When the sun rose the next day, Noah was awake to greet it. The skies were cloudy, matching the melancholy air of the morning. It had been another monsterless night, which was eerie in its own way, making one wonder just where the beasts had gone. When the System mentioned the safeguards being lifted, Noah had been sure they would come streaming from the forest at all hours of the day. Given his experience with the System so far, he knew the reality was probably worse than he imagined. He sighed, not for the first time that morning, as his mind produced reasons to stay. Knowing it would be some time before the others stirred, he decided to review his status screen.


    Status


    Name: Noah Denter


    Race: Human


    Grade: F


    Domain: Self


    Caste: Iron


    Gate: 1


    Path: Apprentice


    Level: 13


    Strength: 22


    Dexterity:22


    Constitution: 36


    Intelligence:11


    Wisdom: 13


    Willpower: 14


    XP: 12/100


    Essence: 0


    Stat points available: 0


    He had opted to put a couple of free points in strength and dexterity, feeling their lack after the night in the tree. Noah considered the steps he would need to take to get to the next caste. If his thoughts were right, he would have to get to the next level threshold, the next gate, and the next grade. He had no clue how he was supposed to increase his grade, or even what grade did. The elf, Balkendar had acted like the elves were aware of grade even before the System’s arrival, but the concept was too vague for Noah to guess at. Perhaps he would track down an elf if that became his bottleneck. As Noah looked at his status, he once again experienced that sensation of rightness, each line a clear reflection of his current state. As he examined his numbers, he focused on the second-to-last line, the one that had escaped his understanding to date.


    Essence. It was yet another unknown.


    When Julie woke sometime later she found him seated upright with his eyes closed and a serene expression on his face. She smiled sadly at him and placed her hand on his shoulder.


    “Noah, are you alright?” She asked. He seemed to have a delayed reaction as if he had been some distance away.


    “Hey, Julie. Yeah, I’m good.” He said, opening his eyes. He took in her face, committing it to memory. “Are the boys up?” He asked. She nodded.


    “They’re just stirring.”


    “Then I think it''s time.” He said, making his way into the camp. The teens were sitting up and chatting when they saw him.


    “Hey guys, I’m going to head out.” He said, feeling a bit lost for words. Kyle jumped up and hugged him. Noah smiled, squeezing him back.


    “Take care of everyone.” He told him. Kyle nodded, his back straightening. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    “I will.” He promised. Matt was next, offering him a collection of weapons instead of an embrace: two curved fangs, maybe a foot in length, and the beloved Shark Club.


    “Thank you, Matt.” He said.


    “You’re welcome. I also put a fire puck in your pack.” Matt replied. Noah turned to Julie, unsure if he should hug her or shake her hand. He was thankfully saved the decision as she stepped close and gave him a tight squeeze.


    “Take care of yourself.” She said.


    “I will. You too.” He replied. He stepped to the entryway, clothed in his fur dress and pack, Shark Club in hand. He turned and offered one last smile before he rounded the outcropping, disappearing from sight.


    He was thankful for the memories he had made with them, and for the faces he could call to mind whenever he needed to remember what he was fighting for. He strode up the hill, his walk transitioning into a run. He wanted to be well out of eyesight by the end of the day, knowing it would be too hard if he had the physical reminder of their presence. So he ran, taking in the dark, rocky landscape. Occasionally there was a lone skeletal-looking tree in the distance, or a boulder sticking up a bit higher than the ground, but the terrain was otherwise unmarked. As the day went on the wind picked up, the stronger gusts occasionally pushing him sideways. He followed the stream from afar, hoping the water would draw in other living creatures. His stomach was empty and he could feel the fat being leeched off his bones as he pushed his body. First, he would have to find a way to make fire, then hunt down some prey.


    It was afternoon when he saw his first sign of life, a lone creature a bit over a hundred yards ahead of him drinking from the stream. It was large and on all fours, appearing cat-like from a distance. XP. He thought, grabbing the twin fangs from his pack and stowing his club. The closer he got, the larger the beast appeared. As he came within a hundred feet, the feline creature tensed and turned its head, finding Noah’s eyes. He heard a low growl that was followed by rapid movement in his direction. Noah dropped into a fighting stance, holding the fangs just like the knives he had trained with. The beast was dark purple in color with black spots scattered across its fur, and it was nearly the size of a mature tiger.


    It leaped forward, its razor-like claws extended. Noah rolled underneath its exposed stomach, puncturing soft tissue with a well-timed stab. The cat turned on him, hissing in fury, and swiped its paws in rapid succession. The first swipe just caught his fur dress, revealing lines of his chest beneath and he backpedaled in quick order. They traded swipes, and Noah came out ahead, having lodged a fang deep into its shoulder. It continued to press him, only now with a limp. The fight dragged on as he was forced to prioritize avoiding every blow. One clean hit would gut him through. He eventually took out his club and began tearing shallow gashes across the beast’s body. At that point, it was just a matter of time. It took significantly longer than he would have imagined, and he realized that it must have an impressive amount of constitution. At last, it crumpled to the ground and Noah delivered the finishing blow.


    [100 XP Gained.]


    A whole level. He grinned. So far only the bobcat had been such a high-level target. At some point, he had come to the conclusion that the XP awarded must coincide with the beast''s path because they all seemed to give the exact same value in their relative strength range. He allocated his free points into constitution, regaining a high value for the stat after departing from his healer.


    A rhythmic thudding interrupted his thoughts and he scanned his perimeter for its source. Not more than 50 yards away a long-horned cow was charging in his direction. How did I miss that? Noah puzzled, readying himself nonetheless. As he did, he noticed another body moving in his direction from further off. What’s going on?  He collected the fang that he had lost during the fight and ran toward the bull. I better make this quick. It lowered its horns as it rammed toward him and he launched himself into the air, able to jump significantly higher than his previous self. Like ice picks he dug the fangs into the charging beast, arresting his momentum and giving him purchase to hang on as the beast continued forward. With no small amount of effort, he retracted one of the fangs from the tightly corded muscle of its back and plunged it into the beast’s head. Its front legs buckled and he was thrown off its back. He landed in a sprawl and scrambled to his feet only to find that it lay still.


    [100 XP Gained.]


    He frowned at that, not expecting to have encountered another powerful beast so soon. He collected his fangs and realized that they were only feet away from the feline beast he had killed. Uh oh. The thought raced through his mind as the next creature roared a deafening cry way too close for comfort. This one had a lion’s mane and beak, and its eyes were a disturbing red. Noah positioned himself behind the bull, hoping to take advantage of its body to slow down the beast. It worked for a moment, and both he and the monster were soon circling around the fallen cow. As he looked at the gaunt features of the beast the pieces clicked together. It''s the blood. They’re starving. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the rumble of distant feet reached his ears. He lifted his eyes and saw a number of shapes moving in their direction. As he did, the nearby monster lunged for the kill.