I was alive, but for how long. I pushed the rocks with all I had, but nothing moved. Nothing changed. My breathing grew ragged, and my chest grew heavier. No, I shouldn’t stress, I had skill points. “Is there any skill which can get me out of here?” I asked the system.

No skills found; earth magic required.

“Give me earth magic then.”

Acquiring a basic magic type costs 2 mana.

“Then buy it. What are you waiting for?” The air had already gotten much thicker, and it took me two breaths to feel like I had gotten one in.

Earth magic purchased; you now have 0 skill points.

I hit the rock in front of me. It crumbled, but another boulder fell and took its place. I shifted my attention to the ground and started to dig a tunnel straight down. When I dug a hole twice my height, I started to crawl parallel to the surface. I continued until I exhausted half my mana. I didn’t know how far I travelled but I must have crawled at least a thousand steps. I collapsed in the darkness for a second, my strength and willpower sapped. But remembering whom I had to save, I started to dig up with a slight incline.

The heat of the tunnel and its pitch darkness blinded my senses. I continued up until I hit large roots. I was so close. I dug around the roots, crawled out of the earth, and collapsed on grass. I took in a large breath. The air was cool, and the night blanketed the sky. I rolled over on my back and admired the stars I could see throw the tree’s light foliage.

My stomach rumbled; the ordeal had emptied it. I struggled to my feet and spent the remainder of my mana on healing my wounds.

I took off my clothes and hit the dirt away. I was tired of always being dirtied and muddy. Always covered in ants, worms, and the like. Couldn’t I sit in a castle and eat to my heart’s content once in a while?

I went on my way back to the mountain.

However, on my way there I found a carcass of a grey wolf. There were odd bite marks on its hind leg, and its stomach was ripped open.

It was odd, but I continued my way. I found the remains of foxes and boars. I quickened my steps and finally ran to the village up in the mountains.

#

“Is…” I tried to remember his name. “Is Bennet here?” I yelled above the village’s boulder wall. No one answered. Were they all asleep when orcs lived a few steps away? Well, I guess Bennet would have told them what happened. Perhaps the animals below were killed by a few orcs which survived the fall and landside, although I found that hard to believe. Well, there might have been orcs roaming outside the village at the time. Still, those bite marks didn’t seem like something orcs could inflict.

I pressed my hands on the wall’s smallest boulder and crumbled it with my earth magic. There wasn’t anyone or anything in the village. But I did smell the faint scent of blood. Bennet lay on the ground, rusted blade in hand, but no blood pooled around him. His skin was pale, his eyes—misty white. I rolled him over to find a wound or clue as to what happened here. After all, since I didn’t find Carabella, he must still be alive. I couldn’t let my named animal be kidnapped. As I inspected Bennet’s corpse, I found two holes on the back side of his neck.

My heart seized and my senses were sucked into this wound.

I massaged my temples. My sight turned black; I grasped a handful of rocky earth to tell my sense I was still in the mountains. Far from the Ebony Forest. Still Veero, still the Ravn.

Light returned. That was a close one, I almost stumbled into another memory. But now that I had avoided losing a part of my soul, I wondered if it was for the best. Although the memories ate at my consciousness, they paid with information.

No matter, I left down the mountain and headed for Forange through the forest. I found more corpses but no predators. The only life in the surroundings were the trees, bushes, and flowers. Rats had buried below tree roots, caterpillars blossomed into butterflies and flew away, and snakes shed their skin till they were no more than string.

I had walked for a long time by the time I reached the river. The sun peaked above the horizon. To reorient myself I searched for the whirlpool, but instead of a whirlpool, I found black and brown metal popping out the water. And the nearly straight wall which led to the dungeon’s tunnel had collapsed into a slide. I approached the old whirlpool. Piles of dead ants loomed under the water, their bodies filling the hole. Who could be capable of such carnage?

Their mandibles fit the bill for something which could cause the wounds I’d seen. But why had they come here? The silver pond had said that the forest where I saw them was sealed. Perhaps the dungeon was the sole exit. But then, why did the ants move out of the dungeon now? And the presence of those women hunting them down was rather suspicious.

I continued deeper into the forest, and halfway to the city, I spotted an ant fighting a man.

The ant’s mandibles chomped at air and the man dressed in an old cotton tunic held his sword, ready to fight. The ant had multiple chips in its keratin armour, and the man looked drained of life. His eyes were bloodshot, and his sword was chipped.

The ant jumped forward. In turn the man brought back one leg and stabbed up with his sword. The ant’s mandibles chomped down on the man, but the sword pierced the giant ant’s mouth. The beast flailed around, yet the sword remained stuck in its mouth. I came over, infused a bit of mana in my blade, and swung it down, slicing the ant in half.

I didn’t get an experience gain alert. I forgot that he hadn’t seen me. I had been too used to nonstop battles.

I went over to the man. He didn’t have much breath left in his chest. I stood above him and took his sword. His crimson eyes reminded me of the vampire, Derick, the one who had me and Julian for so long.

I pointed the sword down towards the man’s chest and let him get a good look at what was going to happen. His arms raised in defiance. I stabbed down. Something rushed down my spine. A sense of relief that I had taken something else from the Vampire I swore to kill. If his lackeys were here, I’d get the chance to face him soon enough.

You killed a ghoul; you gained 250 Exp.