Inside the seemingly endless fog of the misty forest, the figures of two men running for their lives could be seen.

“Run Zeke, run!”

“You don’t need to tell me! I am running!”

Like ghosts inside the lush greenery, they kept running and running with no end in sight.

‘F*ck! How did it end up like this?!’, thought Reizel in the midst of running for his life. And indeed, how did they end up like this?

Not even a breath later, a wild roar echoed behind them, signalling their impending doom.

“Them catchin’ up!” Zeke exclaimed as he took a quick glance behind his back. It’s not like words couldn’t describe what he saw... Alas, the fear hidden in his eyes was more than enough to tell the tale.

“Don’t look back! Keep running!” and even though he said that out loud, his mind was swirling endlessly, searching for a way out of their current predicament.

‘Damn it! Is the only way left to fight?! No... There is no way I can see us winning. If only we could make it to the cabin... the cabin...’

“AHHH!!!”

“What is it now?!”

Reizel’s scream was so loud and unexpected, that even Zeke who was marching right next to him at full speed was startled and almost tripped.

“The cabin...” mumbled Reizel, his voice barely audible.

“Huh? Haaah... What... What about the cabin?”

Amidst all the huffing and puffing he was going through, Zeke couldn’t quite pinpoint the meaning hidden behind Reizel’s words.

“How on earth are we going to get back to the cabin?!”, Reizel shouted back.

And as if a light bulb had lit up inside his head, Zeke cursed out loud while running for his life.

“OH SH*T!”

⚔ ⚔ ⚔

The time was now in the early hours of the morning as well as a few hours before Reizel’s and Zeke’s current predicament.

“Ughh... My head is killing me... Zeke... Water...”

Inside the small clearing, the figure of a person dressed in what seemed to be a hunter’s attire slowly awakened from his slumber. His body was sprawled flat on top of a tree stump while his head was feeling fuzzy from the splitting headache he had.

Obviously, that person was none other than Reizel. How come he ended up like this, you might ask. Well, it’s not that hard to imagine actually. Alcohol and the title [Light Drinker] made up for a perfect combination! And this wasn’t even his first time or anything. It was his second... But anyway, I digress.

Pulling himself up in what was supposedly a sitting position, Reizel inspected the surroundings. The first thing his attention was drawn to was the campfire. It must have gone out during the night when they slept as all that was left off of it was a small thin line of white smoke to remind of the splendour it once emitted. Other than that, a couple of mugs could be seen lying here and there while Zeke was nowhere to be found.

No matter how hard he tried to recall what happened last night, it turned out to be pointless. All he managed to recall was toasting Zeke with the wine, whereas everything else seemed to be a blur.

“Sigh...”, letting out a sigh, he clicked the exclamation mark that had been blinking in the corner of his vision for quite a while now and read its contents.

[You have consumed Spirit Enhancing Wine!]

(This wine was made by an expert winemaker. Water spirits have soaked in it for long periods of time enhancing it with part of their power.)

[Portions consumed 3/10]

(Having experienced the Spirit Enhancing Wine, your focus increases and your spirit gets stronger.)

[Mind +3 Soul +6]

The first window to pop up turned out to be a familiar one. The only thing surprising about it was that he actually managed to consume double the amount of wine he had during the first round...

‘Am I getting better at this?! Can I stand my ground with alcohol now?!’

A ridiculous thought flashed past his mind but he immediately discarded it as, judging by the headache’s intensiveness, he was in an even worse condition than the first time.

Moving on, the next window turned out to be due to a breakthrough in his Soul attribute.

[Your soul’s foundation has made a breakthrough! Spirit essence has been unlocked.]

[Spirit Essence]

(Spirit essence is the foundation of your soul. It has a variety of uses.)

The more powerful your soul is, the more spirit essence it contains.

‘Well, that’s helpful... As always...’

Closing the windows one by one, he recited the word ‘status’ in his mind, successfully summoning the blue status panel to check things out.

[Status Screen]

Name: Reizel

Condition: (Thirsty) (Hungover)

Level: 2

Skills: 1/1 [+]

[+]

Skill points: 1

[Attribute Screen]

Body – 3 (1)

Mind – 6 (3)

Soul – 12 (9)

Spirit Essence: 90/120 (90)

Attribute points: 0

‘That freaking title... I must find a way to get rid of it as soon as possible.’

The title he was talking about was none other than [Light Drinker], the negative title he accidentally got stuck with during the first bout of drinking. If he could get rid of it, not only would Reizel be exempt of its negative effects, his alcohol tolerance would reach a whole other level too! After all, just having that title made it easier for him to get drunk.

“Sigh...”, another sigh escaped Reizel’s mouth, making him wonder whether it was turning into a habit or whether it was a habit he’d had since long ago.

'Where is Zeke though?’

Reizel pondered as he glanced towards the direction of the log cabin.

“...”

