《The Gamer: Rise of the Empress》 Chapter One: Gaining Powers Chapter One: Gaining Powers Sep 12th, 2017 Elsie Wright, a plain-looking girl born to a pair of plain-looking parents, leading an average, plain life in the city of Miami, Florida. Her entire life was nothing extraordinary ¨C simply school life, simple upbringing by simple parents, everything about it was lacklustre. Her features were unremarkable as well; plain features and a more tomboyish figure that many American boys shunned in favour of the popular bimbo or pornstar-type bodies they often fantasise about. And it was something Elsie had come to reluctantly accept as her fate. As a form of temporary escapism, Elsie took to playing video games, always fantasising about being whisked away to a faraway land, performing extraordinary tasks as part of a greater extraordinary journey as she gained fame and recognition as a hero of the people, slayer of evil tyrants and eventually getting a handsome boyfriend as her potential husband. Such fantasies would always come to an abrupt end as she awoke from her dreams. Though her parents were nowhere near rich, they were relatively wealthy, allowing them to afford their own bungalow an hour¡¯s drive away from her current school, Foxtrot Academy, where she was currently studying for her second year of High School. Dressed in a black jacket, white shirt and blue pants ¨C a School uniform for boys, the plain-looking uniform complimented her plain features: Long, brown hair reaching to her shoulders, brown eyes and beige skin. She had just finished packing up her backpack when all of a sudden, in true gamer fashion, a series of pop-ups materialised in front of her face. Elsie Wright Age: 17 Title: The Gamer Level: 3 EXP: 0/600 HP: 45/45 MP: 90/90 Strength: 8 Agility: 10 Endurance: 6 Intellect: 30 Wisdom: 15 Charisma: 5 Libido: 10 Skills: Gamer¡¯s Body: Allows the user to live the world like a real game; prevents mortal wounds as attacks drain HP instead. Gamer¡¯s Mind: Allows for the user to calmly and logically think things through, grants a peaceful state of mind and immunity to psychological status effects. What the hell..? Elsie thought in surprise, This is new. As if to punctuate her statement, there was a new pop-up. Skill gained: Observe, Lvl 1 Tells the target¡¯s max HP, MP and information. Now that¡¯s convenient, Thought Elsie, But let¡¯s see if it does what it does first. Using her newfound Observe skill, she then used it on her computer, and another pop-up was shown in her vision. The Gamer¡¯s Computer A high-grade Asus gaming computer manufactured in collaboration with Garena for hardcore gamers. Costs a pretty penny, but performs as intended. ¡°Holy shit¡­ so it is real,¡± Said Elsie, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know if this is a dream or a nightmare in disguise. Oh well, I¡¯ll have time to think about it later; better get to school first.¡± As she went down, she noticed her mother busy in the kitchen as always, washing the dishes. Despite her plain features, her body could only be described as matronly; wide hips, C-cup breasts and a thick ass, all perfectly accentuated by her modest unisex clothing. Her auburn hair was tied in a ponytail, her gentle brown eyes gazing upon Elsie with motherly love. ¡°Hey dear, your allowance is on the desk right over there,¡± Said Elsie¡¯s mother. ¡°Thanks mom,¡± Said Elsie, even as she pocketed her allowance and used Observe on her mother. Stella Wright Lvl 8, Housewife MILF 34 years old The Gamer¡¯s Mother Works like a charm, Thought Elsie, And I¡¯ve never been more glad to have a wonderful mother like her. Having bade her mother goodbye, Elsie went to the bus stop where she awaited the school bus to take her to school. With still a few minutes before the bus¡¯s arrival, Elsie used the time to practice her Observe skill, one she quickly found handy as names of people within her vision were revealed to her. Most of the information she found was rather useless, but to her, it was fun. Every two or three times she used the skill, however, her mp would drop by one point. Bringing up her stat sheet with a mental command, she found her mana regeneration operating at a rate of 1mp/minute, doubled by her Gamer¡¯s Body skill. Even with my current mana regen, using Observe too many times at once does tax my MP, faster than it can replenish, Thought Elsie, And I don¡¯t even want to know what happens if my MP¡¯s depleted. Achievement gained: Think Carefully! Think carefully about the possible consequences of your actions.