The day after the battle, the man cave crew lingered in comfort, savoring a rare moment of peace. Unlike the others who slept soundly, Scott maintained his usual minimal sleep schedule, using the early hours to meditate and refine his mana control. Despite copious amounts of coffee during his watch with David, his body's internal clock kept him awake, even if it meant frequent trips to the outhouse.

  The lack of sleep was a normal thing for Scott even before the system. Four and a half to six hours was his normal sleep schedule. That included his days off. The weekend usually consisted of the same situation where his body would wake up around the same time in the morning, not allowing him to sleep in no matter what he did.

  As the sun began to peek over the trees, Scott, floating serenely in a cross-legged position, levitated a large boulder. This tranquil scene was abruptly shattered by an urgent call of nature. "Hey, are you about done there?" Scott called out with a worried tone, doing a little dance now outside the outhouse.

  A small, strained voice from within replied, "Yeah, Dad, give me a minute, this is a big one." Riley said.

  The outhouse, strategically placed about thirty yards from the cave entrance to minimize odors, suddenly became the epicenter of chaos. The ground began to shake violently, and a large, unseen creature burst from the tree line, charging directly towards Scott.

  Scott spun around just as the beast was almost upon him. With a quick dodge, he narrowly avoided the charging mass as it thundered past, missing both him and the outhouse by mere inches.

  “Hey buddy you're going to have to hurry up there….” Scott yelled. Before he could fully warn Riley of the Beast, another charge came barreling towards Scott dodged once more, and this time, he got a good look at the large cross between a rhino and a warthog. A large, fiery beast with nine horns and fangs as long as Scott's forearm charged by, leaving a trail of sulfur in the air. The size of this beast was that of an SUV that had to be pushing close to one thousand pounds.

  Its skin was covered with embers of red and black, like looking at the coals of a campfire. Two thin black tails followed behind the beast, with flames burning a bright red, igniting anything they touched. Scott took his chance and scanned the beast right as it was turning around to take another pass.

  [Hellrhinhog (lvl 40)]

  “Well, that explains the red flames, but where the hell did it come from? Was this a summoned monster or is this a normal beast for this world?” Scott thought, a growing sense of alarm bubbling up.

  “Since you asked so nicely, these are normally native to hell, but in this case, they are located in the Highlands of Hell in the north,” Amarwrath said, now fully awake inside Scott's mind.

  “Okay, not going to lie, but this thing is fast and strong, and I'm not sure that I can actually do much damage to it with my current abilities,” Scott said, watching the beast coming in for another pass.

  “I guess you don't have some type of water abilities, do you?” Amarwrath asked, a hint of exasperation in his mental tone.

  “Nope,” Scott replied quickly, jumping out of the way once again, moving further away from the outhouse so Riley didn't get hurt once he exited the facility.

  “Hurry up, Riley, we have a huge Hellrhinhog thing to kill!” Scott called out with a smile. Even though playing video games with his kids was at times cringeworthy due to the fact that his kids constantly relied on him to be their savior, Scott was still excited to see what they could do as a team in real life. Scott had a bad habit of bossing them around and telling them what to do to win the game, which in the end made the games more miserable for all of them.

  “Okay, Dad,” Riley replied, grunting with effort from within the outhouse.

  Surprisingly, no one in the cave seemed to feel the vibrations or hear Scott yelling, making him wonder what kind of rock the cave was made of to block such powerful sounds and tremors.

  George sat around the fire inside the man cave, cooking up a stew for breakfast so everyone would have their fill for the day before each group went out hunting or gathering to get the cave running like a normal home for once.

  Meanwhile, Victor finally woke up, smelling the food, and stretched his body. He then petted his sleeping kitty and proceeded towards the stew to get a taste. Just as Victor picked up a piece of day-old bread, about to dip it into the stew with George’s back turned, George spun around, grabbed his hand, and said, “It's not ready yet. Come back in a little while, and it should be ready.”

