Eli took a deep breath and lifted his bloody staff off the archer he’d just bludgeoned. He’d used little technique in the short battle but had overwhelmed the smaller men with force and his strange new time ability. Pausing in thought, he wasn’t sure how his blows had thrown the men away or crushed through their bodies with so little resistance like they were mere cheap mannequins and not people. His strikes had been slow while he moved through the invisible thick syrup, but any blow that landed hit with an incredible force. Could the time-dilation effect make his hits land with more power, or maybe his legendary weapon had some hidden properties?

He shook away the distracting thoughts and took another deep breath as he stared through the hide, catching a glimpse of the survivor running away into the woods. Next to the dead archer was a second bow and quiver, tossed there or dropped in the survivor’s panicked flight. Reasonably sure the guy was well on his way to wherever he was running, without much more than a knife, Eli turned back to help Daralis.

His stomach dropped at seeing the arrow sticking grotesquely from her shoulder, the dirty fletching swaying with her body’s weak movements. He jogged over, scanning the trees around them on the way, but no further human-shaped lights were nearby.

Kneeling down next to her, he sighed with a bit of relief that the blood around the wound was not nearly as bad as he’d feared. He leaned close to check her pupils, but Daralis’ eyes were unfocused and staring sightlessly as her mouth worked without a sound emerging. Her uninjured arm and hand groped for the offending object causing her pain, but he carefully held her hand away from the arrow and pulled it against his chest while trying to grab her attention. “Don’t pull it out! Let me help you. I’m here, Daralis. Look at me!” His other hand felt along her neck, her racing heartbeat and cool skin sending alarm bells through his mind.

She blinked a few times, still not focusing on him, but some semblance of understanding seemed to pass through her expression, and she stopped fighting him. Instead, her hand squeezed his hand weakly.

The bleeding might not be as bad as he’d feared, but it was the inside he was worried about. With Mana Scan active, he could see the energy paths glowing brightly inside her. Still, they didn’t tell the whole story as her organs were little more than dark shadows to his ability. The glowing colored lights changed even as he focused on her shoulder, a new brown light spreading around the wound.

“I’m going to help you,” Eli said in as normal a tone as he could muster, trying to inject a bit of calm into the situation. “Just let me have my hand back, and I’ll see about healing you. You’re not alone, Daralis. I’m right here with you.” Her hand barely squeezed his again as if in reply, and he carefully moved it to her side.

With his hands now free, he cut away the top strap of her charcoal-colored dress, the fabric already wet with her blood. He was no medic, but he’d been motivated to understand the basics of a medical emergency from a pretty young age. Given the symptoms, shock looked like a significant threat, but he still didn’t know how bad the injury was. He peeled back the top of the dress around the area to view the wound, but her eyelids suddenly fluttered for a moment before her body went limp.

“Shit!”

The veins in her neck were changing color, darkening ominously. Eli first thought it was an allergic reaction, but the glowing light made him believe it had to be magic in nature. Perhaps it was a magical poison?

Who poisons their arrows? Talay. Focus and Breathe.

There were luminescent bits of blue flecks within her blood and tissue, but they were the same color as the core inside her chest. Eli thought they were likely related, but they were far too small for him to see clearly. If not for the light they gave off, he didn’t think he’d have noticed them. He got close to the wound and tried to focus his eyes, wishing he could see better. The damaged area suddenly grew large, like a rapid zooming effect, making him sit back in surprise.

Pushing his fresh questions away with a slight shake of his head, he leaned in again to study the situation. More details emerged with the larger image, and a new green color joined the blue within the countless little circles filling his vision. Thinking of the biology courses from years ago, he guessed these might be her cells, which would explain their roughly spherical shape well. How or why they were colored was another mystery, though.

