《Ascendant Legacy》 01: Into the Dungeon It was a typical day in New York City. People fought their way through overcrowded sidewalks pushing past one another without a word. They were so focused on their thoughts, worries, and problems that they couldn''t spare a moment outside of their own world for anyone else. Just a little removed from the busiest streets, Solomon Andrews was sitting at a table on the side of the road. Soloman, or Saul for short, worked at the local community college teaching history. Luckily for him, they were on spring break. At that particular moment, he was a guy enjoying a nice New York slice. He leaned down to take a bite of pizza and had to reach up with his free hand to wipe his long, black hair out of the way of the grease. The folded slice was halfway to his mouth when the ground began to shake. Skyscrapers all around him began to shudder, visible waves running up the sides of the buildings. Somewhere up above, glass was heard shattering and moments later a downpour of debris rained onto the blacktop below. Glass shards, office supplies, even pieces of scaffolding began to crash onto the ground up and down the street. Screams sounded out amidst the chaos. When Saul saw a car crash into a hot dog stand on the sidewalk, he jumped up and sprinted inside the pizza shop. He leaped over the counter to put as many barriers between him and the crashing cars as possible, hoping it would be safer inside than out on the streets. ''An earthquake? In New York City?'' He was incredulous. Scared. The ground shook mightily and threw him from his feet. The crashing of breaking dishes and things falling came from the door to the kitchen. He clambered to his feet as the vibrations calmed down, creeping over to a window. Looking out, the ground beneath the street split open before his eyes, and an angry orange glow emanated from within that widening fissure. Parked cars fell into the hole, which expanded until it was roughly the width of the entire street. The earth continued to rumble with reduced intensity as something burst from the hole, massive slabs of red rock rising from within. One large slab parallel to the ground arose first. The quakes continued on as two more stones arose from the hole supporting the parallel slab, perpendicular to the ground and on either side of it. From his vantage point in the shop, Saul thought, ''That looks kind of like a piece of Stonehenge¡­ What in the world?'' Saul had no way of knowing at the time, but a similar event was occurring worldwide. Frantic pedestrians were filming the chaos to post to their YouTube channels or their favorite subreddit. News helicopters took flight to respond to the emerging story. The stone slabs continued to rise mysteriously from the ground, and as more and more of them emerged, Saul could see they were connected somehow. As fast as things had started, the ground grew still, and the city fell quiet. Car alarms could be heard, as well as panicked screams here and there, but it was as if someone had put most of the city on mute. Throughout the city, deafening silence had settled over things. ''I''d better go make sure nobody''s hurt...'' Saul thought, exiting the door once he felt things were safe. Parked cars had been crushed under debris, and large slabs of asphalt were strewn randomly about the street. There was devastation as far as the eye could see. He sprinted over to the car that had taken out the hot dog cart and pulled open the door to call on the driver, "Are you ok?" The woman had a pained expression on her face, eyes unfocused. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, dialing 911. He didn''t address the operator. ''As far as I know, they''ll come to investigate if nobody responds to their questions.'' He looked around and saw that almost nobody had suffered a serious injury, at least on this street. "Help is coming!" He called to the woman, "Stay here for now." The earthquake had been of sufficient magnitude to cause a lot of damage alone, without even considering the way the ground split. He turned to survey the street, the stone archway catching his eye once more. He walked towards the stone figure, looking it over with fascination evident in his eyes, ''What in the¡­?'' It looked like an artifact from ancient Egypt or perhaps Babylon. There were numerous markings on either side of the stone. Saul inspected them from what he felt was a safe distance but he couldn¡¯t quite make them out. They appeared to be hieroglyphs.His heart pounded in his chest as he looked at the strange stones from afar. ¡®Curiosity killed the cat.¡¯ He thought, yet still, he walked a little closer. He probably should have gone the other way. Light began to shimmer in the middle of the arch. The view of the street behind the open arch distorted, like a funhouse mirror, then the space between the stones went black. He picked up a piece of rubble from the street and threw it into the stone archway, but he never heard it fall to the ground on the other side. He decided to get closer for a better look. He had it in mind to inspect the archway from about three feet away. He squinted, just able to see the markings in better detail. ''Is that Sumerian?'' He moved a bit closer. As he took his final step, the earth shook once more, and he tripped, falling forward. He yelled out as he stumbled forward and threw his hands out to try and catch himself, but he wound up falling right into the doorway. Darkness surrounded him for a few moments. Then, he was enveloped by a strange light.
It felt as though he were floating in a pool of warm water. Soft light enveloped him, making it hard for him to see anything else. He didn''t have any trouble breathing. ''What happened? Did I pass out? Am I dreaming? ...Worse?'' He reached up to look at his hand. He brushed it against his face. His skin still felt warm to the touch, a good sign that he was probably still alive.
Welcome to the Dungeon. Analyzing¡­
The voice was loud and seemed to come from everywhere around him. The dungeon? This has to be a dream, right? ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in the dungeon! Let me out!¡± He cried, his voice tinged with confusion. The voice seemed to ignore him. A translucent blue screen appeared in front of him, glowing. He turned his head to look away, blinded by the light, but the screen followed him. He closed his eyes, but it displayed itself on the inside of his eyelids. ¡°Character Creation¡­?¡± He read to himself, looking everything over.
Please select Class
He looked over the various options. ¡®Fighter,¡¯ ¡®Mage,¡¯ ¡®Summoner,¡¯ and a considerable number of other options seemed to be available. ¡°What does a class determine?¡± He wondered aloud.
Class determines starting abilities and attributes. Classes are flexible and may evolve into higher tiers. You can train under an expert to switch classes, but your starting attributes and abilities will remain with you.
That same voice, soothing and soft, answered. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Monk? Can I get some more info?¡± A text box appeared before his eyes containing the following information:
The Monk class is known for martial prowess. Monks are capable melee fighters, with talents in both unarmed fighting and staff fighting. Their mastery of close-quarters-combat and ability to infuse their attacks and body with divine energy makes them formidable opponents at close range. +3 boost to Strength and Dexterity.
That''s interesting, but it doesn''t sound like my style. Not that any of this is real anyway. Scrolling through the classes, Saul¡¯s next thought was the Summoner class. ¡°Info,¡± He requested.
The Summoner is capable of calling up hordes of monsters to do the Summoner¡¯s bidding. The Summoner can defend themselves in close quarters but is better off fighting from afar. +3 bonus to Intelligence and +3 to Willpower
Not exactly my cup of tea. I like the idea of summoning minions, but I don''t want to be reliant on something else''s power. What happens if I get ambushed? I could be taken out before I can fight back. His gaze wandered over to the Ranger class. "Info."
The Ranger is a class that can engage foes from both far away and up close. The Ranger has a weapon specialty, but due to their dexterity, they can use many weapons freely. The Ranger is a talented tracker and survivalist who relies on their skills in combat and stealth to thrive in any situation. +3 to Dexterity and +3 to Intelligence
That sounds really cool... Very versatile. ¡°More info on Druid, please."
The Druid can call upon the forces of nature to assist in combat, in the form of mighty spells, transformations or even animal summons. Druids are one of the foremost defenders of the natural world and do everything in their power to protect ancient forests and their denizens. +3 to Will and +3 to Strength
Tough choice. Druid sounds good. So does Ranger. Let me think... Both are probably pretty good at survival. I don''t really like the idea of having to rely on mana, or whatever is used for spells here. What if I run out at a bad time? Rangers, on the other hand, are probably the most versatile. If it''s anything like DnD then the ranger can fight like a warrior, sneak like a rogue... Maybe even cast a few spells? Who knows. They won''t be dependent on magic, though. Sounds great to me. Clearing his throat he said, "Select class: Ranger."
You have selected the Ranger Class. Please select two Talents.
A list of talents appeared before him. Hm¡­ Interesting. ¡°Is this the only chance I have to pick talents?¡± He wondered aloud. The voice responded,
Talents can be selected at various levels. Additionally, many talents can be unlocked through training, combat, or as quest rewards. Talents level up independently of your actual level.
It¡¯s almost like Skyrim. I can learn by doing. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll pick a few that seem useful from an early stage. It''s not like this matters anyways. He considered his options for a few moments, then asked, "Can I have a list of possible talents?"
Talent Name: Talent Description:
Limitless Quiver You will never be without arrows. Each arrow is considered a normal, non-magical weapon.
Rapid Reload You are able to nock and fire arrows at an extraordinary pace.
Uncanny Agility You are more adept at feats of grace and dexterity.
Befriend AnimalsThe story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. You are able to establish a connection with an animal companion who will aid you throughout your adventures.
Cultivate You are able to use the energy in your surroundings to fuel your growth in power.
Light Fingers Your soft touch and deft fingers allow you to lift items from people''s pockets without them being any wiser.
Winning Smile Your natural charisma helps to sway people to your line of thinking more easily.
Fast retreat You have the ability to escape more easily from combat. Your enemies have a harder time pursuing you.
Strong Constitution Your strong constitution makes it harder for you to feel sick, or to suffer the effects of poison.
Down at the bottom right-hand corner, he saw a box that suggested there were more pages to choose from. He flipped through several of them and found himself paralyzed by all of the choice.Let me just think through a couple of these. Let''s see... Light fingers? Not really my style. I''d prefer not to steal if I can avoid it. Winning smile? I''ve got that already. Cultivate - harvesting the energy in the air to fuel my own power? That sounds strong. His gaze continued to move along the list. Strong constitution seems good, and maybe it''s the optimist in me, but I don''t think I''ll be getting poisoned. Limitless quiver... That sounds really great, but if this is anything like the games I''ve played, normal arrows are useless after a while. Rapid reload seems good... But if this is genuinely like Skyrim, that''s probably something I could learn to do just by using a bow and arrow a bunch. He continued to skim the options until one caught his attention. Hm... Befriend animals... An animal companion to help keep me company. An animal companion who can help me in battle. That''s a winner. He spoke clearly: ¡°Select Talent: Befriend Animal. Select Talent: Cultivate.¡± A blue light enveloped his vision, so bright that he had to close his eyes to avoid being blinded. When he next opened his eyes he found himself looking out onto a wide-open plain. He looked up and smiled as his eyes took in the sky. There was hardly a cloud in sight, and it was the kind of blue you only see on the clearest days. Surrounding the plain far off in the distance were cliffs, some jagged and some topped with flat plateaus. The blue sky contrasted heavily with the green grass and golden wheat that dominated the plain. Breathing in deeply, Saul didn¡¯t detect any of the grime or pollution that he was so used to smelling in the city. In fact, the clean air almost smelled wrong to his nose. "Where am I?" Saul asked himself, and the voice answered once more.
This is the Prairie. It is the first level of the Dungeon. As the introductory point, questions will be answered here, but no further help will be offered at deeper levels.
He looked down at himself and found his clothing was the same as before: A t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. I know this is all a dream... Still, it wouldn''t hurt to ask questions. He drew in a deep breath to help steady shaking hands, trying to quiet the part of him that was wondering if maybe this wasn''t just a dream, "I don''t want to be here. Let me out, please." The response was swift and final.
Exit is not permitted at this time. You must reach the fifth level of the Dungeon in order to travel between to the outside world. The only way to proceed is forward.
Saul sighed to himself and looked around once more, What should I do? I''ll wake up before too long, I hope... But what if this is real? I''d better clear my head. He sat onto the ground with his legs crossed, and his hands closed over one another in his lap. A familiar position. It''s been years since I started meditating... It''s always helped me figure things out before. Let''s try it. He focused on his breathing. In, and out. He achieved a steady rhythm, his mind feeling calmer and clearer with each breath. Another message appeared:
By assuming this position and having the Cultivation ability, you have begun to cultivate to gain deeper wisdom and understanding. This ability will deactivate when you break this position.
As he drew breath, he felt the way the air moved into his lungs. He felt the way his blood was infused with oxygen, the way it moved throughout his body. He felt the air suffusing his lungs, bringing him peace of mind. Clarity. It was almost as if he could feel the energy. Exhaling slowly, he felt the energy leave his body, then he drew in another nice, slow breath. Energy seemed to flow into his body again. After an hour of meditation, he opened his eyes. He felt as though he had more focus. He stood and stretched and prepared to get started. "Status."
Name: Solomon Andrews HP: 20/20 Class: Ranger Level: 1
Talents: Cultivate Befriend Animal Cultivation Level: Foundation
Abilities: Attack Shoot Track
Strength: 17 Intelligence: 19
Dexterity: 20 Willpower: 12
Endurance: 12 Experience: 0
He didn''t know what any of these numbers meant, but he assumed the baseline was somewhere around what his endurance and willpower stats were set at. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have skipped Cardio in the gym. Still, my stats seem pretty high. Must have gotten a lucky roll. I''m sure there''s a limit to base stats. He considered his next move. He thought carefully about what he should do. I should wait. If this is all some concussion induced dream, then nothing matters. He remained seated for a long time. Enough time passed that the sun began to sink over the horizon. Saul sat there. Waiting. Centering himself. He alternated between meditating, cultivating, and simply relaxing. He was a patient man. He''d sat through countless hours of history lecturers that managed to make some of the most exciting events in all of human history boring. He could wait until he snapped out of this delusion. As the sun set over the warmly glowing fields, and the prairie began to cool he started to consider that maybe he wasn''t going to wake up from this situation. The moon, ''A moon'', rose. It was bigger than Luna. Brighter. It was better than the biggest full moon he could recall. He could actually make out vague details on things several meters away from him. Most of what surrounded him was... Wheat. As far as the eye could see, wheat. Maybe... Maybe this is real. A weight settled on his chest. The kind of weight that felt like it was suffocating. He struggled. Breathe. Calm yourself. A breeze stirred. Cool. It was the kind of thing he could focus on. The kind of thing he could use to center himself once more. If this is real, then you need to act like the consequences are real. He reached into his pocket. Treasures. He extracted what he found within. Multi-tool. My favorite survival aid. Lighter. Always good to have a lighter. Burger wrapper from earlier. Oops. I forgot to throw that away. Okay, two of his items were super useful. One of them was trash. He stuffed them back into his pocket, including the burger wrapper. Like the park rangers always say, leave no trace. He shivered. He looked down at his outfit: a t-shirt and athletic shorts. Inadequate. He reached up to his long hair, tied back in a ponytail, and removed the hair tie to let his mane fall around his shoulders. It was long, black, and thick enough to help keep his ears and neck warm. I need food, water, and shelter. But first, I need warmth. He searched around for anything he could use to light on fire. He did find several sticks nearby, lucky enough to find a variety of different sizes. Kindling. Now I need some logs. He stood. Surveyed. He thought he saw the faintest hints of a tree rising up against the night sky, leafless branches indicating it was likely dead. He gathered up his sticks and walked over to the tree, moving through golden grass that came up to his chest. It didn''t take long for him to reach the tree; it was an island in a sea of gold. Dead, just like I hoped. He reached up and grabbed at some of the lighter branches, just low enough for him to reach. They didn''t give. He jumped and grabbed at one branch with both hands. He let his weight hang there. It snapped. They fell. It hurt his tailbone a bit, but he had a decent size stick to work with. One end of the branch was pretty pointy. He went about halfway between the tree and the surrounding grass before using his stick to dig a hole there. He was lost in his thoughts. It was hard to believe any of this was happening. Maybe I''m in a coma. I could have hit my head. Maybe I''m dead. The cold would remind him that he was probably alive. Best to do what I can, then. Before long, he had a nice hole to build fire in. It was close to a meter deep. "Let''s see... For an in-ground fire, I need to dig another hole for ventilation" Talking to himself felt good. He worked on a secondary hole, then dug a tunnel that connected the two. He moved back to the dead tree and walked around its trunk while looking at the branches. He picked a few other pieces that seemed good and jumped up to grab ahold of them one at a time. Three more short falls to the ground. Three more loud cracks and he had three more nice branches. One of them was nearly as tall as he was and seemed to be pretty straight. I can carve a point on this for defense. Save that for after the fire. He moved over to his soon-to-be-firepit. None of his branches would fit. He picked the weakest looking one and tried to break it over his knee. It snapped after a struggle. He repeated that a few times, then lined the pieces up in the hole. On top of that, he threw the smaller sticks. Finally, he threw a bunch of dead wheat he''d found nearby on top. ''Now, it''s a good thing I have this handy, grease-soaked trash. He introduced his lighter and the wrapper to each other by way of flame. Once it was burning, he tossed it into the ground. Ignition. His fire burned low and hot, and over time, more of the fuel caught. He fanned it along through the ventilation hole when he needed to, but before long, he was warming himself by the fire. The light was limited, and there wasn''t much smoke. Perfect. He settled down with the stick he''d picked for defense and his multi-tool. Picking up the end he''d snapped off, he began to sharpen it, careful to work his knife away from his body. The knife won''t last long, but it will get the job done. Maybe I''ll find a place to buy another one... Or maybe I''ll just wake up. By the time he was satisfied, the moon was high in the sky and he had a decent primitive spear. "Okay, time to get some sleep." He knew his fire was safe. Nothing will burn underground but my fuel. He lay down near the hole on the ground, which yielded nicely to his body. Tucking his arm beneath his head and wishing for a pillow, he tried to use a deep breathing exercise to bring on sleep. His mind was still racing as he considered the possibilities. Maybe this all is real¡­ If it is, what do I do? Am I still alive? Anxieties ran uninvited within countless thoughts until eventually, blessedly, sleep came. When he opened his eyes, he wasn''t alone. He heard movement in the clearing. It sounded big. He looked around for the source of the noise but wasn''t able to identify it at first. He tried to play dead, or asleep, moving as slowly as possible. Eventually, it came into sight. It was a large rodent. Like a capybara. It was sniffing around by the base of the tree. Spear''s right here... He reached forward to grab his weapon. He moved as slowly as he could. His fingers felt the wooden shaft and found it comforting. He decided to try and sit up. I hope it''s not aggressive. He moved slowly to show he wasn''t a threat. The animal didn''t seem bothered. He reached for his multi-tool and pocketed it. Then, using his spear as an aide, he stood up. It didn''t like that. The beast charged him with a vicious snarl. It opened its mouth. Saul saw its teeth. They weren''t the teeth of a herbivore. He yelled and raised his stick. Scare it off! Like a bear! The beast seemed emboldened by the move if anything. Forget it. Plant your feet. Stick it with the pointy end. He tried to stab the monster but he didn''t know how to use a spear which made his awkward attempt ineffective. It leaped at him, and he was just barely able to get the sturdy branch between the animal and himself. He turned and pressed as the animal caught on the stick, using its momentum to fling it away from him. That''ll teach it. Surely he''ll run aw-... Okay, it''s coming at me again. He jabbed at the beast, but the motion was awkward and slow. He managed to land his blow, but with the force he used, it was more of a poke. The monster barreled into him and knocked him down. He rolled as he fell to reduce the damage, his vision flashing red momentarily as he took notice of a red bar in the bottom right that read HP: 18/20. ''No time for that. He''s coming again. Be firm. Brace this. Stick him with the pointy end!'' He did just that, bracing the stick against his body. The beast''s momentum impaled it on the stick, which stuck gruesomely through the back of its head. It let out a pitiful noise. The life left its eyes and then light filled Saul''s eyes:
Through your use of a two-handed weapon in self-defense, you have unlocked Two-Handed Weapons! Your Two-Handed Weapons skill is now Foundation, Lvl I. You have gained experience: 13 Exp!
His stomach rumbled. He looked between the firepit and the beast he''d killed. You''ve gotta do what you''ve gotta do... I hope I wake up soon. He extracted his multi-tool from his pocket once more. He foraged about for sticks and kindling. He snapped one of the other branches into several pieces for fuel. I am Prometheus, for I bring fire to this land. He lit another fire, then sat down and began to skin the large rodent as it heated up. Let''s see... I guess... The back would be the tenderloin? He did what he could with the small pocket knife, carving a chunk of meat, which he promptly impaled on his stick and held over the fire. Before too long, it was beginning to roast nicely. Crackling. Delicious fat dripped from it into the fire. Flames leaped higher. More, they said. I hope this thing is safe to eat... He took a bite. Maybe I am dead. Maybe this is heaven. Maybe, in heaven, the rats all taste like Wagyu ribeyes. 02: The Prairie To future Dungeon delvers The Prairie would come to be known as the spawning grounds of The Dungeon. No matter which portal was used to enter the strange world, one would start right where Saul had. Unlike in every other level, the Prairie was what gamers would refer to as ¡®instanced.¡¯ Despite the connection between the Prairie and the rest of the Dungeon, each person who spawned there was the only human in their iteration of the level. This allowed for people to acclimate to the new environment and rules of the dungeon without having to watch out for Delver Killers. The prairie was known to be a soft entry point to the Dungeon, and future dungeon delvers who would do in-depth research would note three significant things about the level. 1.) Almost every monster there was level 1, with the only exceptions being the few boss monsters. 2.) There were a few rare spawn monsters in the level. Given that there was only one person in each instance of Level I at a time the only thing a person had to do was wait in the right place for the right amount of time to find them. Of course none of the drops were particularly impressive. 3.) There was an exceptional type of animal that could be befriended or killed. There were several categories of animals, each one with more potential than the last. The levels went from Basic, Intermediate, Rare, Exceptional, Mythical, and finally Legendary. Most everything in The Dungeon; including summons, monsters, pets, and even equipment are ranked accordingly in this way. Basic monsters tended to drop basic items, and so on, with some exceptions. There were Elite and Boss monsters as well, but they were subject to the same categories.
Saul finished off a surprisingly large amount of the capybara looking creature before considered moving from his spot. I''m still here. I guess I didn''t dream this up. If this is real, I need water. He grabbed his spear and used it to knock dirt into his fire. Leave no trace. He looked at the massive corpse of the beast he''d killed. Well, almost no trace. "How do I find water?" He wondered aloud.
Water can be found through encounters with enemies.
He''d need to find some enemies then. The beast he''d killed earlier hadn''t dropped anything, but it was delicious beyond belief so he wouldn''t complain. He looked around the Prairie. No matter where he looked, vast mountain peaks dominated the horizon. His fingers fished his hair tie free from his pocket, and he pulled his long mane through it, tying it into a bun that was secure enough that it wouldn''t move in combat. He picked one mountain out of the hundreds that seemed particularly memorable. You''re my frame of reference... He set off in that direction. He hadn''t been moving for long when he heard rustling in the grass beside him. Something lunged at him. Whatever it was, it was small compared to the capybara, but still the size of a medium dog. Maybe bigger. He jumped to the side and the beast soared past him. As he laid his eyes on it, he noticed its striking deep red scales as well as the sharp teeth now viciously bared at him. A large forked tongue flickered out. It was squat and heavy, and extremely long, perhaps 3 meters. It looked close to a meter tall. It looks like a Komodo dragon. The lizard hissed at him. He gripped his makeshift spear tighter and tried to intimidate the beast. He raised his arms high again and yelled as loud as he could. That just seemed to infuriate it as it charged at him without warning. Why can''t I bluff any of these things out of a fight? That works on a freaking bear. Since he couldn''t bluff it, he''d have to fight. He prepared to deal with the second thing that wanted to eat him since he''d arrived in the Dungeon. He gripped his weapon tightly and swung his spear at the beast. It''s too low for me to stab it well. Let''s try the hockey method. He managed to connect solidly with the its side. The blow knocked it backwards and seemed to stun the lizard temporarily. Above its head, a health bar not dissimilar to his own appeared. It read:
Crimson Lizard, Lvl 1. 80% Health.
Okay, it didn''t say the health part. I''m just guessing. But that looks like a fifth is missing. Soon, it was charging him again, all teeth and no manners. Saul prepared to strike again, Stamkos, with the one-timer! He brought the stick crashing down, placing yet another solid thud against the lizard. Another fifth of health gone. He jumped back, putting some distance between him and the lizard, looking down his weap- Is that a crack forming in the stick? That''s not good. What else can I do? He thought about his options as the thing began to charge again. Don''t I have a befriend animal skill? Aren''t lizards animals? He held his stick in both hands and pressed it sideways towards the lizard. "Activate skill: Befriend Animal!" A light gathered around his feet and a matching glow surrounded the lizard''s body. It seemed to build in intensity, then suddenly, it flickered out. The beast hissed louder. Of course it would fail. Stupid skill. Let''s try this again. He planted his feet shoulder-width apart and held the stick like a baseball bat. The monster charged. When it was close enough this time, it leaped at him, teeth bared. He planted his feet and rotated his hips, force transferring through his body into the stick, then into the massive lizard. It landed with an exceptionally loud crash. The lizard hissed in pain. I definitely heard a crack that time. This stick won''t last much longer.It was heavy, but Saul''s strength overpowered its momentum, and it was knocked back several feet. Health is down to about 20%. My stick''s useless now. It looks like it''ll break if I hit this thing again. Let''s try it. "Befriend animal!" That light flashed again. Around him. Around the lizard. It grew. Bright. Blinding.
Congratulations! You have successfully befriended: Crimson Lizard, Lvl I. Please name your new animal companion.
Saul thought about it for a moment. Well, he''s like something out of a book. A mythical creature. Maybe... Like a basilisk? Let''s go with that. The lizard crawled over to him as if submitting to his strength. Suddenly, above his health bar was one that read: ''Lizard''. He saw his health was almost empty. "I''ll call you Basi." The nameplate changed.
''Basi''.
"How do we get more health, Basi?" The lizard hissed softly and looked up at his new master, as if suggesting he wouldn''t be answering any of Saul''s questions. The Guide spoke up to answer:
Health is regenerated through potions, healing skills, healing pills, food, or rest.
Saul set off with his new companion to explore. That mountain is still probably my best reference point.He kept it in his view as he and Basi took off exploring. The first time they came across another monster Saul didn¡¯t even realize they were under attack. He was hit by an acorn flying through the sky. Suddenly, his health bar showed a small decrease with no more than a tenth of the bar vanishing from the initial hit. What the...? He saw the pieces of an acorn as they fell in fragmented pieces. He began scanning for the source of the projectile. His eyes landed on a slight rustling to his right, where within the parted wheat he could see the silhouetted form of what he assumed was the attacker. Saul started to yell the word, ¡°Attack!¡± but as soon as the thought crossed his mind Basi was already moving to engage, ¡®I guess he can sense my commands through our bond. Looking at the monster he saw it was a brown-furred beast standing close to a meter tall with a large bushy tail that seemed to be about as long as it was tall. Large teeth protruded from its mouth, and it had amber eyes that shined angrily. In its paws, it held a large acorn even though there weren¡¯t any trees that seemed as though they could yield such a massive nut. It was a squirrel of monstrous proportions, and it seemed to be angry with them for some reason, chittering in an angrily high pitch before it began to rush forward at Saul on all four legs. Saul attacked. He stepped forward and planted his foot firmly. He brought his sharpened stick to bear and made to stab at the beast. The spear pierced through the squirrel''s hide easily, but when it hit bone it gave out with a loud ''CRACK!'', breaking in half. A ''10'' appeared over the squirrel''s head that merged with the ¡®10¡¯ from Basi¡¯s bite. This must have been enough to kill the squirrel, as a health bar appeared over its head and drained to 0. Words floated across his sight that seemed to display the fruits of his combat.
Exp Gained: 13!
The squirrel¡¯s body remained. A small bag appeared next to its furry corpse. Saul leaned down to examine the bag. His curious fingers found the drawstring to the bag and worked it open for his gaze to fall inside. Inside he saw: Leather shoes, a dagger, and most importantly a canteen full of water. He put on the shoes and tucked the dagger into his belt. It''s a real weapon. Probably better than my stick was.
Dagger equipped Leather shoes equipped
The words flashed before his eyes. As soon as those words entered his vision, the dagger vanished from his belt as if by magic. "Where is the dagger?" He wondered aloud and as usual he got a quick response. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
"All weapons and unequipped items are automatically stored in your inventory. When combat is initiated, you can pull your weapon out with a thought."
Saul smiled. He felt the shoes conforming to his feet, and before long the pair felt as if designed specifically for him by a talented cobbler. A soft, pleasured sigh escaped his lips as he took his first steps in the shoes. He drank nearly half the canteen before he was ready to move on, gulping down the water like a man dying of thirst in the desert. He drank so quickly that his stomach ached. That was a bad idea... But more pain. More evidence that this is real. He and Basi spent their next few hours in working their way closer to the mountain range as a point of reference. From time to time they encountered a beast and through their growing teamwork they were able to dispatch them without much trouble. After one such encounter, a blue screen suddenly flashed before his eyes:
Congratulations! You have reached level 2! +3 to Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance! +2 to Intelligence and Willpower!
Your animal companion has also reached level 2 and has learned the special ability Bite!
He pulled up Basi¡¯s status screen and looked at his move list. Sure enough, there was a Bite ability listed. Selecting it gave a short description:
Bite enhances attack power.
That seemed useful. He¡¯d have to test it out the next time they encountered an enemy. He¡¯d begun to notice something about the screens, their timing related to combat somehow. It seems like these screens only pop up when I¡¯m safe. That¡¯s convenient. There were no pathways in the Prairie, but that didn¡¯t mean that there were no obvious paths. There were sections where the grass was worn down, whether through footsteps or monsters Saul couldn¡¯t be sure, but they were more convenient to travel on, so that¡¯s what Saul and Basi did. The Prairie itself reminded Saul a lot of the Great Plains. The land was relatively flat with gentle curves and tall golden plants growing as far as the eye could see. The beauty of the environment helped him to calm himself. They spent their first day exploring. The Prairie didn¡¯t seem overly large, but periodically, he would stumble across something interesting. At one point he heard a crunch underfoot, and when he stopped to look, he saw some sort of worked clay. When he bent down to take a look, he realized the piece looked a lot like an ancient Native American vase with its tan color and pseudo-hieroglyphic art. The art seemed to depict a drop of water with eyes holding a knife that was pointed towards some form of boar. He came across a few more potential cultural sites, usually finding them beneath his feet. In a few places, he found pieces of armor or weapons that were long rusted over and seemed useless. He left things as he found them, but each discovery made him wonder about the culture that might exist here, about the types of creatures he¡¯d find. None of the pieces of armor were humanoid in shape. He spent his second night on the Prairie in a small clearing that he eventually stumbled across, laying on the ground next to Basi. The night wasn''t as cool as the first night, and the lizard''s body was radiating warmth. Saul had his hands behind his head as he gazed up at the night sky, "I haven¡¯t seen so many stars since I went to the Grand Canyon¡­" He said to the lizard. He got a vague sense of understanding from the beast. "This place is beautiful, but it isn¡¯t home. I¡¯m going to get back to my family someday..." That, he could tell, wasn''t something the animal could understand. "What kind of secrets does this place hold, Basi? What will tomorrow bring?" Exciting thoughts. As he shifted to find a more comfortable position, he turned and folded his arm up beneath his head, facing the lizard, "Let''s get some sleep. We''ve got to figure something out tomorrow." I''m still not really sure what''s going on. I feel things. Pain. Cold. So I have to assume it''s real... That I''m still alive. Closing his eyes, he tried to fall asleep. His mind was racing. Half of him found the place strange and exciting. The other half of him was terrified. I have a way out. Level 5. He focused on that thought and found it relaxing. I can get home. Finally, blessedly, sleep came. When they awoke, he and Basi set off once more, this time in the direction of the mountains he''d been using as a reference for his sense of direction. They had been traveling for a few hours when he became aware of a slight burning smell. Looking far out into the distance, he could see that the mountains seemed ever so slightly distorted. Smoke? Where there''s smoke, there''s fire. Better take a look. He set off at a quick pace. The wheat seemed to fly past him in comparison to his speed yesterday. It seems like I''m moving faster. Is it because I leveled up? I guess that makes sense. As he got closer to the smoke, he saw a signpost hammered into the ground with an arrow pointing ahead. It read: Prairie''s edge. Before long, he found himself in a clearing of sorts. He looked around the clearing and noted that there were almost permanent buildings. The village was dotted with teepees, and smoke rose off of a fire in the middle of everything. It was a fire that crackled with life as several sizable pieces of wood burned and gave off the faintest hints of pine sap. As he moved further into the village, he realized he was as tall as most of them. Behind the fire, he could see a few permanent structures. One of them was a house that consisted of two stories, practically a mansion in comparison with the teepees but modest at best in Saul''s eyes. He approached the largest building and introduced his knuckles to the door in three quick knocks. He heard movement inside, unlike anything he''d quite heard before. "A visitor?" The voice called through the doorway. "How can I help you?" It was a distinct voice that hinted at wisdom and advanced age. "Hello, I''ve found myself in this strange place, and apparently, I need to get to Level 5 to get home. I was wondering if you might be able to help me somehow. I could use some supplies." A few moments passed before Saul heard more noise behind the door. "Sure, I can give you some assistance. I''m going to open the door. You may be surprised by what you see, but I assure you I''m quite friendly, and I mean you no harm." The voice gave the impression of trustworthiness. It opened. Standing there ''or perhaps sitting there?'' was a large blob. Atop his head was a small crown that was bright red and seemed to contrast with his blue form. His body was translucent, and through his form, Saul could see a vague impression of the inside of his home. Basi hissed at the slime as a wave of aggression projected to Saul via their bond. He issued a simple command, ''Down, boy,'' and the lizard calmed instantly. Saul''s first thought wasn''t to attack. He didn''t really know what he was thinking at the sight of the creature. He''d have to pick his jaw up off the floor first. It''s¡­ A slime? What in the¡­? Is this Dragon Quest? His whole body shook for a moment as he tried to gather himself, drawing in a deep breath before offering his hand. "Hello, I''m Saul. It''s a pleasure to meet you." The slime''s body seemed to extend toward him as some of it separated from the rest in a general impression of an arm. Slimy fingers grasped his own, but they didn''t leave a wet sensation on his fingers. The feeling was nice. ''He''s like a massive stress ball.'' The slime spoke then, "Elder. Welcome to the village of Prairie''s Edge. I''d be happy to offer you some help, but I''m afraid I have a favor to ask in return." It sounds like a quest. Saul was beginning to view this world like some complex VR RPG. "Sure, that seems fair. You help me, I help you. I just need to get home eventually. What can I do for you?" The Elder looked towards the west. On his face, there was an expression of trepidation. Do slimes have faces? He has eyes. He has a space below his eyes that he talks from. I guess that''s his mouth. Do slimes eat? Do they just absorb nutrients, or do they like... chew on stuff? Just then, Saul noticed that Elder was looking at him with¡­ Bemusement. ''Wait, how can I tell what he''s thinking? Is this an ability of theirs to convey emotions without many features? Elder spoke up to interrupt him, "I''m sure you have a lot of questions as a new arrival to the Dungeon. I know many who come here are from worlds where Slimes don''t exist. I''m happy to answer your questions, but I must ask a favor of you. We''ve been having trouble with a neighboring tribe. We have long been allies, but recently something seems to have changed. Peaceful blue slimes have been replaced by aggressive crimson slimes who have been threatening our village and raiding our supplies. Please, go to Wheaton and figure out what''s happening. If you can help, please do. If there is no other option¡­ Then please help the people of Wheaton find peace." Heavy. Saul nodded solemnly. ''I can''t imagine what it''s like to have such concern for your brothers. There must not be many slimes around if all the artifacts I found are any indication.'' "I can help you. First, I must ask for food and water. Once I''ve had my fill, please point me in the direction of Wheaton, and I''ll see what I can do." They provided Saul with a simple meal that consisted of bread and some type of cheese that he found surprisingly delicious, and all he could drink of crisp, cool water. They fed Basi similar fare, though the lizard got some meat as well. When they finished eating and resting, they began to travel towards Wheaton. His trip was surprisingly easy. If there aren''t many monsters along the way, that must mean these things are pretty strong compared to the other monsters. That was disconcerting. If the slimes were powerful, it would be harder for him to help them. He moved a little faster, hopeful that he would be able to help the slimes of Wheaton. It wasn''t long before they arrived at the outskirts of Wheaton. There were several of the red slimes hopping about, with one large tent towards the back of the camp and a few smaller ones close to where Saul arrived. He crouched low as he approached the town. He saw one red slime that seemed to hop aimlessly along the outskirts of the village. He slunk over to it with his hands held high in a gesture of peace. "Hello." He called out to it. Its back was turned to him as he tried to engage it, and he got no response. "Hello?" He tried again. When the slime turned to see him, its demeanor seemed to change. It hopped at him aggressively. "I just want to talk." He said. It didn''t seem to be having any thoughts of negotiation. He stepped back a few paces, and the monster continued to follow him. Hm... Maybe I can lead it to Prairie''s Edge. The slime continued to hop forward aggressively, and he continued to walk backward, keeping it close enough to maintain its interest. He made the mistake of getting too far away once, and the slime had turned as if to return to Wheaton, but Basi had rushed forward to get its attention. It seemed to take hours, especially since he walked backward the whole time. He and Basi moved carefully, kiting the monster. After what felt like an eternity, they made it to Prairie''s Edge with the hostile red slime close behind. Most of the blue slimes cleared out when they saw he had a red slime in tow. Elder was by his house, massive in comparison to the smaller slime. He had some sort of cage by his side. Saul saw Elder gesture towards the cage and nodded. When the red slime was close enough to the cage, Elder lifted the cage and placed it over the red slime''s body with ease. Despite the holes in the grating, the slime didn''t seem to be able to escape. "Thank you, Saul. I will try to see if anything can be done for our friends." Saul sat and waited patiently. He watched with interest as Elder tried a wide variety of different things. First, Elder tried to speak to the slime. It didn''t seem to respond positively at all as its posture and eyes remained aggressive. Next, he tried herbs. "These are healing herbs." He''d explained. "There are some conditions that can cause aggression and confusion over allies. We have herbs to treat these things." The slime hesitated for just a moment when those herbs were introduced to its system, but it remained red and aggressive. "That''s a good sign!" Elder spoke. He seemed enthusiastic. A smile crossed his expression. "Maybe our healing magic could make a difference." He closed his eyes for several moments. Saul felt a strange energy gathering in the air. Different from when he cultivated. Suddenly, a blue light flashed around Elder, and a similar light flashed around the red slime. Elder immediately gave the slime more herbs. It seemed to have an effect. Blue flashed through the slime''s red body. It shook vigorously as more blue flashed through its body. Suddenly, clarity seemed to come to its eyes. It spoke. The words seemed to take every ounce of strength and concentration for the slime to get them out. "K...Ki...Kill... Me... C-can''t... Fi....Fight... R...a..ge..." Elder wore a solemn expression as he turned to Saul. "I''m afraid we can''t do anything more... Please help them find peace." Saul could hear the pain in the Elder''s voice. He rose and reached out to rest a hand on the top of the Elder''s body in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. "I will." 03: King Crimson As soon as he was back within range of the town, the closest three slimes turned towards him and hopped forward aggressively. Aggression was evident in their eyes. Saul sighed. His dagger appeared in his hand. Saul hadn¡¯t used a weapon before but he held the dagger in his hand and waved it about like an extension of his hand, giving a few practice swings before the slimes got too close. The weapon seemed to fit in his hand naturally.¡®Must be something in this world that helps me feel like I¡¯ve done this before. Suddenly Basi charged forward and engaged one of the slimes, biting it ferociously, a large red ¡®15!¡¯ appearing over its head. Its health bar appeared and suddenly began to drop down until just less than a quarter remained full. At the same time the other two slimes jumped up to his waist height and lashed out at him, their gelatinous bodies suddenly stretching out in a way to create whip-like appendages that came towards him in a surprisingly fast attack. He was able to duck below the first slime¡¯s - He¡¯d call it Slime 1 to keep them separate - attack, but the second one¡¯s whip slammed into his side in a surprisingly heavy blow. His breathing was suddenly a little more labored, and his legs felt just a bit heavier. He was able to take the blow, though, and as he stood back up he slashed out with the dagger, scoring a hit against the slime that had attacked him, then he reversed the arc of his arm and managed to catch that same slime again. A health bar appeared above its head,
Red Slime, Lvl 1 Health: 34%
Saul didn¡¯t know how much health a red slime had, but he figured it was good to take out one before he worried about the other. Moving to the right, he put the second red slime between himself and Slime 1 so that he could continue to attack it, jumping to avoid another whip-like attack before launching another attack of his own. At the same time, Basi had successfully defeated the third attacking slime and began to charge into the current battle, tackling Slime 1. At the same time, Saul launched another attack at the other slime, his dagger slashing out once more and scoring a hit that reduced its health bar considerably. Digging in with the dagger, he twisted it before yanking it out, and another number appeared. Twisting seemed to count as a separate attack as its health bar dropped further. He had a feeling the slime couldn¡¯t take much more. He slashed towards it one more time, but was surprised when that whip-like gelatin slapped the top of his hand, knocking his blow away from the slime and causing another red flash before his eyes ¡®3!¡¯ Cursing to himself, he punched out with his free hand, connecting with the slime and feeling¡­ Not much impact as the gelatinous body absorbed the blow. ¡®1!¡¯ It seemed that was all the slime could take though, as it burst, a brown sack left behind. Picking his dagger back up, he jumped forward and sank it deep into Slime 1 as the lizard bit into the slime¡¯s body, and between the two of them it exploded into a pile of goo and left behind a brown bag as well.
