Weapons drawn and ready for combat, Ron readied an arrow while Lena shakily prepared a water blade to fire.

  “That thing is massive! It’s going to kill us! We have to run!” Jasper panicked.

  “Steady!” Bjorn commanded over the panic.

  He looked at Leo. “Kid! Think you can hold it off while we take care of the smaller ones?”

  Time was ticking as the smaller antlings charged. Could he hold it? Please. He could do better.

  “I’ll do my best,” Leo said seriously while suppressing a grin. The fire of battle coursed within him, along with the anger towards this thing’s actions.

  Bjorn dashed forward to intercept the lesser antlings, preparing to roar a taunt when they came into range. Leo waited until the antlings were taunted before moving to intercept the Soldier.

  Dashing along the riverbank, Leo came face to face with his enemy. It eyed him, sizing up its prey. It must have been surprising to see someone so intent on facing it after the clear slaughter that had preceded this.

  They were on the highest point of the river bank, a building to Leo's right. He clocked it in case he needed to retreat and hide.

  Screeching, it charged at him suddenly. Its large blood slick mandibles went straight for Leo’s chest. Primed to cut him in half, the antling was large enough that Leo managed to duck the slicing attempt and pushed full power into his knees. Fire surged through his core and down his limbs as he felt his Kindled Strength working.

  Mana Strikes ready in his fist, he uppercut the ant with full force springing up, trying not to inwardly cry out ‘Shoryuken!’ The ant reeled back hard from the blow, a large crack going through its carapace and dark green blood dripping from its head onto the grassy bank.

  Leo tried to press his advantage while it was feeling the pain, moving to its side and throwing quick jabs into its midsection, yet the damage didn’t amount to much. If anything, his fists took the real beating—like punching metal.

  It lashed out with its legs, one of the claws slashing into his own, drawing blood. Leo hissed a breath when the pain hit but kept fighting.

  He kept trying to get in close to throw punches, but every time he did it would snap towards his fists, cutting off his attack. It was difficult to get through its quick defenses. He needed an opening.

  He looked around quickly to see if there was anything in the environment he could use. He spotted a broken down house that was nothing but rubble.

  Perfect.

  His feet thudded against the broken pavings that led to the house, the giant ant chasing him with anger and determination in its screech. Spotting a large piece of rubble that extended around three metres tall, Leo put his loosely constructed plan into action.

  Daring a quick glance back, the antling was right on his tail, he slowed as he approached the thick stone wall, but only enough to bait it into his trap. It lunged as expected, trying to impale him on the large stone.

  Leo kicked back into full speed and pushed his Agility to the maximum. In doing so he managed to run a few steps off the stone and kick off it, leaping into the air in a controlled half flip, putting himself directly above the monster.

  The ant embedded its mandibles into the stone with reckless abandon. Leo, assisted by gravity and his kick-off, forced his body forward, bringing his heel down on its head in a devastating axe-kick. There was a sickening crunch that rippled from its carapace, the cracks spreading even further.

  Damn, I bet that looked cool. Leo inwardly praised. Everything was going his way.

  Confident that it had been enough to at least incapacitate it, Leo let his guard down a moment after landing. Preparing to finish the creature off and send it from this plane of existence.

  He felt heroic. “You won’t kill any–”

  His words were cut off as the monster spun with inhuman speed, ripping its mandibles out from the stone to cut him in half. In the last second he managed to pull his torso back from its grasp but it wasn’t enough to dodge entirely, grazing him as it cut a line across his stomach.

  The ant didn’t stop its attacks, snapping out again. Leo was still off balance and fell backwards. He dodged the strike but landed onto his back.

  Before he could move, the ant was above him pushing its mandibles into him for a finishing blow. Leo managed to grab the two appendages, the sharp insides cutting his hands. It was all he could do to stop it from cutting him in half, like grabbing a pair of jagged knives.

  The mandibles repeatedly tried to close but he forced them to stay open with all the might he could muster. Mana infused kicks landed on its underside but as effective as they were, the ant was intent on killing him at any cost. Blood was flowing from both its wounds, dark green blood spilling out and covering him.

  Leo’s stamina was dropping fast while he tried to hold it off, not to mention his health. At this rate he was going to lose. Going to die.

  Rage and the will to survive coursed through him like a second energy reserve, bringing him strength he didn’t know he had left.

  With a grunt, he pushed all that newly felt power from his Kindled Strength skill into his muscles. When that wasn’t enough. He pushed again.

  More!

  The antling sensed his last ditch attempt and pushed its own body harder. But suddenly, he felt something click.

  Fire started to pour through his limbs, heating his entire body in power. Steam began rising from his skin and evaporating the blood that coated him.

  “MORE!”

  With a roar of effort, Leo ripped the mandibles right off the face of the attacker.

