Chapter 15: Alone in the World
The first thing Blanche noticed was that she was starting to get used to the biting cold—but not the smell.
She had returned to the same place, at a different time. The main sun was just rising, whereas her previous mission had ended in broad daylight. So at least a full day had passed… which explained the unbearable stench of the two corpses beside her.
Nausea hit her immediately. She stepped back from them in long strides and leaned against a tree, gasping for breath. The god appeared beside her, still as affable as ever—or maybe the smell bothered him too. And as if the curse hadn’t had enough, snow began to fall: fine flakes settling on her wet hair.
"I see you’ve tried out your new skill, he said with a smile."
Blanche took a few seconds to understand.
He was right: the pain in her foot was gone. It was all real. She really did live “elsewhere” when she fell asleep here. Another version of herself, in another world… Just thinking about it gave her a splitting headache. And the blue window that appeared in front of her eyes didn’t help.
Stats acquired:
Strength +3
Agility +3
Speed +4
Wisdom +3
Intelligence +3
Skills:
Drainage – Level 2
Flight – Level 1
Carnage – Level 1
Rest – Level 1
Third Level: Civilization
Objective: A living soul
Time: Unlimited
Reward: Specialization
“A living soul”? she muttered. "Am I going to have to deal with orcs again?"
"Believe me, nobody wants to “deal with” orcs, he replied, tone teasing."
Blanche straightened abruptly, cheeks flaming.
"That’s not what I meant!"
"I know," he laughed. "And relax, the orcs don’t roam around here anymore. They rarely go this far north."
She raised her eyebrows. Lucky her.
"So, during my previous mission, I wasn’t even supposed to encounter them?"
" Exalty," he confirmed with a shrug. "Just a simple exploration mission. But at least you’re ahead. Your next missions will probably be… too easy. Too bad, he added before vanishing."
Nice.
Still, she had just taken down five orcs that weren’t on the schedule—a little break wouldn’t hurt.
She cautiously approached a shapeless mass lying in the snow: an orc, or what remained of it after a wolf had passed. The sight turned her stomach, and this time, she couldn’t hold back her gag reflex. When her body finally stopped protesting, she forced herself to retrieve the short sword—light, manageable—and left the scene without a backward glance.
Guided by the sound of running water, she followed the stream back to her camp. It took almost an hour to find it. Sword in hand, fingers numb, she nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
Her blankets, frozen solid, felt like sheets of cardboard. She grumbled as she struggled to light a fire—a task that took a good fifteen minutes. When the warmth finally reached her, a noise caught her attention: splashes. A fish leapt from the river, then another, then a third.
A whole school.
A smile spread across her face.
Ten minutes later, she had caught two with “Drainage.”
Rewards:
Swimming – Level 1
Speed +1
Logic: birds gave “Flight,” fish gave “Swimming.”
Her scalpel having disappeared during the escape, she used her scissors to gut the fish—killing the first, succeeding on the second, and tossing the remains back into the river. She then found a flat stone, placed it on the fire, and laid the fresh meat on it.
While it cooked, she focused on her new skill.
"Rest," she murmured.
A green glow enveloped her immediately.
Rest – Level 2
She jumped in amazement. Just like Drainage! Using it multiple times was enough. To confirm, she tried Flight.
Moments later, she floated thirty centimeters above the ground, a stunned smile on her lips.
Flight – Level 2
Her mind raced. Two uses to reach Level 2. How many for Level 3?
She counted mentally: two birds, five orcs, two fish. Nine uses.
And if…?
She caught a third fish.
Drainage – Level 3
Intelligence +1
Swimming – Level 2
She ate her meal thoughtfully. Two uses for Level 2, ten for Level 3… how many for Level 4? Twenty? Fifty? A hundred?
One thing was certain: practice was necessary.
But Drainage required killing. Wiping out a whole school of fish just to test a theory? No thanks.
Wisdom +1
She decided to focus on Rest. Only problem: she had to be hurt.
Great.
Reluctantly, she sliced her fingers eight times with the scissors. Painful enough to bring relief. A soft green light healed her immediately.
Nothing.
On the ninth, she cut herself deeper, wincing, then murmured again:
"Rest."
This time, the notification appeared.
Intelligence +1
Rest – Level 3
A smile spread across her face. Her other self, in the other world, had indeed used it too.
She shook her head. Not the time to dwell on that.
Her fish was cooked, and her stomach demanded priority. After effort, comfort.
Eating felt good. Thinking, less so.
Leveling Rest required suffering, and the mere thought of hurting herself again made her recoil.
But if it could save her life…
She sighed. Dilemma.
Curiosity prompted her to try Carnage.
Error: requires an NPC
She laughed.
The definition of an NPC appeared: A thinking being.
"No fauna either, got it."
She returned to Flight. Twelve tries later, a new message appeared.
Agility +1
Flight – Level 3
This time, she felt the difference.
Not only could she float, she could move. Forward, backward, all directions, up to ten meters high.
The feeling of freedom brought a genuine smile. The icy wind on her face, the world beneath her… she felt light, almost happy.
From above, she spotted a coastal town to the northeast, bordering a forest. No orcs in sight. Perfect.
It was time to pack up.
With her axe, sword, and blankets, Blanche followed the river, drinking from it whenever thirst hit. The river would eventually meet the sea—and hopefully, the civilization she was meant to find.