The clanging of weapons amidst a myriad of sounds that he could only attribute to be spells rang clearly as he sprinted through the forest, sword in hand. He covered ground quickly, his perception of his surroundings able to keep up with his pace.

  He arrived at the scene of the fighting, only to find pandemonium. The faint moonlight above only gave him glimpses of the chaotic fight in the trees, but from what he could piece together, two large groups, probably two camps, were in battle.

  His fingers twitched around his sword as he saw a smirking man behead another guy from behind. Still, he stayed his hand, motioning for Trixie to do the same. Climbing up a nearby tree for a better view, he waved her closer to him, and she flew to his shoulder.

  “Stay calm for now,” he whispered. “Try to gather some information first, and then we can determine a good course of action.” A nod of assent was given in response, her crystalline wings glittering in the occasional light from battle. A conversation occurring not too far from his perch drew his attention.

  “Thatcher, come here and protect me damn it!” A sniveling voice said. Raj peered closer to catch a look at his face, only to lean backwards in disgust. He’s using people as human shields? He’s literally trampling on his foes and allies alike!

  The man allegedly named Thatcher dutifully trotted over. “Son, I hate ta ask, but why’d ya bring your ass out ‘ere if you were jus’ gonna hide?” He responded, a thick southern drawl and a voice like molasses giving Raj no doubt of his background.

  “Can it, old man. Just because you took me in does not mean I answer to you!” Raj snorted at the childish display, the man’s greasiness enough to lubricate an engine. He had just lifted his eyes back up to scan the battlefield once more, when the man’s next words seemed to cut through the plethora of noise. “And for the love of god, where is that brown piece of shit! I swear, ever since we had him kill that guy in that cave, he thinks he’s better than us!”

  Raj’s blood ran cold, his face visibly paling even in the dark of night. So it’s true, he thought numbly. It really had been Arjun. He shook his head, dispelling the thoughts. There could have always been a reason. It could have also just been a misunderstanding. There was no point in dwelling on it right now, when he had more important things to worry about. He burned an image of both of their faces into his mind before letting his gaze drift to a group of people who seemed to be in command. At the very least, they looked strong compared to those around them.

  He watched sharply as they carved their way through a ragtag bunch of warriors who looked to have been trying to hold a formation before they were ripped apart. A voice in the distance rang out, signaling for a retreat, although it was unnecessary. Their forces were already breaking down and running, but not from the opposing fighters.

  [Gorlax - lvl 17].

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  It had been a long time since he had seen one of these. At least, it felt like forever. In truth, it had barely been a week, if that, but that was hardly relevant. What surprised him was how both camps scattered so quickly in the face of the monster. They formed back up after a moment, but the pure fear on their faces as something he could not understand. Am I really just that much stronger than them?

  His question was answered a moment later when the Gorlax started to ravage the opposing foes, wreaking havoc and sewing chaos everywhere it went. The leaders of the camps stepped up at that moment, ready to protect their people. He zoned out of the battle, moving closer and readying himself for any scenario. While he was making preparations, the leaders were able to shut it down. A woman wielding a bow and arrow stood back, piercing the vital spots of the Gorlax and throwing it off balance. Countless spells and weapons barraged against it, killing it quickly. Raj recognized one of the leaders in question. He wielded an axe, and was flanked by the scrawny mage named Paul. He didn’t feel anything anymore, but if he focused closely, he could sense the aura around the leader that made him want to fight. His mental resistance was high enough to easily dispel it, however. The aura seemed to come from, or was at least amplified by the axe. Interesting, Raj thought. Wonder where he snagged such a good weapon. He identified the man, curious to see his gains since the last time they had met.

  [Human(Berserker-Common) lvl 18]

  It was no wonder that the camp leaders were able to dismantle the Gorlax with relative ease. They were all relatively equal to each other. Pulling up his status, he pondered how big the gap between them was now, considering his titles and the level difference.

  Status

  Name: Rajeev Narayanan

  Race: Human(H)

  Class: Swordsman[(Common-G) lvl 24]

  Profession: None

  Titles: Giant Slayer, Vitality II, Strength II, Enlightened One(G), Agility II, Endurance II, Intelligence II, Wisdom II, Dao Disciple, Tutorial Challenge: Level 25

  HP: 1630/1630

  MP: 1220/1220

  SP: 1350/1350

  Stats

  Strength: 164(157)

  Agility: 182(169)(+5)

  Vitality: 163(156)

  Endurance: 135(129)

  Intelligence: 122(117)

  Wisdom: 122(117)

  Free Points: 0

  Dao: Fragment of Reality, Dao Anchor(Partial)

  Class Skills: Mana Slash(Common), Dash(Uncommon)

  Profession Skills: None

  General Skills: Identify(Common)

  Shrugging his shoulders, he turned back. Now that the Gorlax had been taken out, they had turned on each other once again.

  “Time for me to intervene, I suppose,” Raj sighed in annoyance. As tempers started to flare below him, he leaped off of the tree, using Dash to appear before countless people arrayed before him. They all quieted as dozens of head rounded on him. Just as he started to get second thoughts, he opened his mouth and spoke. “Guys, please! No need for all of you to fight over little ol’ me! There’s plenty of this to go around!” He accentuated the last bit with a wave of his hand, gesturing at himself.

  He looked up, only to find now-blank stares meeting his gaze. Why do I always manage to put myself in these situations…