Exp gained: 29! Exp gained: 29! Exp gained: 29!
The words flashed before his eyes once combat lulled. Saul took a few steps to close the distance to the drops, and opened the brown bags left behind, notifications flashing before his eyes again.
Item(s) found: Basic bow, Water, Minor healing pill, Arrows
The bow would definitely be useful. My class is Ranger, right? What kind of ranger wouldn¡¯t use a bow? He opened his inventory and equipped that in place of the dagger, and seeing he had 100 arrows, he equipped those as well. He felt ready to tackle the rest of the camp. He and Basi moved forward, drawing the attention of three more slimes. ¡°Basi! Keep them busy up close!¡± Pulling an arrow from his quiver, he nocked it in the bow and drew it back in one smooth motion. Aiming at the slime closest to him, he drew in a deep breath and held it for just a moment, his body totally still. He released the arrow fluidly, and watched it soar towards the slimes as he exhaled¡­ And saw it sail harmlessly overhead. Well, that was terrible. I don¡¯t seem to have a gift. He sighed and went through the process again, nock¡­ Deep breath¡­Aim, hold¡­ Loose. This time the projectile sailed overhead, but much closer to the slime. Basi was engaging the three of them well, their attacks not seeming to do much harm to the lizard, so Saul took his time preparing his third shot. Nock, aim, breathe, hold¡­ loose. This time, the arrow did what he wanted and hit the closest slime directly, lodging itself in its gelatinous body. Text appeared before his eyes,
By using a bow and arrow to attack a distant enemy, you have gained the Archery talent! This talent will make it easier to use a bow to attack foes. Your Archery skill is now Foundation, lvl I.
He smiled and prepared another shot, waiting for an opening and firing, watching as the arrow pierced the same slime just a hair away from where the first shot landed. ¡®17!¡¯ appeared overhead and the slime popped out of existence. Basi was making short work of the other two slimes, but Saul continued to shoot until they had defeated their enemies. Before his eyes, the words appeared again:
Exp gained: 29! Exp gained: 29! Exp gained: 29!
The drops were all basic items, the types of things you saw in an RPG on a first level monster.
Item found: Old boot, Rusty spoon, Beef Jerky
That''s a real letdown compared to the bow I found. At least some of these guys drop arrows. He gathered the arrows he could find, though there weren''t many, and they continued to work their way through the village, killing the red slimes that attacked them.
Through continued practice with your bow and arrow, you have gained a deeper understanding for the use of your weapon! Your Archery skill is now: Foundation, lvl II.
He used his bow and arrow wherever he could, eager to get better with the weapon. When I think Ranger, I definitely think bow. I''ll need to keep this up. After he''d nearly wiped out the entire village of Wheaton, another popup appeared:
Through continued practice with your bow and arrow, you have gained a deeper understanding for the use of your weapon! Your fingers now move with increased dexterity as you use your bow! Your Archery skill is now: Foundation, lvl III.
Saul and Basi finished clearing out the monsters, standing in the village square and looking around at a job well done. They didn''t discover the Boss until after the rest of the village was wiped out.
As the last slime vanished, a soft breeze blew through the village, suddenly quiet after the residents had been killed. Curiosity flashed across his features as he realized he¡¯d gained two levels since he''d last looked at his stats. ¡®Status.¡¯ The status screen appeared in front of his eyes with a bunch of numbers displayed for his perusal that discussed his gains. He noticed in the bottom right corner of the table a button existed now that said ¡®Pg. I of II.¡¯ He reviewed the changes, then selected the button to examine the second page, curious as to what changes he¡¯d find there.
Name: Solomon Andrews HP: 40=>60 Class: Ranger Level: 1=>3
Talents: Cultivate Befriend Animal Cultivation Level: Foundation
Abilities: Attack Shoot Track
Strength: 17=>23 Intelligence: 19=>23
Dexterity: 20=>26 Willpower: 12=>16
Endurance: 12=>18 Experience: 0=>3,347
On page II, he read the following:
Talent Type: Talent Level: Talent Description:
Cultivation Foundation, Lvl I Through assuming the cultivator''s pose, you can begin to harvest the ambient energy in the atmosphere
Befriend Animal Foundation, Lvl I Your connection to your animal companion confers you harmony in combat and grants you the ability to command them
Archery Foundation, Lvl III Your growing mastery with a bow allows you to do greater damage
Single wielding Foundation, Lvl II You are able to use a single weapon in combat without hurting yourselfYou might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Two-handed weapons Foundation, Lvl I You are able to use a two handed weapon to some degree of effectiveness
Sweet gainz, bro.The thought elicited a small chuckle. Reviewing Basi¡¯s stats, he saw the lizard had grown to level 3 as well, with significant increases in his strength and endurance stats. ¡°Come on, Basi, let¡¯s heal up and check this place out.¡± He moved over to the center of the village and settled down in a familiar pose, his eyes slipping closed as he began to focus on his breathing. I lucked out that cultivation seems to be so similar to meditation back home. It was an interesting thought but ultimately unimportant for now. Saul drew in a deep breath and worked on clearing his mind. With both legs crossed and his hands in the center of his legs, one palm pointing up while the other pointed down over it. He looked more like a Buddha than a cultivator. Nevertheless, he began to sense the ambient energy and infuse his body with it. In, then out. He felt the air as it embraced his form, the warm breeze kissing his skin gently like a lover might. In, then out. He felt the power and vibrations coming up from the earth below him, his connection to the earth growing in power. In, then out. The warmth of the sun bathed his skin in glorious radiance, and painted a smile on his face as he fell deeper into his trance. He could feel a connection between himself and his companion, the bond between them almost a tangible thing. It seemed to extend from his heart towards the torso of his companion. There was some sort of energy that flowed between them, pulsing with his every breath. Interesting. He wasn¡¯t sure if that energy was mystical in nature. In, then out. He focused on the sensation of the oxygen flowing through his body and felt the energy in the air. He felt that energy as it seemed to pool around his heart. It almost seemed as though he could control the energy around as he breathed, manipulating its location with the contractions and relaxation of his diaphragm, each breath in a pull on that energy and each breath out a push. He focused on that energy, willing it to gather in his arms, first the right, then the left. Then he tried to make the energy move to his legs. First he pressed the energy to one, then he pulled it to the other. Manipulating it as well as he could.
By manipulating the energy in the air and circulating it throughout your body, you have reinforced your cultivation and strengthened your body and reflexes slightly! Your Cultivation level is now Foundation Level 2!
It seems like cultivating gives me some sort of boost. It didn''t mention my stats, so maybe this is a qualitative sort of thing, not quantitative? Whatever the case, I need to keep this up. If this is real, I need to embrace it. He opened his eyes and took one last deep breath, feeling the energy from the air meld with his body before standing and stretching. He could feel a slight difference in his strength, nothing like leveling up, but enough that it was noticeable. A smile played across his lips at the progress he¡¯d made as he began to explore the ruined camp, checking in every nook and cranny for any overlooked treasure. I¡¯ve played enough RPGs to check every barrel and basket, especially where slimes are concerned. He checked the tents near where he¡¯d entered first, then worked his way towards the largest tent in the back. Mostly he just found junk, but he did find some chipped gemstones that glowed softly. These seem valuable. I¡¯ll see what the Blue Slimes think. As he approached the camp square once more, he looked at the only tent that was left. It was larger than the others had been. I don¡¯t remember anything being in there, but I¡¯d better check it out. He crept towards the tent, whispering, ¡°Basi, stay close and get ready¡­¡± He leaned forward to grasp at the flap and peered inside, darkness shrouding the contents of the tent. A blow took him totally by surprise while his eyes still struggled to adjust to the light. A thick red whip caught him in the face, sending him stumbling. He glanced down at his health bar and saw it reduce by a third, a red ¡®21¡¯ flashing before his eyes. He tried to turn his backward momentum into a chance to put some distance between himself and his attacker, planting his feet and jumping backwards into a roll. He came up on one knee, That worked out surprisingly well, He was thankful for his athletic background. He focused on his bow, the intuitive inventory system dropping the weapon into his hand. He reached behind him to grab an arrow from the quiver. He found his fingers were moving more effectively than they had before. He nocked the arrow and drew the bowstring back turning his body sideways to make a smaller target and then finally he aimed at the tent. He waited one breath. Then two. Nothing happened. Since he had time, he figured he¡¯d ask: ¡°Why does it seem like I know how to shoot like an expert?¡± The guide spoke up,
As you increase your skill levels through practice, a natural adaptation occurs in your body. Leveling your skills up upgrades your actual physical ability. In some cases, that is damage related. In others, that is related to the precision required by the activity.
Thoughts of the Matrix flashed through his head. ¡°I know Kung Fu.¡± He snapped himself back into a more serious mode, his eyes watching the tent so closely they practically drilled holes in the fabric. It seemed like he would have to move first. ¡°Basi, draw whatever¡¯s in there out here.¡± The lizard rushed forward into the tent, and his mighty jaws could be heard chomping down. Saul felt anxiety through their bond as his companion backed up, as if Basi was intimidated by the enemy. The lizard backed through the flap, and a second later a large crimson blob hopped out into the square. Saul was waiting. With his breath held deeply, he released his grip on the string. A quiet vibrating twang sounding out as the force of the string was transferred into the arrow. The projectile shot forward and slammed into the giant Slime. A giant health bar appeared over the monster¡¯s head that read:
King Crimson, Lvl 3
Compared to the other slimes he was significantly larger. Several whip-like protrusions emerged from its outer layer, the slime itself having a radius of nearly two meters and the whips extending out three or four meters each. Drawing in another breath, he prepared another arrow and let it fly. It scored a hit against the slime, and suddenly Saul saw its health bar - 94% full. He gave Basi a mental nudge to resume the attack. His lizard rushed forward, looking to take a big bite out of King Crimson - But the massive slime wasn¡¯t having any of it, and he knocked Basi away with his whips, the force of the blow significantly greater than what the basic slimes had been capable of. Despite the lizard¡¯s hardier skin, a red ¡®12¡¯ floated over his head, a good fifth of his health gone in just one attack. This is going to be a tough one.. Saul thought as he nocked another arrow and took careful aim this time. He felt that energy he¡¯d absorbed coursing throughout his body, but focused it into his fingertips, feeling the connection between the bow and his hands. Then, with another exhale to push the energy , he tried to force the energy into the bow itself. A soft hum began to sound from the bow, a sign that his attempt might have worked. He felt a tenuous connection to that energy in the bow and willed it towards the arrow as beads of sweat began to form on his brow from the sheer effort of will. It seemed to take an eternity, but in reality this whole process took less than a second. With King Crimson focused on Basi and rebuking his attempts to close the distance, Saul was able to focus. He was able to infuse the arrow with that energy with one last push, and a soft glow enveloped the arrowhead as he did so. He sucked in as much air as his lungs could handle, giving his body strength. He took careful aim at the slime targeting what he assumed would be a weak spot - Its eyes. They seem like they¡¯re made of a different material¡­ While holding his breath, he released the arrow. It seemed to thunder forward compared to his previous shots accelerating at a much greater speed. While he wasn¡¯t a physicist, he knew that greater acceleration meant greater force so he expected the shot to do a lot of damage. Indeed when it pierced the massive slime¡¯s eye a large red ¡®64!¡¯ appeared over the monster¡¯s head, far more damage than he¡¯d had to do to any of the little slimes. His health bar sat at around 80% after that attack. The shot didn¡¯t stop King Crimson, rather it just seemed to drive it mad. Forgetting Basi, the slime began to hop towards Saul at a surprisingly quick pace. Saul backpedaled while getting another arrow ready, but he hadn¡¯t practiced moving and shooting which left him fumbling with the arrow when he tried to nock it. Giving Basi a mental command to attack the slime while it was distracted, he turned and ran towards the entrance of the camp. He outpaced the monster slightly, increasing the distance between his fragile body and the hard hitting King Crimson. He heard the sounds of Basi taking a bite out of the slime but he was able to sense the creature¡¯s focus. He could tell it was still after him. Fumbling around, he finally succeeded in getting the arrow ready. He risked the slime¡¯s wrath, turning to face it and drawing the bowstring in one smooth motion. The monster wasted no time, lashing out with two of its whip-like appendages, one aiming at Saul¡¯s head from the right, the other at his knees from the left. Crap! Saul thought, relaxing his hold on the string. Drawing in another deep breath and willing the energy to his legs, Saul jumped backwards as far as he possibly could, soaring across the ground in a leap that would have seemed impossible to him earlier that day. He landed four meters away from the slime and drew in a deep breath. He was clear of the tents now, the massive crimson monster hopping towards him from the village. He pulled the bowstring back and took a half a moment to aim at the slime¡¯s eyes again, focusing on the one that hadn¡¯t been hit - The other was closed, probably from the wound - and firing. A glancing blow just caught the edge of King Crimson¡¯s remaining opened eye, ¡®27!¡¯ flashing overhead. Must need a direct hit to blind him¡­Basi continued to attack the Slime with his mouth, tearing big chunks of flesh out and prompting a series of small numbers to arise over its head, ¡®3!¡¯ ¡®5!¡¯ Saul jumped to his feet again and took off running, this time running past the Slime, dodging those whips as they came too close. He passed Basi as well, hoping the Slime would focus on his pet for a moment, and brought another arrow to the bowstring. He didn¡¯t hear the sounds of the slime jumping after him, so he planted his feet and turned, sliding slightly on the soft ground, drawing in another deep breath. He willed his energy into the arrow once more and took aim. With his entire body tense, he took careful aim at the remaining eye and let loose. The arrow sprouted out of the monster¡¯s eye and a large red ¡®68!¡¯ appeared overhead. King Crimson¡¯s other eye closed at that point and a status floated up from its head: Blinded. Sweet, that should make it easier to¡­ Saul¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when the monster began flailing about with his whips, a whirlwind of destruction that seemed almost a flawless offense and defense. The monster¡¯s health bar read: 20%, but he seemed more dangerous than ever. The blows it was unleashing were so forceful that they cracked the ground wherever they landed and it hopped around in all directions as it rained these attacks down. Saul sent a mental command to Basi to pull back to a safe distance and reached into his quiver, his fingers brushing against those few arrows left as he withdrew another. It was nearly empty. Nocking the arrow, he drew in a deep breath. Turning to take his proper stance, legs shoulder width apart, he pulled the string back. He paused as he drew the arrow back past his head and concentrated on pushing the power from his breath into the projectile again. He loosed the string and watched it soar towards the King Crimson¡­ Only to be slapped away by one of those flailing tentacles. That would be a problem. He drew another arrow, deep breath in, aim, loose¡­ This arrow also got knocked down. Frustrated, he willed the bow into his inventory and decided to try his dagger. Flipping the weapon in his hand with a flourish, he observed those appendages, watching as they moved in what initially seemed to be a chaotic fashion. He began to see a pattern to the flailing, one that made it seem as though he¡¯d be able to make it in. The only problem was that he couldn¡¯t guarantee he wouldn¡¯t be hit and he knew he couldn¡¯t take much more punishment. ¡°What happens if I die, guide?¡± The response was swift, and ominous.
Death in the dungeon is permanent unless you¡¯ve found an extra life hidden throughout the dungeon or as a rare quest reward.
Saul gulped. "I can do this."Another deep breath helped to steady his nerves. He looked over to Basi, "We can do this." He looked between the flailing appendages, and the holes they were leaving in the ground with each strike. "...Maybe I can''t do this." He turned away from King Crimson and took off running. The monster, as if able to sense his presence, shrieked. A piercing sound split his eardrum, so loud it drowned out all thought and threatened to drive him to his knees. He took a stumbling step backwards and the sound ceased. Must be from King Crimson..."I guess we can''t escape this one, buddy." His grip tightened on the hilt of his dagger as he turned to face the monster once more. He looked around for anything that could help him with the monster. King Crimson was between Saul and the village, and he had some sort of ability to stop Saul from running. He''d have to make do with what he had, then. He forced the energy to gather in his hand, concentrating it further and further towards his right hand where he held his dagger. He willed the energy into the weapon as he pulled his hand back. He was assuming the arrows were getting slapped down because they didn¡¯t have much momentum. A heavier dagger at the same speed should have better luck. He directed half of his gathered energy into the weapon itself, then he began to force the rest into his legs and hips. He stepped forward with his lead food, hips torquing, arm extending, and the dagger exploded from his fingers. It flew true towards King Crimson and as one of those flailing appendages swung down the dagger actually pierced through it and continued until it buried itself in the massive slime¡¯s gelatinous body, another huge damage marker appearing overhead. Saul exploded into action, running forward behind the dagger itself, ducking low to avoid one of those whips and reaching the inside of the monster¡¯s guard. He ripped the dagger free and began to plunge it into King Crimson¡¯s body frantically, slipping and dodging each whipping appendage in the small amount of space he had to the best of his ability. He wasn¡¯t perfect, however, and he did take a heavy glancing blow on his shoulder from one appendage ¡®18!¡¯ flashed before his eyes. The hit was so powerful his knees quaked and his back screamed out in pain. That wasn¡¯t good. He had 21 health left. It was a war of attrition that he couldn¡¯t escape at this point. A glance at the King¡¯s health bar indicated he was down to his final 1% of health. As Saul stabbed forward with what seemed as though it¡¯d be the killing blow, he saw another appendage falling towards him at such a speed he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could take the hit, so he did what he¡¯d learned to do from an early age. As he buried his dagger into the monster one last time, he leaned back away from the appendage, accelerating as much as possible in the same direction the blow was coming from, his entire body groaning in protest as he took another massive hit. By moving with the hit he softened it enough, a red ¡®19!¡¯ flashing before his eyes as he was knocked backwards. He watched King Crimson explode into thousands of little pieces and saw:
Exp Gained: 260!
Flashing before his eyes just one moment before he hit the ground, a final damage marker displayed ''1!'' He looked at his own health bar in the bottom right corner of his vision. He could see that it was virtually empty and flashing an angry red color at him. He found himself on death''s doorstep. He shivered. He tried to draw in a breath. It felt like a thousand pound weight was sitting on his chest, stifling him. He tried to get up and realized he didn''t have the strength. Mentally pulling up his inventory, he imagined the minor health pill appearing in his hand. He felt the weight of the pill as it dropped into his hand, no more than a few ounces, yet to Saul felt like it weighed a million pounds. He reached up towards his mouth, his entire body screaming in agony as he managed to slip the pill into his mouth. He began to chew on the pill, even his jaw feeling like it had nothing left. He slipped into unconsciousness even as a healing light began to spread throughout his body. Basi proved to be a faithful companion and moved to guard him while he healed. A treasure bag appeared next to his unconscious form. A few minutes later he came to, his body feeling better but still wracked by intense agony. He reached out to brush the treasure bag, notifications appearing before him:
Item(s) gained: Intermediate Short Sword! Arrows(300) Minor healing pillx2!
He drew in a deep breath, I¡¯m just going to lay here for a while¡­ His eyes were on his health bar, reading 40%. Every few seconds, it seemed to increase by a %. He¡¯d wait it out, then he and Basi would return to the Blue Slime. 04: Moving On When Saul returned to the Blue Slime village, he was greeted by the Elder who somehow had an anxious expression on his face. Saul gave the man a small smile and a reassuring nod, ¡°It is done.¡± The Elder suddenly smiled broadly with the expression seeming almost human to Saul. The Elder rushed forward and extended two large slimy protrusions from his body, using them to grab Saul in a crushing hug. Hard to¡­ Breathe¡­ Saul returned the slime¡¯s embrace, his fingers feeling the texture of his gelatinous body - Soft and moist and yet somehow still dry. He patted the Elder¡¯s back, odd ripples running through his body, and then choked out, ¡°Need¡­ Air¡­¡± The Elder let him go quickly with a surprising flush in the contours above his mouth. Apparently Slimes can blush. ¡°So sorry about that! It¡¯s just¡­ We¡¯ve been having so many problems lately. It wasn¡¯t always like this. The slimes you defeated used to be much like us. They were peaceful and friendly, and our villages had a great relationship.¡± Saul nodded, ¡°I understand. I¡¯d like to hear more, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± The Elder continued on, ¡°Not long ago, a strange light shone in the sky, and when we next visited our friends we found them replaced by those crimson slimes. I¡¯ll tell you more, but we should get comfortable.¡± The Elder began to hop towards the village square and Saul walked alongside him. There were several large logs placed around the fire at a comfortable distance. Saul took a seat there and faced the Elder, who continued. ¡°The light brought changes to the land, the likes of which we¡¯ve never seen. Many of the species that live here began to grow more aggressive. We slimes have always lived off of the land, only fighting whenever we were attacked, but lately we began to face more attacks. That¡¯s why we went to talk to the Wheaton tribe.¡± The Elder drew in a deep breath as a negative expression crossed over his face. ¡°We found that their Elder had been replaced by King Crimson. I¡¯m still not sure if King Crimson was their Elder who was somehow transformed, or if he was another slime that took over¡­ But either way he was much more hostile to us than we ever expected. They began to attack us. We tried to talk, but...¡± He seemed distraught. Saul said, "I''m sure you did all you could to help them." Saul found himself leaning forward as the Slime continued to talk. At the next pause he asked ¡°Going back to that strange light, what do you think it was? Why do you think you were spared by changes?¡± The Elder tilted ever so slightly to the side, the motion giving Saul the impression of a man stroking his chin. ¡°I couldn¡¯t rightly say what it was. Something changed things here. I don¡¯t know if it was limited to the Prairie or if it had an effect on the rest of the Dungeon. As far as-.¡± Saul took a chance to interrupt Elder, ¡°Sorry, you said the rest of the Dungeon?" "As I understand it each level is self-contained, though some members of each race can travel between the levels. I can''t tell you much about the rest of the Dungeon.¡± ¡°Some members of each race can travel between levels? Not everyone? Do you know anything about a doorway that looks like this?¡± He summoned his bow at his last question and used the tip of the bow stave to begin drawing the doorway he¡¯d entered through. The slime leaned over him as he worked, watching as the drawing was completed. Saul worked off memory but he tried to include the glyphs on the doorway as best as he recalled them. Elder nodded as the drawing took shape though a confused expression crossed his face as he looked at the glyphs, ¡°Well, that looks like the Doorway between this level and the Mountains. The symbols seem different though. Maybe each doorway has its own symbols. I¡¯m not one of the slimes who has been through the doorway to the Mountains so I wouldn¡¯t rightly know as I haven¡¯t seen any others. Now, back to what I was saying about the light. It started suddenly and seemed to wash through the entire prairie. I couldn¡¯t tell you why we weren¡¯t affected when so many other creatures were, I just know that we weren¡¯t.¡± Each question I ask only begets more questions. I¡¯ll let it lie for now. Saul smiled to the Slime and did what he could to suppress his curiosity, ¡°Thank you for the information. Would it be possible for me to get some sleep here?¡± The Elder signaled to one of the other slimes somehow, as one came hopping up with a bag that they set at Saul¡¯s feet. His eyebrows rose as he looked between the bag and the Elder. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± ¡°We have to say thank you somehow. You, as a total stranger, had no reason to help us but you did it anyway and for that we¡¯re truly grateful! I hope these tokens of our appreciation help you on your future journeys.¡± Saul leaned forward to open the bag, I¡¯m not sure how that helps me get some rest¡­ He opened the bag and leaned forward, his eyes searching inside of it for the contents. Three things were found inside:
Item(s) gained: Intermediate Leather Vest, Tent, Sleeping Roll
¡°This is really great, but you don¡¯t need to give me anything, really!¡± The Elder shook his head and gestured to the items, ¡°These are of no use to us. When someone helps you, you help them." Saul¡¯s smile grew so wide he felt pain in his cheeks, "That''s very kind of you! I wish I could do more than just say thank you." He equipped the leather vest immediately. It was soft and supple and conformed to his body as if custom made just for him. Elder shook his head. "You have done much for us. There''s nothing to worry about at all. We''d like to do a little more for you." Saul smiled at Elder, reaching out to rest his hand on the top of the slime. It felt interesting beneath his fingers. "I appreciate you all. For now..." He paused for a moment as a large yawn escaped him, his head tilted back. "I''m exhausted. I need to get some rest. If you''ll excuse me..." He went to the edge of the village with his animal companion plodding along faithfully behind and withdrew his new tent from his inventory, working to set it up quickly. It was surprisingly intuitive. Once everything was set up, he told Basi to stay outside and then entered the tent and laid out his bedroll. Surprisingly enough the interior of the tent was nearly pitch black. Whatever the fabric was made of seemed to act like a big blackout curtain. Perfect. It didn¡¯t take long at all for him to fall into a blissful sleep. When he next opened his eyes, it took him a few moments to remember everything that had happened. His first thoughts were, I¡¯ve got to get home somehow. He lay there for a few moments, his eyes acclimating to the dark inside the tent. He rolled to his side and crawled to the flap of the tent, shying back from the light as he opened it. Retreating back into the tent, he took a few moments to gather his thoughts. Let¡¯s see¡­ The Guide said that there¡¯s a portal back home on Level 5. I need to get there as soon as possible. Visions of the destruction that had occurred alongside the emergence of the Dungeon flashed before his eyes, unbidden. He drew in a shaky breath as the memory played itself out. I hope everyone back home is okay¡­ He began to think of his friends in the city. From there, his family. Unbidden, images flashed through his head of a beautiful couple, their faces just beginning to show signs of wrinkles, the man¡¯s hair colored with a lot of salt in his pepper. Mom¡­ Dad¡­ I¡¯ll be home soon¡­ I will see you again. He drew in a deep breath and focused on centering himself, centering his thoughts. He had a job to do. He crawled out of the tent with a greater sense of purpose, his eyes adjusting to the low level of light. Night had fallen on the Slime village of Prairie¡¯s Edge. Basi was sleeping beside the tent but as Saul moved past him, the lizard shook himself out of his slumber and took his side by his master. ¡°Good boy.¡± The monstrous lizard leaned his head against Saul¡¯s side for a moment, the weight feeling comfortable and bringing a smile to his lips. An orange glow flickered in the town square and then suddenly roared to life, a brilliant fire being built in the middle of the town. Elder slime hopped out to stand Is he standing? Is he sitting? What would I say a slime is doing when it¡¯s not hopping? before him and gave what Saul took to be the slime equivalent of a bow. "What''s going on?" Saul asked. "Come with me." Elder responded before he turned and hopped towards the bonfire with Saul following close behind. He saw that they¡¯d set up several tables near the bonfire that were arranged in a semi-circle, with several platters sitting atop those tables that were loaded with food. Above the fire, Saul was able to see a large spit set up with a massive boar skewered through two slimes on either end of the fire rotating the spit. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you ate meat.¡± Elder nodded as he reached his seat and gestured to the seat nearest him, ¡°As I mentioned, we live off the land. We are self-sufficient farmers and we raise Marathi boars which are said to be one of the finest delicacies in the lower levels of the Dungeon. We worked hard to prepare this feast, and we hope you enjoy it!¡± At that statement the feast seemed ready to begin and Saul reached out to the platters before him, grabbing from the platter that held fruit and vegetables. Many of the fruits looked somewhat similar to those found on Earth but some were totally unique with odd shapes, colors, even textures. He made short work of those fruits, savoring the unique flavors that seemed so familiar yet totally different than anything he¡¯d ever experienced. Before long the Boar seemed ready and a slime with a massive knife was carving the beast. His platter was brought before slime, whom Saul learned was called Chef, and it was loaded down with meat. When Saul had an opportunity to taste it he found it was like nothing he¡¯d ever had before. Succulent, juicy, delicious! This pork was probably the best he¡¯d ever had. Perfectly salted and seasoned, the meat was tender and perfect. It fell apart the second he placed it into his mouth. It¡¯s like heaven¡­ ¡°Please don¡¯t forget Basi! He worked as hard as I did. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d love to have some of this pork.¡± Before long Basi had a platter that was even more loaded down with pork set before him. The lizard didn¡¯t waste any time before he scarfed down all that the platter offered and looked up expectantly. The slimes being the perfect hosts that they were, were tireless in ensuring that he had all he wanted. The night was beautiful. Saul appreciated their hospitality. By the time the evening was winding down he was as full as he could imagine and was more than ready to pass out. ¡°Thank you for everything! It was as amazing as I could have hoped. You are as gracious as any hosts I¡¯ve had but I¡¯m afraid I''m still tired after everything that''s happened. I''ll need to get some sleep.¡± Elder nodded and clapped. The slimes managed to clean everything up quickly and efficiently and Saul bid them goodnight, retiring to his tent and falling to sleep quickly.
He dreamed. He didn''t dream of the Dungeon, of his adventures, or of his family. He dreamed of destruction. He dreamed of disasters. Of Death. He was floating high above a city that seemed familiar. His eyes roamed across the skyline, dotted with phenomenally tall buildings that spoke of a rich, well developed city. One in particular caught his eye, a massive tower that rose well above every other building, twisting and unique in its architecture. Is that the Shanghai Tower? It looks like it. Why am I dreaming of China? He looked down. He could just barely make out vehicles moving around on the ground below.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. He looked out to the east and saw the ocean, nothing but beautiful water filling his sight stretching into the horizon. He willed himself forward, trying to fly. Nothing happened. Suddenly, in the horizon he could see a disturbance in the water, a wave that seemed to be growing and growing as it rolled in. It was massive. Bigger than any wave he''d seen. It only seemed to gain strength as it surged towards the city. The ocean receded. Far, far away from the shore. "Look out!" He shouted down below. Nobody could hear him. He was too far up. The wave continued forward and smashed into the city unimpeded. It came up nearly a tenth of the height of that massive building. So much water surged onto the land it seemed as if the ocean was trying to reclaim that section of the Earth. He almost felt as if he could hear the screams of those down below. Hear their pain. The ocean began to recede. Devastation was left in its wake, many of the buildings demolished. Even those skyscrapers, proud and tall, were stripped bare on their lowest levels, glass panes stolen away by the fury of the sea. As the water continued to recede, he could see something on the beach. A gateway. Just like the one he''d fallen through.
He had more nightmares. Visions of other cities suffering from calamitous disasters. He woke up in a chill, his body drenched with sweat. Through the small opening in his tent flap he could see that it was still dark. Need to sleep some more¡­ He thought and tried to calm himself. He closed his eyes once more and eventually fell back asleep, this time dreams of the Dungeon itself waiting for him. He saw events that didn¡¯t make any sense to him. He saw a flash of light that had massive ramifications on the Prairie, warping friendly slimes into crimson beasts. In a land that was unfamiliar to him, he saw a tall figure in a cowl who towered above a mountainous landscape. Strings extended from his fingers, and on the ends of those strings short and stumpy humanoids fought one another and died. He saw a land with wondrously tall trees, and in them shadowy figures fought one another, vague impressions of a fair and beautiful people coming to him through those shadows. Before long he woke again, the faint light of morning peeking through the flaps of his otherwise dark tent. He packed everything up and got ready to depart, Basi waking up as he finished getting his tent prepared and withdrew it into his inventory. The slimes were found gathering in the village square where his and Basi''s breakfast awaited: a large platter of salted pork from the previous evening. Just before he departed Elder offered him a large bag that was filled with salted and cured meat and a large water skin. He willed the items into his inventory and bowed to express his gratitude to the slimes. Elder nodded, "Before you go, I should tell you, if you go to the doorway and move along the pathway there to the east, eventually you''ll come across an area designed for training your weapon skills. I would advise you to spend some time there before you move on." "Thank you for all of your hospitality! I''ll try to come back and visit some day!" The two of them set out from Prairie''s Edge with full stomachs. The training area sounded good, but he was eager to be getting on to the next level. Their journey to the edge of the mountains was uneventful compared with their initial treks in the Prairie. They encountered few monsters, none of which Saul found particularly interesting. The further they got from Prairie''s Edge the less common the artifact sites he''d stumbled upon became. ''The Slimes must not have ever settled this far out from the center of the Prairie. I wonder why.'' Their quest continued, man and lizard moving on at a hurried but sustainable pace. As the Sun Is it the sun? Only Sol is the Sun. What do they call their star? reached it''s highst point in the day the ground began to rise and fall more steadily. They were in the shadows of those massive mountains now. The flat prairie had given way to foothills which he could tell would soon give way to mountainous terrain and passes. From the peak of one of those hills Saul could see a gate rising up in the distance, one that looked a lot like the doorway he''d gone through to wind up in the dungeon in the first place. Once he was within throwing distance of the gate, the Guide spoke up,
By crossing through this gate, you will leave Level I and enter Level II. Upon entering Level II, the Guide is disabled, but there will still be written instructions and certain basic concepts can be reviewed by selecting ''Help'' in the status screen. Be advised, by entering Level II you are leaving the safe zone. Other dungeon delvers can be found in the following levels, and unless you are in a designated safe zone, there is player-killing enabled.
