Another day arrived. Today's weather was clear.

  As the first thing of the day, I sat in front of my cave and waited for today's skeleton.

  [As part of your trial, enemies will arrive daily, helping you grow strong until a horde led by a powerful undead reaches your position.]

  The bluescreens told me when I asked about the skeleton.

  It appeared soon enough, holding a spear and wearing a half-destroy chainmail west.

  "The worst weapon it could carry." My mace's handle was too short to reach this one, and I had nothing to protect me from its thrusts.

  "Considering I have no anti-biotics or even clean rags, getting hit by you is not a choice, is it," I said towards the skeleton approaching me.

  The skeleton moved slowly but steadily, spear ready and aimed forward.

  I quickly scanned my surroundings. My eyes moved left and right, trying to find anything useful. The forest was eerily silent, the only sounds being the distant rustle of branches and the faint crunch of snow beneath the skeleton's feet.

  "Nothing of use," I murmured.

  Each moment I wasted searching for an easy way out of this fight, my enemy closed the distance.

  One idea appeared in my head. "It will be risky but worth a try." I quickly entered my cave, grabbed the fur coat I used as a bed, and moved in front of myself as a cover.

  When the skeleton closed the distance and prepared for the attack, I threw it forward, blocking its view.

  The spear penetrated through the coat, soaring through the air with a whistle.

  But I had already changed my position.

  Using this opportunity, I dashed forward, almost leaping to grab the skeleton's spear from the handle.

  Thankfully, it had worked. My hand clenched on the rugged, cold handle of the spear.

  The skeleton tried to escape my grip by pulling the spear away, but I didn't budge.

  The skeleton only pulled itself forward towards me.

  "Weak as the last one." I further pulled the skeleton towards myself and swung my mace toward its head

  The first hit took its jaw and some of the skull away, scattering bone pieces around.

  "This won't cut." I pushed forward and put the skeleton to the ground by tripping it.

  When it hit the ground, I pressed on its head and landed the finishing blow, shattering its skull.

  [Congratulations!]

  A blue screen appeared in front of me.

  I waved it away. "I appreciate the kindness, but I am already close to losing my sanity with all these monsters. Can you show yourself less, please?"

  It understood my words and disappeared. "Thank you," I let my body fall and hit the ground.

  "This is nice," I said, looking at the clear blue sky.

  Outside was cold enough that my skin felt irritated by it, but I was used to such weather.

  The forest was quiet. I took a deep breath, big enough that my chest felt like it could explode. Cold air moved through my throat and entered my lungs.

  I let it all out as steam.

  "It is still numb," I said. "I killed two, not including that goblin, three monsters. Yet I feel nothing."

  My drill sergeant always said you should numb your feelings, don't cry for the fallen, don't rage for your wounds, and don't flinch as you take a life.

  I had difficulties adjusting to his advice, but once I did, they became part of me that I couldn't rid of even when I tried.

  "Yet lately, their deaths flash in my head. Memories I pushed away as dangerous now come."

  "Just yesterday, I remembered it. My third mission as a second lieutenant, and it was a disaster. Our captain had us fallen into an enemy ambush."

  I closed my eyes. Thundering explosions of grenades and whistles of thousands of bullets flying above my head echoed in my mind. I clenched my fist as if trying to hold a gun.

  "You were next to me." I tried to remember the face of the soldier assigned to my squad. I never learned his name, and his face was but a blur. "You took a bullet for me and died in the operation table."

  I had suppressed this memory for years, but it appeared more than a decade later. "Considering how naturally you stepped forward to save my life, you probably were a good person, probably someone with loved ones. I should have died that day."

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  "Maybe that goblin triggered the memory," I murmured. "You also clenched to life until the last moment, like he did."

  I pushed myself up. "I am just spouting nonsense now. You died, I lived, and now, I will make sure your sacrifice wasn't futile." I survived my grandpa's forest, and I survived the war. Now, I was determined to survive here. "Just watch me now," I said, looking at the sky.

  I moved towards the skeleton and kneeled to loot it.

  It carried a bag and had no armor, but the spear, at least the tip, looked in good shape.

  Inside the bag was the actual delight. "A big piece of leather, nails, a small pot, two metal cups, and a fork."

  I almost smiled.

  "These skeletons do carry what I need." I got up with my loot and shouted. "Next time, make them bring me some armor, please!"

  Back in the cave, I placed my equipment in a safe corner and prepared myself to make a meal with my leftovers, but just as I moved out to gather wood, a screen appeared before me.

  [Event: Kill the nearby wolf scouts.

  Reward: A gift you will like]

  "An event..." I tried to think what it could mean. "What is this gift," I asked.

  [Something of value that will help the user grow stronger.]

  A blue screen answered my question.

  I gave some time to think. The screen used plural for the wolves, and I doubted I was in any position to risk myself against those animals, but then again, I now had a spear.

  "Where these beasts are."