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Reward: +1 Wisdom, +1 Intellect ¡­Okay, I¡¯m not going to ask where that came from, Thought Elsie in surprise, But the bonus to my stats is kinda nice. Before long, the bus arrived, and by then Elsie had managed to level up her Observe skill. Observe Lvl 1 -> Lvl 2 Observe now reveals target¡¯s remaining HP and weaknesses. Great to know, Thought Elsie, Though I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be encountering any enemies any time soon. As she ascended the bus, her eyes fell upon familiar sights as she went to the back of the bus: the old bus driver, snorting his nose at the obnoxious and snotty (in his opinion) brats in school uniforms; Aleksei Yaroslavovich, President of the Student Council and Honour Student of Foxtrot Academy, a Russian expat with an athletic body toned from years of exercise; Riley Davis, infamous bully and leader of the Jock team; and Leslie Turner, infamous Bitch Queen and leader of the Cheerleading Team. No one paid her any attention as she went to her seat ¨C bully and Bitch Queen included ¨C and Elsie practiced her Observe in private. Her first targets? The popular personas of Foxtrot. Riley Davis Lvl 8, Jock Bully Title: Alpha Male 18 years old Leslie Turner Lvl 6, Cheerleader Title: Bitch Queen 18 years old The Bitch Queen feels inadequate? That¡¯s new, Thought Elsie, Then again, we often have a habit of trying to hide our weaknesses. Aleksei Yaroslavovich Lvl 17, Berserker Title: Knight-Captain of the Red Wolves 18 years old The hell? I¡¯m looking at a Knight in disguise? Thought Elsie, Am I seeing things right? Is this a joke? Then again, my Observe skill never fed me false information. Maybe he¡¯s somehow maintaining his disguise. And it¡¯s not like I can just straight-up ask him: ¡®Hey, you¡¯re actually a Knight, right?¡¯ As if that¡¯d go down well. Achievement gained: Caution is advised Be cautious in your evaluation of possible courses of action. Reward: +1 Wisdom, +1 Intellect That¡¯s basically the same thing as Think Carefully, but oh well, Thought Elsie. As she continued practicing her observe skill, however, she quickly felt a headache as a pop-up showed the reason for it. MP: 0/90 Insufficient mana Shit, so that¡¯s what happens, Thought Elsie, At least it¡¯s nothing worse, and my mana regen means I can easily regain it in over an hour, but how to manually regen it, though? And as if her wish was granted, there was another pop-up. New skill gained! Soul Trance: Enter a state of rest to recover. Nothing else can be done whilst this skill is active. Gain: HP regen x2 MP regen x3 Increased chances of discovering new magical skills. How remarkably convenient, Elsie dryly thought, But it¡¯s better to not look a gift horse in the mouth. Using Soul Trance, Elsie easily regained her mana as she saw her MP go back to full, and practicing her Observe some more, she soon gained another pop-up, and it brought a smile to her face. Skill level up! Observe Lvl 2 -> Lvl 3 Max Observe will now reveal additional information, such as background, motives, emotions felt, etc, and a relationship score depending on how target views you. -200 is the lowest, whilst +200 is the highest. How nice, barely past the morning and I¡¯ve already mastered my skill, Thought Elsie. Soon, the school bus arrived at its destination, and all disembarked as they made their way to class. ¡°Oh look, it¡¯s the tomboy nerd,¡± Riley whispered. ¡°Yeah, lame-looking as always,¡± Said Leslie, ¡°Can¡¯t compare to more sexy girls like me.¡± ¡°Girl, you¡¯re always sexy,¡± Said Riley, ¡°Far more than this hobo.¡± Riley and Leslie giggled among themselves as Elsie passed by, ignoring them and their snide comments as she exited the bus.
