Chương 2: The Lore of the Land

Ch. 02 - The Lore of the Land [Skills]. [Classes]. The fundamental difference in this world. No one has a clear answer as to how they came to be, or at least not to my satisfaction. People just accept it as a normal facet of life. Even the oldest kingdoms, with records going back thousands of years, have little more than fragmented and contradictory myth. I have my own theories now, evidence I have collected in my travels.

Ironically, it is entirely possible that I have the clearest understanding of why we [Level] out of any mortal living …

and yet I find myself unable to share this information. It is too dangerous, the balance of power lies on the edge of a knife. Even if it is ultimately futile, I will not be the one to tip the scales in their favour. To allow them back in. - from the writings of Steadholder Eckhart The five of them stowed their belongings again, and readied themselves. They all had weapons, even though they were of the makeshift variety.

There hadn't been much ammunition remaining by the time the expeditions had set off, and the guns had been deemed too valuable to risk losing. And so, as the initial foray into the forest was only supposed to be a few days at most, they had been issued with spears. Of course, calling them spears was being kind. They were staves with combat knives affixed to them.

Wyatt was mostly glad of his because it made for a handy walking stick, but even so he still practiced along with the others every time they stopped to rest. He'd had training from his Grandmother when he'd been younger, but now Wyatt wished he'd taken it more seriously. The only person who wasn't using a spear was Royce, who had taken his knife off the staff, saying that a blade in his hand suited him better. Suited his [Class] better. It had happened the first time they had slept.

A voice had sounded within their heads, jolting them awake. Announcing their [Class], [Levels], and [Skills]. It had seemed impossible, and only the fact that everyone had experienced it convinced Wyatt that it wasn't some kind of delusion brought on by exhaustion. They had been awake for nearly thirty hours by his reckoning, the first time they had rested.

As soon as they had realised they were lost, they had desperately tried to find their way back, sure that the valley was just out of sight, that if they pushed on just a little more they would leave the forest. Instead of freaking out, Wyatt had done his best to keep his cool. He'd defaulted to what he knew; surviving out in the wilderness. He'd spent years wandering the woods and fields around his grandparent's farm, trying to find what meagre pickings there were.

In comparison, finding food and water in this forest was relatively simple, even if he'd had to do the Universal Edibility Test that his Gramps had taught him before he'd risk even nibbling on anything he'd foraged. Perhaps this explained why he had the classes that he'd been given. While he slept, that strange voice resounded in his head. Heralding the upheaval of everything that Wyatt knew to be real. [Conditions Met: Survivalist Class Assigned!] [Survivalist Level 5!] [Conditions Met: Forager Class Assigned!] [Forager Level 4!] Wyatt had been confused as to why he wasn't starting at level 1, but he guessed that it had something to do with accumulating experience? That was his theory at least. Whatever the reason, both classes had also given him a number of [Skills]. They were strange skills as well. Oddly worded. [Survivalist] had given him two active skills and what appeared to be a passive skill.

[Skill — A Safe Place to Rest] [Skill — Water Purification] [Skill — Lesser Fortitude] [A Safe Place to Rest] let Wyatt unerringly find the best and most secure place for them to camp. The skill didn't give him a map or glowing arrow or anything like that; Wyatt just suddenly knew that there was a secure place to rest if they kept travelling in a certain direction. It was perhaps the main reason why they hadn't yet run into any trouble while they slept. [Water Purification] was perhaps even more important though.

It gave Wyatt a way to ensure their drinking water was free from contaminants. He could only use it three times a day, but it had solved their water needs as long as they drank sparingly. [Lesser Fortitude] seemed to just make Wyatt more … accepting of their current predicament. It didn't stop him from worrying or planning, but it helped him maintain confidence that he could overcome whatever life threw his way.

He wondered if he'd received the skill because he'd been doing his best to keep an even keel since they got lost, doing the breathing exercises his Grandmother had taught him. Wyatt had had a few close calls when he'd been alone hunting in the wilderness surrounding his grandparents farm — even a bear once, for all that it had been weak and malnourished. He'd been taught to think before acting, that instinct wasn't always right, and that if you prepare enough you can overcome anything.

So, in a way, it made sense that he'd been given [Lesser Fortitude] Of course that also raised a number of questions as to how whatever process was assigning skills knew that much about him. [Forager] had only given Wyatt one skill so far, but it was the one he had the most trouble with. It was worded in such a way that it made him think that something somewhere was having a laugh. [Skill — I Can (probably) Eat That!] Wyatt figured he'd gotten that skill since he'd been so careful with using the Universal Edibility Test before eating anything. But that just opened up more questions. How did whatever was in charge know about it, or was it just going off his actions? Was this really some kind of game like David said? But if so, why did it only start after they had entered the forest? They had been in the valley, in this new world, for weeks before any of this had happened.

