Gavin's friends and family kept him under close watch for the next week while he recovered, so he had to sneak out to do the physical training of his daily quests.
Gavin grinned as he looked at the blue screen that appeared in front of him. Congratulations on reaching level two! Veronica's voice called out in his mind.
Veronica, what are my stats now with the level up?
Currently level two.
Health. One hundred and ten.
Mana. Thirty-five.
Strength. Twelve.
Speed. Seventeen.
Agility. Twenty-two
Stamina. Seventeen.
Charm five.
Intimidate zero.
A reminder Master Gavin, you have five points you can allocate to any of the status points as you wish.
Hmm, so each level gives the normal physical stats two points while health and mana go up ten and five points respectively. I wonder what I should spend the five free points on. Gavin thought for a minute as he recalled all the information about the system. It seems, the hardest to level up will be charm and intimidate skills.
Gavin decided to move the five free points into his intimidate stat. It just bugs me seeing a stat with zero points in it. Gavin didn't know what all the charm or intimidate stats would do, but he doubted it would hurt to have some points in both.
Gavin considered the slight increase from his stats when another question came to mind. Veronica, what is the normal stats a person would have without the system? Like is there a way to gauge a baseline of normal strength?
There is indeed Master Gavin. For the average human male, fifteen is the normal stat in any of the physical stats. Some would be higher or lower depending on lifestyle and training. Veronica responded.
So, fifteen is the average strength or speed a normal adult has, then I'm already a bit stronger than most others in most of those areas. Gavin surmised. I wonder, is there a limit to how strong I can become?
Right now, there is a limit of one hundred levels in the system. I am unable to discern if there is a threshold above that or not at this moment.
Gavin pondered that as he sat at his desk that morning, jotting his notes down about Veronica and the system in a notebook. There was just so much information he wanted to keep track of.
Gavin looked at the clock on his desk; it was almost seven in the morning. They were supposed to get packed and head out to the camp site today. Aria and Lyla were planning on meeting Erza and him out there later in the morning.
Gavin leaned back at his desk and stretched his arms above his head. I'll probably crash on the way there, so I'm not worried much. He felt his back pop and blood rush through his limbs as he stood up and started gathering clothes and began to pack.
He reached over to his dresser and pulled out a few pairs of jeans, some shorts, and pajama pants. He folded them up and put them at the bottom of his duffle bag. He opened another drawer and pulled out some socks and underwear. Lastly, he grabbed a few shirts, swim trunks, and a couple of hooded sweatshirts.
He didn't really have anything else he could think of packing, so he grabbed a pillow and blanket and his bag and left his room, heading downstairs. He set his bag and bedding down on the couch and walked into the kitchen to see his dad was still there in the kitchen. His father had a cup of coffee down next to him as he read the paper. He glanced up as Gavin entered with a yawn.
"Morning son," Lucian said as Gavin walked in and grabbed a cup to make him some coffee. Gavin sat down at the table across from him as he spoke.
"Morning dad, how come you are home, shouldn't you be at work?" Gavin asked in confusion as he sipped on the cold coffee.
"I have a meeting in about an hour and nothing pressing beforehand, so I'll just go in later for the meeting and do things afterward," his father replied.
"Ah, it makes sense then I suppose," Gavin said as he nodded along. Ah this is just what I needed. A nice cold glass of coffee.
As Lucian looked at Gavin, there was a twinkle in his eyes. "You know Gavin, I am proud of the man you have become. A lot of crap has been thrown at you these past few weeks. You not only refuse to let them drag you down, but you planned to rise and push forward," he told Gavin.
Gavin smiled and felt warm all over at the praise. "I'm only doing what you raised me to do, dad. You raised a fighter, not a quitter," he replied to his father. Gavin preened under his fathers praise and looked down at the table, distracting himself with taking another drink. I just want to make you guys proud.
Lucian grinned at him. "Just wanted to say, I was proud, and you get all mushy on me," he replied to Gavin. The front door opened and was quickly shut. Erza briskly walked into the kitchen.
"Heya Johnsons," she said in greeting as she walked over and stole a drink of Gavin's coffee.
"Morning Erza," they both said at her approach.
Erza beamed excitedly at Gavin as she sat down next to him. "You all packed?" she asked.
Gavin nodded as he grinned with enthusiasm. "Hell yeah. This is going to be so awesome," he replied. He moved to stand up and drained the rest of his coffee.
Erza nodded to him. She snorted at his misplaced enthusiasm. "You know this isn't just a lazy, fun week, right?" She asked him.
