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? [Two-Handed Blow] Unlocked ?
? Congratulations! Improvised Weapon is now level 2, +1 Skill Point ?
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<td style="text-align: center">? You have defeated Lvl(1) Shattered Squirrel +31XP ?</td>
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<td style="text-align: center">? [Two-Handed Blow] - Sometimes we need two hands full of fingers to let others know how we feel, Every 5 Stamina used increases Strength by 5% for purposes of this attack. ?</td>
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Before I could turn towards Mike Sam called out. "Don''t turn your backs on them. Just back up slowly."
I saw them then. Three on the fence in front of me. Scanning the fence line I saw more, at least a dozen on this side. As well as one that was the right shape, just twice as large as the rest.
As we backed up I activated [Analyze]. Lvl(1) Shattered Squirrels everywhere. Directly in-front of me was the large one. A Lvl(3) Shatterling. It was not only higher level and bigger but it had red on it like blood running from it''s mouth down its chest. I felt like it was the one that I saw eating a guys throat out earlier but I had nothing to base that on. Except the way it made my testicles shrink right up inside when I saw it.
Once we were back to back Sam called out to us again. "Slowly. This way, then back inside."
I started hyperventilating, but I didn''t let that stop me.
"Wait guys. That big one, it''s different."
"What are you talking about? Of course it is. It''s like twice the size of the rest." Stew was clearly uninterested in anything but getting out of here.
"Lvl 3 Shatterling. What about it?" I thought I could see Meagan giving me questioning looks out of the corner of my eye.
I started talking quickly. "It''s been what three and a half maybe four hours since this started? As far as we could tell they all came through at level one, but that? It''s level three. What level will it be in an hour, or two, or even tomorrow. We need to take care of these things. Right now."
"OK." Mikes voice was even.
"I''m with you." Meagan sounded determined.
"It''s been fun playing with you guys but it''s time for me to head in now." Stew was Stew.
"I''ll tell Sam and then we all go on the signal." I ignored Stew, either he would stand with us or he would retreat. This was something that needed to be done no matter what.
"Sam. Can you take the big one?"
"There''s too many. You kids need to get back here."
"Sam. They''re getting restless. We have to do this, now. Can you or do it or are we on our own?"
"All right." I firmed my grip on my crowbar.
It started with the sharp crack of Sam firing his .22, the Shatterling fell backwards off the fence. The rest rushed towards us in a wave.
Sam kept firing, I saw two tumble to a halt during his first five shots. By then I decided they were close enough. I stepped forward and used a more moderate [Two-Handed Blow]. I wished I could track my Stamina, it would make this stuff much easier.
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<td style="text-align: center">? You have defeated Lvl(1) Shattered Squirrel +31XP ?</td>
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I Stomped at one trying to take advantage of my position. I didn''t think my attack would kill it since I was so far out of position from the Two-Handed Blow, but I had a plan. I pressed down and ground my foot.
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? [Crush] Unlocked ?
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? You have defeated Lvl(1) Shattered Squirrel +31XP ?
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<td style="text-align: center">? [Crush] - For when they aren''t quite flat enough, For 5 Stamina/sec inflict 50% of attack per sec. ?</td>
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? Congratulations! You gained a level. ?
? +3 Attribute point(s) gained! ?
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This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
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<td style="text-align: center">? You have defeated Lvl(1) Shattered Squirrel +15XP ?</td>
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? You have defeated Lvl(1) Shattered Squirrel +21XP ?
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Looks like everyone had started following my example, just hit them and keep moving. In the end we were sharing most of the experience.
I had settled into a rhythm of stomp stomp [Stomp], stomp stomp [Stomp], stomp [Stomp] [Crush]. I took a chance and looked around. Only about a dozen squirrels remained with about twice that laying around squashed or shot. Stew looked like he was about to fall over from exhaustion, he seemed to be using [Stomp] after [Stomp] without pause. I don''t know how he did it but he was clearly paying. Mike wasn''t much better, he tried to pace himself but hadn''t quite found his own timing. Meagan almost looked like she was dancing, She would turn and step on one with her heel only to turn and turn again.
I may have been distracted by her but I was glad of it. The Shatterling must have been listening to Sam. When I heard him call out for the second time that he was reloading, the creature took its chance and launched itself off the top of the fence while he was focused on thumbing rounds into the magazine.
I opened my mouth to warn Meagan but I knew it wouldn''t be enough. As I yelled her name I jumped forward and tried to grab the Shatterling. Almost like it had planned for it that damn thing twisted in the air and as soon as I grabbed it, it had started chewing on a finger.
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<td style="text-align: center">? You have received a deep wound -24HP. ?</td>
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I held on as hard as I could through the pain, a vague thought of slamming it on the sharp end of my crow bar. Then the notifications started.
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<td style="text-align: center">? You areslowly bleeding, -1HP every 30 seconds. ?</td>
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<td style="text-align: center">? Caution! Your opponent is still growing in Shadow. ?</td>
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<td style="text-align: center">? You are bleeding, -1HP every 15 seconds ?</td>
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<td style="text-align: center">? Your opponent is still growing in Shadow, you have been Infected. ?</td>
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<td style="text-align: center">? You are Infected by Shadow, -1HP every 15 seconds. ?</td>
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<td style="text-align: center" colspan="9" width="171">DAVID SMITH - LONER
</td>
<td rowspan="4" width="19"></td>
<td style="text-align: center" colspan="9" width="171">ATTRIBUTES</td>
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<td colspan="2">Dave</td>
<td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Loner</td>
<td>HP(Regen)</td>
<td colspan="2">23/56</td>
<td colspan="2">(2.4/15Min)</td>
<td>Str</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>Int</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>Per</td>
<td>7</td>
<td rowspan="3"></td>
<td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">XP</td>
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<td colspan="2">Human</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Level</td>
<td style="text-align: center">3</td>
<td>MP(Regen)</td>
<td colspan="2">35</td>
<td colspan="2">(2/Min)</td>
<td>Dex</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>Wis</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>Cha</td>
<td>3</td>
<td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">162</td>
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<tr>
<td colspan="2">18</td>
<td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Job ---</td>
<td>Stam(Regen)</td>
<td colspan="2">31</td>
<td colspan="2">(2.96/Sec)</td>
<td>Vit</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>Res</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>Lck</td>
<td>3</td>
<td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">14 Skill Points</td>
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<td style="text-align: center" colspan="19">+3 Unspent Attribute Points, Bleeding, Infected by Shadow</td>
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