  “Okay,” Victor said with a frown on his face.

  Once he finally finished the piece of bread and got bored enough, he headed outside towards the outhouse to relieve himself. There, he found Scott, his father, being chased by a large beast. At first, he didn't recognize that it was a big, fiery beast chasing him because Victor was still half asleep, but his eyes soon opened wide in alarm.

  “Incoming!” Scott yelled while running towards Victor. Scott swooped Victor up and continued running around, just barely staying out of reach of the beast.

  “Dad, what is that thing?” Vic cried, trying to understand what was going on.

  “Dinner! You don't happen to have any water spells, do you?” Scott asked, still desperately trying to figure out the best way to kill the Hellrhinhog.

  “Okay, Dad,” Riley replied, grunting as Scott and Victor ran past.

  “No, I have mostly fire spells and a TNT spell, what about Ice ball?” Victor shouted.

  “Okay, well, I guess it's Plan B then. Go, Victor, use an Ice ball!” Scott commanded.

  Victor began casting, and a large Ice Ball shot forth from his hands, heading towards the Hellrhinhog, hitting it directly in the head. “I hit it, Dad!” Victor said with excitement. Even though the Ice Ball hit the beast head-on, it only slowed it down for a fraction of a second. They continued running around while Victor continued his Iceball attacks until finally Riley left the outhouse.

  “I guess Dad wasn't kidding about the beast,” Riley mumbled while pulling both of his blades from their sheaths.

  “Welcome to the party!” Scott said jokingly as he tossed Victor over to his brother and continued running away from them. At that point, the beast was slowing down a bit more, so Scott spun around to attack.

  Activating both blades, ice crystals began covering one of his blades while flames covered the other side. Scott flew up over the beast and slashed both blades into its back as it passed by. Floating in the air, Scott noticed one of the pieces of armor on his arm had caught fire from just being near the beast due to its charcoal skin, and he used his iced blade to put it out.

  The next moment, a roar came from over by the boys as Riley began to transform into his Rage, growing his body to that of an adult. He then charged recklessly with both blades pointed towards the ground in order to attack the beast.

  “Be careful, the skin is super hot!” Scott shouted, trying to get his attention, but it was too late. Riley’s rage clouded his judgment, and once he came into contact with the beast, he got one good hit in with an explosion that knocked the beast to the side a little bit. But in the process, Riley too had taken a hit from one of the horns and was sent flying backward fifty feet into the forest.

  “Victor, get your brother. I'll handle this beast!” Scott commanded.

  Victor didn't even question his father and ran into the forest where his brother flew to retrieve him. But Scott on the other hand got serious and began transforming into his Beastmode. His body grew bigger and stronger as both of his fangs grew out of his mouth. “Now it's time to get serious, no one hurts my family and gets away with it.” Scott said with a look that could kill on his face.

  A mark was placed on the beast as it finally got up onto its feet and charged once again. Scott stood there patiently, waiting for his chance to strike, making sure it got close before attacking. Once it was only a foot from being hit, his feet began to vibrate, and his body began to move. Moving to the left, he pulled up his iced blade and ran it down its side, leaving a deep wound. He then turned around and [Light Stepped] through space, ending up on its right side, where he knelt down, slashing the same blade into its other side, leaving another big gash. At this point, the beast slowed way down and turned around, stumbling a bit until it found its bearings and charged once more. The beast's mouth opened, revealing a group of large, sharp teeth, and a bit of light appeared in its throat.

  Without hesitation, a thin blue light covered Scott's body, and then he Light Stepped once more to appear right in front of the beast. He then lifted his iced blade and drove it into the beast's mouth, embedding his blade into the back of its flaming throat. The clash hit Scott so hard that he gritted his teeth as the heat on his arm and body began to burn slowly through his shield, and multiple ribs cracked, but he didn't let go. A few more steps could be seen until finally both the beast and Scott hit the ground, sliding to a halt. The beast's mouth clenched down due to the sheer impact from hitting the ground and severed his arm just above the elbow.