Gavin nodded. His excitement and energy quieted down as his face grew serious. "Yes, I know baby. You are going to put me through hell," he said grimly. Erza nodded when she could see the determination in his beautiful blue eyes.
"Good, so long as you don't forget the goal here," Erza said softly. She reached out to squeeze Gavin's hand as she smiled. "We are going to put you through one heck of a crash course, my love," she told him.
Lucian smiled as he watched the two of them. They were such a perfect fit together. All these years as friends really gave them a strong foundation for their growing relationship. "Make sure he comes back home in one piece, Erza," Lucian said with amusement in his tone.
Erza turned to grin at him. "That all depends on if he's going to be a weak little baby, or gain the strength to man up," she teased.
Gavin bristled under her light teasing. "Hey! I'm not a weak baby as it is," he said defensively. I'm not weak by any means. I can shift into a powerful were-wolf. I just have no current control… details right? Semantics.
Gavin grabbed his bags and followed Erza outside and loaded the SUV. The sun was bright and warm on Gavin's back as he shut the hatch and climbed into the passenger seat.
After they packed up Erza's SUV, Gavin and Erza headed north of the city. "The campsite is a couple hours drive north. Kinda sucks, but it's usually pretty empty this time of the year." Erza explained as she hit the main highway that went through the center of Tristane.
So, they chatted away mindlessly for a while, then Gavin dozed off until he felt the SUV leave the highway and start traveling on a gravel road. He swallowed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as Erza drove them, tires crunching on the gravel.
"Damn, how long was I out?" He asked her sleepily. He sat up and looked groggily out the window.
Erza gave him a soft chuckle. "Long enough sleepy head," she replied.
Gavin looked out the window and noticed the gravel road leading into a forest-like area. The trees were thick, and green foliage filled the area. The ground was covered by a variety of beautiful flowers. The light from the sun broke through the forest canopy in sporadic rays, giving it the appearance of angelic blessings.
"Damn, this is so beautiful," Gavin whispered appreciatively.
Her soft, rich laughter filled the SUV as she agreed with him. "I love coming up here. I don't get to do it as much anymore, but it's my favorite spot to get away from everything for a weekend," she said as she continued making her way through the winding road and into the forest.
Eventually, they came to a dead-end parking lot covered with gravel and dirt. Two other vehicles were already there. A dark blue, four-door sedan and a red four-door pick-up.
"Looks like Aria and Lyla got here first," she commented as she parked the SUV next to the truck. Gavin noticed that Aria was carrying gear from the truck over to a wooden picnic table. The wood was old, and weather worn and Aria sat the gear carefully down on one of the benches.
Gavin got out of the SUV and looked around. It was a wide-open clearing for camping. It contained several picnic tables scattered around, a few open fire pits, and a couple of spots for electrical hook-ups.
The grass field was freshly cut and low to the ground. Someone even went to the trouble of picking up the clippings. Over to one side was a small building that Gavin assumed housed the bathroom and showers. He could hear running water and looked over to see a small river running along the edge of the camp site. The sound was peaceful and lulling to his ears.
Gavin closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet scent of the foliage, water and the campsite itself. His heart rate calmed down and his shoulders relaxed. The fresh, warm air of the forest filled his lungs and quieted his mind. I could stay here forever.
Lyla walked over, her blonde hair down around her shoulders as she smiled at them. "About time you guys got here," she chastised them.
"Hey, don't look at me. She was the driver," Gavin said, throwing Erza under the bus.
Lyla laughed. "Yeah, she can be a slow poke sometimes," she said as she walked over to her car and grabbed a bundle of her sleeping gear. Gavin walked over and helped her pull the bedding and tent bag out of her trunk. "Thanks Gavin," she said as she led the way to the picnic table to set the stuff down.
Gavin was surprised to see Tessa helping Aria set up a tent nearby as he said, "Hey Tessa, wasn't expecting you to be joining us."
Tessa looked up, her long brown hair pulled back into a simple braid as she smiled at him. "Erza asked after we were done talking about magic, if I wanted to try learning as well, and I said why not. So here I am," she said with a laugh.
Gavin looked over to see Erza digging in the back of her SUV and pulled out a few totes and a cooler and sat them on the ground next to the SUV. "Hey, come give me a hand," Erza called out to him.
"Coming," he responded as he went over and grabbed the heavy cooler to pull it over to the picnic table. The sound of ice sloshing back and forth over drinks and food filled his ears.
