You Can Lead a Horse To water....

With some trepidation, Justin takes Scouts stirrups in his hands. He leads Scount back to his house.

"This is going to be a long trip boy. I Don't think it's safe enough to make the trip in one day."

Grabbing some supplies he stuffs every bag he can get his hands on. Any container with a strap gets crammed with clothes, food, and water and lots of apples for Scout. Going up stairs to his bedroom he pulls a shotgun out from under his bed and examines it carefully. It used to be his father's. Now...it might save his life

[Pre-System Shotgun]

Dmg: 10-15

Durability: 35/40

Description: This is a family heirloom from a father. It may not seem much to the system but one day it used to be more. Dmg is reduced do to pre system assembly.

"I mean. The dmg is ok. But how can a freaking shotgun do almost as much as my sword?" Justin exclaimed grabbing the shotgun, and the last box of shells and a box of slugs. Heading down the stairs, he decides to ask that question later.

Deciding to head out immediately he grabs everything and loads up Scout with as many bags as he feels comfortable with.

"I better not overload him. There is no telling how long this might take. Alright boy, we need to head out before it gets too late."

He pats the horse fondly and sets back out toward the dirt road leading away from his house. Luckily after an hour or two of plodding his way down the narrow road, no animals or monsters attack him.

"Maybe the dread wolf killed all the local predators? Strange though, I haven't even seen so much as a squirrel" Justin frowns. "Ok so the system said that the closest civilization is 250 miles away...old Scout here can maybe manage 30 miles a day. So I should be able to push for 8 or 9 days and make it to town. I'm to the east of memphis, but south of nashville. So...head west. If I can hop onto 64 that should take me all the way through memphis where my friends are."

Justin didn't have many friends, being a country boy and growing up on a farm. But he had a few. His 2 years in University of Memphis before he dropped out saw that he had a couple of friends. Albeit it had been years since he saw them in person. Only talking to them online and through game chats. It was all he had though. He didn't have anyone else to turn to.

A few hours later the road is finally paved. The clopping sound of Scouts hooves echo hauntingly on the asfalt as he guides the horse up an entrance ramp. As he comes over the top of the incline, he is struck with an eerie sight. The highway is almost completely empty, except for a few abandoned cars here and there. He hesitates before deciding to turn west. Following the road at a steady trot.

The frequency of stalled cars starts increasing the further he goes down the empty highway.

"Where are all the owners to these cars...I don't understand. Where could they even go from here."

Just as he is thinking this he hears a scream coming from the direction he is headed. It echoes across the road, reverberating off the tree lines. Just as fast as it comes its cuts off suddenly. The silence louder than the scream permeates the air. And then he hears foot steps. The head of a fleeing woman can be seen over the jungle of abandoned cars. Justin would have missed her if not for the extra height of being on a horse. As if by magic the woman's eyes look out over the cars, almost immediately landing on him and his horse. She yells in panic. Waving her hands and making a beeline straight for the surprised rider.

"HELP! It's right behind me!!"

Justin's eyes scan behind her but he doesn't see anything. Just as he is about to look away a car only a few hundred feet behind her groans and rumbles as something shoves it aside. A massive furry hand lifts up and is placed on top of the car.

"What the hell IS that!! Hurry!!" he screams kicking the horse and bolting toward the woman.

"Maybe I can get to her in time." He watches in horror as first a snout then a head emerges above the car. A furry barrel chest follows and the monster is finally standing upright.

"Is that a fucking werewolf?!?"

The distance between him and the woman closes but he can see the werewolf better now.

[NEW SKILL GAINED]

[Through constant vigilance and a careful eye you have managed to unlock the basic skill ANALYSE]

He uses it immediately with dread. Concentrating his attention on the Werewolf.

[Juvenile Werewolf]

Lvl: 28

Hp: 1000

Mp: 100

Description: Werewolves are myths told among all the races of the system. Known and feared for their beastly instincts, cunning and uncontrollable urges to hunt. The only recorded grace is their poor eyesight during the day.

The sheer horror and terror he felt after reading its description makes him shake but he doesn't stop. He can't. The woman WILL die. He isn't even sure if he will be able to make it away even on horseback.

The distance is only meters between them by the time he brings his attention back to the woman. He skids to a stop just in front of her. Sweeping an arm down and roughly yanking her up behind her. Yanking the reigns around he urges the horse forward and away from the werewolf. A bellowing howl erupts behind them. The werewolf finally noticing its prey escaping. Justin pushes the horse, forcing ever bit of speed he can get out while weaving around cars. The sounds of heavy foot steps and the banging of the werewolf shoving past cars not far behind them.

"We aren't going to make it! " Justin shouts behind him to the woman. "There is a shotgun in that bag to your right!! It's already loaded!! Grab it!!" He ventures a look behind them and sees the werewolf is a good distance away but it's moving faster than them.

"We don't have a choice. It'll kill us from behind and we can't defend ourselves from on horse back!"

"I can't get a shot! The horse is bouncing too much!" the panic in the woman's voice is palpable as she nearly shrieks her answer.

Seeing an opening between some cars Jstin veers though it. The opening is about a car width with 2 cars parked facing each other forming a barrier. He skids to a stop almost falling as he frantically discounts the horse.

"Stay on Scout! He is used to the sound of gunshots I've taken him out hunting bird before. Just Shoot it as soon as he comes through those 2 cars. There are more slugs in the same bag but Not that you will have time to load again. If it looks like we aren't going to make it kick the sides of Scout...he will run. for a while anyway."