That was kind of... Ominous. Saul had decided early on that he was interested in exploring all the mysteries of the Dungeon, but he didn''t really think about encountering other people, and he definitely didn''t consider that those people might not be friendly. He cultivated for quite a while there at the gate, focusing on the movement of energy into his body. As he fell into a state of meditation, he considered his options. He could stay here and explore this first level some more, searching for any secrets that it may hold. He could probably stand to learn more about the dungeon before he moved on. Or he could take that fateful step that would lead him into the next level. As far as he knew, he was one of the first humans in the Dungeon. That should mean that nobody would have a significant advantage over him at this point, so he shouldn''t have to worry about people who might have murderous intent. At the same time, it wouldn''t hurt to know more about how things worked. He turned away from the gate and moved a few paces to the side of it. He reached forward and touched a spot directly in line with the gate, only for his hand to come into contact with some form of barrier. "Guide, what''s this?" The response was quick,
Levels are self-contained. There is a barrier that surrounds each level and keeps them separate from each other.
That was interesting. If he understood things correctly, he could travel around this first level near the edge of the barrier, exploring it to the fullest and honing his skills before he returned to this spot. "How long would it take to traverse this level?" The guide responded,
Level I is also known as The Prairie. It is a small level compared to the others, no more than a day''s travel from any one point to another.
That sounded pretty good. He looked to his pet, "What do you think Basi?" The lizard looked at him blankly. "I know, I know. You could care less. Well, it couldn''t hurt to learn more about the Dungeon. Let''s see about finding that training area." He set off with Basi, running at a comfortable pace on the pathway that closely hugged the edge of the barrier. Eventually he came across a copse of trees. That was curious - He hadn''t really come across any trees anywhere else. He looked around cautiously, trying to ensure there were no enemies nearby lying in wait. He didn''t expect that here, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He crept forward into the copse. It wasn''t very large as far as he could tell, but the undergrowth was dense and the trees did a good job blocking off any sunlight. After a few minutes of walking through the forest, he came across an area that seemed to fit Elder''s description. There were several dummies, made of straw or quilt, lined up. Next to the dummies were wooden weapons of all sorts, swords, axes, even spears. All had blunted tips or were made entirely from wood. The area wasn''t designed with just melee combat in mind - there were a multitude of targets there for ranged weapons. A barrel full of arrows was somewhat near the targets. Deciding it would be wise to get some practice in, he grabbed a handful of the arrows and went and stood a hundred paces from the target. Focusing on his breathing, he drew back and released while holding in a deep breath. The arrow whistled through the air and caught the target somewhere between the inner and outer rings. That was ok, but it wasn''t good enough. He considered what he''d done wrong - It felt like he''d relaxed slightly before he released the arrow, maybe that had something to do with throwing off his aim - And tried to correct it. Breathing in deep again, he let another arrow fly and found it landing somewhat closer to the target. He practiced in this way for close to an hour, until he was able to consistently nail the center of the target with his shots. He took a quick break, settling down to enjoy a snack and drink some water. His lizard was asleep, and had been for some time - This practice clearly wasn''t very exciting for him. Saul moved to stand 200 paces away from the target and began to practice some more. When he was consistent from 200 pacess, he moved to 300 paces. Ultimately, he realized that combat wouldn''t be anything like this. He''d heard of tactical shooting classes that had the students jog a mile and then try to shoot. Maybe that was a good idea? He''d have to give it a try. He ran over to the combat dummy and grabbed the wooden sword. He took a stance, his feet shoulder width apart and held the sword firmly in his right hand. He pivoted, his hips shifting and his weight transfering into the sword as he brought it down on the dummy with a loud ''Crack!'' He repeated these strikes, a hundred of them, then he began to swing at the dummy from the other side. Then he practiced stabbing motions, alternating between stabbing high and low on the dummy. He spent a good thirty minutes working on his form, trying to pay attention to his balance the whole time. He wasn''t any good with a sword, but he figured practice had to help. When he got to the point where breathing was difficult, he jogged back over to the targets and stood 100 paces out and took a shot... And missed the target entirely. That wasn''t good. He''d have to work on that. To maintain his active state, he would leap from side to side, then plant his feet and shoot an arrow. In his mind, it was good practice for him in the event he ever needed to jump out of the way of an enemy''s attack before firing. He spent a lot of time working on his accuracy. He spent so much time practicing shooting in various ways, that he didn''t even notice that it was nearly dark by the time he was done. His accuracy was a lot better though, in every way. He noticed that he hadn''t leveled up in archery despite his improvements. "What do skill levels determine, again?" The guide responded,
Skill levels determine many things. For weapon skills, they determine damage. If they have proficiency skills, such as dual-wield, they determine the ability to use two weapons successfully. Some skills, like Cultivate level as they are practiced and control the overall benefits that can be received.
From the sound of things, having a high level in a skill didn''t necessarily mean you had mastered it. You could have a high archery skill, and your arrows would hit for huge amounts of damage, but you might not have enough accuracy to hit the broad side of a barn. Interesting. He unfurled his sleeping pad and lay there below the stars. Even through the trees he could see a ton of stars dotting the night sky. It was beautiful. Between the lovely night sky and the aches and pains in his muscles from a full day of training, he didn''t stay awake long. He fell into a deep sleep and didn''t stir again until the morning. After a peaceful night, he woke Basi and together they set out from the copse, continuing their circle of the first level. Theydidn''t come across much else that was interesting, but he did come up with a number of questions to ask the guide, and he did come up with some things to test for himself. Let''s see... He thought as he walked along, Quest log! Hm... Nope. Quests!... Nothing... Log! With that, a screen popped up before him that read:
Active Quests: 0 Completed Quests: 1
Save the Red Slime Village
That seemed useful to know about. What other menu screens are there? Inventory! Up popped another box, this one detailing everything he had in his possession.
Intermediate Leather Vest This vest is crafted with superior quality for level I - It has strong durability
Intermediate Short Sword This Short Sword is quick and has an exceptionally sharp blade
Minor Healing Pill x3 This pill heals for 50 health
Basic Bow + Arrows This is a beginner''s ranged weapon
Basic Cloth Pants? These are stylish pants that offer protection from little other than public indecency
Basic Dagger This is a rusty dagger that has seen better days
He wondered how other things worked, like parties. "Are there parties in this world?" The Guide responded,
Parties can be formed between consenting adventurers. Denizens of the dungeon may join parties as well, though they may not be able to continue on with the party past the initial level in which they are formed.
Saul was glad he was taking his time to learn more, worried about the dangers ahead. Eventually he found himself before the gate once more. He reached down to pet Basi and looked to his companion for assurance. Drawing a deep breath, he steeled himself and took that small step forward, feeling the gate conform around his body. 05: Bel Dharim Meanwhile, in the Real World: She was ducked beneath an old mahogany desk, the sturdiest desk she owned, and she was holding onto the leg for dear life. Her entire body was trembling and would have been even if the tremors had passed. Her knuckles were white with the effort and her arms shook with the strain she was feeling. She winced each and every time she heard something inside break, trying to retreat further and further into herself as if she could just curl up and wait out this nightmare. That¡¯s the only thing I really can do, though¡­ Somewhere outside her window, a loud boom echoed through the city. There goes another one. She thought. What the hell is going on here?! The city shouldn¡¯t be getting hit with quakes like this! The ground seemed to respond angrily to her thoughts, the quake intensifying even further. The sound of another building collapse could be heard somewhere in the city, the sound unimaginably loud. As suddenly as it started things came to a halt. I should try to get out of here. She released the leg of the table and crawled out from beneath it. She climbed to her feet and looked around her apartment. Trashed. Oh well, I didn¡¯t have anything important anyways. She grabbed her purse, blessedly unharmed, and ran to the door. She threw her door open and ran outside. As she looked around, her jaw dropped open, a horrified glint in her eyes. The block was decimated, buildings to her left and right reduced to rubble, cars crushed under massive concrete blocks. The screams of thousands of people, thousands of her neighbors rang out all around her, sobs of horror and fear intermingling with those screams. Why is this happening? She would try not to worry about it until she was safe. She ran down the street, climbing over wrecked cars, downed streetlights, downed power lines, in some cases climbing over the rubble of one of the beautiful buildings that had made this street so attractive to her when she moved in. It wasn¡¯t until she turned onto 5th avenue that she realized the true extent of the destruction. Where she had become used to seeing the Trump Tower was just empty space. A little further down the street, she could see an absence where she¡¯d come to expect the Rockefeller Center. It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s all gone.
In the Dungeon... Saul opened his eyes. Resolve was evident in his gaze as he examined the gateway to the next level. He took a deep breath and looked down to his animal companion, ready for whatever was to come. He steeled himself and moved forward one step at a time. As he walked through the gateway he felt the cool liquid that shimmered between the stones envelop his body. He breathed in deeply as he felt the light pass by. The air was moist and felt cool as it entered his nostrils. There was a hint of musk in the air. The smell of moss and stone, of pure water, with the faintest hints of an alpine environment. He could also smell energy in the air, Qi that seemed as old and unyielding as the earth itself. Should I still call the ground earth? What do they call it here, anyways? Opening his eyes he found himself looking at massive stone slabs rising from the softly rolling hillside, as if the land had broken open at some point and attempted to kiss the sky. The Mountains were beautiful in color, vivid reds intermingling with hints of white and large slabs of brown. Further up green trees could be seen dotting the mountains and even further up pure white fields capped each mountaintop. The mountains themselves were as varied as the environments they contained, some of them jagged as steak knives while others were worn smooth. That doesn''t seem right... Mountains usually all have similar characteristics. Are these all the same age? All of these details were revealed to him by stepping through the gate. It was as if he¡¯d seen an impression of the mountains before crossing through the doorway but now every detail was available for him to appreciate in all its vivid glory. He blinked and turned around and looked behind him at the level he¡¯d just exited. He could still see the Prairie but it looked different somehow as if just a little out of focus. Looking down revealed a cobblestone pathway for him to follow. He moved forward along the path with Basi by his side. Through their bond Saul could feel the faintest hints of anxiety. The lizard wasn¡¯t familiar with this type of environment. The cooler climate probably didn¡¯t agree with the reptile¡¯s circulation if lizards even had the same physiology here. For all he knew, Basi was warm blooded. Before they had gone too far they arrived at a crossroads. Planted firmly in the ground by the divergent paths was a signpost that read: NORTHERN PASS - Mountain Pass EAST - Dwarven Village of Bel Dharim WEST - Mines He thought for a moment and decided it would be best to gather some more information to start with before he delved deeper into the level. East it was! He and Basi set forth on the eastern path which wound along the foothills at a comfortable elevation, without too many topographical changes. The path was cobblestone and appeared to be well maintained. The level of repairs on the road as well as lack of dirt or debris informed him of the close proximity to the village. Dwarves, eh? I wonder what they¡¯re like. For real dwarves? Like in DnD? Or maybe they¡¯re different from what I expect. I¡¯m going to make it home somehow, but¡­ I should really appreciate this for what it is. His feet found the first imperfection in the road as he let his thoughts distract him. He managed to catch himself before he fell and decided it would probably be best if he paid more attention to his surroundings. From what he could see of the road each stone was perfectly cut and shaped. It was, that one imperfection aside, as impressive as any of the ancient roads he¡¯d seen before. These dwarves build roads as well as Romans. I wonder what the technology is like here. Saul¡¯s sense of time wasn¡¯t particularly well developed here. Based on the movement of the star he¡¯d have guessed they had been walking for just over three hours when they summited the tallest hill yet and the village came into view. Situated on the next hill which was still tall but quite a bit shorter than his vantage point. He stood there and admired the town for a while, long enough that Basi moved over to nuzzle against his legs. Affection, or warmth? Either way that¡¯s a good boy. He saw a village with a sizable wall, carefully crafted with parapets and guard towers. Just over the wall he could see hints of a town almost entirely constructed of stone. Buildings ranging from one story to a few were visible to him, a mixed construction of perfectly squared buildings and more artistic ones that had sloped roofs and a great deal of character. Well it certainly looks like something out of a video game¡­ Let¡¯s go check it out. ¡°Come on, Basi!¡± They ran to the gate where a gruff figure slid a pole arm over the gate and then demanded, "State your business." The dwarf growled up at him while looking every bit of what Saul had always expected - The dwarf was about four and a half feet tall, stocky as could be, with a full, bushy beard. The barrel-chested dwarf held the pike comfortably in place and was wearing full-plate armor. He fought down his excitement at seeing a real, live dwarf and answered as cooly as he could, "Ah... I''m just exploring. I was looking to do some trading and get some information about the area." The dwarf seemed to accept that answer. ¡°Better make sure you¡¯re not causing any trouble inside. We¡¯ve had some issues with visitors lately.¡± He grumbled before knocking his pike against the gate in what seemed to be the signal to open up as the sound of gears behind the wall could be heard turning before the gate began to rise. "Do you have any advice for someone who''s new to the village?" Saul wore his friendliest smile as he questioned the dwarf. He hoped that it was a disarming smile. ¡°Aye, like I said stay out of trouble. We¡¯ve had some issues with your kind coming in and acting foolish. Don¡¯t steal anything, don¡¯t start any fights and you should be fine. Another thing - Keep your animal in line.¡± A flash of displeasure trickled through the bond. Saul glanced down at Basi with raised eyebrows, ¡°He didn¡¯t mean anything by that, boy.¡± The lizard seemed mollified. Saul looked up and the city seemed to appear before him as the gate rose. First the ground was constructed. Then, the pathway was filled by different people and creatures. Dwarves dressed in all sorts of outfits, from rags to splendid plate armor. There were a few slimes in the crowd. He could see some taller figures moving between the crowd, some of them thickly built and obviously human. Some of them seemed human, but more slender, their movements more graceful. Above them buildings appeared. Then finally, sky as the gate clicked into place. ¡°Welcome to Bel Dharim.¡± The guard said, pulling his pike away from the gateway and ushering him in. Stepping forward, Saul was almost immediately assaulted by noise. It appeared to be some sort of market. ¡°Fish for sale! Get your fish!¡± One man cried out, ¡°Arrows! I¡¯ve got every kind you¡¯d want!¡± A fletcher cried as if in response. ¡°Finest weapons in the land! Come and see what fits your hand!¡± That drew a smirk. That was clever, a rhyming sales pitch. Saul looked left and right as he worked his way through the crowd. He took his time, pausing for a moment here or there to take a look at one merchant¡¯s wares or another. He knew that he wasn¡¯t likely to be able to afford anything. After all, he¡¯d just come to the Dungeon and he hadn¡¯t encountered anything that dropped something that looked like actual money. Basi seemed to attract a large amount of interest from the passers-by, all of whom did their best to give the powerfully built lizard a wide berth. Saul reached down to pat the lizard as the crowd parted for him. ¡°That¡¯s a good boy.¡± Reaching the end of the market street he found the crowd had thinned considerably. Against a wall nearby there was a small gathering of people around what looked like a bulletin board and he figured that was as good a place as any to gather some information about the area. He made his way over and read the listings with a curious eye. Some were just advertising, ¡°Best Armor for sale!¡± ¡°Looking for ore, contact Hemlet for details!¡± Others were requests for jobs to be done, ¡°Looking for a carpenter!¡± or ¡°Need some beasts exterminated!¡± That one caught his eye. Finally he saw something that looked useful for him, ¡°Contact the local authority for a large job. Problems in the mine need investigation - Several miners disappeared. Find source and eliminate problem.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. That sounded like his style. He reached up and grabbed the notification in hand before folding it up and placing it in his pocket. The only problem was he didn''t know where the local authorities were or whom it was he needed to contact. He began to wander throughout the town, looking for the right person to speak to about this notification. Eventually he wound up in front of what seemed to be the right building, one that was among the tallest and oldest looking in the village. Saul stepped through the door and walked to the desk. To the dwarf behind the counter, "Hello, I''d like to inquire about this notice." The paper was placed on the counter. The dwarf took a long look at it, then up at him, then back down to the notice again. "This? It''s na'' a job for one person. I''ll tell ye about it, but we cannae recommend doing this without help." Saul nodded. "I¡¯m not alone. I have Basi with me. Now, about the job please!" The clerk looked at Basi, an amused expression flitting across his face. ¡°You can find people who might be willin'' to join ya at th¡¯ tavern. I think ye¡¯d best do tha¡¯. As far as the job... We''ve had a number o'' dissapearances in the mines that we cannae explain. Some o'' the miners reported hearin'' some scratchin'' or chitterin'' sounds, but I donnae know for sure what is causing the disappearances. We''ve had a fair bit o'' trouble to the east lately so I can''t spare the town guard." Saul inclined his head to the man and spun towards the door. If the man is right, I''ll need to find some help. He walked through the doors and out onto the street and set off with a purposeful stride. He was halfway down the street before he realized he didn''t know where the tavern was. Frustrated, but resolute that he wouldn''t ask for directions, he marched through the town in search of the tavern. When his day had started, the sun had been high overhead. By the time he arrived in front of the place, darkness was beginning to set on the city. "INN" was written in a lazy scrawl on a wooden sign hanging above the door. Pushing his way through the door, he had to squint as his eyes adjusted to the lighting inside. There was a small fire smoldering in the fireplace and a few lanterns hung on the wall in strategic places but this was lighting that could make anyone look good. That was usually why places that served drinks did it. There was a constant din in the place, as if everyone was trying to make sure their friends could hear them, then talking even louder when their neighbors did the same. He made his way to the bar and sat on the stool and looked throughout the room. His gaze swept over the various patrons and he saw a decent number of humans in the mix.There were a variety of different people in there. Many of the humans looked like they were taking full advantage of the Dungeon¡¯s unique world. There were people dressed in all sorts of arms and armor from obvious wizards to warriors. Other people! Sweet! He had half a mind to rush right up to the first person he saw, but as his gaze swept over the crowd, many people seemed somber. Subdued. I''ll play it cool. I don''t want to upset anyone. Leaning by the bar he saw a tall woman with a severe expression and a massive sword strapped across her back. Her body was heavily armored in what looked like bronze plate mail. She stood close to a thin man who was looking up at her with affection in his eyes. He was garbed in crimson, his handsome features peeking out from below a cowl. They appeared to be deep in conversation. More than any others present, those two seemed to give the impression of seasoned adventurers. As seasoned as anyone can be¡­ More importantly, they''re talking freely. Saul approached the bar next to the two of them. Basi followed close behind and moved to lay beneath the bar in front of his feet. He withdrew the chipped gemstones he¡¯d found and held them over the bar. ¡°Barkeep! Would this be enough to buy me some ale?¡± The dwarf came over and took a look in his hand. ¡°Looks valuable enough. I¡¯ll get you all the drink ye want for the night, some food, and a room to sleep in for them.¡± A huge grin spread across his face as he held up his hand, three fingers extended. Three mugs appeared in front of him. He slid two of them to the couple next to him. The man seemed to notice first. His back was turned to Saul, but his shoulders showed surprise as he found a mug sliding into the back of his hand and another shot past him into the woman¡¯s. He grasped the handle and stepped back, half-turning to open himself up to Saul. ¡°Thanks for the drink.¡± His companion nodded, her severe expression showing signs of distrust. Saul lifted his glass up to them and offered, ¡°Cheers.¡± before he took a sip. Delightful! The two of them exchanged a look before they took a synchronized sip. The man waited a moment before he introduced himself to Saul. His hand gripped Saul¡¯s. His hands were soft, hardly calloused at all. His grip was firm. ¡°Edwin,¡± He said with a friendly grin on his lips. ¡°And the lovely lady is my friend, Liza.¡± Saul released Edwin¡¯s hand and reached for hers. Her grip was strong, her hands heavily calloused. She¡¯d clearly been working with that massive weapon of hers. ¡°Hello,¡± She said. Curt. Distrust evident. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance! I should say, it isn¡¯t by chance that I¡¯m standing by you.¡± He drew in a deep breath and looked around behind them, "Are you guys... From around here?" He watched the both of them carefully. Liza didn''t flinch in the slightest. She was practically carved from stone. Edwin, though... His eyebrows raised enough to suggest that he wasn''t. "I''ll be more direct. Are you from Earth?" The man looked back to the woman behind him. Her mouth was drawn into a thin line. She shook her head slightly. He turned back to look at Saul. His eyebrows were raised slightly. A small smile graced his lips. His gaze was warm. Inviting. Finally, he spoke. "Yes. I''m from Earth. Liza is...Ow!" Edwin rubbed the back of his head tentatively. "I''m from Earth." Saul sighed, as if in relief, tension leaving his body. I was starting to think I''d never see another Earthling again. He looked around and made a broad gesture at the tavern, "What''s going on here, do you think? I''m from New York... Things got... Bad there before I fell into the doorway. Where are you from?" A cloud settled over Edwin''s features. "I''m from London. It was... Well..." He shook his head, falling silent. He looked down at his hands. Saul noticed that the hand resting on the mug was shaking so badly that his ale was spilling. He took a sip of his own drink and gave the man a moment to gather his thoughts. "It was bad, but I''m stuck here for now. All I can do is try to make the best of it." A shaky hand brought his mug to his lips. The sip seemed to give the man courage. "And I''ll get home eventually." Saul nodded. "I''ll drink to that." He raised his mug to meet the man''s in a solemn toast. They drank in silence for a few moments, lost in memories, before Saul spoke up, "I must admit, I had another reason for approaching you all." Liza¡¯s expression darkened while Edwin¡¯s remained open, even curious. ¡°I¡¯m looking to take on a job that may require some backup¡­ I was wondering if your classes would be a good mix with mine. I¡¯m a ranger. Shooting things from far away is my game.¡± Nodding at Liza, ¡°You seem like quite the warrior. Maybe it¡¯s the heavy armor, or maybe it¡¯s the giant sword, but I bet you¡¯re a force to be reckoned with. You¡­¡± He addressed Edwin, ¡°Well, I imagine you do some sort of magic. That¡¯s useful too.¡± ¡°Say we joined you. What¡¯s in it for us?¡± Liza asked immediately. Smart. ¡®She¡¯s the one who drives a hard bargain. This guy seems like he¡¯s ready to help already.¡¯ He shrugged, ¡°I can¡¯t really say. The local officials have offered some sort of reward. I imagine treasure is involved in whatever is causing the issue. We¡¯ll split it equally, as long as it makes sense. I won¡¯t take anything that makes me do spells better, for example. I don¡¯t have any magic.¡± Edwin nodded his assent, then looked behind him and up at Liza. Jesus, she¡¯s tall. Her expression was hard, but she gave a small nod. ¡°Great! Now, we need to find someone who can help keep us alive. A cleric, perhaps. Barkeep!¡± He yelled, banging on the bar to get the dwarf¡¯s attention. ¡°Do you know any clerics who¡¯d be free for a mission?¡± The dwarf nodded in the direction of one of the dwarves over by the fire. The man had chain mail on and a battle hammer hanging from his waist. ¡°Another round! An extra mug! And let¡¯s go get our healer.¡± Refills in hand, the three members of the group and Basi moved towards the dwarf. Saul came to stand before him. When Liza and Edwin moved closer, flanking him, Saul saw his hand drift nervously towards that battle hammer. ¡°Greetings, friend!¡± Saul shoved a drink at that hand. ¡°We¡¯re going adventuring and we hear you¡¯re the dwarf to talk to about keeping us alive!¡± He seemed startled, looking up at the three of them. ¡°What are you on about? Who says I¡¯m the dwarf to talk to?¡± Saul nodded towards the barkeep. ¡°Lindrin is always meddling in my affairs¡­ Aye, I¡¯m a cleric. What do you have to offer?¡± Saul reached into his pockets and pulled out the notice. ¡°How about the gratitude of the authorities of Bel Dharim? And a quarter of the treasure and reward?¡± He saw a glint in the dwarf¡¯s eye. Apparently he was the avaricious type. ¡°So, is that agreeable?¡± After a long moment, and a long draw on the ale, the dwarf nodded. ¡°Name¡¯s Reric. I¡¯ll keep you alive.¡± Saul brought his hand down on the dwarf¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Excellent! Tonight, we relax. We party. We drink. And we rest. We¡¯ve got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow!" They did just that. By the time Saul crawled into bed he felt like death warmed over. After a good night''s sleep, he just felt like he was on the edge of death. I''ll need to calm my stomach down before I can start my day. Let''s meditate. He took a seat on the ground in his meditative pose. He began to slip into his relaxed state, breathing deeply. Each breath in and out helped to calm his stomach. He felt the energy flowing in and out of his body. Inhale. Qi flowed into his body. Circulated through his system. Cleansed him. Exhale. Toxins flew out of his body. His stomach felt better. Inhale. More Qi entered. He focused on it''s path and tried to bring it near to his stomach as if to clean his sickness away. Exhale. More improvement. He spent the next hour like this. The gentle light of morning trickled through the curtains in the room. It warmed him. Gave him more energy. After a nice breakfast he''d be perfectly ready to take on whatever was lurking in the mines. He made his way downstairs and a large breakfast was placed in front of him by a new bartender who apparently knew of his arrangement with the previous barman. A huge pile of fluffy eggs, thick slices of bacon, fresh bread and honeyed butter. By the time he was done with breakfast, Liza and Edwin were making their way downstairs toghth. Reric came in a short while later through the front door. ''Invite Liza.'' He thought. Nothing happened. "There has to be a party system, right?" He asked Liza and Edwin. They nodded, "We''re in each other''s party, but we came through the gateway together." The dwarf scoffed as he looked up at all three of them. "You have to say it out loud. Parties are formed through verbal communication. Party invite: name." Saul nodded."Party invite: Reric! Party invite: Liza! Party invite: Edwin!" Before long, all three of their statuses were displayed near his own. He could see their health bars as well as their mana. ''Well then...'' Saul grinned at his new companions, "Let''s head out!" 06: Entering The Mines Things are going pretty well, Saul thought to himself as his group exited the tavern. The streets of Bel Dharim were mostly empty early in the morning which gave the party an opportunity to appreciate the beauty in the town. ¡°It¡¯s like a medieval village,¡± Liza breathed out. Saul couldn¡¯t help but agree, ¡°It reminds me of some of the castle towns I¡¯ve seen. Places like Alnwick.¡± Liza nodded, her harsh demeanor worn down by their mutual goal and their time spent drinking last night. It occurred to Saul that he wasn¡¯t sure exactly where they were going. He¡¯d seen the signpost but he didn¡¯t know how long it would take to get there or what the inside of the mines looked like. ¡°Reric, do you happen to have a map of the mines?¡± The dwarf had a pack on his back. He removed it and set it on the ground before squatting down to take a look, ¡°I think so lad. I grabbed what I thought would be important when I got home last night, but you humans were trying to drink me under the table so it¡¯s best to make sure.¡± The sound of rummaging could be heard. From his bag he withdrew a cylindrical wooden case and popped the top off. Sliding the paper free and unfurling it revealed the words, ¡®Greater Bel Dharim.¡¯ He flipped the paper over and several detailed maps could be seen. His finger jabbed at one spot on the map in particular. ¡°Aye this map goes over the mine. I know they¡¯ve been working on some deeper sites lately but this should be good enough.¡± At some point Basi moved close to Reric, looming over his crouched figure. His forked tongue flicked out over the map as if to taste it. That seemed to startle the dwarf who threw his hands up. Balance gone, he toppled backwards with a thud. Amusement flashed along the bond between man and lizard. That¡¯s not nice, Basi. Liza and Edwin chuckled at the sight of the dwarf who seemed to be embarrassed. ¡°Mighty bit lizard¡­ Stupid¡­ Needs to keep to himself.¡± He grumbled. Reric stood and moved back over to his pack. He rolled the map back up and tucked it back into its case which went back into his backpack. ¡°Let¡¯s keep on moving then.¡± Before long they were exiting the gate. The same guard who had let Saul into the town yesterday nodded to him. ¡°Heard ye¡¯re goin¡¯ to th¡¯ mine. Watch yerself there.¡± Saul just inclined his head in the dwarf¡¯s direction and kept moving. Based on the map it would take the party about four hours to reach the mine on foot if the map was to scale. That meant a lot of time spent walking in what so far seemed to be an uncomfortable silence. ¡°It sure is a beautiful place here. I haven¡¯t seen too many like it.¡± Saul mused absentmindedly. ¡°It looks a lot like the Grand Tetons, I think. Different, of course, but¡­ There are some similarities.¡± Edwin responded. Liza shrugged, ¡°Personally, I think it looks like the Himalayas.¡± Reric grunted, ¡°On about your home? Because to me it looks like the Dragon¡¯s Maw range.¡± Silence fell over the group for a moment. ¡°...Isn¡¯t it the Dragon¡¯s Maw range?¡± Saul was pretty sure he¡¯d seen that on the map just a few moments ago. ¡°¡®Course it is!¡± Reric responded, ¡°Just saying it¡¯s rude to talk about all these places without describing them to people who may not know what they look like.¡± Saul hadn¡¯t thought of that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Reric. I didn¡¯t consider how alienating it might be to have us talking about Earth with you the only one not from there.¡± The dwarf shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s alright, but if you¡¯re going to talk about places, at least describe them for me.¡± Land passed by in comfortable silence. Saul noticed something that he had to bring up, ¡°Reric, it seems like these passes are really well maintained. I haven¡¯t seen any hints of monsters here. Where do dwarves train? How do you keep the passes so clear?¡± The dwarf thought about the question for a moment, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I can tell you where we train, but we keep the passes clear with regular patrols. The mine is the lifeblood of Bel Dharim, so we send troops back and forth between the city and the mine and keep the monsters away. Engineers go with the patrols to maintain the roads.¡± Edwin spoke up then, ¡°That makes sense¡­ So how about the Mountain Pass? What¡¯s through there?¡± The dwarf shrugged, ¡°The Door to the next level is at the end of it. Most dwarves don¡¯t have any business there, so it¡¯s much wilder than here. If you were going to run into any monsters, that¡¯d be where you¡¯d do it.¡± Silence fell over the group once more. When the signpost came into view, Saul assumed they had about two hours left on their journey. ¡°So Edwin, where did you grow up?" Despite the poor reaction he''d seen last night, he hoped talking about their homes might bring some cheerful conversation to the group. The man raised his eyebrows at the question. He was quiet for a moment as a shadow passed over his usually friendly demeanor. ¡°I was living in San Francisco when this all started. It seemed like any other quake, until half of Nob Hill vanished into the Earth¡­¡± He trailed off, his sentence ending in a whisper. Liza glared at Saul and moved to lay a heavy arm around Edwin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bring that up. It¡¯s¡­ Well it was a horrible event. Maybe better not to talk about it.¡± Liza scoffed at that, ¡°Do you think so? Really?¡± Her face was even more sour than usual, if possible. Saul assumed the question to be rhetorical and let it lie. ¡°I¡¯m going to scout up ahead for a bit, just to make sure we¡¯re still alone out here.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response before he moved ahead. I am a Ranger after all. I should be embracing my role. And that was awkward. He jogged for a while, the padded slaps of Basi¡¯s webbed feet against the pathway playing out beside him as the two of them put some distance between the party and themselves. When he was five minutes ahead of them he turned to look back, surveying the area for any potential threats. He didn¡¯t see anything that could pose a problem for his party at the time. Moving forward he continued his efforts to scout and he came to a place where the trail began to rise steeply. In his legs, a familiar burn began to form. It was the strain of muscles that had been without use for too long. With nobody else to talk to, he said, ¡°Alright Basi, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done a hike, don¡¯t make me look bad.¡± After a short climb the trail switched back and continued to climb. Then again. And again. Looking up, it seemed the trail was carved out of a great stone slab and he estimated it to ascend another 300 meters or so. ¡°It¡¯s not the most brutal hike ever, but the gradient is pretty steep. You doing ok, boy?¡± Displeasure flashed through the bond, then strength. ¡°I know you¡¯ll tough it out. Me too.¡± After the next switchback, they took a short break. Saul moved to the edge to try and spot his companions. He saw them arriving at the first signs of increasing elevation. He checked ahead and behind to ensure their safety. Nodding, he set off once more. Eventually, after what seemed like far too many steps and far too many switchbacks he reached what seemed like the top of the trail. It was a wide open plateau with a trail off in the distance that led to a slot canyon. He tried to settle his breath as he waited. I wonder how they¡¯re doing. He went to check on the group. Looking down over the edge of the cliff he saw that he must have been going faster than expected - Or maybe it was that the group wasn''t moving as fast as he thought. He could see them down below perhaps an hour away from his current point at their pace. He could see that there was nothing on the path ahead of them or behind them. ¡°Basi, keep an eye out for me. I¡¯m going to rest.¡± Saul sat down on the hard ground. He crossed his legs and placed his elbows on his knees. He placed his hands over his crossed legs, one palm towards the sky while the other pointed towards the ground. He centered himself and tried to relax his body. Relax. Breathe. In, then out.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He drew in a deep breath, somewhat shaky due to his racing heartbeat, and then exhaled slowly. He felt his heart beating in his chest strong and fast, spreading the energy of his life throughout his veins to infuse his muscles with energy. He drew in another breath and tried to focus on the energy itself, pulling it towards his heart and willing himself to relax. It seemed to work. He repeated the process. Deep breath in. Hold. Let the energy suffuse his heart. Exhale slowly. The rhythmic nature of his breathing technique was helping him to relax and return to normalcy after the exertion. As his heart rate slowed, he began to focus on the energy itself, not just directing it towards his heart but feeling how it moved throughout his body. He felt it circulate, moving along the path of his veins Wait, that¡¯s not exactly the path of my veins. I know the energy in my arm isn¡¯t exactly layered over. Maybe the rest isn¡¯t either. It¡¯s¡­ a parallel path? He felt a stirring of the energy at that discovery. Exhale. Inhale. He felt the energy travel around his body and the pathway seemed more defined as he focused more intently upon it. The energy was pooling somewhere. Near his stomach. No matter how he pushed and pulled on the energy, he felt some of it accumulating there. Like it belonged. He focused on that sensation and willed more and more energy towards that area. As he breathed in and out he pressed energy into that spot. It just seemed natural for his body to gather energy there. That spot demanded energy. Hungered. Suddenly, words flashed before him on a screen. Words that he knew before he ever read them.
By discovering your dantian, you have leveled up your Cultivation skill! Your cultivation skill is now Foundation, Level III. Continuing to cultivate towards your dantian will help you to reinforce your skill further.
