Day eighty-three.
Jake had been observing Kazhor for over two months now. With 4% control, his mind was clear enough to start recognizing patterns.
Kazhor left the horde on a schedule. Not a strict schedule, but predictable enough.
Every three to four rest periods, the White Walker would mount his elk and ride off. Sometimes he was gone for an hour. Sometimes three hours. Occasionally longer.
"He's patrolling. Or reporting. Or coordinating with other White Walkers. Something regular."
Jake had started tracking it mentally. Rest period one: Kazhor stays. Rest period two: Kazhor stays. Rest period three: Kazhor leaves. Rest period four: Kazhor stays. Rest period five: Kazhor leaves.
The pattern wasn't perfect, but it was there.
"If I know when he's likely to leave, I can plan better. Position myself near prey before he goes. Be ready to hunt immediately."
It was basic optimization. Reduce wasted time. Maximize hunting windows.
Jake sat with the horde, watching Kazhor in the distance. The White Walker was motionless on his elk, staring at the horizon.
"This is rest period two. He probably won't leave this time. Next rest period, high chance he leaves."
The prediction felt good. Having some control over his situation, even if it was just knowing when opportunities might come.
Day eighty-four.
Rest period three. As predicted, Kazhor rode off shortly after commanding the horde to rest.
Jake stood immediately and scanned the area.
This new territory was excellent for hunting. Prey was everywhere. Three rabbits were visible within thirty yards. A bird sat on a nearby ice formation. A fox was digging in the snow about forty yards away.
"Target priority. Bird is closest and worth 2 EP. Fox is farther but also worth 2 EP. Rabbits are backup if I fail the first two."
Jake chose the bird. He approached the ice formation carefully. His movements were smoother and more controlled now. Less shambling than before.
The bird was focused on preening its white feathers. It didn't notice him until he was four yards away.
It looked up sharply. Eyes locked on Jake.
Three yards. The bird stood up, wings starting to spread.
Jake lunged forward. His hands shot forward and grabbed the bird before it could take off. His improved coordination made the catch cleaner than his earlier attempts.
The bird shrieked and fought back. Its beak stabbed at his hands and face. Its talons raked across his forearms. Black blood welled up from a dozen small wounds.
Jake pinned the wings against the bird's body and squeezed. The bird thrashed violently for several seconds, then went still.
[+2 EP]
[Total: 42/1,000]
Jake hid the body quickly and returned to his hunting position. He still had time. Kazhor usually stayed away for at least an hour.
He spotted one of the rabbits. It was closer now, maybe fifteen yards away.
Jake approached from an angle that put an ice formation between him and the rabbit. When he got close enough, he circled around the ice and came at the rabbit from behind.
The rabbit didn't see him until he was five yards away. It bolted immediately.
But Jake had anticipated the direction. He'd watched enough rabbits by now to know their escape patterns. They always ran toward the nearest cover.
He cut off the angle. The rabbit tried to change direction but Jake was already there. His hand caught it mid-hop.
The rabbit screamed and twisted in his grip. Its claws scratched at his frozen skin. Its teeth bit into his palm and tore off two fingers.
Jake held on with his remaining fingers and squeezed hard. The rabbit went limp.
[+1 EP]
[Total: 43/1,000]
Two kills in less than fifteen minutes. His efficiency was improving.
Jake hid the second body and looked around. Still no sign of Kazhor returning.
The fox was still digging in the snow about forty yards away. That was pushing his luck. Kazhor could return any minute.
"Risk versus reward. Fox is 2 EP. But if Kazhor catches me..."
Jake made the decision. He walked toward the fox, moving quickly but quietly.
Thirty yards. The fox kept digging.
Twenty yards. Still focused on whatever it was searching for.
Ten yards. The fox's ears twitched. It stopped digging and looked around.
It saw Jake and tensed immediately.
Jake didn't wait. He broke into a run. His frozen legs pumped as fast as they could move.
The fox bolted. It was incredibly fast, but Jake was faster than he used to be. He kept pace for the first few seconds.
Then the fox started pulling ahead. Too fast. Jake wasn't going to catch it in a straight chase.
He dove forward desperately. His arms reached out as far as possible.
His hand caught the fox's hind leg and held on.
The fox yelped and spun around. It bit at Jake's arm viciously, tearing chunks of frozen flesh away. Its claws raked across his face and chest.
Jake pulled it closer despite the damage. He got his other hand on the fox's neck and squeezed with all his strength.
The fox thrashed and fought, but Jake's grip didn't loosen. After several seconds of struggle, the fox went still.
[+2 EP]
[Total: 45/1,000]
Jake stood up quickly and looked around. Still no Kazhor. He'd been incredibly lucky.
He hid the fox's body and sprinted back to his position. His missing fingers were already starting to regenerate. The wounds on his face and chest began knitting back together.
Jake sat down just as Kazhor appeared around an ice formation in the distance.
"Three kills. Five EP total. That's the best hunting session yet."
His thoughts were clearer at 4.5% control. Planning and execution were easier.
"If I can get three to five EP every time Kazhor leaves, I can make real progress."
Day eighty-six.
Rest period five. Kazhor left again, right on schedule.
Jake stood and immediately identified targets. Two rabbits and a bird were within range.
He went for the bird first. The approach was clean. The kill was efficient. The bird barely had time to react before Jake's hands closed around it.
[+2 EP]
Then one of the rabbits. Another clean kill.
[+1 EP]
He went for the second rabbit but it was too far away. By the time Jake got close, it had already spotted him and fled. He couldn't catch it.
