Scott relied on what the two men had said: Carree would hunt him down. A figure moved quietly through the jungle below, and Scott assumed it was Carree. Carree paused nearly with each step.
Scott frowned. He blinked rapidly. Was his mind playing tricks on him? The jungle seemed to come alive around Carree. Plants swayed in front of the figure, as if to conceal them, until they wanted to move forward. Then the plants swayed out of the way.
Prior to earning his ability, Scott would have thought that Carree moved silently. With his new ability, he heard the soft soles of a boot press leaves together. The air perceptibly swished as the jungle flora swayed to aid Carree.
Carree froze and deepened their crouch. Under the hood of their cloak, Scott could only see their nose. It pointed straight at the lean-to. Scott breathed as shallowly as he could over the five minutes that Carree spent still. Then they moved toward the lean-to. Carree’s breath plumed slow and even. Daggers appeared in their hands as they closed in on the lean-to. They peered inside and then leaned in. Carree lowered their daggers, stood, and gazed about.
Scott withdrew all his rocks at once and let them fall. Air whooshed as the rocks plummeted, and Scott hoped they would hit before Carree heard them. The first and largest rock cracked upon Carree’s head. The rest of the rocks clattered together and thumped the jungle floor as Carree fell prone.
Opening again closed wounds, Scott shimmied down the tree. He heard his own heart beat, and it was racing. He stumbled over to Carree’s body, hefted a rock, and then he bashed Carree’s head.
Every crack, every thunk made new adrenaline bloom in Scott’s belly. He gasped when he paused, panting, to gaze at what he’d done. Carree lat unharmed. He turned the body over with a shove of his foot. Carree was a man. His head was intact, but he seemed unconscious.
Scott dropped his rock, and he knelt to rip away the hood of Carree’s cloak. Carree didn’t respond, and in a pause, Scott heard Carree’s relaxed breathing.
“How?” Scott whispered, and he gazed up at the tree where he had hid. “How the fuck are you still alive?”
Scott flexed his fingers. He screwed his face as he clamped his hands around Carree’s throat. He squeezed while grunts escaped him in his effort to put strength into his grip. He felt blood rush to his face, and he couldn’t believe how tough Carree’s neck felt.
Carree’s chest rose and fell. Scott was baffled that his efforts were for nothing. He released his grip, and he unsheathed a sharp gasp from his lungs.
“Holy shit,” Scott said as he gasped.
Carree coughed. Scott felt himself begin to panic. If Carree was this tough to defeat while he was unconscious, he would be untouchable conscious. He has to die!
Scott slipped his arms beneath Carree’s armpits. He hefted him, and he dragged him through the jungle and to the beach where he collapsed. Carree was still unresponsive, and Scott’s panic had risen so much that it made him tremble. Carree could wake any second.
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Scott dragged the man by his feet through the sand, over the surf, and out until the water was thigh deep.
He collected Carree’s cloak tunic in a firm grip with both hands. Gritting his teeth, Scott pushed the man underwater, and he held him there.
Bubbles breached and popped. The sun reflected on the crests of waves, and Scott squinted his eyes against the blinding light. Small fish speared the water. Bubbles collected upon the surface.
Carree’s limbs floated. Scott could not believe how difficult it was to hold a body underwater. He found himself second guessing his actions. Scott was firm in reminding himself that the system had killed his neighbors, friends, and family. It had tried to kill him. It had relocated him to a land where this man had gone out to hunt him down. It was him or Scott.
Bubbles moved through the water, single-file. Their pops were increasingly loud, and Scott grunted long and low to keep Carree’s head underwater. He felt like he was fighting not only unnatural buoyancy, but Carree’s unyielding will to live.
“You son of a bitch!” Scott said. He braced himself for a final muster of strength.
Level 48 Lynan slain.
142,000 xp gained.
Level 11 has been reached.
3 stat points have been acquired.
Experience points now reset to zero every level.
Level 17 has been reached.
New abilities and evolutions have been made available at levels 10 and 15.
Select new ability or evolve current ability:
Earth Affinity: All weapons and armor receive 10% improved durability.
Lootist: Some items are made available to loot from deceased.
Tree pads: 10% improved grip and adhesion when climbing. Affects hands and feet.
Regeneration: Wounds heal 05% faster.
Wild Digestion: Absorb 10% more nutrition from wild foods.
Waves slapped Scott’s pants. Water sprayed in his face. The sun still bounced off the water. He thought for but a moment before deciding. Lootist.
New abilities and evolutions have been made available at levels 10 and 15.
Select new ability or evolve current ability:
The same abilities appeared as choices except for one. Instead of lootist there was Strength Progress Multiplier: An extra stat point is allocated to strength when 1 stat point is assigned to strength. Progress under fortification is doubled.
Scott twisted the corpse’s tunic tighter. He closed his eyes. He wanted one thing, yet he needed another. Then there was his current location to consider. He had to go with tree pads.
In his mind’s eye, Scott was given the option to loot the corpse. He received a handful of potions, and a dagger.
Scott wrestled the cloak off the body, and he pushed the corpse out toward deeper water. With his hand shading his eyes he surveyed the beach. He listened for beetles, skeletons, and Lynans. Most likely alone, Scott ventured back into the jungle. There was one thing he felt he badly needed. Oh, sweet sleep.
Scott’s stat sheet:
Level 17
Experience 00,982/50,000
Stat points 16
Strength 10
Wisdom 0
Intelligence 1
Dexterity 5
Constitution 4
Abilities:
Lesser Audial: Hearing radius increased by 10%, hearing sensitivity increased by 10%, 10% improved stereo imaging.
Lootist: Some items are made available to loot from deceased.
Tree pads: 10% improved grip and adhesion when climbing. Affects hands and feet.
Inventory 07/10
Awesome branch
Dagger
4 potions
Soaked cloak