  At that point, Scott knew he'd messed up. Using his legs to wiggle himself out from underneath the beast, he was now on fire from his feet all the way up to his waist. Screams could be heard through the forest that soon turned into roars. His eyes began turning red, and his body began to repair itself at an alarming rate. A few seconds later, his arm was replaced, and the fire absorbed into his body like mana. Scott's mind had now succumbed to the beast, and he rushed out into the forest.

  Victor and Riley walked out of the forest to find that their father was missing and the beast they were fighting was now dead in the middle of the field. “I wonder where Dad is, Vic?” Riley said in a worried tone.

  Both of them ran towards the now dead beast to look for clues. “See the gashes on the body, that had to be Dad,” Victor said, pointing at the beast.

  Riley took a stick and stuck it into the beast's mouth to try and pry it open, but as soon as the stick touched its lips, it was set ablaze. Quickly, Riley opened its mouth and stuck his hand inside, thinking maybe his father was eaten by the beast. Riley began yelling towards the inside of the jammed-open mouth. “Father, are you in there?” Riley yelled. No answer could be heard. Then he found something inside its mouth and pulled it out. Withstanding the hot blade, Riley looked at a sword that looked like his father's. Once his hand had enough, he dropped the blade onto the ground. Burned from grabbing raw metal, Riley could barely squeeze his hand. He held his hand up and squeezed it a few times, noticing he could still move his fingers, but the range of motion was now limited.

  Victor looked at Riley and said, “Isn't that Dad's?”

  Riley just nodded, his face now in shock, while tears began to form on Victor's face. Victor began crying uncontrollably. “Why?” Victor yelled while running off towards the man cave entrance.

  Moments later, the rest of the crew came rushing out to assess the situation. Ann rushed out and grabbed the boys to talk to them on the side along with Cat to question them. Meanwhile, David and Hunter checked the beast over, even gutting its stomach.

  Looking at the sword, David finally got an idea and transformed into a Bloodhound. He sniffed the air around him, taking in as much as he could until finally finding a trail heading into the forest. Following close behind, Hunter searched for clues until David turned his head and spoke. “Hunter, go tell your mom that Scott's still alive, but I am going to go after him.”

  “Okay, but I want to help and go with you,” Hunter explained.

  “No, I will go alone,” David said with a stern voice, knowing full well that Scott may have turned into a beast, and David didn't want Hunter getting hurt or even killed once he found him.

  Even the dire wolf pack searched and came up with nothing. Finally, Atlar and his pack decided to leave the group for a while to go out hunting, and would find them once they level some more.

  Three weeks after Scott's disappearance, Ann, exhausted but resolute, made the difficult decision to halt the active search. Convinced that Scott, if alive, would eventually find them, and prioritizing their collective growth, she declared that the group would resume leveling up.

  Despite David's desire to continue tracking, he reluctantly agreed, acknowledging their need to catch up. The crew, having already scoured the immediate area, found themselves in a new predicament: the absence of any remaining beasts. With no more threats to face or experience to gain in their current location, Ann left a note at the man cave entrance, and the group broke camp, venturing deeper into the perilous beast territory.

  “Wake up, young one,” Amarwrath said continuously for weeks, trying to get his attention to hopefully bring Scott back. But nothing he did would get his attention. Finally, Scott woke up in the middle of a forest in the dead of night. The three moons were shining bright, making the sky look nearly daytime on the ground. Covered in blood and guts, Scott looked at his arm since that was the last memory he had before blacking out. It had already grown back, and while sitting up, he noticed all he had on him was his pants, boots, and one of his trusty swords along with his rings.

  Looking around him, Scott finally noticed bodies of different races littering the ground surrounding where his body had laid. He decided to count the bodies to get a good idea of who died and how many, to maybe, just maybe, figure out what happened. Scott counted at least one hundred if not more. He also noticed there were huts built into and around the trees around him.

