Path of Dragons

Thor Gunderson knelt atop the hill, staring across the valley at the creature. The monster was huge, but then again, most of his prey had been of late. It was the only way to get any sort of challenge. The animal was a little bigger than an African elephant, with a long shaggy coat of soft fur that hung down to its ankles. Its head was similarly elephant-like, with a long, tapered trunk, great floppy ears, and a pair of massive tusks that Thor had seen disembowel lesser creatures.

But unlike an elephant, this monster was no quadruped. Instead, it stood on two feet like a man. It was intelligent, too, having shown the ability to utilize crude tools. At present, it wielded a giant tree-trunk like a club.

For his part, Thor carried a much less impressive weapon. At least on the surface, it appeared that way. But he didn’t need to look at his spear to know it was far from ordinary. The haft of the spear was made of bone, and it had been carved with fanciful designs that made it look like scrimshaw. The blade was like black glass, sharper than anything else Thor had ever seen, with blood red tassels tied just below its base.

Thor himself was far more overtly exceptional. Standing at almost seven feet tall, he had once been a champion power lifter. After the world had been transformed, he’d utilized his massive strength to his advantage, and in the years since, he’d used that brief head start to keep himself ahead of everyone else.

Or perhaps it was his taste for a great hunt that made him special. Since the very beginning, there had been no peak he didn’t try to climb, no monster – bestial or otherwise – he didn’t want to hunt. He’d spent the intervening years stalking and killing one powerful creature after another, and he’d reaped the rewards of success, climbing the power ladder until he’d found himself in the top five.

Yet he’d so far been unable to bridge the gap, even after using his talents to help various groups conquer multiple towers. He’d fought in rifts. He’d slaughtered Voxx. And he’d even worked a stint as a bounty hunter. Still, the top of the ladder remained as distant as ever, and Thor’s frustration had continued to mount.

The result was that he’d pushed himself into progressively more dangerous hunts, stalking prey that he should never have considered fighting. He’d even ventured into the deadly Frozen Wastes, where he’d hunted ice mammoths. He’d only skirted the edges – anything else would have killed even him – but he’d expected the lethality of the situation to work in his favor.

And it had.

Still, the gap between him and the people at the peak had remained just as wide as ever. Each time he gained a level, so did they. Sometimes, more than one. It was maddening.

Yet, Thor persisted. He knew they would slip up. Those ahead of him would make mistakes and end up dead. Or worse, their pace of improvement would slow. And then, he would pass them by. It was only a matter of time. So, with that in mind, Thor tracked his target with a steady gaze, waiting for the opportune moment to move in.

Meanwhile, the monster, which he’d identified as a tiyeto, meandered around, periodically snatching leaves from nearby trees. It was mostly carnivorous, but the creature would also eat flora if it was hungry enough. Thor decided to make his move, descending the slope on silent feet.

Before Earth had been touched by the World Tree, Thor hadn’t been much of a hunter. He’d been a few times growing up, but his training schedule hadn’t left much time for anything else. However, soon after the world had changed, he’d discovered the joy of stalking and killing prey. The more dangerous, the better.

Gradually, he covered the distance between to the tiyeto, only stopping when he was a little more than ten feet away. Then, he forced ethera into his most important ability, Bite of the Hunter, and his spear erupted into green light. Just before the blade pierced the tiyeto’s chest, the monster reacted, darting to the side. It only moved a few inches before Thor’s attack landed, ripping through its shoulder and sending chunks of meat and bone flying.

But it was enough to save the monster from a one-shot kill.

Annoyed, Thor landed with a roll that a man of his size never should’ve been capable of, then found his feet a moment before the tiyeto’s counterattack found him. He leaped backward, barely avoiding the monster’s sweeping tusks, then darted forward, using the butt of his spear to knock the natural weapons aside. Then, he dipped low, twirled his spear like a quarterstaff, then stabbed the monster through the trunk.

Or that was what he’d intended.

Instead, the blade skipped off the creature’s tough skin, barely leaving a scratch. That was the issue with hunting monsters that were a higher level then him. Without powerful abilities like Bite of the Hunter, his weapon was incapable of piercing through their defenses. Still, it wasn’t Thor’s first hunt, and he had a few more tricks up his sleeve. However, he had to be alive to play those cards, so the moment his attack failed, he used Survival of the Fittest to briefly enhance his physical attributes. The surge of Strength and Dexterity allowed Thor to dodge the tiyeto’s next attack, which came in the form of a sweeping tree trunk.

Then, he used Fury of the Stalker, and his spear took on a red sheen.

Enraged, the tiyeto trumpeted its anger before it leaped at him. Thor didn’t immediately react. Instead, he waited patiently. However, when the monster’s club descended, it found no resistance until slamming into the ground and sending an eruption of dirt and leaves into the air. That’s when Thor, having used Mirror Trap, attacked it from behind. This time, his spear, enhanced by Fury of the Stalker, bit deep into the monster’s torso, ripping through its organs and sending an explosion of ethera to do even more damage.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The creature let out another trumpet of rage, but it quickly turned into agony. And finally, despair.

