Balt and I left the cave in high spirits after our upgrades, walking side by side along the stream that wound through the gorge. We’d chosen this path for a simple reason, it led toward Balt’s hot spots.

  The water cut through open terrain. Too open. The enemy could spot us easily, but we’d agreed to take the risk rather than push through the dense brush and risk a hidden monster ambush.

  I kept scanning the alien landscape, flowers with glassy petals, insects with too many wings.

  Just days ago, I’d been standing in a hospital room, grinning like an idiot as my sister cradled her newborn. The air had smelled of antiseptic and baby powder. Now I smelled damp stone and strange pollen.

  The shift still amazed me whenever I stopped to think about it. No one from Earth had made it to Mars yet, and here I stood on another planet with life on it. "Amazing," I murmured.

  "What?" Balt glanced over. "Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

  He gave a small shrug, eyes going back to scanning the terrain.

  The air cooled as we walked deeper in, the rock walls drawing closer, narrowing like a slow?closing jaw. Every step forward felt like walking further from the farm and further into the unknown.

  We were trading stories about our recent gains when something shifted in the distance. I halted without thinking. Something was off.

  Balt walked past me, then stopped, glancing back. “What’s got you so worried? The danger points I found are much further ahead.”

  I continued to look around for signs of movement. I moved my finger to my lips in a gesture of quiet and then waved Balt over to me so I could whisper in his ear. “What do you hear right now?”

  “What are you talking about, I hear… nothing.”

  I nodded. “Exactly, this silence is unnatural; no animal noises like when we first came down here. No birds chirping, no sounds from the brush. I don't even see insects flying around anymore. There’s just no way with it being almost a desert up top that the game fled a cool stream like this.”

  I gestured to the stream to support my point. “The animals know something we don’t.” Years of hunting in the woods and his training had taught me to trust my instincts. I crouched low, and Balt followed suit.

  The old man had his hands raised, ready to fire off a spell at a moment’s notice. I had summoned Ashbourne and was straining my quickly improving senses to the limit, but the only sounds I could hear was the faint rustle of leaves and the flow of water.

  My excitement for my new upgrades faded further to the back of my mind as I scanned the deepening shadows, my senses sharpened by rising adrenaline.

  Balt moved right beside me, eyes narrowing as he looked for any movement just beyond the tree line. “You’re right. Something’s off.”

  I tightened my hand on the hilt of my sword, instincts screaming that the next fight had already begun. Finally, I heard what I had been waiting for. It started off with a gentle tapping sound. It had a rhythm.

  I realized it was something massive walking, and the sound was getting louder as it grew closer.

  From the darkness of the tree line, two pale shapes slipped into view. Muscles rippled under their skin; jagged ridges grew on their backs.

  They had long claws on their hands and feet. The creature’s eyes glowed faintly green and were locked on us. The only sound the duo gave off was the slow, deliberate tapping of their enormous, claws on the stone as they walked closer.

  After the system message came. The Ravagers both bellowed what felt like a challenge. I swore I was feeling the ground shake.

  I willed Identify to activate to see if I could find any weaknesses, like I had just done with the Spinecrawler.

  No golden weak point came from the Talent this time, just a base level of information.

  I stood and shifted into a guard stance, eyes never leaving the advancing predators. I knew I had to go all out from the start.

  I’m used to fighting while under-leveled, but if both Ravagers decided to attack me at the same time, they could overwhelm me. I have to set the pace. Balt would do what he could, I knew, but even with the guide class upgrade I had no idea how he would perform.

  I hope he can hold his own even for a little while.

  “Balt," I said quietly, can you try to slow one of them down? I’ll take the one on the right if you can. If you can't, tell me now”

  The old man gave a short nod, "I can do it." The glow of gathering mana building between his hands. “Be ready.” Both monsters were crossing the stream at amazing speed coming right at us, and I was beginning to worry that the old man’s new class had crapped out on him or something.

  When I heard Balt yell out “Force Jolt.” A spike of golden force resembling a lightning bolt shout out faster than a bullet and hit the Ravager on the left in his right knee.

  Buckling it and sending the creature sliding through the water. I knew my cue and activated Limit Break and Quick Step together.

