The System screen, meeting his group, princess arrives.
No matter what he did or how much he walked, David couldn't throw off the feeling that someone's gaze was constantly fixed on his back. He sighed, rolling his shoulders to ease his uncomfortably tensed muscles. He had walked off to in random directions, even dived into a river just for the sake of it.
But even then...even underwater he had still felt as if someone was very close to him and watching him intently.
He wanted to shake if off as an unsecured feeling but could he really do so when literal goosebumps were appearing on his neck and forearms from time to time?
Obviously, he has his own doubts as well. Ever since he had come out of....ahem, rushed out of the dungeon, he had felt it. And there could only be one suspect behind it all.
Princess Valerie. One of the main candidates to the throne of Windsor Kingdom.
'Unless she is completely invisible and is indifferent to all my attempts at spotting her, I don't see any person stalking me then.' David thought inwardly.
He had practically felt the strange gaze prickle his skin when he was transferring mana into the direwolf's body.
'Oh right... Should leaving it resting in its weak state a good idea?' The direwolf's injuries has been healed, thanks to the regenerating skills and alpha direwolf generally has. But mentally it was exhausted and while the physical injuries has been removed, the sore muscles haven't been.
And thus, he had let it rest all alone in the forest. 'Well, I don't think any other creature shall be that foolish to approach an alpha direwolf.'
He continued on his way as he walked in a straight path. The tress in this region were spaced more closely and looked younger than the old, decaying tress of the east side of the great forest. The grasses also had decreased in their heights but were fresh and glinted with the morning dew.
Finally getting some time away from the unending chaos he had to witness since his memories as David had awakened, he looked at the four dotted structure hovering near his blind spot.
He remembered his clan members, especially the named members of the Hermann family, boasting off this four dotted structure. It was a sign that you were now beyond any normal human in terms of potential. And the Hermann clan? They embraced every bit of strength they could. They took pride in it.
As he had heard from them, he concentrated on the four dots as he whispered softly, "Stats."
Instantly three of the dots moved away from the uppermost right cornered dot, all in three different directions and a screen interface appeared in front of his vision.
For a brief moment, he found himself enamoured with what he saw. He could still see everything beyond the screen quite properly, as if the screen in front of him didn't even exist. But when he concentrated as in when he wanted to see the screen, the surroundings got blocked from his sight as a peach coloured screen appeared before him.
And on it, written in black ink were the following words.
Stats
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Class: Mage(Aspiring)
Abilities: Vision
Pathway:
Elements: Wind
Tier: I (29/300 soul fragments)
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"That looks quite simple...nothing like what I used to see in webnovels." He quietly voiced out his words as his eyes glazed through the contents on the screen.
For the first three stats, he wasn't surprised. He already knew those. But...
'What is the last stat...? And soul fragments must be the number of people or creatures I kill right? I have heard of it. It's the reason why we barbarians are infamous for our savagery.'
David soon realised that there must also be a limitation on what even counts as a soul fragment. Otherwise, people would have been killing mosquitoes or maybe even ants and level up their tiers.
But that shouldn't be the case...so what were the limitations?
'Maybe the next time I meet all the other unnamed clan members, I should flex my stat screen as well. Although nobody else other than me can see it, I can still boast of it haha.' He laughed, remembering all the times his junior self had been jealous of all those people who had flexed their achievements in front of them.
Now it was his turn. Afterall, something is bad unless you are the one doing it. Then, it becomes natural.
"...Not so....t...h....." A faint whisper drifted to David's ears all of a sudden. He perked up at that as his thoughts were suddenly broken.
Even though there wasn't much of a reason, his heart still quivered with a thrill. He recognised the voice he had just heard. Even though it was just a fajng whisper. It was the other nameless girl.
And it was coming from the path where he would eventually be heading to. He fastened up his steps as he almost ran. More out of relief.
Walking alone and thoughts of adventuring in deep, dangerous forests sound fun and all while living in a secured civilised area. But out in the wild and more specifically in an era where evolved beasts roamed the terrain?
"Nah, I would just stick to humans rather than roaming alone and ending up as a meal for some hoarde."
As he walked with brisk steps, the whispers started getting louder. Draven and Shogun seemes to be having a conversation in the native tongue while the nameless girl sounded like she was rambling something unintelligible.
After few minutes, he finally saw them.
At the head of the group, Shogun was talking with Draven. Both of them looked fine enough except for Draven's twisted ankle, his movements a bit limpid. Draven's bow seemed to be missing as well while Shogun on the other hand was dragging the mace along the ground, leaving skidding marks in his wake.
Behind them, the nameless girl walked...no, more like she was hopping and took deliberately long strides as if playing a game only she could see. And beside her...a dark red haired lady walked, her hands gripping the nameless girl for support.
'Lady Lysandra. Draven's wife.' David recalled internally seeing her awake. She was constantly caressing her stomach, probably suffering in discomfort.
Draven noticed it almost immediately and rushed to her side. He nodded to the nameless girl in acknowledgement and took his wife from her.
At the rear, Thorgar walked all alone. Bloodied and shoulders hunched, he almost looked a defeated person. The spear in his hand was now half its original length with the metallic head corroded with dried blood.
Taking a deep breath, David came out in the clearing. His feet stepped on wet grass as a squelching sound behind them halted the group in their place.
Thorgar who was at the back, turned back instantly, his broken spear at the ready. Followed by the others turning back.
"It's me." David called out. Seeing him, the others relaxed.
"You alive?" Thorgar looked amazed, his expression incredulous. David more or less could understand the reaction.
Even Thorgar or Draven would have stood no chance against the direwolf. And yet, he a random nameless, stood here.
"Well, things happened..." He spoke hesitatingly, debating inwardly if he should speak to them about the princess.
The last time he discussed about an enemy with an ally....'Yeah, that didn't go well.' He finished inside his mind.
At that moment, Shogun who was casually standing lazily suddenly went rigid. His eyes gleamed intensely as he in his native tongue shouted. Something that nobody other than Draven and Lysandra understood.
"We are being tracked."