He willed the screen to go away with a thought and continued to cultivate. It seemed like only a few moments passed, but before long he heard his companions approaching. Letting out one last deep breath, he rose with a smile. He was calm. His mind was still. His relaxation was supreme as he greeted them. ¡°The way ahead seems clear but I don¡¯t see any signs. This path appears to lead to the canyon. Can you verify that, Reric?¡± Reric looked ahead at the path, shielding his eyes with one hand and pointing with the other, "That slot canyon there is the last major landmark. Once we get into the canyon, the mine is only a few minutes walk away." That sounded good to Saul. Looking over his companions he could see that Liza was struggling in her massive plate, and Edwin seemed unused to the effort despite living in such a hilly city before he wound up here. ¡°Let¡¯s take a moment to rest. I have some salt pork from Level I that is quite the delicacy. I¡¯d be happy to share.¡± He settled down once more and withdrew the bag of salted meat from his inventory. It was as large as any backpack and packed to the brim with delicious sustenance. He shared freely with his companions. ¡°I have some water as well, but not as mu-¡± Reric cut him off, ¡°I¡¯ve got a canteen that refills itself automatically every ten minutes. Let¡¯s just drink out of that.¡± The dwarf started things off by digging a small hole and emptying the canteen into it for Basi to drink from. They shared their meal in relative silence. Saul could hear Liza and Edwin working to catch their breaths with Liza in particular struggling with the task. He couldn¡¯t imagine her armor made the trek uphill very easy. Not only did it seem heavy, it was hardly the kind of outfit that would breathe. When everyone seemed rested enough Saul stood up. He looked towards the canyon with a small smile. This really is an amazing place. I need to make the most of my time here, even if I¡¯ll be leaving when I get the chance. How often do you get the chance to be a hero? The group moved on, not far from their destination at this point. They were almost to the slot canyon when trouble started. The plateau was quiet but as they approached the canyon that silence seemed stifling. Something seemed to be wrong. Saul¡¯s muscles tensed as he walked along. It¡¯s quiet¡­ Too quiet. An arrow took him in the shoulder before the group realized they were under attack. He cried out in sudden pain but withdrew his own bow. He nocked an arrow and looked around with wild eyes for the source of his pain. Another arrow soared past. Saul was expecting another shot and he managed to react in time, bringing his bow up to knock the shot away. Suddenly, Edwin¡¯s voice boomed, ¡°Reveal Enemies!¡± To the entire party, it was as if their enemies had been covered in red paint. Against the grayish backdrop of the canyon they stood out like sore thumbs. Saul drew back on his bow and fired at the one furthest away. He saw five enemies, but he had a feeling he was the one who¡¯d shot him. He called out orders to his allies as he prepared another shot. ¡°Basi, to the left! Liza, get the one on the right! Edwin, try to focus on the archers! Reric if you could do something to help me with this arrow that would be great!¡± His group exploded into action. Liza surged forward with a fierce cry, her sword nearly as tall as she was held overhead. Basi rushed along low enough to the ground to surprise an unsuspecting enemy. Saul fired again at the furthest target, then prepared another shot. While he did he took another arrow. This time it hit him in the stomach. Pain exploded out from the wound, pain that far exceeded what he¡¯d felt in his shoulder. A burning sensation began to spread throughout his body. His vision blurred. Faintly, he could see the health bar of the enemy he¡¯d been shooting had dropped to zero. Basi¡¯s enemy was in a similar situation. He heard Liza¡¯s fierce cries, and¡­ Was that an explosion? He dropped to his knees then collapsed backwards, his world fading to black. When Reric yanked the arrow from his stomach he awoke screaming. His world was fire. Pain. His screams were muffled by something that had been shoved into his mouth. His teeth gripped it so hard he was sure it¡¯d break in half. More pain exploded as the other arrow was ripped from his shoulder. It was the kind of intense pain that could render a man delirious. Oh, look at that. He thought as he saw his health bar. Almost 0. I like 0. Don¡¯t divide by it. Undefined. He giggled around the bar in his mouth. A strange sensation played against his arm like something licking him. It happened again. That tickles. Distraction. Distraction was good. ¡°Shh lad, it¡¯s okay now.¡± Coolness began to replace the burning pain, his stomach no longer feeling like it was on fire. Over his shoulder the same sensation was happening. A beautiful light glowed over his form as that blessed sensation spread further and further, numbing his pain down from the point of agony to a dull ache. His body was knitting itself back together, spurred on by Reric¡¯s healing magic. Before long, that light faded. With it his pain vanished entirely. He could see his health was restored in its entirety. ¡°Thank you.¡± He coughed out. He moved. Rolled. Then he stood up and tested his body out, finding no traces of the pain that had utterly consumed him a few moments before, yet he winced anyways as he moved the shoulder that had taken an arrow. Weird¡­ My brain thinks I should still be in pain¡­ He saw that Liza and Edwin were looking at him with concerned expressions. Well, Edwin looks concerned at least. ¡°Sorry I got hit, guys.¡± They shook their heads. Edwin spoke. ¡°It was an ambush, it wasn¡¯t your fault. We took care of them without any issue.¡± Good. ¡°What attacked us?¡± Reric¡¯s expression darkened, thunderclouds moving in across his face. ¡°Dwarves. No surface kin. These are Darkforge corpses, to be sure. Must be the problem in the mines. They¡¯re evil beasts that launch raids on surface dwellers every now and again.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move on then.¡± Before long they were inside the canyon itself. They didn''t find any more trouble as they approached the mine but just outside the mine itself they came across a guard post that should have been manned by the town guard. Instead it was abandoned. Saul moved into the outpost and noted there were a few signs that the guards hadn''t left on their own. A few chairs were overturned and some items were scattered across the floor. There were a few scud marks that seemed to suggest that some dwarf-sized humanoids were dragged off of their own volition. It seemed they''d be earning their pay as they investigated the mines. "Weapons out, everyone. We need to be on high alert. I... Ah... Can''t see in the dark. I imagine our enemies probably can." Reric responded quickly, "They can, but the mine has glowing glyphs inscribed in regular intervals for non-dwarf visitors and workers. It should be lit pretty well." The party gathered at the entrance of the mine and steeled themselves for the trouble that was sure to come. A faint glow illuminated the interior, eerily still and quiet. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this¡­¡± Saul said, then took a step forward. They didn''t know just how bad the fight would be, but they were ready to take the mine back for the people of Bel Dharim 07: The Darkforged Devils Saul had never been in a mine back on Earth, but he hadn¡¯t imagined this when he thought of a mine. The walls were perfectly smooth, as if they had been sanded down after the dwarves had tunneled away. There were support columns here and there, but they weren¡¯t wooden beams like he¡¯d expected. They were actual columns, similar to what you¡¯d see on an ancient roman building. Each column had a soft glow that cast the mine in a pale, white light. It seemed as though every one of them had a magical glowing glyph scrawled upon it, and based upon the large number of columns in any given area, visibility in the mine was nearly as good as visibility outside. The mines were actually rather impressive. The dwarven villagers were famed for their skilled craftsmanship, and they worked with many rare metals that were found in this very mine. Two distinct shafts had been dug, one leading to a large deposit of adamantium and the other leading to an even bigger deposit of mithril. Between these two materials, the dwarves were able to create wondrous arms and armor that could fetch amazingly high prices to the right buyer. When Saul was a higher level, the dwarven village here would actually prove to be a great source for more powerful weaponry. There were tracks laid out for a mine cart starting five meters or so from the entrance, and a lever nearby that would determine whether the cart moved down to the adamantium or mithril deposit. All in all, it gave the impression of a dedicated and smart operation that would definitely impress if it was in full swing. The entrance to the mine was quiet, not filled with the echoes of pickaxes and hammers working away at ore deposits as could be expected, but rather filled with an ominous silence that seemed to hang over the mood of the party. Saul was the first to enter, and he did so with his bow out and an arrow ready to be fired if necessary. Fortunately for him, there was nothing at the front of the entrance. He looked around cautiously as he stepped aside from the entrance, making room for the rest of the party to enter. ¡°Nobody here¡­¡± He breathed out softly. He had expected that the enemies would be deeper, but it was always better to be safe rather than sorry. The air seemed heavier in here, richer in energy. As Reric entered, he gestured for the others to come close to him. He produced a map from his belt and unfurled it for them to see. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± He whispered, jabbing a stubby finger at the map, ¡°And as far as I reckon, the Darkforge party probably entered somewhere near one of the deposits. I don¡¯t know much about the mine, but I¡¯d guess we accidentally opened a passage to the Deeps.¡± None of the humans seemed to have any idea what the Deeps were. Edwin voiced the question first, ¡°The Deeps? Forgive me, but I¡¯m new to your lands. Could you tell me more about it?¡± Reric drew in a deep breath, as if steeling himself before discussing it, ¡°The Deeps are a dangerous place. The creatures who dwell there are full time denizens of the dark, and often their hearts are as black as the tunnels they inhabit. We surface dwarves try to avoid going down to the Deeps if we can avoid it. We left the Deeps thousands of years ago, but every now and again a Darkforge raiding party will tunnel into one of our mines, or we¡¯ll accidentally dig into a natural passage. We¡¯re in for a real fight if this is a full raiding party.¡± Saul didn¡¯t like the sound of that. He thought to himself, ¡®Status¡¯
Name: Solomon Andrews HP: 60=>80 Class: Ranger Level: 3=>4
Talents: Cultivate Befriend Animal Cultivation Level: Foundation
Abilities: Attack Shoot Track
Strength: 23=>26 Intelligence: 23=>25
Dexterity: 26=>29 Willpower: 16=>18
Endurance: 18=>21 Experience: 3,607=>4,500
On page II, he read the following:
Talent Type: Talent Level: Talent Description:
Cultivation Foundation, Lvl III Through finding harmony with the ambient Qi, you are able to harvest it and use it to fuel your own strength
Befriend Animal Foundation, Lvl II Your connection to your animal companion confers you both greater strength and attributes.
Archery Foundation, Lvl IV Your arrows land to greater effect than they did before.
Single wielding Foundation, Lvl II You are able to use a single weapon in combat without hurting yourself
Dual wielding Foundation, Lvl I You may be able to avoid hurting yourself while using two weapons in battle. You may be able to hit the enemy with them.
Two-handed weapons Foundation, Lvl I You are able to use a two handed weapon to some degree of effectiveness
He saw he¡¯d gained a level at some point. Perhaps it was after the battle with the dwarves, or maybe after he finished the quest in the Slime Village. He was starting to get a handle on what each stat did. Strength seemed to boost his physical capacity, including his damage dealt with melee weapons. Dexterity helped him with things like moving quietly and quickly, dodging, and it seemed to have something to do with his hand-eye coordination - So it was useful for shooting. Intelligence seemed to affect his ability to understand things, and his ability to process things quickly. It seemed that the higher his intelligence got, the more quickly he could make decisions in battle. His Endurance stat seemed to directly correlate to his ability to take hits, and his health. He thought of it as his armor. Lastly, his Willpower stat¡­ He wasn¡¯t really sure what that did. It seemed to be related to his cultivation, but he was sure there was another use for it. All in all, he wasn¡¯t unhappy with his strength at this point, but he didn¡¯t feel prepared to handle an invasion the likes of which Reric described. He would have to put his trust in his party to see him through the upcoming exploration. ¡°Alright, then¡­ Let¡¯s make any preparations we may need and move on. We don¡¯t know how long these invaders have been here, but based on the lack of corpses, we may not be too late to save your miners.¡± They moved ahead without much fanfare. At the junction between the Adamantium and Mithril deposits, they decided to go to the left first - The Adamantium deposits. They''d been walking down the path for about ten minutes, their footsteps echoing loudly in the empty mine, when the shaft suddenly opened up into a large cavern. The cavern was lit up by more of those glyph columns, but it was massive compared to the mine-shaft. This place seemed to be natural, with two sloping paths that hugged the wall splitting off and descending. In the middle of the cavern seemed to be a large lake. The walls weren''t maintained here like they had been in the tunnel down, with moss and lichen growing along walls that glistened with signs of moisture. Periodically, glowing green lines could be seen zigging and zagging throughout the walls themselves. He wasn¡¯t sure, but they seemed to glow and pulse in a rhythm, as if energy was running through them from the bottom of the cave up to the top. The party was descending on the path when they heard the sounds of a commotion coming from the passageway they were approaching. Saul held up a fist, giving the sign for everyone to stop advancing while he waited to see what was coming. As the quietest member of the group, Saul crept forward, his steps soft as feathers and hardly audible even to his own ears. He leaned back away from the edge of the walkway, minimizing his profile as he looked to see what approached. Two dwarves, stockier than the others Saul had seen, were approaching the lake. The dwarves were dressed in armor and had fierce looking weapons strapped to their backs. They were dragging another dwarf between them, this one was shoddily dressed in comparison and didn¡¯t have the look of a warrior. His feet were held tightly together, a heavy iron chain wrapped around them glinting in the dim light. There was a large rock tied to the other end of the chain that was dragged along the ground, a loud scraping sound echoing in the cavern. From his vantage point, Saul could see the dwarf struggling against his captors, but his hands were bound and he was muffled. He didn¡¯t have a fighting chance. Saul continued to creep forward, finding himself within shooting range of the dwarves. Basi slunk along beside him, quietly. Advance as close as you can. If I shoot at one of them, I want you to attack the other. He thought to his lizard through their bond. Basi melded with the shadows and moved forward, hugging the curvature of the wall closely. He reached over his shoulder and drew an arrow from his quiver, slowly enough to avoid making any noise. His fingers placed the back of the arrow against the bow string, as easily as if he¡¯d been doing it his entire life. I don¡¯t remember being that smooth. Must be my higher archery level and dexterity. Saul knelt on the ground, feeling the cool earth below him as he drew in a deep breath. I don¡¯t want to kill anyone if I can avoid it¡­ He¡¯d go for a disabling shot in that case. He drew in a deep breath. His eyes locked on the closer Darkforge dwarf¡¯s knee, and he took careful aim. When he saw the dwarves approaching the underground lake with their captive in hand, their intent became clear. I can¡¯t let them drown that poor dwarf¡­ Okay then. He drew back on the bowstring and filled his chest with air. His target in sight, he released the bowstring, a soft ¡®thrum¡¯ sounding by his ear as his arrow flew true. He grabbed another and had it nocked and ready to go, aiming for the other knee. Drawing back once more, he released his arrow. They soared through the air, and suddenly an arrow sprouted from the dwarf¡¯s right knee. While he was still throwing his hands up in surprise, a second arrow sprouted from his body, this one in his left. His health bar appeared overhead and dropped significantly, reduced to less than a fifth of its normal value. It read:
Darkforge Dwarf, Lvl 4.
The other dwarf let the captive go, reaching back to pull his weapon free. The dwarf was halted by a large crimson blur that suddenly bowled into him, crashing to the ground loudly. Basi¡¯s jaws found purchase on his wrist, snapping the bone on his dominant hand. A health bar appeared overhead and dropped to about 60%. To the dwarf¡¯s credit, he lashed out at Basi with a punch from his other hand, but it didn¡¯t have much effect on Basi.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Saul called down to the dwarves, ¡°Hold still and we can take you captive. There¡¯s no need for anyone to get hurt any further.¡± Guided by his fingers and some mysterious force, another arrow found its position against the bow string as he watched the dwarf for signs of surrender. When he called out for support rather than surrendering, Saul cursed. Taking careful aim, he let another arrow fly where it blossomed from his knee, taking him out of the fight. Basi, get back up here! He commanded mentally. To Liza and Reric he said, ¡°We need to free that captive in case reinforcements are coming!¡± Liza surged forward to do just that. She used her sword to cleave through the chains which separated easily before her superior might. ¡°Run!¡± She shouted to the captive, then she followed him up the ramp. From in the hallway, they could hear the thunderous footsteps of more Darkforge dwarves coming to the aid of their allies. From the number of thuds that emerged, Saul guessed their contingent to be somewhere in the 20-30 strong range. He didn¡¯t like those odds. The width of the ramp could prove to be an asset for them here. It wasn¡¯t wide enough for three people to walk side by side comfortably, which meant it would limit the number of dwarves that could face them at once. ¡°Liza, take point! Reric, help keep her clean! Basi will move in to assist when he can. Edwin, rain destruction down on them!¡± He prepared another shot, his whole body tight as he waited for enemies to emerge from the passageway. The groans and cries of the injured darkforge dwarves caused him some distress, but he suppressed those emotions for the time being. The first of the dwarves stepped forth from the passage with features illuminated by the pale light of the magical columns, a large axe in his hands. He moved to his fallen companions. There was disdain written across his face barely visible to Saul in the dim light. Soft words seemed to be spoken between the two of them, too faint for Saul to make out, and the dwarf turned and looked up the ramp with a gauntleted hand pointing in his party¡¯s direction. His heart was pounding in his chest as those boots grew louder and louder, until more dwarves began to pour forth from the mouth of the passageway, almost like ants in response to their colony being kicked. Saul counted at least twenty of them as they formed up. Can¡¯t give them too much time to get ready¡­ ¡°Edwin, hit them while they¡¯re bunched up.¡± He whispered softly. He began to focus his energy into the arrow, willing more and more of it into the sharp point. He drew back on his string, his heart thundering in his ears as he prepared to fire. He took aim at the one that had pointed them out, the one that seemed to be some sort of commander. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± He whispered to himself, then released. His arrow flew true and when it landed it seemed to grow from the leader¡¯s forehead, a small red trickle of blood invisible to Saul in the night. His health bar vanished and he dropped to the ground, dead. That was when all hell broke loose. In the middle of the darkforge contingent, the ground seemed to swell in anger, and suddenly exploded outward. Rocks crashed into the dwarves with several of them flung in all directions from the force. A few unlucky dwarves landed in the lake, their heavy armor doing them no favors and dragging them to a watery grave. Jesus Christ, Edwin! Saul fired at one of the dwarves that seemed least affected, the shot taking him in the neck and erasing what health he had remaining. Saul looked back at the wizard as he grabbed another arrow and saw that the man was panting, the effort having been considerable. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few tricks left, but that was almost all I could do for now.¡± He said in answer to the question in Saul¡¯s eyes. He gave the man a nod and turned to pick his next target. The darkforge dwarves were professional soldiers, and they¡¯d reformed quickly after the attack. The group that hadn¡¯t been overly affected by the spell were charging up the ramp now, and Liza had her sword ready to greet them. The huge weapon gleamed menacingly, and as the first dwarf got into range she swung hard enough to cleave through his neck entirely, blood painting the wall as his head tumbled free. The new corpse fell to the ground, slowing the other dwarf¡¯s progress and giving Liza enough time to deal another fatal blow to the next closest dwarf. By Saul¡¯s guess, there were about fifteen on the ramp. He could see several more at the base, reforming a second offensive group, and he could see a number of corpses there. ¡°Edwin, do what you can to finish off the ones who are still stunned!¡± He scanned the field, picking targets that seemed like the greatest threat. One dwarf had his axe pulled back menacingly and was within range of Liza. Saul¡¯s arrow took him in the head, knocking his health near enough to 0. Basi surged forward to finish that one off, his sharp claws making short work of the man. A small pile of bodies was building near Liza but her efforts to keep the dwarves back were beginning to fail - There were probably ten dwarves left on the ramp, and all of them were close enough to form a sort of half circle around her. Sharp axes had been neglected in favor of large war hammers, the dwarve swinging frequently enough at her to put her on the defensive. Beyond them, Saul could see small beams of energy landing against those few dazed dwarves that sent them to whatever god they worshipped. He continued to fire away with his bowstring singing an aggressive song, but before long all the targets were too close to Liza and Reric for him to risk it. He could see Liza was beginning to struggle with the dwarves, every now and again she got in a good counter hit that reduced their numbers, but trying to fend off nine war hammers was too much. Their blows were starting to land against her armor, and her health bar was starting to drop. Reric did what he could to help fight. It was obvious that he was more focused on keeping her health full than fighting, swinging his large hammer to catch one of them in a weak spot when he saw an opening. He willed his bow to vanish and withdrew his sword and dagger. I have to help her or she¡¯ll die¡­ Saul flowed down the ramp like an avalanche, stabbing forward with his sword and taking a distracted dwarf through the neck. Suddenly, there were eight enemies. Four of them focused on him, three on Liza, and one seemed to be doing battle with Basi if the feedback from the bond was any indication. The dwarf closest to him swung that heavy hammer at his head and Saul ducked below it while lashing out with his sword. Another of the darkforge dwarves seemed ready for that, and used his own hammer to knock the sword down. That was going to be a problem. Saul was knocked somewhat off balance by that move, so he went with his momentum, rolling forward and barreling into the dwarf that had swung at him in the first place. The dwarf was knocked off of the ramp into the water, taking care of him. Saul came up and spun to face the other three just in time, another hammer crashing down at him from close enough that he¡¯d have no chance of dodging. He raised his sword and dagger together in a crossed fashion, grunting as he tried to absorb the blow. His body quivered and his muscles screamed as he tried to stop the hammer¡¯s momentum. It blew through his defense, but he¡¯d done enough to slow it down and weaken it. He ducked forward and let the blow catch him in the back. The blow drove him to the ground with enough force that he lost his wind. Stars seemed to explode behind his eyes, his health bar reducing substantially. Move¡­ Move¡­ MOVE! His body screamed. He rolled to the right just in time to avoid getting his skull crushed. The dwarves could smell blood in the water as he pushed himself to his feet, his weapons held shakily in front of him, his body still reeling from the effects of that massive blow. Saul needed time to recover. Another blow was coming from his left. He stepped back, just out of range of it. Another swing came at him from the right, this swing an arc that seemed too wide. He ducked low, then rolled to the left to evade a swing that came at him vertically. My legs don¡¯t feel like jelly any more¡­ I guess I can try to fight back now. When the dwarf on his left swung that mighty hammer at him, he was ready this time. From his lower position, he was able to duck below the strike. As soon as he finished sinking down into a crouch he exploded forward, his dagger leading the way. He punched forward with the pommel of the weapon, pain exploding in his hand as his fist met what felt like a steel chin. He shook it off and followed quickly with a slash from his sword, the weapon sliding across the dwarf¡¯s head closely enough to remove his ear. His health bar appeared overhead and reflected this damage by reducing by about a fifth. The other dwarves tried to take advantage of his distraction, but Saul dodged their attacks and darted forward to reclaim the high ground. He saw an opportunity ahead and took it, cocking his arm back and bringing it forward lighting fast. His dagger left his fingertips, slicing through the air and burying itself in the back of a dwarf¡¯s head. Now Liza just had one foe remaining. Saul turned to face his own foes, his short sword looking woefully inadequate to handle their war hammers. The one he¡¯d given free plastic surgery to was turning his way as well, leaving him alone against three angry Darkforge soldiers. Basi, help! He called mentally, nudging the lizard at the one he¡¯d injured. To his satisfaction, Basi bowled into the soldier, all fury and teeth and claws, and the dwarf¡¯s health bar declined rapidly as a result. Then there were two¡­ Saul took a sideways stance, watching the dwarves warily as they approached. The sound of a gurgling cry from beside him let him know he wasn¡¯t alone any longer, and a relieved smile threatened to pull the corners of his lips up. Just in time! Liza flashed by him, her mighty sword brought to bear on one of the dwarves. Saul used the momentary distraction to charge the other dwarf. After just a few short moments, the cavern fell silent as the last of their enemies were defeated. Saul collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving as he tried to get his breath. That was exhausting! I got lucky a few times there¡­ The thought was a somber one. He looked around the room, littered with corpses¡­ There had to have been over thirty dwarves. That was thirty dwarves that would no longer laugh, no longer sing, no longer get home to their families¡­ He felt sick. Breath was coming in short supply, panic setting in as he realized that death was a very real thing here. He had been thinking of these creatures as NPCs in a video game, but they were living, thinking, breathing beings¡­ At least as far as I know¡­ Sure, they were the bad guys, but¡­ Still. Liza seemed to sense his distress. She laid a hand on his shoulder, her presence calming as her voice reached his ears, ¡°There was nothing to be done. These dwarves are vicious killers, and we saved someone¡¯s life. There are many more people to be saved, hopefully.¡± He looked up into her eyes and saw her resolve shining clear as day. Her eyes could be surprisingly kind when she wasn''t scowling at him. He nodded, She¡¯s right. Suddenly, his vision began to flash with updates:
Through demonstrating consistent accuracy and pace, you have demonstrated superior archery skill! Your archery skill is now Basic, Level I!
Through your use of two weapons in simultaneous defense, you have shown a deeper understanding in the use of two weapons! Your dual-wielding skill is now Foundation, Level III!
Through your clever movements in avoiding the attacks of your enemies, you have unlocked the Dodge skill! Your dodge skill is now Foundation, level I!
Exp Gained:250! Exp Gained: 250! Exp Gained: 250! Your share: 188 exp!
The experience gained screen popped up so many times that it barely remained visible before being replaced with another. Suddenly in the middle of the deluge, he saw:
You have leveled up! You are now level 5. +3 to Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance! +2 to Intelligence and Willpower!
You have leveled up! You are now level 6. +3 to Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance! +2 to Intelligence and Willpower!
The increase in levels and skills helped to bring him further from his negative thoughts, curiosity getting the better of him. With things like this, it was no wonder he had believed these dwarves were no more than NPCs¡­ And it became easier to think of defeating them as simply the righteous thing to do. How much damage did everyone do? He wondered. He pulled up his menu and flashed through the screens, looking for something that would relate to the battle itself. Hm... Kill log? I guess that''s... Sort of what I''m looking for. He pulled it up with a thought.
Name: Kills: Contribution:
Saul 9 25%
Basi 4 11.3%
Edwin 10 27.7%
Liza 10 27.7%
Reric 3 8.3%
Kills was straightforward. Contribution... Hm. I wonder if that''s our contribution of damage to the ones we killed, or to the overall group of monsters? That would be useful to know. I''ll have to remember that. He''d started the battle the same level as the dwarves, but now he had two levels on them which should make the rest of the dwarves a cinch to defeat. When the torrent of experience, items gained, and skill levels seemed to stop, Saul went to check on the dwarf they had freed. He cut the dwarf loose of his bonds. ¡°How many are there?¡± Saul asked. The dwarf shrugged, ¡°I couldn¡¯t count that high. There are many more. Including what seem like their bosses and leaders. They came upon us sudden and swift as death, pouring in from the deepest part of the mine.¡± Saul had to ask, ¡°And your fellow miners? How many are left?¡± The dwarf shook his head and responded, ¡°Most of us, but a few of my closest mates¡­ Lundry¡­ Renar¡­ They were going to do to me what they did to them! They have fun torturing us, and when they get bored they kill us off one at a time." What a terrible fate! Saul thought to himself. These Darkforge dwarves seem as evil as advertised. Living beings or not, if they are truly servants of evil¡­ I guess that makes killing them more justifiable. He cleared his throat and placed a comforting hand on the dwarf''s shoulder. "I''ll avenge your fallen friends. We''re going to take this mine back! I want you to go back to town and let them know what''s happened here, just in case." The dwarf reached up to wipe at his eyes, glancing at Saul before looking away hurridly. "Th..." He started, then paused and drew in a deep breath. His stout body shook slightly as he did. "The commander might make that tough." He wiped again at his eyes, then looked straight at Saul. "I''ll let the guards know what''s happening. We can''t let this attack go unpunished." Saul nodded to him, and the dwarf began his journey back to Bel Dharim. As the dwarf hurried off, Saul turned back to his companions and steeled himself. He could see that everyone had been busy healing up while he spoke with the dwarf they''d rescued. ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest here. If he¡¯s right, there are a great many more Darkforge dwarves waiting for us and I don¡¯t want to be tired in battle. Let¡¯s make camp at the top of the ramp. Someone should stay and loot the bodies while we get set up. Tonight, let''s take turns on watch so that we all get a chance to sleep.¡± Everyone in the party agreed, so they moved to set up a small campsite by their point of entry. Liza stayed behind to loot while they set things up. They moved quickly and efficiently. The others were asleep before Liza made it back to the top of the ramp with a small smile, "Found a lot of gold. Some healing pills. Some arrows for you." She handed him a small bag that contained several items:
Item(s) gained: Medium Healing Pill!(x5) 29 gold pieces! Arrows(x250)!
"Thanks, Liza. You should get some sleep." She nodded to him before she disappeared into the tent she and Edwin shared. Saul kept a vigilant watch on the passage the Darkforge dwarves had come from, until eventually Liza tapped on his shoulder and indicated that it was her turn. He moved over to his sleeping roll and laid down, trying to get comfortable enough for sleep. His thoughts were churning, visions of the dwarves he¡¯d cut down swimming in his head. Eventually, blessfully, sleep came for him and took him to a land of dreamless slumber. They weren¡¯t interrupted by any Darkforge soldiers that night. In the morning, or whatever time it was, they packed up quietly. He was still bothered by the deaths of those dwarves, but there was little that could be done at this point. He put on a false appearance of bravado and spoke to his companions, ¡°It¡¯s up to us to save the rest of the dwarves! I know the last battle was tough, but through our teamwork we prevailed. There¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t do the same again and free the captives! Let¡¯s move forward!¡± With that, they set off. 08: The Devils of the Deeps Meanwhile, deeper in the mines: Around the same time that Saul and company were fighting their first battle against the Darkforge dwarves, deeper in the mine a conversation was occurring between a shadowy figure and a gruff dwarf. "We need to sew chaos in the Rockbreaker kingdom. This plan doesn''t work without it." The tall figure told the dwarf. "I hear you but these lads are good enough for now. The king doesn''t want to commit more forces to your cause yet." The commander responded. "Besides, shutting down their mine shuts down Bel Dharim''s economy. I can''t think of a better way to sew chaos than to cripple one of their cities." This level of the mine looked different from the rest. There were wooden support beams visible between the glowing columns. There were large barrels and crates spread out near where the cart tracks ended. There were several Darkforge dwarves standing guard near the entrance. Almost every dwarf had a determined expression, though those close to the commander glanced back as if to eavesdrop. There was another force near the back surrounding a group of prisoners. In each of these groups, there were a few Darkforge dwarves that looked tougher than the rest. They were all a bit bigger, and had armor that was of a higher quality. These were the elite forces in the raid group. A step above these elites on a small platform was the dwarf currently communicating with the shadowy figure. The Dwarf looked like he¡¯d seen many battles. Clad in full plate mail with large pauldrons and a wicked looking sword strapped across his back, nearly as long as he was tall and covered in nasty hooks. It looked like it had been designed for rending the flesh from an enemy. To the other Darkforge dwarves, their commander was a stone cold killer. He was a powerful enough warrior to change the tide of battle single handedly. The dwarves had seen it firsthand when the Darkforge nation had gone to war with a massive conglomerate of Troglodyte tribes. Their squadron had been trapped in a losing battle against a force with superior numbers when the commander had finally intervened. Troglodyte blood ran in rivers once he joined the fray. To the shadowy figure, the commander looked more like a chess piece than a sentient being. The Darkforge Commander was a pawn in a nefarious plot that would leave both dwarven kingdoms weaker and free to be exploited by other interested parties. Things are going exactly as planned. Our actions in the Prairie resulted in a transformation of one of the main Slime tribes. Instability will grow here as we fuel these tensions. Things continue to accelerate across all levels. The man who seemed cloaked in shadows kept these thoughts to himself as he finally spoke up, ¡°I''m telling you, you need to increase your numbers. Send a messenger to your king. Once the Rockbreakers realize you''ve captured their mine, you won''t be able to hold them back." The commander wasn¡¯t the type to be told what to do by anyone other than his own king. He glowered at the shadowy figure, but the tactician in him whispered agreement with the man. A pained expression crossed his face as he relented, ¡°It will be done. We¡¯ll shore up our defenses and I¡¯ll call for more reinforcements.¡± The shadowy figure nodded and turned to leave, and as he turned the glow from the nearby glyph column illuminated the inside of his hood, the light playing across features that looked distinctly human. The commander began to bark orders out to his subordinates, ¡°Men, get ready for a potential invasion! I want a barricade constructed near the front wall! Someone make sure those prisoners are secure! And send a runner back to Kalgolur to call for reinforcements! We¡¯re going to make these surface dwellers bleed before they get a chance to take this mine back!¡± A deafening cheer echoed in that chamber, his soldiers rushing to do their jobs. It¡¯s not all bad being in charge.¡¯He thought with a satisfied smile.
Saul and company were just finishing up their final preparations before moving forward. For Saul, that meant stretching out his sore muscles after a rough night¡¯s sleep. More importantly, it meant he needed to steel himself for what was likely to come next - More violence. It has to be done. As he thought about battle preparations, he realized he wasn¡¯t yet aware of what changes his new levels had brought. With a sigh, he pulled up his menu, ''Status'':
Name: Solomon Andrews HP: 80=>120 Class: Ranger Level: 4=>6
Talents: Cultivate Befriend Animal Cultivation Level: Foundation
Abilities: Attack Shoot Track
Strength: 26=>32 Intelligence: 25=>29
Dexterity: 29=>35 Willpower: 18=>22
Endurance: 21=>27 Experience: 4,500=>6,500
Page II read:
Talent Type: Talent Level: Talent Description:
Cultivation Foundation, Lvl III Through finding harmony with the ambient Qi, you are able to harvest it and use it to fuel your own strength
Befriend Animal Foundation, Lvl II Your connection to your animal companion confers you both greater strength and attributes.
Archery Basic, Lvl I Your growing mastery with a bow allows you to do superior damage
Single wielding Foundation, Lvl II You are able to use a single weapon in combat without hurting yourself
Dual wielding Foundation, Lvl IIIUnauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. You are skilled enough with two weapons to use them to some effect
Dodge Foundation, Lvl I You have just begun to realize the potential of the human body. You may dodge some blows from enemies.
