Chương 6

Unable to focus on too many things simultaneously, Hakon discarded [Dash]. It was too complex and drained most of his concentration to use and maintain. A single mistake and the Skill would fail, he'd cough up blood, and the Wind Wolves would pounce on him on all sides. He focused on his bone dagger and [Combat Awareness] instead. The Wind Wolves skulked around him, their snarls ringing in his ears, yet they didn't strike immediately.

The monsters took their sweet time, waiting for him to make the first move instead. But Hakon waited, head flicking left and right until a smaller Wind Wolf let out a deep growl. It shot toward Hakon, moving like the wind, yet it was nowhere near as fast as he remembered the Wind Wolf he'd fought a few cycles ago. Even the mature one he'd just killed had been much slower than expected. He took advantage of that, analyzed the monster's movement pattern, and struck out.

The bone dagger carved a deep gash into the wolf's front leg and would have inflicted a more severe wound if the other Wind Wolves hadn't joined their brethren in time. Three monsters came to their brethren's aid in time, forcing Hakon to rush to the side. Fangs and claws whipped past him as he made a berth around them. He knew [Combat Awareness] flooded his senses with information, but the result was magical.

The Wind Wolves failed to hit him, and he even managed to swipe the bone dagger across one of the larger wolves' snouts. It yelped right as a message from the Ancestors materialized. Hakon willed the message to fade until the end of battle and hurled the bone dagger at the bleeding wolf. His free hand had already reached for one of his handaxes, and his other hand soon followed as soon as the bone dagger struck in the monster's neck.

It didn't kill the wolf right away, the throw too weak, the angle not quite right, and his momentum off. Recognizing the mistakes, Hakon's handaxes raked across the closest Wind Wolf side and neck before he kicked it down, opening a path to the very same wolf he'd just used as a practice dummy. It had retreated to the back to lick its wounds, but ended up with an axe lodged in its skull a moment later. A satisfied grunt later, Hakon retrieved his sword.

Wielding the sword in one hand and the remaining handaxe in the other, he was ready to dispatch the last threats. They eyed him more vigilantly than before, the little intelligence they had finally recognized that he was not the weak prey they thought he was. Carrying two weapons felt natural as Hakon closed the distance, yet the sense of wrongness thumbing in the back of his mind was stronger than before.

He blocked an incoming claw swipe with his sword, twisted the blade, and created an opening for his axe, wounding the monster's leg. It was no severe wound but the Wind Wolf was limping, its greatest strength taken away. He adjusted to the aid granted by Enhanced Comprehension as much as he could afford, but it was too much for him to handle. [Combat Awareness] flared up just in time as he twisted his upper body to escape the wolf he'd cut first, and rammed his sword into its chest.

Swirling around, his arm cleaving down, splitting the second wolf's skull with a sickening crunch. Most of the axe blade disappeared in the wolf's skull and needed a good pull to retrieve. Hakon didn't bother with that and let go of the axe, his attention on the last wolf. It was already injured, its side torn open, blood gushing from the deep cut in its neck, but it was not yet dead.

A swift approach and one slash later, that was no longer the case: The monster's head thudded to the ground, the rest of its body following shortly. The heated battle came to an end. His enemies died, their failure to claw and bite him following into their grave.

"I did it!" Hakon exclaimed, eyes lingering on the Wind Wolves. It was merely a small pack of five, but they were mature and would have easily preyed on him – or just about anyone else – before the Rite. Even right after the Rite, nobody would have escaped the Wind Wolves unscathed.

"Astrid excluded… and maybe Ulfar." He relented with a grunt, pointedly ignoring that Björn and Bloodbearers would have won regardless. They'd be wounded, but their wounds would have healed rapidly, their physical Ancient Powers enhancing their natural regeneration. That does not matter. I survived. Although it was nowhere near a flawless fight, Hakon was satisfied – for now. The next fight will be better. He thought several messages popped up, confirming that he did well enough.

[Dagger Mastery has been recognized. Skill generated. Level adjusted to proficiency.] [Skill [Throwing] has been learned.] [Axe Mastery has been recognized. Skill generated. Level adjusted to proficiency.] He felt like [Combat Awareness] was close to the next Level and that he'd soon have enough experience to level up himself, but that did not diminish the excitement of his gains in the slightest. If anything, his gains affirmed once more that the Ancestors hadn't forgotten him.

"Please accept the flesh and blood of my foes as tribute, oh Great Ones." He intoned, leaving the Wind Wolf carcasses for them to claim – after retrieving his weapons. The bodies disintegrated as he departed bringing a smile to his lips, but he slowed momentarily, eyes narrowed, as something brushed past him. What was that? The sensation disappeared at once, and he resumed his journey, smiling, feeling as though the Ancestors were watching. His first hunt after awakening was a success.

The result far surpassed Hakon's expectations, but it only pushed him to expect more of himself. [Combat Awareness]. A powerful Skill that contributed greatly to his overwhelming victory. His father never mentioned the Skill to him, which urged Hakon all the more to learn and understand it. His fight with the chieftain rewarded the Skill, which now aided him to perceive the battlefield much easier. It was like his senses improved in battle now that he earned [Combat Awareness], but that was not enough for Hakon.

