Dean sat on a stump beside the road, his fist propped on his chin as he studied his new stat window. His base stats were still visible in the old familiar format. But now, a new menu had opened up, and he had spent the better part of this ride perusing it.

  Name: Dean Thompson

  Age: 17

  Minor proficiencies: Swordsmanship

  Class: Adventurer (Way of the Sword)

  [INHERITED TRAIT:] Killing Intent 0/3

  Skill slots available 2/12

  BASE STATS:

  Strength: 32

  Agility: 33 (+5%)

  Power: 32

  Resilience: 33

  Current Armor: + 38

  Current Damage: + 29 (Two-handed class bonus +8)

  His base stats looked good, but it was the skill that interested him most. Skill slots.

  Well, this is new, he thought as he opened the menu. A box popped up again, this one the same deep blue as the one that granted him his class. Dean scratched at his chin as he speed-read the information.

  You have unlocked Essence Abilities. Ability options are determined by an Adventurer's personality and fighting style. Essence Abilities can be assigned to available skill slots and upgraded with skill usage and mastery. You may now harvest essence from monster and beast kills, but be forewarned: overuse of essence can cause seizure, illness, and fatality.

  “Consider me warned,” he muttered as he bypassed the caution and went straight for the skill list.

  This menu was new as well, and the words seemed to pulse as they were observed. There were four options to choose from, but only two available slots. He’d need to choose wisely. It was likely he wouldn’t unlock a third skill slot until he was halfway through his ascension to bronze rank. How long that would take, he couldn’t be sure.

  Available skills:

  Charge: This ability allows the user a powerful speed boost, propelling them towards their enemies, dealing minor damage and stun upon impact. Can be upgraded 0/3. Cool down duration: 2 minutes.

  Scourge: Allows the user to temporarily cast over latent poison and toxins. Duration last for four minutes, after which the effects of the poison will compound

  “Well, that’s fucking useless,” Dean growled, rubbing at his eyes with gloved fingers. “If it just compounds, then all you’re doing is delaying the inevitable. Charge, however…”

  He grunted, continuing down the list.

  Sunder: This ability grants the user the use of a heavy blow that deals increased burn damage. When paired with a two-handed weapon, the damage dealt by sunder increased marginally. Can be upgraded 0/4

  “Now we’re talking. This I can use.”

  The last skill had to do with damage reduction, but it was only good at reducing the damage of incoming magical attacks. Dean wasn’t sure if he’d have to fight a caster, but he wasn’t counting on needing that ability any time soon. Making up his mind, he selected both Charge and Sunder, watching with interest as his skill slots lit up with the choices.

  Then there was… Dean raised a hand, running his fingers along his neck until he felt the raised bumps of the bite mark the goddess had given him. When he’d first woken on the floor of the temple, the monk and priestess had been there. Dean had been woozy, faint as if he’d just overexerted himself. The monk had helped him to his room in the temple, where he’d lain on a single bed at the end of the room.

  It was there that the priestess found him, carrying a cup of floral tea. Dean had drunk, and within minutes the vibrating power in his body had seemed to wane.

  “Dean Thompson,” said the Priestess, and there was a strain in her voice. “What you just did was incredibly reckless.”

  “I didn’t mean to stay so long. I’m sorry it was all… it felt like a fever dream.”

  “Not that,” the Priestess shook her head. “You attempted to commune with a goddess not of humankind. Few have tried such a thing before, and those who have quickly found that the gods have no love for those not of their own. That you survived after making an offering to her…. That she agreed to bless you at all is…”

  The Priestess shook her head.

  “Be cautious who you tell. There are many in the empire who are pious and devout, and if they learn that you were blessed by an elven goddess,” her lips pursed. “There are still tensions between our factions. I only bid you be careful, Dean. I would not see you come to harm.”

  Dean had digested her words long after she’d left his room. He could remember most of the details of his time in the spirit realm, though the more he tried to recall, the fuzzier it got. He had wondered briefly if he’d imagined some of it. After all, being away from his body for so long had almost killed him. But when he’d looked in the mirror behind his bedside, that belief had quickly faded. For on his neck were two round, raised bumps – marks from where the goddess had bestowed her blessing. Rather than being red and irritated, the bite mark itself glowed a faint silver in the moonlight streaming in through the window.

