Chapter 1 – Alone in the New World?

Russ could not believe what was happening, he was supposed to be home but instead he was still in his avatars beast form. A myriad of scenarios ran through his head stretching the limits of his imagination and knowledge. Get a grip Luke come down there must be some reason for this, maybe a reset? extended shutdown? It would not be the first time dev's screwed up in a game. As Russ continued to ponder his situation he realized that he could feel the wind and smell the air as if it were real. Hmmm this goes beyond all abilities of the game...is this actually real? God, I hope it's not, the thought of being trapped in a game is like bad Isekai fan fiction.

Coming back to reality he started to survey his surroundings. He was in a clearing in a heavily wooded area with a mountain range in the background. As his eyes adjusted he could see small animals such as rabbits hopping in and out of the treeline. At this point he realized how attuned his senses where as he was overcome with a torrent of stimuli forcing him to hold his head. Eventually, he calmed down and filtered it out. Hmmm, I am in my wolf form but let's see if I can still transform. As he said that he jerked about a little as he reverted to his human form. Ok that works he thought as he moved his arms and hands.

He next decided to see if the reverse was possible. With another jerk, he transformed into his wolf form. Ok, all seems to be well but what of my spells? He concentrated and realized as he did he could shift through the spells he knew as well as get a feeling of the attack range and mana cost, further he could feel his own mana reserves. Maybe something small? He thought as he held out his hand at a tree and cast [[Ice Lance]] causing a bolt of ice to shoot out and impale itself on the tree. Hmmm, so my magic works but wait? wheres my items? Almost instantly as he thought to go into his personal bank a black hole appeared and as he reached in he took out a of scroll of [Conjour Bird Level 1]. He unfurled it and just like the game a small sparrow appeared and landed on his shoulder.

So that leaves...hmmm can I be hurt? He wondered why he did not try this before as he needed to know if this was still a game or real. He looked at his arm and slashed it with his other arm. He actually felt the pain and saw his arm bleed. Damit that hurt a bit, I guess I am mortal and alive here. As he thought that he cast [[Bind Lesser Wounds]] and watched as his arm healed. Ok so this is real, as in reality, I can die...wait I was maxed level in, So how powerful am I here. Last he used is racial ability [[True Sight]] to look at his surrounding. [[True Sight]] was a racial ability many beast type heteromorphic races have that could see the details of an NPC or player. Normally you would just see their HP, Mana, and level, but with [[True Sight]] he could see his targets residences and karma values.

Using it on a pair of rabbits he read their data (Level 1 critter, HP 1, MP 0, Karma Neutral (0)). Ok, all set now what? As he wondered what do to next he could smell fire and freshly spilled blood. Looking to the east he saw a plume of smoke on the horizon. Well, let's do some exploring and in an instant, he broke into a sprint. The sensation was exciting for him as he bounded through the forest on all fours until suddenly he stopped just before another clearing. His heightened senses alerted him to lifeforms nearby. Stopping just short of the treeline he used [[True Sight]].

Four human looking armored knights where surrounding another human he could see was a just a young man with a gash in his shoulder. This seemed unfair he thought as he saw their levels, the knights where all level 5 and the wounded man was level 3. "Hey Sergent we kill this one or drag him back for interrogation?" one of the knights said. "No we kill him, he and his entire village are nothing but monster worshiping scum who deny the truth of the Theocracy and must be cleansed" Russ felt a great anger well up, not only was this unfair but he and an entire village of people were to be killed for not following these Theocracy religious teachings? This was too much as he jumped out of the tree line.

As one of the knights raised his sword to deliver the final strike he and the rest froze and turned around. They could sense an intense murderous aura coming from behind them, the survival instinct every animal has when they know they're in mortal danger. As they saw the creature they could not believe their eyes. Before them stood a massively built werewolf standing eight feet tall. Its claws where green and had a sharp row of white fangs, though covered in armor they could tell his fur was black with orange striped fur patterns and blazing purple tattoos that seemed to shimmer and move.. The armor itself was astounding consisting of a bright red chest piece, shin, leg and arm guards with gold and black trimmings. Above all two bright red eyes stared at them.

