Helga was standing in the doorway, a small smile playing on her lips. Before I could step fully inside, she closed the distance in a heartbeat, wrapping me in a tight embrace that felt as suffocating as it was comforting.
"Fin!" she exclaimed, her voice carrying a warmth that contrasted with the chill outside. "How was your day?"
I squirmed in her tight hug.
"It was fine"
Let me go, woman!
Our night went as usual: I ate dinner and prepared for bed. As Helga wished me good dreams, she closed the doors, leaving me alone.
My time in town allowed me to break the 1000PP mark. I held my breath as I went for a rare/mythical roll.
...
[You have rolled - Superior Healing Potion - Rare]
Man, I thought I'd get something cooler. This is going slower than I thought I'd go
I wrapped myself in my blanket.
At this point, I had two goals.
I wanted a stronger body and to power myself up.
The next few years went by largely unchanged. I would end up going into town 2-3 times a week to get points. It was much more efficient than doing the farming tasks.
I want to get a stronger body and power myself up.
Do farming stuff, train, go to town, repeat.
That was my approach for the next few years until I became 7, and problems started.
During those 2 years, I'd accumulated over 4000PP by using my method. I chose 3 'Super' rolls and 10 'Normal' ones. I'd managed to get...
[You have rolled - Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak (Harry Potter) - Rare]
[You have rolled - Faith Connor's Parkour Mastery (Mirror's Edge) - Rare]
[You have rolled - Jason Bourne's Kali Mastery (Jason Bourne Franchise) - Uncommon]
[You have rolled - Basic Rokushiki: Soru (One Piece) - Uncommon]
[You have rolled - Predator's Basic Camouflage (Predator) - Uncommon]
[You have rolled - Novice Swordplay (Elden Ring) - Common]
[You have rolled - Fast Reading - Common]
[You have rolled - Basic Cold Resistance - Common]
[You have rolled - Basic Foraging - Common]
[You have rolled - Enhanced Smell - Uncommon]
After repeating tasks many times, the rewards were becoming even smaller, to the point that I only gained about 10PP a day. I just wasn't effective enough to stay here, either on the farm or in town.
But, only being 7, I was still limited by Helga. News of me beating up those bratty bitches reached her, it was hell for that entire week. In saying that, I made though, but it didn't change the fact I needed a new 'revenue' stream.
But on one snowy morning, I got my next opportunity.
...
"Fin, can you go grab a bucket of water from the well?" Helga asked, flicking through her newspaper.
Helga barely looked up from her newspaper, trusting me to just do what I was told, so I pulled on my boots and stepped outside quietly.
The cold didn't bite at me like it should've. I felt… nothing.
Just a 'meh'
The wind was howling as I moved easily across the frost-covered ground, my steps light, barely making a sound.
The well sat at the edge of our farm, I used Soru to reach it slightly quicker, the sudden shift in speed left my stomach flipping, but I was getting used to it. Unlike some of my other skills, it wasn't tied to a particular character, so while I knew everything about it, I just didn't have that muscle memory to fall on.
But it was much simpler to do than I'd thought. Though I did force myself to slow down. No need to burn through my stamina just for a bucket of water.
I grabbed the rope and started lowering the bucket when the hairs on my neck stood up.
And it didn't feel right.
My nose twitched, trying to pinpoint what was wrong, my haki was yelling at me. I then caught the smell, it was blood.
It smelt metallic, definitely not fresh. Heavy in the air, carried by the wind from somewhere deep in the forest. My fingers tightened around the rope. I turned my head slightly, scanning the tree line.
I could see the figure of a large creature, its silhouette was barely visible through the snowfall.
The splash of the bucket hitting the water barely registered in my mind. My instincts were screaming at me. Quickly, the Predator's Basic Camouflage activated, a shimmer rippling over me as I blended into the environment.
I wasn't truly invisible, but unless someone knew exactly what they were looking for, I'd be damn near impossible to spot.
The figure in the distance didn't react.
That was good.
I slipped away from the well, I was stepping as lightly as possible but the snow mad it difficulty. I then used my parkour skills to climb up a tree. It made navigating rough terrain feel natural, and my movements barely made a sound as I crossed into the treeline, careful to stay downwind of whatever was out there.
The smell of blood was stronger now. Something had died nearby.
I could now see it, a hulking mass of white fur, its sheer size making my breath hitch. It was no ordinary bear
A dire polar bear, easily the size of a small house, its body covered in old battle scars. Blood, fresh and dark, dripped from its jaws. The thing had just finished eating.
The thing was freaky, it looked to have some glowing blue rune on its side.
I slid down the tree and crouched low behind a fallen log. The bear's breath came out in thick, heavy clouds, nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air.
This is my chance to get some more points, The problem was there was no way I could kill a bear like this, not with my stupid little body. But that rune in its side, I don't think it's something that happens naturally.
From memory, runes are either intentionally placed by someone or the result of some curse. If I can figure out which it is, it might lead me to something. And it seemed the bear didn't sense me; so I followed it.