Foxtrot Academy has the acclaim of being a most prestigious school in the whole of Florida, only students with suitably high grades fitting its exacting criteria being allowed to study there. Housing many expat students from abroad, the ethnicity of the student body heavily comprised of Israelis, Russians, Japanese, Indians and Ethiopians. In all honesty, Ethiopia was a country hardly most Americans even knew existed ¨C no offense meant, though neither did Elsie show any interest in foreign countries in general. Each day walking down the corridor meant her ears were barraged with smatterings of foreign dialects being uttered in conversation, not unlike a cosmopolitan city. Yet again, Elsie paid them no mind ¨C they in turn ¨C as she went to her next class. Politics class was a special class ¨C one of several that Foxtrot offered ¨C which, admittedly, too few people gravitated towards, primarily because too few of the students here were ever interested in such a subject, much less bearing an ambition to make a foray into politics. It was a lesson Elsie applied for, but only because all the other special classes she wanted were full-up on attendees. Yet, it was also one of the few fun lessons Elsie could truly enjoy, not just because of the interactive and fun way in which the teacher engaged his students but also because of the teacher himself; a hunk of a handsome man, he was masculine but suitably lean, and his chiselled face bore beautiful green eyes and slicked back brown hair. His spectacles gave him the sharp look of an intelligent man, enhancing his beauty. Dressed in a white shirt, black slacks and black wingtips, his outward appearance was as professional as he was stylish. ¡°Good morning class,¡± Said the man, ¡°I do hope you¡¯ve rested well last night. For today¡¯s lesson, we will perform more of an orientation as we present the new textbooks for this semester. Everyone, please make sure to have a copy of each of them. Do please tell me if anything is wrong with the copies received.¡± Elsie was hopelessly lost in the allure of the professor¡¯s blue eyes ¨C a sentiment shared by most other girls in the class. God, he¡¯s so handsome¡­. Thought Elsie, If he were years younger, I¡¯d want him to be my boyfriend. On a whim, she decided to use her observe skill on him. Ethan Davidson Lvl 8, Biology Teacher 30 years old Relationship: 0 Remarkably handsome for his age, Ethan is the subject of many a girl¡¯s admiration and the jealousy of less handsome men. He is pretty much one of few people who does not look down upon you, though neither does he gravitate towards you. Huh, good to know, You thought. As you received copies of the new biology textbook, a new pop-up then flashed before your eyes. The Intricacies of Politics Do you wish to learn this knowledge? YES / NO Not seeing any reason to say no, Elsie clicked yes, and immediately she felt a torrent of knowledge rush into her mind like water from a breaking dam. Knowledge on how to perceive veiled schemes, people¡¯s behaviour towards oneself, and how to read people¡¯s intentions, it all came naturally to her. And at once Elsie felt a dull headache settle in, though not as bad as when her MP was at 0. Checking the textbook again, she suddenly found it completely empty ¨C all pages were blank white paper, and no fine print was left. ¡°Excuse me, Mr Davidson,¡± Elsie said, ¡°My textbook¡¯s completely blank for some reason.¡± Ethan went to check, and after seeing the empty textbook, he said, ¡°That¡¯s strange, we made sure we didn¡¯t have any defective copies¡­ nevermind, I¡¯ll get you another one.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mr Davidson,¡± Elsie replied. Elsie shifted through her memories, just to double-check if what she experienced was real. And true to her expectations, she could remember every scrap of knowledge taken from the textbook, as if she studied it with the aid of photographic memory. Woah¡­ holy shit, these powers are insane! Thought Elsie, I don¡¯t know just how powerful they are, but I think this is the start of a good semester! And one thing was for certain: She was performing a lot of experimentation. Chapter Two: Experiments, Part I Chapter Two: Experiments, Part I Physical Education was a lesson Elsie never particularly liked or enjoyed with gusto, despite the exhilarating feeling her body underwent as welcome relief to the hours she spent in front of a computer or her desk. Neither was their coach a likeable person. A non-committal person by nature, Coach Jeanette Dawson only did the barest minimum her work demanded, never putting forth her best effort into coaching the students. The African-American woman was one Elsie could sympathise with, though she kept such sentiments to herself. Now, however, Elsie genuinely wished to outperform herself, primarily to see if, like in a game, her physical training would increase her stats. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re doing the standard routine today!¡± Said Coach Jeanette, ¡°Five laps on the race track, 20 sets of push-ups and jumping jacks each, and then a round of soccer! Come on, chop chop!