  Blood spurted out as the antling flailed back in agony, its screeches of rage were replaced by those of pain. A notification pinged in his vision but he dismissed it. Determined to finish the fight, he had no idea when this strength would peter out. His vision was already fading.

  Its leg stomped down on him during its flailing and all the fight he had left in him failed, the wind entirely knocked out of his lungs. A moment later it collapsed. Right on top of him. Thankfully, a notification came with it. Along with his previously dismissed one.

  Kindled Strength (Common)

  Has upgraded to:

  Fuel the Fire (Uncommon)

  You have slain: Soldier Antling - Level 7

  Experience increased for defeating a higher level enemy

  +25 Store Credits

  Your Pugilist Class has reached Level 5

  Stat points distributed

  +1 Free Point

  Level 5 Pugilist Class skill selection available

  Leo lay there panting, the strength entirely leaving him as the adrenaline faded. He eyed his resources.

  HP: 54/250

  MP: 58/160

  SP: 12/190

  His stamina was almost completely tapped. The simple act of having his eyes open seemed like too much, so moving could definitely wait—if he even could move with this antling on him.

  So could the system notifications. He did put another point into Endurance so he could hopefully recover faster, the feeling instantly giving him enough to keep his eyes open.

  Now that the danger had passed, Leo took this moment and considered the fight. Even if he had won, it was far too reckless.

  Trying to pull moves he saw in video games or action movies, not to mention letting his guard down before the notification came in was a great way to an early grave.

  The sounds of battle near the river began fading as Leo sighed in relief. He’d completely forgotten about the other antlings. If his party had died, he’d have died for sure. Another mistake.

  Hurried stomps vibrated through the ground as Leo felt them approach.

  “Kid! Are you alive?!” He heard Bjorn shout.

  Opening his eyes he managed to cough out a quiet, “Over here.”

  The footsteps got closer. Ron had led them to his location, apparently the one to hear his croaking cry for help.

  “Oh my god! Leo!” Ashley cried out.

  “Hang in there kid, we’ll get you out of there. Come on! Help me drag him out,” Bjorn ordered, panic clear in his voice.

  With the effort of everyone, they managed to lift the antling off his body and drag him out. Both healers instantly got to work, flooding him with energy and closing his still bleeding wounds. Being healed always felt amazing, and with two of them it was even better, health replenishing quickly.

  Once his health had come up, Leo opened his eyes and looked around. Everyone was gathered around the corpse of the soldier and himself.

  It no longer felt impossible to sit up so he tried to.

  “Ah, ah” Ashley chided, pulling him back down with impressive strength. “Take it easy. You were really hurt. It took almost all of both mine and Amy’s mana to heal you up. How much health do you even have?”

  “I’m alright now. Thank you both. As for my health… barely enough.” He smiled.

  “You’re covered in blood so that smile is a little creepy.” She laughed. It was the first time he’d heard her laugh.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “What the heck happened to ya kid?” Bjorn asked. “I expected you to just hold it off until we finished with the smaller ones and came to fight it together. Instead we find you bloody and beaten under the corpse of the thing.”

  “I thought I could take it, I was only half right,” Leo tried to joke.

  “It was stupid,” Cecelia scolded. “I imagine you have some kind of death wish and I’m not going to tell you what you can and can't do, but one thing you need to keep in mind is whether we like it or not, you’re our best hope at surviving this right now. At least until I can take over.” Her words were firm, yet fair.

  Leo apologised, “I know. I realised how stupid I was—after the fact. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  Cecelia shook her head with a slight smile. “I doubt that. I bet you’ll do something stupid again before the end of the week, and I’ve only known you a day.”

  The group chuckled lightly at her words, the camaraderie filling Leo with some happiness as he appreciated this situation he’d found himself in.

  Bjorn informed him of their plan. “We’re going to wait here a while longer while you rest up, maybe see if any of these houses are worth holding up in or if anyone is still alive around here.” His face was grim before resetting. “Also gonna fill up the water, would try cooking this thing but we ain't got any fire.”

  Leo passed Bjorn his water container, he had already given the ones he’d gotten from Mac and Bill.

  After a few minutes, Ashley was the only one sitting next to him. The rest had moved out to scout the area or gather water. He decided that now was a good time to check his notifications. First up was the skill upgrade he got mid fight.

  Fuel the Fire (Uncommon)

  The dim flame has become a small blaze, fuel sating its increased greed. You can now pull more from the fire by feeding it fuel. The more expended, the greater the strength.

  Passively enhances strength of all strikes

  Further enhance strength by expending stamina.

