The Holy Land Page 3

  Wilhelm scanned the ground and made sure that no threats were present. Although his sensing capabilities were limited by his slightly impaired sight and hearing, he could still perceive danger within a wide radius due to the instincts cultivated while being stationed in Afghanistan. It simply wasn't a skill that disappeared by the evermoving sands of time; he was stuck with it for life.

  Once he made sure that there was nothing dangerous nearby, he grabbed the carcass with his left hand, heaving it over his back and climbed down the large tree. He leaped down when he was about only four feet above the ground, landing on the dirt with ease. The corpse followed soon after and made a loud thunk.

  After reaching the ground, he once again looked left and right, making sure there was nothing hidden within the forest. According to Wilhelm's philosophy, it was better to be safe than sorry. It was, after all, this same thought process that kept him alive during all of those years in the military. Even now, survival was of high importance.

  Fortunately for Wilhelm, there seemed to be no dangerous beasts of any kind. So without any more hesitation, he threw the rabbit remains towards the ground and went off to get the necessary materials for a fire. Thankfully, forests were better suited for survival in comparison to a desert or plain.

  He walked towards a nearby tree and snatched a few slender pieces of wood, then grabbed some dry grass, leaves, and more bark. Once he found all of the necessary materials, he headed back to where the rabbit cadaver awaited him. It still reeked and appeared rather grotesque, but it was dinner.

  Wilhelm placed all of the materials down on the ground and first created his tinder nest, filled with the substances that caught on fire quickly. Such as dry grass, leaves, and bark. Once he finished building the tinder nest, he moved on to a thin piece of wood that he would use as his fireboard. It was narrow, but still tough, as what could be seen in the rabbit battle.

  He then utilized yet another somewhat edged piece of timber to diligently cut a v-shaped notch into the fireboard. Once he was finished with that, he created a small depression in the section of wood, adjacent to the groove. He then placed a piece of bark underneath the notch; it would be responsible for catching the ember from the friction. Each procedure was made with meticulous precision, as delicate as a piece of glass.

  Once the preparations were complete, he crafted his very own spindle, which consisted of a slender rounded rod with tapered ends. It was about two feet in length and was perfect for swiveling. He proceeded to place the spindle inside of the notch and began rolling it between his hands, running them quickly down the spindle. He continued doing this without rest until a small ember formed on the fireboard.

  The moment he saw a glowing ember, he tapped the fire-board and dropped the ember onto the piece of bark beneath it. And then, without wasting any more time, he transferred the small piece of bark to his tinder nest. He gently blew on the ember, until finally, a small fire was created. It gleamed brightly and radiated a comforting heat, something that Wilhelm hadn't felt in a while.

  Wilhelm knew that although the hard part was complete, he had, by no means, finished the entire process. He quickly took off to grab more pieces of wood, rocks, and dry grass which would be used to keep the fire alive. Alongside creating the flame, keeping it alive were arduous chores.

  Nonetheless, he efficiently completed the tasks and fetched the nearby sticks to temporarily ignite the flame, while he cut down and grabbed thicker pieces of wood. He was forced to repeatedly grind against the vigorous trees with his spear to receive any adequately sized pieces of firewood.

  Within the next hour, he had a completed bonfire. A few thick slices of lumber were stacked atop each other in a cone shape. Wilhelm, of course, didn't forget to surround the fire with relatively large rocks, as to not accidentally cause a forest fire. If his resources were to be burned, who knew if he could somehow manage to survive another night.

  Large beads of sweat trailed down Wilhelm's face as he observed the large flame with lackluster eyes. He was gasping for breath, and he could already feel the blisters forming on his hand. Such tedious duties were not meant for middle-aged men such as himself. The smoke was bad enough, but now dull aches affected his entire body.

  After resting for a quarter of an hour, he walked towards the currently dry and hollow corpse lying on the ground. Without much deliberation, he dragged it near the bonfire and started to diligently skin the rabbit as best as he could with a mere piece of edged stone.

  As Wilhelm removed the fur and bones from the rabbit, the sun gradually began to descend and nightfall was beginning to replace the distinguished sunlight. Barely visible stars could already be seen in the sky, that is, if you looked hard enough.

  Wilhelm had wanted to give up many times during the process. His old bones creaked and screamed with every small movement he made. However, his protesting stomach didn't allow him to stop. It wasn't until another hour past that the monstrous rabbit was finally complete.

  Right away, he impaled the over-sized rabbit and heaved the long stick atop of two already prepared wooden pillars that he had arranged beforehand. Once it rested safely on the wooden planks, he rotated the raw rabbit above the flame until it was cooked evenly on all aide.

  All of this was done with maximum accuracy; Wilhelm conveniently possessed plenty of experience when it came to survival. It was drilled into him, and his crew before he was deployed. Basic survival and hunting skills were a necessity in his department. Almost all soldiers were experts in this particular aspect.

