Gale stared at the massive forest predator.
"Round 2," he muttered.
He flipped on Distort, bending light around him to hide where he really was.
The beast jumped forward. Its claws cut through the air.
Gale was already moving. He dashed to the side, faster than he was used to. His hands moved, jabbing the spear at the beast's flank.
The beast twisted away just in time, dodging his attack.
The Phase Touch on the tip of the spear could've ended the fight. He needed to hit it somewhere vital. This beast moved too randomly, much more than the previous beasts. The only thing going for him was that this was only 1.5 garbage trucks big.
He ducked under another swipe, feeling air rush over his head. His Distort made his movements just as random as the beast's, making it miss again and again. But he couldn't keep this up forever. Fatigue set in.
Minutes felt like hours as he danced with the beast. Its claws swiped at him. He dodged. He jabbed with the spear, it twisted away. He jabbed again, it swatted away his spear. Every time, the beast had an answer to his attacks. Every time, he also answered the beast's attack without getting hit. The beast's breath showing no signs of getting tired worried him.
Gale's teeth ground together as frustration built up. He needed an opening, just a second of weakness. But the beast had endless energy. He looked toward the camp. Ollie and Annett watched from behind the wall.
He could ask Annett to help slow the beast down. But what if he did something that got her injured? It was too risky to ask for help.
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed out into the trees. The blue trace curved and hit the beast's leg. It only lasted a blink of an eye, but it was enough.
Gale lunged forward, no hesitation. He slid across the ground, zigzagging like lightning. The gunshot had given a hair's width of a chance—it was enough.
The spear went straight. Phase Touch focused on the tip. It stabbed through the skin first. Then through the muscle into the organs.
The beast roared, thrashing its body. Gale held onto his spear. He couldn't lose it. It was the one chance, one chance, he couldn't let go.
Then, the spear hit a soft spot. The heart. Gale pushed. Channeled every fibre of his muscles into pushing the spear forward even just a couple of more millimetres in.
The beast roared, then turned to sound more like a whine. It dropped down immediately. He had rolled away before its body started to collapse on him, barely avoiding getting crushed.
The dust settled. Gale stood over the dead predator. Foot on its head. Chest heaving. Pride slightly damaged.
The familiar notification dinged in his ears. The system screen popped up and the grains of light flowed out of the beast, swirling into his chest.
[Forest Predator felled.]
[Extracting Origin from prey…]
[Core Density increased.]
[Blood Core part built. Regeneration increased.]
Gale had no time to enjoy his win. His eyes snapped to where the shot came from.
"Ollie, I told you to keep out of it," Gale said.
Ollie stepped out from the bush where he and Annett hid. "I thought I would get a thanks, no?"
Gale sighed. "I didn't ask for help."
"Well, cheer up. Not like I stole your kill," Ollie said.
"Thanks again for helping us. Things could've been a lot worse without you." Annett stood up next. From the look of her face, she was tired as well. Everyone was.
Gale grabbed the dead beast by the head. The huge body meant food for days, plus its bones for more bone tools or armaments.
"Wait," Annett called out. He stopped.
She continued, "Did you want to stay at the camp for a bit? You can come have dinner with us, maybe?"
"Yeah, bro. Consider it a thank you for saving our hides. Again." Ollie said.
Gale's grip on the beast grew tighter. He hadn't expected such an offer. There was only one time that he'd been invited in the orphanage to eat. That friendship didn't last very long.
Eating with others meant socializing. He sighed. All this time, he'd been thinking about his life back on Earth, back in the orphanage. The longing for companionship really was still there. Yet that longing conflicted against his parents' teachings.
Stay low, they said.
"I need to process this kill," Gale said roughly. "Time is-"
"Come on," Ollie cut in. "You've probably had enough of beast jerky. We've got fruits. Fruits for days. For days."
The sound of being able to eat something sweet piqued Gale's interest. His mouth watered at the thought of being able to bite into a juicy watermelon. Or a juicy mango. Those two were his favourite fruits.
"Fruits?" Gale asked.
Ollie's grin grew wider as he reached into his pocket. He showed a grey marble on his palm. "This little baby that cost me another couple of grand does wonders."
Gale squinted at the object. "What is it?"
"Same as the red marble, but more accurate in finding anything edible," Ollie tossed up the marble. It stopped mid air then dropped to their 6. "Watch this."