  “Where am I? Was I a part of a big battle? Or maybe my mind was controlled by a superior being.” Scott thought, trying to make sense of where he was. He was mostly shocked at where he was because the last place he had been was battling in front of the cave against this beast.

  Just then he looked down at his arm remembering that he lost it last fighting the Hellrhinhog only to find that it somehow grew back. “How? How did my arm grow back and where is my family?” Scott asked, confused.

  “Young one, you're finally awake. I've been trying to wake you for some time. The beast wouldn't listen to reason no matter how much I begged,” Amarwrath said, his voice laced with concern. “And how your arm grew back beats the dragon out of me. I believe that the beast has a set of its own abilities.”

  “The beast? Wait, did I cause all of this?” Scott asked, his thoughts racing through his head at this point, trying to piece together every little theory on how this happened. “Are my children still alive?”

  “To be frank, yes you did do all of this! But to be fair, you weren't in your right mind, and yes, last I knew your boys were still alive when the beast took over,” Amarwrath said calmly, carefully trying not to anger the beast inside of him.

  Tears appeared in Scott's eyes before he continued, “What about the rest of my family and the crew, did I…..” Scott couldn't finish his question because honestly, he didn't want to know the answer. Not that he didn't care; it was more that if he did do it, he wouldn't know how to live with himself if that had happened.

  Amarwrath spoke softly and clearly. “Your family is alive, though I can't say the same about this village of elves and humans.”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Just then, Scott opened up his system screen, afraid to see the body count. The screen showed many killed elves and humans, all around levels 15-45. A ding popped up, and he noticed he had gone from level 35 to 50. But something else appeared next to their names: bandits. A sigh of relief fell over Scott's body as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “Well, I guess they got what they deserved,” he thought.

  Getting up, Scott searched the bodies, finding bags, some armor, and new gear. He looted all of the dead and then piled them up. He burned all of the bodies and, while sitting there on a makeshift chair made out of a log, stared off into the flames until finally opening up the system. As he watched the fire, he continued looking at his screen and worked on his levels.

  **Survive 143 / 180 days left in the tutorial**

  **Level Gained[Slayer] level 35-50**

  Wait, I was gone for two whole weeks? Scott freaked out for a moment before calming back down. Well, at least I'm still alive.

  **Level 40 Ability Unlocked**

  **Choose One**

  [Star walker (Unique)]

  You have awakened an incredible, innate ability to merge with the raw energy of sunlight. By attuning yourself to the photons and solar radiation around you, you can convert that energy into pure kinetic force, allowing you to move at a speed that defies physical laws. For a brief moment, you become a living streak of light, leaving a shimmering after-image as you travel. This ability is a true gift, as it costs very little mana, drawing its power directly from the sun itself. The Speed of Light: Using a bit of mana to activate this ability. Your movement speed is increased significantly, allowing you to move to any point you can see within that range. You can also use this ability to make a single melee attack from this movement that will not be hindered by your speed. Solar Absorption: While in direct sunlight, your mana regeneration rate is increased by 25%.

  [Enhanced Claws (Rare)]

  Your natural claws undergo a profound transformation, growing larger and sharper, their very structure hardening to the density of metal. They are no longer simple appendages but lethal, adamantine blades that shimmer with a faint, dangerous light. Despite their newfound durability, they remain an extension of your body, granting you seamless control and deadly precision. The razor-sharp edges and immense durability of these claws allow you to tear through armor and flesh with alarming ease. Razor Claws: Your claws are considered magical weapons for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks. They deal an additional 2d6 slashing damage on a hit. Slowing Bleed: Any attack with your claws causes a deep, persistent wound that bleeds profusely. The affected creature takes on a bleed effect also reducing any healing it receives by half. Unending Vigor: The effect lasts until the target receives magical healing.