¡± Her words masked her lack of enthusiasm well, but Elsie had heard it enough times to pick up on it. Yet she did not begrudge it, instead focusing on her task. Never putting in her best effort up till now, followed by lots of inactivity every day, Elsie¡¯s very bones burned under the strain as she struggled to keep up with the others. Throughout the lesson, Elsie felt the urge to simply lie down and cry crocodile tears, whimpering at the sheer abuse she subjected herself to. Only the prospect of gain forced her onwards, and at last the gruelling training was finally over, and Elsie collapsed onto the nearest bench she could sit on as the Coach declared a break. Greedily gulping down her water, Elsie felt as if her chest hammered with thunderclaps, her body so drenched in sweat the other classmates shied away from her strong body odour. She paid them no heed, and focused on her stat sheet. Exercising has increased the following stats: +2 Strength, +3 Endurance Elsie could not feel the immediate changes to her body ¨C tired as she was, but gains were gains, and she smiled despite her current state. Then came the soccer game. This time, she was one of the attackers, and she and all the other players waited with bated breath for the coach¡¯s whistle. ¡°Alright, make sure to play safe and avoid getting injured!¡± Shouted Coach Jeanette, ¡°If you cannot play anymore, make sure to tell me quickly!¡± With her reminder done, Coach Jeanette blew the whistle, and her team¡¯s goalkeeper started the match as he kicked the football to the field. The rest of the soccer match was a blur to Elsie, but throughout the match, she felt her body was lighter and stronger ¨C though not necessarily faster, and she felt she had more stamina than before, failing to tire more easily in comparison to past matches. In the end, her team still lost ¨C one fact the infamous Leslie and Riley used to make snide faces at Elsie, but she ignored them in favour of her new gains. Playing Soccer has increased the following stats: +3 Endurance, +2 Agility, +1 Strength And having washed herself and changed clothes, she studied herself in the mirror, hoping to notice any physical changes to her body. And to her joy, she found her body more muscular than before ¨C not overly burly like some fanatical bodybuilders, but well-defined and slimmer than before, and her skin had a far healthier complexion, the effects of years of consuming snacks and soft drinks flushing away. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll actually end up sexier the more I train¡­¡± Elsie muttered to herself, ¡°Oh, who am I kidding, of course I will.¡±
The rest of the day passed uneventfully, none of the other classes proving as helpful as P.E., but Elsie was in the mood to celebrate her gains. With her increase in stats and the changes to her body, the prospective improvements she could yet gain made her giddy with joy and great expectation, and she was sure as hell going to exploit it as much as possible. Even better, she did not feel tired anymore from her P.E. lesson ¨C her Gamer¡¯s Body having purged her fatigue. These powers are just too damn convenient, Were Elsie¡¯s thoughts. Having reached home, she quickly changed back into a set of sports clothes she used only sparingly ¨C an orange T-shirt, black pants and sneakers ¨C and hastily made her way to the nearest gym she knew was within her neighbourhood. The gym in question was large enough for at least a hundred athletes, equipped with all manner of sports equipment from weights, dumbbells and poles to rowing machines, treadmills and cycling machines, shower and locker facilities.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. And having quickly stored her belongings, she went to work. ¡°Alright, Elsie, let¡¯s see how far you can take your body today!¡±
6.08PM Nearly three hours of gruelling exercise had left her body fatigued beyond measure, Elsie using each and every kind of machine her non-membership status permitted her, and now her muscles ached with so much pain she was effectively numb, her lungs burning like they were on fire. But at the end of it all, the improvements to her stats were worth it. Training in the Gym has increased the following Stats: +6 Strength, +6 Endurance, +6 Agility She greedily drank of her blueberry-flavoured Sportade like a water tank being refilled, the ice-cold drink like the sweetest wine on her taste buds. After a nice drink and a round of cooling down, followed by a cold shower, Elsie took a few moments to admire her new figure. Her muscles were more well-defined than before, and her curves became more shapely and pronounced with the lack of fat and presence of hard muscle beneath. Greater still was the lightness she felt in her step, as if she could run for a marathon and yet remain unimpeded by her own weight. With her training done, she went back home and was treated to the sight of a scrumptious dinner prepared by her mother Stella; rice with chill con carne and simple lettuce salad. ¡°Good to see you¡¯re home, Elsie,¡± Said Stella with a warm smile ¨C one that instantly melts any heart, ¡°Come on, you must be starving after spending so long at the gym.¡± Her salivating mouth and growling stomach accentuated Stella¡¯s point, and Elsie said, ¡°I definitely am.¡± As they ate dinner, Elsie stuffed herself with gusto in an eager bid to fill the bottomless pit her stomach had become, and it was only minutes later that she finished ¨C Stella having barely eaten a fraction of her food. ¡°That was the fastest I¡¯ve seen you finish your food,¡± Stella remarked. ¡°Well, what can I say? I was especially hungry from all the workouts I¡¯ve been doing,¡± Elsie said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°You didn¡¯t show much enthusiasm for exercising,¡± Stella stated. