You reach LV2

  Calculating lacking expertise. Distributing stats.

  Strength +1.

  Agility +1.

  Available stat points: 2

  I could get used to this. I clasped and unclasped my hands into fists. I was bursting with power, and it wasn't just from the adrenaline lingering after the fight. My joints and muscles crackled with something akin to electricity. I jumped a little in place and felt my heart skip a beat at the height I achieved. The level up in strength had more of an impact than the added point to agility.

  My status on the party screen rippled and changed.

  Leader: Jackson Weller

  Level: 2

  Members: Aubrey McAvoy

  Level: 1

  I raised an eyebrow at the screen. It seemed like I was the only one rewarded. Maybe it had something to do with contribution?

  "Did you get any system messages?" I asked.

  "Nothing," Aubrey said. She still had difficulty tearing her eyes from the mauled frog.

  I mulled it over. There was no way to tell if we shared the achievement, not without knowing how close she was to leveling. There was no point in thinking about it; we had better things to do.

  "Are you okay to move?" I asked.

  She nodded.

  "Good, then let's go before something smells that," I said and gestured at the frog. If other animals had gone through the same mutations, I wouldn't want to run into a predator of some kind.

  I pushed through the shrubbery with Aubrey at my heels. Traces of the frog's blood colored the twigs where I passed as they scraped at my body. It made me look like some sort of savage.

  As we walked, I dreamed of finding a nice clearing with running water, some place where I could bathe. The blood was already starting to coagulate and harden around my body like a crimson shell.

  "How did you do that?" Aubrey asked quietly.

  I glanced back as she ducked under a thick branch. "Do what?"

  "Beat it." She rubbed her chest where she'd been bitten. The bleeding had stopped, and purple bruising had begun to take hold.

  I shrugged. "I just overpowered it."

  If I'd kept my calm and followed my training, I should have been able to kill it with a well-aimed kick to the head.

  "I couldn't do something like that..." she muttered.

  I could have reassured her, but I didn't. Aubrey was right; she was a runner, not a fighter.

  We kept walking for minutes before the bushes behind me rustled again. I whirled around, my body already rearing for a fight. But instead of a frog, I saw Aubrey on her hands and knees. The tears from before were back, running down her face as she sobbed quietly. She dug her fingers through the earth. "Why me..." Her scowl deepened.

  She clasped her hands into fists and slammed them against the ground. "I hate this!"

  A metallic clang rang out as she struck the ground, and she froze for a moment before looking up at me, eyes wide with excitement. "I think I found one."

  I joined her on the ground and dug through the earth with bare fingers. Just a fingertip deep, I could feel the cool touch of metal.

  How the hell are we supposed to find these if they're buried? Although, we had already found one.

  Dirt crusted our fingernails as we finally managed to wrench the thing out of its grave.

  The system chimed.

  Objective cleared. Distributing reward.

  Choose a weapon:

  Dagger

  Sword

  Shield

  Spear

  Axe

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  Bow

  Instead of jumping the gun and choosing a weapon immediately, I tried to pry the metal box open, but not even my enhanced strength was a match for the clasps holding it shut.

  I groaned and turned to Aubrey. "What are you going to do?"

  She jolted in surprise at the question. The system messages always seemed to perplex her.

  "I'm not sure..." she mumbled. "What about you?"

  I wasn't familiar with any of the weapons. My martial arts would probably mesh best with a dagger, but the limited reach didn't feel particularly appealing at the moment. Obviously it had its uses, but so did most on the list.

  A sword was just a more unwieldy, longer dagger. A shield would help keep me safe. A spear would keep me at a safe distance as I fought, and so would a bow. An axe would certainly fit the whole savage vibe I had going right now, but none of them really felt right. I could see the drawbacks and benefits of most.

  "I don't know either. I want them all, honestly. No clue how I'd go about carrying them though!" I chuckled.

  Aubrey twisted uncomfortably. "I-I'm not much of a fighter anyway... you could have mine."

  "I couldn't."

  She shook her head, having made up her mind. "No, no, I insist. You'll put it to better use than me anyway. I'll earn my keep in other ways, you'll see. Ju-just tell me what you want and I'll get it for you." Her eyes shone like a puppy's.

  Even though I tried to deny her, I appreciated the gesture, and I wouldn't throw the chance away. It opened up possibilities that would have otherwise been locked.

  After some quick deliberation, I was definitely getting a shield. It paired well with almost all weapons presented, unless they were too heavy to wield in one hand. An axe would come in handy in all matters of survival. It was a multi-tool in the hands of someone with the necessary skills to live outdoors. Unfortunately, I was not that man.

  I'd prefer a dagger, or a spear, but a dagger wouldn't pair well with the shield, and the spear wouldn't be of use to set up camp.

  I made up my mind. "Get me a shield," I said and chose a sword for myself, praying that it didn't turn out to be a huge one.

