Chapter 5: Battle in the forest
The time was 6:34 pm.
Deryn focused upon the boar before him not noticing the sweat dripping down his forehead. As the sweat rolled off of his nose and hit the floor it was like a signal to the boar. It charged at him.
Deryn darted to the side, allowing the boar to rush past him. Not content with this Deryn followed the boar and as it turned around to face him Deryn stabbed its mouth with his spear. Deryn was close enough to the boar that he could see its eyes tighten as the spear pierced its flesh.
This battle had been going on for a few minutes, where Deryn was leading the boar by its nose with nimble movements one wouldn't expect from him, a tactic he quickly learned was effective against foes such as the one before him.
Using the trees dotted in the small clearing to his advantage, he got the boar to run into one of them as the fight started which made the process of killing a boar easier than the last few times.
Blood was everywhere in this small clearing, none of it from Deryn.
The boar, clearly at this point had lost too much blood. It looked around panicked before deciding to flee towards an opening in the clearing. With the blood loss, the boar didn't move as quickly as it first did and with Deryn trailing right after it waiting for it to further weaken.
It began to move slower. The boar frustrated at this, or perhaps Deryn for not leaving it alone, turned and charged once more.
Not missing the opportunity Deryn sidestepped once more before plunging the spear forward, this time finding his mark through the matted brown fur of the boar and into its neck. Pushing with a bit more strength before removing the spear, Deryn waited until the boar fell forward.
Driving the spear into the chest of the beast it wailed loudly before getting weaker and weaker before stopping. The boar was dead. He was holding the spear with more ease than when he first got it, a clear sign of his growth since he first wielded it.
Panting Deryn harvested the boar.
" System will I get an increase in my stats or this battle? "
< NEGATIVE HOST, YOUR STATS WILL ONLY INCREASE THROUGH A LIFE OR DEATH BATTLE, TRAINING OR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES >
"And I need to personally find more information before you can tell me what the training or special circumstances are right? " sighed Deryn.
< CORRECT HOST >
With the conversation over a familiar ding appeared in his mind.
< DING >
————————————————————————————————————————————
< RECEIVED: 3x HIDE >
< RECEIVED: 12x 100g RAW MEAT >
< RECEIVED: 1x WOODEN TREASURE CHEST >
————————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————
< DING >
< 2x SYSTEM REWARD ACTIVATED >
< RECEIVED: 6x HIDE >
< RECEIVED: 24x 100g RAW MEAT >
< RECEIVED: 2x WOODEN TREASURE CHEST >
————————————————————————————————————————————
With that series of notifications, Deryn decided it was time to return to his shelter. Packing everything into his inventory he started the 25-minute walk back to the shelter, being mindful to pick up any materials that were on the way.
After walking for 15 minutes Deryn felt the ground begin to tremble.
Faintly at first before gradually increasing in strength. Looking around Deryn couldn't see anything but the faint sickly feeling that he was in danger along with his gradually increasing heart rate made Deryn get into action.
Running towards the nearest tree he tried to climb it, the nearest branch to grab however was almost 3 metres high, and Deryn with his arms outstretched was still almost a metre off. Rapidly trying to figure out a way to move upwards he summoned his spear before stabbing it into the tree about thigh height.
Taking the axe in his hand he slashed at the tree about head height to leave to finger wide lines about 1.8 metres high on the tree.
Grabbing those newly created holes Deryn felt a stabbing pain in his fingers but with no time to mind this he pulled his weight upwards before landing on the spear, as close to the tree as possible in an attempt to not dislodge the spear.
The ground shook even more whilst Deryn could now hear growls, sounding like thunder, echoing throughout the forest.
Slightly panicking at this, he took the regular stone axe out of his inventory again before one-handedly making the same finger holds he did before within his arms reach. Putting the axe back into his inventory he prepared himself to climb it.
