Chương 26: An Unsurprising Ambush

Of the over thirty people who had fought, only six survived, and none of them had done so unscathed. He could so vividly remember standing there, chest heaving, surrounded by the injured, the dead, and the sheltered. Those living statues; safe and cozy inside their impenetrable shields while friends and strangers fought for their lives. Kain thought he might just understand the Skillit kid – Durante. His name was Durante, but he preferred Dan, and he'd survived.

Back in his oceanfront home, Kain stood in the early morning light. To anyone watching, he might have looked calm, relaxed. He finished his coffee, rinsed the cup, left it in the sink, then paused. Returning to the sink he washed and dried it properly. If he was going to be around Scarlet again it was best he re-form habits early. He was supposed to go out today with 'nobody calls me Vince' Sombra – the dagger man who was in fact a vet – and the war-hammer wielder 'Rajveer but everyone calls me Raj'.

They'd formed something of a group. Shared trauma, maybe? They'd had agreed they'd go out and do some 'beach cleanup' as Sombra described their monster hunting plans. He didn't want to cancel those plans, even if his mind had been in a haze during the battle's aftermath. Was he really going to drop everything because of a single text? If she was free to send messages and make plans, it couldn't be that urgent. Could it?

While the death and injury toll was mounting, he was just grateful the power was still on, water still ran, and most importantly, the internet was still working. Though reportedly things had been getting spotty in some places, the world hadn't fully collapsed. Sure, things weren't good, but there were people working on that. Groups like his, only they were doing 'park' or 'city' cleanups. Now he had to decide whether this message would derail that. She hadn't given a timeline, but he knew she meant now.

Or yesterday, if possible. He sat at the table, phone in hand, and questions mounting. How did she know Raj, and why did she want him to bring her. Who was this Rui kid, and did she realize how far out of the way they'd have to go to get him? What did she mean by 'competent individuals', and why couldn't he bring any of these people to the house? Mostly, though, he wanted to know what had happened to her that she'd even consider reaching out to him? Kane sighed and placed his phone face down on the table.

He was going to go. He knew he was. He just needed to work out the logistics. He picked his phone back up.

"Hey Kain," called Dan. Skillit kid was yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes with one hand and holding the cast iron pan in the other as he padded into the kitchen wearing Kain's too big, borrowed clothes. The kid's arm was in a makeshift sling, and the side of his face was bruised badly enough that the discolouration was visible on his rich, ochre skin.

"Sleep alright?" Kain asked.

"Your guest suite is insane, bro. Is your bed made of clouds?" The kid asked as he slumped into a chair.

"This whole house. Dude, you're loaded," he grinned, then winced.

"Thanks?" Kane replied.

"Anyway, thanks for letting me crash after…" He cleared his throat, and by mutual agreement, neither of them mentioned the day before.

"I made some gains though," he said.

"You get a chance to allocate your FS?" Kain had not in fact done that. At that thought he opened his stat sheet and got to work. Name: Kathain Bourne Level: 5 Tier: 0 Stats Per Level (SPL): Base 2 Titles 1 Free Stats (FS): 8 Titles: A Cut Above (+1 SPL): Assist in killing a creature over Level 5 that is at least double your level. This title is upgradable. Traits: Steady Mind: Your mind remains steady. System Guide: Provides System information and responds to user queries.

Stats: Strength: 6 -> 7 Dexterity: 4 -> 5 Vitality: 7 ->8 Perception: 5 Intelligence: 6 Willpower: 5 -> 6 Mana: 3 -> 4 Skills: Swordsmanship (T1): Active. A Skill that assists with basic proficiency when using swords. Absently, he wondered what his sister's sheet might look like. She wasn't the kind of person to fight fist to fist. Without the mixed fortune of mortal peril, he doubted she was anywhere close. <-… -> A metal fox was trying very hard to eat Scarlet's face.

At least, that's what she assumed it was doing from the violent growling and snarling held back only by the length of her cane and the adrenaline that must have been boosting her stats. Only a few meters away lay the bodies of three other fox corpses. To the surprise of no one, they'd tried to ambush her and Maus. To the surprise of the foxes, she'd been able to sense it in time to prepare. Unfortunately, being able to sense it didn't mean they were able to avoid it.

