The stink of blood is thick in the air. Tattered flesh hangs off of the bodies of the three beasts.

  “Well we can’t eat this much,” Joe laughs.

  “Drag them away?” Randall asks.

  “They’re going to attract scavengers. It’s the rat problem all over again.”

  The group debates what to do, considering burning the bodies, burying them, and finally agreeing to just drag them off as far as possible.

  Todd and Randall go together. They huff and heave as they go.

  “We’re making a trail that points right back to camp,” Todd notes.

  “We can’t do anything about that,” Randall grunts. “But isn’t this cool? We’re camping on another planet.”

  “What? Yea. I guess so. Aside from everything trying to kill us, it is pretty cool,” Todd agrees. “I just can’t figure out how this place works.”

  They drop their respective legs and what’s left of the beaver thumps down.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean there aren’t any plants here really. All these animals need something to eat.”

  “I guess,” Randall thinks about it. “Oh, maybe they eat magic!”

  “Magic? You mean like cosmic energy?”

  “Why not?”

  “Maybe. I’ll ask the pixies about it,” Todd declares. He wipes his hands with dirt and starts heading back.

  The two young men finish dropping off the other bodies without incident, and return to camp. The fire is just starting to catch the larger logs, and Sue Ann is carving up hunks of meat. She sniffs her hands and looks the slices over for parasites.

  “I think we’ll roast them over the fire,” she says. “It just needs to get hot enough.” She sighs. “I wish we had some rocks. We’re going to start a forest fire if we’re not careful.”

  Joe drops a log by her side and then claps her on both shoulders from behind. “We’ll just be careful then,” he says.

  Todd futzes about with his bag, then joins Candra in watching outwards.

  “See anything?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Figure it’s just a matter of time?”

  “Mooost definitely. Are you feeling any better?”

  Todd rolls his shoulders. “A little. Still a bit scratched up. You?”

  “My legs are still all fucked up. I’m pissed.”

  “It’ll all be different once we have people making healing pills.”

  “Not for like, a thousand people. We’re still going to be running out.”

  Todd shakes his head. “We’re almost out now.”

  “Yea. I know. And we have two days left.”

  “I mean, it depends on how long the days are on this planet. It could be less than twenty four hours, it could be more.”

  “Then how do we tell how much time has passed?”

  Todd scrunches up his face. “Bring a watch,” he chuckles.

  Candra blows a puff of air. “Great,” she grumbles.

  They stand there for long minutes.

  “So what was your favorite movie?” Todd asks.

  “My favorite what? Does it matter?”

  “I dunno. I’m just curious.”

  “The Philadelphia Story. With Katharine Hepburn.”

  “Yea?”

  “Yea. It’s funny. It’s classy. It’s Cary Grant and James Stewart.”

  “Yea?”

  “Whaddya mean, yea? You want me to give you the whole plot of the movie?”

  “No. I just like movies, that’s all.”

  Candra wipes at her eyes. “Well, we have more important things to worry about now.”

  “You’re right.”

  “We should be talking about how we’re going to survive this.”

  “I don’t know what we can do different, except to gain more levels.”

  “Maybe that’s what we should be doing now, gaining levels.”

  “Except aren’t you worn out?”

  Candra pauses. “I’m about to drop dead,” she admits.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Todd turns back towards the woods. “Yea. We need to do a sleep rotation or something.”

  “I don’t trust sleeping out here.”

  “Where else could we go?”

  “I dunno. Find a cave or something.”

  Todd kicks at the dirt. He doubts the odds are good that a cave will be available anywhere.

  “What are you building?” he asks.

  “Building?”

  “Your stat scores. Where are you putting your points?”

  “I was putting them into strength and vitality. But my weapon doesn’t really need a lot of strength, so I’ve been doing dexterity lately. What about you?”

  “I think I’ll be doing dexterity and intelligence for a while. Unless I start having more trouble piercing defenses, and have to go strength.”

  “You don’t think you need more endurance?” Candra inquires.

  “I mean, the plan is to not get hit at all,” Todd chuckles. “Even if it’s not going hot so far.”

  Before they can continue, Joe’s voice calls out.

  “Can everybody gather up? We need to chat for a second.”

  Todd and Candra exchange a look and head over. The five make a circle around the campfire, squatting or sitting in the dirt.

  Joe indicates the fire. “I think we’ve done good so far, guys. I think we deserve some congratulations.”

  “You guys have been awesome,” Randall beams. “We’ve killed so many monsters, it’s crazy.”

  “Funny,” Candra says, throwing a handful of pine debris into the fire. “Because I feel like we’re barely holding on.”

  Joe raises a hand. “That’s true too. We’ve gotten pretty banged up. And I think we have how many pills left?”

  Sue Ann counts on her fingers. “Uh let’s see. We have… five blood weaving, and eleven skin mending pills left.”

  Randall sounds relieved, “that doesn’t sound so bad.”

  Todd holds his hands towards the fire. “Except this is what we used in only one day.”

  Joe rubs his hands together vigorously. “Next we have to talk about sleep,” he announces.

  “I figure we’re going to have to do a rotation,” Todd says.

  “Hold up,” Candra injects, “should we even be sleeping at all?”

  “We have to. I don’t know about you, but I can’t stay up three nights in a row,” Sue Ann squeaks.

  “Not without getting seriously messed up,” Joe nods. “The rotation was what I was thinking. I propose that Toast and Drips go first.”

  “I don’t need to sleep yet,” Todd denies. “Besides, I’ve got a lot of cosmic energy still. It’s better if I spend it first.”

  “Fine. Candra, how about you? Could you use some sleep?”