  [Advanced Ghost Skin (Legendary)]

  You have achieved the ultimate mastery of a rare defensive technique, transcending the physical form itself. By attuning your body's magical essence to a different vibrational frequency, you can phase through solid matter as if you were a ghost. Your body becomes translucent, a shimmering distortion in the air that can pass harmlessly through objects and beings. This skill is the pinnacle of evasion, allowing you to bypass physical barriers and evade all manner of physical attacks.

  [Metal Skin (Rare)]

  Your body's skin and musculature have been tempered by a life of constant combat, hardening to a density and resilience akin to living metal. This isn't a magical shield, but a physical transformation that grants you incredible toughness and durability. Despite its newfound density, your body remains agile and unburdened, allowing you to move freely and without the clatter of traditional armor.

  [Advanced Surging Speed (Legendary)]

  You have achieved a profound and harmonious connection with the very essence of motion. With the wind at your back and time seeming to slow down around you, you can move with such incredible speed that you become a blur to all but the keenest eyes. This ability allows you to tap into a wellspring of kinetic energy, propelling you forward for a prolonged period with a fluid grace that feels almost effortless. The usual strain and fatigue that come with such intense speed are all but forgotten.

  "Looks like there is another good one. Why can't I have all of them? It's so hard to choose just one. I think I'll have to go with [Star walker (Unique)]." Scott thought, finally deciding which ability to choose.

  **Level 45 Ability Unlocked**

  **Choose One**

  Wow, did Christmas come early or what? The chances of being able to choose multiple in a day is, I'm sure, quite rare unless you are an ungodly strong beast of nature.

  [Enhanced Beastmode (Legendary)]

  You have unlocked the full, unbridled power of your inner beast. When you activate this ability, your body undergoes a profound and rapid transformation, growing stronger and more bestial. Your muscles swell to twice their normal size, and your skin thickens into a hide that can shrug off blows. Your senses sharpen, and you move with the predatory grace of a hunter on the prowl. This is the ultimate expression of your wild nature, granting you unparalleled strength, speed, and ferocity.

  

  [Weapon Retrieval (Rare)]

  You have developed a profound and unique bond with two of your chosen weapons, allowing you to bypass the laws of space and retrieve them in an instant. This isn't a spell, but a deeply ingrained connection to your tools, an ability born from a true mastery of your craft. With a thought, your weapons will appear in your hands, ready for combat, regardless of their physical location, as long as they are on the same plane of existence as you.

  

  [Advanced Fangs of the Vital Mana Beast (Legendary)]

  Your fangs have grown to an inhuman size, their surfaces becoming impossibly long, sharp, and durable. They are no longer simple teeth but are now conduits for a dark, siphoning power. When you bite down on a foe, you can feel their very life force and magical energy being drawn into you. Your fangs shimmer with a faint, malevolent glow, and a predatory growl escapes your lips as you drain your enemy of their essence.

  [Advanced Mana Shield (Legendary)]

  You have achieved a profound and ultimate mastery over your own magical energy, allowing you to manifest it as a tangible shield of pure, concentrated mana. This shield shimmers into existence as a translucent, protective barrier that glows with the color of your magical affinity. Unlike lesser mana shields, this one is not only more durable but also more efficient, allowing you to maintain it with ease even during the most intense conflicts.

  

  [Spirit Slash (Unique)]

  You have awakened a terrifying ability to manifest your magical energy into a ghostly, razor-thin blade that exists on a different plane of reality. By flicking your wrist, you can launch these ethereal slashes through the air. They are near-invisible to the naked eye, appearing as a slight distortion or a faint, shimmering blur, and they pass harmlessly through physical objects and armor to strike at the very essence of a being: their spirit. This ability is a double-edged sword, as it bypasses traditional defenses but comes at a great cost to your mana.

  "Let's go with [Advanced Fangs of the Vital Mana Beast (Legendary)]. I believe this will be a huge improvement to my feats."

  **Level 50 Ability Unlocked**

  **Choose Two**

  “Wait, this must be Christmas because I have more choices? Yeah buddy, let's get to it,” Scott continued, excited by the unexpected bounty.