  “What have I done?” Dean wondered as he lowered his hand. The Priestess had been right. His decision had been unorthodox, but at the time, he’d felt it was necessary. He’d learned about the Magus, but the real reason he’d wanted to speak with the goddess had been…

  He let out a sigh of frustration as the memory eluded him once again. The goddess had told him something… something important that had to do with the mortality of a god. But every time he tried to recall her words, his brain went hazy, and the memory became distorted beyond recognition.

  Did she do this to me? He thought, a muscle jumping in his jaw. Goddess or not, I won't tolerate someone rooting around in my mind without permission.

  Dean stretched his shoulders, glancing up at the position of the sun. By his estimation, it would take him about three more hours to reach the next village over by sundown. Plenty of time. Dean grinned. There was only one way to test the limits of his newfound power.

  ***

  Dean was halfway down the hunter's trail when his mana sense, which had become much more sensitive since his manifestation, flared in warning. Dean paused, his head cocked to one side as he tracked the source of the disturbance. An essence signature was nearby, and not just one. There were three by his count. Two small signatures and a much larger one at a distance.

  It was that essence signature that drew his attention. Unlike the other smaller ones, this one seemed to have an aura about itself, one that pulsed with energy when he focused on it. All at once, Dean felt the telltale prickle of excitement.

  That creature, whatever it was, contained a tiny essence shard. One that he could now harvest and consume upon killing it. He moved forward, drawing his attention towards the two much closer signatures. They were moving slowly away from him, and their pace made him think they hadn’t noticed his presence. He wove through a few tree trunks, coming to a stop behind a few feet of thick forest brush. It was then that he spotted them. Two pig-like creatures roughly the size of a farm dog. They were brown with dual white stripes running down their backs, and when one turned its head, Dean could see a pair of stubby tusks protruding from either side of its mouth.

  Beast Class: Razorback Boar Piglet

  Tier: Common

  Dean pulled his sword from his back, unwrapping the black linen and letting the pile fall to the forest floor. The great sword his sister had forged for him shone in the sunlight and Dean smiled as he saw his stats update.

  You have equipped: Custom Great sword.

  Two-handed damage bonus, active.

  The sword felt good in his hands, though the weight was considerably higher than he was used to. He shifted his weight, dropping into a stance as he prepared himself. Neither of the boars seems to register his presence. One stubbed at the ground with a hoof, letting out a bored snort as it glanced towards the tree line.

  It was as good a chance for an ambush as he was going to get. Dean reached for his charge ability, then halted, realizing he didn’t know how exactly to use it. He tried whispering the name aloud, but that did nothing. Next, he brought up his skill menu, looking for some sort of manual trigger. But there wasn’t one.

  Feeling like a fool, Dean racked his brain for the solution. He should have thought to read up on the use of essence abilities in the city library, but hindsight was always clarity. The two Boar’s swished their tails and turned, making their way deeper into the trees.

  Charlotte had always made it sound like the use of essence abilities was natural – an extension of the user's will. Maybe if he used a method similar to the one used to activate his inherited trait…

  Closing his eyes Dean delved within himself, allowing his mana sense to spring forth. But rather than focus on the essence signatures beyond him, he instead turned his gaze inward towards his own. Sure enough, he could see the tiny rivers of natural essence flowing within him like tiny branching veins.

  At the very center of his being was a stronger, more concentrated ball of energy. As Dean looked, that energy seemed to pulse gently like a heartbeat. This was it – what he needed to activate his abilities.

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  Dean took in a long steadying breath, letting the air expand his lungs. When he released that breath, he stepped forward, putting all his focus on the ability itself. Then he felt it. A surge of electricity from his core that shot through him, blazing through his veins like wildfire.

  One second, Dean was crouching in the trees, and the next he was hurtling forward. His charge ability closed the distance between him and the piglets in less than a second, and the force of the essence shockwave that followed sent dirt spraying in either direction. Dean swept his sword downward, killing the first piglet instantly. Blood sprayed in an arc from his blade as he spun, placing his momentum into his second swing.