Two-handed weapons Foundation, Lvl I You are able to use a two handed weapon to some degree of effectiveness
Not only had Saul himself grown stronger, but it seemed Basi had too. He could feel Basi¡¯s increased strength through their bond. In fact, it felt as if their bond itself was quite a bit stronger at this point. The depth of their bond granted a deeper understanding between man and lizard. Saul could feel that there was depth to Basi¡¯s attacks that he¡¯d missed previously. The lizard was capable of using his tail to deal bludgeoning damage to opponents, as well as his claws and teeth. Just how far up can Basi level? Does he always stay like this, I wonder, or is there a point where he¡¯ll change into something else?¡¯ He¡¯d played enough pokemon to have some expectation of creature evolution, but so far this world seemed more like something out of DnD. Of course, in DnD it never bothered me to kill duergar¡­ I never had to deal with their pain. The thought was threatening to drag him to a darker place again. He pushed it, and the queasy feeling that threatened his stomach away and focused on his skills once more. Saul¡¯s abilities to fight with his two weapons had increased as well. His deeper understanding of how his hands could move independently of one another, and better ability to use them in such a way, meant his effectiveness as a melee fighter continued to grow. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m level 6 now. From what I understand, most of these Darkforge grunts are between 3 and 4¡­ How many levels did you all gain?¡± Saul asked the party, as much out of consideration of tactics as out of a desire to stop thinking about the death that they were going to walk past. Liza spoke up first, ¡°I came in here as a level 5 warrior. I¡¯m now at the 7th level. I also gained a few skill levels, mostly related to my Toughness and my two handed weapon.¡± What was that skill? ¡°Toughness? What does that do?¡± Her response was quick and simple, ¡°It helps me to resist physical damage. I don¡¯t know an exact percentage, I figured I¡¯d work it out before I set off to the next level¡­¡± At that moment Edwin spoke up, ¡°I¡¯m also level 7 now. My mana regeneration has increased significantly, and my evocation spells will have greater damage.¡± Saul nodded. He looked to Reric somewhat expectantly, but the dwarf shook his head. ¡°Dwarf levels don¡¯t work the same¡­ At least not for most of us. A few dwarves can act like you adventurers, but it takes more than just combat for us to grow stronger.¡± They set off down the hall towards the deep end of the mine with a purposeful stride. Luckily for Saul, he was lost in thought as they moved past the corpses of their enemies, ¡®Toughness, eh? How do you get a skill like that, I wonder¡­¡¯ According to the map that Reric held, they weren¡¯t terribly far away from the deepest mapped section. In preparation for the danger to come, Saul crept ahead of the group. He moved swiftly enough to stay ahead of the noise his group was responsible for, his companion moving with him, slinking along the ground as quietly as possible. He was as quiet as the shadows themselves, blending in effectively. Before too long, they could hear the sounds of commotion up ahead - The sounds of something dragging along the cave floor. As Saul continued to creep closer, he laid eyes on the source of the sound. There were a few dwarves up ahead dragging crates and barrels towards the sloped incline, creating a makeshift fortification. Saul turned and rushed back to his companions, ¡°They¡¯re fortifying just up ahead. I didn¡¯t get a read on how many of them there are. Stay quiet and move forward only when you hear the sounds of wood dragging along the way. I¡¯ll move up ahead further to get a count¡­ Try to stay near in case I find trouble.¡± Liza and Edwin nodded their assent. The wizard seemed to mumble some incantation under his breath, and suddenly the members of the party seemed to fade somewhat out of existence - Their translucence increased by 50%. When Saul took a step he found that his steps were even harder to hear. The whispering of the wind was louder than Saul at this point. That was good. It meant the party, even the heavily armored Liza would have the ability to stay close in case of trouble. Saul approached as close as he dared, the distance between him and the closest Darkforge dwarf so small Saul could practically count his wrinkles. He peered into the cavern, assessing the situation. It looked like there were two distinct groups of dwarves here, not to mention the captives in the back. It looked like there were about as many Darkforge soldiers here as there had been in the cavern. That would be fine, but not all of the dwarves looked of the same variety. He saw that one group of Darkforge were near his position, whereas another group was towards the back with the captives. There were a few elite dwarves in these units, their superior equipment and their demeanor indicating that they weren¡¯t just grunts. One dwarf in particular looked like trouble - A menacing dwarf with a monster of a sword on his back. Saul drew his bow and looked about the room, trying to figure out what the best course of action would be. He had an idea, but he didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble for the captives. Let¡¯s see¡­ If I have Basi nearby, he can cut the dwarves free. If something should happen to us, at least they¡¯ll have a chance to fight their way free. He gave his lizard a mental command to slink towards the back and watched as he moved off. The lizard was practically a ghost, and as Basi moved off into the distance, the shadows seemed to envelop him. Despite their bond, eventually he was so well hidden that even Saul would have had trouble telling someone where the lizard was. He moved into position near the prisoners as per Saul¡¯s command. As Liza and the others came closer, Saul nocked an arrow and began to infuse it with power. He willed the turbulent concentration of power into the arrow, gritting his teeth as he dug deeper and deeper to infuse the arrow with its maximum capacity. With his new and improved Basic Archery skill, he took careful aim at one of the dwarves nearby that seemed like an elite. He drew in a deep breath, his entire body tensing. More and more power and intent was forced into the arrow. He let the energy spill free from his dantian, preparing to fire even as he thought, ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ He released his grip, a soft humming sound letting him know the arrow was rocketing towards its target, then nocked another arrow and fired again before the first one had traversed even half the distance to his target. He managed to get one last arrow nocked and fired before that first arrow hit, halfway burying itself in the eye of the Darkforge elite. Red flowed forth from around the arrow, painting his face in a macabre fashion as he slid to the ground. His health bar appeared and vanished instantly, Saul having just enough time to read: Darkforge Elite - Level 6
Exp gained: 900! Your share: 225
Saul tried to focus on the experience more than the fact that it came from killing a sentient being. That seems like a lot¡­ He thought, even as the Darkforge contingent exploded into action. ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± Someone shouted, those closest to him drawing their weapons and scanning the area with a keen eye. Two more dwarves were hit with arrows and went down with shouts, though both of them were just wounded and not killed. Further back in the cave Darkforge soldiers were readying weapons, large axes, spike covered maces and large warhammer brought to bear. Most of them seemed ready to take a few steps towards the entrance. That would work nicely. Saul didn¡¯t want them anywhere near the prisoners. To Basi, Saul sent: Cut the prisoners free, quietly. He knew from their enhanced bond that the lizard would be able to handle a command that had a request for nuance. He took advantage of his position in the shadows and fired off two more arrows in quick succession into the mass of dwarves near him. He hadn¡¯t aimed, but the indiscriminately fired arrows still found targets and caused some damage before he was spotted. He willed his melee weapons into his hands and prepared for the oncoming horde of Darkforge soldiers as several of them rushed at him. Sickly green bolts of magic flew into that crowd, splashing soldiers here and there with a sizzling hiss and eliciting screams of agony. Looks like acid. Saul focused on the flow of energy in his body, sending it to his hand holding the dagger. As the dwarf swung at him, he moved his dagger to intercept the dwarf¡¯s axe and deflected the blow just wide. At the same time he brought his sword across his enemy¡¯s face. A thin line was cut across the dwarf¡¯s flesh, and a red ¡®48!¡¯ shot up above his head. The dwarf¡¯s health bar appeared overhead and showed that he was missing about a third of his health. Saul danced back at that point as more dwarves rushed forward, looking to keep distance until his allies joined the fray. Sidestep, slash, duck, parry, stab¡­ Saul began a bloody dance as he retreated in the face of that dwarven onslaught. Despite his clever movements and high dexterity, he got caught by the occasional blow, his health bar indicating that he was missing about 30% of his health. As if that wasn¡¯t enough notification, his aching body and increasingly sluggish movements told him the same thing. He felt the blood rushing in his veins, his heart pounding. His every breath infused his body with energy. He had managed to ward off several dwarves, a few of them falling victim to his skillful strikes, his blades seemingly guided by another being as he fought, but before long he felt himself growing overwhelmed. As he took greater and greater damage, his attacks came slower and slower. He focused more on dodging and parrying at that point, though his health was dwindling down, his arms feeling heavier by the second. I can¡¯t take much more¡­He stepped to the side of a heavy blow as his body screamed in agony. Just when he thought he was done for, Liza came down on the Darkforge dwarves like a whirlwind. Her massive sword cleaved through three of the Darkforge soldier¡¯s necks, their heads taking flight in a bloody spray. Reric appeared behind him with his healing hands pressed against Saul¡¯s body. Divine magic seemed to course through his veins, and before his very eyes Saul¡¯s cuts knit themselves together, energy unlike Qi infusing his muscles with a second wind. His heath bar acted accordingly, increasing back to full. In the back of the cavern Basi had finished his job of setting the dwarves free and they seemed smart enough to stay out of the battle. They weren¡¯t warriors in the first place, and they were suffering from the abuse they¡¯d been dealt by their captors. Towards the back of the room, the commander of the Darkforge dwarves watched the ongoing battle like a hawk. He seemed totally unconcerned. His demeanor was cold and callous. His nasty sword had appeared in his hands, but he wasn¡¯t making a move to engage the party just yet. If Saul had a chance to talk to the Dwarf, he would have learned that the man cared nothing for his subordinates. The only thing that mattered to him was the thrill of battle. As the Darkforge numbers dwindled down, the elites of the group were able to congregate and made their way towards Liza and Saul, their more heavily armored forms and larger weapons suggesting a greater threat level. There were perhaps five of them in the group. A fierce purple bolt soared into their group and dropped one, his hands clawing at his neck as if he were choking. Make that four. There were only a few soldiers left standing, and the elites were closing the distance between themselves and Saul¡¯s group quickly. As Liza managed to fell the last of the soldiers, the Elites arrived and began to press the two of them. Their teamwork and talents were clearly much greater than those of the other dwarves, alternating between offense and defense, working to keep each other alive. One would dart forward to swing their axe at Liza while the other would move forward with a large shield, raising it to absorb a blow from Saul. Unfortunately for the Dwarves and in spite of their fearsome abilities, they were ignoring the other members of the party. Basi managed to sneak across the room behind one of the shieldbearers. The lizard pounced upon his vulnerable neck and those sharp teeth of his found purchase enough to him down permanently. Edwin¡¯s spells weren''t hindered by armor. Though a dwarf¡¯s skin gave them some natural magic resistance, Edwin''s relentless spells felled one of the elites. That just left two. One for Saul, and one for Liza. As Saul started forward, he heard a sigh from the back of the room. The Commander was holding a monstrous sword in his hand, and he seemed ready to join the fray. In the blink of an eye, he was before Saul, his sword aiming to take his head off. 09: Fight For Your Lives! The massive sword sliced through the air at a speed that scarcely seemed possible to Saul¡¯s eyes. One second the Darkforge commander had been thirty meters out, and the next he was halfway to cutting Saul¡¯s head off. Saul could see the path of the sword, and he knew he could dodge it if he moved right. In the milliseconds between when the sword was swung and when it would hit him, he twisted and leaned back, his left shoulder rising even as he moved his head and neck out of the way. The sword continued on its path uninterrupted. A hot spray landed on Saul¡¯s face as the sword cleaved flesh from his shoulder. ¡®48!¡¯ flashed before his eyes. He cursed at the burning pain that erupted in his world, but had the presence of mind to strike out with his own sword, slashing at the commander¡¯s legs. Saul¡¯s blade seemed like it was traveling in slow motion in comparison with the commander¡¯s devilish speed. He could see that Liza was swinging her sword with all of her might at the commander at the same time. Between the two of them, they were attacking high and low on the Darkforge commander at short range. There was little opportunity for him to block or evade. The only problem was that the devil vanished just before they hit him. He reappeared suddenly in his original position, watching them with an evil glint in his eyes. Jesus Christ, what¡¯s up with that guy?! Panic threatened to overwhelm Saul as he looked across at the Darkforge commander. How am I supposed to fight that?! He looked down at his shoulder, and blanched at the sight. He could see bone clearly where muscle and skin should be. It seemed as though his arm still worked. He lifted his arm and hissed as his shoulder screamed in protest. Saul looked towards Edwin out of the corner of his eyes, never taking his gaze off of the Darkforged Demon. ¡°Got anything that can help slow him down? Can you guys figure something out? I¡¯ll try to stall while you plan¡± He tried to play it cool to keep morale high, but his body trembled with fear. He was hopeful that his allies could figure something out. There¡¯s no way I can stall that thing¡­ He¡¯s a monster! He¡¯s going to kill us all! Saul¡¯s lizard brain practically shouted. If he¡¯s so powerful, though¡­ There¡¯s no getting away from him. I have to fight. That thought seemed to help calm him. He was so busy focusing on the commander that he almost didn¡¯t notice the two remaining Darkforge Elites coming towards him, their movements buoyed by the confidence that their commander would help them. The commander didn¡¯t seem like he was the type to intervene again. Saul could see the dwarf grinning as he watched the elites move forward, hints of bloodlust evident in his eyes as he watched and waited for battle to resume. There were just two of them left. Saul and Basi could handle that, right? The two of them surged forward to attack, one going for Saul while the other went for Basi. Saul had gotten plenty of practice dodging, but with his ruined shoulder he was especially focused on evading rather than trying to parry. His hand holding his dagger still worked, but he didn¡¯t feel the same strength in the arm that he was used to, and it caused excruciating pain as he tried to attack with the weapon. He ducked below an attack that was a little high and lunged forward, stabbing at the Elite with his sword. He scored a shallow hit on the dwarf¡¯s belly, his sword piercing slightly through his armor. Seizing that momentum, he pressed forward, closing the gap between them and raising his dagger to slash at the Elite¡¯s neck. It was a shallow blow, but it was sufficient to open up his jugular. The elite¡¯s health bar began to tick away rapidly, and he raised his hands to his neck in a concerned fashion. Saul stepped forward and did the only thing he could to help - He ended the dwarf¡¯s misery, the lights going out in his right eye when Saul¡¯s dagger slid through the left. Basi had his opponent on the ground, his fierce teeth snapping at his face. Saul stepped up to the dwarf and sent his sword through the dwarf¡¯s head, I¡¯m sorry¡­ Before his eyes:
Exp gained!
He ignored the text, focused as he was on the only remaining opponent: the commander, the dwarf Saul was coming to refer to in his head as the Devil of the Deeps. What kind of monster can just stand there while his subordinates are killed? Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with this guy?! On the surface, Saul looked calm and ready. Saul turned his head back ever so slightly, looking to his companions to see how things were coming in the planning department. Based on their frustrated expressions things didn¡¯t seem to be going very well. He drew in a deep breath and focused on the energy within his body. He felt the store of energy in his dantian, strong and calm. He reached out to that energy and guided it to his legs and arms, strength immediately flooding his limbs. He tried to focus especially on his injured shoulder, reinforcing it with the energy within. I need to keep him at bay for us to have a chance¡­ Leaning forward, Saul dashed at the Darkforge commander at a speed far greater than anything he¡¯d imagined before. He slid to a stop next to the commander, spinning and swinging his sword with all of his might at his foe. His blade was moving almost too fast for him to see, but the commander didn¡¯t seem phased. He lifted his own blade casually and knocked Saul¡¯s weapon aside, then he followed that action by backhanding Saul. One moment he was swinging his weapon at the Darkforge commander, the next moment he was flying across the room and slamming into the wall. His body shook from the impact. His lungs were emptied by the force of the impact, blood mixed with the spit that emerged as he coughed, trying to get his breath back. His vision flashed red, the number large enough to cause concern. Did anyone get the license plate on that truck¡­? He wondered, half dazed and half to distract himself from his growing fear that they wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the commander. His health bar dropped even lower, showing he had about a third of his health left. It was at that moment that his allies sprang into action. Reric gave him some much needed attention, the healing spell so potent that the missing skin from his shoulder seemed to appear out of nowhere. Edwin seemed to be weaving his hands in an effort to cast some sort of spell. Liza was rushing towards the Devil. Even Basi was getting in on the effort, the lizard slinking towards the dwarf as fast as possible. Saul felt paralyzed as he watched his companions fighting on, What could they do?Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Suddenly, the Darkforge commander seemed to sink into the stone beneath him. Edwin clapped his hands together firmly, ice shooting from his fingertips towards the commander at the same time. As Liza arrived in front of the commander, she used her sword to great effect. Her blade slammed into the Darkforge demon¡¯s guard, the strength behind her blow enough to push him back just a little. What¡¯s the point? Saul wondered, his mind hazy with fear. Edwin¡¯s spells began to land on the commander, ice forming on his form that seemed to slow him a bit. Basi finally reached the commander and the lizard leapt, his jaws open and those wickedly sharp teeth bared to grab the commander¡¯s free arm. I¡­ I have to do something. He couldn¡¯t just sit there. If they were all going to die, they were all going to die. If we¡¯re going down, then sugar we¡¯re going down swinging¡­ He thought, the memory of a song from his high school years helping to snap him free of his trance. He stood and prepared to move forward. He focused his energy once more, imbuing his limbs specifically with all they could handle, and he took off running at the commander. Reric seemed to be mumbling another spell, and suddenly Saul felt twice as fast, as if blessed by the speed of the gods. Who knows if this is a spell of lightness or a spell of quick movement, but whatever it is¡­ I¡¯m going to take advantage of it! Even this monster shouldn¡¯t be able to avoid this attack¡­ Pouring more and more energy from his dantian into his legs, he surged forward at a speed that was as fast as lightning in his opinion. He was moving too fast to control any strikes so he kept his sword out in front, looking to impale the Devil of the Deeps in one motion. Liza''s second attack was parried away. The commander delivered a simple pommel strike to the armored woman and crushed her breastplate inward. Saul watched as if everyone was moving in slow motion. Basi was shrugged off easily by the commander but the lizard served as a valuable distraction to allow Saul to close the distance. By the time the Darkforge commander brought his weapon to bear to try and block the stabbing strike, Saul''s weapon was already sinking into his side like a hot knife through butter. The sound that accompanied the strike was like the thunderclap that followed a lightning strike. Saul willed his dagger to vanish at that point. Gritting his teeth and grasping the hilt of the sword with both hands, Saul dug into the ground with his feet and pivoted, yanking his sword to the side to cut free of the Darkforge commander''s body, tearing a chunk of his side away in a bloody spray as he did so. Fearing a counterattack, Saul leaped back immediately, just in time to avoid that monstrous sword cutting through the space he''d just occupied. Blood poured from the Devil''s side as a massive red ''250!'' flashed overhead, followed by ''Status! Bleeding'', which seemed to prompt a series of small numbers, ''5!'' ''4!'' and so on every second or so. Saul wasn''t sure how much health the commander had, but that would surely help to slow him down. Edwin must have sent more ice shards forward as some slammed home just a second later, doing some damage ''20!'' The Darkforge commander¡¯s health bar appeared overhead, indicating he was at around half health. "Attack!" Saul yelled at that moment. Between the ice magic and the strange spell that made the ground like liquid, the Darkforge commander wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Willing his dagger to appear in his hand again and flinging it towards the enemy, Saul closed to melee range once more and began to slash at the dwarf with his sword. Liza appeared next to him with her sword in hand, her breastplate discarded and her strikes coming from out of the dwarf''s range. The commander¡¯s movements were slowed substantially due to the damage he¡¯d taken and the ice magic¡¯s effects, and Saul managed to stay a step ahead of him. Edwin was casting a continuous stream of spells that soared between the two of them and found their way home. Even Reric was getting in on the attack, casting a spell that resulted in a bolt of divine energy slamming into the commander. Between their combined efforts, the commander''s tremendous health eventually wore down, that substantial health bar of his finally ticking down to 0. He had introduced himself with a bang, but he died with a whispered curse on their names.
Exp gained: 5,000! Your share: 1,250.
That''s a lot of experience! Saul thought when he saw the number. In front of his eyes, the display flashed
You are now level 7! +3 to Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance! +2 to Intelligence and Willpower!
You are now level 8! +3 to Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance! +2 to Intelligence and Willpower!
Saul stumbled away from the Darkforge commander¡¯s corpse, finding a wall to lean on. He began to retch, and a foul stench arose from that corner as splashes could be heard. So much death¡­ I was almost one of those corpses¡­ As his heaves subsided, he wiped any evidence of his sickness away from his mouth and looked up to check on his allies. Liza, Edwin, and Reric were fine¡­ Basi?! Where¡¯s Bas¡­ Saul reached out and felt his presence through their bond, though Basi had been knocked unconscious by the Darkforge commander''s last attack. Several items dropped from the devilish dwarf''s corpse. One of them was a long sword that seemed designed for evil purposes. The weapon was wickedly sharp, with a skull for a pommel and a few small barbs and serrations on the blade itself. He offered the weapon to Liza, who shook her head, indicating her weapon, ¡°Too small for me.¡± Saul spared a look at Edwin and Reric, though neither of them showed any interest. He reached forward and claimed the blade. When his fingers grasped the hilt, he felt a powerful aura emanating from the sword. There was a sense of strength in the weapon, a feeling that it would cut whatever he wanted it to. It seemed desperate to taste flesh, eager to inflict pain. It was a twisted sensation, sickening even. He ignored those urges coming from the sword, willing it and his other weapons to go back to his inventory. They made their way over to where the miners huddled, checking on them to make sure everyone was safe. Liza spoke to the group of former prisoners, "We''ve let the town guard know about the invasion. Are you ok to make it back to town?" They nodded their assent and made their way out of the mine. Saul looked around the cavern, looking for some sign as to why the Darkforge dwarves had come here in the first place. He wasn''t able to see anything, but he kept a watchful eye out as his companions licked their wounds. Now that the commotion had died down, he felt a pulse of energy in the cavern. It seemed to come from the tear in the wall nearest to where the commander had been standing. A wave of energy was emanating from the entrance to the Deeps. "Does anyone else have the cultivation skill? I get a sense that it would be a good idea to cultivate just inside this entrance. Will you come with me?" Liza and Edwin seemed eager. Reric sighed, "Most dwarves can''t cultivate, but I''ll come with you and watch your back while you do." The humans all voiced their appreciation. With that, they took a step into the Deeps, determined to continue growing stronger. 10: Cultivation in the Deeps! The moment the party stepped into the Deeps, they found the level of ambient Qi in the air nearly suffocating. It was unlike anything Saul had experienced thus far on the surface - The air was positively ripe with Qi, so thick and powerful that it was almost visible. The air was heavy and oppressive. Breath came with exceptional difficulty there. Aware of the dangers of the Deeps, Saul¡¯s party didn¡¯t wander very far into the underground tunnels. No more than a hundred paces from the entrance they stopped. Sounds could be heard through the tunnels. Movements. The sounds of life. ¡°Best be careful down here.¡± Reric whispered. ¡°The monsters here are stronger than anything on the surface here. The Darkforge dwarves only survive through the strength of men like the commander and their massive armies.¡± Liza spoke up, ¡°Just how strong are we talking?¡± Reric shook his head, ¡°The individual creatures here are probably much stronger than he was but they can be overwhelmed with sheer numbers¡­¡± That was ominous. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get in and get out.¡± Saul, Liza and Edwin took a seat on the ground there. Reric withdrew his hammer and leaned against the tunnel wall. Basi moved to take a spot just ahead of the group. Saul felt a protective instinct through the bond. Good boy. Saul got into the appropriate position and drew in a slow, steady breath. It came easily despite the weight of the air. Energy flooded into his body in massive quantities, slamming into his pathways. He grabbed control of it and directed it towards his dantian, which felt as if it were replenished just from his first breath alone. This is going to be very productive. Inhale. Energy flooded his core. Wore at the edges. Exhale. Inhale. Deeper, stronger. More primal. Power flooded his core again, nearly to the breaking point. He concentrated. Brought the energy into his being. Exhale. He could feel the energy in the air held an untamed nature. When he thought of the energy he couldn¡¯t help but picture a massive wall of stone that was ancient and unchanged by the years. He could tell it was somewhat different from the energy that was inside his core - That energy seemed totally pure as if untouched by elements. It was a stark contrast to this wild energy. Inhale He continued to press energy towards that pure ball of power in his core to flood it with the wild Qi that he was totally immersed in. Exhale. The tension flooded from his body. Strain reduced for now. He prepared for more. Inhale. With every breath more power was forced into his dantian. In his mind¡¯s eye he could see the energy entering his core as a deep blue color, swirling and mixing with the pure white light there and ultimately fading away as it was consumed by the white energy. Exhale. The white light would flood his body again. Power surged forth from his core through his channels. They were washed clean of any taint from the energy in the air. Inhale. He drew more of the deep blue energy into his body, resulting in that tempest in his core. He could see the battle between blue and white. The blue energy struggled then faded as it was washed clean. Exhale. Sweat was breaking out on Saul¡¯s forehead as he continued to cultivate, his body nearing its limit for holding power. He drew in another deep breath and held it firmly while forcing more and more of the energy into his dantian. It felt almost as if it were going to burst. He could feel it growing like a muscle. Inhale. His body shook with the effort. He forced the energy through his body to his core and flooded it with that wild energy. Something snapped. Energy began to pour forth from his dantian, the pure white light surging forth out of his control. The energy seemed to scour his channels burning hot as it surged through his body. The flood sought new pathways, threatening to overfill the channels he had open. Suddenly he realized that the energy was being held back by something. It was as if the energy was being forced to bypass an area it should be able to flow through naturally. He saw the issue. Qi gathered near to his heart. He tried to calm himself and steel his resolve to push the energy forward. Despite its division in several separate flows, he was able to control each flow. The hesitations were surrounding something just big enough to give the impression of another core. Gritting his teeth, he gave one last strong push and it felt as though something broke within him. Qi flooded his body in ways it never had before, thundering into that empty space, before he felt as though the light went out entirely. Spent, he collapsed backwards, his chest heaving as he tried to calm his breath, his body absolutely covered with sweat and grime. He was nearly passed out from the effort but he felt as though it would all be worth it once he recovered. His muscles ached fiercely, his energy stores all but depleted. He lay there for as long as he dared in the dangerous Deeps.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Looking to his left and right he could see Edwin and Liza were in similar poses to what he¡¯d used. They used the same breathing technique, as if they had learned to cultivate together. Makes sense. They seem to be close friends. Perhaps more. Edwin¡¯s features were screwed up in concentration and he was biting his lip as he continued to breathe in and out. Liza was similarly focused though she managed to look serene - Her features were usually harsh, with some scars on her cheeks and chin making them look even more severe - but the usual severe expression he was used to was replaced with the bliss that could be found in meditation. In a few moments, Saul had recovered somewhat enough to notice the notification that had popped up while he cultivated.
In flooding your dantian and scouring your core clean, you have unlocked Cultivation: Foundation, Lvl V!
That wasn¡¯t all.
Through overfilling your Core, you have released your energy to seek new pathways! By forcing energy into your Second Core, you have become a second level cultivator! Your cultivation level is now Basic, Lvl I! You have access to new abilities, and your Qi will grant you greater strength!
New abilities, eh? I wonder what those entail. Probably related to Qi infusion. ¡°Reric, you said most dwarves can¡¯t cultivate¡­ Does that mean you can¡¯t use Qi? Are any of the races native to the Dungeon able to use Qi?¡± The dwarf mulled the question over for a moment. ¡°There are some who use Qi. The ones who can go through the portals. You might be able to find some races that can use Qi. Maybe even monsters. I¡¯d guess that you will when you get to higher levels.¡± He expressed his gratitude for the information. He gathered his strength to stand up and take a defensive position on the opposite wall. He looked down to inspect his body. He could see the dirt that had gathered on his body even in the dim light - That was strange, he hadn¡¯t thought he was dirty after their encounter with the Darkforge commander. ¡°So, what typically lives down here?¡± He asked Reric in hushed tones, trying to avoid disturbing his party, or anything that could be nearby. ¡°There are a large number of beasts found in the Deeps. The Deeps are actually found all throughout this land, if you know where to look. Different areas have different depths, but this is kind of¡­ The heart of things.¡± Reric seemed to be implying the Deeps was underneath every level of the Dungeon. Then again, he didn¡¯t really know how much the dwarf knew about the Dungeon itself. Was he aware of their world, and the way it was divided? ¡°Reric, what do you know about this land? Have you been to the Prairie, or to whatever lies beyond the mountain pass?¡± The dwarf shook his head in response. ¡°Some dwarves can go through the gates, but many of us can¡¯t. I don¡¯t rightly know why, but it¡¯s always been that way. We used to maintain the doors in case we¡¯d receive visitors from other levels, but save the occasional slime or elf, it¡¯s been a long time since that¡¯s happened. Until now with all you humans coming along.¡± He leaned away from the wall and began to pace. His steps were soft enough to barely be audible. "It doesn''t really matter to me why that is. There are a few adventurers from every race. The only exception so far seems to be you all." Saul bowed to the dwarf. "Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me." He fell silent for the time. He remained vigilant at first, but soon enough he let his mind wander. The mysteries in this place are intriguing, I have to admit. I still need to get home but... Maybe just long enough to check on everyone. I want to know more about this place. Someone needs to document things. His train of thought was broken when his allies began to rise. Liza broke her cultivation first and she smiled as she stood. She didn¡¯t seem to have a breakthrough like Saul had but for all he knew she was further along in things than he was. Edwin stood a few minutes later. Roars and strange sounds came echoing up the tunnel at that moment. "Let''s go." He whispered. They fled the Deeps as quickly as they could. The dwarves from Bel Dharim had arrived while they were cultivating. The contingent didn''t waste any time at all. They took the Darkforge corpses and then piled them in the Deeps. One of them noticed Saul''s curious eyes watching them. "If we can attract a few powerful beasts with these, we''ll keep the Darkforge dwarves from coming back for a while. They''ll get a taste for Darkforge meat." He made a face. Gruesome. It makes sense though. They sealed up the hole to the Deeps in almost no time at all. Their powerful bodies moved massive stones as if only took the slightest bit of effort. Two of the dwarves laid hands on the stones as they were stacked and mumbled something in a strange language, and the stones would seal themselves closed. Unsurprisingly, Saul had never seen any magic like that. It wasn¡¯t long before the holes were totally sealed and the party was on its way back to the Village. Their return journey was swift and easy. A large patrol had just swept the area and ensured it was clear. Saul nodded to the dwarf guarding the gate as they returned. The gruff dwarf gave him a respectful nod as he let them in. I think he might have smiled at me! Saul thought as they made their way into the town. Before long he was standing in the town hall once more. He nodded a greeting to the dwarf who responded, ¡°Heard ya rescued the miners in th¡¯ mine. Can¡¯ say I expected tha¡¯.¡± The gruff dwarf had a huge smile on his face as he reached below the desk, withdrawing a bunch of gold coins and placing them on the counter top. He produced several pouches as well. Saul couldn''t count exactly how much money his share was going to be, but it seemed to be close to 100 gold coins. Seems like a lot of money. ¡°I¡¯ll split this up four ways for ya¡¯, and as thanks fer your efforts I¡¯ll cover yer bill at the inn. As far as I¡¯m concerned yer heroes, one and all!¡± His fingers moved deftly over the coins splitting them into four even piles. Saul waved his hand over his pile to draw them into his inventory, excited to have some money. His armor was in severe need of an upgrade. ¡°I¡¯m just happy that we managed to save almost everyone." Saul responded. That was really reward enough. I won''t complain about the coin, though. He turned to face his allies and bowed deeply. "Thank you for all of your help. I truly couldn''t have done it without you. You all earned your shares." He put a hand on Reric''s shoulder. "You are an excellent healer. I wouldn''t be standing here if it wasn''t for you." The dwarf grumbled good naturedly, but beneath his beard there was a faint tinge of pink to his cheeks. He extended an offer to Liza and Edwin, "I think our party works well together. Though we wouldn''t have a healer, I''d like it if you would consider adventuring further with me." Edwin clapped Saul on the shoulder, ¡°If Liza agrees, I''d be interested in continuing our party. If not, I''d certainly work with you again if we find ourselves at the same place sometime in the future.¡± Liza took longer to mull things over before she finally said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of leaving tomorrow. If we¡¯re leaving at the same time let¡¯s travel together. Otherwise I''ll wish you good luck.¡± That was fair enough as far as Saul was concerned. With an inventory full of gold and a heart full of joy he bid his farewell to everyone for the time being. He strode out of the building with purpose. Time for some upgrades! 11: Upgrades! Saul exited the town hall with a bounce in his step and an inventory full of gold. He felt quite a bit stronger, and that pleased him. While he knew that he could have never handled the Darkforge Commander on his own, he could see a path that would lead to him being as strong as that demon - Or perhaps even more powerful. For now, he had a lot of gold burning a hole in his inventory and a need for some new equipment that he could use to help him further his quest to discover the secrets of the Dungeon. Before he could worry about hitting the shops, he needed to see exactly where his stats were. He took a few steps and settled down on one of the steps. ¡®Status¡¯
Name: Solomon Andrews HP: 120=>160 Class: Ranger Level: 6=>8
Talents: Cultivate Befriend Animal Cultivation Level: Basic
Abilities: Attack Shoot Track
Strength: 32=>38 Intelligence: 29=>33
Dexterity: 35=>41 Willpower: 22=>26
Endurance: 27=>33 Experience: 6,500=>8,900
Hm.. Seems like I get a level for every 1,000 experience so far. I was level 6 when I had 6,500 experience. I have 8,900 and now I''m level 8. There''s no way that continues... There''d be no real level cap if that was the case. It must get harder once I hit level 10 or something. On page II, he read the following:
Talent Type: Talent Level: Talent Description:
Cultivation? Basic, Lvl I You have broken through the barrier and unlocked your second dantian. Energy infusion is more effective, and your senses grow stronger
Befriend Animal Foundation, Lvl II Your connection to your animal companion confers you both greater strength and attributes.
Archery Basic, Lvl II Your growing mastery with a bow allows you to do greater damage.
Single wielding Foundation, Lvl II You are able to use a single weapon in combat without hurting yourself
Dual wielding Foundation, Lvl V Your hands are able to move independently of one another to some effect, ensuring your attacks are likely to land.
Dodge Foundation, Lvl II You have demonstrated some ability to slip attacks and leave your opponents hitting only air.
He smiled to himself at the progress he''d made. Not bad. I can see some real improvement. My foundation skill seems to be independent of the rest of my stats so far. I wonder if my stats change whenever I infuse my body with energy. Now seems like as good a time as any to find out. He focused on the Qi in his dantian and let it spread throughout his body, flooding his muscles and granting his body a sense of increased strength. He looked at his stats screen again and noticed a small difference:
Name: Solomon Andrews HP: 160 Class: Ranger Level: 8
Talents: Cultivate Befriend Animal Cultivation Level: Basic
Abilities: Attack Shoot Track
Strength: 38(+6) Intelligence: 33
Dexterity: 41(+6) Willpower: 26
Endurance: 33(+8) Experience: 8,900
It seemed to increase his endurance more than his strength and dexterity. Moreover, the numbers didn¡¯t seem to match with the increase he could see in his abilities - His speed seemed to nearly double when he let his Qi fill his legs, but the dexterity increase was only modest. There had to be something to that. That would be something to look into in the future. While he was thinking of the Dungeon¡¯s mechanics¡­ Inventory The list pulled up before his eyes, listing every item he possessed before him. By looking closely at each item on the list, he could read a description of what the item was or did. Inventory:
Item Name: Item Type: Description:
Monstrous LongswordYou could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Rare Longsword With a wicked curve and barb, this sword emanates a desire to inflict pain and pulses with the strength to do so.
Intermediate Shortsword Intermediate Shortsword This Short Sword is quick and has an exceptionally sharp blade
Basic Longbow + 350 arrows Basic Bow This longbow is made of high strength materials that are capable of transfering high levels of force to arrows.
Intermediate Leather Vest Foundation Chest armor This vest is crafted with superior quality for level I - It has strong durability
Basic cloth pants Foundation Leg Armor These are stylish pants that offer protection from little other than public indecency
Minor Healing potion x 3 Potion Heals 50 HP.