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Elsie said, ¡°At least until now.¡± ¡°Okay, and what convinced you to suddenly adopt a more active lifestyle?¡± Asked Stella. Elsie knew that Stella never peppered her with so many questions usually, given that Elsie always retreated to her room to play her video games and had little interest in anything else. Now, with such a drastic change, it made sense Stella was curious and wanted answers. But how do I explain it? I can¡¯t simply say I¡¯ve gained powers, no way she¡¯d believe me, Thought Elsie with alarm, Come on, think, think¡­ Harrumphing awkwardly, Elsie then said, ¡°Well¡­ I was getting stir-crazy in my room, and I did feel the need to move around and get the kinks out of my body.¡± ¡°That does make sense, but you would easily settle for a long walk instead, not a gym session,¡± Stella pointed out. Elsie winced, forgetting that fact of her daily life. Yet, to Elsie¡¯s salvation, Stella then sighed, saying, ¡°No, I shouldn¡¯t have made you uncomfortable like that. Sorry, darling.¡± Elsie sighed in relief and hugged her mother, saying, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine mom. It¡¯s only natural you were curious.¡± Stella answered with a small kiss to the forehead, saying, ¡°Go on now, and don¡¯t let me keep you.¡± Elsie returned the kiss and went upstairs, leaving her mother to finish dinner on her own. ¡°She¡¯s definitely hiding something, but I don¡¯t know what,¡± Stella muttered, ¡°Oh well, not that I can just pry it from her.¡±
Despite her Gamer¡¯s Body healing her fatigue, Elsie had never been happier to simply crash onto her bed, letting the soft mattress cushion her body as another kind of mental fatigue settled in her mind. ¡°Shit, did not expect that at all¡­¡± Thought Elsie as she stared up at the ceiling, ¡°I really hope I don¡¯t get into trouble if my powers are revealed.¡± As if to answer her statement, another pop-up appeared, this time a message of sorts. You cannot and can never, under any circumstance, reveal your powers to anyone. If you do, it¡¯s certain death for you. The fuck..? Thought Elsie, This is different, and what¡¯s with the death threat? You don¡¯t get it? Oh well, allow me to explain: I am Gaia, the magnanimous Goddess that governs the laws of the mundane world and the Abyss, and I am the one who gave you your powers. Of course, it¡¯s a goddess. Really standard isekai trope, Thought Elsie, And seeing as she¡¯s clearly talking to me¡­ Gaia, why give me of all people powers? The why is not important, Elsie. What¡¯s important is that you cannot reveal your powers to anyone not affiliated with the Abyss. In simple terms, it is the secret world of magic users and fantasy stuff, and it exists separately from the mundane world for a reason. Thinking long and hard, it was not hard to see why, and the potential chaos that would follow. Perhaps it was best to not think of what happened to those who broke this cardinal rule. Can I expect anything in the Abyss? Just so that I¡¯m more well-prepared? You can find allies willing to help, but you must also watch out for slavers out to take you to a mana factory ¨C they¡¯ll suck you dry of mana, and you have to of course be prepared to fight monsters that spawn in your path. If you die, well¡­ that means it was a waste of your powers and my time. Elsie shuddered at the thought of dying, and though she wished Gaia did not show such a snarky attitude, neither was she willing to take the chance of somehow unknowingly angering her. Is that all you have for me? Indeed. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll be watching your life like a soap opera. That elicited a long, suffering sigh from Elsie. Elsie Wright Age: 17 Title: The Gamer Level: 3 EXP: 0/600 HP: 75/75 MP: 90/90 Strength: 17 Agility: 18 Endurance: 18 Intellect: 32 Wisdom: 17 Charisma: 5 Libido: 10 Skills: Gamer¡¯s Body: Allows the user to live the world like a real game; prevents mortal wounds as attacks drain HP instead. Gamer¡¯s Mind: Allows for the user to calmly and logically think things through, grants a peaceful state of mind and immunity to psychological status effects. Observe Lvl Max: Tells the target¡¯s information, HP and MP and additional information, such as background, motives, emotions felt, etc, and a relationship score depending on how target views you. -200 is the lowest, whilst +200 is the highest. Soul Trance: Enter a state of rest to recover. Nothing else can be done whilst this skill is active. (Gain: HP regen x2 MP regen x3 Increased chances of discovering new magical skills.) Chapter Three: Experiments, Part II Chapter Three: Experiments, Part II Sep 13th, 2017 Thursday The next day was another boring school day, another monotonous day of school studies and assignments Elsie had absolutely no problem performing for the teachers, another day of keeping to herself and not bothering with anyone else. None of the lessons ever brought satisfaction to Elsie, much less help buff her stats, due to her high Intellect and Wisdom scores. Worse, her current lesson was literature ¨C a lesson none could ever stomach due to their lecturer, an aged, portly man named Leon Hart. The old professor had the incorrigible habit of endlessly droning on like a machine on topics completely unrelated to the topic, making many want to kill themselves to end their boredom. When the school bell rang and Professor Leon had to cancel the lesson, none were more relieved to be out of the class and rushing to the canteen for recess.
