13 Chapter 13
"A mysterious hunter"
Before leaving, Raven thought he'd take the Twilight Walker for a spin. There was no point using it while he was battling the rats, so he found a quiet alleyway and activated the skill. His body blurred and dissolved in the nearest shadow. The world around him turned grey, like he was seeing it through a filter. Will resembled a faint copy of himself, slowly moving from shadow to shadow.
"Hmm, I wonder…" He put his foot against a darkened wall. The description didn't say whether the shadow on the ground differed from the shadow on the wall.
It worked!
He put both feet on the wall, and simply walked up its surface. The next moment, when the effect timed out, the grey world spat Will out onto the real world's ground. His brain wasn't used to such kind of transitions, so the realization of color took several moments for him to realize.
"Now we're cooking with gas, ha-ha!"
Right after the experiment, Will left Skiavra and headed to the forest a mile from the village. Will, still unsure, felt hesitant to go there. He certainly wasn't going to rely on luck again. There were various monsters roaming around, gathering mostly in small groups of three to four.
A herd of goat-like creatures with black fur grazed in a meadow not far away. Their twirled protruding horns looked like lethal pikes and their cloven hoofs made the ground shake every time they stepped on it.
Inspect.
"Hammerhead: level 48.
HP: 7400."
That last number was bad news —they weren't going to go down easily. If he had tried to engage them like he did the rats, it would be a long and exhausting fight that he might not survive. Exercising caution, he chose to circle around them, look for easier targets.
"Slimy Worm: level 49.
HP: 8300."
…
"Scintillant Viper: level 52.
HP: 9000. "
…
"Smoke Hound: level 63.
HP: 10200"
The search didn't go so well. Part avoiding, part hiding using Stealth and Twilight Walk, he eventually stumbled on a pack of relatively calm dogs. Their level was frightening, but at least they looked like dogs. Well, kind of. These dogs were well over six feet in height, with gleaming green eyes and bodies of thick yellow smoke. Two of them patrolled the territory around a small lake with a stubby hut in the center, approximately a hundred and thirty feet from Will. Thinking about what kind of person would reside in a place like this, Will began surveilling the house. He would be cautious and patient.
Frequent deaths in Ascension had taught other players to take dying seriously. A seven-hour debuff and the loss of 40% of last level's XP seemed harsh and unattractive.
The sky was clear, and the sun cut off any chance to circumvent the hounds. Will had a thought about approaching the hut, to find who the monsters were actually guarding. He was too weak to confront the local fauna.
He was just about to leave when the door opened. A robust man appeared at the doorstep, wearing hunter clothing. In his hands, he held a big bowl. The man put two fingers to his mouth, whistled, and placed the bowl by his feet. The hounds left their post, and sprinted across the lake.
"Sure, why not?" whispered Will.
Another dog emerged from a lean-to, and took its fellow canines' place. It paced back and forth, indicating that the perimeter was secure.
Fed up with the inactivity, Will took a deep breath and yelled, "Hey there! Hello?"
The man stared at Will for many moments, and then made a gesture with his hand, inviting him in. Raven edged towards the hut, hoping this weirdo wasn't luring him into a trap. The dog patrolling the lake stopped and stared at their uninvited guest.
Raven stepped onto the narrow wooden bridge that stretched across the lake. Unlike his dogs, their master was, apparently, incapable of walking on water.
"At least something is normal here." Will said to the dogs that were munching on the meat from the bowl.
Inside, it was warm and cozy. A fire burned in the fireplace, but there seemed to be no smoke. It had to be some sort of magic that kept him from being seen from afar. Trophy monster skulls hung on the walls. The man himself sat in a large chair, petting another dog. Or rather, his hand rested in the dog. Compared to the ones Will saw outside, this one looked much tougher. It sat in a relaxed pose by the chair, but it clearly wouldn't hesitate to bite his head off if he were to act inappropriately.
"Well? Are you just going to stand there like a spare prick at a wedding? What do you want?" asked the man in a distinct monotone. He clearly didn't entertain guests much.
"To ask you something."
"Something like…--why do I live, alone, in the center of a lake, guarded by dogs? Something like, how do they walk on water? Things like that?"
"Not at all," Will said. "That's your business. I have no intention to pry."
"Oh, yeah? Some serious change is coming because of you, and I don't have time for every nosy stranger."
"Why did you ask me inside, then?" asked Will, struggling to follow the man's train of thought.
"I saw your ring."
"I see." Will wondered how the man could possibly see it from fifty yards away. "I want to offer you a trade — I help you to prepare for the things to come, and you give me answers."
The hunter looked at his guest with doubt and distrust. Finally, he let out a deep sigh. "What do they call you, messenger?"
"White Raven. And what should I call you?"
"You don't need to know my name."
Will shrugged.
Inspect.