  While Wilhelm was reminiscing about his past, the smell of cooking meat soon wafted through the air and teased his stomach. He hadn't eaten for an entire day, and when coupled with his old age, It was almost an impossible task to hold back from eating right then and there. nonetheless, he still waited until the rabbit was fully cooked before taking it off the two wooden pillars.

  He placed the scalding hot rabbit on top of a wooden shaft, without waiting any longer than he needed to. As it somewhat cooled off, he edged his hands closer towards the cooked meat and couldn't help but peel a piece of it off. The grease and juice drenched his fingers as he placed the piece of succulent meat inside his mouth.

  He slowly chewed on the meat and indulged in the delicious flavor. As the saying went: the best spice was, indeed, an empty stomach. He quickly finished off the first piece of meat and rushed to grab another, and another, until finally, his hunger was sated. But it wasn't only his hunger that vanished, a large portion of the rabbit was transported into the depths of his belly as well!

  The more he ate, the more disgusting the monstrous rabbit meat became. It even got to the point that Wilhelm didn't want to eat it anymore, even if he was still a tad bit hungry. Once he finished eating, he wiped his greasy fingers on his trousers and stood up from the ground.

  "I suppose that it's time to allocate my stat point" he whispered to himself while stroking his scraggly beard.

  He had deeply contemplated about it last night and reached a conclusive decision. Although he craved to be a politician back on earth. The type of government position he wanted to be was vastly different from the ones that could be found games. He wanted to be someone that used money, manipulation, trickery, lies, and other forms of "politics" that the sleaze bags back on earth used. It wasn't as though Wilhelm was a complete hypocrite, he simply wanted to use his words as a weapon, instead of brawn.

  But, the government was gone and his dreams could likely never be realized. In a world like The Holy Land, no one cared about words, nor the utilization of them. Strength was the only thing that mattered in hardly established civilizations. Thus, Wilhelm decided to become an agility class. It was a safe choice that increased his chances of survival.

  Having an excess amount of agility provided Wilhelm many more options, such as if he wanted to become an assassin, archer, gunslinger, or even a hybrid of some sort. All of these options were open to someone that majored in agility. Hell, he could even fulfill one of his childhood fa
ntasies of mastering neat tricks like sleight of hand.

  Although his logic wasn't impeccable, as a magician had its many strengths, he still decided to choose what he was best at. Training with guns all of his life increased his perception and marksmanship; it would be a waste if he didn't utilize his talents.

  Thinking to here, Wilhelm didn't hesitate to place his remaining unallocated stat point into agility.

  [Agility has been increased from level 9 to level 10]

  [Allocatable stat points: 0]

  Two messages appeared in Wilhelm's peripheral vision, further proving the reality of the mysterious world and gaming system he had acquired. He still hadn't entirely accepted nor adapted to something so abnormal. However, he didn't have much of an option.

  He once again felt his body lighten and his previously sore and tense muscles revitalize, 'ah, this feeling will never get old, it's as if I'm getting younger' Wilhelm inwardly thought as he stretched his limbs.

  Wilhelm could immediately feel the difference in his body, and this was to be expected. If his theory were correct, it would mean that if he had a maximum agility of 9 and increased it to 10, his speed would increase by 10%. This rate of progress was unimaginable back on earth. If your body progressed by 10% in one day, you would be considered an alien.

  Wilhelm didn't dwell too long on such complicated matters and decided to test his new capabilities. He first jogged around the bonfire, and then he did some jumping jacks. Not only did he find out that his speed visibly increased, albeit slightly, but his endurance and vision also seemed to progress as well, giving him a pleasant surprise.

  After once again discovering the wondrous effects of the stat system, Wilhelm decided to put out his fire and go hunting. It was finally time to treat the world as he would a game, he needed to grind levels to unlock more features, mysteries, and most of all, have a better chance of survival. Wilhelm couldn't help but shiver in anticipation as he thought about the endless possibilities, perhaps, even his old age could be cured.

  Thinking to here, Wilhelm quickly put out the fire and made his way into the forest. He trod softly and was on high alert, although he had already successfully hunted one monster, he was by no means conceited. If a monster of the same magnitude of that spider or wolf came across him, unless another stroke of luck occurred, he would inevitably die.

  Thus, Wilhelm tiptoed across the tall grass and regularly surveyed his surroundings. He wanted to be capable of seeing his prey before it saw him. Best case scenario, he located another rabbit. Worst case, he encountered an oversized wolf or fox.

  As if some kind of higher being knew what he was thinking, two large, brown bunny ears popped out from a brush just a few meters in front of him. Seeing this, Wilhelm broke out in a wide grin.

  He couldn't help but lick his lips, "ah, my sweet ticket to a younger body has been.. acquired" he whispered under his breath and slowly approached, being careful as to not make a single sound.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Wilhelm slowly approached the two rabbits. Although he was undoubtedly greedy for experience, he still moved with extreme caution. After all, The last oversized rabbit he faced off against was most definitely stronger than him. The only reason he came out on top was mainly because he was a more patient and intelligent being.