Elsie Wright munched on her unappetising gruel of lunch, a mish-mash of unhealthy slob that looked suspiciously like overcooked porridge mixed with garbage, looking utterly bored and unhappy. At least it¡¯s far better than listening to Mr. Hart¡¯s boring lessons, Thought Elsie, Even Coach Brigette¡¯s lessons aren¡¯t half as boring as his. But what else do I do with my powers, now? That can¡¯t be all I can do, right? I mean, if this is like an RPG, there¡¯s surely got to be dungeons to explore, right? Like a God answering his flock¡¯s prayers, there came two pop-ups in her vision. New Skills gained! Create Barrier Lvl 1 Creates an Abyssal Barrier and Dungeons according to user¡¯s preference. Stronger Dungeons may be created according to level. Higher-level dungeons spawn higher-level monsters and drop higher-level loot. Escape Barrier Lvl 1 Allows a user to escape an Abyssal barrier if threatened. Be warned that certain barriers require certain conditions to be fulfilled for you to escape, and it is ineffective against much stronger barriers, and the one maintaining the barrier can prevent your escape, if he/she is strong enough. Now that¡¯s interesting, Thought Elsie, Well, might as well try out this power after school; my mum still believes I¡¯m going to the gym, anyway.
After school, returning home and a quick shower followed by a change of clothes, she went to a secluded spot in the nearby park, and seeing no one in the immediate vicinity, Elsie went ahead and cast Create Barrier. Select which tier of Barrier to Create Tier 0 -> Zombies, Skeletons, Goblins, Rats, kobolds Tier 1 -> Unavailable Tier 2 -> Unavailable Tier 3 -> Unavailable Tier 4 -> Unavailable Tier 5 -> Unavailable ¡°Well, better to start somewhere,¡± Said Elsie, ¡°Guess Goblins are as good an option as any.¡± Selecting the option for Goblins, Elsie saw the window disappear, and at once her world shifted before her eyes, the once clear park scenery shifting and amalgamating in a mess of muddy colours. A feeling of weightlessness settled in her stomach, and she felt her feet lose their footing on previously solid ground. Then Elsie felt herself fall through a shifting Abyss, her hands and legs wildly thrashing for any grip, anything solid to grab onto. She tried calling out for help, but her words refused to come out, as if she were in a soundless vacuum. Then she felt her feet land on solid, grassy ground, and her eyes readjusted to the bright sunlight now filtering into her vision. Where once she was in a park late at night, now there was only wild forestry around her, the grass thick and high enough to touch her ankles. Flora and fauna were in abundance, and where there was a night sky, there was a bright afternoon sun shining brightly over all creation. ¡°Holy shit, I¡¯m actually in another realm altogether!¡± Elsie exclaimed, ¡°But where are the Goblins? Surely there isn¡¯t anything faulty with my powers?¡± ¡°Grrah!¡± Before her emerged a pack of Goblins ¨C numbering a dozen, green-skinned, scrawny beings frothing at the mouth, dressed only in loincloths and armed with flimsy stone weaponry. Their fangs were sharp, and their baleful red eyes looked at her with a feral countenance. Level 3 Goblin Stats: HP: 50/50 MP: 15/15 Strength: 16 Agility: 15 Endurance: 15 Intellect: 4 Wisdom: 5 Charisma: 5 Libido: 20 ¡°Uh¡­ don¡¯t suppose you guys wanna talk?¡± Elsie asked nervously, her hands shaking with fear. The Goblins¡¯ only answer was to attack, and Elsie¡¯s thigh was grazed with a stone spear that drew blood, tearing into the nylon material of her sports pants. -3 HP ¡°Ah!¡± Elsie gasped, stumbling backwards, ¡°Shit, that hurts!¡± The other Goblins began their ferocious attacks on Elsie, and it was all she could do to prevent herself from dying outright as more and more stone weapons grazed at her clothing. Two lucky stabs to her thigh, however, forced her to kneel down from sheer pain. -2 HP -3 HP ¡°This is not happening!¡± Shouted Elsie, ¡°And I don¡¯t even have a fucking weapon, for God¡¯s sake!¡± Desperate, her hands patted the ground for any possible weapon to strike the Goblins with, anything to prevent her from dying. And with her hands, she felt a thick stone, jagged at one end and heavy enough to weigh like a dumbbell. Well, here goes nothing¡­ She first retreated some more, until she was able to hide behind a nearby tree big enough to conceal her figure and lost the Goblins in pursuit, waiting patiently with bated breath with her hand gripping the rock like her life depended on it. Come on, you bastards, try and get me.