Soul of Blades - Chapter 7: Blood, Sweat, & Beasts (Patreon)

His body, his weapon, his will - all seemed to blend with the jungle as he ventured further in, towards the enemy. His heart steady and composed, its beat a growing rhythm of survival within him, filled with determination and purpose.

He squared his shoulders, his grip tightening on the crude weapon. There was no turning back, no escape from this new world. It was survival or defeat. His choice was made. He would survive.

***

Alex stood alone, draped in shadows. His body moved fluidly, the scent of the jungle clinging to his skin. He clutched his makeshift sword, his senses razor-sharp, ready to face the wolfmen.

He moved with a rhythm that was primal and wild, yet filled with stealth, reflecting the aura of the alien jungle around him.

Then, the wolfmen came into view.

These beings, towering and muscular, looked like the unholy offspring of a werewolf and an action movie star. Their bodies and fur glistened with sweat, leather and metal armour clinging to their frames. They prowled about, their guttural voices pounding through the air.

They were searching for something.

Alex breathed in sharply, tasting the tension in the air. He stepped forward, his fingers tightening around his sword. A volley of system notifications blinked in his periphery, a reminder of the quests that brought him to this point. The system message pulsed, the text burning bright:

[Quest Screen: Infinite prospects: Reach level 25...]
[Wild Warrior: Defeat a floor Guardian...]
[The Champion: Defeat all floor Guardians...]
[Floor Destroyer: Destroy or Conquer the wolf tribe...]

Alex shook his head, casting away the distractions. He couldn't afford any now.

Stealthily, he approached the wolfmen. The growing sound of his beating heart filled his ears, drowned out only by the rustle of the underbrush beneath his feet. He breathed deep to ease the flow of his pulse. He narrowed his eyes on the one to his right, calculating, waiting. Then, he lunged.

In a sudden blur of motion, Alex crashed into the wolfman, shoulder checking him into the patch of deadly red grass. The reaction was immediate.

Carnivorous maw and vines erupted from the ground, a monstrous plant hungry for its meal. The wolfman instinctively sprang into the air, but the plant was faster. Its thick vines snaked up, ensnaring the creature in its grip.

The second wolfman turned, his eyes blazing. His gaze fell on Alex, his lips pulled back to reveal glistening fangs. It leapt.

With surprising agility, the wolfman was a blur, attacking Alex from all sides, bouncing off the thin air as if it was a solid wall. The world became a chaotic mess of flying claws and gnashing teeth.

Alex fought back, his sword finding the gaps in the wolfman's armour, striking with all the strength his boosted stats afforded him. Each hit was met with a pained growl, the creature's movements becoming increasingly frantic.

In the chaotic melee, Alex saw an opening. The creature had left its throat unprotected as it lunged to bite. It was gruesome, but he saw no other way.

In a swift, single stroke, he brought his sword down on its throat. The wolfman choked, staggering. It was not down, not yet. With a determined grimace, Alex drove his make-shift blade into its eye. The creature let out a final howl before collapsing.

As the choked growls of the first wolfman fell to silence, the gruesome sight of its eye, impaled on Alex's makeshift sword, served as a harsh reminder of the precarious nature of life in this realm. One wrong move, or a moment of carelessness could result in Alex being the one impaled, and dead.

A shudder surged through him as he yanked the weapon free. A sharp whistling filled the air as the makeshift sword, a crude tool of survival, pulled free from the eye socket of the first wolfman. The guttural growls that had dominated the jungle were abruptly silenced. Alex studied the weapon, the bloody tribute smeared on its tip. The weight of his first kill in Pyra sank in, but not in a burst of triumphant pride. Instead, it seeped into him slowly, an uncomfortable chill that slowly settled on him, like a weight permanently nestled on his shoulders.

His chest rose and fell in a staccato rhythm, the exertion stirring droplets of perspiration to wend their way down his brow. His grip on the sword slackened for a moment, its point resting on the leaf-littered ground, the dark fluid seeping into the foreign earth. But there was no time to dwell on the macabre details.

A flicker of movement drew his gaze.

The second wolfman, was a tempest of primal force. It twisted in mid-air, cleaving through the carnivorous plant's vines with an uncanny grace. This one was in a league of its own, brawling with the carnivorous plant as if it were born for it. Fur bristled on its powerful muscles, moving like a wave. Its roars played a raw, primal sound that sounded through the thick jungle.

The plant was losing, a rain of its green and maroon blood splattering on the jungle floor.

Alex gripped his makeshift sword tighter. This would be his only chance, it was now or never.

He ran, bent his knees, coiled his muscles, and sprung into the air. The earth exploded beneath him in a cloud of dirt and debris. In a heartbeat, he was soaring, the chaos below replaced with the peaceful quiet of the dungeon sky.

The wind tousled his hair, a soft whisper of peace in his leap above the battlefield. It was a short-lived respite, shattered as he plunged back into the battle.

