First Step

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Nox was barrelling through the sprawling forest. The dense overgrowth limited the light that reached the forest floor, but it was sufficient to see in front of him.

With the added boost from the [Mount] Skill, Aurus reached impressive speeds as he weaved through the trees. He had considered taking a more cautious approach, but eventually decided against it.

Any Rank 2 Beast would surely sniff him out whether he took things slow or not. The senses of beasts were incredible, far better than any human could ever compare to. At least this way, he would have a running start if he needed to escape.

Nox kept his eyes peeled for any potential threats, but the first ten minutes of his journey had been uneventful.

"There must be some beasts around here somewhere. I thought this place would be crawling with them" he thought.

As he thought that, however, his instincts began to scream.

Before he could react, Aurus was tripped over by a thick, reptilian body that appeared at his feet. With an indignant groan, he crashed to the ground. Nox was sent flying from his back for a few meters, rolling onto the ground with a heavy thud.

Shooting up to his feet, Nox drew his longsword. With both hands on the hilt, he examined his ambusher.

His foe was a large green snake around 20 feet in length and thick like a thigh. From the beast's neck, two scaled heads ruptured, bearing vicious fangs dripping with an ominous green liquid.

Currently, it was entangled with Aurus, entwining its powerful body around the Horse and sinking its fangs deep into his flesh.

As he stared the beast down, the Gift decided to give its input.

[Rank 1 Level 3 Twin-Headed Python]

[An ambush predator that relies on its powerful body to constrict its foes. Can secrete a venomous agent from its fangs to weaken its prey. Twin heads make it extra deadly]

The sweet feminine voice reported.

The description alleviated Nox's worries somewhat.

"Aurus excels in strength so he should be able to resist the beast's crushing for a while. Not to mention, he is immune to the snake's poison which takes away one of its big advantages."

Looking at the menacing fangs, Nox shivered a little,

"I just have to make sure I don't get bitten myself."

Steeling his nerves, Nox approached the monster from its rear whilst it was firmly fixed on his companion. Raising his blade into the air, he tensed the muscles in his back and arms to their maximum, delivering a heavy downwards chop.

His mind flashed to his father for a moment. Over the years, Winston had gained a habit of springing sudden attacks on Nox, almost always leading with this move. He had gained an intimate understanding of it by now.

As the blade made contact, it managed to pierce through the tough scales of its tail for a few inches before stopping. The taught muscles beneath the scales managed to repel it from going any further.

[HP -1]

[Twin-Headed Python HP: 13/15]

Seeing the abysmal damage value, Nox couldn't help but curse mentally.

"1 HP? Seriously? If I had been a Warrior, I'd probably have a skill that would let me do five times that!"

The beast hissed in fury as it detached from Aurus and aimed its heads towards Nox. While his steed stumbled back to its feet, Nox stared down his foe.

Those chilling amber slits held a frightening quality to them, but he refused to back down. Planting his feet, he readied himself for the beast's attack.

The wind shifted as the snake lunged towards him, almost too fast to react. Nox expected its arrival, however, as he ducked to the ground before it even began its attack. The beast flew over his head, missing its target. Meanwhile, Nox brandished his sword and delivered a flurry of swift strikes to the monster's tender belly.

[Critical Strike -2HP]

[-2HP]

[-2HP]

[Twin-Headed Python HP: 7/15]

[Target Is Below Half HP: Stats Reduced By 30%]

Crimson blood rained from the sky and drenched Nox from head to toe. He adopted a grim smile at the sight.

Meanwhile, his foe was ravaged by three enormous gashes each several feet long. Blood flowed profusely from the wounds and spilled onto the ground.

[Target Afflicted With Bleeding (Severe): -10%HP every 15 seconds]

As Nox watched the snake with rapt attention, the Gift continually rattled off alerts of the beast losing health.

It soon began to coil its body and hiss in anger, yet, Nox felt that its presence had severely diminished. Despite this, he had learnt his lesson several times by now. Never underestimate a foe, especially when you think you've already won.

This was especially so since Nox began to feel somewhat dizzy.

"What is happening to me?"

After a moment of confusion, he realised that he had felt this feeling before, just recently. When he had first resurrected Aurus, he felt disoriented and weak as his Willpower was strained. While it hadn't been a big problem since then, it once again reared its ugly head.

"I have to be careful. If I get exhausted too easily in a fight, I'm finished. I need to leave some Willpower spare. I can't afford for this to happen in a more dangerous fight."

Shaking his head, Nox concentrated his mind as best as he could.

Nox readied himself to deliver a final blow but suddenly a figure flashed passed him. Aurus leapt forwards towards the reptilian mass, his eyes burning with rage. Nox could only watch on, dumbstruck, as the steed's hooves began to shine in azure light.

The snake hastily attempted to counterattack, sending out its twin heads towards the falling horse. Despite that, when the two made contact, the beast was practically vaporised, exploding into a cloud of blood and guts.

[Minion Aurus Activated Skill: Power Stomp]

[Overkill!: -7HP]

[Twin-Headed Python HP: 0/12]

[Target Has Been Defeated]

The gift dutifully announced.

Nox watched in awe as his companion stood amidst the remains of the mangled corpse. He thought he could see a smug glint in the minion's eye as it stood triumphant over its bested foe.

He couldn't help but break into a rapturous laughter at the sight of his dumb expression.

"Hahahahah. I guess you didn't take things lying down, huh buddy?" Nox came next to the beast, stroking its bloodied fur. Its serious gaze quickly gave way for a silly one, its tongue hanging loosely from its mouth.

Thinking back on his first fight, Nox couldn't help but be surprised about it. After all, it was so...easy. The snake out-levelled them both and yet they dispatched it without trouble.