Ollie walked through the bush and crouched down. He plucked something out of the bush and then got back up. He showed Gale a vine of berries. Then, he touched the grey marble against the berries. The marble began to glow a soft green.
"Green means it's safe to eat," Ollie grabbed a berry and popped it in his mouth. "If it turns black, well... you're not gonna have a good time."
A tool like that could change Gale's whole survival strategy, opening up new food options. He wouldn't be so bored of goddamn beast jerky every day.
"How does it work?" Gale asked quietly.
Ollie shrugged. "It's standard device we get from the Path. Toss it up as you push ether into it. Then you think of something edible."
"The Path?" Gale asked.
"Wait, what… were you a civilian before all this?"
Gale stayed quiet. He didn't know what to say. It was clear Ollie and Annett were special people before all this. They must have been brought here the same way he was.
"Well, never mind about that, it's just some stupid organization anyways. Don't worry about it," Ollie said.
Gale grunted as he hoisted up the forest predator onto his shoulder.
"I'll stay for a meal," he said. "But first, we secure this kill. Can't leave it to waste."
Annett's face lit up with a smile. "Of course! We can help you carry it back to your camp."
"No," Gale said. "I'll carry it myself to your camp. It's closer."
"Fair enough. Lead the way, big sis," Ollie said.
Gale followed Ollie and Annett into their camp. Maybe if Ollie had a spare grey marble, he could make a barter for it.
"How many of those marbles do you have?" Gale whispered.
Ollie's step faltered.
"Just the one," he said. "Why?"
Gale adjusted the beast's weight on his shoulder. "Nothing lasts forever in this world. You should be prepared when you lose it."
Ollie nodded and pretended to smile. "Yeah... yeah, you're right. How about showing us some survival techniques then?"
"Maybe," Gale said.
When they got inside the camp, Annett turned to Gale and said, "Gale, harvest your kill quickly. I'll gather everyone at the cafeteria grounds and we'll meet there."
Gale nodded and grabbed his bone knife. As Annett ran off, he got to work. The knife cut through flesh and muscle. He'd already memorized all the parts that needed to be cut first.
Ollie watched. "That's... impressive."
"Necessity," Gale mumbled without looking up. His hands moved smoothly, splitting meat from bone, organs from the body. He placed each piece on big leaves he'd quickly gathered.
"Right, I'll be right back." Ollie seemed to remember something and jogged toward a flimsy building like the ones at the infirmary.
Gale glanced up, watching Ollie go before getting back to work. He checked his surroundings, noting every detail of the camp and possible escape routes. There were only 2 ways in and out of this place. The one near where he'd set up his branch camp, and then in the opposite direction. The shack Ollie went into looked barely sturdier than the first shelter Gale made during his first days in the forest.
When Ollie came back, Gale smelled something familiar. A sweet scent filled the air. Ollie carried several weird-looking fruits that gave off a faint glow in the dim light.
Gale's hands stopped for a second, his eyes fixed on the fruits. He knew these right away. They were the same fruits he saw in the forest. The shape was that of a heart and a mango with bulging veins. It still had a weak pulse even though it was already cut from the tree.
"Almost done," Gale muttered to himself. His hands moved faster now, driven by hunger and a strange new feeling of wanting to sink his teeth into the fruit that looked like a heart.
Way to go, Gale. Human hearts making you drool.
Footsteps approached. Gale's head snapped up, body tensing. But it was just Annett, helping a pale but much better looking Rachel.
Rachel's eyes lit up when she saw Gale.
"You came," she said, sounding warm but surprised. "Thanks for joining us."
Gale grunted without looking up. He finished his work and wiped his hands on a piece of leather.
"It's done," he pointed at the neat piles of meat, organs, and hide.
"Fantastic," Ollie clapped once. "Shall we head to the cafeteria then?"
They went to an open area with several makeshift tables. Other survivors were already gathering, curious eyes fixed on Gale.
As they sat at one of the tables, Ollie handed out the glowing fruits. Gale held one, studying it closely. The skin was smooth and cool, giving off a faint hum.
"Go on," Rachel smiled as she bit into hers. "They're safe, I promise."
Gale waited another moment, then took a bite. Sweet and tangy, like cherries and oranges mixed together, unlike anything he'd tasted on Earth. He closed his eyes to enjoy it, letting himself feel vulnerable.
When he opened them again, the others were watching him, some snickering. Gale's cheeks got hot. Too much attention.
"Good, right?" Ollie grinned. "Bet it beats forest beast jerky."
