The Infinite Bk. 02 Ch. 01

Chapter 1:

Salt of the Earth

A flash of light, a deafening crack, and the loss of balance shocked Noah without warning. A lightning bolt fell from a cloudless sky and struck the ground directly in front of him, spooking his horse and sending it rearing onto its hind legs with a fearful scream. He tried to calm the creature, but it was all he could do to keep from being thrown off.

His vision blurred from the light, and he couldn't tell up from down with the way his horse was jerking around. He reassumed as much control as possible and pulled to the left with the reins. Now given a direction to unleash its panic, the horse galloped across the rocky stream Noah had been following.

Moments later, five men emerged from the dense forest flanking the path's right side. Bandits, he had already encountered them multiple times since leaving Clive. Under different circumstances, he might have taken them on, but between his disorientation and his horse's mortality, fleeing was the better option.

One of the men, wearing a filthy robe, aimed his hand at Noah and shouted a spell. A golden hologram of floating runes appeared around his hand, and he fired a burst of grape-sized spheres of light like buckshot. Most hit nothing but air, though one struck Noah in the back. He jerked in pain, feeling like he had just been branded. It was Noah's first time experiencing thunder magic, and, in all likelihood, far from his last.

His horse reached the opposite bank, and he turned it to run parallel to the river. Noah's vision returned, and he dared a look back at the men. One of them was aiming with a bow and arrow. Noah leaned to the side, trying to make himself less of a target, but the arrow still drilled into his shoulder, and he nearly blacked out. He raised himself in the saddle, no longer stunned, though racked with pain and stuck with an unusable arm.

Noah reached around and felt his back, wincing when he found the place where the spell hit him. He wasn't bleeding, so he could ignore the wound for now. As for the arrow, he couldn't remove it while on the move like this. Nevertheless, the horse's fear drove it at a good pace, and Noah steered it back and forth across the creek, maneuvering past fallen trees and boulders. Five miles from the scene, he finally allowed his horse to slow and returned to the road.

Bandits only seemed to chase their prey when they had horses, and even then, a commoner like Noah wouldn't be worth the trouble. Regardless, he now kept a constant watch on the path behind him. He was rarely caught in such a trap, as he could generally see an ambush coming from a mile away. Those guys had some skill, even if they lacked the follow-through to pursue him.

The attack was just another reminder that this was a violent, unpredictable world ruled by strength and magic. Minus the injuries of the lifestyle, Noah liked it this way. It gave him something he had never seen before and endless new possibilities to discover. As for the dangers, well, he had plenty of experience when it came to fighting and surviving. Getting hit with spells and arrows was not his idea of a good time, but at least it was more interesting than regular bullets.

The day was getting late, and he needed to set up camp. He directed his horse off the road and towards an upheaved slab of bedrock in the distance. He led it through the woods, its reins in one hand and his sword in the other. He reached the rocky crag with just a few hours of daylight left. Millions of years ago, the nearby mountain was born and caused the upheaval of the landscape, offering not a cave, so much as a giant stone lean-to.

Either way, it was a roof over his head, and nothing could sneak up on him from behind. The bones of past inhabitants and their meals littered the ground. Many animals, including goblins, had used this spot as their den, but nothing seemed fresh enough to warrant concern. Still, he raked the area clean and set up camp.

This was the safest time he could expect to get, and Noah's wounds desperately needed attention. He washed his hands and knife with some high-proof liquor he had bought a while ago for just this occasion. The arrow hadn't pierced his shoulder all the way, so he couldn't just snap off the arrowhead and yank out the shaft. Instead, he had to dig it out with his knife, slowly, with blood streaming down his arm and the pain giving him spasms. Perhaps it was better to be hit with bullets rather than arrows, after all.

He eventually removed the arrow and poured half a healing potion onto the wound. These potions could mend flesh and bone with no less than miraculous speed, but they were dangerous if used too frequently. However, this wasn't an injury he could afford to have in the wild.

