Berserker

Mirage opened his eyes as the sun started to rise. He didn't remember falling asleep last night. He must have dozed off while reminiscing.

It seemed he was familiar with this routine of getting up bright and early, seeing as how it looked completely natural to him.

It had been 3 days since the battle in the forest. Since the battle took a heavy toll on everyone, he decided to give them a little time off.

He waited in his usual dwelling for the others to wake up. Which they did, on time.

"How's everyone feeling?" He wasn't given a straight answer, but instead unenthusiastic groans.

"I have some things to say regarding the other day's events."

"Team Johan, although this team went into battle with a solid plan of action, they were the first ones out. It was a shame you were put against a group that exploited your weaknesses." They didn't say much. They understood that they were at a disadvantage with the team that they fought.

"Team Colt. This team showed great strength and tenacity. Colt, you lead your team with a fractured leg and still gave the opposition a good fight. Eric, you showed great use of your personal aspect and put up a good fight. Just make sure you watch out for the Ichor. And Noa." He gave a slight pause.

"Noa, you decided to ignore your teammates and proceed with a plan that gave your partner a broken leg. You failed to understand the point of a team and therefore, failed as a leader."

Noa clenched her fists and bit her lip. She understood the mistakes she had made. However, she couldn't stand being talked down to.

"However, in the end, you swallowed your pride and heavily aided your team to almost obtain victory. Although your team didn't win, it's a step in the right direction."

Noa felt a bit shocked at this sudden confession from Mirage. She was left staring at him aimlessly.

"Team Alex. Both of you decided to put your differences aside to work together. You showed great teamwork and cooperation that led you to your success. And Sophie…better luck next time." He said, making Sophie's face turn red in embarrassment.

"Finally, team Luca. Although this team won because Team Alex could no longer fight, they still proved themselves. Luca, you showed great leadership and intellect. Stacy, you demonstrated ruthlessness and strength in your battle, and Liam, you made great use of your personal aspect. Your intelligence allowed you to beat the most troubling opponent, which put your team on the winning side."

Most of them grinned as they were happy with their achievements.

"Alright, Follow me."

He started to walk to the usual training spot, only today they weren't training.

"Everyone take a seat," he said as he pointed to the chairs.

"I've been meaning to ask you. Where do you get these dummies, chairs and weapons from? We're in the middle of nowhere." Questioned Aaron.

"Don't worry. Take a seat." The others were used to this kind of response and nonchalant behaviour, therefore they didn't complain much anymore.

"I'll be teaching you all about Berserkers. They are the beasts that you've seen multiple times in the forest."

"Like the wolf that we first encountered?" Asked Colt.

"Yes. It's called a Fenrir."

"What makes Berserkers different from normal animals is that Berserkers are changed by Ichor. A sort of mutation."

"These Berserkers are classified into 5 different rankings. First is the Harmless rank. Berserkers of this grade are, for the most part, harmless as their name suggests. They are also the most intelligent rank. Berserkers such as Gnomes, Elves and mermaids/mermen, are for the most part peaceful and even coexist with humans."

"The Mystical Rank is composed of creatures such as Unicorns, Fairies, Phoenixes, Cyclops and the Fenrir."

"Some of these creatures are non-threatening such as the Unicorn and Phoenix. They won't attack you if you don't show aggression. However, some of these Berserkers are the opposite. Creatures such as the Fenrir and Cyclops will attack you on sight."

Everyone was extremely concentrated on what he was saying. Although they'd seen some of these creatures, the possibility of Mermaids and Unicorns was still fascinating to them.

"Now the Elusive rank. The Elusive rank is different from the other ranks. The Elusive rank refers to the Berserkers that are hard to come by. The rare Berserkers to be more precise. What makes them so dangerous is their peculiar abilities. For example, Mothman."

