[Tainted Lands] 5 – The Dangers of the Arcane

With a thump and gasp for air, I quickly crawled to my feet, panicking as I reeled back from the terrible, fiery pain of death.

My eyes took in the state of my room as blood covered the sheets of my bed and the queen-sized mattress underneath it.

Seeing that my clothes were once again turned to ash, leaving me naked in my room, I quickly got dressed, trying not to think back to the pain I experienced not too long ago.

Once I was dressed, I shakenly grabbed the sheets off my bed and left my room. Moving across my house, I stopped before the cupboard with my washer and dryer and put that sheet inside to begin washing. Grabbing some cleaning supplies, I quickly returned to my room and began trying to get the blood out of my mattress. I got much of the blood but left a still noticeable stain. 

Sighing, I returned the cleaning supplies to the shelf above my Washer and Dryer and moved over to my dining room table.

Plopping down, I sighed before bending over and placing my head in my hands.

The pain was gone, but I couldn't forget the terrible pain of shredding my own organs with my attempts at manipulating the mana within my body. Was I doing it wrong somehow? There's no way I'd experiment with Mana in my body for a while, especially if it were that dangerous...but that shouldn't stop me from trying to manipulate my mana outside of my body, though it may be wasteful.

Leaning back into the wooden chair, creaking it, I opened my status.

I was met with various notifications of my skills leveling up from my earlier...session, as Mana Manipulation had leveled up all the way to level 16, while Mana Perception followed not far behind, reaching level 13, and Pain Tolerance reached level 14. 

Shaking my head, I got up from the dining room chair and headed outside, grabbing the axe by the back door; who knows if one of those...things will wander over here and attack me while I am not looking...maybe I should install a fence? Or, at the very least, some tripwires to alert me of them beforehand. For now, this trusty axe should be able to do it...though that does bring something to mind.

About half a mile down the road, one of my neighbors might have some supplies I could grab. The town, for now, was off-limits, but I know that a few houses were down the road, and they likely had more food, water, and maybe even some weapons I could use, as well as a car, truck, or some other vehicle...or maybe they might not have been caught up by the monsters in the town. Though...what if they were monsters too? I could take on one of those...things... 'Shades,' the screens called them, but I doubt I could take on more than two at the most.

First, I'll set up some tripwires using my fishing line and some used food cans, which should take me only an hour or two, depending on where I put these alarm traps and how many I make. With my life on the line, I should make as many as possible, but I do not have as many cans as I'd need to make so many tripwire traps. While I am at, I'll set up some basic traps for the small critters and coyotes that call the forest around my cabin home. It would get me a bit of meat and extend my supplies if I properly treated the meat.

Heading out to my shed in the backyard, I scrounged around for the fishing line and soon found it right next to a tackle box and a few of Dad's fishing poles. There were a bunch of random things Dad stashed in the shed, mostly stuff needed to clean the backyard or old decorations he'd put up every year for Christmas and Halloween. There was also a weedwhacker, lawnmower, chainsaw, gas can, and several other things that my Dad used for cleaning the yard, nothing that would be useful short of the Chainsaw, not that it would be a good weapon with how much gas it uses.

Heading out of the shed, I grabbed everything I needed, including a knife, before taking a walk around the forest, setting up what sparse few tripwires I could and a few traps that would hopefully catch some squirrels or rabbits.

Once I was done with all of that, I headed back into my cabin and grabbed some supplies. Specifically, I grabbed two extra kitchen knives as a last resort if I lost the axe, a duffle bag I had lying around, and some first-aid stuff

While I had everything I needed, I was hesitating to leave. I had died and had to wait another 22 hours before my [Rebirth] cooldown would end...but I couldn't afford to wait. For all I knew, my neighbors were perfectly fine and had no idea about the monsters that took over the town, and I needed to see if they were alright before they stumbled into town unknowingly. However..if they were Shades as well...I could be needlessly risking my own life.

Sighing, I realized that I couldn't wait. It would be worth the risks, and even if I had to fight some Shades, at least I had Mana Bolt and some weapons to take on any Shades that I came across. So, I grabbed everything and left the cabin, locking the doors on my way out.

As I walked down my driveway out to the highway, I couldn't help but curse; whether I had to fight dozens of Shades and that giant monster that took my first life, I would be getting my car back.

...

Stalking up the driveway of my closest neighbor's property, I noticed that there were still cars in the driveway, so I assumed that they were still home. I didn't know the people that lived here, but  I have seen them a few times. They had a dog and were a married couple in their fifties.

Axe in hand, I called out from outside as I neared their house, "Hey, any of you guys home?!"

Hearing my shout, I heard barking come from behind the house. A German Shepherd ran around to the fence and began barking at me.

After not receiving a reply, I stepped closer to the house. Only two people came storming out.

"Whose making all that racket?" A man shouted as he stepped outside from the front door.

"It's me, John, your new neighbor," I greeted, axe still in hand, which they noticed and began getting nervous.

"Look, pal, we don't want any trouble," the man said, backing away and shielding his wife.

That's when I heard the rushing of something from my side. Turning to the side, axe raised, I was met with the dog of the couple that had its jaw ripped even wider open, revealing rows upon rows of teeth.

Cursing, I raised my hand and immediately brought forth a mana bolt to strike the dog. Once it launched from my palm, I heard the sound of rushing to my other side and found that the couple's bodies had transformed into those monsters in town and began charging me.

As the dog yelped and continued charging at me not a bit slower, I jumped back and struck the dog with another mana bolt at its side before raising my axe and swinging it wide, forcing the creatures to jump back. 

"Stay back!" I yelled, swinging the axe again, forcing them back. Roars were their answers as they continuously tried to get closer but jumped back with my wild swings.

Seeing that the dog was down for the count and that I had only enough mana for one more Mana bolt, I lunged forward with the axe, which gave one of the opportunity to attack as they charged me and grabbed my arm that was holding the axe.

Raising my hand, I wasted no time punching the female monster in the face, forcing her back before summing a mana bolt and launching it directly into their face, killing them instantly.

That's when the husband rushed forward, its arms changed into black spikes to stab me. Throwing the corpse of the female monster at him, causing the male monster to step back, I rushed forward and, with a diagonal swing, cut off one of its arms, making it roar out an inhumane screech.

Gritting my teeth, I raised my axe again and flinched as the male monster stabbed through its partner's body with its arm, knicking me in my side and leaving behind a gash. However, that was its last action as I swung the ax down with all of my might, splitting its head open and making its body fall to the floor under its partner.

[You have leveled up! x2]