  The world blurred as I shot forward, the ground a smear beneath my boots. In one heartbeat I had been beside Balt, and the next I was at the side of the upright Ravager.

  I activated my new attack, Limit Slash.

  Ashbourne had always been heavy, but the new Talent made it feel like I was trying to lift a truck. The blade flared with pale light as I swung at the creature’s torso, trying to cut the thing in half.

  Every ounce of my strength and spirit I could muster was compressed into a single, devastating arc. The Stalker Ravager let out a guttural snarl, claws swiping toward me in a blur of speed. My Steel met its flesh first with a satisfying crack, and the monster’s strike faltered.

  The blow carved a deep, smoking gash across its torso, going deep but not making it all the way through. My sword was lodged in its middle, and I tried to pull it out for another strike.

  The Ravager wasn't going down, it recovered enough to lunge at me instead, jaws snapping for my throat. I tried to retreat backwards pulling the blade, but the Ravager grabbed my blade trapping it with its clawed hands.

  I gave up on pulling it out and had a crazy idea. I dismissed the blade, surprising the creature for a moment, making it halt its snapping jaws. Then re-summoned the sword to my hand. It worked!

  I activated Limit Breaker Armor. If one of those clawed feet or hands hit me, I will be cut to ribbons.

  My plan to one-shot the Ravager had failed. But the wound was deep enough that I knew it was only a matter of time before I finished it.

  I jumped back, boots skidding across the stone, landing ankle-deep in the stream. The Ravager lunged after me, claws overhead, and I parried the strike, the impact rattling my arms to the shoulders.

  I was face-to-face with the beast, its hot, fetid breath washed over me. I slammed my armored boot into its knee, nothing.

  I saw in my peripheral Balt hammering the downed creature repeatedly with his new spell. Keeping it from getting up trying to buy me more time. I felt Quick Step come off cooldown.

  I heard Balt call out, “Kid, I am low on mana, so whatever you're going to do, you better do it now." I yelled back, “Switch!” and a Force Jolt hit the Ravager I was locked in battle with.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  In its right eye. Hell of a shot old man.

  Its claws disengaged from Ashbourne. I Quick Stepped next to the downed creature Balt had been pummeling.

  I came out of the ether, grip tight on Ashbourne, pale energy surging along the blade’s edge. With one fluid motion fueled by my strength and spirit, I used Limit Slash bringing the blade down at the Ravager’s exposed neck.

  Upon contact, the energy flared violently, searing through flesh and bone like a blade of pure force.

  A sickening snap echoed as the neck was sliced cleanly, and the creature’s body crumpled, lifeless. I looked at my Anchor and my silver tree's light was noticeably dimmer. I dropped my armor to conserve what mana I had left.

  I dismissed the message as soon as it appeared. The other creature was howling in fury and sprinting toward Balt with no care for its wounds.

  The Ravager was quick, and it had several steps on me before I could react.

  My Quick Step was still on cooldown. But Limit Breaker had time remaining. I didn’t waste it. My legs blurred, eating up the ground. Trying to close the distance.

  I could tell I wasn’t going to make it; Balt had been too close to the front when the fight started. The creature leapt, claws extended, for the old man’s throat.

  “Nooooo!" I shouted reaching my hand out toward him in vain.

  But before the claws could cut the old man in two. Balt’s hands flared with light as a surge of raw mana shot out toward the Ravager. It ducked it.

  But the Pathfinder was not done yet. He moved his arms and brought his hands together at his chest in a clapping motion. “Force Wave.”

  A wave of golden energy burst from him, slamming into the Ravager and hurling it back several feet.

  The effort of the new talent drove him to his knees, blood trickling from his nose — a last?ditch strike to stop the beast. But the gambit had worked.

  The Ravager had been blown perfectly right into my path.

  “Where do you think you were going, asshole?!” I raised Ashbourne and activated Limit Slash. I aimed right for the beast’s neck.

  I felt something going wrong. The sword felt intensely heavy in my hands. I couldn’t keep the weight of the sword up. It was dropping quickly from the high stab I was about to make.

  I did my best not to panic. I used the last of Limit Breakers enhanced speed, to force my legs to move faster.