A change at the edge of the image snagged his attention, and a dark, nasty-looking brown was slowly migrating through the circles. Focusing on just one, he saw the green and blue circle vibrating upon contact with one of the darker spheres. A moment later, more of the brown objects arrived, and soon dozens surrounded it. There was a strange swirling of motion too fast to catch, and the darker cells grew while the green and blue shriveled until their lights extinguished. His senses moved to another patch, but it was reversed when a bunch of primarily green-colored cells with tiny bits of blue surrounded a few of the brown cells. They did the same little dance, but the brown cells had lost the fight and shriveled up into a blackened mess this time.

His mind raced, trying to understand what his eyes and ability were showing him. What was the green if the blue was from Daralis’ core, and the brown was the poison? It seemed to be fighting directly with the darker color, so was there a way to help?

Green? The magical ration! Is this how health regeneration works?

He wondered if there was a way to feed her one of the snacks but rejected the idea. There wasn’t enough time, nor did he want to risk choking her. He almost smacked the ground with frustration, his anger rising along with his thumping heartbeat. There was too much he didn’t understand, and he only saw one side of the problem. Mana Scan only showed him the lights within her, leaving the wound and internal tissues as only blurry shadows to his ability – he needed more information.

“Guide, is there any kind of biological scan I can do? Anything to see how someone is injured physically?”

Command unknown

“Think, damn it,” Eli whispered to himself. He’d created his Flamethrower ability after watching Daralis use her fire gift. He’d just imagined his own fire, the feeling of the flames, and how it would look. Did it just take his willpower to make it materialize? In a world of magic, could intention make things happen?

He thought about the green block. It was doing something to her cells – somehow bridging the gap between mana and biology. He could see the green, but why? Could he see mana because he produced it in that glowing baseball in his chest? He didn’t have a lot of facts but plenty of guesses and an idea he wanted to try.

Eli focused on his eyes and thought about what he wanted – to see in a different spectrum. He needed to see under the skin to see the injuries and could imagine what it would look like if he had the right tool. Any self-respecting nerd had watched enough science fiction where their medical staff performed miracles. They almost always had some near-magical scanning equipment, which was just the thing he needed right now to save her life. Holding the image of what he wanted in his mind, he added his desire to push energy from inside his core to make it a reality, just like he had when creating fire last night.

There was a pulsing thump inside his chest like someone had firmly rapped on his breastbone but from the inside. At the same time, a weird pressure started to build in his face, like something was trying to escape out the front of his head. Ignoring the pain and trusting his gut, he tried to push even more of his power into creating a new reality.

His body suddenly convulsed, and he collapsed on the trail next to Daralis, but the pain was only growing. He brought his hands up as if to massage away the pain in his face but then a deep cold and searing heat filled his eyes. He almost shouted, gasping from the agony, but then the pressure and pain vanished.

ERROR

User has gained ???

Partial evolution detected. Please report to the nearest Sanctioned Temple for review immediately. Failure to comply will result in permanent death.

With his thunderous heartbeat thumping in his ears, he opened his eyes, but the lights inside Daralis were gone. Jerking up onto his elbow in fear, he reached for her unresponsive hand nearby. His two fingers found the spot near her wrist, and he breathed out in relief at the pulse he found. It was weak, but it was still there.

Confused by the sudden lack of lights, he imagined seeing inside her body again, and his mouth went slack when her skin turned transparent. He squinted, realizing his intention had worked, and another layer went transparent. With growing excitement, his attention moved to the wound where an arrowhead lay embedded within her flesh, grimacing at the curved barbed head. The metal hooks on each side were already caught in the thick muscle, which meant he couldn’t just pull it out without causing even worse damage.

On the arrowhead was some sort of dark substance. It was spreading everywhere, pumped by Daralis’ own heart. He put one hand on her shoulder, near the wound, and, just like when he’d healed her wrist, he imagined his power healing her. There was a thump within his chest, but he couldn’t see if anything had changed.