  The second piglet only had time to utter a single squeal of panic before he cleaved it in two with such force that the two halves of meat went in either direction. Dean stared for a moment, chest rising and falling as the arc of blood rained down around him.

  He could still feel the essence flowing through him, tingling down his veins and muscles. The feeling was strange, but it also felt… good. Dean didn’t have time to ponder the feeling as his proximity senses suddenly activated.

  Gift of the Goddess: Predator Sense is active. You can detect killing or harmful intent from those around you, and sense the direction and manner of your foes' attack before they strike.

  Dean blinked at the blue box before him. So this was the gift that Vienna had bestowed on him. And it was strong. Dean’s vision seemed to blur as he turned towards this new threat. The much larger essence signature was moving quickly, barreling through the trees and brush like it was nothing. Whatever it was was both large and incredibly strong to be able to move the way it did in such thick overgrowth. Dean stepped forward, widening his stance as he faced this oncoming threat. He was about to raise his sword when the essence signature in front of him shifted suddenly. Faster than he would have thought possible, the creature changed direction, rushing at him from the side.

  But where his mana sense had failed to track it, the goddess's gift had not. Red flared in Dean’s vision, warning him of the danger to his right side. There was no time to correct his stance, so he threw himself forward.

  Dean tucked into a roll, feeling the wind as the giant creature streaked past him. It slammed several trees, two of which splintered and cracked from the force.

  Beast Class: Greater Razorback Boar

  Tier: Alpha

  “Ah,” said Dean, as his mana sense took in the sight of the giant before him. “So it was you whom I sensed.”

  The boar was easily larger than a caravan wagon with large black hooves and ivory tusks like swords. Along its back was a thick ridge of bone covered only in part by a tuft of brown hair. The boar tossed its head, spinning to face Dean as it pawed the ground.

  Dean could feel it – the same thing he had that day he’d fought the dire wolf. Essence radiated from this creature, and something within the beast's center called to him. The boar lowered its head and charged.

  It’s pounding hooves caused the ground beneath his boots to tremble. Dean could see the tips of those white, sharp tusks gleaming in the dappled sunlight and knew that a single head-on strike would be lethal. At least, it would have been to a normal human. Dean had been keeping an eye on the cooldown of his charge, and as soon as it came up, he moved.

  Dashing sideways to avoid the path of the charge, Dean pivoted on his back foot, bringing the sword down in an arc. The sword arced through the air, missing its head by inches. Instead, his blade sheared through one of the tusks, causing the creature to snarl in rage. The boar lashed out, kicking with its hind legs as it spun in a circle.

  Everywhere, it kicked wood splintered and dirt sprayed. Dean threw himself sideways a second time, only narrowly avoiding a hoof to the head.

  Greater Razorback Boar has activated [Rampage]

  “I can damn well see that,” he snapped, twisting sideways to avoid being gored by the remaining tusk. The creature was going berserk, and it was all he could do to avoid being trampled. The boar’s thrashing managed to splinter a tree, and Dean cursed as he was forced to duck under a falling limb the size of his own body.

  It was moving too fast for Dean to get near enough to strike, and pinning it with Killing Intent was impossible with the way it was spinning. He’d need a way to subdue it without getting in the path of its rampage. Maybe just maybe…

  Stealing himself, Dean darted out from behind the fallen tree, clearing the branches with a single leap. Behind him, the boar screamed in rage, pawing on the ground like a maddened beast. Dean’s eyes darted from trunk to trunk, searching for a tree to suit his purposes. Two small, and the weight wouldn’t hold the beast. But too large, and his new ability might not be enough to cut through the trunk.

  He spotted an old oak at the edge of a clearing and sprinted towards it.

  A juvenile forest spider darted out from one of the fallen trees, trying to escape the boar’s wrath. In mere seconds, it was trampled into gooey pus as the boar spun towards the fleeing Dean. He darted behind the tree, placing a hand on the trunk to mark the space where he would cut.

  His gift triggered once more, and Dean felt his mana sense flare a desperate warning as the giant boar lowered its head, snorting. Then it charged once more. Dean felt deep within himself to that pool of essence, focusing on his second ability. The power bubbled within him as he lifted his sword.

