NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8
The moment the egg began to shake and break Ethan began to panic, Ouroboros told him basically nothing about the egg, just that the thing inside would affect him in some way. Still he needed to trust his new patron to have his best interest in mind when giving Ethan such a thing. He took the step and decided to go down this route with Ouroboros and even if the decision was made quickly he couldn't change it anymore. Another sigh escaped his lips, something that seems to happen the more he spends in this damn tutorial, his nerves started to fray on the ends.
The first piece of the egg flew away and revealed a white nose that was quickly followed by a piercing blue eye. It reminded him of his own, minus the slit pupil of course. While he watched the little something, probably a snake, break its way out of the egg he felt something reach out to him, it was like a fly buzzing around you but inside of his head instead, a foreign body asking to be let inside by aggressively knocking on his skull. He tried to get rid of it but then it was like a nail rammed its way into his mind and a voice spoke to him, the voice cold and feminine.
You better stop ignoring me or I'll bite you the moment I'm free of this shell, a pissed off feminine voice said to him in his mind. Ethan nearly dropped the egg but managed to hold onto it, his hands trembling from the pain that was ravaging his mind a second ago. He looked down to the little head that pushed itself from the egg. Seems like you understand me based on that stupid look on your face. The snake slithered from the egg and up his arm and wrapped around his biceps before turning its head back to him.
It seems we're partners now, she moved her head around a bit and nodded, it looked kind of funny seeing a snake behave that way. "It seems you are a lot more mature compared to other living things that were born a few seconds ago, but I bet it has something to do with magic, right? So I guess we need to find a name for your first. I won't call you a snake." Ethan stood up and grabbed his staff, he decided to live his life and for that he needed to become stronger.
Without hesitation he picked a direction and made his way through the undergrowth, he was still exhausted by staying here without shelter was suicide if more of those goblins showed up. While walking he thought about a name, he didn't try to connect with her mind, to him it still felt weird to have another presence in his head so he continued to speak out loud. "What about Nora? I think it sounds good in my opinion." The snake looked at him for a moment, those blue lidless eyes just staring at him for a solid ten seconds. I'm fine with Nora and you're…Ethan, alright Ethan wanna tell me a bit about what's going on?
He started with his story, how the tutorial started, what class and benefit he picked and what happens after that. The goblin attack, the incident in the swamp, how he killed the first goblin. His escape and involuntary visit with Ouroboros and how he fought him with his staff. How he got her egg and blessing from the god. He even talked a bit about his past but his memories felt fuzzy the closer he got to the start of the tutorial so he stopped talking at that point.
Nora just listened, keeping an eye on their surroundings like a silent watcher guiding a castle. During their little talk both decided to only talk through telepathy so Ethan doesn't attract enemies with his voice. He didn't know why but it felt like they could trust each other completely so he sent her his thoughts from now on. And that's all so far, I know I didn't manage a lot during my time but to be fair it's only the second..or third day. I kind of lost track of time down in that cave and the fighting of course. He climbed over a fallen tree and nearly ripped his robe apart on some of the branches, a silent curse escaped his lips.
While he walked Nora already demonstrated what she could do. From his mind she knew his overall goal so she guided him, her sense of smell and the sensitivity with which she could register heat was outstanding. So she found some prey for him and for her. Those would be the first real animals he saw in the forest so far. Before he stepped onto a small clearing she stopped him. Just in front of us, a boar and her young. If you time it right you could get them all.
Ethan nodded and grabbed his staff, this would be his first real use of magic, everything he did so far was based on instinct and more down out of desperation to stay alive long enough, but he wanted to walk a better path. Holding his staff he called on his magic and ice spikes appeared over his head, it felt almost natural to use them. No words were needed as he activated the skill.
He practiced moving them around a bit and when he felt ready he looked for a good position. As slowly as possible he moved behind a tree and looked at the clearing, the large boar and her four young just ate some mushrooms and two of them played together.