Cold sweat started rolling down his back as soon as he spotted Zeke. He was currently inside the cabin, staring at him from behind the window. His long dark red hair was done in what seemed to be a ponytail while the emptiness Reizel witnessed in that pair of grey eyes sent consecutive chills down his spine.

“...What’s wrong?”, he managed to ask in a quivering voice. He could sense something was amiss from the weird look in Zeke’s eyes. Was it 'pity' he saw in those eyes? Reizel wasn’t sure if that was the case, but it had to be something along those lines.

And no sooner than he asked, Zeke’s emotionless voice resounded.

“Nothing. Everything is fine... Everything...”

“I... I see. Did you sleep well?”, he tried to avert Zeke’s attention with a pointless question but it didn’t seem to work as he wished.

“No.”

“...”

‘What’s up with this situation?!’, Reizel thought as he averted his gaze from Zeke’s cold and empty gaze.

‘What did I do yesterday?! Think, me! Think!!!’

Reizel tried his hardest to recall last night’s events, but no matter how hard he tried to recall, it was pointless. He couldn’t remember a single thing, making his brows pinched into a frown.

“Catch”, Zeke exclaimed and threw what seemed to be a leather flask in his direction. Almost instinctively, Reizel extended his right hand and caught it mid-air as the flask’s fluid contents shook.

‘Hm?’

His eyes opened wide in surprise as he said out loud. “My arm is healed!”

That’s right. His arm was completely healed! Earlier when he opened the status screen, there was no (severe injury) to be seen. ‘First aid must have worked its wonders while I slept.’ He thought as he popped the leather skin’s cork open and took a swig of the liquid.

“Pfffttt!!! Cough! The f*ck... Cough! Why is there wine in here!”

And, not a single second after his screaming, Zeke’s smug expression could be seen through the cabin’s window. With a smirk on his face, he dropped a “Serves you right.” and then left going back to whatever he busied himself with.

Reizel’s expression darkened as he cursed for him to come back. Needless to say, his shouts were completely ignored. “Sigh...” Adding one more sigh to the count, he sat still for a few minutes, waiting for the headache to ease a little before standing up and heading into the log cabin.

The moment he opened the cabin’s door a nice scent wafted out of the place. The former dusty and smelly room was now sparkling clean!

“Hey, Zeke are you here?”, he said softly as his eyes darted around all over the place. Needless to say, this came as a pleasant surprise, as he too wanted to clean up the place at some point.

Not a moment had passed since he asked and Zeke’s muffled voice came from somewhere down below. “Yea, I’ll be up in a sec. Am almost done down here.”

The trapdoor was wide open but there was no longer a foul odour coming out of it. Zeke’s figure could be seen climbing up the stairs as he said.

“You finally woke up! I made a herb salad with the leftovers from yesterday. It’s on top of the table if you wanna eat somethin’. If not, help me prepare.”

“Wait. Wait a sec!”, Reizel felt like he was still in a dream. Where did this guy find the time to do all those chores? Was he superhuman or something? Is this the scent of soap?! Quite frankly, it all felt too unreal in Reizel’s eyes. Zeke, on the other hand, seemed to frown.

“Do you have any clue how long ya’ve been sleepin for?” He asked in a matter of fact manner as his index finger was pointed straight on his head. Reizel was obviously baffled as not only did he not know how long he was out for, he didn’t even know what had transpired last night!

“Sigh...”, surprisingly the one to exhale a mouthful of cold air was Zeke this time. He felt tired not only from dealing with him but also from having to fix the aftermath he left behind. “Anyway, I’ve already prepared everything. Eat up and I’ll show ya later.”

With a slight nod of his head, Reizel opted to follow Zeke’s instructions for now. He felt a little bit, just a tiny little bit of guilt after all. ‘I’ll ask again later...’, and with that thought in mind, he grabbed the salad and quickly made his escape.

⚔ ⚔ ⚔

Reizel was sitting cross-legged on top of the tree stump as he happily munched on the salad like a squirrel playing with acorns. Once in a while, he could see Zeke’s figure going back and forth inside the cabin from the window, placing stuff here and there.

‘Come to think of it... Even though my Soul attribute has made some kind of breakthrough, how come I don’t feel the difference?’, he pondered as he inspected the status screen for a second time.

According to the status screen, his Soul attribute should be 12 times stronger than the time he first woke up. Alas, he had yet to see any apparent changes on himself and, if one judged using that as a basis, it could only mean two things. The first and most likely one being that attribute points aren’t additive. Each point could have a lesser value than mentioned, making it hard to pinpoint the ratio of points to change.

As for the second one? It was directly related to the Soul attribute itself. Unlike the Body attribute where his physical fitness would most probably change once it got a qualitative increase whereas, he had no clue what was enhanced due to the Soul attribute’s increase. What was a ‘soul’ in the first place? Could he somehow sense it or see it for himself?

While lost in thought, the cabin’s door slowly crept open as a figure emerged behind it.