*Crack*
The Spear splintered out of the tree as Deryn pushed off of the spear to reach the finger holes and the branch above this, using the previous finger holes as support for his feet which he stuffed in there to support his balance. Pulling himself up Deryn didn't stop climbing till he felt safe within the crown of the tree.
Hushing his breathing his eyes opened wide in sheer shock. The sheer amazement of what he was seeing quickly turned into a look of horror. A 3m tall rabbit was hopping through the forest whilst a tank-like boar was chasing it. As the boar crashed through a smaller tree, the tree was vaulted into the air like it was just a mere branch.
The rabbit seemingly expecting the boar to still be chasing used its powerful legs, hopping towards a tree before instantly hopping off of the tree and into the direction of the boar. Flipping its body in a way which did not seem possible for something of its stature the rabbit two-footed kicked the boar directly in its head.
The boar was no pushover though.
Moments before its head got hit with a devastating blow the tusks, which seemed like something you would see on an elephant, glowed with a slight metallic sheen gorging the foot of the rabbit, ripping it directly in half before the other snapped into the boar head knocking it to the ground instantly.
The rabbit shrieked in pain, as it put weight onto the now mangled food it collapsed on the ground where it shivered.
The boar stumbled to its feet as if like a cartoon character with stars swimming around its head. Except its head was visibly indented by the rabbit's powerful kick, its skull noticeably caving inwards.
It attempted to charge once more but couldn't take more than a few steps before it fell to the ground.
At this Deryn got visibly excited. This was his chance to reap the rewards of the battle. Getting ready to clamber down the tree and claim the harvest the voice of the system appeared.
< SYSTEM SUGGESTS HOST WAITS >
"Why System".
The system however stayed mute this time and as Deryn was contemplating whether or not to go down the tree a shocking change in the battle before him was seen.
The boar got back to its feet once more, this time however its feet and tusks were covered with a brown glow with bits of dirt floating around it.
On the other side whilst the rabbit didn't get up it was covered in a soft green glow and the wind began to pick up around it.
Not threatened by the rabbit move the boar charged forwards, trampling over the plant life beneath, each step leaving visible imprints in the mud before it skewered the rabbit. Lifting it above its head and slamming it back to the ground.
A guttural shriek left the rabbit's mouth as Deryn flinched from the bloody scene before him.
As the boar lifted the rabbit in preparation to slam it to the ground once more the wind in the area gathered in one place right above the boar's head before slamming into it.
The boar's face was instantly smashed inwards as it fell to the ground without a sound. The sheer force of the wind thrusting into the boar's face instantly killed it, like smashing a watermelon with a sledgehammer.
The rabbit tried to pill itself from the boar's tusk but failed to do so, its internal organs spilling out of its body from the sheer destruction its opponent left on it.
Roaring at its feeling of pain and victory, the rabbit collapsed to the ground powerlessly.
Deryn once more got excited. The only thing that stopped him from going down the tree right away was the rabbit could potentially still throw out another one of those attacks. As Deryn was watching the rabbit, waiting for it to die from its battle wounds, he received yet another shock.
A deer hopped out from the same direction the two giant beasts came from.
4m tall and 3m long with dazzling golden antlers, antlers that in his life on earth would have been sought after by every hunter and collector in the world, the deer trotted forwards closer to the remnants of the battle.
The deer looked at the rabbit before grunting at it. The rabbit began to quiver all over and bleated softly at the deer. Shaking its head the deer grunted once again but this time didn't receive a response.
Raising its head in what seemed to be disdain a glow began to appear between the deer's antlers, slowly growing in size and intensity before shooting at the rabbit, instantly vaporising most of its chest and all of its head.
Deryn widened his eyes and exclaimed softly in shock.
The deer's head instantly darted to look in his direction.
Deryn froze.
Not merely just the natural reaction of one being frozen from getting caught doing something.
As his eyes met the deers everything in his body screamed at him to get away, but a formless power had kept him there. If not for this power Deryn felt that his body would move on its own and try to escape in any way possible. Which would have meant him falling from the 10m high perch that he chose for himself.
