Chapter 18. Arrival at Camp.
Gavin spent the next two weeks recovering from the injuries. His friends and family kept him under close watch, so he couldn't do the physical training of his daily quests. But he was able to eat the required amount of meat daily each day for the ten experience points. He was now at level two in his system because of the free experience points given by the system.
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 of course. Veronica responded in his mind.
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 knew that no matter what, he never wanted to feel the side effects of failing to complete a daily task again. Those first couple days of being at half strength while he was in the hospital were grueling.
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. He was so excited all night that he could barely get any sleep.
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. As he got 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," Mr. Johnson 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 into the office later for the meeting and do things afterward," his father replied as he looked at his son.
"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 Mr. Johnson 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. Even after learning everything at the hospital, I just want to make you guys proud. That they weren't his biological parents didn't matter to him. They were the ones that showed him love, unconditional love. They taught him right from wrong and raised him as their own.
Mr. Johnson 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 and fun," he replied. He moved to stand up and drained the rest of his coffee.
Erza nodded to him. She loved seeing his enthusiasm. This trip wasn't going to just be all fun and games though. They were going to a secluded park to train him how to shift at will and not lose himself to the wolf. Then, if there was time, work on studying and practicing magic. "You know this isn't just a lazy, fun week, right?" She asked him. She wanted to have fun, but he needed to understand this trip was going to be a lot of hard work.
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. He sounded like he was complaining. But 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 confidently.
Mr. Johnson 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. He had high hopes for their future. "Make sure he comes back home in one piece, Erza," Mr. Johnson 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 said teasingly.
Gavin bristled under her light teasing. "Hey! I'm not a weak baby as it is," he said defensively. He wasn't weak by any means. He could shift into a powerful were-wolf. He just had no current control when he did so.
Details, right? Semantics.
After they packed up Erza's SUV, Gavin and Erza headed north of the city. The campsite, she had told him, was only a few hours' drive away. Not a bad price to pay for safety and seclusion.
So, they chatted away mindlessly for a while, then Gavin dosed 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 around groggily as they traveled.
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's rays broke through the forest canopy in sporadic sections, giving it the appearance of angelic rays choosing a man for God.
The beauty of the scenery they passed almost took Gavin's breath away. They weren't even at the campsite yet, and he was already impressed with the beauty of the area.
"Damn, this is so beautiful," Gavin said softly.
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 as Arya sat the gear 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.
His heart immediately calmed and slowed as he inhaled the fresh crisp air of the forest. It seemed to melt all his worries, fear and stress. The place was peaceful and comforting to him. I don't think I'd mind coming here to camp just for fun when this is all over.
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 good natured. "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 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. She had never been camping before and was probably more excited about that than learning magic.
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.
"We can run into the nearby towns when we need more ice or food. But 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 the three-person camping tent she kept.
"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, and waited for him to do so. 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 in his mind. He didn't want to cheat through his training. 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. The tension slowly lifted from his shoulders as his body physically began to relax.
"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. It will guide your path to shifting," 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. The way he didn't hesitate in killing the men he perceived to be a threat. She suppressed a shudder at the memories.
Gavin had his eyes closed. Through the breathing techniques, he felt the inner mana flow that Erza described. As he calmed himself, he felt the power flowing through his body, just waiting to be used.
He sensed a presence there. Something inside him. It was strong. Powerful. With an iron will that terrified him. The wolf had already claimed life before and it demanded more. The ferocity spread through Gavin's senses until it was all-consuming.
Alert, your inner wolf is rising to the surface, action must be taken to calm the aggression. Veronica warned Gavin in his mind.
Gavin wanted blood. He wanted violence. His body shook all over from the overpowering weight of the wolf's anger and rage. It was devouring Gavin's consciousness as his mana flow raged out of control. It became a physical manifestation. His mana swirled around him in the clearing, deep crimson red colors bathed the area as an ominous wind picked up around them.
Erza let out a sharp gasp as she opened her eyes. The waves of power and ferocity that emanated from Gavin were terrifying. Fear gripped her heart as she recognized the feeling of power from the night at the studio. The wind whirled around them and her hair was blown back as she sat in front of him.
Even Aria and Lyla stopped what they were doing to watch on in concern. Fear was evident on their faces as Erza sat across from the maelstrom of energy that rippled out of Gavin's body.
The amount of power and aura on display was beyond what was normally witnessed during the first transformation. It sent their animal senses on full alert as they recognized the bloodlust coming from Gavin. From his wolf.
It made the animals inside them tremble from the sheer ferocity of what they felt.
It was unnatural.
Just how strong would he be fully shifted? Should they even teach him this power?
Alert! Quest received. Suppress your inner wolf and gain control over your shape shifting form. Reward, one divine key.