  Scales with Strength

  Cooldown: None

  Leo had to admit, that was a nicely timed upgrade. If not for it, then it was likely he’d have been sliced in half after his stamina bottomed out. He tried to figure out exactly how he’d upgraded it and realised that he had no real idea other than a desperation to live. All he’d done was try to pull all the power he could from the feeling of fire within him.

  That feeling had been present since first unlocking Kindled Strength but felt muted, now it was like he could openly tap into the power it gave him, feeding it like adding gas to a flame.

  Managing his stamina would be key, however, as too much expended would leave him completely open to attack. While Agility as a stat was important, not to mention Strength, Endurance may be the real key to survival if his skills kept costing more stamina.

  With the upgrade out of the way it was now time for an exciting new notification he’d gained upon reaching level 5.

  Level 5 Pugilist Class skill selection available

  The excitement felt tangible as Leo looked upon the notification. He willed the skill selection to appear and it did, listing four options for skills. His smile faded a little upon seeing the first option but decided to keep an open mind.

  One Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)

  You have proven your skill with a one handed weapon, striking your foe down with deadly precision. This skill will increase the damage you deal with one handed weapons while also increasing your ability to wield them.

  Provides a small bonus to damage with One handed weapons based on Strength and Agility.

  Warning: This skill conflicts with your current skill: Unarmed Mastery (Common) If taken, it will replace the previous skill.

  Talk about anticlimactic. Why it would offer him a skill like this if it would remove his unarmed skill, Leo didn’t know. Maybe it was due to him killing someone with the dagger or something that was offered to anyone who picked Pugilist as a kind of remorseful choice. Either way, he had no way of knowing and didn’t really care. It was an easy no. Onto the next.

  Regenerative Spirit (Common)

  High Vitality usually comes with high amounts of damage being taken. With this skill your vital energy will overflow, granting you increased regeneration.

  Scales with Vitality

  Cooldown: None

  Now this was a skill. Not only did it give him a great boost to his health regeneration, it also scaled with his Vitality which was still currently his highest stat. It was a little underwhelming, but no doubt useful. He could see himself taking this skill unless the next two ended up being better.

  Leaping Uppercut (Common)

  Your stance needs work but the basics are there. Use the spring in your step to unleash an uppercut, increasing the power of your uppercuts when used in conjunction with a jump.

  Scales with Strength

  Cooldown: 30 Seconds

  This… was a bit embarrassing.

  Leo had tried to pull a move from Street Fighter and the system offered him a skill based on it. He wasn’t sure if he should—or could—take this skill.

  The uppercut was really effective though…

  Deciding to see the last option before beginning his long and arduous choice process, Leo smiled.

  Powerful Haymaker (Common)

  A decisive, commitment strike that channels stored force into a single blow. Holding the attack builds impact and delivers a heavy burst of damage on release.

  Scales with Strength

  Cooldown: 8 Seconds

  Leo bit the inside of his cheek in thought. This skill seemed like a winner if he was considering his class. His Mana Strikes were helpful when trying to break through the ant’s tough carapace but he was still lacking a way to turn the fight in a decisive way. The sample size so far was pretty small, with only a few encounters, but it was enough to overrule his decision paralysis.

  You have gained the skill: Powerful Haymaker (Common)

  He would have to test it against the next foe he fought. He was excited to try and was about to get up to test it when Ashley seemed to sense his excitement. “Whatever it is you’re thinking, don't. You need to rest.”

  Leo felt like a kid whose hand got caught in the cookie jar.

  “I got a new skill after hitting level 5 and wanted to try it,” Leo said in a small voice.

  “You got a new skill? Is it one of those Essence thingies?”

  Leo shook his head, which was a little tricky from his prone position. “Nah. When you hit level 5 you get a choice of skills. I was offered a list of four but I don’t know if that’s normal or not.”

  “Not sure I really get it, but sounds cool.” She smiled. “What kind of skill did you get?”

  “It’s an improved haymaker,” Leo said proudly.

  “Oh,” she said flatly and a little disappointed.

  Picking up the obvious expression, Leo asked, “What is it?”

  “Well, it’s just that, in this new world of magic, swords and giant ant creatures. You got a skill to punch a bit harder…”

  The two of them looked at each other for a moment before a small laugh came from one of them. That set the other one off as they laughed at the absurdity of it. Leo couldn't even bring himself to defend his new skill as she did make a lot of sense. Lena could sling magical blasts of water, Cecelia could coat her sword in moonlight, Bjorn could form a bulwark of earth covering his shield.

  And Leo could punch harder.

  The laughing continued until Jasper walked over, a bit of malice and jealousy in his tone as he spoke.

  “Having fun, are we? I sure think this place of death and despair is a whole lot of fun. Please, share what’s so funny!”

  Ashley’s face dropped as quick as her laughter stopped. She almost said nothing, keeping the feelings swelled up like a balloon, it held steady for a moment… until she burst.