  [Advanced Stealth (Rare)]

  You have achieved a profound mastery of the shadows, allowing you to move through darkness as if you were a part of it. By stepping into the gloom, you can become nearly invisible, a phantom on the battlefield, making it a powerful advantage when you need to sneak up on your prey and attack from their blind side. This skill is not only about hiding from sight; it also grants you control over your scent, making it incredibly difficult for beasts and creatures to track you by smell.

  

  [Invisibility (Rare)]

  You have gained the extraordinary ability to phase your body out of the visible spectrum. Your physical form becomes transparent, and all light passes through you as if you weren't there. Though your body disappears from view, you are not a true ghost, and your physical presence remains. You can still feel the ground beneath your feet, and with every step you take, a faint, visible imprint is left in the terrain, hinting at your passage. When you move, a slight distortion in the air gives you away, but once you stand perfectly still, your presence is completely concealed.

  

  [Advanced Mana Healing (Rare)]

  You have gained a mastery over your body's magical essence, allowing you to use it as a powerful, restorative force. While a simple healing spell can mend your wounds, this ability allows you to channel your mana into a potent, self-sustaining regeneration that can mend you at an accelerated rate. By activating this ability, you can knit together grievous wounds and recover from the wear and tear of intense combat, though it comes at a steady cost to your magical energy.

  

  [Advanced Gravitational Flight (Unique)]

  You have achieved a profound and ultimate mastery of your innate connection to gravity. This is not simply flight; it is a seamless and effortless extension of your will, allowing you to move through the air with a grace and speed that defies all physical laws. Your movements are fluid and silent, and you can maneuver with pinpoint precision, even at incredible speeds. The ability is now so finely tuned that it requires a fraction of the mana it once did, making sustained flight a natural and untaxing state.

  

  [Advanced Beast Mode Speed (Unique)]

  You have learned to tap into the essence of your inner beast, but instead of embracing its raw strength, you have honed its speed and agility. This form is a complete transformation from your normal self; your body becomes leaner and more streamlined, your muscles become wiry and dense, and your senses sharpen to a predator’s level. You are a blur of motion, a specter that moves so fast that it is nearly impossible to track. In this form, you trade brute force for unmatched swiftness, becoming an agile hunter that can strike and evade with perfect grace.

  “Well, well, if things didn't become more interesting, I'd have to pinch myself, just in case I wasn't dreaming or something. Not only did I get one feat, or two and three, but four is outstanding. The last two to add to this already interesting list of feats will have to be [Advanced Mana Healing (Rare)] because of all the close calls, not being able to heal as fast as my body needs. The last but not least feat to be chosen would be none other than [Advanced Beast Mode Speed (Unique)]. Hopefully adding this to the arsenal would allow more options with each battle,” Scott said with a grin on his face. “Okay, onto those juicy stats to where this good old body is sitting now.”

  With his new feats absorbed Scott finally assessed the loot from the slain bandits. His once complete arsenal was now significantly diminished. All that remained were his [Short sword of the Burning Sun (Ancient)], [Dagger of Reckoning], [Ring of Flowing Vitality (Ultra Rare)], [Pants of the Lunging Jaguar (Rare)], and his [Boots of the Speed Demon (Epic)].

  His trusty backpack was left behind at the cave, and his cape and chest guard were now missing in action. Most notably, his secondary weapon, the [Short Sword of Fire and Ice (Rare)], was gone, and his [Ironwood Vipers Gloves of Arrow Snatching (Rare)] were destroyed. This significant loss of gear would undoubtedly make a huge difference in future battles, potentially proving to be the deciding factor when facing beasts and humans alike.

  On his way over to the stacks of loot, bags and magical items were piled high, at least six feet tall. Many were mundane, covered in blood, but about a third of them gave off faint magical auras that Scott could now sense. Each had a small, subtle golden glow outlining them. "First things first, I need a good bag to store everything in," Scott said aloud, pondering which to look at first.