  The boar was only twenty feet away. Then ten. It was now or never. Dean brought his sword down with all the strength he could muster, activating sunder as he did so. His sword slammed into the trunk with enough force that it caused a small shockwave. Wood splintered, showering the air with shards. The shifted forward, and Dean heard a satisfying crack moments before it began to lean. The boar had been so intent on charging its prey in a rage that it hardly seemed to notice the falling tree until it was too late.

  There was a bone-shattering crunch as the tree landed on top of the boar, crushing its chest and pinning it to the ground. The creature let out a shrill squeal, and Dean grit his teeth against the sound as he staggered forward. His blade was smoking, and the smell of charred wood filled his nostrils. His strike had sheared the tree almost completely in half, and remnants of the stump were still shimmering with essence.

  Dean reached the boar, which still struggled beneath the weight of the tree. Its breath came in great pants, and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of its mouth onto the ground beneath. Its large eyes peered up at him as he gripped his sword in both hands.

  “You fought well,” he said, the same thing he had told the dire wold. “Rest now, you big bastard.”

  The Boar’s struggling stopped as its body went limp. Dean leaned on the pommel of his greatsword as the effects of his essence use rolled over him. His body felt fatigued, and there was a decrease in the strength of his arms and legs. His hand trembled slightly, and he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter to hold it steady.

  “None of that now,” he growled, resting his forehead against his gauntlet. “You’re a gods damned soldier, Dean. A little fatigue is nothing to you.”

  His breathing steadied, and he lifted his head as new notifications popped into his vision.

  You have slain Alpha Greater Razorback Boar

  You have gained +3 strength

  You have gained + 3 agility

  You have gained + 2 power

  You have gained + resilience

  Greater Razorback Boar Corpse: Would you like to harvest?

  Dean raised a hand and tapped yes.

  You have gained Razborbackmeat x 12

  You have gained Razorback bacon x 6

  You have gained Razorback tusk x1

  Once cooked, meat has the ability to temporarily boost energy and essence consumption for a duration of 3 hours.

  Dean moved the meat to his inventory, resolving to cook it as soon as he came upon a cookfire. He was about to close the window when the last item from the harvest came into view.

  You have gained 1 minor essence shard. Do you wish to consume?

  Dean straightened, excitement welling up inside him as he raised a gloved hand. He selected yes and watched as the box disappeared. From the boar’s body a light shimmered. The glow started in its chest, moving outward until it was just beneath the skin.

  The skin parted, and a small blue-white crystal rose into the air to hover in front of him at chest height. The crystal rotated on the spot, and Dean pulled off his right glove before reaching out to grasp it. The crystal was cold to the touch, and as his fingers wrapped around it he felt the energy from it pulsing beneath his grasp. Dean turned it over in his hand, examining the way the light hit the many facets from within.

  The glow inside the crystal seemed to shimmer with different colors, undulating and pulsing like great sky lights of the north.

  So, this was essence made whole. Dean had seen Charlotte do it countless times before, but it was still strange to crush the crystal in his palm. The dust inside his fist continued to shimmer, and cautiously, Dean raised the handful to his mouth.

  The essence itself was almost flavorless, but for a slight sweet aftertaste. Dean chewed a few times and swallowed, unsure of what to expect.

  For a moment, nothing happened. He stared down at the corpse at his boots, wondering if he’d done it wrong. Then it started. Cold bloomed in his stomach, spreading outwards in a rush. Dean grunted, blinking rapidly as a sensation unlike anything he’d ever experienced rolled through him.

  It was like jumping into a cool spring on a hot summer day. His eyes closed, head tilting back as the cool rush pulsed through him. His heavy limbs suddenly felt light, his fatigue fading away into the distance. A pleasant sensation, like fingers being stroked over his brain, made him gasp, and he opened his eyes again.

  Everything was vibrant. The world around him had taken on a sheen it hadn’t before. Every sense was sharper, every smell, every sight, every sound. When Dean breathed in he felt the air in his lungs. Actually felt it.

  Charlotte’s words from long ago echoed through his head.

  “What is it like to consume essence? It’s like… It’s like drinking from the tap of life itself. Everything around you is sent into stark relief, and you feel all at once like you are one with every plant, every animal, every living being around you.”