  The system screen rippled in response to my touch, and after Aubrey nervously fiddled with hers, the box between us clicked open, revealing the shining glint of metal lying atop soft fabrics. Each bore a paper tag explaining what they were.

  Arming sword

  Common

  Heater shield

  Common

  I pulled out both the shield and the sword. They were of the smaller variety, which suited me just fine. In fact, it was preferable.

  The sword had a grip large enough for one hand and bound in leather. A faded crossguard separated it from the shining blade and was all in all shy of a meter in length. It came with a scabbard and a belt, which I promptly attached to my hip.

  The heater shield was lighter than I expected and made out of sturdy wood. The front was bound with leather, and the edges lined with metal. There was a long strap attached to the inside, made for tying it around my arm when in use, or in this case—to sling the shield over my shoulder.

  While I worked out how to comfortably carry the shield without a shirt on, Aubrey sorted through the box and gave me a summary of its contents.

  There were four sleeping pads, fire steel, rations comprising oats, dried meats, and fruits, and a pot for cooking. It was a pretty good haul that would last us a few days, but we still needed a place to set up camp and build shelter. Sleeping pads wouldn't help much if rain started to fall, and freezing to death wasn't something I had on my agenda.

  Objective acquired.

  Build a campsite.

  I was about to lead her away when we heard faint voices.

  "Keep looking, there could be more survivors in the area," one snarled.

  Aubrey's eyes lit up. She moved to stand. I pulled her back down and placed a hand over her mouth. "Don't," I whispered.

  Survivors, that was something the system said.

  She trembled in my grip. I eased the pressure on her mouth.

  We waited. The voices drew closer. I fingered the sword's grip, but didn't dare equip my shield. It would make too much noise.

  There were many of them, at least ten. I couldn't fight them all. Staying hidden was tantamount to our safety.

  We waited. A branch cracked nearby as a hooded figure drew close. Aubrey pressed her hands over her mouth to quiet her rapid breathing. Sweat trickled down my neck. It itched. I laid a hand on Aubrey's shoulder to reassure her as much as myself. She flinched at my touch, making her shoes scrape against the dirt. Her eyes grew wide in realization.

  The hooded figure whirled to face our direction, their black cloak fluttered and revealed the glint of a dagger. I swallowed and held Aubrey down. I couldn't let her run. There was still hope they wouldn't find us.

  The figure stepped close enough that I could see how lithe their fingers were—womanlike, human.

  They used their free hand to brush branches aside for a better view. I half-drew my sword.

  "Come on!" the leader barked.

  "Shut the fuck up already!" The cloaked figure muttered and let go of the branches with a sigh. They walked away and didn't look back.

  We waited for several breaths before I dared take my hands off Aubrey. She fell to her knees, hyperventilating and staring at the spot where we last saw the figure.

  "Why are they looking for us?!"

  "We'll find out sooner or later. Let's go before they come back."

  I led her through the woods in a hurry. We needed to make use of the remaining hours of daylight if we wanted to stay warm come night, and I had a good place in mind.

  I retraced our steps back to the clearing where I first showed up. The grass was soft, the wind was softened by the surrounding trees, and there was plenty of wood around to craft shelter. All we needed now was running water, and our most basic needs would be met.

  We threw together a crude shelter from branches, bark, and the spare cloth from the box. It wasn't much, but it stood.

  I reinforced the textile roof with white bark in hopes that it would help keep rain away.

  Objective cleared.

  New objective acquired.

  Prepare yourself for the first blood moon.

  6 days remaining.

  I raised my eyebrow at the new objective. That doesn't sound ominous at all.

  At least the timer was generous, giving us a full week to prepare. Most probably weren't as lucky as us two with finding a nice place to set up shelter.

  Our next priority was finding water, preferably running. We had ways to both light a fire and boil it, but for now, the less work the better.

  Aubrey became fidgety at the suggestion of finding water. She wanted to stay behind and prepare the camp. She said something about making it sturdy enough that we could wait for help. She didn't get it yet.

  Help wasn't coming.

  I convinced her to move when I spotted the reflection of a yellow vest in the distance.

  "Get behind me," I said and equipped the shield for the first time. It felt comfortable in my grip, light and sturdy. "Show yourselves!" I shouted.

  "Take it easy, man! We mean no harm, just trying to make shelter like you."

  He stepped out of the foliage with his hands raised in the air and a crooked smile on his lips. Behind him, two well-dressed women followed. All of them wore yellow high-vis vests and hard hats. One of the women had her red hair tied into a ponytail and wielded a bow, she was short and freckled. The other held a long spear in both hands, she was tall and muscular like a bodybuilder. But what surprised me most was that the man had a sledgehammer peeking out behind his back. It hung over his shoulder in a sling.

  I didn't get offered a hammer.