“Activate Mana Scan,” he whispered, but the new scan turned off as soon as he did. Surprised, he noticed the wave of white energy flowing out from her arm and through her body. The previous zoom effect had disappeared, but at least he could see the slow pulse of light blue color within her core again. The glittering green and blue lights had started appearing rapidly wherever the white color passed, but the dark brown color hadn’t lost the fight. A battle was being waged within her body where brown colors slowly surged with each beat of her heart, only to get knocked back or consumed by the ever-populating greens and blues.

Eli thought he’d bought her a bit of time and focused on the wound. The poison was concentrated within a dark circular patch about as wide as his hand. Inside the circle were only a few sporadic bits of lights, almost lost in the darkness. Outside it, a fresh surge of green lights glittered, likely spurred on by his repeated waves of energy, but there were fewer blue lights now. Confused, he glanced at her core and gulped at the dwindling light within the tiny sphere. Searching around her body again, he noted how the blue and green colors were disappearing at an alarming rate. His breathing was loud and harsh to his ears while he racked his brains for a solution. Did he just need to keep feeding her his energy?

He sent another wave of energy, desperate to get her energy back up. Another wave followed, making his head swim for a moment as the forest around him seemed to tilt. Each time, a thump accompanied the power pulse, but a sharp pain was growing inside him right where his core resided. He didn’t look, though, not wanting any distractions from saving her life.

Eli wouldn’t lose her; he couldn’t face watching someone die like this again. Regardless of his body screaming in protest, he pushed more energy into her. Even as his body trembled in warning, he focused on her injury and the newest surge of his power washing through as if cleaning her body of the brown poison’s taint. Another surge of white around the area and the dark substance dissolved until there was none left.

Breathing out as he fell onto his side next to Daralis, he focused on staying conscious but found it challenging to keep his eyes open. He didn’t know where the white energy came from inside his core, but it felt dangerously low after using so much to save her. Still, he wasn’t entirely done since he needed to get the arrow out.

“Guide, turn on my newest ability,” he whispered from on his side next to Daralis, not sure what to call the thing but hoping Guide would figure it out. “The one with the three question marks,” he added.

The lights disappeared again, but the suddenly visible wound and embedded arrowhead let him know it had worked. He frowned as the damage had slightly healed with the arrowhead’s metal tip and two prongs, one on each side, caught in Daralis’ muscle tissue. If he pulled it back out, he’d be pulling right through her muscle and causing more damage. He could also snap off the shaft or try and push the whole thing through. The first option was dangerous with how weak they both were, but he had the advantage of seeing inside the wound. If it didn’t work, he’d go with pushing it through and would just hope his healing was enough.

Eli carefully returned to his knees, but dizziness swept through him and blurred his vision. “No, damn it! I can do this!” He scrunched his eyes closed, pushing down any doubts that tried to surface. In moments, the weakness passed, and he looked again at his companion. It might have been his imagination, but he thought her breathing had improved, and he took a few deep breaths himself while thinking about how he wanted to do this next step.

Brushing his hands against his pants, he could only hope his magic would help keep any infections at bay. He took the shaft in one hand and placed the other on her shoulder near her wound while his eyes locked on the metal barbs stuck into her tissues. Pushing the arrow slightly into the wound, a small amount of blood welled up, but the snagged muscle around the barb loosened. Grimacing, he was thankful that Daralis was unconscious while spreading the wound and slowly pulling out the arrow.

Once out, he made the arrow disappear into his DS to study later and looked at the wound again. There wasn’t much damage left as the healing energy in her cells must have continued to work with the help of his magic. The rest of the wound sealed up as he watched, leaving a puckered dark red mark on Daralis’ skin. A check of her pulse returned a nice and healthy rhythm. She was breathing easier now and seemed to be getting better, but she was still unconscious.

Vertigo struck again, and Eli collapsed beside her, his body finally failing him. Rolling onto his back, he gasped in air. He’d give her more energy to help the healing along once he’d rested a bit.

Just five minutes.