Next, he focused on his back and used alcohol to clean what seemed to be a second-degree burn. He couldn't see it, only feel the wound with his fingers. It was like a spoonful of black powder had been set off on his back. Thunder spells were no joke; just that one minor hit had been like a jab from a cattle prod, and simply sanitizing the wound took up the last of his pain tolerance.

He drew two small vials from within his ring, both filled with ointments of different colors. The first syrupy layer would moisturize and soothe the area, and the creamy second layer would keep it sterile. The last step was wrapping the bandages, helping to ease the throbbing in his back.

Tired as he was, there was work to be done. He unloaded everything off the horse, so it could rest and feed on a sack of oats. A repurposed metal helmet served as a drinking bowl, though the horse had drunk plenty at the creek. With what light he still had, Noah gathered spruce boughs to use as bedding and thorny bushes and bristle plants for protection. They wouldn't stop a determined opponent, but it would hopefully be enough to hinder them and help conceal the light of his campfire.

While gathering firewood, he met his dinner. A lone stag was flitting between the trees nearby. It seemed aware of Noah and was trying to leave the area without drawing more attention. Its moves were calm, and the way it stepped, its hooves on the forest floor, made no sound. Noah aimed with his bow, staring at his prize with an arrow between them. It was crooked, a cheap piece of scrap with a full quiver more on his back. It was the best he could get in the last town. Noah released the string as the deer turned away. The arrow slipped in under the ribcage and pierced a lung.

The deer's heart had stopped by the time Noah reached it. He worked fast, carving off the pieces he wanted and removing as much of the pelt as he could before he lost the light. This had become second nature to him. Once he had collected everything, he dragged the carcass far from his campsite. Most of the remains were left behind, considered offensive in an ordinary world but ignored in this one. After all, a magic circle would summon one sometime soon.

All animals not born through physical mating were conjured out of mana, keeping a fixed population for every species. One was considered lucky to see a creature appear from the light, unless it ended up being a monster. Besides, that body would likely be gone within a day or two.

Night overtook the forest, save for the cliff's shadow, where transient sparks were glowing like stars. The striking of flint and steel finally brought forth flames from some birch bark shavings, and soon, a steady campfire was burning. Noah set up a tripod over the fire with three sticks and dangled a metal pot about the size of a coffee can. It was full of water from the creek, filtered through a handmade life straw.

As Noah waited for the water to boil, he prepared the meat. What wasn't smoked over the fire was turned into stew. He added some dried vegetables bought in town and some herbs and mushrooms for extra flavor. Most of the plants in this world had the same properties as their counterparts in other worlds, at least in these lands, so Noah often stopped to gather anything useful.

He dropped in a lump of salt, and had himself a hearty stew, sided with some chunks of bread and cold pine needle tea. This was considered an adventurer's roadside feast in this world, while in most other lifetimes, this would be thought of as some homeless person's back alley meal. But, it was worth the extra effort, at least Noah believed it to be. It was best to enjoy the little things, to live in the now. He repeated that to himself obsessively, like a little hamster spinning its wheel in the back of his mind.

His horse settled nearby, but it had yet to fall asleep. Like Noah, it knew that sleep was dangerous in lands like these. Those who lived here had to be constantly aware, always ready for battle or escape. When the horse did lower its head and drift off, its ears remained pointed up, twitching from every noise within their range.

Lying on his bedroll with his sword beside him, Noah waited out the night, half asleep. He kept his eyes on the fire, moving only to put on more wood. Without technology, a man can stare into a fire for hours without getting bored. How many times had he done this already? How many evenings had he spent staring into the fire while surrounded by dangers and unsure of the next day?

Perhaps it was instinctive, a habit ingrained from the earliest members of the human race to huddle around a fire, to nourish their minds with its light and warmth when night fell. Perhaps it was just due to his experience, being well versed in such a scene.

Noah closed his eyes and trained his ears on the fire. Its crackles and snaps competed with the evening chorus. Everything seemed to come alive at night, from the clicking and crying of insects to the howling of wolves in the distance. It was just another sound he had grown used to hearing when he slept, like the roar of traffic, the mountain winds, raining shells and automatic gunfire, the groaning of metal hulls in the sea, air, and space, the silence of burnt-out cities and atom bomb craters, the soft breathing of a woman at his side and maybe the snoring of a dog at his feet, the beeping of heart monitors either after his birth or before his death, and so many more.