She was quite sure taking the initiative was the only reason she and Maus had survived until this point. So now here she was, fighting literal tooth and nail against a magic wielding fox. How did she end up like this? A few hours before the ambush Scarlet had set off in the location of the tower. She'd given up on trying to move with any sense of stealth through the dense underbrush. It was nearly impossible to muffle her presence when so many plants were just so crunchy.

She had no other way to explain the way the grass seemed to grind against the soles of her boots rather than cushioning her footfalls, or how the leaves clattered to the ground instead of drifting. When brushing past foliage, branches would crackle as they bent, like their joints were popping. It was disturbing. Scarlet found the whole place bizarre. She imagined this might be what it would feel like to have a bad trip on psychedelics.

With the forest basically announcing her presence she'd given up on trying to sneak. Instead, she'd found something of a game trail to follow, though even calling it that was generous. She stayed as quiet as she reasonably could and pushed her senses to the limits to compensate for the conspicuousness of her movements. This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. She pulled up her current objectives. [Phase One Objective: Obtain the Key…] [Sub-Quest 1: Uncover the History of the Vulpian Empire] [Time Limit: End of Phase 1] So, if she were understanding this correctly, in order to complete the quest Scarlet would need to complete a history lesson before she 'obtained the key'. Whatever that meant. If she wanted to learn the history of this Vulpian Empire, the best source of information would be first-person accounts backed up by corroborating evidence.

Barring that, multiple historical records from as many possible perspectives as she could get would be ideal. In fact, while first-person accounts and proof would be the most reliable in helping her learn the facts, understanding would come from the context which she was more likely to find in books. Hopefully, the giant, tower-like structure had what she was looking for, because she really didn't have any clue where to go if it didn't. The huge landmark was the only thing breaking up the monotony of the forest.

Maybe it had a library? Besides, Scarlet wasn't really into the idea of meeting actual people. Her experience thus far with living beings post-integration had not been positive. Maus being the exception of course. Especially when it came to fights, she didn't like her chances against a being with the capacity for both complex thought and strategy. So far, she'd been fighting creatures that, while strong, weren't necessarily inclined to strategize or refine their combat prowess.

She just wasn't yet ready to face something that had both strategy and strength. To be fair, that was part of the reason she'd entered this portal. To learn, to train, to try and bring her body to a level where it wasn't actively hindering her. And to gain experience. Scarlet would never be a frontliner, but she at least needed to be able to defend herself. As though her thoughts were prophetic, she felt something at the edge of her sensory range. No, not just one something, multiple somethings.

These were definitely life signatures. She had felt something like it from the bat when she'd first received her Mana Sense. But more than that, she could feel the way the energy around them was shifting. It was like her Mana Sense was acting as an amplifier for her other senses. Well, she'd wanted to practice. Here was a chance. She began by trying to actively tap into the energy field. Immediately the world gained clarity. It felt as overwhelming as it did right.

Like switching from breathing with her chest to breathing with her diaphragm. Through the energy she could feel the creatures more clearly. There were four of them. Three ahead and one behind. From their alien emotions she could pick up feelings of confusion and curiosity. Scarlet quickened her pace, and when the closest of the creatures was ten meters out, she could sense it locking onto her position. The group sped up. Just how the hell were they managing not to make an insane amount of noise?

She tracked them with her senses, their signatures spreading out. She was no longer just picking up confusion and curiosity. Now there was focus, fixation, and something that sat a little falsely to her senses. It was like the emotional equivalent of that chemical aftertaste in an artificial sweetener. Yes, it added sweetness, but it made whatever it was added to just a little off. Regardless, they weren't any less dangerous.

She didn't have the luxury to dwell as they encircled her, slowly stalking closer as they did. When they reached around the eight-meter mark, Scarlet was done being passive. The best defense is an exceptional offense, she communicated to Maus. Why not reverse the ambush? Through the bond, Scarlet shared her plan, and Maus reluctantly but obediently climbed out of her shirt and dropped to the ground. She would never admit her envy of how he made absolutely no noise as he did so.

