System Break

I gave it a name – Bullfrog - although it ran more like a chimp on all fours than a frog, it was close enough. I shadowed it for a mile and there were no trees and very little cover in this part of the plains. I imagined we would eventually reach the farms which surrounded Loctris but without Demon Bird to help me I had no idea when that would be.

While the adventurers were out of sight I could still see their cores. They bobbed as they ran, and it didn't take long for that bobbing to become ragged. My pathetic guildmates became tired after a few miles of running. I sneered, but I would have too without the use of qi stamina and speed which I used sparingly.

One of the perks of using my qi to replenish my stamina was it increased my training time and results exponentially. I checked my meagre skills while I waited for the Bullfrog to run ahead.

.

-Skills-

.

-General-

Running, 7.41

.

-Survival-

Navigation, 9.13

Plains, 6.10

Foraging, 0.88

Skinning, 0.64

Tracking, 2.87

Stealth 2.55

.

-Combat-

Sword, 0.05

Brawling, 4.24         

Dodge, 0.27

.

Oh how the mighty had fallen. I chuckled at the thought that I might not check them again. It was interesting that I got a little skinning skill just from handling the knife. Similar with the sword skill, but the early numbers were always the easiest. As the numbers rose it became harder and slower for them to increase.

A recent addition was the Stealth skill, and it was one I would focus on. I enjoyed skinning but I had always been gifted in the ways of sneakiness. From stealing a basketball during a match to ambushing orks around the Reach.

The Bullfrog suddenly stopped moving and sniffed the air. I hit the ground and cursed when I realised it was downwind. My mind raced as I thought and then wished Gisael was with me with her stinky ointment. There was some food in my pack, but dried bread and jerky was not going to cut it.

It's giant head swivelled, and it looked in my direction. I stood - I wasn't going to run from the bastard. I had a sword on each hip and a couple of knives attached to the leather harness which crossed my chest. The third sword was on my back underneath the pack.

I drew the finest sword which was a rapier. It was long, thin, and wielded from the wrist rather than large powerful swings. Which suited me because I was as weak as an office worker with an aversion to exercise.

"Come to papa," I told the Bullfrog as it loped towards me. Damn it was ugly. It's tongue lolled and it drooled at the sight of me. I must have looked good to eat.

I stood side-on with my sword arm forward and waited patiently for it to close the gap. I was going to musketeer its ass. It was almost twice my size when it reared and swept its hoof from left to right. I skipped back and let it pass. It's reach was poor for its size but still better than mine.

It lurched forward and I skipped to my left, turned, and flicked my sword at its side. It gurgled annoyance at the speed of my evasion, but I wasn't finished. It was still out of reach of my rapier, but I let my qi fly from the tip, and it slashed it like a razor sharp whip.

I had to be careful, I was using qi for speed and agility, although I didn't bother with strength or flushing all my muscles. I was trying to be efficient like Peppin, but I had mere days to think about it while she had years of practise.

The qi slash had the desired result it opened up the Bullfrog slicing its side like a butchers knife into a slab of meat. It's strange roar sounded like a gurgle and its thick throat wobbled. 

It was no time to celebrate as I peered at its hard to reach core, it was buried in a ton of muscle and fat. I didn't spare a glance for the adventurers, they could be running towards or away, I kept my whole focus on the Bullfrog. It turned with its head leading its body and then it reared up showing me its belly.

I skipped back and flicked my rapier up from low to high while letting my qi fly. I used too much; it was a gamble, but I opened up the bastard from stem to stern. 

I watched its stomach open and its qi swirl from its centre. It travelled up its throat and to its mouth. When it spat it at me I was ready, and I jerked to my left at the last moment. Anyone without qi sight would have been caught by that blast. The Bullfrog spat its qi at me – an attacked which suited it.

I scrambled and regained my balance while the Bullfrog gargled in pain. It's attack was a last ditch attempt to kill me because now it was dealing with a fatal wound up its centre.

Waiting for its death throws was not an option, I used my speed, closed and reached in with my left hand. I pushed past its squishy, wet interior and grabbed onto its core. Then I ripped it from its belly and skipped back before it could clobber me.

A frown reached my face when I realised I'd ruined its beautiful hide. It was dead but I didn't celebrate the win, I mourned the loss. I sighed and began to skin it. I needed the practise anyway.

I chuckled when I realised that I could eat that juicy looking slab of meat off its hind legs. Frogs legs were a delicacy after all. I smiled at its innards as I imagined how Demon Bird would feast and then I ripped away its skin. I kept a couple of the finest portions large enough to make into bags and waterskins. The rest I dropped where it lay. I wrapped a few slabs of meat up while I racked my brains trying to remember what my dead friend did with them.

I sighed. Ailen used to dry the meat before we realised it was a waste of time. He did it for fun at first because he wanted to work on a craft like I worked on skinning. I wiped an errant tear as I mourned my friend.

I looked up and scanned for the adventurers. They had disappeared out of range of my qi sight because they must have kept running. Which was good because I didn't want them to witness me solo a Bullfrog. It would certainly blow my cover and then I'd have to kill them as well. Even if it wasn't a problem the bodies left in my wake would hamper my mission at least.

The whole fight was avoidable, but I wanted the core. The bullfrog was alone and was easier to take on than three hellhounds. The size of the core was a quarter of a pound and for someone like Gunt it was worth a small fortune. I was certain adventurers took these sorts of monsters down, but they'd have to share the loot amongst five or ten.

I adjusted my Svartalfar pack and looked up to the sky. The day was half done and I began to run southeast.