***

An hour later, Eli was just about done looking through the bandit’s camp. Daralis was still unconscious back on the trail with a couple of fresh blankets wrapped around her. As far as he could tell, she appeared to be healed and only sleeping now. Still, he’d made sure she was breathing normally and with a strong pulse before placing a new dress within easy reach in case she woke up while he was busy.

He’s been a bit nervous leaving her on the trail, but he wanted to check out the dead and their camp to make sure there were no other hidden surprises. The two of them couldn’t stay here long, and there was no telling if the bandits were a part of a larger group. He still kept an eye on her, his Mana Scan easily piercing through the thick foliage as he searched quickly, but there wasn’t a lot to find. He collected more food, clothing, a couple of bows with full quivers, and a few crappy blades. He’d also found a pouch with a brown glass bottle inside, which he assumed was the poison but just stored away with the rest of the crap. Unfortunately, there were no written notes, papers, or other items to identify their attackers. It made him uneasy, knowing someone who’d tried to kill them was on the loose, but he couldn’t do much about it now.

He dragged the three bodies to the far side of their now empty camp but didn’t bother stripping them of their crappy leather armor as it was in pretty bad shape and simply left them there for any nearby animals. His Mana Scan had already revealed some larger lights within the forest about the size of a wolf or small bear. The creatures had kept their distance, and their patience would soon be rewarded.

At the trail, he noticed Dara stirring, her particular blue channels shifting as she sat up and looked around. He took a few quick steps to get around the blocking bushes and waved at her, letting her know where he was. It took her a few moments to catch the gesture, but she eventually waved back and was already reaching for the dress he’d left her.

“Status,” Eli said, turning away before getting an eyeful.

Name: Eli Tal

Species: Human

Race: Restricted (Anomaly)

Level: 7

Evolution: High Mundane

Abilities: Tracking, Identify, Mana Scan, Healing, Flamethrower, ???*

Status: Mana Strain – reduced mana regen

*Unknown ability – update database

What the hell is a High Mundane?

The evolution line had been “Mid Mundane” when Eli was level 6. Was there a connection between evolution and levels? How did he get an increase in his level? Based on the evidence, it seemed like one of those games where killing gave experience. He scowled in disgust, hoping he didn't have to go on a killing spree to get stronger.

A little square cloth appeared in one hand, which he used to try to clean some of the gunk away while wishing for soap. The three bandits had been a mess of blood and fluids, but he only had himself to blame.

“Is everything alright?” Daralis’ voice came from behind him, making him turn towards her with a smile and another wave.

He found her sitting on one of the thick blankets he’d left her, wearing the new dress. He was in a new shirt himself. The blood from the pulverized bandits had gotten all over him, and he’d had to pull out the canteen to do a quick wash. Now he was wearing another shirt that he had found in his DS. All the clothing seemed designed for a man, all serviceable, but nothing fancy. They were all sized for him too, which was just one more fun mystery to add to the list.

“Just cleaning up after that mess,” he replied, gesturing back towards the hidden camp. Next to her, he went down on a knee, the folded blanket a welcome cushion between his thin linen pants and the hard ground. “How’re you feeling?” he asked, but he could already see that her skin tone was darkening to its normal shade – much better than the pale, sickly coloring.

“I feel tired, but well. Thank you for healing me.” Daralis looked at him kneeling next to her and tried to bow, but his hand gently stopped her.

“No need for that. I’m happy to help, but I’m sorry you were hurt. Just stay there and get some of your energy back, and we’ll move on in a bit.” His canteen and some food packages appeared in his hands, which he handed her. One of the magical green rations materialized next, and he raised an inquiring eyebrow at her, but she shook her head with a tiny smile. Instead, she grabbed a sheet of the jerky and ripped off a piece with her teeth, her sharp eyes glancing at the trees around them.