Her newly assembled rifle appeared in her hands, pulled from her spatial storage bag, already loaded and ready to go. This would be her first real test run with the weapon. As the creatures approached, she took a risk and tried to Inspect one of the signatures before she could properly see it. Juvenile Earthen Fox – Level 5 Tier: 0 Skills: Earthen Camouflage Stone Quills Alright, a tough fight, but good information made for better odds.

Sure, she didn't get stats, or descriptions, but she had a decent guess at what the Skills did. Not that the camouflage was effective against her perception. She scanned the other two frontrunners. They were both Level 4, and while neither had Stone Quills they both had camouflage. Then there was the one at the back. Adolescent Earthen Fox – Level 7 Tier: 0 Titles: Skulk Master Skills: Controlling Shout Earthen Camouflage Iron Quills Well. That was not ideal. Quite the opposite in fact. Scarlet berated herself.

Wasn't this what she wanted? Challenges and experience. To be tempered to grow. Regret was a useless emotion, and she would not tolerate it. Instead, she channeled her feelings into focus. She took two deep breaths, centered herself in the world around her, and raised her gun. The moment they realized they'd been spotted, the foxes converged. She wanted to target the strongest one first, but it was clever enough to remain behind tree cover.

An alarming increase in intelligence that she really hoped wasn't consistent at the higher levels, though she wasn't optimistic. Instead, she went for the second highest level. She set her aim, and right before she fired she finally got a good look at these earthen foxes. The three in front looked like foxes only with a coat made of quills. Except the quills were clearly some sort of stone or mineral. It was like a rock, porcupine hybrid. From the little she could see of it, the Level 7 looked different, metallic.

The moment she had a clear shot, she took it. It took more than the one or two she'd hoped for to penetrate the Level 5's hide and land anything substantial. The goal was to incapacitate. Maus, hidden in the underbrush, was doing an excellent job of kiting two Level 4s. Scarlet could feel that increase in mana as he put it to work. She also had the distinct impression he was having an easier time using his Skills in the pocket world. Something to consider later.

Perhaps when she wasn't emptying her magazine during a life-and-death fight. Pivoting with precision, she eventually managed to clip all three, reducing their agility just enough that she could dodge. Mostly. Their attacks came fast. She needed to thin the herd. She took a glancing blow that tore into her jacket and scored a nasty gash on her side. In exchange, she was able to cripple one of the Level 4s. That's when she felt the mana shift. The Level 5 was using its Skill.

She dove for the trees, risking the less injured Level 4 getting a clean shot at her. She didn't quite make it to cover. She was mid-dive before it slammed into her, and while it bodily blocked the stone projectiles, it also sent her careening into the stupidly durable tree. Her ribs either bruised or cracked. Caught between a fox and a hard place, she was just glad she'd held on to the gun. Unluckily for the Level 5, charging its Skill had given Maus his opening.

He darted in, Ravaging Bite landing on an already injured section of neck, nearly decapitating the creature and ending its life. Two foxes left. One crippled, one caging her. Maus beginning to flag, and the only way out was through. The rest of the fight blurred into bullets and teeth. She spent rounds just to avoid being cornered and she could feel the wound on her leg reopening as she fought. Ignoring the pain. All the while, her perception wouldn't let her forget the bigger threat in the bushes.

She knew it was there. It knew she knew. Yet it did nothing but watch as she and Maus fought. The behavior made her uneasy, but Scarlet had more immediate concerns. She felt it the moment her dexterity rose. Her dodges came a little more smoothly, her body responded just a fraction more quickly. In such a close fight, it made all the difference. Out of ammo, she sent the rifle to storage and swapped to her handgun.

As she fought, she reached something like a flow state, her actions becoming sequences that linked together as a greater whole. Her head pounded, the pressure behind her eyes mounting as her mind surged ahead of her body. She began anticipating movements, predicting attacks and trajectories, and calculating exactly where she needed to be. Her body was holding her back. She couldn't quite make every dodge, place every limb, be where she needed to be. But she was getting better.

With every dodge, every strike, every pivot and counter, she improved. By the time it was over, she was exhausted, Maus was spent, and the corpses of three juvenile earthen foxes lay around them, ready to be harvested. Of course, that's when the Level 7 made its move.