Gale nodded and took another bite to avoid talking. While eating, he looked at the survivors around him, checking their strengths and weaknesses. Most looked tired but well-fed. Their clothes were a mix of modern stuff and handmade items, similar to his own leather outfit.
"Ollie…," Gale finally said. "What is… the Path?"
"Well, it's not really a big deal," Ollie said. "Back on Earth, there were people like us living among the regular folks. Most civilians have no idea there's magical stuff happening around them."
Gale leaned forward, "and the Path?"
"It's one of the main factions," Ollie explained between bites of fruit. "They're based in North America. Big on firepower, not so much on defense. They're the ones who gave me this," he showed his pistol and the gray and red marble.
"The Path isn't the only faction. There's others. Each has their own strengths, history, and... philosophies." Rachel said.
This was all new to Gale. It felt like something from a fantasy book where a hidden society existed under normal society. So different from the simple survival life he lived on Earth.
"And you?" Gale looked to Rachel. "Which faction are you from?"
Rachel's expression tightened slightly.
"That's... complicated. I'm not from one… I'm from a family," she said after a pause. "It's complicated and it'll take too long to explain."
Gale nodded. He turned back to Ollie. "So these factions, they're fighting each other?"
Ollie shrugged. "Sometimes. It's more like a cold war most of the time. Lots of posturing and secret ops, kinda like the James Bond secret spy movie stuff except blended with magic. A lot of magic. But anyways, I'm only a trainee and my goddamn teacher left me at a crucial time and got me stuck in all this bullshit!"
"And now we're all here," Annett said. "Factions, families, civilians, everyone thrown into this... place."
Gale thought about what he had just heard. These people had their own lives in their secret society. If these kinds of people and factions existed, there could be other people in this forest who would have powers the same as theirs. They could pose a danger to the group.
A distant howl echoed along the forest's sky. Everyone quieted, and only the murmurs of the children could be heard.
"What was that?" someone whispered, sounding scared.
"Beasts," said Gale, still eating his fruit. "Far. Don't worry about it."
Rachel spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. "Everyone, Gale here saved us in the forest when we were out for two whole days."
Murmurs rose up slowly. Eyes turned to look at Gale. He shifted in his seat, wanting to run from all the attention.
"This little dude?" someone asked, sounding doubtful. "Took down those beasts?"
"You should've seen him. He moved like lightning, tearing through those monsters like they were made of paper." Ollie made hacking and slashing motions with his hand.
Whispers spread through the group. Gale looked from face to face, muscles getting tense, ready to run or fight.
"He looks like something out of a nightmare," one survivor said, pointing at Gale's outfit.
Another laughed nervously. "Yeah, but he saved us. He's a nightmare against those beasts!"
"Nightmare boy, where did you learn how to fight?" added another.
"What's the point of asking that? You're too old to learn now," said one of the older men.
Gale's chest got tight. All this attention and praise felt strange and too much. He never had anything like this back on Earth. Everything in him screamed to run away, to go back to being alone.
He stood up, chair scraping against the ground. But before he could move, Rachel grabbed his arm. Her touch was gentle but firm. He couldn't pull away. Something in her eyes, gratitude and pleading mixed together, made him stop.
He sighed and sat back down.
Rachel's warm smile eased some of his anxiety from all the attention. She reached for a nearby basket of fruit.
"Here," she said, putting more glowing fruits on his plate. "It's everyone's way of saying thank you."
Gale looked around the table and noticed others had fewer fruits, some barely any at all.
Rachel seemed to notice his discomfort.
"Without you," she said softly, "I don't know if we would have come back alive."
Her honest words hit something inside Gale. He froze, unsure what to do. He wasn't used to getting or giving thanks.
As he sat there, stuck in his feelings, Rachel moved her hands. With mischief in her eyes, she picked up a fruit from his plate. Before he could react, she put it in his open mouth.
He chewed, the flavours making him forget his worries for a moment.
"There," Rachel said. "Can't argue with your mouth full, can you?"
A few laughs went through the group, and Gale felt his cheeks get warm. He swallowed the fruit, the taste lingering.
"I... thank you," Gale said.
Ollie smacked him on the back, almost making Gale choke on the last bit of fruit. "No need to be so formal. Just go with the flow, y'know?"
He looked around the table again at all the faces treating him like a hero. Their smiles were real, and their gratitude felt strange. It was... uncomfortable, yet nice.