He slides behind one of the cars and waits. counting the seconds. Soon the heavy falls and clatter of claws can be heard on the other side of the cars. With a sudden shift in wait the car groans down as the werewolf leaps onto of the one he is hiding behind. Without giving himself to hesitate or think Justin lunges forward with his sword. Stabbing toward the monster with all his might. The tip of the sword seems to move slowly through the air. Time slowing as he watches it slowly bury itself into its neck. Time resumes when he hears the werewolf screech with pain. It reflexively jerks away from Justin, only for a large chunk of flesh to be blown off its shoulder. The loud BOOM of the shotgun making his ears ring. wrenching his sword out he moves to stab again, but it's ready this time. Sweeping forward with its uninjured arm it bats his sword aside. Suddenly it's as if his sword has a life of its own. His body without guidance twirls with the momentum and he fluidly twirls and slices back across the stomach of the werewolf.

[COUNTERSTRIKE]

CRITICAL HIT ×2

The wolf staggers back, another slug slams into its chest, bowling it over onto its back. He jumps toward it desperate to not let up. A mad flurry of blows from him catches the werewolf as it is already getting back to its feet. Even then it still swipes its long fingers toward Justin. The rage burning in its eyes at its humiliation fueling its strike. The blow catches Justin on his right shoulder tearing his flesh all the way down to his elbow, while another attempts to dig cows down into his thigh to hamstring him. He grits his teeth narrowly dodging the second attack, whimper in pain as his useless arm dangles beside him. He still attacks though, desperately trying to avoid the Werewolves swipes but unable to dodge a third of them. For what seems like an eternity all he knows is pain as he and the werewolf dance. The only sound he can hear is the sickening squelching of his sword cutting flesh, and his own flesh being torn as he fails to dodge some of its attacks. And when the werewolf goes still, he keeps attacking. His frenzy unable to realize it's over. Only the shouting of the woman behind him manages to bring him back. He collapses to the ground in agony. The weight of his wounds drag his consciousness.

"I have to...I have to heal. I have to...Minor heal" he murmurs barely able to think. The liquid fire spreads across his body. Slowly pooling around his numerous wounds but it's not enough. Not yet.

"Minor Heal. Minor Heal! Minor Heal!!!" with each consecutive cast of the spell he gains a bit more strength. And the pain recedes, slowly. His wounds finally completely heal just as his mana bottoms out almost sending him into its own unconsciousness.

"Oh my God. Are you ok? What can I do? There is so much blood. How are you even still breathing?" The woman sobs hysterically.

"I'm fine...I can heal. I need a moment though. The heal is slow and I can barely think straight with my mana so low"

After a few minutes go by Justin drags himself to his feet looking at the werewolf. It's laying in a pool of blood, a mangled mess.

[LEVEL UP]

[×1 Juvenile Werewolf Defeated +215xp]

[Skill Level Up: Counterstrike 2 + 10xp]

[For defeating a monster over 20 levels above you you have been awarded bonus experience and an adjusted title. Title: I Will Survive has been upgraded to...I Did Survive +5% dmg against monsters higher than your level]

[Stat points pre-allocated. You have 3 unallocated point to distribute. Would you like to do that now?]

"Yes!"

Justin slams his points into Endurance without thinking. He needed to be better at surviving. He needed more health.

Lvl: 3 Paladin

Race: Human

Health: 670/670

Mana: 410/410

Strength: 18

Endurance: 24

Agility: 10

Intellegence: 15

Wisdom: 10

Charisma: 10

Luck: 10

Stat points: 0

Exp: 30/300

Skills: Minor Heal (2/20), Minor Remove Curse (1/20), Counter Strike (2/20)

"We need to get off the road! There amore of them! They roam around the cars at night. I don't know why this one was out during the day." the woman urges him.

Almost dragging him to the horse she tries to help hoist his weak body up onto of the horse. After a few moments of struggle they both manage to get on with her arms tightly wrapped around his waist. Justin guides the horse into the tree line pushes into the woods looking for any kind of safe shelter. Finally coming upon a huge uproot tree he guides Scout behind it and slides disgracefully off and ties his reigns to a particularly large root.

"We should be safe...for now." he says as he looks around. They are in a small clearing with a wall of thorny bushes forming a circle around them, except for where they came from.

"We need to make a small fire. I should have a Lighter and there is plenty of branches next to this tree. Help me gather some wood and we can get it started and heat us up something to eat. The woman's eyes widen at the mention of food and she scrambles to get some wood.

Minutes later they are sitting next to a small fire hidden behind the upturned roots.

"I'm sorry canned food and snack bars is all I have. I have a bit of deer jerky as well. So uhh...what's your name. I never got it...obviously..." He chuckles as he fishes out the mentioned food.

"My name is Keyla. Thank you. Thank you so much I don't even know how to thank you. You are the first person who I've seen willing to help someone else"

"Where is everyone else? You can't be the only one out here"

"Dead...as far as I know" a sob escapes her lips " I saw a bunch of it happen. I got one of those...notifications. And no sooner did that happen when all the cars around me and as far as I could see suddenly died...Then those THINGS came pouring down the road. I don't know where they came from. One minute it was quiet the next...." she starts sobbing even more.

"Saw them eating people. Literally pulling them out the windows of their cars. I managed get out unnoticed and hid under my car. They all ran past me...I must have hid for hours."

"That must have been terrifying. I'm so sorry. My first monster...it was...a not nearly as smart or horrifying"

She nods slightly with tears running down her face and nibbles on her food. "When I finally worked the nerve to get out from under the car I didn't know what to do. So just started walking. Then one of those things showed up behind me...so I started running. And that well you know the rest"

Smiling slightly to reassure her, he nods slightly.

"Look it's starting to get dark and you sound like you have had a hard time. I'm going to set up a camouflaged lean-to against this tree. Then you can get some rest. I'll take first watch.