Down he went, back into the fray, like a homing missile. Every ounce of his strength prepared to pour into the blow as he descended from the sky like a rocket. The wolfman, busy with its dance of death, had no clue what was coming.

His sword hit the beast's air-borne side. The wolfman lurched unbalanced and caught off guard, but it didn't seem fazed. Frowning, Alex used his momentum, spinning in the air for another hit.

The blade met furry hide again.

And once more.

The third hit landed behind its leg, A resounding impact that shook Alex's bones. The blow caught it off balance, and brought the beast falling to the ground, it landed on its knees. The magnificent, deadly whirlwind was reduced to a stunned animal. A multitude of vines creeped forward, stealthily slithering across the jungle floor toward the wolfman’s legs as Alex braced to attempt another attack. The beast merely winced in annoyance, and turned to face Alex, still unfazed by his sword swings. The wolfman's eyes were locked with his as it began to slowly rise, growling in deep unfiltered fury. It’s claws started to glow red.

The beast retaliated.

Oblivious to the creeping danger, the wolf swung its free arm and threw a backhand that caught Alex completely by surprise. Alex twisted at the last minute to evade the blow, but it still caught him on the shoulder and sent him tumbling to the ground.

The scabbed wound on his shoulder burst open in a spray of flesh, shredded once more. Blood began to fall, a waterfall creating a shallow pool around him.

It was then that Alex began to worry; this one seemed strong. Too strong.

Alex rose as he pressed in to the wound, wincing at the pain caused by the attempts to stop the bleeding. With his enhanced strength, he tore at his shirt at tied a strip of cloth to his shoulder with quick movements, his eyes watching the wolfman warily as he rose to his feet. He was surprised by the what he saw.

In the moment directly after the blow, as the beast was distracted and exposed, the carnivorous plant lunged. Vines that lay hidden had surrounded the wolf from all sides had sprung upwards, snapping on as much of the beasts form as it could. Curved thorns as long as fingers dug and hooked into its furred flesh, attempting to seal its fate. The wolfman howled in fury as it attempted to escape, and almost did, until Alex ran forward and struck it in the chest with all the force he could muster, before leaping back to safety.

The constricted wolf had no way to defend itself, clawing at the vines surrounding its neck and limbs. At Alex’s blow, it fell deeper into the plant, and closer to its maw.

The plant monster greedily continued in its catch, a writhing pool of deep red and green death.

Vines continued to shoot forward en masse, like hundreds of angry snakes, ensnaring the wolfman and yanking it into a suffocating embrace. The last sounds of the wolfman's cry resonated through the dense jungle, marking the passing of another life.

Then, everything was quiet.

As the sounds faded away, a sense of stillness spread throughout the jungle. Alex found his knees meeting the soft, damp earth, his body heavy with exhaustion and an unfamiliar burden. He was alive. He had fought, killed, and still drew breath. A wave of triumph coursed through him, carrying the heavy taste of reality.

His old life was gone. His new life in Pyra was a constant battle for survival.

He drew in ragged breaths as he knelt on the ground, breathless and drained, and tasted the raw flavour of survival. The smell of spilled blood, wet fur, and crushed plants filled the air - the signature dungeon cocktail of life and death.

As the aftershocks of the battle subsided, an old lesson from his grandfather floated up in his memory, "Every battle is a path to understanding oneself." Now, on an alien battlefield, the weight of those words rang truer than ever. He let out a humourless chuckle. The dungeon was a harsh teacher, but it was definitely making sure he got the lesson.

[You have defeated level 4 Apex Canid - additional experience points due to the level difference]

[You have defeated level 30 Apex Canid - Inventory Items available - additional experience points due to the level difference]

[Level 3 > Level 6]

[15 unassigned stats - Speak or think ‘Status’ to allocate pending stats]

As the system notification rang in his minds eye, Alex once again felt the thrill of survival. He'd battled the beasts and emerged victorious. He'd cheated death, again. The battle had been swift and brutal. Victory was his, but the weight of it felt far heavier than he'd anticipated. He glanced at the notification again.

Level 30. Apex Canid. Thirty.

A cold chill of realisation swept through him.

The creature was powerful, an apex predator that made him look weak in comparison. Its massive form had barely budged beneath his attacks, unlike the others he had faced. It made him wonder about stats. Did beasts have stats? They must have. And if they did, how were they allocated? The difference in resilience suggested varying amounts of endurance, or strength, or dexterity, maybe even intelligence and wisdom too. That could explained why striking some of the first wolves felt like hitting hot steel, and others gave about as much resistance as plywood.

The level 30 wolfman  must’ve put all of its stats into ‘Endurance’, that’s the only explanation Alex could think of. It’d explain why he was even able to budge it. He had the stats of someone at level 20, but that was still a 10 level difference, that was huge. It had been impossibly resilient, and treated his attacks like a fly’s buzzing, but he had still been eventually able to knock it off balance with the help of the plant's vines.