[+0 EP]
Still, two kills in one session was good. Not as good as yesterday, but solid progress.
[Total: 48/1,000]
Day eighty-eight.
Rest period eight. Kazhor left right on schedule again.
Jake's predictions were proving accurate. The pattern held. Every three to four rest periods, Kazhor would leave.
This time, Jake spotted a lone fox near the edge of the area. It was lying down, possibly sleeping.
He approached carefully and quietly. His movements were practiced now. He knew exactly how to move without making noise on the snow.
Twenty yards. The fox didn't stir.
Fifteen yards. Still sleeping.
Ten yards. The fox's ear twitched.
Jake rushed forward immediately. He closed the distance before the fox could fully wake up. His hands grabbed it while it was still disoriented.
The fox fought back instinctively, but Jake had the advantage. He pinned it down and squeezed. The struggle was brief.
[+2 EP]
[Total: 50/1,000]
Fifty EP. 5% control.
The mental fog lifted another notch, though it was still heavy overall. Jake's thoughts became a bit sharper and more organized.
"Five percent. One twentieth of the way there. That's... progress."
He tested his body. Movement was getting smoother. He could coordinate actions with less concentration. His fingers worked better. His balance was more solid.
"I move better than before. I can think better than before. Still a long way to go."
He looked at the other wights sitting motionless in the snow. They were still at zero. Still completely mindless.
"I'm ahead of them. And I'm going to keep moving forward."
Day ninety.
Rest period eleven. Kazhor left again.
Jake hunted two rabbits in quick succession. Both kills were clean and efficient. He was getting better at reading their movement patterns and predicting their escape routes.
[+2 EP]
[Total: 52/1,000]
"Fifty-two EP. Need 948 more. At my current rate, that's still over a year of grinding. But the rate is improving. I'm getting faster."
Jake sat with the horde, his mind working through calculations.
"In the last week, I've gotten 12 EP. That's almost 2 EP per day. If I can maintain that rate, I could hit 1,000 EP in about 500 days. That's a year and a half."
The number was still depressing, but it was better than the three years he'd calculated before.
"And if I can increase the rate even more, find bigger prey, hunt more efficiently... maybe I can cut that down further."
It was a long-term problem that required patience and optimization.
"One point at a time. Just keep grinding."
Day ninety-two.
Rest period fourteen. Kazhor left on schedule.
Jake had positioned himself near a cluster of ice formations where he'd seen rabbits before. His prediction paid off. Three rabbits were digging nearby.
He approached the closest one with practiced stealth. The kill was quick and clean.
[+1 EP]
Then the second rabbit. It noticed him and tried to run, but Jake cut off its escape route. Another clean kill.
[+1 EP]
The third rabbit had fled during the commotion. Jake couldn't find it before his hunting window closed.
Still, two kills was good. Solid progress.
[Total: 54/1,000]
Day ninety-four.
Jake had been in this prey-rich area for almost two weeks now. The hunting was excellent compared to the barren wasteland they'd been in before.
Rest period seventeen. Kazhor left again.
This time, Jake spotted something different. A bird, but it was larger than the others he'd killed. Some kind of hawk or eagle. It was perched high on an ice spire about thirty yards away.
"That's going to be harder to reach. But it might be worth more EP if it's bigger."
Jake approached the ice spire carefully. The bird watched him with sharp eyes but didn't fly away immediately.
Twenty yards. The bird shifted on its perch but stayed.
Fifteen yards. Still watching.
Ten yards. The bird spread its wings slightly but didn't take off.
Jake looked at the ice spire. It was climbable. Barely. The surface was rough enough to provide handholds.
He started climbing. His frozen fingers gripped the ice. His coordination was good enough now to make the climb manageable.
Five yards up. The bird was getting nervous. It shifted back and forth on its perch.
Three yards up. The bird's wings spread fully.
Jake lunged upward and grabbed for it. His hand caught a wing just as the bird tried to take off.
The bird shrieked and attacked viciously. Its beak was larger and sharper than the other birds. It stabbed at Jake's face repeatedly, punching deep holes in his frozen flesh. One strike tore out his left eye completely.
Its talons were massive. They raked across his chest and tore through his ragged furs. Black blood sprayed across the white ice.
But Jake held on. He pulled the bird down and got both hands on it. The bird was strong, much stronger than the smaller ones. It thrashed violently in his grip.
Jake squeezed with all his strength. The bird fought for several long seconds before finally going still.
[+3 EP]
[Total: 57/1,000]
Jake climbed down carefully with one eye missing and his face full of holes. The regeneration had already started, but it would take time.
"Three EP. Bigger bird equals more EP. That's useful to know."
He hid the body and returned to his position just as Kazhor appeared in the distance.
"Worth it. Definitely worth the extra damage."
Day ninety-six.
Rest period twenty. Kazhor left on schedule.
Jake hunted efficiently. One rabbit, then a fox. Both kills were clean. His skills were improving steadily.
[+3 EP]
[Total: 60/1,000]
Sixty EP. 6% control.
The fog lifted another notch. Still heavy, but definitely lighter than before. Jake could hold longer sequences of thought now. Could plan maybe five or six steps ahead. Could remember patterns more clearly.
"Six percent. I can think better. I can move better. Still mostly fog, but progress."
He looked at his frozen hands. They moved more easily than before. Less delay. Smoother response.
"I'm ready for bigger challenges maybe. Wolves are still risky, but with the right setup, the right terrain advantage... maybe."
It was something to consider. Something to plan for carefully.