He wanted – no, needed – to understand the inner workings of the Skill.

"I read Father's movements during the spar. Anticipated his attacks. Tried to strike the weak spots." Hakon mused quietly, head drumming from all the thinking, "My movement was better as well. Like I knew where I had to stand… or where I should not stand. The Wind Wolves were simple to dispatch. It was almost too simple. They attacked together, but I… I knew where they were and could react faster than normal. Their attacks were slow. Not too slow to evade easily…" Yet that was exactly what he did.

His ability to assess and adapt to the situation at hand increased rapidly in battle. Hakon's perception was unlike anything he remembered, yet it only lasted until the end of battle. The prodding in the back of his head grew more intense, and he expected the Ancestors to send a message. But [Combat Awareness] did not reach the next level just like that. It would have been too simple.

"One more fight." Hakon calmed his excitement, his attention shifting to [Dash]. The movement Skill had helped him in the battle as well, but it was too dangerous to use blindly. It was not like Hakon disliked the Skill, yet the dangers it carried in combat were not that simple to overlook. The Skill's complexity and how easily it could fail. His father and other Barbarians would beat him for thinking badly about the Ancestors' gifts. Good thing they couldn't read his mind.

Unfortunately, Hakon could not stop reading his own thoughts either. They bothered him more and more as the big words he learned the night before carried ideas and thoughts he would have never dared to think. Not before he awakened Enhanced Comprehension, at least. But now that he did awaken, his Ancient Power of The Mind, things had changed. Everything had changed. He was free to think and to imagine. For the Ancestors rewarded him generously for his creativity.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Deep in thought, Hakon almost missed the rustling bushes to his right. His guard was up once more, and he prepared for yet another bloody battle, only to be faced with a mass of wiggling roots and vines.

"What even is that?" Hakon narrowed his eyes at the plant, but didn't close in on it. Moving plants were usually a sign of trouble. His father told him enough stories of plants that ate great warriors. Some poked the greatest of warriors, breaking their skin before depositing spores inside them… eating them inside out. His father's stories may have been used to scare children, and might as well not be true, but it was best to avoid amalgamations of the forest.

After all, even the greatest warriors respected the dangers that lay within. His venture carried the young Barbarian deeper into the trees. More unique plants met his eyes, and he took it upon himself to avoid all those that appeared like Barbarian-swallowing things. The tree-sized mushrooms he found were not all that dangerous but there were carcasses near them, so he avoided them as well. Especially since those carcasses didn't show any signs of physical wounds.

His mind was rattling as he roamed the forest, making sure to avoid the territories of the strongest monsters – or those he knew about – while also ensuring he'd avoid spots where monsters could strike him by surprise. The latter was not all that easy as the nature around him seemed more alive and flourishing the deeper he ventured. He was sure to have entered the forbidden lands when something wreathed around his heart. It felt heavy all of a sudden, and the pain he'd experienced from using mana resurfaced.

And that while he wasn't even using mana. It was just there, pressuring him, making him feel like he had to turn around and leave. The sensation was eerie, yet Hakon seemed to have forgotten about the forest's danger as he continued onward. I don't care. I need power. He repeated in his mind over and over again like a mantra of some sort. His peers could be taught.

They had methods and techniques to help the young awakened Level quickly and gain certain Skills – Skills tied to their Ancient Power – relatively quickly. To regain the upper hand, he had to take a risk. And that he did. Hakon ventured through the forbidden lands for what felt like an eternity before something caught his attention. Skittering rang in his ears no sooner than a beetle the size of his torso emerged from the undergrowth. It had a dark-brown carapace and it moved toward him in all its might. Alone.

Hakon's ears perked up, his eyes sifting through the bushes, but no more monsters joined the beetle.

"You look a little familiar." He mused, approaching the beetle with his handaxes in hand. The first cleaved down in one swoop, ready to behead the monster when its head jerked up. Hakon leaped back without thinking, his hair standing up to end.

"Why did I ju–..." The question was resolved as soon as the beetle spit a yellowish-green mass where he stood a moment ago. Instead of hitting Hakon, the mass landed on a heap of leaves with a splash, and it ate through it within seconds. Rot spit? He wondered, grimacing at the vivid picture forming in his mind: A picture of the beetle's projectile spreading across his skin rather than the ground. A message formed, but it faded even before it fully materialized.

As small and weak as the beetle appeared to be, its spit was as deadly as the Wind Wolf pack, if not worse. The beetle didn't remain idle. It skittered toward Hakon, spit dripping from its small mouth. One moment, it stood there, and in the next another mass lobbed through the air. It was fast and would have hit its mark if Hakon hadn't stepped to the side already. He closed the distance and hacked at the monster, but it shifted just as fast as he struck.

He knew what was about to happen but finished his attack anyway. The axes struck the beetle, although they only left deep marks on its tough carapace rather than cleave through its neck. An instance later, more of the deadly mass shot toward Hakon. He twisted his upper body until his muscles hurt dearly, but he leaned back as well, relying heavily on Enhanced Comprehension's suggestion. That may as well have saved him from even more pain as a small blob whistled past his chest.