“I’ll keep an eye out in case that walking dead man has the balls or stupidity to come back,” Eli said, the anger and promise thick while he looked back in the direction the last archer ran. A multitude of small little lights, all the colors in the rainbow lighting up around them, scurried within the trees and nearby foliage, likely animals going about their business. The sound of a scuffle brought his attention to see maybe a dozen larger lights already gathered where he’d left the bodies. He’d thought them a pack, but how they fought each other made him reevaluate his assumption. Still, they kept their distance and seemed focused on the bounty he’d provided.

“You can call me Dara.”

He pulled his attention away from the excitement, but her eyes were on the ground again.

“I only hear Daralis when my dad or teachers are angry with me,” she said, her eyes darting up for a moment as if to gauge his reaction to her words.

He stood back up and then bent over with a flourish, one hand clenched across his chest, the other behind his back as he bowed to her. “Why, hello there, Dara, fancy meeting you here. Do you come out to the forest often?” Then straightening back up, he gave her his most ridiculous smile. Dara blushed and let out a little laugh. A few hours ago, at death’s door, and now a little laughter. The magic probably helped, but he didn’t think it suddenly increased her resilience.

Smiling a bit himself, he sat down on the blanket. It was big enough that he could still give Dara space and was much better than the forest floor. The life here was amazing, but that also included far too many insects for his liking. They definitely seemed to like him anyway. Idly shooing some tiny flying bug away from his face, he looked up at the forest canopy, trying to see where the sun was. As usual, with the thick cover, it was an educated guess.

“We should get going soon,” he said to Dara. “I’m guessing we have at least a couple more hours of sunlight before we need to set up another camp. So the question is, do we stay on this path or try to cut across the forest? You’re the local expert. What do you think?”

“Cross the forest?” She said as her eyes opened wide. “No one would willingly stray from the path in Eld Forest.” She shook her head before she continued. “My apologies, Eli. I still forget that you’re not from around here, but there is a demon who lives in the heart of Eld Forest. His name is Boruta,” she said, distaste wrinkling her nose while she almost spat the name. “His lair is days from here, near the center of these woods, but Boruta moves around within the trees. Not that he needs to catch us personally if the stories of this cursed place are true.” Her voice was barely a whisper with the last words, her eyes far away.

“A demon? Like big, red, with horns and a pointy tail? Seriously?” He thought she might be cracking a weird joke, but her eyes were serious, and she nodded sharply.

“I’ve never heard about a tail or horns, but the big and red parts are right. We must keep the trail in sight,” Dara said, the words full of certainty. “When we set up camp tonight, it will have to be within sight of the trail, if not right on the trail itself, at least to be safe from the demon. It will not attack those on the path due to the Accord.”

“Camp right on the trail? Wouldn’t anyone be able to stumble across us? It seems we either have to stay safe from this demon by camping out in the open or being safe from others by hiding our camp in the woods.” His mind whirled as he thought about the situation, and more questions popped into his head. What was the limit of this protection? How did it work? Did it work for everyone? Were there more bandits nearby? More questions piled on as he felt himself getting worked up but stopped and took a deep breath.

Talay.

“Okay.” Another breath. “Okay. You’re the expert, and maybe we’ll find a way to do both, so let’s keep an eye out for the right spot to camp as we go. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather find a good secret camping spot and lose time than expose us to more attacks from bandits, demons, or random travelers. How’s that sound?”

“Yes. I’ll also look for a good spot,” she nodded her head with the same serious air.

“Great. It sounds like for now, though, it’s strictly us staying on the trail. But I want to hear more about this Accord as we move.” Standing up, he held out his hand for her too. “Ready to get going?”

Another nod from her, though she got up under her own power, ignoring his outstretched hand. He almost snorted at the hurt feelings that briefly flashed through his head. Cultures and people were different, and he didn’t need to get butthurt because she was tough enough to stand up without his help.

Dara gathered her blankets, clearly starting to pull their things together, and he moved about and stored the items as they cleaned up their impromptu camp.

This DS does make life easier. It feels like cheating, and I love it.