The woods around the inn get dense quick. Quicker on this side of the road than on the other. Jordan said they appeared overnight and have been growing fast. There’s barely enough space for me to swing my bar around. If this is a couple of days’ growth and it doesn’t slow, this will be a wall of trunks before long.

I fight the urge to run ahead until I find something to bash. Terry told me to use every chance I get to train my skills, and I know he meant it to mean those I don’t have either. So, I crouch and study the ground. I’ve never done this. I barely look down when I walk, so I have no idea what I’m doing. But I also had no idea how to block with my bar or parry, and I got those skills now.

Skill Acquired: Tracking, Level 1

You have gained the ability to follow the trail left by someone or something, at a high enough level, you can gather information on your quarry.

The skill works in conjunction with the perception skill.

And there it is. Unfortunately, that doesn’t tell me how attentive I have to be to raise it, and I don’t have all day. I decide to walk while I study the mossy ground. It’s not running blindly, but it’s moving me forward. Jordan said there are more creatures like the bear, so I’ll hopefully find one that way.

* * * * *

Tracking Skill has gone up a level: Level 2

Fifteen minutes of walking, watching the ground, and listening for any sound out of the ordinary. I want to complain it’s taking too long, but I’m learning out of basically nothing. So it’s going faster than it would have before.

I stop, unsure why. Then I hear the snuffling again to my right. I stepped in that direction and the sound stops as leaves and branches break under my foot. I’m going to have to add moving quietly to the skill to practice.

Well, it knows I’m here now.

I run, bar at the ready and it roars, a sound like that of the bear I fought made, if not as loud.

We meet a hundred meters later, a near-identical copy of the armored bear, except it’s half the size. I remember I want to train and don’t attack.

Dodge is my lowest skill at seven, so the plan is to get it up one before I go on the offensive.

The problem with that idea, I discover quickly, is that being bad at dodging means taking the hits, and that thing hits hard enough I can see the drop on my health bar each time. It also hurts.

After a fifth of my health is gone and no skill increases, I have enough. My attacks aren’t pretty, but I try to put thought into what I’m doing, and I think I can tell when it’s trying to dodge and I manage a few hits.

You have killed an Armored Bear(normal). You gain 1000 XP.

The message comes up as I land my last blow to its head, and the bear drops. That puts me at nearly ninety-five thousand experiences out of who knows how much. It doesn’t tell me what I need for the next level, which Terry said is standard in most games.

I throw the bear over my shoulders and make my way back, studying the ground, looking for my own trails.

Tracking Skill had gone up a level: Level 3

Another fifteen minutes?

The inn is busy when I reach it, with people working in the garden, some butchering animals, someone even had a fire pit going and it roasting something that might be a pig. A woman by the butchers, wearing a blood-covered apron, motions me over and I drop the bear on the tarp at her feet.

“That’s got to be the biggest thing brought back,” she says as I walk away. No noticeable drop in willpower from the interaction. Good.

Let’s see what else I can bag this afternoon.

* * * * *

Tracking Skill has gone up a level: Level 6

The message pops up moments before I make out the voices of the people still working outside the inn. That’s tracking, dodge, block, parry, staff, and perception skills that have been raised throughout the afternoon. I went up a level after my third bear, and put one point in agility and intelligence, since those two aren’t going up automatically with my levels. I now have three ability points I have no idea what to do with. Raising my switch ability feels like a waste of the points when I now have five others to pick from, but one I want nothing to do with, and the others…

Too many choices.

“Another bear?” the man with the free tarp says as I drop it. “Where are you finding them all?”

“In the woods.” I turn and pause, looking at what the others are working on. The largest thing is a boar. “What’s everyone else bringing back?”

“Rabbits, pigs like that one. A wild cat of some sort. I’d say a cougar, but I’ve never seen those in green.”

“I don’t think bears ever came with armor before. We’re going to have to get used to a lot of new things.”

The man nods and glances to the side. “Like talking animals,” he mutters and I walk away to cut down on the loss of willpower.

He doesn’t deserve the air he breathes.

Like you’d be any different, Dad.

I consider going back for more hunting, but the sun’s getting low. A forest with unknown creatures in it after dark can’t be a safe place to be in.

The inn is busier inside than out, with so many people eating they’re doing so standing. I look at the back and frown. I’m confident the stairs weren’t there when I can in initially.

“Where did these come from?” I ask Jordan as he walks by after serving a table.

“There’s been enough people buying I was able to upgrade, and since I can do barter, I’ve had people get my what’s needed to build the second floor.” He looks at me. “Didn’t you notice it when you were outside?”

So much for that extra point in perception.

“I’ll put you on the list as next to get a shower.”

“You have running water?”

The man grins. “Hot running water. For as medieval as everything seems to be turning into, there’s a few extras they didn’t have. I can’t do much for your clothing, though.”

“They’ll be fine.” There was no notification about that, but my employee of the month set repairs itself.

“Let me get you something to eat that’ll take care of your injuries while you wait. It’s the least I can do for all this.”

He’s back with a plate with a steaming steak on it, along with vegetables on the side. That looks more elaborate than what he served me before. I focus on it.

System Query: Jordan’s grilled steak with vegetables, good

Jordan’s Inn specialty.

Armored bear flank grilled to perfection, coated in a garlic and honey glaze served alongside steamed wild vegetables.

Perception check successful: heals 300 hit points on consumption and doubles healing rate for the next 5 days.

Those are significant bonuses. Eating this takes care of any injuries I had. It’s really good too. When I return the place and fork to the counter, the woman there tells me my shower is ready.

The second floor is one hall with doors on each side. I can hear people in them. By the sound, the couples are releasing some of the stress of the last few days. The room I’ve been told to use is as basic as it gets. A bed, a dresser, and the shower in the corner with only an oiled sheet to keep the water from splashing everywhere.

The knobs look normal enough, with one for cold and one for hot water. I get under the hot jet clothed and scrub the dirt and blood out of them as I undress. Then I enjoy a long and very hot shower.

* * * * *

Towel drying clothing isn’t effective, even magical self-repairing armored clothing needs to dry the normal way. So I’m dressed in jeans and a shirt and even if they feel no different from the armored pants and jest, I feel more vulnerable. I bring up one of my new options for abilities.

System Query: Protection aura

You generate an aura that grants protection to yourself as well as anyone in your party. For each level in this ability, you and your party members receive 5 points of protection against all non-magical attacks for each person who is in the party.

Added effect due to Switch ability: the person designated as the guardian’s ward benefits from the protection even if they are not part of the party.

Right now, that’s an extra thirty-five points, but because it depends on the party size, I know Terry’s going to want to add people to it. And I’m not sticking with them past Harrisonburg. It’s not exactly useful when traveling alone.

“I hear someone’s got something against the bears,” John says between bites. “You need to have one of those. It’s delicious.”

“Had on before my shower. And I think they have something against me. You didn’t come across any?”

“Biggest thing I found was one of those green panthers. Terry brought down a boar that weight as much as he does. Everything else was more in line with what I’d expect to find in Virginia. You going to claim one of the rooms for the night?”

“I’m leaving them for those who need the privacy. I’m going to find a spot outside, away from everyone.”

“That’s going to put you in the woods.”

I shrug.

“In the night.”

“I’m going to be sleeping.”

“Where the bears can get to you.”

I swallow my reply. Okay, maybe I need to rethink my sleeping arrangement.