Saul looked over his weapons - They would all do nicely. Each of them seemed at least adequate for his level, especially that longsword. He''d been lucky that Liza used one massive weapon instead of dual wielding. The more he thought about swords, the more he was beginning to consider another weapon type, but for now he''d stick with what he had. His armor, on the other hand... Something would have to be done about that. Luckily for him, and the local merchants, he had a lot of gold to spend and a lot of things to spend it on. Considering the path he''d taken to get to the town hall from the entrance, he decided on the best route back and set off towards the market. The village was alive with sounds and sights as he made his way to the market. People were laughing, children were playing in the streets. Small animals, closely resembling cats and dogs weaved their way through the crowds of people as he made his way along - It seemed as though the return of the miners had brought a cheerful mood to the denizens of the Dwarven Village. His faithful companion, Basi, wandered along next to him, hissing quietly at some of the dogs that got too close. Saul was happy to see their vigor and excitement. It warmed his heart to see the results of his party¡¯s efforts. He had never considered himself the heroic type back on Earth, but he hadn¡¯t been in a position to really make a difference. He was usually the type to do the ¡°right thing¡±, but there was a big difference between that and actually saving lives. It felt really good! He was lost in thought, but not so lost that he didn¡¯t manage to avoid the kids that nearly bowled him over, chasing one another in a rousing game of tag. Water was dumped from a window three stories up, and he was able to sense it quickly enough to dodge. His awareness of his surroundings seemed greater than ever, despite his reverie. That¡¯s interesting, he mused, It¡¯s almost like I have a sense of what¡¯s going on around me. Like I can feel things happening before they happen¡­ But that doesn¡¯t seem quite right. It¡¯s more like¡­ I¡¯m reacting to things around me quickly. I¡¯ll have to do some testing to see what that¡¯s all about. He turned his thoughts towards his newfound cultivation level, considering the sensations of his Qi as it flowed between his two cores and infused his body with strength. He could sense the energy coating his body, very lightly. Tuning out the distractions around him, he closed his eyes and really focused on the sense of his Qi. It was almost like a cloud that wrapped itself around his body. He felt Basi''s presence nearby, and the presence of dwarves as they wandered past. He could feel that cloud dispersing as something disturbed it, but he wasn''t sure what until he ran right into a wooden cart on the side of the road. He opened his eyes and rubbed his ribs gently. That helped to explain why he was able to react to the things happening around him - It must have been a subconscious response to the flow of Qi being disturbed. That was an interesting ability, one he was quite sure would come in handy in the future. He shook himself totally from his thoughts at that point and set out with a renewed pace towards the marketplace. When he turned the corner that led to the market, he was greeted with a sight even more chaotic and lively than he remembered. Dwarves were standing on benches next to their wares, holding up items of all sorts and shouting at the top of their lungs about the benefits of their products. The crowd in the street was a veritable sea of people, with each booth surrounded by interested patrons. Some of the merchants had large baskets set up next to them, filled with all sorts of exotic looking fruits, both beautiful to look at and colorful enough that they''d be screaming "Poison!" back on Earth. He saw one dwarf who had a booth with a number of animals in cages and a large cleaver on display, the cleaver currently occupying a notch in a log that was stained red with what he suspected were previous animals. "Meat! Get yer'' meat!" He could hear the dwarf yelling at the top of his lungs. The people were as interesting as the booths, full of life and energy. He could see the resolve of the Dwarves on their faces, a general sense of purpose and capability that made him feel at ease with the people there. He looked around the square until he spotted what he was looking for - A merchant whose booth was filled with items that suggested defensive purposes, from shields to breastplates and everything in between. Saul made his way over to the Dwarf and greeted him, "Hello there, good sir. I need to purchase some new armor. Mine isn''t doing the job any longer." The Dwarf smiled, "Well you''ve come to the right place! Gundrin''s the name and selling armor is the game! I''ve got shields to make the strongest blow yield! Breastplates that your enemies will hate! Leg guards that make hurting you hard! I''ve got..." He seemed content to continue if he was left uninterrupted, so Saul cut in quickly, "I''d love to see what sort of leather armor you have available." "Sure, sure." Gundrin grumbled good-naturedly. He seemed a little put out that he hadn''t been able to continue his rhyming spiel, but he was interested in making a sale and this human seemed like he meant business. Gundrin gestured to the table beside him, "Here''s the average stuff. I have things of higher quality, but they come at a higher price. Breastplates start at 5 gold pieces and cap out around 26, leggings and the like go from 4 to 20, if you need gloves, shoes, or anything of that nature I have those as well." Saul took a look at the various items, waving his hand over each one. The action gave him an impression of the armor, and its level of enchantment. A thought occurred, and he asked Gundrin, "Do any of these have any special enchantments? Or just damage resistance?" The dwarf looked around the table, "None of these have any special magic in them. I have a few pieces that have some stat boosting enchantments on them, but their damage reduction enchantments aren''t as strong. We don''t have the highest level of enchantments here." Saul seemed to consider for a moment, then he asked, "How much is are the stat enhancements? How about the damage reduction - What are your strongest pieces? I have..." He paused for a moment and willed his bag of gold to materialize in hand, "98 gold pieces and I need to replace all of my armor." Gundrin smiled and jumped up at the mention of gold, ducking below the booth for a moment to dig some other armor from his stores. He straightened up with a few pieces in his hand and frowned at the booth''s surface - cluttered as it was. Setting the pieces down on his stool, he used his arms to clear a space before laying out a few different breastplates. "These are stat boosting. Each one boosts an individual stat by 10 points. That''s a pretty big jump. Their downside is that they only reduce about 10% of damage done to you. There''s also this piece" He gestured to the one closest to Saul, "And it boosts all your stats by 4. It''s a much stronger piece of magic than a single stat boost." He pointed at another breastplate, this one on the stool. "This one here does its primary job really well. It''s armor, through and through. It''ll reduce about 25% of damage you take, but you don''t get any stat boosts. To me, it depends on what you do - Do you do a lot of close up fighting? If so, this is the armor for you. Any of these pieces here will cost you 25 gold. I have leggings that do the same thing, and I''ll let any of them go for 23 gold pieces since you''re looking for a whole outfit." The dwarf let Saul consider it for a moment, reaching below the booth for more items. He cleared that same space once more and began to lay boots and gauntlets out. "Now these are pretty special items. I''ve got a few different types of boots. This." He said, pointing to a silvery pair of boots, "Cancels out any sound your feet make. It''s designed for sneaking up on people." "This one," He pointed at a brown pair of leather shoes, "Increases your movement speed by a percentage. You''ll be able to walk, run, whatever, 20% faster with these on." Finally he pointed at one last pair, "This one lets you jump higher. In these shoes, you''ll jump three or four times as high as you normally could. Also, any one of these pairs will reduce 5% of the damage you take. I''ll let a pair go for 12 gold." Next was time to consider the gauntlets, "I''ve got a few of these. This one," He pointed to a pair that had weird spikes coming from the wrist guard of the right glove, "Lets you fire arrows that come from the ambient energy around you. I know that sounds great, but keep in mind - If you''re in a fire aspected place, you''ll be shooting fire arrows at creatures that are likely immune to fire." Pointing to the next, "These enhance your precision. They''ll help you make fine movements as surely as an increase in your dexterity would." Then he gestured at the last, "This one... well, this pair I call the rogue''s gauntlets. You can disarm traps or pick locks when you''ve got these gloves. They have a bit of magic on them that reacts when in the presence of locks or traps, and transforms the fingertips into whatever tool you need." Saul considered his options, The movement speed increase sounds great, but I need to stay stealthy. It seems like every time I grow in levels my speed increases... Is there a limit on the enchant? What about the armor? How much damage can it take before it fails? Saul pointed at the Boots of Fleet Foot and the armor, "I''ve got a few questions. What''s the durability on the armor?" The armor smith smiled at that question, "It''s one of the best pieces here. Its got a durability of just over 1,000 points, and you can always repair it if you learn how or take it to the right person. So if someone stabs you with a sword, the armor will soak up a quarter of the damage which will be done to the durability. Keep in mind, these resistances only apply if you''re hit where the armor is." Saul nodded and gestured at the boots again, "And these? Is there a point at which they lose their effectiveness?" Gundrin shrugged as he looked down at the boots, glyphs visible on the metal, "These fail at a certain point. If you run too fast, the enchantment loses its effect... I''ve heard the cap is around 100 strength, but I''m not the enchanter so I couldn''t say." Hm... That''s interesting. I don''t think I can justify those boots, even if they do sound great. Plus, I''d probably move too fast for Basi. He purchased the Rogue''s gauntlets, the Boots of silence, and a full set of general stat boosting armor. The man didn''t seem to sell helmets, so he didn''t worry much about it. "Can I leave my old stuff here with you? I''d like to get into this new armor now." Gundrin didn''t seem to mind. He gestured behind the booth - There was a stall that seemed made for changing. Saul had Basi wait nearby and stepped in with his new items and began to change. As he removed his old items, they shrank somewhat, becoming more manageable. As he moved to put the new armor on, it melded perfectly to his form, fitting as if designed just for him. He could feel an increase in his strength in the new armor, a general sense of increased power. Not bad Saul thought. He stepped up to Gundrin and offered him the old items. Perhaps he could sell them for a few coins. He reached into his coin purse and produced 78 gold pieces - Most of his money, but it was money well spent. "Gundrin, I was wondering... Who''s the best dwarf to talk to about weapons around here? Purchasing, but maybe also some lessons in their use?" The dwarf thought for a moment, then gestured across the street at a booth just to the left of his, "That''d probably be Grenar over there. He''s been forging weapons for as long as I can remember. He''s outfitted pretty much everyone in town, so if anyone could tell you who the best masters are, it''d be him." Saul bowed, "Thank you, Gundrin. You''ve been most kind." Turning, he and Basi made their way over to Grenar''s booth. Saul could see a huge number of weapons for sale, everything ranging from pole arms to daggers. There was a great selection there, and everything was categorized by type. Swords of all types lay next to each other on the top of the table, seemingly arranged from lowest quality to highest. Hanging from the top of the booth were several different types of battle hammer. Saul admired all of these weapons for sale, but he didn''t want to be rude. He looked to the proprietor of the booth and greeted him, "Hello, Grenar, my name is Saul and I''m looking for a weapon. I was hoping you might be able to help me!" The dwarf nodded. He didn''t seem to be as friendly, or at least as talkative as Gundrin had been. "Aye, I''ve got every type of weapon you might want. What''re you looking for?" Saul looked at the spears, "I was hoping for something to help keep my enemies at bay. I''m a ranger, you see, and I prefer a bow - But sometimes they get close. I''ve been using swords, but I''m starting to wonder if a spear or something might not be better." "Swords are always useful, but if you''ve got something to help you fight up close..." He looked towards Basi, "Then I''d say it would be smarter for you to stay back and attack from far away. Having a spear is a good way to do that. I''ve got a few spears here - Basic and Intermediate. I''ll let go of an intermediate spear for 7 gold." Saul grabbed hold of the weapon that Grenar was looking at. It was a fairly long spear - Probably close to three meters in length, if he added in the length of the blade. It more closely resembled what he''d seen samurai use - Yaris? He''d never held a spear before. He took a wide stance, sinking down low and holding the spear in both hands. "That sounds like a fair bargain, kind Grenar, but I''d need to know who can help me learn the weapon as well." Grenar nodded, "Aye, I can help you meet up with a master today who can teach you the basics." Well, who could pass up that deal? Saul happily paid him the 7 gold pieces and placed the spear near his back. As if by magic, it adhered to his armor, its bladed tip well away from him. "Thank you, Grenar. I''ll look forward to those lessons." The dwarf nodded, "Just be at the tavern at dusk. Look for the surly dwarf out front holding a spear four times his own height. He''ll be able to help you learn." Saul was looking forward to it! 12: New Horizons Saul didn¡¯t have any other business in the city after his shopping expedition, so he decided to go to the Tavern early and kill some time. He looked up towards the sky to get an idea of what time it was and saw that it seemed like it would be a few hours until dusk. There would be plenty of time to kill in that case. When he got to the door of the Tavern, he looked at his spear point and noticed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to fit if he didn¡¯t pull his spear into his inventory. He really liked the look of the spear, but it¡¯d have to go away for now. He brought it into his inventory with a pocket, considering the implications for a moment, It seems like I can just bring things into my inventory at will. I feel the weight, but¡­ Do I have unlimited space? Am I only limited by what I can carry? Can I upgrade my inventory size if I don¡¯t have an unlimited amount of space? Man¡­ I should have spent some more time asking the Guide questions back on level 1. Maybe there¡¯s some information on the Help screen. I¡¯ll check on that soon. He entered the Tavern and blinked for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the low level of light once more. ¡°Move it! Yer blockin¡¯ the door.¡± A voice growled from in front of him. He stepped to the side, bumping into a chair that was too close to the entrance as he moved out of the way of the dwarf trying to leave. ¡°Sorry!¡± He said to both the dwarf and to whoever was sitting in the chair. He blinked a few times to help his eyes acclimate to the low lighting more quickly and then took a look around the room. He saw a few of the miners that he¡¯d helped to rescue. They cheered at the sight of him, ¡°That¡¯s one of the ones that helped save us! Get him a flagon of mead on us!¡± One of them yelled to the bartender. Saul waved a hand in response and moved over towards the bar, where a large glass mug was pushed into his hand. Basi had followed him closely and settled down in the space between stools. Looks more like a stein than a flagon if you ask me¡­ But that¡¯s probably just the beer snob in me. He raised his mug towards the dwarves, ¡°Many thanks! I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re out and about!¡± And took a sip of the drink. It was¡­ Really good! Saul had been known to play DnD from time to time back in the real world, so he slipped into his version of "Adventure speak" quite easily. ¡°Barkeep! Who makes this mead?¡± He took another drink as the dwarf answered, ¡°That there is a local brew. We make it in the basement. Me and one of the other bartenders are the brew masters.¡± Saul raised his glass to the man, ¡°You¡¯ve done a fine job! This is some of the finest mead I¡¯ve ever tasted, and I¡¯ve had brews from many lands!¡± He looked down at the mead, noticing it was already close to half gone. He¡¯d have to pace himself. He didn¡¯t know how strong the drink was, either. It was a time for celebration, but he didn¡¯t trust anyone well enough to really cut loose like he was back in a college frat. Looking towards the people in the bar, he noticed more humans than he¡¯d seen the first time he was here. His quest with the others hadn¡¯t taken that long, but it seemed as though more and more people were winding up in the dungeon. That was interesting to see. He imagined that more and more humans would begin to explore the dungeon as time went on. Thinking to himself, I wonder if the Dungeon will expand towns like this to accommodate the increased numbers? Is this place more like a video game or is it actually its own world? I know that what is happening to me is actually happening, but this place... Is it living and breathing? It was a question that probably didn¡¯t matter all that much. He figured that people smarter than him would be contemplating that question for quite some time. We still don¡¯t know what the meaning of life is, so how can we say whether or not anything in here is truly alive? Something to ponder for another time. He saw Liza and Edwin sharing a drink over by the fire. They were laughing and sharing drinks, their chairs closer to one another than seemed simply polite. I wonder if they knew each other before the Dungeon? They have always seemed quite close to me. Good for them. I''m happy they have each other to help them through these crazy experiences. He finished drinking his mead and turned to the bartender, on the verge of ordering a refill before he remembered he¡¯d need his wits about him later. The effects of even one mug of mead were noticeable, he was sure if he had another then he¡¯d be too drunk to train appropriately. ¡°Do you serve food?¡± He asked the bartender instead. He hadn¡¯t had a proper meal since he¡¯d entered the Dungeon apart from the feast at the slime village and he was ready to change it. ¡°Aye, we¡¯ve got a kitchen in the back. Let¡¯s see¡­ We¡¯ve got a few different choices for meat. All the sides are pretty much the same. We¡¯ve got chicken, pork, beef, or fish.¡± Saul told the man he¡¯d take the pork. ¡°What about non-alcoholic beverages? I need to do some training later, so I don¡¯t want to have too much to drink before then.¡± The barkeep nodded and took the flagon from him, filling it from a barrel somewhat near the one he¡¯d gotten the mead from. The beverage in his glass now was honeyed in color and had a large foam head. It looked a lot like his first drink had, but when he tasted it he found it was totally different. Complex, creamy, frothy, and delicious - It reminded him of a cream soda, but different in the flavors and tones. Altogether it was delightful! Before too long, a large platter was set before him loaded with pork covered in some sort of gravy. There were roasted roots and vegetables next to the pork. He didn¡¯t recognize a number of the roots, but the vegetables seemed pretty familiar to what he was used to on Earth. Carrots, onions, things like that. There was some sort of moss sprinkled over the top, browned gently. It smelled delicious! They gave him a big knife and a spoon to eat with. He set into his food quickly, holding the pork with the spoon and cutting large chunks of pork free. He dropped several of these chunks to the ground for his faithful companion, reaching down to scratch the lizard¡¯s head between bites. Before long, he had a full belly and an empty platter. He leaned back and patted his stomach with a happy sigh. When the barkeep informed him that he owed 32 silver pieces, he pulled out one gold piece. ¡°Does this cover it?¡± The bartender nodded, ¡°Aye, and quite a bit more besides. You¡¯d have 68 pieces of change.¡± Saul thought for a moment, looking around the room. It was pretty full - Probably close to 40 people were currently in the tavern, ¡°How much per flagon of mead?¡± The barkeep shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s about one silver and fifty copper, give or take.¡± Saul wasn¡¯t sure why the price wasn¡¯t fixed, but it helped him decide, ¡°A round for everyone, then! And I¡¯ll have another mug of that drink you¡¯d given me before.¡± The barkeep grumbled something good naturedly at him, before roaring out, ¡°Everyone, next round is on the human here!¡± A general cheer spread throughout the bar, with many of the patrons raising what they held left in their mugs in salute to him. Liza and Edwin spotted him and offered a wave and a toast, but they didn¡¯t seem like they intended move over to join him. It seemed close enough to time for him to meet the weapon master anyways. He grabbed his stein and waved his thanks to the barkeep, then exited the bar, holding the door open for Basi. He looked up at the sky and saw that it was almost dusk. He took a drink and looked around for the dwarf he was supposed to meet. He hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but there was plenty of time for him to do so. Saul leaned up against the wall of the building. He saw the street was relatively empty at this hour. Well, might as well be productive while I wait. Let¡¯s see if I can¡¯t get used to holding this thing. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Withdrawing his spear from his inventory, he felt the weight in his hands. He tried to figure out where to hold the spear to maintain the best balance. He stepped away from the wall and dropped down into a wide stance, nearly crouching, the spear angled upward with its haft against his thigh. He jabbed forward experimentally a few times, the spear angled so far up that it wouldn¡¯t pose a problem for a giant, let alone a dwarf. From below, a gruff voice, ¡°Yer doing that all wrong, lad.¡± He jumped slightly, snapping the shaft of the spear against his shoulder and looking down at the speaker. The Dwarf was a little taller than most of the ones he¡¯d seen, plenty stocky, with a number of scars across his features indicating that he was no stranger to combat. More importantly, he was holding a massive spear in his hands. ¡°But I guess ye knew that since you asked for some lessons, eh?¡± Saul bowed to the master, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been using swords, but with a pet that can handle opponents at close range, I figure it¡¯s smart to stay further away from enemies¡­¡± The master nodded, ¡°That¡¯s smart thinking. Too many adventurers decide they want to use swords and don¡¯ consider other weapons. Swords are good, but¡­ Well, why risk fightin¡¯ up close when yeh can kill yer enemies from far away?¡± That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m thinking¡­ Saul nodded, looking around the street ¡°Do you have a place we can practice? I don¡¯t think it would be a good idea for us to do this here.¡± The Weapons Master nodded, ¡°I¡¯m Bardal Rockspear, and I¡¯ll instruct ye for the night. Follow me.¡± With that he set off down the street, leading Saul through a few turns before he came to a stop near a walled off section in the city itself. There was a smaller gate there, similar to the ones that led to the exterior of the city. Bardal banged on the gate with the butt of his spear, shouting something to identify himself. The gate opened and Bardal led Saul and Basi through. Up ahead, Saul saw a few buildings that looked like they might be housing for the city guard. There was a ring in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by several lanterns that gave off a strange tinged light. "This''ll be where we do our learning. I''ll teach ye how to use the spear, but first you need to learn the sense of the spear. Do like I do." Bardal led him over to that circle and took a seat in the middle of it, his spear laid across his lap, his hands on the shaft of it. Saul shrugged and imitated the dwarf, settling down and assuming the same posture. It seemed similar to his cultivation pose. "Now, you need to reach out for the spear... Let your energy flow into it, meld with it. Think about the purpose of the spear. What does it do? What do you need it for?" That seemed both simple and complex. Saul reached out with his Qi, letting it flow into the spear similar to what he''d done with the arrows. He felt the wood in his hands, and felt his awareness of the spear increase. Spears are for fighting. That''s simple... As he thought that, Bardal spoke, "And don''t think of something so simple as combat. Think about the types of things they do in combat." Saul sighed and tried to break things down more deeply, Spears are... Offensive. Tip of the spear and all that. They lead the way, reaching out to strike down enemies that are out of range of others. It felt as though his connection to the spear increased slightly. His awareness of it increased as he considered further, They''re also for defense. Spears are used to stop powerful charges from horses and mounted enemies. Another small flash, and the connection deepened further. "What I''m trying to teach you is the Way of the Spear. I''m a grand master of the Spear, one of the highest levels that can be reached. You''ll be starting out in the foundation stages. When it comes to weapons, gaining a deeper understanding of them can help you to have more powerful abilities you can use. You can know how to use a weapon without understanding it, but you''ll always be at a disadvantage against someone who knows the Way." That was interesting. It sounded remarkably similar to what he''d been doing with his bow and arrow. He''d have to keep that in mind - Maybe in future levels he''d be able to find masters of the Way of the Bow whom he could train under. He put that under his ever growing ''Things to do'' list. Bardal spoke again, "When we practice with the spear, we can deepen our understanding, but by sending our energy into the weapon we can increase the speed at which this understanding grows. Now, open your eyes and stand up. We''re going to work on forms. I''ll teach you a few exercises you can do yourself to help improve your balance and technique, then I''ll drill you in some basic combat forms. We''ll work on these for a few hours then take a break so you can get some sleep. First thing in the morning, we''ll train for a few more hours to ensure you''ve mastered the basics, then I''ll send you on your way." He continued, "True mastery will take a lot longer, but I''m sure you''ve got adventures on the mind. The basics I teach you, combined with your natural gifts should keep you alive to continue growing. Combat will certainly help you get stronger. Now, hop to it."
Through your use of your senses to feel the weapon, you have unlocked a new skill! Way of the Spear! Your Way of the Spear level is Foundation, Lvl. I!
That sounded positive. Saul opened his eyes and withdrew his Qi back into his dantians, standing tall and waiting for instruction. "Now, you''ve got to try and take a balanced stance. You want to stand low, see... Feet just over shoulder width apart. Sink down into the stance. That gives you flexibility and balance. Hold your spear with your off hand near the butt of the weapon, about your forearms length away from it. Your dominant hand should be holding the spear in a position that has your leading arm straightened out almost entirely." He shifted so that he was standing similarly to that description. He held the spear tightly, pointing forward and slightly up. Bardal reached up and yanked on the spear which caused Saul to topple over. "Useless!" Bardal roared. "You should be balanced enough that a tug like that doesn''t cause a fall. Now, let''s do it again." They did. Over, and over, until Bardal couldn''t pull or push Saul over with his own spear. "Your stance is acceptable." The master stated. "Now, watch me. I''m going to show you a few useful forms." Bardal stepped back and held his spear snapped up against his shoulder. Then, suddenly he leaped forward in a stabbing motion that seemed quick and powerful. Suddenly he lifted up as if blocking a high attack, jumped back and swept out in front of him as if taking the feet from an enemy. He blocked low, then high again. Then spun the spear and stabbed behind him. It seemed complex and useless for combat. "What''s this for?" He asked the master. "Ye need to learn how to transition from a block to an attack, and ye need to learn how to transition from jabs to sweeping blows. Practicing a rigid form like this helps build muscle memory." That was fair enough, as far as Saul was concerned. Concentrating, he tried to mimic the movements, with Bardal correcting him several times as he made a mistake here or there. They continued to work on these forms for the better part of two hours. Saul learned several different types of practice, and was drilled in the basic motions of spear combat. High blocks, low blocks, sweeping attacks, stabs. When Bardal was satisfied, he spoke up, "Now, for the fun part... We''re going to duel. Over and over. Tomorrow morning, we''ll do it again."
Through your repeated practice with the motions and forms of a two handed weapon, you''ve increased your Two Handed Weapon skill. Your skill level is Foundation, Lvl. II!
He saw he''d unlocked a new skill. He was sure after he was done training with Bardal he''d level up both of his skills at least a few more times. While he read his notification, the dwarf had traded his real spear for one with a blunted tip. When Saul noticed this, he went to do the same, but the Dwarf stopped him quickly, "Don''t think you''ll be trading weapons. You need to get used to that one. You''re not good enough to hit me anyways." Bardal moved to stand before him, his stance perfect. "Are ye ready?" Saul nodded his assent. "Very well. Here I come!" The dwarf leapt forward, his blunted spear flying swiftly at Saul in a fierce attack. 13: Training Saul sat on the ground, his chest heaving mightily as he tried to recover from the fierce combat he¡¯d been engaged in. Bardal had pushed him in every which way, the dwarf¡¯s mastery of the spear making Saul¡¯s paltry skills look even worse in comparison. No matter what Saul tried, he couldn¡¯t get through the dwarf¡¯s defenses. Every stab he attempted was skillfully parried away. Every sweeping blow he attempted was deflected harmlessly aside. Bardal didn¡¯t let him off easily, either. With each and every failed attack that Saul launched, he received a solid thump from the dwarfs spear. The weapon master had an amazing ability to move between defense and offense without any wasted movement. Their first hour of sparring had been all offense on Saul¡¯s part, and all defense and counter attacks from Bardal. The second hour, their roles were switched. Bardal would attack relentlessly, and Saul would scramble to block. The dwarf was aggressive and supremely skilled, but Saul thought him fair. He could tell the dwarf was holding back when he attacked, keeping his attacks at a speed that Saul would have some hope of blocking. It wasn¡¯t just the speed or force behind those blows that made them difficult to deal with, though. Bardal didn¡¯t just rely on his physical gifts, which Saul could tell were substantial. The man was a true master. He created openings in Saul¡¯s defense with crafty feints, sometimes even double feints, and simple perfect form. If Saul¡¯s block was less than perfect, the dwarf could change his angle of attack and land a blow over or under the guard. They¡¯d been at it for two hours straight when Saul had collapsed. ¡°I¡­ I just need a¡­ Minute..¡± He managed to pant out. ¡°Too fast¡­ He¡¯s the fastest man alive¡­¡± The dwarf grumbled in response to that, ¡°Take yer time, but I¡¯m no man - I¡¯m a dwarf, which makes me better in some ways. Smaller target, more strength and all that.¡± How am I going to land a blow on him? Not that I¡¯d want to, without a blunted weapon¡­ Saul looked over at his teacher as he tried to catch his breath. He knows what he¡¯s doing, though. If I got a lucky blow in, he probably has some armor on or something that I can¡¯t see under his clothes. He stopped thinking about it for the time, trying to just concentrate on breathing deeply. Within a few moments he had his breath back under control and was climbing back to his feet. He bent down to grab his spear, bowing to Bardal, ¡°I would appreciate it if you would offer further instruction.¡± The Master nodded and moved to stand a few paces away from Saul, his spear held at the ready. ¡°I want ye to be able to switch from offense to defense at a moment¡¯s notice, so we¡¯ll be sparrin¡¯ for real this time. Are yeh ready?¡± He wasn¡¯t, but he wasn¡¯t going to get any more ready tonight. Saul bowed once more to his master before sinking into a deep stance, his weapon held comfortably out in front of him, point angled slightly down to put pressure on his diminutive opponent. ¡°Begin!¡± Bardal shouted. Saul leaped at the dwarf, his body sideways to offer the smallest target. He yelled as he pushed his spear at Bardal in a powerful thrust, the move one of the fastest he could manage so far. Bardal laughed in the face of his attack and grabbed his spear point, yanking it down towards the ground and stepping to the side. Saul landed, his balance thrown off by that redirection, but he was still aware enough of Bardal¡¯s counter to lean back as the blunted spear point pierced the space his head was just occupying. Saul lashed out with his spear even as he leaned backwards, swinging it in a wide arc in an attempt to clear some space for him to gather himself. His gaze never left Bardal¡¯s spear point, watching it carefully to see what the dwarf would do next. When the point retreated from his vision, he leaned forward again and then leapt backwards, creating more space between the two of them. He¡¯s so fast! This isn¡¯t fair. I can¡¯t worry about hitting him, I¡¯m not even able to get close to him... He sank low again, this time taking measured steps just as Bardal had taught him, closing the distance slowly. How can I close this gap? I have to take a chance¡­ Maybe I can¡­ Hm. ¡¯He watched the dwarf warily, bringing the shaft of his spear against Bardal¡¯s to deflect a jab. If I let him hit me while I¡¯m charging, I can try and take the spear from him¡­ Then¡­ Let¡¯s see. He rushed forward suddenly, the movement awkward as he maintained a side-on stance to Bardal, his spear leveled at the dwarf¡¯s chest. He saw Bardal¡¯s response clearly. It was what he¡¯d expected. The man intended to hit him with a punishing stab in the side. Saul tossed his weapon away, reaching out to grab the dwarf¡¯s spear with both hands as the point found his side. Digging in with both feet, he leaned back and pulled with all of his might. To his surprise, the spear came loose from Bardal¡¯s hands, and he fell backwards against the ground. He rolled to his feet quickly, bringing the stolen spear up to bear¡­ Only to see the main leveling his own spear at him. Damn! I was so sure that would work. Of course he¡¯d just¡­ I mean¡­ Duh! This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Did ye want to try my spear to see if it worked better, or did you think that plan would work in combat? If I didn¡¯t have a blunted spear yer guts would be spillin¡¯ out all over the ring. I¡¯ll be takin¡¯ that back now.¡± He tossed Saul¡¯s spear at his feet and held out his hands until Saul offered his weapon back. Grumbling to himself, Saul grabbed his weapon and stood back up. He resumed his stance and readied himself for more pain and suffering. ________________________________________________________________________________ As he lay down in one of the barracks, the bed provided to him by Bardal, he tried to reflect on what exactly had gone wrong. It was true that he simply wasn¡¯t good enough compared to Bardal. He was a total amateur, and the dwarf was a veritable expert. He was also significantly more powerful than Saul, but he had been limiting himself. Saul had noticed that at times he was actually moving faster than the dwarf. Speed and strength were important in combat, to be sure, but Bardal had spent quite some time demonstrating to Saul how important technique was in everything. It was extremely apparent to Saul that if he wanted to truly master the Way of the Spear, he¡¯d have to continue working on his technique. That would mean practicing his thrusts and blocks in mornings, working through the forms that Bardal had shown him¡­ Hopefully, he¡¯d be able to find other spear masters in the Dungeon that could continue his education. He had a feeling that he¡¯d do better in the long run by continuing to push himself to his limits, moving onto the most difficult levels he could handle, rather than spending too long in a low-leveled area. He¡¯d spend the next morning working with Bardal, hopefully improving further. He felt like he was already leaps and bounds better than he had been, and that was something he¡¯d continue to work on. ¡®I seem more physically gifted than most of the enemies I¡¯ve encountered so far, except for that Darkforged Commander. Hopefully I can survive long enough to get competent with this thing.¡¯ He let out a sigh, ¡®No use worrying about it now. I¡¯ll try to get some sleep and figure things out after my morning session with Bardal.¡¯ With that, he rolled over and pulled the covers up until he was practically cocooned in the soft fabric. He shut his eyes and before long he was snoring the night away. ________________________________________________________________________________ When it was all said and done, he hadn¡¯t been able to hit Bardal once. He could see a massive improvement in his skills - His attacks were crisp and well aimed, his defense was strong and usually left him an opportunity to counterattack. His feints were fairly good, to his own eye, and he was able to move with the weapon without getting his balance thrown off. He felt like he¡¯d grown by leaps and bounds. Bardal was a wonderful teacher. The dwarf was also a weapon master for a very good reason, and compared to him Saul looked like an oaf who¡¯d never even seen a spear before. As their session came to an end, Bardal growled out, ¡°Ye¡¯ve come a long way. You¡¯re still worse than some of the kids that I train, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get yerself killed if you start usin¡¯ a spear for your close range attacks.¡± Saul appreciated the honesty. He nodded and bowed to the master. ¡°You have been a great teacher. I will continue to work hard and practice my techniques in the hopes that I can challenge you one day.¡± Bardal couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that. Jerk¡­ It wasn¡¯t a joke¡­¡¯ Saul thought, though he could understand why he was getting laughed at. Saul had every intention of becoming better with the spear one day. Bardal spoke up, ¡°Well, lad, ye¡¯ve got spirit. I¡¯ve been at this for¡­ Well, let¡¯s say longer than ye could imagine. If yeh can ever challenge me, I¡¯ll be impressed. That said, I wish yeh luck on your quest. Now, for my time, that¡¯ll be six gold pieces.¡± Saul paid him, bowed one last time, then withdrew his spear to his inventory. ¡°Basi!¡± He called out to the lizard who¡¯d been lounging at the side of the ring for most of the morning. ¡°Time to go.¡± He turned and walked out of the compound, sore in places he didn¡¯t even know he had. A quick glance at the status bar indicated that his health was full, so there was no easy fix for that pain. Might as well stop by the tavern and see if Liza and Edwin are heading out today. It¡¯d be nice to find some permanent teammates to help me figure things out here. He moved through the streets, noticing how much quieter the town was due to the relatively early hour. Opening the door to the building, he moved in and stepped to the side expertly in case anyone was looking to exit. When his eyes were adjusted, he looked around and found the room all but empty. There were a few dwarves sitting at the bar nursing drinks - No doubt breakfast beer - But no sign of his one time party members. Shrugging, he exited the building headed for the gate. Thanks to the empty streets, he was able to get there quickly. The guards pulled a lever upon his approach, opening the gate for him to leave. He gave his thanks, and farewells, to the guards and set off down the road at a quick pace. If he made good enough time he might be able to get to, and through, the mountain pass in one day! 14: The Pass! It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining overhead, its warmth laying gently over the land like a warm embrace from an old friend or family member. There were clouds in the sky, but they were few and far in between, small puffs that looked to have been painted in place by a master artist. The air was cool and crisp, but not cold, and with the warmth of the sun in full force the day could be described as comfortable at worst, and perfect at best. Saul was walking down the road with his faithful companion Basi at his side, a spring in his step despite the muscle soreness he felt after his training sessions with Bardal. He felt like he was making solid progress in his understanding of what it was to be a ranger. When he¡¯d first started out, he¡¯d chosen to use swords, partially because it was the first thing that dropped, but mostly because he¡¯d watched a lot of Lord of the Rings as a kid. ¡®Nobody thinks about the Hero using a spear. They always have a sword. Swords this, swords that, swords are so great, blah blah. I¡¯ll keep my sword just in case, but from now on, this hero uses a spear! After my training, I¡¯m probably better with the spear than I ever was with a sword, anyways¡­¡¯ He looked up the road a ways, then back behind him. Then he looked out towards the plain that stretched to the right of him, and up the steep hill to his left. It looked clear enough. ¡°Basi, keep an eye out for me.¡± With a thought, he pulled up that familiar window. ¡®Status¡¯
Name: Solomon Andrews HP: 160 Class: Ranger Level: 8
Talents: Cultivate Befriend Animal Cultivation Level: Basic
Abilities: Attack Shoot Track
Strength: 32 Intelligence: 33
Dexterity: 38 Willpower: 22
Endurance: 22 Experience: 8,900
As he looked over his stats, he considered his class - Ranger. From his fantasy knowledge, Rangers were meant to be the tip of the spear in the wilderness. It was their job to protect those people who lived in villages and towns on the edge of society. What that meant was that he would need to be strong enough to survive in melee combat, agile enough to move quietly through the brush and undergrowth, and intelligent enough to master the ways of survival on the edge of society. ¡®It seems like I should have some sort of stealth skill unlocked by now. I¡¯ve been able to sneak up on enemies a few times, but maybe that¡¯s just related to the high dexterity stat? When I get to the next level, I need to spend some time tinkering with everything and figuring out what does what, exactly.¡¯ On page II, he read the following:
Talent Type: Talent Level: Talent Description:
Cultivation Basic, Lvl I You have broken through the barrier and unlocked your second dantian. Energy infusion is more effective, and your senses grow stronger
Befriend Animal Foundation, Lvl II Your connection to your animal companion confers you both greater strength and attributes.
Archery Basic, Lvl II Your growing mastery with a bow allows you to do greater damage.
Single wielding Foundation, Lvl II You are able to use a single weapon in combat without hurting yourself
Dual wielding Foundation, Lvl V Your hands are able to move independently of one another to some effect, ensuring your attacks are likely to land.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Dodge Foundation, Lvl II You have demonstrated some ability to slip attacks and leave your opponents hitting only air.
Two Handed Weapons Foundation, Lvl IV Through repeated practice with two handed weapons, you have a greater sense of how to use them
Way of the Spear Foundation, Lvl V By training under a master, you¡¯ve increased your understanding of the spear. Your attacks deal more damage and have a greater chance to land.