"The Mothman is a being said to be 7 feet in height and has a wingspan of 10 to 15 feet. Its most distinctive features, however, are its glowing red eyes and giant wings. That's all that is known for sure about its appearance. Some say it has scales and fur, but these are mostly myths."

"The Mothman itself is portrayed to be a harbinger of doom. It's said that it leaves countless bodies in its wake, as everywhere it goes, destruction is sure to ensue."

Chills ran down the spine of the young listeners. The worst they had seen up till now was the Cyclops, it was hard to believe there was anything worse, much less something like that.

"There are instances where people have come into contact with a Werewolf and a Vampire. However, these are rarely classified as Elusive ranks. It's unclear if these beings are even Berserkers or humans using a peculiar personal aspect."

"Moving on from the Elusive rank, the Fierce rank is quite self-explanatory. Berserkers in this category are said to be vicious creatures that are often seen as the mightiest of Berserkers. Few can say they have slain such a beast and those who can, have never been the same. Berserkers of such class include the Minatour, Harpies and Wyverns."

"Most say that if you see these creatures it's best to give in and accept your fate. Which is partially true. There is very little a single person can do against a Fierce Berserker. Of course, I mean normal people."

"Have you ever seen a Fierce Berserker?" Colt interrupted.

Contrary to the dismissive attitude he usually has, he answered that question properly this time.

"Yes." He said while flicking open his short sword.

"My swords are made of Wyvern horns." He explained.

Everyone was lost for words. The way he just spoke of Fierce Berserkers made it seem like they were godly beings. Yet here he was casually carrying around Wyvern horns.

"Finally, the Nightmare class. This is the final class of Berserkers. These are monsters that can destroy whole countries if they wished. There's a reason humans try their best not to offend them, nothing but chaos will ensue if they decide to attack us."

"Berserkers such as Dragons, Hydras and Leviathan claim this title for being creatures of mass destruction."

"Remember when I said people should give up when they meet a Fierce Berserker? Well if you meet a Nightmare level, you'd be better off killing yourself. Because that would be better than the gruesome death that would befall you if they got their hands on you."

The area was left quiet. Kill yourself? There wasn't even a point in fighting back? Only now had they realised how insignificant and ignorant they were. Just what was this hellish planet they had been brought to?

Breaking the silence, Mirage started to speak. "To finish off today's lesson I'll be telling you all about soul essence."

"Soul essence is the manifestation of a Berserker's soul after they die. If a human, or even another Berserker, decides to absorb it, it will give them a permanent boost in their stats."

"There are 5 different Soul Essences that can manifest after a Berserker's death. Each for a different stat. Red for strength, blue for agility, green for endurance, yellow for vitality and purple for perception. The higher the Berserker's stat is, or the higher the rank, the higher the stat boost will be.

"The Soul Essence that is dropped depends on the type of Berserker. For example, after killing a Fenrir, the most likely type of soul essence to drop would be agility."

"It should also be noted that Soul Essence does not have a 100% drop rate. However, the stronger the Berserker, the higher the chance of the drop."

"The reason I'm telling you all this is because I want you to be ready for next week." He said as the others looked a little bewildered.

"What's happening next week?" Asked Luca

"We're going out. Deep into the forest to hunt some Berserkers."

It was almost as if he had made this whole lesson frightening on purpose so that he could tell them that.

"Alright, that's all for today. Take this book and read it. It's highly detailed in the different kinds of Berserkers there are."

"Dude, where did you get that? Your hands were literally just empty." Said Colt.

They were used to these 'magic tricks' Mirage would pull from time to time, but it still didn't stop them from being surprised.

"Another little lesson for you. Don't watch the mouth, watch the hands." He said as he walked away.

After a couple of moments of speechlessness, Colt broke the silence by saying "I'm pretty sure I've heard that in a movie before."

As the sun started to set, Mirage could be seen staring at his blades. One would assume he was daydreaming due to his unflinching state. The Wyvern horns. He was recalling how he had obtained them.