Whatever it actually was, using [I can (probably) Eat That!] was certainly much quicker than going through the entire process of rubbing the food on your skin, then your lips, then a tiny part in your mouth, waiting after each step for any adverse reactions. Like with [Water Purification], Wyatt could only use the skill three times in a day.

He'd worked this out through trial and error; there were no descriptions or instructions on how to use their skills Unlike Wyatt, the others had all been given the same class, that of [Soldier]. It was a distinctly martial class, with passive buffs to stamina and strength. There were no numbers or percentages given, but his companions all reported that they felt stronger than they did before.

Wyatt hadn't told them about his own [Lesser Fortitude]; it seemed kind of useless next to [Lesser Strength] or [Lesser Stamina]. Either way, his classes and skills were very different from those of his companions. That Wyatt hadn't been given the [Soldier] class perhaps spoke to his own goals and desires. He hadn't joined up with the expedition to be a soldier; he'd joined up for a fresh start in a world that wasn't broken.

In the beginning no-one had cared that Wyatt didn't have the same class as they did; they'd just been happy that he was able to help them survive. The first few days had been full of praise and wonder each time Wyatt had managed to keep them fed and watered. But, as time went on, some distance had formed between him and the rest of the group. Particularly when the others had begun to get their own unique classes. Anders had soon gained the class of [Squad Leader] in addition to his [Soldier] class.

It didn't appear to come with any useful skills that Wyatt had seen, and he figured that Anders had only got it because he kept trying to keep them all on track. It further solidified his theory that your actions and desires informed what you were given. Poor David had gained the [Loyal Follower] class, perhaps after he'd backed Anders one too many times, while Royce had been assigned [Hunter] after he'd managed to kill some kind of ground rodent.

It hadn't been a clean kill, so Wyatt was privately surprised that it warranted a whole class. Royce had basically chased and scrambled after the small animal before stabbing it so many times that there was barely enough of it left to eat. As for Sam, Wyatt suspected she had a class in addition to [Soldier], but she'd been characteristically cagey about it. As with the first time, classes and levels were only given after they had fallen asleep.

The first few times they'd rested had been interspersed with exclamations and excitement whenever one of them had gotten a new class or skill. They'd all talked together, trying to figure out what was going on and what it all meant. Why they'd only received this power after they had left the valley. They had a lot of theories — particularly David, who'd been into rpg's when he'd been younger — but in the end it was all speculation. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen.

Please report the violation. This was the world they were in now. Which brought them to this moment. It was time to focus, even if Wyatt privately thought that what they were doing wasn't the best idea in the world. The only animal they had seen since entering the forest was the ground rodent that Royce had killed to get his class. If that was what they were after, Wyatt didn't see the point. And if it was something else, something bigger …

well, Wyatt wasn't sure he wanted to run into any large animal that called this place home. The forest was unlike any ecosystem that Wyatt had ever seen. It was obviously, overwhelmingly alive, but at the same time seemed devoid of life. Wyatt had been keeping a practiced eye out for tracks, but hadn't seen a thing. The only sign that he'd spotted were, rather worryingly, scrapes and marks on some of the massive trees; high enough up the trunk that it made Wyatt very uneasy.

It reminded him of bears marking their territory. Wyatt's Gramps had drilled into him from an early age what to look for when out in the wilderness. What signs meant imminent danger and to tread warily. It had been mostly theoretical, except for that one sickly bear, as the Cataclysm hadn't just been hard on humanity; all life had been affected in one way or another. Even so, Gramps had drilled warning signs into his head over and over before he'd reluctantly let him go out on his own.

So the scrapes on the trees had made Wyatt very watchful, for all that they'd not seen any other sign of what could have made them. He gripped his spear firmly, making sure his breathing was even and his muscles relaxed. His eyes scanned the surrounding forest, peering into the gloom as far as he could. Wyatt could feel Sam's eyes resting on him now and then as she kept pace slightly to one side.

They were all travelling in silence until Anders, walking as close he could to Royce without actually taking the lead, spoke to the [Hunter]. His voice was low and hushed.

"Royce, how far away is it?" Royce spared a glance at Anders, and Wyatt couldn't help but notice that the rangy man's eyes seemed to be burning with intensity and excitement. Royce grinned tightly, speaking in short and sharp sentences.

"Not far. It's … stationary. I think. At this pace … maybe ten minutes." David hurried forwards a few steps, his face going crimson as he stumbled on a root and banged his spear against a trunk of a tree. His shoulders shrunk as Anders turned a frown on him. David lowered his voice even softer than Anders.