  She reaches for the burnt end of her ponytail and scowls. “I could try. You’d better fucking keep me safe, though.”

  “I’m sorry,” Randall interjects, “why me?”

  Joe claps a hand on his arm and gives him a firm shake. “Because you need your big badda boom. And that means rest.”

  “Before anyone goes to sleep, we should roast up this meat,” Sue Ann suggests.

  Todd returns to his place, checking the forest while the rest of the group pulls in close to the fire. In short order, the cuts of beast breast are skewered on [mercury rod]s and held over the flames. They hiss as fat and liquid sizzles. The outsides brown and sear as the Maillard reaction runs its course and the aroma of savory poultry perfumes across the clearing.

  “Do you think this is happening to everyone?” Sue Ann asks.

  “I think the people doing normal difficulty won’t have to fight so much. Don’t worry. I can’t imagine they have it so bad.”

  “No, that’s not what I mean. I’m asking if everyone is in the tutorial.”

  Joe turns his skewer and ponders. “I don’t think so. I don’t think they took everyone.”

  “I just wonder if my family is out here somewhere. Killing monsters.”

  Candra speaks in an icy tone. “I can’t imagine my mom and dad doing this,” she says, “I hope not.”

  “I dunno,” Randall says amusedly, “I bet my mom would be chopping fools left and right. Keeyow!”

  The others chuckle. Candra laughs.

  “What? She’s tough,” the young man defends himself.

  They settle down. Joe’s smile breaks and he frowns. “Hopefully, they haven’t been taken at all.”

  “Yea,” Sue Ann whispers.

  Joe looks around the circle. “What else do we need to talk about?”

  “I dunno, we could talk about what kind of skills we should get next,” Randall suggests excitedly.

  Joe tips his head. “Actually, I was thinking we would talk tactics. We’re really winging things here, and we’ve tripped over each others’ feet more than once.”

  “One thing I’ve noticed is that you’re not really using your shield much, Candra. You could be using it to block and hit more actively.”

  “Fuck you. It’s hard to focus on more than one thing at once.”

  “Still, it’s good advice.”

  “We need to put Sue Ann on the outside. Her sword is just too dangerous.”

  “I’m trying to get better.”

  “Toast, you made a good point about the shield. You should probably take yours off and use it that way too. Nothing’s coming at us at chest height.”

  “Okay. I can do that.”

  “Todd and Sue Ann, your skills are really good at picking off individual targets. It would really help if you coordinated with us better.”

  Todd turns around. “There usually isn’t enough time. I think this is something that’s going to have to come with practice.”

  “Is there anything in particular Drips could be doing different?”

  “Keep rats off of me!” Candra laughs. “I don’t know. Just keep an eye out for when other people need you. You tend to use your skill on the same guy over and over again.”

  Todd considers the advice. “Okay,” he says.

  “And as for you, Joe! Can you keep out of my way? I can hold my own, and my stick is better than yours.”

  “Only if you hit them head on.”

  “Which is why that’s exactly where I should be.”

  “We could always switch weapons.”

  “Then we can do that. If that’s what you wanna do. But until we do…”

  “The other thing we’ve got to stop doing is wasting Toast’s spell.”

  “I know!”

  “It’s just too useful if we get ganged up on.”

  “Sorry guys.”

  “No need to apologize.”

  The crew finishes talking about strategy, and begins chatting about boiling water. The pan goes on the fire, filled up from Todd’s helmet and the better part of a canteen.

  Some of the meat scorches, the fatty fringes going black. Sue Ann pulls out a tiny knife and starts shaving the cooked surface into a bowl, shawarma style. Hot juices scald her thumb. She sucks on it, then waves it out. She passes the bowl around.

  “Hey, this is great!” Randall exclaims. He chews on a flake of roast and passes the bowl further.

  “Holy shit,” Candra breathes, “that is good! What’s this like? It reminds me of something.”

  Joe takes a piece of his own and puts it between his teeth. “It’s a little like lamb, but mixed with frog.”

  “How do you know what frog tastes like?”

  “Asian buffet, man. Cheap and tasty.”

  “Todd, do you want some?”

  He comes in close to take the bowl. With his ixwa in hand, he pinches a stripe of flesh and puts it between his lips.

  Immediately, he is struck by a wave of umami and delightful juices. Fresh, and richly flavored, the meat’s connective tissue practically melts between his teeth. A thin undercurrent of cosmic energy leeches out with each chew and trickles down his throat. It’s refreshing, nourishing, and delicious.

  “Wow.”

  Sue Ann cuts another piece off and masticates the hell out of it. “Really!” she proclaims.

  The five wait patiently for the rest of the meat to cook, cutting it up bit by bit. They wait for a few minutes to see if they get sick, but run out of patience and take the risk anyways. When the water finishes boiling, they take it off the fire.

  “Hey, have some with your ration glomp,” Candra recommends. With gusto, she alternates taking bites of her grain lump.

  Todd waits patiently to take his turn. He steps further away from the crackling noise and the sound of talking. The forest echoes. His friends slowly let down their guard and relax, taking a well earned break. In time, Joe relieves Todd, whereby Todd takes over his skewer and takes out a bowl of his own. He savors the delightful meal, taking each bite slow. The protein is so dense and vital, Todd almost feels like the meat is reinforcing his stats. Of course, the only way to find out is to eat more.

  Satisfaction. Satiety. Since they don’t have another way to store their food, they consolidate their ration tokens in the leafy packaging, clearing up one bundle to stash their meat on top of. Todd fills up his empty specimen collection jars too. The grease runs. They laugh at the mess.

  Todd rubs oil off on the hems of his pants and revels in their brief moment of joy.