“Phew... I am done!” Zeke merrily exclaimed and sat on a nearby tree stump. He then glanced at Reizel who was almost done eating breakfast and said with a wide grin on his face.

“I found some cool stuff while cleaning.”

“Hm? Like what?”, with an eyebrow raised, Reizel was reminded of the leather flask and asked for confirmation as he finished off the last bits of his salad.

“Well, there are quite a few on top of the table. Go grab what you need, I’ll be right back!” With those words, Zeke stood up and hurriedly went towards the backside of the cabin. But, his steps were cut short as he slowly turned around and with a stern look on his face declared in a de facto manner. “You better clean those up...”

Reizel gulped and nodded slightly. He picked up the now empty bowl along with the wooden mugs from yesterday and went back inside. Once inside, he saw a bunch of items stacked on top of the table making his mind wander as he placed the dirty dishes inside the basin. Next, he made his way towards the table and gave a quick look at the items scattered on top.

Among the pile, not only did he find his trusty old butcher knife, but he also found the knife he lost during the first bout of drinking. Other than those, there seemed to be two more flasks making for a grand total of three. As well as a sack, a few bottles of oils and spices, a bunch of leather strips, the lantern that he’d already seen before and last but not least, a pair of flintstones.

It might sound like a lot, but it indeed was just the basics. Reizel could use the leather strips as makeshift bandages but it wouldn’t be as efficient as the cloth strips he had earlier. If anything, it was better than having nothing at least.

“Dude, check out this beauty!”, Zeke made his way in from the backdoor and showed off the lumber axe in his hands. It was a little rusty from being left out in the open for so long but still held its edge.

“Holy sh*t! Where was this hidden?!”, Reizel exclaimed as he saw the axe.

“It was left on top of a tree’s stump behind the cabin. And just to be clear, I found it, I am keeping it! It’s mine!”

A chuckle couldn’t help escaping Reizel’s mouth when he saw Zeke hugging the axe as if it was a precious gem. “That’s cool with me, I’ll be taking the knives then. Let’s pack things up and get going. We have a long journey before us!” He said, assuming leadership once more.

The excitement he felt could be seen from the sparkle in his eyes as he moved to pack things up. Alas, the tight grip coming from a hand resting on top of his shoulder didn’t allow him to move a single step further. And, like an awfully oiled robot, he slowly turned around to see Zeke’s grim face.

“What did I say about the dishes?”, he said like the Reaper giving his verdict.

“Yes sir...”

⚔ ⚔ ⚔

“Haaah... How long have we been walking for?”, Zeke asked as he exhaled a breath of turbid air. The two of them have already been walking for 3 hours with no cave in sight. Moreover, the humidity inside the forest was high enough for them to be sweating buckets the longer they walked. With that last exhale, Zeke glanced at Reizel who was walking in silence while marking one tree after another with his butcher’s knife.

The other knife rested on his waist inside what seemed to be a leather strap. They used some of the leather strips to create makeshift sheaths and tied them around their waist, effectively keeping them in place. Lowering his gaze, Zeke gave a quick glance downwards and he too saw the axe dangling back and forth as he marched onwards.

“Hey, Reizel... I was thinking, what if someone else follows the markings and discovers the cabin?”

Reizel paused in his steps and turned back to regard his friend while saying. “Isn’t that even better? The more people we have the better, right?” And then he recalled the blondie he first saw in the little clearing.

‘I hope she is fine...’, he thought and shook his head. Had he known earlier how hard it would be to find an exit out of the forest he wouldn’t have left her there. Alas, she just had to go and try to scare him. (Not her intention.) Anyway, even though he felt bad for her she wasn’t of paramount importance right now.

‘Sigh... If I see her again, I’ll try to make things even.’

Reizel’s cold exterior didn’t extend to his heart as he decided to even things out and have his conscience clear if they ever met each other again.

“Yea, but what if they just ransack the place and leave?”, Zeke questioned back while he was in the midst of thinking.

“Hmm... If that happens!?”

*Snap*

The sound of twigs breaking resounded in his ears. Zeke didn’t seem to catch it as he continued blubbering.

“If that hap...”

“Shh! Keep quiet.”, Reizel called out quietly and lowered his posture into a crouching one. Picking up on the situation, Zeke followed suit and whispered.

“Wha... What’s wrong?”

“Something is hiding in that bush.”

And, quite literally, the bush a few meters away was lightly shaking and ruffling. Even though he couldn’t see what was hidden behind the bush, a strong sense of déjà vu filled Reizel’s mind.

“Do you think it's another human? Should I go out and say hi?”, Zeke voiced his opinion only to be struck on the head lightly by Reizel.

“Are you stupid?! Listen up. This is the wildest form of what ‘danger’ looks like! We should face it with the utmost caution!”

Zeke nodded consecutively and then asked.

“Then what do we do?!”

“Ok, here is the plan...”