Chapter 763 (1/2)

Cycle of the Gloomy Wood: All of life is in an endless cycle. Although the deepest and darkest woods seem to be completely still, they are simply a part of a great dance that will go on into eternity. When something dies, it will release a small shred of energy. Gathering these shreds will enable the Skill user to regeneration a small percentage of their missing Stamina and Mana. Percentage increases with Skill level. As Skill Level increases, the cooldown between uses decreases.

The Skill was convenient, especially with these Wights dying easily in front of him. But it wasn’t like he needed additional Mana if he was facing a large group of the weaker ones. However, it was possible to avoid a confrontation with a single strong foe long enough to gather Mana up again. The only problem was the cooldown.

With a few steps, Randidly crossed the bottom of the lake and arrived at a Wight that had somehow managed to avoid being crushed in the ice. A cut to the neck later, a pale orb of light floated upward from its body. As soon as it appeared, Randidly felt drawn to the orb. But also, Randidly noticed that it immediately began to dim. It wouldn’t last long, it seemed.

Randidly grabbed it. There was a small benefit to Randidly’s Mana and Stamina, but not significant enough for the energy burst to be useful by itself. Immediately, Randidly checked the surrounding area for another and found it.

When he crossed to this one, he killed the thing just as quickly. Another orb appeared. But Randidly could sense that it would be another five minutes before he could absorb this one. With a bitter expression, Randidly returned to the shores of the lake. Another growth stock. Wonderful.

Still, it meant that his Class was once more solid enough to grow and provide him Skills. For now, that would need to be enough.

As he walked calmly out of the water, the people he had saved jumped. They had gathered some distance from the shore, but when they saw him appear, they hurried over.

“Hero! Thank god you arrived when you did,middle-aged woman said with nervous nods. “Otherwise… we all would have perished. And our section would have gone without water. Is there… is there anything we can do to express our thanks?”

“No need-” Randidly began, but his body had other ideas. With an embarrassing amount of volume, his stomach grumbled. Randidly grinned awkwardly.

True, his stats were so increased that he largely was beyond the normal necessities of life. But he had spent a month in the dark without eating anything. Even if he didn’t desperately need food yet, Randidly’s body wanted it.

“-ah, I see sir is hungry. Well, feel free to return with us to our camp,” The woman said, bobbing her head. “What, ah, may we call sir?”

“...Ghosthound.” Randidly said softly.

Annoyingly, it seemed the path back toward the people’s camp led through a dozen Wight patrols. After the third such group was encountered, Randidly rapidly expanded his Perception by relying on Grasp of the World Seed.

“How can there be so many fucking Wights?” Randidly hissed, shocked in spite of himself. They seemed endless. Like ants, they marched across the countryside. Near their current position they mainly kept to reasonable groups, but beyond that, there was a sea of them. Against that many, even he…

How many Psychic Poisons would it take to knock him unconscious? Even with a stronger will, that many attacks… with Propagator’s supporting them…

“To answer Sir Ghosthound, Hastam is surrounded.” The woman, whose name was Merta, said shortly. Even now, she seemed to constantly walk on eggshells around Randidly. But they had been so constantly harried by Wights that there hadn’t been time for Randidly to find out why. “The Spearman School is under siege. Most of the Wight forces moved from the other Schools to our current location to finish us off, because we are the greatest threat-”

“Damnit,” Randidly growled. Closing his eyes, he unleashed a two thousand or so Mana with Grasp of the World Seed to kill another nearby band. When he opened his eyes, he found Merta looking at him with a horrified look. For a second he began to explain he wasn’t angry at her, but it seemed a pointless pursuit.

Randidly glanced behind him. The twenty survivors of the water gathering expedition, aside from Merta, maintained a distance of about ten meters from him constantly. Sensing his gaze on him. They all hunched their shoulders and stared at the ground. Randidly’s gaze hardened, but he wasn’t sure why this was happening. Still, to be so totally feared… it was not a good feel.

“Let’s keep moving then,” Randidly said lightly.

Like nervous rodents, the group trailed after him. With Randidly striking with Grasp of the World Seed before Wights could even come close, the walking speed of the group rapidly increased. Within three hours, they had arrived at their ‘base’.

Which was, it turned out, a huge camp some distance away from Hastam. When the group approached, Randidly was somewhat surprised to see the place was utter chaos. There were hundreds of clustered leather tents sprawled across a large valley. With his eyesight, Randidly could see some official looking buildings at the far end of the valley, but the group that he had rescued was not heading in that direction.