"To arms pour the silver" The Sargent explained as his men dosed their swords with a silver solution before taking a defensive stance.

"Silver imbued weapons I see...clearly, you know how to combat werewolves but it will not help you" Russ said he as casually walked forward. "You seem to be a bunch of cowards, does it really takes four knights to kill what looks like a civilian? all to appease whatever fanatical doctrine you believe in?"

"Do not blaspheme against our beliefs monster, ours is the one true religion it teaches us everything not human must be exterminated"

"Seargent you will never succeed, you delusional beliefs make you strive for the unattainable, so you really think you can kill all non human life in this world?"
"We must," the Seargent said definitely.

"Then I shall just have to kill you and tear down your religious icons as though I am tolerant of religion and what it gives to people, one that calls for genocide must itself be wiped from existence" As Russ said this one of the soldiers charged straight towards him and swung his sword. The soldier thought he would see blood but to his shock, Russ just caught the silver imbued sword and towered over the poor man. It was true many races where weak to silver but you also needed to have appropriate strength to use it. Having ascended to the peak of his racial class no weapon or attack below level 80 could touch him no matter what buffs or enchants it had.

"Time to die human" Russ said before plunging his claws into the man's neck cutting through tissue and bone to his spinal cord. With little effort and just like the aliens in the old Predator movies he ripped the man's head and spinal cord out of his body letting the headless corpse drop to the floor. "Here is your friend" Russ said as he threw the skull to the feet of the Sargent. The other soldiers just stood in silence at the scene paralyzed with fear. "Now time for a change of tactic, its time for you to kneel before a true superior life form" with that Russ used one of his most powerful racial abilities [[Dominate Level 1]] causing a wave of energy to burst forward causing the remaining soldiers to fall on their knees and hands.

Russ admitted to himself that this may be going a bit too far but he was actually having fun role-playing as his character. "Now you stay there like the good dogs you are," Russ said as he walked to the injured man. As he did his senses where assaulted by the most awful smell and looking down he could see the soldiers had actually shit in their armor. Bloody hell all from just a Level 1? he thought as he came before the man. The man was clearly in distress holding his bleeding shoulder and trembling before him.

"Do you require aid young one?" he said in a lower fatherly tone hoping to calm the young man down. Still, the man just held his shoulder and looked away in terror, Russ could make out that he was praying under his breath though couldn't make out the words. Quickly he cast [[Calm Mind]] and [[Middle Cure Wounds]] to both calm and heal the man. At this, the young man let go of his shoulder and turned around. Russ could see a slight change his the man's eyes as they went wide-eyed and he got on his knees and hands.

"Oh, great Lupos thank you for sending your avatar to protect me in my time of need" Russ just look perplexed at this as the man was mistaking him for a god? Who was this Lupos? Quickly he decided to play into this fantasy.

Unsure what to do Russ decided to bluff "please rise I find this action unbecoming of one who's call I answered" with that, Russ pulled the man to his feet who stood before him but still was respectively averting his eyes. "You will look at me I have no time for those that cant meet my gaze" causing the man to look at him. "Now could you please explain why these humans where attacking you? All I know is that I was sent here to answer a call for help".

"These were soldiers of the Slain Theocracy, my village borders them and they finally decided to..." before he could finish the man ran in the direction of the smoke. Damit I need answers but I can't leave these soldiers here...so... Russ decided to cast his most useful spell [[Mass Drain Essence]]. As he did the three soldiers bodies levitated into the air and instinctively he opened his arms wide as purple light erupted from the soldier's bodies and went into Russ. Slowly the men's bodies become shriveled until they were nothing but shriveled up dry corpses. As the spell finished the bodies dropped to the ground as Russ staggered back. He felt rejuvenated but also a flood of memories surfaced all from lives that were not his.

Russ fell to the floor from the mental pain until he balanced himself. God that hurt, that spell just drains HP and Mana but these memories...did I actually steal their souls? The thought terrified him and he decided he should not use the spell again until he could better evaluate it. Getting up he balanced himself and headed towards the large plume of smoke.