  This time, however, Wilhelm wasn't carrying a weapon. Instead, he only had his fists to work with. Fortunately, he was quite skilled when it came to bare-handed combat. As such, he didn't hesitate to move forward.

  The broad brush kept his figure hidden, and he could barely discern the location of the two rabbits. They appeared to be feasting upon something. Curious, Wilhelm quickened his pace. As he got closer, a morbid scent suddenly assaulted his nose, causing him to frown in irritation.

  It smelt of innards and blood, an odor that Wilhelm was painfully acquainted with. He split apart the enormous blades of grass and poked his head out. His gaze followed the rabbit's line of sight and examined what they were looking at. Seeing it, he couldn't help but draw in a breath of cold air.

  An unrecognizable human-like body lied there on the ground, their innards were spilled out of their abdomen. The horrendous rabbits were eating the remains with relish. Wilhelm couldn't quite determine the bodies gender, but judging by the size, he figured it was a male. Nothing much remained of the corpse, leaving only his lifeless eyes.

  At the gruesome sight, Wilhelm could only clench his fists and grind his teeth in anger. He inwardly cursed the fact that the fairy had sent him and others to this ruthless environment. What was the point of sending weak humans here? Especially when they were merely prey in the god-forsaken world!

  Wilhelm loathed the thought of humans becoming mere playthings. After standing at the top of the food chain for so long, it was a feeling that unsettled him. He hated the fact that a large quantity of his kin were dying, much like the poor lad in front of him. He wasn't an emotional or sentimental person. However, he still possessed some form of pride for his human race, in its entirety.

  As such, Wilhelm didn't hesitate to take a step forward and grab the two rabbits' attention. He wasn't suicidal, nor stupid, no, he was quite confident of his victory. The two beasts who had just killed a human who appeared very similar to him were inevitably going to be arrogant when facing him.

  And as expected, after Wilhelm took a step forward, the two rabbits raised their heads and glared at him. Arrogance and disdain were reflected in their eyes as they gazed upon his flesh. Their reaction was understandable. Why would they fear him? He was something that looked similar to the food that they were currently eating.

  With this foolish thought in mind, only one of the rabbits approached Wilhelm. Its confidence was overflowing and had expected Wilhelm to flee the moment it moved; however, contrary to its expectations, Wilhelm calmly walked toward it.

  As if insulted, the rabbit grew enraged and rushed towards Wilhelm, bearing its sharp pair of teeth. In response, a smile formed on Wilhelm's face as he slightly shifted his body to the right and dodged the tackling rabbit.

  Wilhelm then used his increased agility to strike the lunging rabbit while it was still in the middle of the air. He raised his knee and accurately struck it in the groin, such was the weak point for most animals.

  Immediately afterward, a scream full of agony echoed out, alarming the other rabbit in the process. However, it was already too late. Wilhelm didn't feel like wasting any time and stomped on the neck of the fallen rabbit.

  [Carnivorous Raabite has been slain]

  [180 experience has been acquired]

  [you have leveled up and gained one free allocatable stat point]

  A few robotic messages rang out in Wilhelm's head. However, he was focused on the second rabbit, which was now approaching him. It moved much more cautiously than the other and hesitantly circled him.

  Wilhelm raised his fists in response. Alas, once he did so, the rabbit got frightened and scurried away. It was clear that the rabbit now feared him— he, who killed its companion with ease.

  Seeing this, Wilhelm breathed out a deep sigh and walked towards the human remains. Although it was regrettable that he couldn't obtain more experience, he was already thankful at the fact he leveled up.

  Once he was about 20 centimeters away from the body, he crouched down and closed the man's eyes. From what he could tell by the surroundings, it would appear that the man ran away, as the smell of mixed urine and blood entered into his nose.

  He then checked the body for any valuables. Although he was used to getting his hands dirty, such a disgusting smell still caused him to scrunch up his nose. After briefly checking the body, he couldn't find anything of value and plainly walked away.

  Wilhelm didn't care to bury the man, as he was not religious, nor was he some kind of saint. As such, he heaved the rabbit remains over his shoulder and walked back to his temporary camp. He was much more focused on the allocatable stat point that he had received.

  Although he had already somewhat decided
upon maxing agility, he was by no means, going to ignore his other attributes. For all he knew, stamina would increase his vitality and make him younger. Even the mere thought of being young again excited Wilhelm.

  On the other hand, intelligence could possibly make him smarter, which would be a very, very, strong characteristic. Unfortunately, it was also possible that increasing intelligence only made his mana pool more abundant. But, he didn't possess any spells to actually use any mana.

  Thinking to here, he soon arrived at his temporary camp and rekindled the flame, in preparation for the night. He estimated that since the area was infested with those giant rabbits, not many powerful creatures were present. Therefore, he wouldn't sleep in the trees tonight.

  Wilhelm sat next to the bonfire and heated his cold hands while looking at his status, to which he noticed that his stamina stat was significantly lower than the others. He figured this was due to his old age and didn't hesitate to use his allocatable stat point. After all, agility and stamina were one hell of a combo.