1 Mad Dog

'I've never thought very hard about where my Dad came from, or why he never spoke of his past, or my Mother. In all my 16 years I've known nothing outside of our village and hunting.

'Life has always been simple. I wake up before the sun rises, follow dad out to the woods, hunt, and bring back our game to sell to the village. Then we eat, and repeat.

'Life has always been simple, not easy but simple learning to hunt, and fend for ourselves isn't the easiest thing when you have no magic or martial powers to help.

'In the small village of Ivywood the chances of a child to be born special is low. It's been years since any academy recruiters have been here to whisk them away to the capital of Ako, Ako City. My father, Dean Silverfoot is Ivywoods most talented hunter.

'he says it's because he has a strong nose, something he says I'll develop after hunting for long enough. Not that I pay his words any heed as developing a strong sense of smell is impossible without advancing your spirit and body to higher levels.

'Now normal people have access to the world system which will give you your information.

Listed as numbers along with your name, Race, and if you're cultivator of spirit, and or body it will display your progress. Any skills you may have, and a classification of how well you can perform it.

'For reference a normal human adult will have roughly 6 in each stat. With activities such as working your body you can increase your stats by an amount. However without cultivation you'll never have truly impressive stats.

'Normal people will have skills listed that have to do with their professions and hobbies while cultivators will have their techniques and spells listed there.' Ashton did a quick check of his status.

Name: Ashton Silverfoot

Race: Human/???

Strength: 13

Finesse: 13

Vitality: 12

Intelligence: 9

Skills:

Bowyer: Beginner

Archery: Beginner

Survivability: Intermediate

Hunting: Intermediate

Perception: Beginner

Stealth: Beginner

Sign language: Advanced

'My body based stats are roughly double that of an average man, but my father says it's because I've been working my body to the bone from a young age. He also said I'm only a little smarter than others because I had a good mother.

'Today started as everyday does, my father and I wake up an hour before sunrise, and prepare for the day.'

"Hey old man what section of the woods are we heading to today?"

I called out to my father who was a few feet in front of me. He stopped and turned towards me

"Don't worry about it brat, our game will be the same as usual pheasants, and wild boar if we get the chance "

He said with a mischievous glint in his eyes

Face agape I quickly remembered

"Wait a second Old man tomorrow is my birthday where is my present?"

Stopping again he faced me and with a small smile he said

"You're going to be too old for a present all things considered. I should have kicked you out at 16 made you join the military or make a life for yourself."

"Oh come on we both know you're never going to kick me out as long as you live. After all I'm your only son"

I say with a smug look as his face slightly drops to a frown. He moved towards me and quickly flicked my forehead saying

"Don't get too full of yourself, Though I guess I could get you a little something something from town "

We continued through the forest catching a few birds here and there tying their corpses up and carrying them over shoulder.

As they walked Ashton spaced out remembering the past.

'I've asked around town about my father, and He's only been here since I was born or shortly thereafter when I was younger I asked everybody I could about my father and my mother but people knew precious little about my father.

'Only that he's the most talented hunter they have had in years to the point they thought he was a cultivator in hiding but I've asked Him about it before and He said He's never cultivated.

'Nobody seemed to have any information about my mother and anytime I asked the Old man about it He'd quickly change the subject or tell me ill learn in the future. After years trying and failing to get information I gave up, and haven't asked for a few years.

Suddenly im shocked back into the present as my father shouted at me'

"Quit daydreaming, there is a boar roughly 20 yards away get ready"

Quickly crouching and knocking an arrow we both took careful steps we made our way closer to the boars location. When the boar was in sight we crept closer and closer making sure there were no others present.

This lone boar was a full grown adult weighing somewhere between 150 and 200 pounds from the look of it. Luckily or more likely due to our honed skills it had no idea two hunters had their arrows nocked and pulled aiming for its vitals.

With a quick release both arrows flew and struck the boar in its head and chest. The boar panicked for a moment before falling over seemingly dead, Creeping closer we prepared our knives to ensure the kill the boar was dead when we arrived but to be sure

"Ash slit its throat while I hold the head to make sure its dead"

Pressing the knife into the boar and noticing no sudden movements i continued the carve until its blood flowed freely on the ground

"It's dead father lets get it ready and get out of here before any predators smell the boar or any other dangerous creature that could be in these woods"

My father nodded and pulled out a large sack, stuffing the boar inside he turned to leave and i followed

"Hey Old man how did you know the boar was there? Even though I was in my head I couldn't see it from 20 yards out in this forest."

He turned his head briefly and said

"I told you son I've got a strong nose now quit asking questions and lets get home to make some money"

While walking I noticed my father Showed no signs of even being slightly encumbered despite carrying a full grown boar over his shoulder and a few pheasants on his waist even with my 13 strength id still be breathing heavier or slightly slowed but he has no issue.

My Father never had any issue carrying animals back home for a few miles. I wonder how high his strength is anytime I ask about his numbers he just tells me to mind my own business which has always been fishy to me but I could do nothing about it.

Suddenly I ran into my fathers back, stumbling. I looked to him to complain but He turned and crouched with his finger to his lips indicating for me to do the same. Following his orders i quickly hid myself and signed to him

"What's going on"

He slowly let the boar down and informed me

"Unfamiliar scents of men, not from our village"

I frowned and had a puzzled look on my face

"So what, it's just people maybe hunters from another village got lost or something"

He looked around and made a gesture to look to the side, as I did I could make out what looked like two men walking slowly towards our location; they weren't being too quiet though I could kind of hear them talking among themselves.

Taking a glance at my father I swore I had seen the side of his lip rise for a moment showing a slightly elongated canine before he closed his mouth Turning towards me he signed

"They don't have the smell of hunters, they have the smell of killers hide quickly"

Taking another look over now I can see them more clearly Their heights diffing greatly one seemed roughly six and a half feet tall and the other around five and a half the shorter one had a large crossbow on his back and a smaller one on his hip with a few quivers of bolts around his body dressed in some kind of dark, or probably black leather, short hair i can't really tell any other information about him till he gets closer.

The tall one wore metal plated black leather with a large sword on his back and another shorter sword on his hip however likely a long sword given the man height and weight, with longer dark hair heading down his back i can't really tell the length.

I moved slightly to hide further in the foliage of the forest and by this point they were in earshot i could hear the taller one with a gravelly voice

"That Filthy Dog should be around here somewhere after all Ronald never gives faulty information"

The shorter one responded in a deep voice

"Lower your voice Grant you know as well as I do that the mad dog has ridiculous perception skills from what we know after escaping capture he fled to Ivywood roughly 17 years ago and has been hiding for years from what Ronald said he took on a new name though he didn't know exactly what it was litefoot or something along the lines of that"

The taller one shuffled uncomfortably before speaking in a quieter tone, but i couldn't make out everything

"... Lance ... attacks ... wife ... dead"

I looked over to the Old man scared and confused too much with what they were saying lined up with my father even the name they spoke Litefoot was only slightly different from our own last name.

My father gazed at me and signed

"Later"

Hiding deeper in the brush I assumed he was going to wait for them to pass and move on but by now they were only a few yards away smelling the air ' why on earth would they be smelling the air like that do they have good senses of smell like my father?'

"Boar fresh kill maybe an hour ago very close SHIT!"

The one named Grant had hardly finished his sentence before a knocked arrow from my father's bow struck him in the leg. Growling he ripped out the arrow and looked in my father's direction however before I even realized it my Father was already in front of him Fist raised. Grant seemed just as surprised and by this point lance had his smaller crossbow out and aimed; however given the close proximity of my father and Grant he didn't have a clear shot.