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. One Goblin soon made his way around the tree, salivating heavily like a rabid animal, spear held menacingly in his hands. And with a mighty lunge, Elsie leaped towards the Goblin and tackled him to the ground, using her newfound strength to pin him to the ground. Not to be beaten, the Goblin thrashed wildly, scratching Elsie¡¯s face with his clawed fingers. -1 HP -1 HP Ignoring the pain in her cheeks, she raised the stone up high, and brought down the mighty hammer of retribution upon the Goblin, and a sickening crunch of bone and flesh registered in Elsie¡¯s ears as blood splattered across her face. Again and again, she brought down the stone, smashing the Goblin¡¯s face black and blue and spilling more blood on her once pristine clothes. The Goblin ceased to move, yet Elsie did not stop. Even when the Goblin could no longer respond, Elsie did not stop smashing in the Goblin¡¯s face, not until the adrenaline faded from her system and her eyes registered the sight of the dead Goblin. The shock of the murder registering in her mind, Elsie fell to the ground hyperventilating, uncaring of the other Goblins still stalking the land, and she felt the need to tear up and cry. ¡°Holy fuck¡­ I actually killed something¡­ I almost died,¡± Elsie said. Only the pragmatic part of her mind winning out allowed her to regain focus, and on shaky legs and arms she slowly got to her feet, and she resisted the urge to retch here and there at the sight of the bloody Goblin corpse. And shockingly, before her eyes, the corpse disintegrated into nothing, leaving behind items as new pop-ups showed themselves before her eyes. EXP gained: 100 xp Loot Gained: $100 2x Goblin Ears 1x Stone Spear Elsie resisted the urge to laugh at the sight of her gains; one hundred dollars from that single Goblin? With that, she¡¯d easily become a thousand dollars richer after killing a dozen more alone. And with the weapon she gained, she stood a far better chance at survival. ¡°Thank god my powers work like this,¡± Said Elsie, ¡°But we still got eleven more to go, and I¡¯ve suffered this much damage from that one Goblin again. I¡¯ll have to take them out one at a time, or at least two at a time.¡± Elsie wasted no time equipping her stone spear, and spared it an Observe. Stone Spear (Low-grade) Damage: 10-16 HP A crudely made stone spear flimsily held together with string, it looks ready to break from a few determined swings. Not something to rely on long-term. ¡°Well, a weapon¡¯s a weapon; can¡¯t be a beggar right now,¡± Said Elsie.
Waiting in ambush, Elsie remained patient and calmly stalked the forest, keeping her steps soft and low to avoid drawing attention. With only a stone spear and a thick rock in her hands, she was cautious in picking her fights. Using her superior strength, speed and intellect, Elsie gradually picked off the Goblins one by one, using distractions and well-aimed strikes to silence them, though her techniques were clumsy; it usually took her five to six strikes to kill a single Goblin. Yet after suffering some damage and pain, she finally managed to whittle down the pack to three Goblins, and without more enemies on the horizon, she felt more confident than before ¨C confident she was going to survive and live to return home. The loot she gained helped strengthen that confidence. EXP Gained: 800 xp Loot Gained: $800 16x Goblin Ears 5x stone spears 5x stone daggers 1x health potion 3x flimsy bows 40x stone arrows Level up! You are now Level 4 +20 HP +5 MP +5 Stat Points EXP: 200/700 Elsie quickly invested her Stat points into Strength and Endurance, finding them most crucial to her survival right now. No noticeable change was present, but what she noticed was that her HP was healed back to maximum with her level up ¨C a welcome change she embraced. Strength: 20 Agility: 18 Endurance: 20 Intellect: 32 Wisdom: 17 Charisma: 5 Libido: 10 With that, Elsie resolved herself to conclude this fight. Foregoing stealth, she barked out to the Goblins, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m right here, you bastards! Wanna get a hunting trophy!? Come and get me first!