"Sorry, um, sir. Are we after some of those ground squirrels? Like a lot of them, like a nest?" Royce scoffed at that. He had one hand resting on the knife on his belt, gripping the hilt tightly. He didn't bother looking at David, keeping his gaze on whatever it was that his [Skill] was directing him too.

"Nah, boss said he wanted a decent meal. So that's what we are hunting." At hearing that, Wyatt sped up slightly as well, just close enough that he could talk without raising his voice.

"You can choose? When you use that [Skill]?" Royce didn't bother answering Wyatt, just clenching his jaw tightly enough that you could see the muscles in his cheek spasming. After a moment, Sam huffed out a breath full of annoyance. She poked Royce in the shoulder with the butt of her spear. Royce spun around, looking outraged.

"Bitch, what are you —" Sam gave him a steady and unbothered look.

"Don't be a child. Information is important. You can choose a target with your [Skill] even if you can't see it?" Royce's face mottled, but Anders' made a small noise of warning that brought him up short. Even so, the [Hunter's] voice was tight and grudging as he answered.

"Yeah. I don't have a list or something I can pick and choose. I just think about what I want to hunt, and it shows me the way. I've been practicing with it." Anders nodded in approval at hearing that.

"Nice work." Royce looked smug and pleased at the praise, but Wyatt was thinking hard. His grip tightened on the haft of his spear and he looked hard at the [Hunter].

"Wait, so you know what it is that your [Skill] found? Why didn't you tell us you can find animals in this place? Dammit, Royce — you know what that sign on the trees could mean. If you're leading us to a bear …" Royce didn't seem like he wanted to answer Wyatt directly, so he looked at Anders, directing the reply to their leader like he was the one who had asked.

"Not a bear — a deer. Something decent, like a buck. My pap had a head mounted on his wall from the before times. Would love to see what a deer in this world looks like. Heh, and tastes like." Anders nodded again, looking eager. His voice took on the overly cheery tone he used when he was trying to 'encourage' the group"Venison? That would be well worth it! I'm not sure I could take another night of mushrooms and tubers. Uh, not that you finding them wasn't very helpful, Wyatt."

Anders offered a slightly condescending nod towards Wyatt for keeping them fed over the past week, but Wyatt barely paid attention. He was thinking fast, wondering how hard [Lesser Fortitude] was working to keep him calm. A deer? That didn't sound too bad, but how accurate was Royce's [Skill] anyway? Could it differentiate between a white tail deer and something larger? And even if you discounted that, there was no assurance that a deer in this world would be anything like the mundane kind from earth.

From what Wyatt had seen around the settlement, the animals seemed to be a mix of mundane and monstrous. Even the small ground squirrel that Royce had caught hadn't been normal. Its fur had been green. Anders glanced back at Wyatt, seeming to sense his misgivings. He forestalled any argument by addressing the group, clapping his hands together to get their attention..

"So it looks like Royce has found us a deer. We'll get a decent meal for once, and then I'm sure things will improve. Not to mention that we might all level from this! Any new classes or skills might make all the difference. Royce, let us know if anything changes with your [Skill], and tell us when we get close. But let's all keep quiet from now on, as little noise as you can. [Squad Follow my Order]; stealthy as possible, all of you."

Suddenly all five of them were moving faster, hunched over, closer to the ground. They were making far less noise as well; even their packs seemed to have stopped rustling. Wyatt was impressed despite himself; Huh. Maybe the [Squad Leader] class does have some decent abilities. They practically ate up the distance over the next few minutes, to the point that Royce soon held up his hand, stopping them far short of his predicted ten minutes. He backed up so he could speak, his words coming out in a low hiss.

"It's … close. Two trees over, I think. There should be — wait, there! See it!" Anders gripped Royce's shoulder.

"I see it! Nicely done!" Wyatt crouched down by them, studying the stag. At first glance it didn't look all that much different from what he would expect to find back on earth. It was alone, and what it was doing was answering the question as to what had been making the marks on the trees. It was rubbing its antlers against a tree trunk, seemingly engrossed in its task. Marking its territory? Bark rained down upon it, and there was a sound like a dull saw blade as it gouged out grooves in the wood.

And the stag was big. Really big. Sam knelt down next to Wyatt. She swallowed.

"It's certainly … rather large." Wyatt made a sound of agreement. The scene looked mostly innocuous, but something inside was telling him it would be best to quietly leave. It wasn't just the size of their quarry either. It was something else, something he couldn't readily identify. It was the same feeling he'd had when he'd stumbled across the bear; one of imminent danger. Despite their proximity, the stag seemed perfectly at ease, not exhibiting any of the wariness that Wyatt was used to seeing in prey animals.