With some more thought though, he came to understand that he held an immense advantage against this particular foe.

"The fight was two against one, the snake only really excelled in one-on-one ambushes, and it leaned heavily on its poison to gain the edge. With that neutralised, it really stood no chance."

Nox was very aware that he got very lucky finding a foe that he countered. He didn't want to get conceited. He knew that many similarly levelled beasts out there could give him a run for his money.

Nox was brought out of his thoughts soon after by the cheerful chiming of the Gift,

[Rank 1 Level 3 Beast Defeated]

[Rank Difference 0][Level Difference 2]

[EXP Gained: 50]

"50 EXP from one fight? That's halfway to the Level-up already! I guess fighting monsters stronger than you has some big benefits."

He knew that that was easier said than done in most cases, however. He'd be lucky to find many more easy kills like this one.

The Gift didn't seem to be finished, though, as it continued,

[Achievement Received: First Kill!]

[You have taken your first step on the path to power! Continue to march onwards and strive for the stars!]

[Reward: EXP Doubled]

[EXP Gained: 100]

[Level-up!]

[Level 1 -> Level 2]

[EXP Needed to level-up: 200]

[+2 Willpower, +1 Vitality, +2 Free Stat Points]

[Soul Burden: +2 Willpower]

Nox was inundated with messages in his mind to the point he was a little disoriented.

"Achievements, huh? The bonus is very nice. I wonder what other achievements exist? There doesn't seem to be any way to view them."

The Gift displayed a new section separate from his status, simply called achievements. All it showed was the one he had just received.

"I guess I'll figure that out eventually", he thought.

Next, his attention was attracted to the generous addition of stat points. From his lessons with Leonard, he was familiar with how they were awarded.

With each level-up three stat points would be automatically assigned to certain stats depending on his class. Given that his Necromancy was reliant on Willpower, he wasn't surprised it received the majority share.

The other two stat points were known as Free Stat Points. He could assign them wherever he wished depending on his needs. For now, he decided to leave them free. If he came across a foe he couldn't tackle, he would be able to distribute them as needed.

He also appreciated the addition of the [Soul Burden]. While it had the awful effect of halving his Willpower, it had some good potential.

He decided to take a look at his new attributes,

***

HP: [10/10]

SP: [6/6]

MP:[8/8]

Strength: [9]

Dexterity: [6]

Resistance: [7]

Vitality: [13]

Intelligence: [8]

Willpower: [7/12]

Free Stat Points: [2]

***

Seeing his Willpower stat ruthlessly halved saddened him greatly.

On a more positive note, he now had seven unoccupied points of Willpower. Matching Aurus' level had brought the cost to maintain him to a manageable five Willpower.

The subtle haze that plagued his mind since he had resurrected Aurus had diminished greatly. He felt as though someone wrapped his brain in a soft blanket.

"Ahhh, that feels so much better."

After a few moments of appreciating his achievement, Nox's blood boiled with excitement. With a swift stride, he leapt atop Aurus' back and urged the beast onwards.

"Let's go buddy, we've got more monsters to hunt!"

The steed neighed gruffly as the duo sped off through the forest.

- - - - -

Over the course of the next week, Nox did nothing but hunt.

When night fell, they would find a secluded spot where Nox could get some rest. Aurus had no need for sleep, being undead, which made him a very effective guard. Streams provided all the water he needed and the forest was ripe with berries and fruits.

During his basic survival lessons, Nox was forced to memorise several native plants and how they could help one survive. The lessons were agonisingly dull, but they served him well here.

With his basic needs satiated, they could get to hunting.

During the daytime, the pair would take on any beast they could find, and that they could manage. Unfortunately, their initial luck didn't continue.

Most beasts they encountered were a little too strong for them to handle, usually pushing into the middle of Rank 1. Fortunately, they didn't seem eager to start a fight for the most part.

A few, more aggressive, beasts took their chances against the duo but, with the combination of Aurus' speed, the [Mount] Skill and Nox's ability to outwit any pursuers in a chase, they remained intact.

All of the monsters they found were either pitifully weak or far too strong. The number of beasts that they could realistically fight was woefully low. They were primarily Rank 1 Level 1 which only gave a measly 8 EXP now that Nox was Level 2. Four of them had been dispatched by now.

They ranged from a razor-clawed monkey to an overgrown mole. Later, they had encountered a Level 2 Fanged Eagle that proved exceptionally difficult to pin down.

With incredible speed, the beast swooped down and delivered vicious blows with enormous momentum. Nox hadn't managed to escape the fight unscathed, collecting several small cuts.

This just accentuated to him that they shouldn't take their early success for granted. Several monsters existed that heavily countered them. Nox had no reliable method of attacking the beast while it was high in the sky.

In the end, Nox was forced to trade blows with the Eagle, receiving a large gash on his forearm in exchange for the monster's life.

Their determined efforts had earned them a meagre total of 42 EXP.

[Current EXP: 42][EXP To Level-up: 200]

Nox grimaced at the sight. His first, easy level-up made for a stark contrast against his second. The Gift's sweet voice did little to settle his woes.

Traversing the forest, Nox puzzled over how he could speed up his progress. He wasn't satisfied with such slow going.

He came up with a few solutions but all of them seemed unfeasible given his current scenario. Things like joining a group hunting party didn't make much sense when he was riding an undead steed.

Aurus abruptly halted, driving Nox from his thoughts, and almost sending him flying.

"What are you doing you dumb horse! Have the last of your brain cells finally died?"

Aurus let out a disgruntled huff as he gestured forwards with his head.

Turning his head, Nox was taken aback. He knew that his growth issues were about to be solved. After all, in front of him was the premiere method of levelling up.

A Dungeon.