edge of the forest. The edge of my forest, at least. I had started calling it Bloodwood, due to all the red leaves. It was not an edge by any definition. It was more like the Bloodwood slowly petered out and changed into familiar green forests that I associated with Earth. The trees were larger and covered in vines that seemed to grow everywhere. They snaked through the ground, trees, even onto rock formations.

I cut one of the vines and squeezed out its juice. I tried a small sip. It was water. At least, it tasted like it. It occurred to me that this new place felt more like a jungle than a forest. The trees were a little more sparse, but the vegetation was dense, making passage much harder.

I was sitting on a tree and surveying my surroundings when I saw movements in the foliage. An ape emerged from the jungle, smelling the air. I slowly lowered myself to the branch and stilled all my muscles.

The animal looked like a chimp, but with a red face and larger, more dangerous canines. Whatever it was, it looked scary.

The chimp was walking around, sniffing the air, looking for me no doubt when it froze in place. After a second or so, it started beating the ground and screeching. That is when a green blur struck it. What I had taken for an incredibly sick vine, turned out to be a python. It had a large green body, with patches of black all around. I had no idea why I did not notice it earlier. Maybe the thing could camouflage itself.

I watched as the ape went down with a screech, and the python wrapped its body around the chimp’s torso, squeezing it. The ape was doing its best, trying to grab the python, punching it as hard as it could, all the while screeching at the top of its lungs. The python just kept squeezing tighter and tighter. The ape stood no chance.

I don’t know why I moved, but I did. In one smooth motion, I got on my feet and threw my spear at the python with a small running start. The spear flew true and stabbed into its thick body, causing it to shiver. I did not stop moving. As soon as the spear was out of my hands, I unsheathed the dagger throwing myself on the python. I stabbed it once and dragged the blade along its body, leaving a long gash with some of its organs hanging out of it. The python thrashed, and I felt its tail hit me on my back. I activated [Invert] and reappeared on my tree, breathing heavily with adrenalin. The chimp had freed itself somehow and was nowhere to be seen.

I immediately activated [Stealth Ops] crouching down, readying myself for any potential attacks. The python thrashed about for a little while more before going still. I was now more worried about the chimp. Even though I saved its life, it did not mean that he would not attack me next.

My spear was still on the python’s body, but I did not want to leave myself open to an attack by trying to retrieve it. I would need to find the chimp first.

I slowly climbed down my tree and started sneaking around the fight zone, keeping my eyes out for the ape. I saw it sitting on a tree, clutching a vine, and looking at the dead body of the python. It might have been my imagination, but it felt like there was some hate in its eyes. Maybe pythons and apes were rivals of some sort.

I stayed there crouched and ready, observing the chimp. I wanted to wait until [Invert] was active again before I did anything. I put a small pebble in my mouth to start coating it with my Essence. There was also a strand of my hair that I had left attached to the tree.

The chimp moved before my cooldown was up. It jumped from the tree and slowly approached the dead python. I started sneaking behind him. I did not know if I wanted to kill him just yet. We had been allies for a split second during that fight, but that was all my decision. I did not know what the ape was thinking.

The ape moved towards the spear and grabbed its shaft. I could not let that happen, so I risked it.

“Don’t,” I said, walking up behind him. The chimp jumped with a screech and scampered into the jungle. I could still see him, at the edge clutching a vine again. They must use those to get around, I thought to myself.

I walked up to the dead python and grabbed my spear, all the while keeping eye contact with the ape. It just stood there studying me.

“You are welcome,” I said and activated [Invert]. I heard the chimp screech again and smiled. You gotta enjoy the little things in life.

I did not wait around after that and left. I had not seen that python earlier. It could have easily been me instead of the chimp that it attacked, and I would have never seen it coming. This jungle seemed a lot more dangerous than my Bloodwood.

It was time to go home. That was enough adventure for one excursion.