  A semi-transparent arrow appeared before me, showing toward's a direction."

  "Alright, this is good," I said as I grabbed some of my gear and the remaining fish before leaving for the hunt.

  I moved much deeper into the forest this time and saw remarkable landmarks.

  Three ancient statues. Each depicted a human with weird proportions, short legs, chubby bodies, and big heads with big noses.

  Then, I saw the remains of a bridge made of stone.

  And finally. "Footsteps. Almost fresh. At least a hundred people," I said, inspecting it.

  "Perhaps this is the horde they mentioned."

  It wasn't my problem for now, but they were coming for me. "This reward sounds more worthwhile now," I said, changing my direction toward the wolves.

  Soon enough, the arrow showing me the way began glowing rapidly, indicating my enemy was nearby before disappearing.

  I placed the fish I brought to the ground and climbed to a tree, my boots damaging its bark and weight nearly snapping its weaker branches, but I managed to position myself.

  Soon, a wolf jumped out of the rustling bushes. It immediately rushed to the fish and took a bite.

  Another wolf joined it later. It tried to fight for the fish but failed to get a single bite as the other immediately gulped the remaining meat.

  "They both look hungry," I commented, looking at the worn fur and visible bones on the wolves.

  "Too bad I only had one bait." I grabbed my spear and watched as the wolf who ate the fish puked blood.

  I hid the nails I found in the food. It was a cruel method. "But I am desperate enough."

  Soon, the wolf fell, and its friend looked around, sniffing the ground to find the culprit, growling as it did.

  I waited until it approached the tree, and then I lunged down, my spear aimed at its neck.

  My body crushed the wolf, a shock of pain moved to my legs when I landed, and the spear easily pierced through its head, killing it fast and hopefully painless.

  I pulled the spear out, scattering flesh and blood around.

  Blood painted the snowy ground red.

  "But it isn't over."

  Whenever I won a fight, screens congratulated me, but they didn't. "Meaning there is still one more of you." I prepared my spear and slowly turned around, inspecting my surroundings for any information."

  Slowly, a much larger wolf showed itself, growling. He had raised his black fur to look bigger than he already was.

  His fangs were open, shone under the sunlight, and his eyes locked on my throat.

  I took a defensive stance, spear forward, my body behind.

  There was no need to exchange words or emotions. We both knew our only option was to kill the other.

  It was the question of who will move first.

  He took the initiative by lunging forward at full speed.

  "Damn it!" I tried to raise my spear, but I wasn't fast enough, so, in a split-second decision, I decided to jump sideways to avoid him.

  Wolf was fast enough to catch me by surprise.

  Using his advantage, the wolf quickly turned towards me and pushed further.

  He hid his head by putting his back forward in a weird posture.

  "Is this not your first dance?" I tried to make a joke as the wolf prepared its next attack.

  I prepared my spear, and when he lunged, I thrust it forward in time and stabbed him in the back, pushing him away but losing my spear in the process.

  The wolf whined and stepped away. He tried to shake the spear to lose it, but the spear opened a deeper wound.

  After one more failed attempt, the wolf ignored the weapon sticking to his back and charged forward.

  I quickly reached for the mace and put it between myself and the wolf.

  He was bleeding, so I just needed to gain time and not get hit by him.

  "But it's easier said than done." I gnarled as I dodged another lunge. "You have no concept of self-preservation?" I shouted to the wolf.

  The wolf attacked once again, almost mocking my words. "Shit." I swung my mace sideways and managed to hit his head before the wolf managed to bite my throat.

  The impact pushed him just enough for me to avoid his claws.

  He fell to the ground, rolling. His weight snapped the spear's handle, pushing its tip further into his body while scattering splinters and wood.

  "You are tired," I said, trying to appeal to the wolf, who tried hard to stand.

  "Let me end this painlessly," I said, putting my mace back and drawing the hatchet.

  The wolf stopped growling and looked at me. His ember eyes shone brightly.

  I nodded. "You still have flames of life. Then let me give you a proper death!"

  Wolf opened his mouth and charged at me.

  I unknowingly smiled.

  He was slow and tired, yet he felt so full of life.

  "That last moment before death!"

  I dodged his attack and slashed my hatchet to his neck, opening a big wound.

  The wolf tried to turn towards me but failed and hit the ground, and soon, he bled to death.

  I approached him and kneeled before, "You fought well," I said before closing the wolf's eyelids.

  [Congratulations! Event cleared!

  Reward: Slighty increase in physical attributes.]

  The blue screen suddenly appeared.

  And as it said, I did feel the change. My muscles burned, and my eyes felt like they tried to escape their holes, but when it was over.

  "I feel better. It feels like I just got younger," I said, touching my biceps. "They also got bigger and stiffer. Now, it's time to use these new muscles."

  I approached the wolf. "I give you a proper death. Now, it's time for a wastless burial," I said as I began skinning him.

  The most respect I could give to a dead animal. "Using everything and leaving nothing to waste."