Some time later

The Village had all but been burned to the ground with the burnt and bloody bodies of its inhabitants strewn across the ground. The Theocracy attack was brutal and methodical surrounding the village on all sides they had moved in and burned all as they continued to the village square. The battle has all but ended and what was left of the inhabitants had been rounded up at the village square. Few remained only about 15 or so mainly women and children as the men had all fallen. The entirety of the Theocracy strike force surrounded them. "Farther the village has been burnt what shall we do with the survivors," a grim-looking officer said to the priest who has lead the assault.

They shall be taken to Fort Wolfsbane and interrogated till they give up the location of the other hidden villages in Wolf Wood Forest" the priest said staring down at the frightened villagers. "You had the chance to repent for your crimes but its too late, your blasphemous religion will be burnt from this world just as you will" the priest said with a smug look on his face. Just as the soldier moved to chain the villagers a loud howl erupted from the forest causing all to go on alert.

"Farther what is that?" the officer said drawing his sword.

"It is just wolves in the forest pay them no heed now we shall..." before he could finish a loud crack of thunder shattered the sky as the once clear blue sky turned dark and cloudy. The soldiers at this point were visually scared looking in all directions. Then a loud voice came from what seemed all directions.

"So you are the mongrels who have dared to attack my followers for not believing in your false gods" the Theocracy soldiers attempted to discern where the voice was coming from but couldn't. "You have trespassed too far I was content to spare your miserable country but now that you have tried to force my followers to follow false idols you must die" With another crack of thunder several large dire wolves appeared suddenly from the smoke of the village now surrounding the Theocracy. Instinctively soldiers and mages moved into battle stances for on all-around defense. The dire wolves stared menacingly at the soldiers their red eyes piercing the souls of there prey. "Do not fear my pets they are just to make sure none of you escape" the voice said as a bolt of black lighting hit the ground.

The soldiers turned towards where the bolt hit the ground and standing before them was a truly frighting sight. A werewolf out of their worst nightmare stood before the eyes and tattoos glowing with blue light. "Dogs of the theocracy you have hurt my followers and killed the innocent, I will not stand by while you shed more innocent blood" Russ said advancing towards the priest.

A few moments earlier

Fredric was spying on the remnants of his village from the treeline. The devastation was great as was the body count. His home and family now lay burnt on the ground. He saw the Theocracy soldiers rounding up what was left of his village at the square. Just as he was about to intervene he felt a powerful presence land beside him. "Do not act too hasty boy, you're outnumbered and we need a plan.

"Just go in there and kill them as you did with that patrol there is no way they could beat you" as Fredric said this Russ knew he was telling the truth. He had used [[True Sight]] on the group and none where above level 5, he could decimate them without thinking. He knew though that more would come so he would have to install terror in them so they would report back and maybe leave him alone. He smirked as he would get to try out the many cosmetic spells he knew.

Present
"Holy warriors of the Theocracy don't be afraid no evil can stand before us" with that the priest cast [[Holy Bolt]] at Russ only for it to dissipate before him. The priest and the soldiers looked in disbelief as a trio of [[Holy Bolts]] were flung at the werewolf only for them to bounce off. Russ was silently smirking at the terror in the poor soldier's eyes. The spell [[lesser body glow blue]] was a cosmetic spell that for 5 minutes made the targets eyes and tattoos glow blue and the [[Black Bolt]] let the player travel a short distance and appear in a bolt of black lighting.

"Are you done? Did you believe such weak Tier 2 magic could harm me? Your as deluded as your faith" with that Russ in a blink of an eye severed the heads of all but one the soldiers letting their bodies fall to the floor and scattering the head around the square. He held up his bloody claws as he stared down at the priest before turning to the remaining soldier. "You there, go back to your masters and tell them these woods are under the protection of Russ Shadow Claw, all who come here will die" he bellowed out causing the soldier to run as fast as he can.
"Now what do to with you?" Russ said turning back to the now terrified priest.

A/N: A couple of things,

My OC refers to himself as Luke as that how he sees himself when he is directly thinking to himself in the third person also he is an American who was living in Japan. [] will be used to denote an item and [[]] will be used to denote a spell or ability. () will be used to explain data that only make sense from a game perspective such as the level and karma value of an NPC.