The bear continued to lumber along the edge of the forest, moving steadily as the rune emitted an eerie glow. Its massive body blending with the surrounding snow.
I stayed as low as I could. The camouflage was doing its job, or at least, I thought it was. But the bear's sudden shift in direction made my heart skip a beat. It paused, sniffing the air once more.
Then, it did something strange.
The bear's head turned sharply, its eyes narrowing as it faced directly in my direction.
The blue rune on its side flared to life, pulsing and shining brighter as if responding to my presence. The rune's glow intensified, a radiant hue casting light on the snow as the bear's gaze remained locked on me.
I tensed. Was it directing the bear toward me?
Was this thing somehow linked to me?
I held my breath, the bear's thunderous steps grew louder as it began moving in my direction, its head swiveling occasionally, eyes searching the trees. It wasn't charging or running, but it was headed right in my direction.
Okay, this definitely wasn't just random; the rune was leading it to me.
I gulped and weighed my options quickly. If it came down to a fight, I could dodge and move all I wanted, but if I got hit even once, I'd be a goner.
But I couldn't run either, not with the bear so close and with the rune acting like some kind of magical homing beacon.
The only option was to try to outsmart it.
I gritted my teeth, took a steadying breath, and began to move silently in the opposite direction, hopping through the tree trying my best to stay out of sight. The bear's gaze never left me, the glow of the rune still burning brightly on its side.
Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!
I have no weapons!
The only thing I can do is try and get it as far away from the farm as I can. Maybe I can lead it to the town, It'll have a bunch of people to focus on other than Helga and me. I think that's the only option here.
Sorry, townspeople, but I have priorities here!
As I was mid-planning, a massive tree was flying through the air straight toward me. The bear had hurled it with terrifying force.
At least my Haki sensed it. I used Soru and shot out of the way. The tree crashed down where I had been standing, splintering on impact and sending snow and wood flying everywhere.
I stumbled as I hit the ground, a few sharp splinters grazing my arm.
The rune's glow flared a deep red.
"Shit!"
I cursed under my breath, scrambling to my feet. The adrenaline surged in me as I leaped into the trees, the bear's massive figure following my every movement.
Do I run? Do I fight?
I turned around to face the bear, my heart pounding as the beast snarled at me. The rune on its side pulsed in time with the thumping of my chest. The bear didn't move forward immediately, instead sizing me up, probably sensing my fear.
My hands clenched into fists.
"Fuck it!" I growled through gritted teeth. Adrenaline surged as I launched myself toward the massive beast.
The bear let out an roar, barreling toward me, its massive paws crashing into the ground with every step. Its jaws parted, ready to crush me.
I launched myself into the air, fists swinging, trying to use my speed to land a blow, when a powerful hand shot out of nowhere, grabbing the back of my cloak and yanking me backward with an inhuman force.
"Wha—?"
Before I could fully process what had happened, I turned to see the bear's massive head suddenly lopped clean off by a golden flash. Blood splattered the snow, and the beast's decapitated body collapsed in a heap.
The battle was over in an instant.
I blinked, dazed.
The glow from the rune on the bear's side faded, and in its place, the air seemed to grow still, the tension breaking as if someone had just flipped a switch.
Its head flew clean off, a geyser of blood spraying in the air as its decapitated body slumped to the ground with a deafening crash.
I hit the snow hard, wind knocked out of me, my senses scrambled from the sudden chaos. I barely registered the sight of the massive golden great sword embedded in the snow next to me, its blade still glowing faintly.
My mind was struggling to catch up to what just happened, but there was only one thing I could think.
The soft crunch of snow under heavy boots. Then, a recognisable voice.
"Get up, Fin. I told you to fetch the water."
I looked up, dazed, and saw her standing over me, the towering figure of my mother, Helga. Her posture was casual, she wiped the blood from the side of her golden greatsword with the sleeve of her dress with an almost bored look.
But my brain couldn't process the image fast enough. This was Helga? The woman I knew. Quiet, protective, tough as nails in a way, sure, but this... this?
Helga didn't just kill the bear. She effortlessly sliced through it with one swing. She had never shown me anything like this before. I opened my mouth, trying to form words, but nothing came out.
She turned her gaze to me, almost impassive, but there was a faint trace of something else in her eyes. Maybe... concern?
Helga knelt down, her golden eyes scanning me with an unreadable expression. She wiped the blood from my face without a word, as though she'd done this a hundred times before. Her sword still gleamed, stained with the blood of the bear that lay at our feet.
"Are you alright?" she asked, though it wasn't the sort of comforting tone I expected. It was almost like she was disappointed I hadn't handled the situation myself.
I couldn't form a coherent sentence. I just stared at the greatsword.
Then at her.
Then back to the bear's severed body.
The wind picked up, swirling the snow around us.
Helga didn't wait for me to speak. She gave a small nod toward the farm.
"Just go get the water. I'll handle things here."
I couldn't find my voice to argue. All I could do was nod dumbfound and struggle to my feet.
What the fuck was that!?
...
End of Chapter.