  “Why are you being like this?! What’s wrong with us having a laugh during a shit time like this? Do you just get off on being a dick?”

  Jasper looked stricken, like he didn't expect such a retort, but also like he didn't expect the words coming from his own mouth.

  He backed away slightly, then his face twisted and he moved his hand to his dagger before stopping himself and dashing off.

  Leo had prepared to intervene, his stamina had recovered to around a quarter of his reserves at this point.

  But the whole thing was over in an instant.

  “What is up with that guy?” Leo questioned as he threw his head back down.

  “No idea, but he really doesn't like us. The feeling is mutual.”

  Any chance at more playful banter was gone, the mood ruined by Jasper’s intervention. Leo just continued to rest in silence while Ashley sat next to him.

  Once his stamina had recovered enough, he moved towards the river to clean all this ant blood off him. Ashley finally allowed him to get up and move around. She had gone off to join the others. Leo would do the same once clean.

  The river bank was easily descended. He quickly stripped off his clothes and dipped into the river. The water felt cold and refreshing, instantly rejuvenating his tired body and spirit.

  This was his first time washing in this place, and although he lacked soap, the dried blood and grime came off him with relative ease, flowing down the river and into the unknown, along with all the blood that had flown down the banks. Leo tried not to think about how many people had died here.

  His clothes were next, and thankfully seemed quite stain resistant, becoming clean within moments. He’d have to put wet clothes on, but with the heat of the sun constantly bearing down in the cloudless sky, it wasn’t an issue.

  Fully clean and dripping wet, Leo regrouped with everyone. They had found a large house to set up camp in for the evening. It still had its door and window shutters. It even had a second floor from what he could tell outside.

  Moving through the entrance, he passed Amy and Lena sitting at a small table, gave them a small nod and a smile and moved further in to explore the house.

  The house was big, built from heavy stone that had outlasted whatever family once filled it. Time had only managed to get in through the small places. Tiny tufts of grass pushed from hairline cracks near the base of the walls. A vine had climbed one corner like it was testing the surface, leaves bright against the grey.

  The air was cool and still, but not foul. Dust lay in soft drifts along the edges of the rooms. The solid stone furniture continued throughout as he briefly explored.

  Leo quickly found his group at a stone table with benches along each side. It was like a dinner table you’d see in a school cafeteria or perhaps a prison. The whole thing was crafted the same way the houses were, clearly with some kind of skill or magic.

  “Hey kid, come have a seat. We’re talking about what to do next,” Bjorn said and gestured to a seat next to Cecelia.

  “You’re soaking wet. Sit over there,” Cecelia commanded in a flat tone.

  He rolled his eyes and sat a bit further over. They continued the discussion.

  “So, as I was saying,” Cecelia began, taking charge. “We should make this place our base of operations. It’s defensible, and has buildings around it others could live in. There must be people out there that are alive and require our help that aren’t murderous convicts.”

  “I get that,” Bjorn replied. “We will have to be careful not to invite in anyone wanting to cause harm.”

  Cecelia nodded. “I think we should start sending people out to scout the surrounding area to map it out the best we can, see if we can find any survivors, and take care of any ants.”

  “I’m happy to scout the area if needed,” Leo added.

  Bjorn and Cecelia chuckled, the former with more gusto. “Kid, you’re our strongest, of course you’d be going.”

  Leo smiled, feeling a bit blushed at being called the strongest. What was he, a kid being praised by his parents? He shook the thought and refocused back on the discussion. At this point Amy and Lena had joined in and sat down.

  “So for today I think we should scout the immediate area in two groups as we still have a lot of daylight left. I’ll take Ron, Amy and Lena. Cecelia, Leo, Ashley and Jasper can be the second group. How does that sound?” Bjorn asked.

  “I think we should have some people guard the house!” Jasper quickly added.

  “I would be much more comfortable here too. I don't think I can fight any more of those things today,” Lena said in a shaky voice, her body shivering at the thought.

  “I’m not sure about leaving my sister behind,” Amy added.

  “I’ll keep her safe!” Jasper said with far too much excitement.

  Bjorn looked at him with a look Leo could only label disgust, but relented. “Fine, Jasper and Lena stay behind. Two groups of three, Myself, Ron and Amy will take the area behind the house. Try to make it a semi-circle of scouting. You guys take the rest. Try to be back before dark. We had an easy night last night but we could have just gotten lucky.”

  After a bit more discussion between the two groups, they all got moving.

  “If anything goes wrong, run away or fire some water bolts into the sky and we will come to you,” Cecelia said towards Lena, then when close enough to whisper added, “And be careful of that one.”

  Lena looked like she took a moment to understand what Cecelia meant but then followed her gaze towards Jasper. She nodded, a knowing look passed between them.

  “I will.”