Barely. Without the plant, it would’ve killed him.

The others...they had felt the sharp edge of his blows, had buckled under his strength. Not this one. This one had stood its ground, teeth bared, as if mocking him.

It hit him then, a realisation as cold as the night air around him. Technique was his friend. Technique and stealth. His only friends. He had to go back to the basics of the sword, if he was going to destroy this floor.

He checked his wound and tore some more of his shirt to secure the tournique, the bleeding had stemmed but hadn’t stopped completely, and the wound had deepened. He would need to avoid strenuous movements to let the blood coagulate faster, but there was just too much of it. Not enough to kill him, but he suspected if he was back on earth he would have already begun to feel woozy. How was he still moving? Was it an effect of his stats?  Frowning, Alex peered at the system message, looking for answers. Another notification stood out to him. He had 15 free stats from his new levels.

That fight had opened his eyes to the danger out there, leaving him facing a choice of whether to allocate all of his stats now, or save them for when he encountered another beast that was beyond him; something he couldn’t beat.

Keeping some free stats in reserve might be useful. He thought, as his eyes scanned the details on floating panel before him. What if I meet something stronger, or faster, more deadly, or even tougher? Again? Having a reserve of stats to dump could tip the scales. Being able to dump stats into strength, dexterity, intelligence, or endurance could be the difference between life and death. Let’s keep 10 in reserve, and use 5, he decided. 2 into strength, 1 into endurance, and 2 into dexterity, let’s make sure my movements can keep up with my thoughts. He urged his status to change and willed the confirmation with a mental nudge, causing a warm surge engulfed him. It spread to his fingertips like fireworks as he observed his new status.

[Strength: 38 (27)

Dexterity: 29 (21)

Endurance: 32 (23)

Intelligence: 38 (27)

Wisdom: 25 (18)

Unassigned stat points: 0]

[…]

[Do you wish to access defeated level 30 Apex Canid’s Inventory items? Refusal will result in system confiscation]

He hardly dared to breathe as the new words seeped into his awareness. A single thought propelled him forward. Confirm. As if in response to his silent command, the message faded.

His breath still ragged, he watched as a section of the world warped and twisted before his eyes. The system notification chimed, but he paid it little heed. His gaze was fixed on the items materialising before him.

What looked like a bronze sword, and a few other items appeared, hovering in the air in a soft flash of fading light.

The sword fell out of the air and clattered to the ground, along with the rest of the items. The swords hilt rested on the lush green foliage, in safety. But its blade rested on red grass, the carnivore’s territory.

Alex stood there, staring at the sword in hesitation.

Should he risk being captured by the vines? If he disturbed the red patch, he’d be a goner. And that new sword… Did he really need it? Just now, his makeshift sword-the skull and horn that’d cleaved stone- had only managed to leave shallow cuts, wounds that split the high level wolfman’s flesh open but didn’t do any real damage besides that.

Surely a being whose skin was tougher than stone would have a sword that could match it? What if he met another level 30 wolfman? Even an assassination attempt would fail if his blade couldn’t end it in one blow.

I guess I need that sword. He sighed in resignation. He would have to risk it, safely.

Alex scooted back, and squated, ready to jump back at a moment's notice. His muscles were coiled tight like a spring, on the edge of exploding away at even the slightest shift of red earth. Gently, gingerly he edged forward, and pulled slowly, bracing himself for the plants eruption.

But the red and blood soaked earth remained still.

Maybe it’s full? I just saw it eat about 6 horse sized wolves, so it can’t be that. He spotted some flesh from the first wolfman he’d defeated, laying on the grass. With some disgust and unease, he stabbed into it and raised his sword high above the red patch. "Here you go, boy. Eat up," he said, positioning the macabre meal to fall and land on the plant’s territory.

The ground rumbled, and tendrils sprouted, weaving in the air before plunging into the meat.

Huh. I guess it likes me. Alex thought, while the flesh disintegrated until all that remained was a peaceful, red patch of grass.

"Bon appétit," he muttered with slight disgust and… was that admiration he was feeling? The plant had saved his life, after all. Twice. He guessed it made sense to hold some positive feelings towards it. It wasn’t all that bad once you got past the deadly maw.

Satisfied, he then turned to regard the rest of the wolfman's items.

He already held the crude bronze sword. But laying there on the soft grass was a leather flask. And three crystals, glowing with energy.

Magic. The promise of power.

Holy- He picked up one in each hand, thoughts interrupted, and hesitation long gone. His fingers tingling at the contact. He could feel it. The thrum of energy. A buzz in the air, as if ionised.The whisper of reality bending power.

[F-grade skill crystal x2 acquired. Consume?]

Without hesitation, he willed his agreement. "Yes," he thought, a thrill running through him. The crystal pulsed once, twice, and then –

Everything went black.