Still looking into Deryn's eyes, the deer opened its mouth before closing it and rolling its eyes. At least that's what Deryn thought he saw.
The deer took its eyes off Deryn and walked to the two corpses. The golden antlers began to glow again before both corpses began to sink into the ground. Following this the ground began to rapidly grow new plants, seemingly to replace those that were previously crushed under the two beasts battle.
The deer looked at Deryn one last time before raising its head and running back the way it came.
"W…Wha…Ahem, What was… that, system?" Still, slightly in shock, Deryn tried to ask as he stumbled on the branch he was on before managing to find his balance.
< UNKNOWN, PLEASE ACQUIRE MORE INFORMATION >
Shaking his head slightly Deryn thanked the system earnestly.
"Thank you system, I was almost too rash and lost my little life because of it".
< HOST IS WELCOME, SYSTEM MERELY USED ALL HOSTS SENSES TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN >
"Wait, so you share my senses? What does that mean?" Completely forgetting about the ordeal he just went through for a moment.
< SYSTEM SHARES A BODY WITH HOST, WHATEVER INFORMATION HOST GATHERS FROM YOUR SENSES AND KNOWLEDGE, SYSTEM IS PRIVY TOO >
"Right…"
< SYSTEM USES ALL ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN HOST. HOWEVER, THE SYSTEM WILL ONLY WARN HOST IN EXTREME SITUATIONS SUCH AS THIS WHERE THE HOSTS CHANCES OF SURVIVAL BASED ON THE DECISIONS HE MAKES IS BELOW 1% >
" Wait, so if you calculated my survival as 2% you wouldn't have said anything, WHAT THE HELL SYSTEM?"
< HOST, SYSTEM WILL ONLY SAY THIS ONCE. THE SYSTEM IS NOT YOUR BABYSITTER! >
A realisation came over Deryn. The system was just a tool given to him. How effective the tool is, was based upon his own use of it. It was already good enough that he could get such an advanced system, yet he wanted more.
Deryn recalled a quote by John Steinbeck he remembered during his time on earth which left an impact upon him." For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more".
"I'm sorry system, I think I understand now".
< SYSTEM DOUBTS HOST FULLY UNDERSTANDS, YET WITH TIME SYSTEM ALSO BELIEVES HOST WILL UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT IS PRESENTED BEFORE YOU >
"Guess we will have to wait and see system".
< YES HOST, THAT IS CORRECT >
Smiling slightly at that response Deryn climbed down the tree, his spear still directly below the tree on the floor covered in dirt. Picking it up and placing it in his inventory Deryn continued his journey back to his shelter, wanting to leave this area as soon as possible.
The time was 7:05 pm. Deryn was sitting on the ground on the underground floor of his shelter, having arrived here a few minutes prior. Holding back the anticipation from looking at his < INVENTORY > Deryn got himself some food and water.
He decided to make himself a beef jerky sandwich for dinner using the 100g beef jerky and a 100g white bread bun.
After eating his meal and drinking a full bottle of water Deryn could no longer hold himself back. He hadn't had a chance to look at the total amount of materials in his < INVENTORY > yet, but the main thing that excited him was the chests he got.
Due to killing 10+ rabbits and 4 more boars today for a total of 5, he made a discovery. Rabbits don't drop chests while he only received chests as rewards for killing 3/4 boars (not including the first one he fought). Which meant he has 6 chests stacked up in his inventory (3 from the drops but x 2 due to 2x system reward activating).
No longer fantasising he opened his < INVENTORY > in excitement.
"....."
" hahahahahahahahha" loud laughter echoed throughout the underground room.
< SYSTEM NOTE: HOSTS CRAZED LAUGHTER SOUNDS LIKE A LITTLE GIRL "
"...…"
"System… you are seriously a mood killer".
< THANK YOU HOST >