Should be Dead

A loud groan could be heard in one of the campsites, Jacob had sustained his first injury in the recent bout. He had been to confident luckily the recent battle had been a wake up call.

It would seem he wasn't the only one above human level strength and speed. "Fuck." He exclaimed as he laid back on the log.

"You did better than I expected." The man sitting besides spoke out while taking a swing from his beer bottle. Michael was the person from Leon's company and it was safe to say that he was the reason Jacob was alive.

"what I don't get is how are you so bad at fighting, from my knowledge every gifted is a born fighter, but you? You are like a kid playing with smaller weaker kids." He said with a disapproving frown.

"Am not a fighter ok!" I said with a bit of resignation.

"oh, I can tell, but my question still stands, how?" The man pressed on.

"You know what? forget it, get some rest and hope you are in a condition to continue." With that the man retired to where his company rested.

...

With Michael gone I started to think about his words, I knew he was right, my fighting prowess were... None existing, even after all I have been through I already knew I was not a born fighter, in other words I lacked... Talent.

I fell asleep on one side due to the broken left arm and once again I was standing back in my mind Scape.

...

STR: 40

DEX: 45

WIS: 39

MGK: 8

SP: 176

....

Through the years I had found out a disappointing fact about my stats, after a certain point the required amount need would change. After reaching 15 points in any stat I need 5 points to raise it by one and then the next point increase had been 25 and the point requirement had doubled to 10, and then again after ten points at 35 another increase requiring 20 points for each point.

With such rules I had no choice but to stop investing my points, I was already quite strong, I wanted to save some points for my Magic stat.

Morning came and it was another day, during the morning our camp had received an interesting visit, from the east, a man had come riding in, he was clearly from Sarion judging by his yellow banner, but he was also carrying another smaller blue flag.

"Don't worry Jacob his a messenger, if we are lucky he might be the reason this war ends sooner than later" Michael said as he stood to my Left.

Suddenly Michael launched a punch to my broken arm, with his sudden action I had no time to react, Michael was very much faster than me, although he lacked in strength.

I had prepared for a world of pain but what hit me was a small thud. He had held back his strength? In reaction I simply winced in pain.

"Enhanced healing too, not the best but still there." He snapped back out of his thoughts before apologizing. "Sorry fella just doing my job."

Only someone stupid wouldn't realise that this guy was here to test my physique. Honestly I should be mad at him but the guy had saved my life on more than one occasion, the appearance of much stronger warriors had come as a surprise to me, even if they weren't as strong all fast as me they still had managed to overwhelm me with shear numbers, every person that had stood in there way had been killed with little effort.

In the last fight we had lost quite a few people from our village. Most I didn't know but one I did, Mr Trek, Sana's father, my father-in-law, I would say it was a shame but then I would be lying, I didn't feel happy but I also had no pity for that man, currently only 3 people from my village remain namely our master archer Missel and a random farmers boy.

Soon the day passed without anything interesting happening, a few looters had gone back to the battlefield to try there luck, I on the other hand had stayed back.

The next day we receive news that we would be heading back, Michael had informed me that the war was most likely over, "Sarion has a well of making problems disappear, and it's money." In Michael's words this war was resolved with gold.

We would be marching back to our homes for the rest of the afternoon. With this news, images of my little freckled ginger had flashed in my mind, coming from a country that rarely talked about there feelings, I was surprised when the first thing that came to mind was how I felt about her. Love was a hard thing to describe and an ever harder thing to come to terms with, but the fact was I had truly come to love my bought wife.

With that, the journey back home had began in the span of a month we walked. Half and quarter way we separate, with the main army, before leaving Michael had come over to say goodbye, although we didn't know each well, we had still fought together and I guess that meant something. He had also passed me message, a letter, from the count himself. I had placed it in my pocket planning to read it later when I go back home.

The last week me and my two fellow village residents travelled the rest of the way back. One night during our travels I suddenly wake up, normally this was impossible while in my mind Scape I would only wake in the morning, this meant that something was wrong. Waking up the other two who slept around the camp fire I looked around with vigilance.

The darkness made it hard to see, plus the camp fire had already died out.

"what's wrong Jac?" Missel asked with a frown on his face.

"I don't know... But." I said not even looking back at them, the night was quiet Only the occasional bush rattles.

"you don't know?! Please! am too tired don't wake me up again." The farmer boy said before walking back to his spot, ready to get back to sleeping. But the moment he sat down a giant maw of teeth jumped out from the bush grabbing him by the head he was dragged back into the forest.

I was frozen in fear, that was definitely not a normal sized wolf. Missel grabbed me by the wrist, dragging me in the opposite direction of whatever we saw, I came back to myself just in time to notice a giant shadow heading for Missels, I instinctively took my sword out before swinging it in the things direction.

A half a held fell follow by the rest of the wolf's body, coming to my senses, I looked around us while running, I noticed the shadows that where zipping through the dense tree lines around us, they were faster than us that's for sure.

I changed position with Missel grabbing him instead before running past him we were out numbered and lacked any advantages in this place, our only option was to find a clearing. Suddenly another one of those things jumps out in front of us and blocks our path, I swing my sword with little grace in the wolf's direction, it tries to dodge but it's too slow, the sword connects with it's shoulder and goes through all the way and bisects it vertically.

Two more jump out from behind us, one for each of us, in that instance I did what was most likely to save both of us. Pulling Missel behind with more strength than I intended he goes frying, I weakly swing my sword due to my compromised stance, the wolf I was aiming for managed duck it's head only losing an ear, the other one pounces once more not in position to counter attack I raise my hand in defence, a jolt of pain climbs from my upper wrist.

"Fuck!" the adrenaline starts pumping through me and while panicking I switch my sword to my left before hack at the thing crushing my hand, it's body falls but the head remains cramped to wrist.

To worried at my fractured right hand I forget my other opponent, and that proves fatal.

But before the last wolf can get to my neck I hear a whoosh, an arrow strikes the creature's eye and it falls on me dead, the arrow had gone deep enough to damage the wolf's brain. While hyper ventilating due to the high adrenaline spike I walk over to Missel and help him up.

Before we can even catch a break I hear rustling in the bushes around us, 'no fucking way.' I thought knowing this might be my last night. I was not in any condition to continue fighting especially with the numbers I suspected.

'three? No, definitely more.' As I thought, 3 more giant wolves came out of the forest, but I new they were definitely more. With these numbers I was sure of my death, with that in mind I forgo my pain, fixed my stance, brandished my sword and got ready to face death with open arms

"Fucking bring it." I whispered to my self, ready to take as many of this things with me as I can.

I the first to charge aimed at Missel's back ready to take out the weakest link, sadly for it I had already foreseen this and moved quick, another to my left hand been ready to intercept me sadly for it my sword did quick work of before slicing the intended target in half.

Three more walk out growling at me, slowly they inched closer but before they could pounce a howl, reverberated through the forest, the wolves surrounding us seemed to jolt out of attack mode, ears perked they turned in a certain direction, seeing this I got ready to get an easy kill but suddenly they turned tail and Fled back into the forest.

"What?" Bleeding and broken I was slightly confused, but glad non the less.

"Come on Jac, let's get out of here." Missel said as he pulled back.