¡®Those abilities are new. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. I wonder if I have to train with more masters in order to improve Way of the Spear? Bardal mentioned something about establishing a connection with the weapon using my Qi... I¡¯ll have to remember to do that while I meditate at night.¡¯ As he thought through the process, he considered, ¡®Wait¡­ That¡¯s a pretty similar process to cultivating. I wonder if I can do both at once? I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not the first person to try it, but I¡¯ll keep it in mind. Just because I don¡¯t know if it can be done doesn¡¯t mean it isn¡¯t possible.¡¯ That was enough to think about at one time. He thought about his companions in the mine and considered his abilities. He had a skill he hadn¡¯t tried yet - Track. How would that work, exactly? If it was anything like the menus, he would be able to use the skill by thinking about it. He slowed his pace for just a few moments, then came to a stop and said, ¡°Basi, let¡¯s take a quick break.¡± He closed his eyes and thought, ¡®Track¡¯, visualizing Basi in his mind¡¯s eye. Nothing seemed different. He didn¡¯t feel the lizard¡¯s presence any more powerfully than he had before. He opened his eyes and looked down at the beast. No visual changes either. Maybe it was because Basi was too close? He gave it another shot, this time picturing Liza in his head, her rugged and battleworn features visible in his mind¡¯s eye. There was no change there, either. Opening his eyes confirmed it. ¡®Maybe I need to say what I¡¯m trying to track? Track Lizards.¡¯ Nothing changed. ¡®Maybe saying it out loud is key?¡¯ He kept his eyes closed and said, ¡°Track Lizards!¡± Awareness exploded behind his eyelids. He could feel Basi through their bond, but he could also feel him through another medium, different in some way. He assumed that was the track skill. Additionally, he could feel the presence of several other lizards in a 360 degree radius around him. Especially up on the mountains. Concentrating on one of those lizards gave him an impression of it. Its size wasn¡¯t significant - Certainly nothing like Basi - but on Earth it would probably be considered large, close to a half meter long if he wasn¡¯t mistaken. It didn¡¯t seem to weigh much though, certainly nothing like Basi did. He focused on another one of the lizards and found that it was a fairly similar experience, right down to his sense of the beast. He opened his eyes and saw a small arrow that pointed in the general direction of the lizard he was focused upon. He could still feel the faint hints of the other lizards, but they were muted, as if the skill didn¡¯t provide such a strong sensation if he had his eyes open. ¡®That¡¯s good¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to worry about being overwhelmed by information. It¡¯s a lot to process. Now I need to know¡­ How far does this extend?¡¯ He had a good idea of how to test that. He focused on his bow and arrow, the items appearing on his back as they were summoned. ¡®First I need to make sure¡­¡¯ ¡°Track arrow!¡± ¡®That seemed to work. He had a strong impression coming from his quiver. He reached over his shoulder and grabbed the bow, then an arrow. He focused on his Qi, willing it into his arms and into the bowstring. His goal was to fire the arrow as far as he possibly could. ¡®I wasn¡¯t exactly a physicist or anything back home, but I know that the further back I can pull this string without breaking it, the more power I¡¯ll transfer into the arrow. Let¡¯s see¡­ As far as distance goes¡­ I need to fire it high enough that it doesn¡¯t hit the ground right away. Hm¡­ It¡¯s projectile motion. I¡¯m shooting off into the prairie, which is a little lower than I am right now, so¡­ Less than 45 degrees from the ground.¡¯ Adjusting the angle of the bow, he held it roughly 40 degrees up from the ground. He drew in a deep breath and continued forcing his power into the bow. Pulling back on the string, he pulled as far as he possibly could and then released. The arrow soared off into the distance with greater acceleration than he¡¯d ever seen before. He kept watch on the physical arrow, but also the arrow indicating his tracked item. Even as the physical arrow left his sight, the tracking arrow remained. That was really impressive! With this, he could find his friends! ¡°Track Liza!¡± He said enthusiastically, picturing the woman in his mind. Nothing happened. ¡®Hm¡­ Let¡¯s see¡­ How about..¡¯ ¡°Track Edwin!¡± He pictured the bearded man in mind, his dark features and dark hair covered by the red cowl on his cloak. ¡®Nothing happened. I wonder if they have to be a certain distance away from me before I can start tracking them? It seems like once I initiate the tracking skill, I can track something over a considerable distance.¡¯ The skill wasn¡¯t as great as it had seemed, but still very useful. It made sense why a class that sometimes emphasized stealth and wilderness living would need something like Track. ¡°Alright, Basi, let¡¯s go.¡± He returned his bow to his back, leaving it out in case he ran into trouble on the road, and the two of them set off at a quick pace. He needn¡¯t have worried about running into trouble. There was a reason that he hadn¡¯t run into a monster in this part of the Mountains yet - This close to the dwarf village was an artificial safe zone. The dwarves sent out regular patrols from the town to the mine, often enough to ensure the area was practically free of monsters. That¡¯s not to say he didn¡¯t pass other humans from time to time. Most of them were poorly equipped and looked to be coming straight from the prairie. He nodded to most of them, but as he came close to them he adopted an annoyed expression as he moved along quickly enough to avoid any conversations. He smiled to himself as someone took a look at his face and hurried past, ¡®Just like Costanza said, when you look annoyed all the time people think you¡¯re busy¡¯ He was a friendly enough sort, but he was ready to get on to the next level, especially as more and more humans began to catch up to him on Level II. Before long, he found himself at the crossroads, and this time he went left towards the mountain pass. The path climbed sharply for the first twenty minutes of walking, leveling off eventually. It was a beautiful view. From where he was, looking up the mountains he could see alpine environments, beautiful tall evergreens dotting the gentler slopes and providing a great contrast to the white snow that capped most of them. In the valley below, he saw a wide river that wound through the canyon, carving it deeper and deeper as time marched on. He could see caves dotting the sides of some of the mountains. On the side of one mountain, he could see several Rams congregated together on a grassy field. He didn¡¯t spend too much time enjoying the sights as he walked along the trail at the fastest pace he could sustain given the terrain. At one point, the trail descended to the valley floor, the area much more open than the rest of the trail had been. He was walking close to the river at this point. The water was clear and crisp, and it seemed like it would be oh-so-refreshing. ¡®Maybe I should stop for a drink.¡¯ He moved over to the river, Basi close beside him, and the two of them leaned down to get a sip of water from the river. The water was as cool as he could have hoped for. It was at this point that he found his first monster in the Pass. The surface of the river seemed to explode as an amphibious beast jumped forth, hunched over and somewhat humanoid in shape. It had a javelin in it''s hands, and much like an Olympian, it launched the projectile quickly and with great power. Saul barely had time to register the creature¡¯s presence, jumping to the side as quickly as he could. He didn''t move quickly enough as the weapon imbedded itself in his shoulder. If he hadn¡¯t moved the javlin would have taken him through the neck. He pulled his own bow from his back wincing at the pain as it lodged itself further into his shoulder. He gripped the shaft of the javelin and yanked it free from his shoulder. Pain flared in his wound as he threw the blood-stained weapon to the side. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and placed it on his bowstring, drawing back with a deep breath. He let it fly watching it hit the beast in its chest. The monster¡¯s health bar appeared overhead and dropping by a fifth. ¡®Murloc Hunter, Level 6¡¯. ¡®A murloc? It¡¯s like this whole place was created by Gary Gygax¡­¡¯ He grit his teeth and grabbed an arrow from his quiver accutely aware of his own health bar in the bottom right of his vision. It showed he¡¯d lost about a third of his health. He couldn¡¯t afford another hit from the murloc¡¯s javelin. He didn¡¯t want Basi going after it in the water. ''I don''t even know if he can swim. A battle in water would be bad news for the both of us. I need to keep away from the water in case there are more nearby.'' Focusing on his Qi quickly, he overloaded the arrow and drew it back, along with a deep breath. Aiming at the beast¡¯s head, he let the arrow fly. It was a direct hit, and it seemed to have caught a weak spot as the monster¡¯s health dropped by two thirds, moving to critically low territory. The murloc didn¡¯t seem phased by that as it reached behind its back and grabbed another javelin. It flung it at him with great speed and charged behind it at him with a fierce, ¡°MMRMGMLLL¡± Saul was able to slip the javelin but the murloc was on him quickly. He used his bow to try and fend the beast off. He knocked the spear that had suddenly appeared in its hands aside. ¡°Basi, a little help!¡± His lizard rushed forward and swiped at the murloc with his claws landing a hit that almost killed the monster. Saul saw that it had only a sliver of health left andlashed out with his bow, clubbing the murloc. He watched with satisfaction as its health ticked to 0 and it fell to the ground before him. ¡®That wasn¡¯t so bad.¡¯ He thought. Then he heard it. ¡°MMMHRL!¡± ¡°MGRRGRGL!¡± ¡®MMMMMGLRLRLR!¡± More murlocs. ¡®Of course there isn¡¯t just once¡­ There never is.¡¯ He sighed, reaching behind him to grab another arrow and aiming at the oncoming group of Murlocs, four strong. It didn¡¯t look like any of them had ranged weapons. He was beginning to see why people considered the pass dangerous. 15: Arriving at the Gate From where he was standing, Saul could see the group of murlocs as they ran at him. Three of them were still in the water, while the fourth was running along the riverbank. Despite the clear water, he had been unable to see the monsters until they popped out of the water and began their attack. ¡®Maybe they have some sort of camouflage? I¡¯d better¡­¡¯ ¡°Track murloc!¡± Suddenly, he got a sense of the monsters. There were several signals nearby, but the ones that were the closest were the four charging him from about two hundred yards away. ¡®Stay calm. Let¡¯s just take this one at a time. From this range I should be able to¡­¡¯ He drew in a deep breath, steadying himself and lining up his shot. By the time he released the arrow, the murlocs had probably gotten 30 yards closer. The arrow thudded into the head of the monster on the shore, causing its health bar to display and showing damage by roughly halving the red bar. ¡®Nice. You¡¯re first.¡¯ He drew another arrow. Deep breath. Draw. Aim. Hold. Release¡­ Hit. The murloc¡¯s health went to 0 and it stumbled, falling onto its face. The other three were only about 120 yards away at this point. ¡®I could kill one¡­ Or I could hurt all three¡­ Hm. Sounds better.¡¯ He pulled another arrow and aimed toward the beasts, firing at the nearest. The arrow missed the critical threshold, thudding into the murloc¡¯s chest, but it still reduced its health by about a third. ¡®Good enough¡­ next.¡¯ His fingers found another arrow, and as easy as breathing he sent it towards the second closest murloc. This arrow flew true and buried itself in the beast¡¯s head, halving its health bar. One left. They were only about 40 yards away from him at this point. He nocked, aimed, and loosed an arrow at the last murloc, then dismissed his bow and arrow. With a thought, his spear fell comfortably into his hands and he took his stance, sinking low in preparation for combat. ¡®Basi, handle whichever one gets to me last.¡¯ He commanded along his bond. ¡°MMGRLRLLL!!!¡± The murlocs cried as they got into melee range. The first one was holding a spear. He was huge compared to the others, almost as tall as Saul himself. The murloc extended his spear in a thrust, and Saul¡¯s body moved on instinct. He brought his spear down in a parry that knocked the amphibian¡¯s thrust off course, then pulled his spear back with his lead hand while pushing forward with his off hand in a powerful strike. The blow hit the murloc in the face, powerful enough to knock it back but not doing a terrible amount of damage. ¡®Must be resistant to crushing damage or something. Good thing I plan to stick him with the pointy end.¡¯ He didn¡¯t have much time to consider his next course of action, however, as the next closest murloc reached him with a similarly fierce cry. This one held a fierce, if primitive looking club made of a thick oak branch with a jagged rock lashed to the end. Before the murloc could swing its weapon at Saul, he danced forward with his spear at the ready, pressing forward in a skillful jab that caught the monster¡¯s leg. His hit must have done a fair bit of damage, as that health bar registered about a quarter at this point. Saul jumped back to put some distance between him and his opponents, eyeing them warily as they gathered themselves and prepared to charge again. He checked his track skill as he watched them, feeling for other murlocs - There weren¡¯t any that seemed to be approaching at this point. ¡®That¡¯s good at least. Man I love this skill.¡¯ He heard and felt Basi engaging the third murloc, the sounds of the lizard hissing and the sensation of the beast¡¯s aggression flowing across their bond in waves. He could almost feel the way his lizard fought - A bite here or a swipe with his claws there. Basi was growing rather fierce, so Saul trusted him to handle the murloc. As the murlocs charged again, Saul danced forward to meet them. The one with the spear had some skill, but compared to Bardal his technique seemed amateurish. Saul feinted as if to attack low, and when the murloc lowered his spear as if to block, Saul exploded forward and buried his spearhead in the murloc¡¯s chest. He yanked backwards on the weapon quickly, allowing him to bring it up overhead in time to block the blow from the murloc wielding the club. ¡®Jesus!¡¯ Saul thought as he absorbed the blow, his body shaking. ¡®I thought fish people were supposed to be physically weak.¡¯ He grinned in the murloc¡¯s face and then brought his head forward in a headbutt, hitting it in its ugly face. Its healthbar didn¡¯t change. His did, reduced by a sliver. ¡®Okay, note to self: Don¡¯t headbutt the ugly frog monsters.¡¯ The beast growled at him and tried to bite him. ¡°Ah, ah, ah, you forgot the magic word.¡± He teased, bringing his foot up to kick the beast backwards and give him some distance to use his spear. His health bar was at about 60%. The big ugly one was around 40%. The one that tried to bite him was close to 50%. ¡®Should be fine. I¡¯ll handle the one with the club first, then I can use the big one for more practice.¡¯ With a plan in mind, he crept forward, crouched low and in perfect balance. The big murloc charged at him, swinging its spear more like a club. Saul ducked below the swing and stuck his spear out at knee height, tripping the beast to take it out of the equation for the moment. He moved into an attack against the murloc with a club, using his superior reach to stab at the murloc over and over. It did what it could to block his spear with its club, so Saul began to mix feints in. He¡¯d feint high then stab low, or feint low and stab high. Before long, he landed a blow that was fatal for the murloc, its health dropping to 0. He yanked his spear free and looked in Basi¡¯s direction to find his lizard eating¡­ Was that the corpse of the third murloc? Disgusting¡­ He shook his head and turned to face the spear wielder. He sank low into a stance, lifting his lead hand from his spear and making a beckoning gesture. The murloc took bait, moving forward more cautiously than it had before. It seemed to realize his superior skills, but it was still willing to fight him - He didn¡¯t blame it. He could tell he was better with the spear than it, but their difference in talent wasn¡¯t actually that great. The reason he was doing so well against it was because he¡¯d been sparring with a true master of the spear mere hours ago. Compared to Bardal, it was like the murloc didn¡¯t even know what a spear was. Saul could see the weaknesses in its attacks because of the perfection he¡¯d experienced recently. The beast got close enough for him to strike, so Saul moved first. Stepping forward powerfully, he leaned forward and launched a sweeping attack at the murloc¡¯s legs from its right side. The murloc leaped over the attack, a surprisingly good dodge from the monster. Saul stepped inside, following his attack by pressing forward with his backhand, knocking the monster back with the shaft of the weapon. He stepped back again, watching as the beast came at him once more. Saul settled into a defensive stance at this point. He could practice with the beast, and he had Basi nearby if he needed help. ¡®Basi, keep an eye on things. If I look like I¡¯m in trouble, dinner¡¯s served.¡¯ A flash through their bond indicated that the lizard understood the gist of what he was saying. Stolen story; please report. As the murloc came forward, he parried. It attacked again, and he parried again. It tried to rush forward, closing the distance to use its bite, but Saul kept his spear point between the Murloc and himself at all times. He spent the better part of ten minutes fending off the murloc, before he saw its movements beginning to grow sluggish. It must have been getting worn out. He couldn¡¯t blame it. He¡¯d be discouraged after all those attacks and no success. As the murloc stabbed forward once more, he decided to put it out of his misery, ducking low and lunging forward in a counterattack that caught the monster in its neck. Its health bar drained to 0 in an instant and it dropped its spear, dying without so much as a whimper.
Exp gained: 1600!(400x4)
Saul smiled to himself and checked the loot bags, not finding anything of note in any of them. He pictured a pill of minor healing appearing in his hand and it left his inventory to appear in his hand. He popped it into his mouth and chewed on it slowly, watching as his health bar increased slowly. It got close to full before the pill seemed to wear off. ¡®Come on Basi, let¡¯s get a drink and head out.¡¯ He let his spear return to his inventory and then returned to the riverbank. He could feel the murlocs presence, he could tell they were far enough away that they weren¡¯t likely to be a problem. ¡®They must have a village down the bank somewhere. I¡¯m not sure why I can¡¯t see it. Some sort of magic? Oh well, not my problem¡­¡¯ He drank his fill and then turned back toward the trail, continuing along it with Basi by his side. This part was almost worse than the battle. Despite his strength increase - According to the stats, he was well over twice as strong as he had been when he arrived - It still took a lot of effort to climb the steep trail. Before long, beads of sweat were rolling down his face, his arms and legs saturated despite the cool air. After he¡¯d been hiking for a few hours, Saul looked up at the sky to check how much daylight was left - It seemed like it was sometime in the mid afternoon. Up ahead, he saw a spot in the trail that seemed wider than the rest. He was more than ready for some rest, breathing heavily and sweating more than a little. He moved over there and took a seat on the smoothest looking rock. He looked up and down the trail for anyone else, and not seeing anyone, he reached into his inventory and withdrew some rations. He had some travel rations from the Slime Villagers left over. They were fairly small, about half the size of a sandwich, and nutrient dense. They tasted like chalk, but they went down quick and easy. He felt full afterward, so he couldn¡¯t complain. He waited there for about ten minutes, and he was almost done with his rest when he saw an adventurer making their way up the trail. They were walking alone, holding a large wooden staff that seemed to scream ¡°I¡¯m a wizard!¡± Right now, though, it just seemed like a pragmatic choice, the staff being used as a walking stick to help reduce the knee strain the trail would cause on an inexperienced hiker. The stranger wore a large gray cloak that covered most of their body, and had a hood that was currently up. At the current hour, the sun was descending over the other side of the mountain range, so the shadows were growing longer. That made it impossible to see their face. Not quite ready to move on, Saul decided to give a friendly greeting, ¡°Hello, friend! Have you come from the Dwarf village?¡± The person seemed to start, their hood moving upwards slightly as they apparently changed their focus and saw him sitting there. ¡°Oh, hi there! I didn¡¯t see you. I always watch every step when I¡¯m on a trail, never know when you might trip and fall off. There aren¡¯t exactly guard rails here, and I¡¯d hate to be the first guy who falls to death in the dungeon.¡± Saul blinked. That was quite the chatty barrage. Not quite what he¡¯d been expecting. ¡°Yes, well, that wouldn¡¯t be good. It¡¯s probably a good idea to watch your step. I¡¯m from the city and don¡¯t have much experience with mountains, these trails have been brutal for me.¡± The Adventurer nodded as if in understanding, though he really didn¡¯t seem to be having much, if any, trouble with the trail. ¡°I¡¯m on my way to the next level. The dwarves mentioned that the gateway was somewhere along this pass. I feel like I may have passed it, but who knows, really?¡± Saul nodded and started to respond, before the man continued, ¡°Of course I found this level kind of strange. Not nearly enough monsters here, if you ask me. On the prairie I feel like there were monsters all over the place, but here¡­ I saw a few corpses back by the river, but up here? What sort of beast could attack?¡± Before Saul could respond, a screeching cry rang out from above as if in answer to the man¡¯s question. Two large creatures descended from the sky, bat-like wings flapping powerfully to keep them hovering. They screeched in challenge as a health bar appeared overhead. ¡®Hellbat, Level 7¡¯. Saul had to admit, the name seemed to fit. They were roughly the size of a man, with giant talons at the ends of their wings, and they did resemble a bat. He stood and summoned his bow, preparing to fire at the monsters While Saul processed everything, the Adventurer was busy grumbling under his breath, ¡°Of course, the second I say anything they¡­¡± Saul couldn¡¯t hear the rest, but he assumed it was further complaints. The man lifted his staff and seemed to concentrate for a moment, before a bright red beam of light shot forth and engulfed the bat on the left. It seemed to scream, and then a moment later it vanished, totally vaporized. ¡®Whoa!¡¯ Saul thought. He drew an arrow from his quiver and let loose. Before his arrow hit the beast, the wizard had let loose another beam of destruction, this one causing a tremendous amount of damage to the monster but not quite killing it. Its health bar was critical when Saul¡¯s arrow took it in the chest, killing it. ¡®Exp gained! Your contribution: 4%¡¯ Saul let his weapon vanish from his hands, ¡®That¡¯s interesting. I guess I only get full experience for a shared kill if we¡¯re partied up.¡¯ The Adventurer spoke up at that moment, ¡°I guess there are bats here. Thanks for the help, by the way. I¡¯m Ishan.¡± He ambled in Saul¡¯s direction, hand extended in greeting. ¡°Saul, pleasure to meet you. That was a pretty handy spell!¡± He grasped Ishan¡¯s hand in a firm shake. The wizard laughed softly, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s powerful. I don¡¯t have a ton of mana at the moment, though. I only have a few good shots without a mana pill or potion.¡± ¡®His spells seem much stronger than Edwin¡¯s, but he can¡¯t cast as many. Good thing I didn¡¯t go with a caster class. I¡¯d hate to worry about mana.¡¯ Speaking up, he said, ¡°Well, we¡¯re both heading the same way. How would you like to team up until we reach the gate or possibly even beyond it?¡± The man nodded, ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± At that, Saul spoke up, ¡°Party invite: Ishan!¡± Ishan¡¯s health and mana bars became visible to Saul, who could see the mana bar was about half empty but filling at a fairly fast pace. They set off down the trail, encountering a few more of the flying monsters here and there, but between Saul¡¯s bow and Ishan¡¯s beam of destruction they weren¡¯t much of a threat. Before long, they turned the last corner in the mountain pass and saw the end of the canyon ahead. Across from them, they could see the vague impression of a great forest with massive trees. The trees couldn''t be made out with any real detail, but they were larger than anything Saul had seen before. ''A forest level or something like it. Interesting.'' As they got closer to the gate, the level of detail behind it didn''t increase much at all. Just like before, it was like the gate was the only passageway through which the forest could be accessed. The gate stood in the middle of the path, without any way to go to the left or right. Before long, they arrived in front of the gate. Without any hesitation, they stepped through the portal to Level III. 16: Welcome to the Jungle! (Okay, Forest.) The shimmering light from the portal wrapped around his form like water. He closed his eyes as he stepped through the portal out of habit. It acted like water so he treated it like water in his mind. The mountain pass had been shadowy, with misted peaks leading to cool and humid air. As he stepped through the gateway he was almost cool enough to feel cold. In just a few short moments his skin was being warmed by the sun. The sweet sounds of songbirds chirping rang throughout the forest. Wind could be heard whistling through the trees, finding openings between massive trunks and through leaves which rustled at its passing. Behind his closed eyelids, a blue screen popped up:
You have advanced to level 3! Welcome to the Forest
Saul¡¯s eyes opened, and a smile blossomed across his face. Tall grasses swayed gently in the breeze, crowding around those tree trunks that were large enough in diameter that any car could drive through them. Those trunks were a variety of colors, from deep browns to soft, burnt reds that seemed to match what he¡¯d seen in pictures of the redwoods. As Saul looked up the trunk of one of those trees, his neck began to ache before he laid eyes on the canopy. Colorful mushrooms grew out of the bark, large enough that it seemed as though they could be used as handholds to climb the great trees. He drew in a deep breath, filling his nose with the scents of the forest around him. It smelled like life - Cool and refreshing. He could smell the lush greenery, a soft scent of mint drifting off of many of the ferns. The trees themselves had a different aroma, earthy and musky with pleasant hints of needles, almost like a pine. The air itself smelled like power. Saul could feel from that first breath that the Qi flowing in the forest was greater than it had been in the mountains. It wasn¡¯t anywhere near the level of the deeps, but it was certainly much more concentrated than in the rest of Level II. On the forest floor, wide open spaces between those massive trees seemed to be the domain of ferns, growing in abundance. Downed trees could be seen here or there and the ferns and mosses were busy claiming those trees, too, as their domain. The landscape rolled like the gentlest wave. Leading away from the gate was a dirt path. Judging from the deep brown soil that contrasted against the ferns, it seemed to be a regularly maintained trail. ¡®It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡¯ Saul thought to himself. He heard a gasp just beside him and smiled. ¡®Ishan must have just seen the same thing I did.¡¯ He turned to look at his current party member. The look of wonderment on the man¡¯s face was worth a thousand words. He¡¯d probably had a similar expression on his face when he first opened his eyes. Next to Ishan, he noticed a brown placard that read: Efnelion: 5 km Sylethanas: 14 km He was lucky that everything thus far had been in English. Suddenly a thought occurred to him, ¡®I wonder if these signs are really in English, or if the Dungeon translates things for me automatically¡­ Does everyone here see and hear in their native language?¡¯ He looked over at Ishan, wondering where the man was from. He certainly seemed exotic in style and appearance, but that could just be him acting to the best of his idea of ¡®Medieval fantasy¡¯. ¡°Hey, would you like to keep travelling together for now? I haven¡¯t been here before and I kind of doubt you have.¡± Ishan jumped at Saul¡¯s words, as if disturbed from the middle of a pleasant daydream. His gaze fell upon Saul, the man¡¯s amber eyes focusing as he gave a nod, ¡°Seems prudent to stick together for now. Who knows what kind of place this forest is?¡± They set out, the dirt of the trail soft enough to feel as though they were walking on pillows. The way seemed straightforward, but every now and again there would be a turn. After perhaps a kilometer the sound of rain filled the air, but no drops fell to the ground. Saul looked up, but through the dense canopy he couldn¡¯t see any signs of clouds in the sky. As they continued further along the trail the sound grew louder and louder, like they were walking into a more intense storm, but still no drops fell to the ground. At last they rounded a soft curve and came across the source of the noise. To their right about 400 meters away, a stunning wall of stone jutted up from the softly rolling hills of the forest, an island to itself. It seemed to tower above the trees, but their growth was so persistent that Saul couldn¡¯t rightly say where the top was. At the base of the massive stone glacier was a lake that was being filled continuously by a large waterfall that thundered down from heights unseen. The water fell at least 100 meters, totally uninterrupted, before it splashed onto a large cluster of boulders, from there it spilled free in many directions in a large number of tiny waterfalls. At the edge of the lake, large majestic creatures that appeared similar to moose but possibly even larger were drinking from the clear water. It was the type of majestic scene that could serve as the inspiration for a thousand paintings and songs. The two companions turned to one another as if hoping to verify the sights before them were real, expressions of total wonderment visible on their faces. Saul looked down at Basi, and noted that even the lizard seemed to appreciate the beauty before him, though Saul wondered if he wasn¡¯t just imagining getting a bite of those moose. ¡®This place is amazing. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anything like it before, even in pictures,¡¯ Saul thought to himself. As if afraid that their words would disrupt the scene, both men just stood there and soaked in the sight for a few minutes, before finally turning away and continuing onward. Eventually they came across another sign indicating they were doing well on the trail: Efnelion: 1.3 km Sylethanas: 10.3 km ¡°Ishan, I¡¯ve been wondering¡­ Do you think these signs appear to everyone in English? Is that part of the Dungeon¡¯s interface, making sure we can read these?¡± The man¡¯s eyebrows were raised as he turned to look at Saul, his hand pointing towards the sign, ¡°You mean you¡¯re not reading Arabic? You¡¯re not -speaking- Arabic?¡± He put particular emphasis on the speaking part. ¡®He must not understand English¡­¡¯ Saul responded, ¡°No, I¡¯ve been speaking English this whole time. How curious. I guess that answers that question. Let¡¯s continue on, we¡¯re nearly to Efnelion.¡± A few minutes later, they arrived at Efnelion, and the sight elicited a gasp from Saul. Looking out, he saw a ravine in the middle of the town, with three or four particularly massive trees clustered close to that rift. At the very edge of what he could see, a small waterfall seemed to fall down into the ravine with several bridges criss-crossing the scar in the land. Soft, misty clouds seemed to float in suspension around the waterfall, the light shining just perfectly from above to create a waterfall there. The trees themselves had hundreds of branches, each one as massive and sturdy as some of the other trees they¡¯d seen. They were so regularly spaced that they almost looked like a spiral staircase moving up the trunks. On each of those branches at least one building could be spotted, expertly crafted and all but blending into the tree itself if not for lights that shone from windows on those buildings. ¡°It¡¯s like a fairy tale¡­¡± He breathed. After a few moments spent drinking in the details, Saul began to move ahead. ¡®Who could live in such a wondrous place?¡¯This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Ishan fell into step beside him, the two of them following the trail to its stopping point at the base of one of the trees. ¡°Who goes there?¡± rang out from the closest branch, melodic enough to seem from a song. Saul looked up but was unable to spot the speaker. Nevertheless, he responded, ¡°My friend and I are weary adventurers. We¡¯ve just come from the Dwarven Mountain and we¡¯re looking to explore this land. We mean you no harm!¡± He looked at Ishan, ¡®At least, I think he means no harm. For all I know this guy is some crazy evil wizard. He seems nice, though.¡¯ The voice that had questioned them seemed to take a few moments to consider. A vine fell from the branch, and just a moment later an Elf in light armor slid down, his armor glowing softly in the shade of the trees. He was well equipped, two scimitars hanging from sheaths at his hips. He looked dangerous despite his slender build. ¡°Well met, friend. My name is Saul and this is Ishan. As I said, we¡¯ve just arrived in the Forest and we were looking to explore for a while. I was wondering if you wouldn¡¯t mind telling us a little about this place?¡± The scout¡¯s face showed an expression of surprise, one eyebrow raised, ¡°You really did just arrive, then. We haven¡¯t had many travelers from the gate yet. I¡¯ve heard there have been rumblings of something dark brewing in the Forest, but we haven¡¯t sent any parties out. We¡¯ve been having our own issues.¡± At that, Saul bid the elf to continue, ¡®Sounds like a quest or two.¡¯ The elf decided to elaborate, ¡°To make things more clear, we¡¯ve heard that many people are being attacked between the gate from the Mountains and our village. We haven¡¯t had the manpower to investigate because we¡¯ve been dealing with raids from the elves of Sylethanas. We¡¯ve had a friendly relationship with them for millennia, but lately there has been something wrong with them. They¡¯ve been acting hostile in negotiations, their leadership seems to have been overtaken by sinister thoughts. We sent a group to negotiate, but we haven¡¯t heard back from them.¡± ¡°How horrible!¡± Saul¡¯s face distorted in concern as he considered their position. He felt like he had to help. ¡®Why do I have to be the guy that always makes sure his characters are 100% good in video games?¡¯ He asked himself with a sigh. ¡°Tell me more, I¡¯d like to help if possible.¡± A glance to his side showed Ishan was somewhat interested as well. Perhaps the man would accompany him to investigate the situation. The elf turned and began to stride off, calling over his shoulder, ¡°Follow me, I¡¯ll show you the way to Sylethanas.¡± Saul and Ishan both sprang into motion to catch up, the elf speaking as if they were right behind him, ¡°Historically, our villages have been strong allies. We¡¯ve had small disagreements from time to time, but we have always had a friendly relationship. We¡¯ve combined forces many times to defend our homelands from foreign threats.¡± They continued on, reaching the edge of the clearing. ¡°In the past few months, something has been off with their leaders. As I said, they began to grow hostile and distant. Then they ceased communications entirely. After that, the attacks began on our scouting parties. We¡¯ve lost a few scouts, but we¡¯ve been hesitant to escalate things further. That¡¯s caused us to cease almost all patrols.¡± He paused for a moment, looking to Saul and Ishan, "I won''t lie to you. The leadership of Sylethanas has been corrupted. They must be stopped. If you''re able to help us, we will reward youvery handsomely." He put a great deal of emphasis on ''very''. ''I''m not sure about all of this... I think I''ll go take a look for myself.'' Saul and Ishan met eyes. Understanding seemed to pass between them. "We''ll look into this for you." The elf smiled and pointed off into the distance, indicating the path just past him, ¡°This way leads to Sylethanas. Be careful on your way. The forest is full of aggressive and monstrous beasts. Our patrols usually keep their numbers down, but we haven¡¯t been out in force lately. Good luck!¡± With that, the elf faded into shadows before their very eyes. Saul and Ishan shared a look, ¡°Talkative fellow¡­¡± Saul finally said, and the two of them shared a laugh. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Ishan¡¯s head tilted to the side as if considering before he said, ¡°I think we should check it out. It sounds like a threat worthy of heroic adventurers!¡± The man¡¯s eyes practically shone as his lips turned up in a quirky grin. ¡®Corny. I¡¯d say the same thing, though.¡¯ They set off at a quick pace down the pathway, both of them staying on their toes, wary of any possible attack from the beasts the elf had mentioned. Saul paid close attention to the noise of the forest, figuring if they heard silence it was possible a large predator was nearby. ¡®Maybe that¡¯s something I saw on Planet Earth.¡¯ Beside him, Basi padded along quietly, the lizard highly adaptable to all the environments they¡¯d come across so far. ¡®Stay alert, bud¡¯ He sent down to the beast. Based on the distances on the signs, they¡¯d made it about halfway to Sylethanas before trouble finally struck. The first sign of trouble was a crashing sound somewhere to the left of the trail. Another one echoed through the forest just a moment later, this sound louder than the first. Before long, there was another loud crash as what looked like a log appeared in the midst of some saplings. Another thud. Another log appeared just to the right of the first. Another thud. Saul¡¯s bow appeared in hand and he drew an arrow, quickly willing his power into it. He placed it against his bowstring and continued pushing his will into the arrow. At that moment, what appeared to be a living tree burst through the trees, its yellow eyes tinged red. There was a gap roughly a meter below its eyes, with a few vaguely teeth shaped pieces carved. A strange roar emerged from that maw as the beast began to charge them. ¡®You will pierce the enemy.¡¯ He told the arrow. As more of his energy entered the arrow, it seemed to resonate with his intent. ¡®I hope this works¡­¡¯ He thought, considering trying to use his spear against the massive beast. If the wood was as hard as it seemed, he couldn¡¯t imagine something other than an axe hurting it. Ishan¡¯s magic seemed like it would work well, but the wizard wouldn¡¯t have time to cast any spells if Saul couldn¡¯t distract it. He drew in a breath and let fly, his arrow soaring to thud against the beast¡¯s eye. A health bar appeared overhead, reading:
Ent. Level 9
Its health bar showed that the arrow had some effect, reducing the Ent¡¯s health by a sixth. It didn¡¯t do anywhere near the amount of damage Saul expected. He dismissed his bow and summoned his spear. ¡®I¡¯ll just have to stay out of range and hit it until it¡¯s dead¡­ No big deal¡­¡¯ The Ent seemed to focus on him after he shot it, so he jumped backwards and tried to draw it away from Ishan. ¡®Basi, stay out of this one, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re suited for this.¡¯ He felt dissatisfaction through their bond, but the lizard seemed to agree. Saul stayed close enough to the Ent to jab at it with his spear here and there, his Qi infused strikes needling a small amount of health with each attack. He tried to focus on the same spot, hoping that he might be able to break through its trunk. The strikes didn¡¯t seem very effective, with the Ent¡¯s overall health reduced by just over 22% after several strikes. Finally a red light shone around the Ent¡¯s form, this attack obviously that same devastating technique Ishan had used previously. Saul danced out of the way, moving towards the wizard in case the Ent wasn¡¯t defeated by the blow. The Ent had just enough time to turn around before the light seemed to solidify and the air itself seemed to warp, a devastating wave of energy eating away at its bark. Its health bar reflected the damage, a huge chunk fading away. It seemed to have about a third left. Unfortunately, when he looked back at Ishan he saw what he expected - The wizard was huffing and puffing in an attempt to catch his breath. ¡°Get behind something sturdy!¡± Saul called back to him. He¡¯d handle it from here. The Ent¡¯s bark seemed to be degraded in some way. He stepped forward, just close enough to stab forward with his spear, and found it sank deep into the wood that time as if he were stabbing a decaying log. The damage was more what he expected this time, the Ent¡¯s health bar showing about a fifth remaining. Saul delivered one more powerful strike and the light seemed to fade from the tree¡¯s eyes, the massive creature slumping forward. Saul dismissed his spear to ensure it wasn¡¯t snapped by the falling tree. The resulting thud was so loud it seemed to echo for miles and miles, the sound deafening to his ears.
Exp Gained: 900! Your share: 450 Exp!