  Before the sword could drop to the ground from the weight. I used my forward momentum and swords to stab the Ravager in the back. The flesh parted like butter and the sword buried itself up to the hilt.

  Luck was with me as Ashbourne landed right where it needed to on the creature’s back, missing the jagged ridges and natural plate armor by less than a fingernail width.

  I felt the creature try to turn before the weight of the sword took it to the ground. I let go of the blade and rolled off the monster, coming up in a defensive stance.

  Flaring Limit Breaker Armor and crossing my arms in front of me, ready for a retaliatory strike. But the strike never came.

  The monster was still trying to move, but after feebly reaching a clawed hand out, it stilled.

  I dismissed and re-summoned my sword again. Damn, that move is handy. It was thankfully back to normal weight.

  I only suspected the dismissing and re-summoning of Ashbourne was going to work. But I knew with certainty now. I am going to exploit the shit out of that mechanic.

  I turned off my armor. My mana level was dangerously low, and I certainly didn’t feel like feeling sick to my stomach and dizzy for no reason.

  Balt had made it to his feet, and more sweat was coming off him than a fat kid at recess.

  Balt wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “Good job on that last one. I was out of mana. The new Talent spells are more mana intensive than I am used to.”

  I was going to make a witty remark, but I just didn’t have the heart to do it. They had fought a short but intense battle together, and I thought the old guy deserved some props.

  “Nonsense, Balt, you did great. We make a damn good team.”

  Balt just shuddered. “System, please let us not become friends.”

  “Hey… that’s a little hurtful." Balt just shook his head and smiled. Both of us were looking down at the beast, waiting for the notification. A few moments later the notification came.

  We hit one another with a crisp high five. Some things are universal. The chest appeared and was pulsing with golden energy. It was changing from bright gold to almost white and seemed to hum with magic.

  We approached the loot chest like kids sneaking up to steal their old man's smokes. The last chest we received was silver, and Balt had scored a class upgrade gem rare enough to make grown men cry apparently.

  And I had gotten... pants, you know System. There is plenty of room for gloves, boots, maybe even a cape that shimmered like starlight. This was a Gold Chest, I just knew it was going to be good.

  My palms went sweaty as I lifted the lid. Both of us leaned in. Only one item sat inside. "Hey, what the hell system? Where is my fancy cloak?"

  The item rested on a red velvet cushion, faintly glowing, as if the light came from somewhere deep inside.

  I lifted it carefully. It was cold to the touch, heavier than it looked. "Oh, shit."

  “Well?” asked Balt anxiously. “See for yourself, Pathfinder. Pretty sure you’re the one who needs to hold onto it.” I tossed it over. Balt fumbled but caught it in his right hand and froze.

  “Oh… shit indeed,” Balt breathed, awe creeping into his voice.

  The notification I had received was still hanging in my vision.

  Balt's eyes were glassy as he said. "A map appeared when I touched it, were close to its location. This key opens a mini-Dungeon that I have never heard of. There is no telling what is in there.”

  "That sounds like an amazing opportunity to get stronger and getting stronger is the only way to get my family back." I pointed at the key. "This place seems like the perfect place to hone my Talents and Level up."

  Balt just looked at the key in his hand. "What was it you said to me when we fought that ogre?"

  “You mean Ranger Up.” I answered.

  “Yeah, that’s the one. I want to do this, I want to help you and grow as well, but I think I need to hear that again.” Said Balt.

  I took a few steps until he was right next to the man and clapped him on the shoulder with a huge grin. “Ranger the fuck up. We've got a castle to conquer!"

  "Hell Yeah we do!" cheered Balt.

  "You know I was thinking."

  "What's that?" Balt was saying with a grin."

  "All those System Messages had the creatures listed as Mini-Bosses."

  "Yeah, what's your point? " asked Balt still smiling.

  "Well... where is the Boss at?"

  I heard a monstrous roar echo out that reverberated off the stone walls at that moment. It was deafening and I covered my ears to ward off the sound.

  I looked to where the sound emanated from to see several trees were being pushed over in the distance as a huge figure came toward us.

  "You know, I am really beginning to hate you" stated Balt deadpanned.

  "Right now, I kinda hate me too."