A crack, too loud to come from the flames, awoke him. He got to his feet with his sword in hand, despite his eyes not fully adjusting and blurred from sleep. Noah focused his gaze, spotting a humanoid figure standing on the other side of the thorn barrier. It had just stepped on a pinecone, one of many that Noah had laid out to alert him if any enemies came close. He moved around the fire but off to the side, not wanting this intruder to hide within his shadow.

The creature was more muscular than a human, taller, and with longer limbs. It wore clothes made of animal hides and carried an axe. Other than its missing lips and sharp teeth, what stood out most was the single great eye in the middle of its face, flanked by long, greasy hair. It stared at Noah with a rumble in its throat.

"You just keep walking," Noah said with his raised sword.

Would it attack directly in front, leaping over or charging through the wall of thorns? That would be its fastest means of attack, and considering its stature, it was not an opponent he could face with a weakened defense. He'd have to fight it while focusing on technique over strength. It could also attack from the sides, searching Noah's defenses for an opening it could exploit. It was a slower method with less chance of receiving injuries from the thorns, but it would give Noah enough time to cast his magic.

Numerous scenarios played through Noah's mind, but his heart was calm. He didn't move a muscle, keeping a solid grip on his sword. Releasing one of his hands to activate a spell would likely provoke the creature, so he waited to see what it would do. It was analyzing him to determine whether fighting Noah was worth the risk.

Even for Noah, being stared down by that colossal eye was a bit unnerving. It felt like a billboard projecting the creature's bloodlust, while Noah himself felt its gaze scrutinize everything, sinking into his flesh like radiation. There was no telling what information the creature was receiving.

"I'd rather not kill you. After all, I'd have to drag your corpse away so it doesn't draw animals. What do you say you spare us both the effort?"

Whether or not the creature understood human language, it gave in and receded into the darkness of the woods without ever taking its eye off Noah. He waited a few minutes, scanning the area, and when all was peaceful, he returned to his bedroll. He put some more wood on the fire, but did not go back to sleep. Getting a deep rest was hard out in the wilderness, especially when he was on his own. His internal clock told him that dawn was near, so it would be best to wait it out.

To pass the time, he decided to train his magic. He covered his left eye with his hand, and to anyone watching, Noah seemed to vanish into thin air. In reality, he had just made himself invisible. While he couldn't see the difference, he could feel his mana wrapping around him, concealing his appearance, smell, and any noises he made.

It felt like he was stretching his body, and his veins were widening to allow more blood to run through his body faster. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but to expend mana wasn't much different from using physical energy; it required effort and resulted in fatigue.

Noah was trying to calm the mana in his body, except for his hand. He wanted to learn how to use this spell more lightly, in this case, only making certain parts of his body invisible. His mana would naturally stick to things and hide them, such as his clothes and weapons, and could likewise retract and return them to normal, but he couldn't control the mana within his body.

'I can't help but feel like I missed steps with my spells. If I had acquired magic at a younger age, I probably would have had to work my way up to making my whole body invisible.'

He gave up after thirty minutes, the halfway mark of his mana reserves. He had to conserve his strength and be ready to fight at any moment. The sky was starting to brighten; he might as well get ready to leave. Breakfast was the leftover stew, heated up over the fire. Reheated food was just as mediocre over a fire as in a microwave, but he ate it regardless.

He packed his things and opened up the thorn barrier. It still wasn't bright enough to return to the road, so he let his horse graze. It stepped out of the enclosure, and he led it into the woods, then released it to nibble on whatever met its fancy.

He hung back and conjured his bow and an arrow from his ring. The horse began shuffling around, giving everything a sniff while the birds and crickets seemed emboldened by the sun. Noah cleared it from his mind, hearing only the steps of his horse on the forest floor and the flaring of its nostrils. His breath did not fog, but he felt a chill in the air, joined with the dew gathering on his face and hands. All was calm. All was quiet.

