He found himself in a small sun-kissed meadow near a thick forest. In the distance, he could see snow-covered mountains that spanned the entire horizon. It was a warm day, which was lucky because his wardrobe left a lot to be desired. The thin pajamas couldn't have warded off the elements had it been wintertime. Hopefully, come nighttime, it would still be warm enough to survive the night in relative comfort.
He took another look around, found himself at a loss for how to proceed, then activated Pattern Analysis, his enhanced perception sweeping across the meadow. The grass showed clear compression patternsâregular pathways worn by repeated passage. His Enhanced Perception kicked in, recognizing the distinctive hoofprint patterns of sheep, overlaid with the heavier boots of shepherds. The trail was fresh, maybe two days old at most. Sheep droppings confirmed it, their pattern distribution suggesting a flock of thirty to forty animals moving northwest along the forest edge.
That took only a few seconds, but suddenly Mike felt a swimming sensation in his head. He had to sit down in fear he might keel over. He took a look at what he was beginning to think of as his character screen. He immediately noticed the change. Under secondary stats, he could see:
Health: 2600
Stamina: 2450
Mana: 810 / 4850
"Wow, I just lost four thousand mana? What on earth? How can this ability be so mana hungry?"
Mike had no intuition for how much mana his abilities would cost him. He would have to really be mindful of his ability costs before using them. He took a look at the ability's description again:
Pattern Analysis (Active - 10 mana per second per target level)
Spend X seconds studying a target to reveal its patterns. Shows weak points, ability cooldowns, and behavioral tendencies. Can be used on objects, enemies, or allies. Analysis speed increased by Perception, detail level increased by Reason.
"It was just a few seconds," Mike thought. "Why would it drain my mana so much?"
I wonder how target level is determined when I study the environment. That may be the catch.
"I need to refrain from using that ability on the environment until I figure this out," he decided.
While he was examining his surroundings, he caught something elseâfaint wheel ruts in the harder ground, suggesting regular cart traffic. A farm, then. Civilization of some kind. Mike followed the trail. At least that didn't require any abilities.
As he was following the trail, what struck him most was the emptiness. No distant sounds of human activity, no smoke in the distance from chimneys, no movement except wind through grass. It seemed like this should be productive farmland, yet it felt abandoned. He kept walking for what seemed like hours.
Finally, he found himself close to what looked like a farm. Stone walls bordered well-maintained fields, though no crops grew in them. The farmhouse itself was modest but sturdyâtwo stories of weathered stone with a slate roof, smoke actually rising from the chimney. A barn stood nearby, its doors secured with iron bars that seemed excessive for keeping animals in. Or perhaps, Mike thought, for keeping something out. Still, the place seemed deserted.
Mike approached carefully. He was trying to be extra careful in these foreign surroundings, so he went through his abilities until he found his Pattern Shield and was ready to deploy it at the first sign of danger. He knocked on the heavy wooden door, the sound echoing strangely in the quiet afternoon. Long moments passed. His enhanced hearing caught movement inside: careful footsteps, the scrape of a weapon being readied.
The door opened a crack, revealing a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes and gray hair. She held a crossbow, not quite pointed at him but ready. Her gaze swept over him, taking in the gray outfit, his obvious physical fitness, and something in his bearing that made her lower the weapon slightly.
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"You're not from around here." It wasn't a question.
"No," Mike admitted. "I'm... new to the area. Looking for information."
She studied him for another long moment, then seemed to make a decision. "You'd better come in before they return. Quickly now."
The interior was simple but cleanâa main room with a large fireplace, rough wooden furniture, and stairs leading up. What caught Mike's attention were the reinforcements: bars on the windows, multiple locks on the door.
"Sit," she commanded, moving to pour something from a kettle over the fire. "You arrived at a bad time, stranger. The wolves have been getting bolder. Took three of our sheep just yesterday."
Mike accepted the cup gratefully. It was some kind of herbal tea that smelled of mint and something earthier. "Wolves?"
"Aye. Usually they keep to the deep forest, but something's got them riled up these past weeks. They're hunting in larger packs now, coming closer to the settlements." She sat across from him, crossbow still within reach. "My husband's out with the other men, trying to track them. Been gone two days now."
That explained the empty fields and secured barn. The woman's tension wasn't about himâit was about being alone with wolves prowling nearby.
"I'm Clara," she offered, seeming to relax slightly. "Haven't seen travelers in months. Where are you headed?"
Mike considered his answer carefully. He needed information about this world, but couldn't reveal the truth about the Assessment. "I'm... not sure. I got separated from my group. Just trying to find my bearings."
Clara's eyes narrowed slightly at his vague answer, but she didn't press. "You won't find much in these parts except farms and forest. Nearest proper town is Millhaven, about two days' walk north. Though I wouldn't recommend traveling alone, not with the wolves about."
A distant howl punctuated her words, followed by another, closer. Clara's knuckles whitened as she gripped her cup.
"That's closer than this morning," she muttered. "They're getting bold indeed."
Mike's Enhanced Perception picked up moreâthe subtle rustle of movement in the underbrush outside, the barely audible whine of a creature in hunt mode. Three... no, four distinct sounds moving around the farmhouse perimeter. He was amazed at his hearing. The fact that he could distinguish between them was incredible.
"Clara," he said quietly, "I'm afraid I think they're already here."
Her face paled. "The sheep are locked in the barn. They can't..."
A heavy thud against the door cut her off, followed by scratching sounds. More impacts came from different anglesâthey were testing the defenses.
"Upstairs," Clara hissed, grabbing her crossbow and a quiver from beside the fireplace. "My husband's spare bow is up there. Can you shoot?"
Mike had never held a bow in his life, but his enhanced stats suggested he could figure it out quickly. "I don't know about that."
They moved up the narrow stairs, Clara leading him to a window that overlooked the barn. What Mike saw made him reassess the threat level. These weren't normal wolves. They were larger, their fur darker, and they moved with unnatural coordination. His Pattern Analysis immediately began cataloging their behaviors:
Gray Forest Wolf - Level 15
Health: 480
Four of them circled the house while two more remained near the barn. Seems he didn't hear them all.
"They're after the sheep," Clara said, fitting a bolt to her crossbow. "If they breach the barn..."
"I want to help you out, but I've never used a bow before, and I think it wouldn't be wise to start now," Mike said. "I'll tell you whatâI'll go down and engage the wolves outside the house. You start shooting at the wolves near the barn, trying to keep them away. How does that sound?" He looked at her expectantly.
"You want to just step outside and fight them? By yourself?" she asked.
"Well, I think I'll manage," he answered. "You'll have to trust me on this, okay?"
Mike thought the level difference would be enough to guarantee his victory. He needed to test his abilities sometime, and a bunch of level fifteen wolves might be perfect for that.
"Okay, it's your skin," she said.
"Great. So you wait a couple of minutes. I'll give you a shout when I want you to start shooting, okay?" She nodded in response.
He went downstairs and stood near the door. He could hear the wolves outside scratching at the barn. He figured the ones near the house wanted to prevent the old woman from interfering with them, which seemed kind of smart on their part. Almost too smart.
He cast Adaptive Patterns on himself before stepping out. He looked down and saw thin golden strands appear, as if embedded in his skin, in a crisscross pattern all over his body.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered to himself and shouted at the old lady to start.
He opened the door and stepped outside.