Chapter 11: Three

Chapter 11: Three

Tom realized that he was in a deadlock of sorts as he marked the forty-second, or perhaps the forty-third tree with the tip of his [Ankra Bone Dagger]. A simple, albeit broad cross demarcated his presence, stretching across the face of the tree. This way, if he was forced to retreat, hed atleast have some method to ascertain his location. Mostly though, Toms actions were motivated by a desire to do everything he could, leaving no stone unturned.

Two hours or thereabouts ought to have passed since hed killed the [Symiril Tusker] and during that time Toms pace had slowed to a crawl. He moved from tree to tree with the utmost caution, making an active effort to minimize his sound footprint. During that time, hed heard a distant howl that had made his blood run cold, and he couldve sworn that the rustle in a shrubbery behind him wasnt a trick of the mind.

That was when the first pangs of thirst began to claw at his psyche.

He had thought about this conundrum as he walked deeper, or perhaps away from the heart of the foresthe had no real way of knowing, coming up with three solutions. The first was to find, or fashion a container that could bear the pressure of his [Water Propulsion] card. He could also practise with it until he could regulate its pressure to drink directly from the card well, if it was drinkable in the first place. The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

If he was creating the water through magic in the first place, would it satiate his thirst? Tom didnt know. But atleast, the odds of it killing him seemed low.The only downside was the SP cost and the attention it would attract.

The second option he had was a far less desirable one. The [Ankra Beast Meat] hed received from the [Divine System] had inadvertently ended up being immensely useful to him, and the intention in giving it to him seemed even more obvious it was definitely intended for consumption.

So did the same logic apply to the [Symiril Tusker Bone Marrow Extract] in his possession? Tom had taken a peek at his inventory earlier, and it had turned out to be a transparent vial of azure-coloured liquid. Would drinking it kill him? Toms instincts said no, but it could still have unintended side-effects. But if the meat of this world was rancid to his kind, he wouldnt last long anyway.

The third option, of course, was to find a water body, but that option seemed less likelier with every passing moment.

Hed devised a solution to his awareness issues, and the answer was quite laughably simple. He just needed to scale a tree to its highest point, and hed get the lay of the land within seconds. But that wasnt an option Tom was willing to resort to just yet.

To begin with, he still had the dexterity of an average human. Climbing a tree that tall well, it was possible, but if a beast somehow caught scent of him or if there were aerial beasts flying above the forest, Tom was as good as dead. On land atleast, he could fight. But a fall from that height? That was not something [Earths Vitality] could cure.

A rustle interrupted Toms musings.

He pivoted on his foot with surprising alacrity, just in time to see a shadowy figure blur deeper into the shrubbery. The reason his reaction had been so blazingly quick had nothing to do with his reaction speed or instinct the reason instead, had been quite simple; Tom had been on edge this entire time, back when hed heard a rustle the first time an hour ago.

His brain had tried to convince him that it had just been an auditory hallucination born out of anxiety, but Tom knew better. If he was destined to go insane, that would have happened a long time ago, back on Earth because there had been some points in life where that possibility almost seemed relieving.

No, he had been right all this while.

[Analysing.

[Monster Species: Elfinclaw

Soul Card: The Shadow [Common]

Soul Card Level: 3]

Toms heart lurched, and it took every bit of willpower he had for him to not break out into a run.

His gaze refused to budge from the [Level 3] that was scrawled upon the blue screens surface, as if staring at it long enough would make the number go down.

It wouldnt.