Noah kept a constant vigil, turning his head like an owl. If anything was going to happen, it was bound to happen soon. There it was, the snap of a twig. A deer entered the scene. Noah took aim, and while he didn't release, he never took his eyes off the creature either. For all he knew, it could turn into something grotesque or launch fireballs from its head.

The horse and deer noticed each other, forming lasting eye contact as they tried to identify their distant relatives. They soon looked away, each judging the other not to be a threat. Noah considered lowering his bow, but instinct told him to wait. Barely a moment later, the deer was knocked off its feet as a wolf slammed into it like a missile. Its fangs found the deer's neck, silencing it before it could scream and spilling its blood upon the forest floor. The wolf pinned its prey down, biting it repeatedly with a crushing grip to ensure its death.

Noah's horse, noticing the fate of the deer, began to panic. Its frantic steps and voice drew the eyes of the wolf, forgetting about its meal and staring at an even bigger prize, only to find itself on the unfriendly end of an arrow. If it took a step forward, he'd shoot. He listened to the fearful breaths of the horse behind him and the restrained whiffs of the wolf as the smell of blood tickled its nose and riled it up.

Moments passed, the rising sun casting its light upon the three actors. Cooler heads prevailed, and the wolf began dragging away its kill. Noah kept his bow drawn, only lowering it when all was silent. It was time to get going. He rode his horse out of the woods and back onto the road, sending it on a steady trot. The morning was more peaceful than he expected; no monsters or bandits lying in wait or perhaps unwilling to test their luck.

As the sun rose ever higher, he spotted a group of adventures heading in the same direction. Unlike bandits, which preyed on people, adventurers hunted and performed odd jobs for a living. It wasn't always easy to tell the difference in time, so he was hesitant to approach. They heard the heavy steps of his horse and looked back, then moved to the side to let him pass. It could just as easily be a trap, but he decided to take a chance.

"Excuse me, a moment of your time?"

He rode up alongside, and the leader, a bearded man carrying a sword, turned to him. He was a dwarf, standing just four feet tall. Noah had seen them in various towns, this offshoot of the human race hailing from the east. They were long-lived, and their diminutive bodies made up for it with increased strength.

"What do you want?"

Noah pulled a map out of his pack and unrolled it. "Is this road the fastest way to the capital?"

Hand-drawn maps were rarely reliable, so it was best to get confirmation. He glanced at the other three members of the group. Only one of them was a woman, but she was armed and appeared healthy, so she likely wasn't being abused. The state of female members was one of the details he'd use to determine risk.

"I've been heading south from Clive. Should I keep going towards the mountain or go west?"

The leader tapped the mountain on the map. "That mountain is the territory of a dragon. You'd best avoid it at all costs. The western road will take you around, but you'll pass through the lands of several lords, and you'll have to pay a toll each time. Your fastest option would be Took, here along the channel. You might be able to get a boat ride to the capital."

The channel he referred to was a narrow line of the ocean, severing a massive chunk of land off the side of the continent. It served as the dividing line between Uther and the dwarf nation of Vandheim.

"Took? Thanks."

He tossed the man a coin and rode off, looking for the next road to the east. Near midday, he broke out of the woods, passing an open pasture of tall grass with the creek on the other side. Both he and his horse were in need of a break, and when he climbed off the saddle and touched down on the ground, a groan of relief escaped him. Riding a horse all day was exhausting in its own regard, and anything that wasn't numb was aching.

He led the horse to the creek and let it drink to satisfaction. Noah refilled his canteen while checking for anything lying in wait. Minus some cat-sized slimes scooting along the riverbank, he didn't detect anything that could be a threat. His horse appeared sated, so Noah brought it back to the pasture to graze. Before letting it go, he put his hand over his right eye, activating his second spell.

Rather than making him invisible, it created an illusionary clone of himself, a holographic puppet. It was more than just a trick of the light, as the clone could project Noah's voice, smell, and even cast a shadow. He sent it off, running through the field like a frightened rabbit to draw the attention of anything lying in wait.