"This should be enough to get us started," Erza said as she sat a black tote down on the ground. She popped the lid open to reveal two small tents.
"So, before we get all unpacked, I'm going to try teaching you shifting," she told Gavin as she took his hand. She guided him over to where a couple of tree stumps stood upright near the river and a short distance away from everyone else.
"Alright, now what?" Gavin asked her softly as he sat down across from her.
She smiled warmly at him. "First you need to close your eyes. Inhale, hold, then slowly exhale. Calm your mind and relax your body, baby," she instructed. She sat on her stump and waited patiently. He was as excited as a kid at Christmas, and he needed to relax to meditate and do this first part.
Gavin made sure he was comfortable on the large stump. Then he closed his eyes, put his hands in his lap and took a deep inhale. He held it for a few moments, then exhaled. He repeated this a few more times and felt his shoulders begin to relax.
Would you like my assistance with this part? Veronica asked him.
No, thank you. I want to be able to do this alone first. Gavin responded. At least not yet. But if something starts to go wrong, can you help?
Of course, Master Gavin. I will watch and observe for now.
Erza nodded as she watched. This will be the first real challenge for you. "Good, feel the fresh air filling your lungs, filling your body. Feel the tension leave and your spirit lighten as a response," she commented as she followed the same exercise. She closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh air around them. She let it fill her lungs as she held it for a moment then exhaled slowly.
Gavin nodded as he felt the breathing technique working and his body relaxing through the process. His thoughts began to slow down as his heart rate eased up.
"Now with your eyes closed, focus your energy and put your thoughts inside. Feel your mana flowing through your body. Deep inside you is the spirit of a wolf. Large, powerful, feral and beautiful. Your mana flow is the connection to the animal within," she said as she watched him closely. Will you be able to control the beast this time? Or will that monster control you again?
As much as Erza loved him, part of her would never forget the sheer ferocity of Gavin's wolf form. The way he tore through those trained mercenaries like it was nothing. She suppressed a shudder at the memories.
Gavin sat upon the stump with his eyes closed. Physical sensation faded away as he turned his attention inward. He could feel something flowing through his body, following his circulatory system.
It started through his heart and slowly spread out towards the tips of his fingers and toes, then back towards his center. Out, and back. Movement that synced with his breathing. Beneath the surface, a dormant pool of power resided. Just out of reach.
He sensed a presence there. It was primal, feral, and filled with an indescribable rage.
With an iron will that terrified him.
The spirit of the wolf inside Gavin had already claimed life before and it demanded more. The ferocity spread through Gavin's senses until it was all-consuming. Behind all the rage and hatred was a sense of injustice and desire for vengeance that consumed Gavin's senses.
Alert, your inner wolf is rising to the surface, action must be taken to calm the aggression. Veronica warned Gavin, her voice urgently fighting against the rising wolf.
Gavin wanted blood.
He wanted violence.
His body shook all over from the overpowering weight of the wolf's anger and rage. Gavin's mana exploded out from him. No longer contained inside his body, it poured freely throughout the clearing. Thick, vibrant waves of crimson energy radiated outward from Gavin's body on the stump like a storm.
A heavy, foreboding wind picked up in the campsite. It jostled loose objects and caused the other girls to gasp. Aria looked at Lyla in fear as she felt the rising power and anger from Gavin. "This isn't right!" Aria called to Lyla, her voice barely audible over the howling wind.
Lyla covered her eyes with her arm, trying to keep Gavin and Erza in her line of sight. "No, something's gone wrong. This isn't normal!" Lyla responded and turned to grab a hold of Tessa and keep her close as the wind grew in strength.
Erza let out a sharp gasp as she opened her eyes. The waves of power and ferocity that emanated from Gavin stole her breath. Oh shit. This isn't what happened at the studio. This power is on a whole other level. Gavin… just what in the hell are you?! Erza jumped to her feet and took two half steps back as a powerful gust of wind buffeted her body.
"Erza, we have to ground him! If he doesn't reign his power in, it can consume his mana again and he'll pass out!" Aria called out as she struggled to approach Erza.
The energy in the air around them was electrified as a low, guttural rumble came from deep within Gavin's chest.
The clearing went silent.
It made the animals inside them tremble from the sheer force of what they felt.
It was unnatural.
It was primal.
Just how strong would he be fully shifted? Should we even teach him this power? Sweat beaded on Erza's brow as she returned her attention to the man in front of her- that currently had crimson red eyes.
Alert! Quest received. Suppress your inner wolf and gain control over your shape shifting form. Reward, one divine key.