However, he failed evading everything as a few droplets split from the projectile, sputtering in all directions. The smell of burned skin and flesh came first, only then came the pain. Yet it was not the pain that caught Hakon unaware. There was more to the beetle than it let on. His abdomen – the spots he had been struck – hurt only for a moment. They felt numb after a second, which only worsened as the numbness spread. No rot spit. Poison!

Hakon cursed, his perception sharpening as he escaped a few more deadly projectiles until an opening unraveled. He used [Dash] to close the distance in an instance, handaxes overhead, and cleaved downward as the beetle's head flicked up aiming at him. The monster stood no chance. Its head gave in almost too easily and the light of life faded"Soft head. Easy to kill if I move fast enough." Hakon murmured as the beetle collapsed lifelessly to the ground. [Proficiency earned. [Combat Awareness Lv. 1] improved to [Combat Awareness. Lv. 2] Still no Level up. There was something else, like the Ancestors should have rewarded him with another Skill… or improvement, but since he'd awakened Enhanced Comprehension that sensation became the new norm." There is always more." He smiled, but grimaced as he looked down at his bare body. The poison splatters had been a little troublesome. The spots in questions were still numb. Luckily, the poison didn't seem very potent, nor lethal. It wouldn't kill him. Still, struck by too much of the numbing poison, and he'd be eaten alive. That was a scenario Hakon would much rather avoid if possible. He could have avoided it, in the first place. Alas, his thoughts had been too muddled. The forest was a land as wondrous as it was deadly, and Hakon knew painfully little about this area. He hadn't been this deep in the forest in cycles. Never if one put aside the few trips he made with his father. And now he was actually in the forbidden lands. Unchartered land in a way. Or… someone found it and kept it secret, and the Fracture was no longer. No! Hakon shook his head. The Fracture had to be there. Taking a deep breath, he refocused on the surroundings. He was on a hunt alone, trusting the Ancestors would acknowledge the danger he put himself in. They had to. If they didn't, his final attempt to make his father proud, to gain the tribe's honor, and to have the slightest chance of becoming the next chieftain would fail. That was unacceptable!" Use your mind. Ignore the tribe's laughs. Trust Mother's words." Hakon muttered as his mother's words rang in his head.' Survive. It doesn't matter how. Just know that survival comes before anything. Pride and honor mean nothing once you're dead. Your father won't agree. He may even loath me if he knew I told you, but that man is a fool. Trust that little brain between your ears and ignore those muscleheads. Your body is important, but so is the spirit and the mind. Strengthen them with great care, refine them with your whole heart, and repay all those who make fun of you as you age in kind. Make sure the very same fools that made fun of you will bend their knees and bow their heads to you when you rise above them all!' He could not recognize her voice any longer. It should be a familiar sound, a sonorous voice that soothed all the pain, but there was nothing. No familiarity. Even her face was blurry as he willed a memory of her to surface. It was almost like she never existed. Like his memory of her was wrong. But he clearly remembered the time they spent together! There was no way their time together was like one of the Shaman's stomach-churning illusions. They were a disgrace, and his memories with his mother were nothing like that! Calm down. Hakon grunted, shifting his stance. His mother was real and so were his memories of her. It was just that memories fleeted as the cycles passed. Maybe he could find her in the future. Once he surpassed his father. He could bring her back to the tribe, overturning his father's decision to exile her. They could be together once more. Memories of his mother stung as badly as ever. They were worse than the hunts that let to his worst scars. He held onto them anyway. They were all that was left from his mother. Later. Surviving comes first. Then the Battle of Generation. After that– Hakon cleared his mind and lowered his body, gaze flitting from the distant bushes and undergrowth to the nearest obstacles – leaves, roots, branches, flowers, and the like. They were troublesome, a single misstep promising to cause trouble. Moving slowly through the thicket with as little noise as possible was not something he had ever been taught. He could already imagine the warriors laugh at him. Some would probably be angry at him for avoiding honorable fights with monsters, but his method worked. He was still loud, every noise ringing in his ears like thunder, but he adapted slowly, each adjustment creating a little less noise. A pair of beetles greeted him as he moved as stealthily as a tall, bare-chested Barbarian could be. At least, they were as surprised to see him as he was when he emerged in the middle of a grotesque battlefield. No. That was not a battlefield. It was raw, unfiltered carnage. The beetles' surroundings were a mess of burned flesh and paralyzed monsters. A pack of Wind Wolves larger than the one Hakon defeated fell victim to them. And they were not alone either. There were ants, their mandibles cutting easily through their prey. They too were the size of Hakon's torso." Found you." He smiled, only to be ignored by the ants. The monster corpses before them were more interesting than he was. Not that it mattered. He had found what he was looking for. That's them, isn't it?! His doubts were soon replaced by certainty; those were the ants mentioned in the hide scroll. The Fracture had to be near! [Combat Awareness] flared to life, his perception heightening just in time to evade the beetles' spit. He twisted his body, stepped to the side with measured movements, and prepared for battle when something clicked in the back of his mind.