¡± Alerted to her presence, the three Goblins charged at Elsie, weapons brandished and eyes menacingly eyeing their prey. Using her bow, she fired five arrows in quick succession, but only one found its mark, piercing a Goblin¡¯s knee and sending him tumbling down. Elsie then equipped her stone spear and used the polearm¡¯s length to her advantage, fending off the Goblins and piercing one in the neck, killing him instantly. With three Goblins left to fight, Elsie was close to victory, but their vicious assault proved difficult to fend off, and it was all she could do to resist their frenzied attacks. A feint here, a stab there, a block here, and a minor riposte, Elsie was learning the intrinsic details of combat as she went, and her training paid off; one Goblin died with a stab to the brain, another died after multiple stabs to his throat and chest. The final one died with multiple hits to the head with the stone, Elsie¡¯s spear having broken apart. And with the battle finally over, Elsie took a moment to catch her breath, letting the adrenaline fade from her system as she took stock of her loot. EXP gained: 300 xp Loot gained: $300 6x Goblin Ears 3x Stone daggers ¡°Shit¡­ that was close,¡± Said Elsie. And then there was another pop-up. Dungeon Cleared! Rewards: $2,500 1,000 xp Axe of Rage 1x Steel Chainmail 1x Steel Chainlegs 1x Mail Gloves 1x Leather Boots ¡°Finally, a decent weapon¡­¡± Muttered Elsie, ¡°And armour, to boot.¡± Achievement gained: First Blood Kill your first opponent. Reward: +2 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Endurance Achievement gained: Dozen kill! Kill twelve opponents of any calibre. Reward: $1,000, 1,200 xp, +3 Wisdom, +2 Agility, +1 Strength Achievement gained: No Weapons! Kill your first opponent with an improvised weapon of sorts. Reward: +1 free level up, +3 Wisdom, 2x Health potions, 2x Mana Potions, 1x Grimoire Level up! You are now Level 7 +60 HP +15 MP +15 Stat Points 155/155 HP 110/100 MP Strength: 30 Agility: 24 Endurance: 28 Intellect: 32 Wisdom: 23 Charisma: 5 Libido: 10 ¡°Hot damn¡­ now that was worth it,¡± Said Elsie, ¡°And I¡¯ve never felt better.¡± Looking on herself, she found her clothes ripped and torn in multiple places, stained with blood from injuries long since healed by Gamer¡¯s Body. ¡°I can¡¯t go home like this, mom would be pulling her hair out and screaming murder,¡± Said Elsie. And lo and behold, another pop-up was her salvation. New Skill learned! Craft Lvl 1 MP Cost: 10 Can be used to craft new objects, be it weaponry, armour or other things according to user¡¯s fancy. Can also be used to repair damaged objects to original state. ¡°How convenient,¡± Said Elsie, ¡°But better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.¡± Without hesitation, Elsie cast her spells and saw her clothes mend before her eyes, until no traces of damage remained. Heaving a sigh of relief, Elsie then decided to exit the Dungeon, before anymore enemies could spawn and give her further trouble.
Thankfully, Stella noticed nothing amiss and simply welcomed Elsie home, just in time for a simple and quick dinner that Elsie quickly wolfed down before rushing to her room. Once in her treasured privacy, she looked over her inventory and inspected her items, the first being her Axe of Rage. Axe of Rage (Decent) Damage: 30-47 HP An enchanted double-headed steel battleaxe, it bears inscriptions of runes in an alien tongue. Be warned that the axe is enchanted to react to the wielder¡¯s rage; the more anger you feel, the more powerful the axe, but the less coherent your thoughts will be. ¡°A double-edged sword, how lovely,¡± Elsie said sarcastically, ¡°But it¡¯s still a weapon ¨C better than the garbage spear I used earlier, and best wear that armour for protection. As for the garbage weapons, guess I just have to get rid of them.¡± New skill gained! Disassemble Lvl 1 Mana cost: 10 MP Disassembles weapons and other objects into their base components. Especially useful if you have junk you can¡¯t sell for good money, or to clear useless items cluttering your inventory. With such a useful, what else is Elsie to do than to use it? Immediately, the useless weaponry ¨C bow and arrows included ¨C were disassembled into junk units, all stackable in one space of her inventory. Gained 86x Junk Useless garbage you can¡¯t use for anything, unless you somehow convert it into useful materials. Inventory: 5/24 Spaces taken 1x Axe of Rage 3x Health potions 2x Mana potions 24x Goblin Ears 86x Junk Thankfully, her equipped items consumed no space in her inventory, and with her items sorted out, Elsie collapsed onto the bed, tired beyond measure from her excursion. ¡°Shit¡­ to think I actually could have died there,¡± Said Elsie, ¡°I guess this whole Abyss thing isn¡¯t to be taken lightly.¡± With that, Elsie went asleep, and awaited tomorrow.