Thor stabbed it again, this time in the small of its back. Its legs went limp, and it fell to the ground. The once-mighty monster flopped around, swinging its club ineffectually as Thor watched from just out of range. It was pitiful, how easily it had fallen. Only thirty seconds, and it was all but dead.

He stood there for a long while, gazing upon the creature as it bled out. Finally, he tired of the show and stepped in, raking his spear across the tiyeto’s throat. It finally died thirty seconds later, giving Thor an influx of experience that pushed him to level sixty.

Then, he let out a roar of exultation as he thrust his spear to the sky. Once he did, he looked at the power rankings:

Planetary Power Rankings (Earth) 1. Oscar Ramirez – Level 61 2. Sadie Song – Level 60 3. Thor Gunderson – Level 60 4. Hu Shui – Level 58 5. Niko Song – Level 57 6. Hu Shui – Level 56 7. Elijah Hart – Level 55 8. Anupriya Pandey – Level 53 9. Ram Khandu – Level 52 10. Gunnar Lindstrom – Level 49 11. … 12. … 13. …

“Number three,” he said to himself. By all accounts, it had been an impressive climb, but to him, it was still inadequate. The only result that would satisfy him was to reach the very top and stay there. Anything less was failure. But Thor also knew that success was not built by a single action. It was a winding road, and one comprised by many steps. He’d just taken a big one, and as a result, he had come close to achieving his goals.

Part of that was the next notification he received, which confirmed that he’d gained another new ability:

Ancestor’s Torpor

Summon an ancestral spirit that saps the Strength and Dexterity of your enemy. Duration based on Ethera attribute. Current: 19 seconds.

That had the potential to be a strong ability, though Thor would not make any determinations on its viability until he had the chance to test it out. Still, he’d yet to be disappointed in the skills, spells, or abilities he’d received so far, and he was fairly certain this would follow that same pattern.

“Impressive skill, young one,” came a voice from behind him.

Thor wheeled around, identified his target, and leaped. His spear passed through the small creature’s head, though he met no resistance whatsoever. He crashed into the ground, his spear sliding into the loamy turf. Expecting an attack, he dove forward, ripping the spear from the ground and whipped around.

The enemy had not moved.

“Honestly, that’s how you react? I didn’t even – oh, you’re attacking again.”

Indeed, Thor had just thrust his spear through the seemingly insubstantial little man, and it was just as effective as the last attack. Which was to say, not at all. A few more fruitless attacks, and Thor finally pulled back, breathing hard.

“What is going on?” he demanded. “Are you a ghost?”

“That is an interesting question,” the little man said. He was no taller than three feet, and he was built like a child. However, he bore a thick, red beard and a truly impressive mustache. Coupled with the wrinkled face, bushy eyebrows, and bald head, and he looked like a tiny old man. “I’m not dead, but this is a projection of my spirit. Sadly, it’s the only way I can visit your wonderfully wild planet.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t,” the little man said, shaking his head. “I am not of Earth. You have met offworlders before, yes?”

Thor nodded.

“Not very verbose, are you? Oh well. I’m not here for conversation,” he said. “My name is Eason Edmund, clan patriarch of…you know what? You don’t know what any of that means, do you? Of course not. You’re an unlearned and uninformed barbarian – oh, you’re attacking again.”

Thor certainly didn’t enjoy being called a barbarian, so he’d done what he always did when he didn’t like something – attack. It did no more good than his previous attempts to teach the little man some manners.

“If you’re done?” said Eason Edmund with a sigh. Thor backed away, still wary. “Good. I am here with an opportunity.”

He waved a hand, and a notification bloomed into being before Thor’s inner eye:

A powerful entity has offered you a Task: Obejctive: Hunt the Druid (Elijah Hart) Reward: Blessing of the Gnome, Eason Edmund Do you accept?

“Blessing? What does that mean?” asked Thor.

“Oh, you can read. Good,” Eason Edmund said. “The blessing will give you two options. Either a spell that mimics one of my own abilities or the advancement of your core.”

“And all I have to do is hunt someone?” Thor asked. He recognized the name from the seventh spot on the power rankings.

“Yes.”

“Why?” asked Thor.

“Call it family pride,” Eason Edmund said. “He took something from me and mine. Now, we weren’t exactly using it. Cast it aside, really. But it was still ours. So, he will be punished.”

“When you tell me to hunt him, do you mean…”

“Oh. Right. That wording is a bit ambiguous. You are the punishment. Kill him. Get a reward. That is the deal. Do you accept?”

Thor didn’t need to think about it before he nodded and affirmed it in his system notifications.

“Good. Very good. I can’t risk telling you where he is, but you should find him in that direction.” The little creature pointed off to the southwest. “That is all the help I can give you, so I hope you are as good of a hunter as I think you are,” Eason Edmund said.

“I am the best hunter in the world,” Thor said. Then, without another word, he set off through the woods.

Somewhere behind him, a little gnome grinned broadly.

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