  A noise caught Scott's ear, a slight movement not far from him. Activating his new Beast Mode, his eyes began glowing red, and his body transformed into a slim beast with thin, longer legs and arms. Now activating his thermal vision, he could see a humanoid form hidden inside one of the houses.

  Without wasting a second, Scott began to move faster than he ever had before. If someone saw him move, all they'd see was a black blur with a faint red glow streaking behind it. In mere seconds, he entered the hut, searching for the humanoid. The door was kicked in as Scott rushed inside. A small whimper was heard as a humanoid was hidden beneath a cloth, covering its mouth to mask its breathing.

  Scott slowly moved forward and removed the cloth to uncover a balled-up, beaten, and scared woman locked inside a cage.

  "Hello, is anyone there?" The woman asked, her lip quivering in pain. "Please don't hurt me, please let me go." she continued.

  Scott transformed back into his human form and broke the lock on the cage. The woman turned and put her hands in front of herself, trying to block anyone from touching her. This revealed two long, pointy ears and a cloth soaked in blood wrapped around the front of her eyes as she continued to beg.

  “I will not hurt you, ma’am, what is your name?” Scott spoke in a calm voice, trying to calm the elf down.

  She calmed down after a few moments and spoke. “I am Eva, but people call me Eve. What is your name?”

  “My name is Scott. May I ask why are your eyes covered?” Scott said softly, still trying to keep his voice calm so as not to startle the elf.

  “These people ripped my eyes out and did things to me that I don't want to speak about,” Eve cried, her voice trembling.

  Scott finally noticed she was only wearing a ripped and soiled cloth shirt, and her bottom half was naked. Reaching for the blanket that was thrown over the cage, Scott turned his head and tossed it onto the woman. “Go ahead and wrap yourself up with the blanket, and when you're ready, I will help you out of the cage,” Scott said tossing the blanket inside the cage.

  Eve grabbed the blanket and began covering herself up, but continued to cry. “I'm not ready to die,” Eve cried, her body shaking uncontrollably.

  “I'm not with those bandits that tortured you, Eve. In fact, some, if not all, of those people are now dead,” Scott said with a smirk on his face, the grim satisfaction evident in his tone.

  She settled down a bit in shock, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth, and finally broke the silence. “Why are you helping me?”

  “Let's just call it dumb luck, or maybe fate. Who knows, honestly. I just woke up outside covered in blood with all of the bodies surrounding me. But all you need to know is that I won't hurt you, and that I just want to help you. So, would you take my hand?” Scott said calmly.

  “Okay,” Eve replied, her voice still a whisper. She slowly got up out of the cage, and Scott held out his hand. She finally found and grabbed ahold of it as they both walked out of the hut she was locked up in for what felt like an eternity.

  Once they stepped outside, more bloody tears streamed down Eve’s face as Scott led her to a stump and sat her down. "Wait here, I'll find you some clothes, and then we can talk some more," he said.

  He moved around the camp for a while, searching through the huts until he finally found some rags and clothes that would fit her. While looking, he even found bread, water, and a few apples, then headed back to Eve.

  As he approached, Eve was still sitting there, her head held high, listening intently to everything around her. Scott finally spoke as he got close. "I have some food and clothes for you." She held out her battered and bruised arms, and Scott placed the items into her hands. He turned around to give her privacy while she sat and dressed. Finally, she said, "Okay, you can look now." With her body now covered, Scott grabbed fresh rags, ripped them up, and said, "I'm going to change the bandage around your eyes if that's okay with you?" Scott asked.

  She nodded, and he untied the cloth around her head, beginning to unravel it. It revealed two sunken holes in her head, her eye sockets nearly healed. He then continued to wrap the new bandage around her head and tied it up. "Is that too tight, or do you need me to loosen it up?" Scott asked.

  "It's fine," she whimpered.

  "Okay, now it's time to talk," Scott said, his voice firm but still gentle.