For a moment he closed his eyes and tried to make up his mind, killing the boar felt fine but her young too? From his old life he knew so many scenarios where killing was right and the other time wrong. In the end he knew these young wouldn't make it without their mother. He swallowed the lump in his throat and guided the magic, the ice spike shot silently into the clearing like the bolt of a crossbow, The spikes as long as his arm and thick as his fist dug deep into their bodies, he watched as the four young dropped dead and the mother got pushed back. He watched the blood leak from the small bodies on both sides of their pierced body.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The mother, wounded and angry, took two more spikes, and was still standing after that! Like him she was already level three so he knew she would be tough, hiding behind the tree he waited for some more mana to regenerate and another two ice spikes determined its fate. The boar tried to evade them but with a simple nudge from his magic, they hit their target, one managed to penetrate its neck while the other pierced through its eyes.
A cold expression overtook his face as he watched the system notice, the cold he felt was known but surprisingly comforting in a way.
[You killed Boar - Level 3 | You gained experience!]
[You killed Boar - Level 1 | You gained experience!]
[You killed Boar - Level 1 | You gained experience!]
[You killed Boar - Level 1 | You gained experience!]
*Update* You reached Level 5! Stats gained! Free points gained!
*Update* Skill Change - [Ice Bolt (Basic)] -> [Ice Bolt (Advanced)]
Without much joy he invested his eight free points, two in perception, two in willpower, two into dexterity and one each in intelligence and wisdom. He felt weird about killing animals, with goblins you know they want to attack you but those boars didn't do anything to him, they just existed as part of a larger ecosystem and he didn't feel comfortable to kill them without a good season. Sadly he had a reason to fight, Ethan needed to survive and he would always pick himself over some animal.
While he was thinking about his decision he didn't even notice when Nora slithered her way over to one of the boars and crawled into its mouth, he could feel some of her emotions, especially hunger after being only born for around an hour. He didn't need to eat thanks to the system but even he could feel his empty stomach, there was just no hunger.
He turned away and looked over his whole status after all this time.
Name: Ethan Delaney
Race: Human (Ice)
Level: 5
Patron: Ouroboros, the Eternal Serpent
Class: Ice Mage
Subclass: None
Health Points (HP): 140/140
Mana Points (MP): 110/250
Stamina: 80/120
Stats
Dexterity: 12
Vitality: 14
Wisdom: 24
Intelligence: 24
Perception: 12
Willpower: 12
Free points: 0
General skills
[System Language] [Identify] [Staff Mastery (Basic)]
Class skills
[Aura - Winter's Domain (Special)] [Ice Bolt (Advanced)] [Elemental Infusion (Basic)]
Subclass skills
*Ability available*
It looked so much bigger even if not much changed, still he was kind of happy, seeing numbers go up was always a delight when playing video games, it gave that feeling of accomplishment that made his monkey brain fill with happiness . He noticed the ability available text under his class and focused on it, he didn't even know there was an ability to gain but maybe it was to help him be more efficient and be able to learn more
*Update* Ability available - please choose one:
[Ice Shield (Basic)] - A shield made from ice mana that protects the caster's front, can withstand two weak hits
[Glacial Trap (Basic)] - Leave a trap behind that freezes a creature to the ground when stepped on
[Frost Poison (Basic)] - Inflicted wounds will be infected with frost poison, Frost poisoning will very slowly drain stamina and then health from an enemy. Creatures of a higher level than you can resist the poison
It was rather basic in terms of abilities, a defensive skill, an attack skill and to his surprise a passive skill. While he could use a shield and even an extra attack if he managed to utilize the frost poison it could make him stronger the longer a fight continues. It was the specialist choice of the three, one you needed to understand to make use of it. Frost Poison could be super good but it was a gamble, because maybe it fucking sucked. Ethan thought about it before picking Frost Poison and nodded, it was the most tempting choice and maybe it worked on those goblins.
He turned around the moment Nora slithered from the boar, her white scales covered in viscera and blood but she was courteous enough to rub most of it off in the grass. I noticed a change in our bond, you picked a new skill right? I felt it change myself too, she wrapped around his leg and made her way back over his hand before taking her former place around his biceps.
"I had an idea and I hope to make it possible…hear me out." While walking he explained his plan about the poison, Nora helped him make some adjustments but it seems he had a safe plan to attack the goblins. He just needed to find them, that was all. On his way through the woods he experimented with his ice bolt skill, trying to shrink and expand the spike and compress it even more. Only time will tell if he can improve enough to use his plan. The smile on his lips never wavered, he was born for this kind of thing, magic in general fascinated him all his life and now he will try to make his own.