Lief walked to the smith, ready to pick up a spear and begin hunting. He stood underneath the wooden ceiling and looked at the red hot forge in front of him. The thick scent of burning coals and molten metal wafted into his nose.
"Welcome, Immortal, you're here to pick up a spear, right?" The blacksmith greeted Lief, patting his round belly. He was large and bubbly, an innocent quality to his smiling face. He had a beer belly, and seemed like he was someone who enjoyed life.
"Yeah." Lief answered quickly.
"Alright, come with me. " The blacksmith turned around and walked into the building. Lief followed him. "I'm Yi Wang, Chief's cousin." Once inside, Yi Wang pointed to the array of spears in front of him and Lief.
"All made of high quality steel and fragments of Spiritai," Yi Wang told Lief, his booming voice chuckling. He smiled, pride shining in his happy eyes as he looked over his finely crafted items, each taking hours of work.
Rhysa, what's Spiritai?
Rhysa fulfilled the Saint's curiosity, her voice echoing in exclusively Lief's mind. "Psyker energy can condense sometimes, and this material that is made is called Veil, as it is a unmarked Psyker power and can be used by anyone. Veil is both a container of Psyker power and an incredibly strong material. Its strength depends on the amount of power contained. Veil is sourced from Relics, which naturally produce Psyker power, and the hearts of higher ranked Kyrans. In this nexus, Veil is called Spiritai, similar to how they call Psyker energy Spirit energy." A lengthy explanation later, Lief understood what the blacksmith meant.
"How much." Instantly, Lief felt stupid. I don't even have any money. While Earth had been a wasteland, the last scavengers had still had some concept of currency. Lief mentally slapped himself in the face.
"For you, Immortal, it's free," Yi Wang stated, saving Lief some face. Thank you. He continued. "Just hunt some animals. Chief probably told you this earlier, but we're running out of red meat."
"Got it." Lief picked up a spear from the rack, sliding his finger across the edge. It cut. Lief was surprised. His enhanced body rejected most injury, yet this blade could so easily slice through his skin? The villagers are danger. I must kill them. Again, Lief had to shake away the violent thoughts, breathing out the madness with slow exhales.
"Such good craftsmanship," he simply remarked, opting to compliment Yi Wang instead.
"Why thank you!" The blacksmith laughed, delightful that the immortal found his work of good quality. "Off you go now!" He waved Lief away.
"Wait where's the hunting area!" Lief called.
"Turn right then keep going forward!" Yi Wang responded loudly.
Lief exited the smithy and followed Yi Wang's instructions, eventually reaching the outer border of the village's wooden wall. A young man, dressed in sewn leather armor, was dozing off on the wall.
"Hello?"
The young man jolted awake. "Who is it?" He saw Lief's red gaze. "Oh! Immortal! Hunting is right past here! Please don't kill me!" A few beads of sweat were dripping down his nervous brow. Brown eyes were filled with fear.
Lief passed him without uttering a word, the spear light and balanced in his grip. The earthy scent of the forest assaulted his senses as he walked into the ancient land. Green trees towered far above him into the sky, a sight rarely seen on Earth.
A dirt path lay in front of him, likely where hunters of Stone Village walked. He followed the dusty track, feet still bare. I should really get some shoes. Lief reminded himself to get them later.
After several minutes of traveling the trail, it grew faint and branched out into all directions. I better find my own way now.
"The nearest animal is-"
Rhysa, stop, I'll find it myself. Lief wanted to prevent himself from becoming too reliant on the AI. He set a goal for himself: From now on, I won't use any of Rhysa's modules except revival. Clenching his fist, his resolve boiled.
Eventually, he saw a deer in the side of his vision. Squatting onto the ground, he lay low, silent and camouflaged. Locking on to the deer's neck, his eyes slitted and he readied his spear. Slowly, he imbued it with his energy, strengthening it significantly.
With a loud slice, the spear flew through the air and ruptured the deer's neck. However, it didn't stop at just that. The pure force carried the spear right through the poor deer and into a tree behind it. Yet, even the tree wasn't enough. The spear flew through another few trees, leaving destruction in its wake.
The millennia old giants of nature fell, great quantities of leaf and branch falling onto the ground with a thump which shook it profoundly. Ancient monoliths whose crowns had stood since the beginning of this nexus screamed and lost their lives.
And the deer was in nearly no condition to eat. Everything above its collar bone and under the skull had been destroyed, and most of the body beneath had been mutilated beyond repair.
Lief exhaled slowly, standing up from his position and admiring the damage.
Looks edible enough. Lief's sense of food had been incredibly distorted by his life experiences. Even before eating the disgusting things that was Kyran corpses, his life on Earth had composed of devouring rats for a full day's meal.
I better get this back to the village.
He rushed to get his spear back before quickly returning to the site.
Lief encased his right arm with red energy claws and pierced through the flesh of the deer's back. His claws gripped the deer's spine, hooking into it's vertebrae's nooks and crannies. With a grunt, he lifted up the body with his right arm and the held up the skull with his left.
For a moment, he admired the ivory bone that was exposed beneath marred flesh, before quickly asking Rhysa about its practical uses.
Rhysa, what can I use this for?
"I suppose..." Rhysa paused before continuing, pondering. "The antlers could be used as ornaments or crafting materials. Maybe bring them back to Yi Wang?"
Sad that I can't use the actual skull.
Lief sighed before ripping laying the two parts down. He looked at the skull for a bit before brutally ripping out the antlers and lifted up the carcass again. Lief took the antlers and spear in his hand. He placed the corpse on his shoulder for easier transport.
Lief stood for a moment, staring at the fallen trees. Birds chirped upon the dead trunks, nature already mourning the loss of these giants. He turned, not looking back. He followed a rough map he had made in his head, with Rhysa's help, of course.