Added to that, the colours of the animal weren't right either. It hadn't been immediately noticeable at first with illumination from the glowing orbs, but the stag was silver. That wasn't to say it was a mundane grey; its coat was a shining, glittering silver. Also to round off its otherworldly appearance, its underbelly appeared to be a pale yellow, with its hooves and antlers being a shocking white hue. Wyatt nodded, glancing at Sam.

"Yeah, this is a bad idea." Sam bit her bottom lip, a rare expression of worry on her face.

"I think you might be right." Royce meanwhile was whispering to Anders. He had pulled his knife out of its sheath and was gripping it tightly as he stared at the stag.

"Alright, I have a stealth [Skill]. It doesn't last that long, but I should be able to circle around to the other side of it. Then it's [Quick Stab] time. If you charge in once I engage, we should be able to make short work of it." Anders smiled widely. He was carefully shrugging out of his pack and readying his spear.

"That's a sound plan. We'll start to move when you do, slowly. Then we—" Wyatt moved closer, taking hold of Anders by the shoulder.

"Wait, hang on. Anders, this is an unnecessary risk, we don't even know what that thing can do." Royce bared his teeth at Wyatt, growling.

"Boy, if you fuck this up for us, I swear I'll—" Wyatt ignored him, willing Anders to listen to him.

"Anders, listen to me. Just look! That's not an ordinary deer. Remember those ducks we hunted on the streams near the settlement? And then those variants appeared, the ones with all the teeth in their bills? I know you do, that was the first casualty since we arrived on this world. That poor guy got his throat ripped out — by a duck! Royce's skill worked, that's great. But if we jump in like this one of us could get hurt. Or worse. It's not worth it."

Anders looked at him incredulously, his face swiftly tightening into anger. He shrugged his shoulder out from Wyatt's grip.

"It's a deer. It's a deer, and we're hungry. What's going to get someone hurt is if you don't pull your damn weight. We have [Skills], we can do this. We are doing this, so shut up and do what I say." Wyatt blinked. Anders echoing Royce's opinion like that wasn't a good sign. He'd disagreed with their leader before, but this was the first time that Anders had lost his temper like this at Wyatt. Sam suddenly exhaled, and pointed.

"Wyatt's right. Look, it's hard to see, but when it rubs its antler next — look! Is that a … spark?" Wyatt squinted. It was hard to see because the glowing lights tended to hang around the trees, but Sam was right! The next time the stag carved a groove in the trunk, what looked like an electric surge sprung and danced across the tines of its antlers. Wyatt looked sidelong at Sam.

"Hey, nice eyes." Sam made a dismissive sound in the back of her throat, but she looked pleased. David shifted uneasily behind them all. He peered into the gloom, trying to see what it was that they were looking at.

"I … don't see it? Electric? Do you think it's dangerous?" Royce sneered.

"Of course it is. Any animal can be dangerous. So it has electric antlers — so what? You avoid those in any case. And it doesn't matter; I'm going to stab it before it even knows I'm there." Wyatt's feeling of unease grew. He reached out for Royce, but Anders grabbed his wrist. Their leader nodded at the [Hunter].

"Do it. We'll be ready." Royce grinned mockingly at Wyatt.

"Skill lasts four minutes. Wait half a minute after I leave then start moving. [Shadow Walk]." Shadows engulfed Royce, and Wyatt bit back a curse. He briefly saw the other man start to creep forward, and then he was gone. David gaped, staring after the now invisible Royce.

"Holy crap. Did you know he could do that?" Anders shook his head, looking a little unnerved himself.

"No. [Hunter] is a better class than I realised. Get ready, twenty seconds and we move out. I have one more use of my command skill before its on cool-down. I'll use it when we begin." Wyatt leant his pack against a nearby tree and gripped his spear tightly. He found himself next to Sam, waiting for Anders to give the signal. He muttered quietly to her.

"What kind of [Hunter] has [Shadow Walk] and [Quick Stab]?" Sam grimaced, but shook her head.

"Later." Wyatt nodded, and breathed out slowly. Everything about this was telling him it was a bad idea, but he wasn't going to leave anyone in the lurch. Not even Royce. Wyatt steadied his breathing, willing himself to relax again. His heartbeat slowed, and he stared at the stag, taking note of how it moved and trying to judge how fast it would be. Just like his Gramps had taught him — prepare as best you can, and then act.

If he couldn't stop this from happening, at the very least he was going to stop anyone from getting hurt. Unlike Wyatt, Anders was breathing fast, his muscles rigid. He lifted a hand, watching the stag intently. Then he breathed out, dropping his hand.

"That's it, times up. Let's go — [Squad Follow my Order]; Let's kill that deer."