  She was right, he thought as the feeling began to wane. She was right about so many things. And yet she never told me about her mission.

  Dean pulled his sword free from the corpse, hefting it in his hands. It was a good blade, one that took a high strength stat to use. Its damage was higher than that of his enchanted blade, but if there were a way to transfer the enchantment…

  A twig snapped to his left, and Dean turned his head. The look on his face must have been frightening because the old woman standing on the path flinched back.

  “S-sorry,” she said, swallowing. “I should have announced my presence. “I only… I saw you from the hunter's path.” She gestured to the trail behind her. Dean noted that she had an old bow over one shoulder and a quiver of common arrows at her hip.

  “Are you alone?” the woman continued, her eyes darting over him and landing on his bloodied great sword. The question made Dean weary, and he quickly scanned the area with his mana sense before answering.

  “Yes,” he said. “I was traveling, but I broke off the main road to cut through the first zone.”

  Her eyes lit up, and she took a step forward.

  “You’re an adventurer then? My word, I didn’t expect to see one of you any time soon.”

  She set down the basket of forest mushrooms she was carrying and started towards him, stopping only five feet from the boar with wide eyes. Her greying hair was tucked in a tight bun, and judging by the dirt on her hands, she was more forager than fighter.

  A villager then?

  Dean’s shoulders relaxed as the woman bent down to examine the corpse, letting out a whistle.

  “That’s one large beast. And you killed this all by yourself? I saw the two piglets you’d slain, but I never imagined there would be a giant in this area. One of those essence evolved beasts or whatever the gods their called.”

  She shook her head sadly.

  “Strange times we live in. But if the Guilds have sent you, then I suppose we have something to be thankful for. I was beginning to think no one would come at all.”

  The Guilds?

  Dean wiped the blood from his blade, strapping it to his back with the linen ties.

  “I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’m not affiliated with any Guilds. I’m an independent.” He tapped his badge, and the woman’s mouth fell open.

  “An independent adventurer? I thought they were a myth. I mean, begging your pardon but the Guilds control everything these days. Contracts, trade, hell, they even collect the emperor's taxes around here. The only bloody thing they're on time for, I’d wager.”

  Dean raised an eyebrow.

  “The Guild collects taxes now?”

  “Oh, aye. And there’s a penalty for a late fee, even for farmers with a poor harvest. Most folks barely have enough to scrape by these days, but I suppose that ain’t their problem.”

  She blinked, realizing she’d be rambling.

  “Sorry, sometimes my tongue gets away from me. If I may be so bold as to ask – of the Guild’s haven’t sent ya, then why are you here?”

  Dean selected the harvest on the two piglet corpses and turned back to face her.

  “I’m looking for work,” he said. “And by the sound of it, you know someone who could use a little help.”

  The woman’s face lit up again, and she rose, nodding.

  “Aye, you could say that. The south has been plagued by trouble recently, so much so that the roads are nearly bare these days. Good and trades are delayed, not to mention a rise in monster attacks near homes and villages. There’s a place just south west of here by the name of Dutton. Little forest town that used to be a trade outpost. There’s a man there, works at a place called the Inn at the Crossroads. His name is Ivan, and last I heard, he had a contract out for a beast in the area.”

  Dean nodded, considering his options.

  “Do you know anything about this beast?”

  “Not much,” admitted the woman. “But I do know that there have been at least five attacks recently, two of which resulted in fatalities. Nobody is quite sure what manner of creature it is, but even the town watch is afraid of it.”

  She licked her lips, glancing around before leaning forward.

  “Some say that it might be… you know…”

  Dean waited.

  “A ghost,” the woman finished matter-of-factly.

  Dean arched an eyebrow.

  “A ghost?” His tone made the woman flush.

  “Well, it wouldn’t seem so outlandish if it weren’t for the circumstances! Attacks coming only at night, and nobody can claim they saw a thing? You can’t say that ain’t suspicious.”

  “No,” said Dean, straightening as he glanced at the road. “No, I can’t. Thank you for the information. I’ll get in touch with Ivan.”

  The woman beamed, displaying two missing front teeth.

  “You tell him Ada sent you.”