Saul didn¡¯t see any signs of drops. He turned to face Ishan, huffing and puffing from his own exertion, and moved to take a seat against the tree trunk the man had ducked behind. ¡°Let¡¯s take a few minutes here¡­ I¡¯m not ready for anything else like that, yet.¡± When the wizard agreed, they both settled down, breath coming in short supply following that fierce battle. They weren¡¯t aware that the trials that awaited them would be significantly more challenging than this battle. 17: Sylethanas Saul was seated near Ishan. He leaned against the trunk of a massive tree. Where before there had been silence, now there was a symphony of forest sounds. It was as if the whole forest began to blossom with life following their battle with the Ent. His eyes were closed and his face had a serene expression as he expanded his awareness. He felt the connection between himself and the rest of the forest, a resonance that seemed to exist between all living things. He felt the ties that bound him and Basi together, a golden energy that stretched between the two of them and through those ties he felt an intense feeling of companionship with the beast. It was almost familial. He felt the connection between himself and Ishan. The ''party'' line. It appeared silver in his head and seemed to link his mind to the wizard''s. The connection felt tenuous, as if it could be broken at a moment''s notice. He pushed further outward with his Qi a cloud of his energy enveloping the entire clearing. He gained awareness of everything that happened within. It was as if his Qi were particles that moved at rapid speed, colliding with everything in the environment. Through those collisions he could see outlines of everything in the area. Everywhere his Qi flowed was solid white and everywhere that it couldn''t flow was an absence of that light. Inhale. His Qi cloud shrank. Qi flowed into his lungs. He grabbed hold of that Qi and willed it into his dantians. Flooding them. Refilling them as they were continuously drained to project that Qi cloud. Exhale. His body relaxed. Tension evaporated. His heart rate slowed. He let his Qi cloud expand further. Inhale. Deeply. His Qi drew tight to his body as he breathed in, the cloud of his awareness shrinking down until it clung to his body like a cloak. More Qi, this time so much that it totally refilled his lower dantian. He struggled with that energy and contained it within that dantian. Forcing it to expand. To grow. Suddenly, pain. Exhale. He projected his cloud out again to empty the dantian. He was working on grinding away at the barriers of the core, to expand its walls so he would have a greater energy capacity in the future. An hour passed. To his right he heard shifting on the undergrowth, then the sound of soft ''pops''. He pulled his aura totally within himself and opened his eyes. Ishan was standing before him. "All done recovering your mana?" The wizard nodded. "It takes me too long. I need to figure out how some of the other wizards I''ve seen get their mana back so quickly." Saul''s shoulders raised in response. "I wouldn''t know, unfortunately. I just shoot things." He climbed to his feet, his knees popping softly as he stood. Arms raised high over his head, back arched, before that popped too. He wore a satisfied smile as he spoke, "We shouldn''t be too far from Sylethanas. Let''s go figure out what''s going on in this place." Basi stirred beside him at those words and moved to lean against his legs. The beast appeared serene. Happiness flashed through their bond. They set off down the path. As they walked, Saul made an effort to expand his Qi cloud out in a 10-meter radius. It was taxing on his dantian but it seemed manageable. Important. ¡®I¡¯ll know if we¡¯re under attack before it happens. I¡¯m not getting ambushed again.¡¯ After the experiences he¡¯d had so far in the dungeon, his desire to avoid an unexpected projectile was growing. Vivid colors passed by as they continued on. The bright reds and purples of fungi dotted many of the fallen trees. Blue hues filtered down from the canopy as other wavelengths of lights were absorbed. Vivid, deep greens dominated the floor of the forest. One massive red trunk after another passed by. It was the kind of landscape that couldn¡¯t help but put a smile on your face. The rest of their journey passed peacefully. Saul saw a sign that indicated they were only a kilometer away from Sylethanas and pulled Ishan to the side of the path. ¡°If these elves are as hostile as indicated, we¡¯d better figure out a plan. I¡¯d like to try and sneak into their village and see what¡¯s going on¡­¡± He paused when he looked at the wizard. He could see the man was chewing his lip as if in thought. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Saul asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can be quiet enough to sneak into an elven village. I¡¯m good, but I don¡¯t have any sort of skills or very high physical stats," the wizard admitted. Saul looked at the forest around them as he considered his options. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a test? I¡¯ll move over there,¡± he pointed into the distance at a fallen tree. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I notice your approach. If you get within¡­ Let¡¯s say three meters before I notice, we¡¯ll call that good.¡± Ishan nodded. Saul took a seat on the log and closed his eyes for a few moments. When he opened them again, he began to scan the area for Ishan. He didn¡¯t see any signs of the wizard. ¡®Pretty good so far. Let¡¯s see if I can hear him.¡¯ Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of sounds were playing in Saul¡¯s ears. Somewhere high above, a bird was singing. On the ground behind him a soft rustle of the ferns let him know a creature was moving by. He didn¡¯t hear steps. ¡®Must be small.¡¯ The breeze blew past and gently kissed his body. Thus far he heard no sign of the man. He scanned the area intently, his eyes and ears working together to try and locate Ishan. The wizard was good. ¡®He must be moving when he hears other sounds. That lets him blend into the background noise. I¡¯m not sure what he¡¯s done to make himself invisible. Must be magic.¡¯ He still didn¡¯t see the man. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s see where you are. I doubt elves can do this but¡­¡¯ Saul flared his Qi, a white dome invisible to all but him surrounding him in a 20 meter radius. He nodded and withdrew his Qi back into his dantians then turned to the space beside him on the log. ¡°Hello, Ishan.¡± The man¡¯s features were suddenly visible again. His eyes twinkled merrily, crows feet beside them fully displayed as his lips turned upward to illustrate his mirth. ¡°Okay, maybe I¡¯m pretty good at sneaking. How¡¯d you spot me, anyways? I was going to try and scare you.¡± Saul grinned in response. ¡°It¡¯s a trick I¡¯ve picked up recently. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have trouble getting into the town. Does that thing you did work on more than one person?¡± Ishan shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t maintain it if I cast it on more than one person. Low mana and all. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine though. Let¡¯s do this.¡± Saul rose. ¡°Let me go ahead of you. Just stay quiet for now. Don¡¯t worry about going stealth mode until we get to the town. Basi and I will keep an eye out for patrols.¡± Crouching down, he began to creep through the forest. He didn¡¯t worry about picking his steps too carefully thanks to the Boots of Silence he¡¯d purchased from Gundrin back on level II. Quiet steps didn¡¯t equal stealth, though. He stuck to the darker shadows when possible, and he kept a close eye out for anything that would brush against his legs and make noise. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. He stopped every few minutes to flare his Qi and check his surroundings. Progress was slow but that was to be expected. ¡®I¡¯ve heard stories about snipers in Vietnam who took days to crawl across a mile. I¡¯m not going to go that slow, but¡­ Slow and steady wins the race.¡¯ His pace was slow enough that night fell before he reached the edge of the forest. The canopy of the forest made it so that the forest was close to pitch black at night. Despite how big and bright the moon was in the Dungeon, none of that light could reach the under story. When Saul laid eyes on Sylethanas, he realized the elf town didn¡¯t have the same issue. It was dark - It was night, after all, but compared to the forest itself the place was practically illuminated by floodlights. It was bright enough for him to see noticeable shadows cast across the ground by the massive trees the elves lived in. Luckily for him, one of those shadows fell close to where he¡¯d arrived. He stayed still for a while, leaning against one of those massive trees. A patrol approached his area. They were walking along the town¡¯s perimeter. Three elves. He could hear the cloth rubbing together as one moved past. Another¡¯s footsteps fell loud and heavy. The warrior. The final elf was dressed similarly to himself. Lightly armored, with a bow across his back. The hunter. Saul shrunk back when this elf came near. They passed without incident. Saul let out a deep breath he hadn¡¯t even known he was holding. ¡®That¡¯s one patrol¡­ Let¡¯s see if there are any others.¡¯ He waited. Then, he waited some more. Finally a patrol walked past again - The same one. When they were far in the distance he called back to Ishan as quietly as he could manage. ¡°Time to go.¡± They set out under the cover of nighttime. He moved to stay in that massive shadow. His dark armor helped him to blend in nicely. Basi slunk along next to him as he crept forward. He still paused every hundred or so paces to flare his Qi. ¡®So far so good.¡¯ He knew Ishan was beside him thanks to his Qi, but otherwise he had no clues to the man¡¯s presence. When they reached the base of the tree he made sure they were alone and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m going to go up this tree. I want you to scope things out in one of the others. Try and find someone who seems important and eavesdrop for a bit.¡± A hand pressed down on his shoulder and his heart skipped a beat before he realized it was Ishan signaling his agreement. Saul moved as quietly as he possibly could. He reached the lowest branch without incident and looked up. ¡®How am I going to¡­ Oh.¡¯ On the side of the tree he saw fungi. Large, exceptionally sturdy-looking fungi. Like handholds. They were close enough together that he realized he could climb using them. ¡°Looks like you have to sit this one ou¡­¡± He stopped talking when he saw Basi walk up to the tree and begin to climb it, his fearsome claws gripping the bark easily. Satisfaction and amusement flashed across the bond. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go boy.¡± Saul began to climb. He tried to be quiet about it. His heart was pounding in his chest so loudly that he was sure the guards would know he was there from that noise alone. He made it to the first branch without incident. In the moonlight, the slight movement of bridges that extended between branches was just visible. They swayed gently in the breeze. He flared his Qi again and felt a presence on this branch with him. They seemed to be further out on the branch, though. Looking in their direction he could just barely make out an elf guard. The guard seemed distracted somehow, moving his hands in a way that suggested he was talking to himself. ¡®Lucky break.¡¯ Saul crept along the branch as carefully as he could manage, Basi kept close behind him. He was sneaking past one of the houses on the branch when a door opened just before him. He pressed himself flush against the wall as light suddenly illuminated the great trunk of the tree. Darkness blocked some of the light causing a shadow to appear on the doorway in the shape of an elf. A deep voice said, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem! No, nothing to worry about. Yes, yes, I appreciate your concern. Really, Marian, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± A pause. ¡°No, you keep it! Really.¡± Another pause. Saul flared his Qi. Nobody else was around but this man and whoever he was talking to. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t linger, Marian! I really appreciate it though.¡± His shadow grew smaller. To his left, Saul could see the faintest outline of the man as he looked back into the house. Saul¡¯s muscles stretched tight. He found himself standing on the balls of his feet. Fists clenched tightly. ¡®Just go back inside!¡¯ He thought. The elf laughed. ¡°Marian, really, I must be¡­ Oh, alright, if you insist. I¡¯ll share some firewyne.¡± The shadow grew larger. A thud sounded. The door was closed. Saul let out a deep breath as tension faded from his body. He moved forward once more. He crossed the bridge without incident. A quick Qi cloud let him know this branch was blessedly unoccupied. He moved along from branch to branch. He had just crossed one bridge when he heard a shout, ¡°Hey! You! What are you doing here?¡± In the darkness he could just see an elf with a large spear in his hand. He seemed to be looking in Saul¡¯s direction. Sucking in a deep breath, Saul¡¯s spear dropped into his hands. The tip gleamed softly as it caught the moonlight. He sank into his stance, going onto the balls of his feet. Tense. The elf began to approach. ¡®I don¡¯t want any trouble¡­ Just go away.¡¯ He thought. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you!¡± The elf called. Saul parted his lips and drew in a breath to respond when he heard, ¡°Shove off, Linlan! I¡¯ll go where I please.¡± The speaker was an elf he hadn¡¯t seen. He was leaning against the wall of a building between him and the guard. The guard didn¡¯t seem to like that, ¡°I told you, Ico, you can¡¯t be lurking like that! We¡¯re supposed to be on the lookout because of all the trouble with Efnelion. Anyways, shouldn¡¯t you be on patrol?¡± The elf against the wall took a swig of something in a flask, ¡°I guess I should be, but¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t feel like it. Much better to drink and take in some beautiful sights, don¡¯t you think?¡± The two of them began to argue. Saul took that as his opportunity. He dismissed his spear and crept onward. He continued moving up until he was about halfway up the tree. He glanced upwards ¡®I don¡¯t see too many more residential branches¡­ I must be near the top. If it¡¯s anything like Earth, the rich and powerful elves live near here.¡¯ A Qi cloud revealed there were more guards here than on other levels. He crept quickly to the closest building. From his Qi scan, he could tell that the buildings were gathered pretty closely together. ¡®There aren¡¯t any guards up top¡­¡¯ He crouched low and jumped for the roof of the building. He just barely missed it. His boots of silence muffled the noise from his failed attempt. He crouched again and this time circulated Qi into his legs, infusing them with additional power. When he jumped again he was able to easily grasp the roof of the building. He pulled himself up quietly. ¡®Come on, Basi.¡¯ He sent through their bond. He set out across the rooftops, quiet as a mouse. Below he could catch snippets of guards conversations as he jumped from one rooftop to another. ¡°Another battle,¡± ¡°Dangero-¡± ¡°Killed all of the-¡± Far out from the trunk, there was one building that stood taller than the others. It was too far for him to jump to, but it seemed as though important people lived there. Saul could feel the presence of several guards around it, patrolling. He flared his Qi and ensured there were no guards near him then dropped back down to the branch. Staying as low as he possibly could, he crept up to that building. Footsteps alerted him to a coming patrol. He pressed flush against the wall, his dark clothing blending in with the earth tones of the building. The patrol was just visible out of the corner of his eye. ¡®Please, please¡­¡¯ His heart pounded in his ears. ¡°Hey, Taslu!¡± The guard that was about to see him looked up with a start. ¡°Taslu, come over here! Look what Loeil bought!¡± The guard turned and walked away. Saul let out another deep breath. ¡®This tension is going to give me a heart attack.¡¯ He crept quietly beneath a balcony. There was light shining from within the building there. He jumped up and climbed onto the balcony. Words drifted past his ears. He leaned against the wall and strained to catch them, ¡°Efnelion¡­¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­. The humans¡­¡± ¡°Killing them¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t make out enough to be useful. He took a chance and peered around the corner as much as he dared. Two plush armchairs occupied the room, located a comfortable distance away from a roaring fire. In the corner there was a large wooden desk. A Qi cloud confirmed that there was nobody in the room except for those talking in the chairs. ¡®Magic boots, don¡¯t fail me now.¡¯ He crept into the room and crouched under the desk. From there, he could hear the conversation clearly. ¡°The people of Efnelion have gone mad. They¡¯re murdering our patrols.¡± A few moments of silence, ¡°Yes, I think this all started a few months ago. They¡¯ve been responsible for a great number of disappearances between the gate and their town, too.¡± Another pause. ¡°Well, it all started when those humans arrived at Efnelion and managed to get in good with Aerac. He¡¯s gone mad. I don¡¯t want to risk a full-on war with them.¡± Their conversation continued in this vein for several minutes. Long enough for him to make a call. ¡®Sounds like I had things backward.¡¯ Saul moved away from his hiding place. He stood behind the two chairs. One of the elves said to the other, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what we can do at this point to fix things.¡± Saul cleared his throat and spoke, ¡°I think I may have a solution for you.¡± 18. Rest and Relaxation The two elves exploded from their seats. They whirled to face him. One had two scimitars drawn and the other had a narrow stick pointed at Saul. ¡°What do you want?¡± The one with the scimitars demanded. His body seemed tense. Saul could see his muscles, faint though they were, bulging under his tension. Like a snake, coiled up and ready to strike. The tip of the stick that the other elf - a woman - held was glowing faintly. The faintest hint of burning wood filled the air. Her expression was cold as ice and deadly calm. The male elf was a handsome creature. His features were elegant, but masculine. He had on armor that was reminiscent of the guard uniform he''d seen on many other elves. Made from a silvery material that almost seemed to warp the light, it was either very light, or the elves were stronger than they seemed. It wrapped his entire form in metal that didn''t seem to hinder movement at all. His entire body radiated a cool confidence. He gave the impression that he would cut an enemy down without a second thought. ''I wouldn''t fare well against him.'' The woman was stunning. She wore a circlet that held platinum hair back from her eyes. Her ears lay flush against her hair, points extending a fair distance from their origin. Her every move spoke of extreme grace. wore a dress that clung to her figure. It didn''t appear tight enough to compress, but rather enough to allow free movement. Her figure revealed by that fabric was lithe yet curvaceous. It was a tasteful dress despite how tight it was. Saul realized his vision had lingered on her form too long. He raised his hands over his head with a slight red tinge on his cheeks. He looked up to the two of them as he addressed them, his gaze sweeping over her knowing smile. ¡°An elf from Efnelion sent me here under a false premise. He blamed your leadership for the conflict between your villages. That-¡± He paused for a moment, ¡°Based on your conversation, I don¡¯t believe their claims. I¡¯d like to help your two villages find peace once more by getting to the bottom of everything.¡± The two exchanged a look. The smell of smoke vanished from the room and the light at the tip of the stick faded out of existence. The one holding the scimitar asked, ¡°What do you think, Ara?¡± Doubt flickered across her face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Llewil. We have been having issues with them. It would be nice to get to the bottom of everything.¡± A short pause. ¡°Someone needs to figure out what¡¯s happening to all those travelers from the gate too.¡± Saul remained quiet. He didn¡¯t move a muscle or so much as breathe too heavily while they were discussing the matter. ¡°Llewil, we should consider having an adventurer look into things. If he goes back and says he resolved things here he might be able to find out what their plans are.¡± Saul nodded. ¡°Those were my thoughts as well. I need to find out what¡¯s going on with the people coming from the gates. More and more humans are going to be coming through the gates, and if something is happening to them, I¡¯d like to help put a stop to it. This place is dangerous enough as is.¡± The elves took their time considering his offer. The female - Ara - moved first. She placed her stick back into a loop on her outfit. Saul drew in a deep breath and let it out. His gaze moved to Llewil with close attention to his posture. ¡®Still tense. Come on¡­ Relax.¡¯ The lead scimitar began to drop. ¡®Good.¡¯ Saul slowly dropped his hands as the male elf relaxed. Finally, he let them rest in their scabbards and spoke to Saul, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s bad to send you back to investigate. I also don¡¯t think you are powerful enough to do what needs to be done.¡± Suddenly Saul felt as though the elf was looking through him completely. The elf spoke with a hint of mockery evident, ¡°Level 9? That won¡¯t do at all. Most elves don¡¯t conform to the level system, but I¡¯d say our most powerful warriors would be around level 15.¡± Saul didn¡¯t take offense to that. The difference was likely huge. Idly, his fingers stroked through his beard. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be alone. I have a wizard I¡¯m allied with currently who is around my strength level. I also have an animal companion who can help me in combat. He¡¯s on the balcony.¡± He stepped aside so they could see Basi. ¡°Do you think that would be sufficient?¡± Llewil turned his gaze to Basi. Saul could see the elf¡¯s eyes as they swept over his companion, a strange glint flashing in them before he turned to Ara and shook his head. The elf maiden considered his words. Her gaze flitted over to Llewil and saw the shake, then back to Saul. ¡°You are too weak, even in a group. If you were able to increase your strength by some degree - Even a level or two - Or to improve your skills considerably, then you may be able to accomplish something.¡± She fell silent. Saul shifted his weight from foot to the other. ¡°I¡¯ll avoid conflict with them, then. I¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s going on and report back to you. You can send in whoever you wa-¡± Ara cut him off quickly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t do. What we can do is give you a few days to work on your strength. There is an area nearby that is usually rife with monsters. We send our recruits there to train. If you take advantage of that area, you should be able to close the gap somewhat and give us more confidence in your ability to handle things.¡± Llewil opened his mouth as if to argue, but a raised hand from Ara cut him off. ¡°We¡¯ll do it.¡± Ara smiled. ¡°As a ranger, you no doubt have some skills that are in line with our areas of expertise. I¡¯m willing to offer you an opportunity to train with some of our weapons masters over the next few days as well. As you have no doubt realized it is possible to have skills far above your level that can bridge that gap. You would be wise to take advantage of that fact.¡± He bowed before them, low enough that his torso was parallel to the ground. ¡°I would be happy to take advantage of your hospitality. The wizard I know uses some form of destructive magic, but he appears to have a low mana capacity. Hopefully you will be able to assist him as well. I should contact him.¡± Ara tilted her head to the side suddenly. Her left ear twitched and a knowing smile spread across her lips. ¡°No need. It appears he was detected by one of our guards and is being brought here now.¡± Her eyebrows raised as she spoke to him. Teasing. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Ah¡­ Well, we didn¡¯t know where to go to get the information, so¡­¡± He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± She responded. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can figure something out to help him increase his mana capacity.¡± Before long, the door opened and Ishan¡¯s profile filled the doorway. Saul raised his hand in greeting. ¡°They caught you, eh?¡± The wizard¡¯s lips curved upward in a slight grin before he was shoved into the room by two guards. One of the guards was female, the other male. Both had flawless features, but across those lovely features stern clouds had settled. Llewil turned his gaze on Ishan. That same glint from before flashed in his eyes as he looked over the wizard. He turned to Ara with one eyebrow raised and leaned over to whisper something unintelligible into her ear. Ara¡¯s eyebrows rose as surprise flashed across her face before she took an appraising glance at Ishan. ¡°So, here¡¯s the deal. They have agreed that someone should go and investigate the events of Efnelion.¡± Ishan nodded and made to speak. Saul held up a hand and watched as the words died in his ally¡¯s mouth. He continued, ¡°They don¡¯t think that we¡¯re strong enough for it, so they¡¯ve agreed to let us train at some site where they train a lot of their soldiers. It should give us a pretty good boost in our power.¡± The wizard¡¯s eyebrows rose higher and higher as Saul spoke. When he was finished, a smile graced the man¡¯s lips. ¡°Sounds good if you ask me. When do we get started?¡± He and Saul turned to look at the two elves. Llewil spoke up at that point, ¡°I think it best if you rest tonight. Tomorrow morning, I will take the two of you out to the training grounds.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for their agreement before he turned and moved to the door. Saul could see hints of impatience in his posture. When the two of them didn¡¯t jump to follow him immediately, Saul watched him turn back with an expectant look before departing. ¡°Good evening, lady Ara.¡± Saul bowed to the elf maiden and hurried after Llewil with Ishan and Basi hot on his heels. Somewhere along the way, Llewil gathered one of the guards that had brought Ishan to them. He took them to a room that was surprising at first glance. The room had vines running along the walls that were a variety of different colors. Two absolutely massive wood-loving mushrooms seemed to be growing from the wall and atop those fungi were two mattresses with blankets and pillows. The room was sparsely furnished. ¡°You¡¯ll be staying in here. You can take breakfast in the morning and then we¡¯ll be on our way. I¡¯ll bring something for your companion to sleep on.¡± Saul claimed the bed closest to the window. ¡®It will be nice to take a shower and get cleaned up. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had a chance to get properly clean in¡­ Well, too long.¡¯ He stood by the bed and removed his leather breastplate. The well-made armor came off easily. He felt a small amount of strength leave his body, seemingly correlated with the stat-boosting item coming off. Next he slipped out of his undershirt, the cool air in the building feeling nice on his skin. He thought about stripping out of his pants, but the thought of being clad in only boxers in front of Ishan was something he wasn¡¯t totally comfortable with. He kicked off his shoes and tucked them beneath his bed. When Llewil came back with a soft looking piece of bedding for Basi, Saul raised a hand to get his attention. ¡°Would you happen to have something I can wear at night? And perhaps a place I can take a bath and wash my stuff? I¡¯m not used to the dirt of an adventurer¡¯s life.¡± The elf made a face but nodded and gestured for Saul to follow him. Ishan spoke up, ¡°I''ll take some clothes as well, please.¡± Gathering his things he followed Llewil quickly. He led the two of them to a door not far from their own. He opened the door and a wall of steam flowed out from within. He waved his hands towards the room. ¡°I¡¯ll have night clothes brought here for you. Someone will be by shortly to collect your clothing and equipment for cleaning. The guard will bring you back to your room when you¡¯re done. Goodnight.¡± With that, he left. Saul stepped into the room and drew a breath. The air tasted clean and moist and it was heavy as it flowed into his lungs. Through the heavy steam, two tubs seemed to appear as if out of nowhere. A large paper screen separated the two effectively. Saul moved over to his tub and stripped out of his leather pants, the tight and padded garment coming off surprisingly easily. ¡®Did he enchant the armor to be easy to remove? I always thought leather was a pain to get off.¡¯ He set all of his items in a small bundle by his tub. He quickly removed his boxers and tossed them onto the top of the pile then slipped into the water. The water wasn¡¯t hot enough to scald, but it left his skin pink as he laid back and relaxed. A soft sigh escaped his lips, total satisfaction as his body was practically weightless. The heat worked its magic on his tense muscles, undoing knots that he didn¡¯t even know he had. To describe the bath in a word: Bliss. A brush and a bar of soap were sitting on a stool next to the tub. From across the screen similar sighs of pleasure could be heard, as well as the occasional splash. After soaking and letting his aches fade away, he reached up to untie his hair and let it fall down around his shoulders. Dark and long, it didn¡¯t show dirt but it desperately needed cleaning just like the rest of him. After some quick work with the brush and a liberal application of soap, his skin was pink and his body felt spotless. ¡®No dirt or soap left over in this water¡­ Must be magic.¡¯ He washed his hair tie in the water as well. When he was ready to get out, he turned to see that a folded robe had somehow made its way onto the stool. He unfolded the robe and slipped his arm in, still wet. It was as if his arm hadn¡¯t had any moisture on it at all. Both the fabric and his arm were dried. His eyebrows raised. ¡®Who needs technology when you have magic?¡¯ He stood and slipped the robe on. He felt his body drying instantly. His clothes were gone, off to the cleaners. ¡°I¡¯m going to the room. Good night, Ishan.¡± He called across the screen. ¡°Night.¡± Saul was escorted back to the room by the guard, who then returned to wait for Ishan. He moved over to take a seat on his bed and the soft padding of Basi¡¯s feet on the ground let him know his companion wanted some affection. ¡°We¡¯ve got quite a good opportunity here, boy. We¡¯re nice and clean.¡± He wrinkled his nose as he wrapped his arms around the lizard and put his nose close to his scaly skin, ¡°Well, one of us is. We¡¯ve got gracious hosts who will help us get stronger, and that will help us as we approach level 5. It¡¯s starting to look like I¡¯ll really make it out of here.¡± He gave the lizard a gentle squeeze and released him. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to get some sleep.¡± He swung his legs up onto the bed and rolled onto the mattress. It felt like he was laying on a cloud. He yanked the blanket up to fall over him and was asleep before it even finished falling to touch his skin. 19. The Training Grounds Morning came too soon. Light filtered in through their window, the vines that grew over the glass panes doing a good job keeping some of the harsh light out. The partially lit room allowed him to awaken at his own pace. He was somewhere beyond comfortable. He felt like he was floating on a cloud, one that hugged him and conformed to his body. He raised his arms up and stretched out, his joints releasing tension with the soft ¡®Pop!¡¯ sounds. Rolling to the left, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and rose at a relaxed pace. His knees did their best impression of Rice Krispies. ¡®Snap, crackle, and pop...Getting old,¡¯ he thought with a small smile. Next to his bed was a small table that held his underclothes and armor. Over by the window, Basi was lounging on his bed. Based on his rhythmic breathing and the lack of emotions flowing through their bond Saul guessed he was asleep. Ishan also seemed to be asleep but Saul didn¡¯t want to dress in front of the other man. He gathered his things up and moved to the door. The nightclothes they¡¯d given him were very modest. It was a long robe that covered his whole body with big open sleeves. The only things that weren¡¯t covered were his hands and his feet. He cracked the door open and peered outside. There was nobody in the hallway until a face appeared. Filling the space. Through the narrow gap Saul couldn¡¯t identify their gender, ¡®Another guard?¡¯ They spoke up, ¡°Yes? Can I help you?¡± He tugged on the door to open it a bit further, ¡°I need to use the bathroom and get dressed. Would you mind showing me a good place to do that?¡± As he stepped forth from the room, he saw that the guard was a woman. She turned and led him down the hall. As he followed her his gaze roamed over her form, taking in the way her hips moved, the way her steps seemed silent. These elves were all so graceful. When he opened the door he saw there was no steam in the room this time which allowed him to see the interior more clearly. He saw several closets towards the back of the room, ¡®I guess that¡¯s where the toilet is.¡¯ Once he had concluded everything - Magic water made anything that didn¡¯t belong vanish again - he dressed. His clothes smelled of lavender and felt softer than he had imagined. The leather armor went on as easily as it had the first time, tightening to his form and allowing for free movement. The feeling of being truly clean for the first time since he¡¯d arrived in the Dungeon had him walking on air. He opened the door and moved to step into the hallway only to pause as Llewil filled the portal. ¡°Good morning!¡± Saul greeted with a cheerful tone and an energetic wave. ¡°I meant to ask last night, but who should I thank for all this hospitality? I haven¡¯t felt this refreshed in weeks and I¡¯m ready to take on some hard training now!¡± The elf¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked over Saul, but then his expression softened. ¡®Is he starting to relax his guard a bit?¡¯ ¡°This is Ara and my home. It is our ancestral home, actually. Our parents were some of the more important figures on the council, and when they became one with nature again we inherited the place.¡± Saul¡¯s eyebrows raised. He leaned forward ever so slightly and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Does that make you a political figure here? You mentioned a council¡­ Do your villages have kings? I¡¯d love to hear more about your politics or history.¡± The elf raised his hand to cut Saul off, ¡°Perhaps we can discuss these things at some point when you¡¯re resting after your training. For now, we¡¯ll eat breakfast and head out. Come, Ishan and your companion are waiting for us downstairs.¡± He led Saul into a room that was expansive, deep wood wrought into patterns that made it appear as if the whole place was just another extension of the tree. ¡®Did they grow this place somehow? Even these trees don¡¯t seem natural¡­¡¯ In the middle of the room sat a large stone table. Numerous high backed chairs surrounded it and several places were set for breakfast. One of the chairs was pulled away and a platter placed on the floor for Basi. He received the same fare as the humans. The meal was simple and delicious, with platters loaded with a number of different vegetables and fruits that he¡¯d never seen before. It seemed to be a vegetarian meal. ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why the elves are so thin?¡¯ Saul ate his fill and then some. He leaned back in his chair and stretched, patting his stomach to see if it had grown any from the meal. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing this armor stretches¡­¡¯ After a few moments, Llewil rose. ¡°Alright then. Time to move to the training grounds. Follow me.¡± The four of them set out. Down the massive tree. As they crossed the first bridge, Saul took notice of just how far away the ground seemed. When the bridge swayed slightly with their steps he fought off an instinct to grab for the railing. ¡®These things are just unreal.¡¯ It took them nearly twenty minutes to complete their descent, and the second their feet hit the ground again Llewil took off at a faster pace to the north. Their hike through the dense forest was both swift and seemed to take forever. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s leading us in circles,¡¯ Saul thought at one point as they passed a tall red-barked tree with purple spotted mushrooms growing at the base for what must have been the tenth time. He was just considering saying something to Ishan when a noise came from up ahead, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Up ahead of them was a small clearing. In the center of the clearing, a stone pillar arose from the ground as if in defiance of all the wood surrounding it. There was a cabin near the treeline that seemed suitable for perhaps four people. Next to that cabin was a well and about four meters in front of the door was a fire pit. He could see several logs stacked up against the cabin. ¡°This is where you¡¯ll stay. There is enough food for a week stocked here. Every morning, I¡¯ll bring masters out who can help advise you in your skills¡­ Ah, that reminds me.¡± Llewil walked out into the clearing without another word. He moved to the other side of the clearing and turned to face them, scimitars drawn. Determination flickered across his face as the wind carried his voice across the way. ¡°Show me what you¡¯ve got. You get four free attacks before I move.¡± Saul looked to Ishan, then across the way at Llewil. ¡°I suppose you¡¯d better go first. He¡¯s supposed to be a lot stronger than us, so don¡¯t feel like you need to hold back.¡± The wizard nodded. He swaggered to the edge of the clearing and lifted his staff. Soft chants made their way back to Saul, carried on the breeze, their volume rising slowly as if building to a crescendo. Ishan¡¯s voice thundered out at the end and he tapped his staff on the ground. A beam of light erupted from the head of his staff and coalesced into a thick bar of flame reaching out for Llewil with the kind of thirst a man in the desert reaches for a glass of water. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Heat blossomed in the air around Saul, uncomfortable, but he kept an eye on Llewil. The elf¡¯s posture seemed to indicate shock, but from this far away it was hard for Saul to say. He saw him lift up both scimitars in a cross guard and try to block the spell. For a few moments he seemed to be doing a good job absorbing the thick bar of fire, but before long Saul noticed that Llewil seemed to be sliding backwards. Looking at Ishan, he saw that the wizard was quivering and had placed his second hand on his staff as if to steady himself. Eventually the elf leaned back and changed the angle of his blades which deflected the beam into the sky before he pulled them down totally. The fire, unimpeded, bored a hole straight through the tree behind Llewil as if it was the easiest thing in the world. As suddenly as the spell began, it ended, the bar seeming to unwind starting first at Ishan¡¯s staff and then travelling down the line. The wizard dropped to his knees at that point and gasped for air like a man who¡¯d just been saved from drowning. Saul rushed forward to comfort him when a voice called across the clearing, a little shaken but still confident. ¡°Three attacks.¡± Saul summoned his bow and stood next to his friend, ¡°Are you ok?¡± At Ishan¡¯s nod, Saul reached behind his head and withdrew an arrow. He nocked the arrow and drew in a deep breath, centering himself. He began to extract energy from his dantians, first the lower and then the upper, as the mysterious Qi bent to his will. He began to circulate it through his body once more. The energy did laps through his system as it built higher and higher, until his cores were practically empty. It was at that point that he forced the energy into his arms, and from there, he sent a large portion of the energy into the weapon itself. The bow and arrow seemed to resonate with his energy, a soft buzzing sound filling the air near them as they drank all he had to offer. ¡®The bow and string are made sturdier to withstand more force, the arrow is made¡­ I don¡¯t know what it does to the arrow, but it seems to become explosive. I should really sit down and figure all this out sometime.¡¯ With the remaining energy in his muscles boosting their potential, he prepared to shoot. Inhale. His body filled with air, providing a study platform from which to shoot. His muscles tensed. Filled with life, with strength. Aim. See the target with perfect clarity. His eyes locked onto Llewil and sought out any potential movement. He targeted a spot that would be easy for Llewil to move his guard to - After all, he didn¡¯t want to kill the elf. Fire. Release the string. The arrow exploded forth. Exhale. Relax. Reach behind his head for another arrow. His fingers had the next one nocked even as he tracked the arrow¡¯s flight across the clearing. The arrow slammed into Llewil¡¯s guard and his grit teeth indicated he wasn¡¯t able to just brush it off. Despite that, the elf knocked the arrow aside without too much trouble. Saul¡¯s next Qi-laced shot was aimed high, immediately followed by a lower shot. Llewil parted his weapons, one intercepting the arrow soaring towards his head and deflecting it while the other scimitar cleaved the arrow in half. ¡®That was four¡­¡¯ Saul willed the bow back into his inventory and withdrew his spear. He sank into his stance, going onto the balls of his feet as the elf exploded towards him. He seemed to vanish from sight as he moved across the clearing. ¡°Ishan, Basi, some help please!¡± In the corner of his eye, Saul could see the wizard was still resting on the ground. He felt Basi moving forward to help. That would have to be enough. ¡®He moves too fast for me to see.¡¯ Saul projected his Qi outward in a cloud. The particles were dispersed by something unexpected to his side. Saul pivoted in that direction and pressed forward, his spear flowing towards the disturbance. Stabbing. He felt cool steel on his neck before he opened his eyes. His spear was three quarters of the way to Llewil¡¯s stomach, but more importantly he saw that the elf¡¯s own scimitars were placed against him in two spots. One rest against his neck, which he felt. The other was just about level with his hip. Basi hadn¡¯t even been able to make it to him before the fight would have been over. A small smile played across the elf¡¯s lips as he said, ¡°You¡¯re better than I gave you credit for. You might have had a chance if I had underestimated you.¡± He spun one of his scimitars into a sheath by his hip and extended his hand to Saul. They shook. ¡°And you!¡± He said as he suddenly moved past Saul. ¡°That attack was incredibly potent. Impressive.¡± He held out his hand to Ishan, who gratefully took it. Llewil yanked him to his feet and then gestured out to the clearing. ¡°So this will be home for the next few days. I¡¯ll show you how everything works. Follow me.¡± He turned and swaggered over to the monolith in the center. Saul saw a number of strange markings carved into the stone, as if some ancient or foreign language that he wasn¡¯t capable of understanding. The monolith itself stood tall, easily twice Saul¡¯s height, and at its center there was a place that Llewil placed his hand on. A strange hum began to fill the air, starting as a quiet buzz and roaring to a crescendo. Something in the forest seemed to answer that call, a strange and terrible cry echoing out. ¡°Placing your hand here will activate the monolith. When activated it sends out a signal that drives nearby monsters crazy. They can tell where it comes from so they come here, all rage and fury, for our soldiers to fight and kill.¡± His expression changed, his eyebrows drawing together and jaw set, and suddenly the sound stopped. He removed his hand at that point. ¡°By focusing your will you can turn off the monolith. You have to command it to stop. You basically just think ¡®Stop!¡¯ really loudly in your head. Then you take your hand away.¡± He moved over to the cabin and opened the door. ¡°Here are all the basic amenities you¡¯ll need. Food, a bathroom, there are even a few training manuals for you to peruse. Ah, speaking of training.¡± He looked at Ishan, ¡°I assume all your spells are similar? I know just the wizard for you. And you.¡± He entered the cabin and showed them around. He turned to look at Saul, ¡°Archery and the spear? A good combination for a lone warrior. I have a good master in mind for you. It seems like you can harness some of the energy from the world, too. A few elves have this ability.¡± He brought a hand to his perfectly sculpted chin and stroked it. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can find someone for you. For now, rest up. When you¡¯re ready you should go to the monolith to begin your training. Saul collapsed into one of the chairs. ¡®Comfortable. Might as well wait for Ishan to get ready again.¡¯ Llewil swaggered to the door. Stepping through the portal, he suddenly turned back to look at them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the monsters. You should be able to handle them. Well, most of them.¡± His eyes glinted and his lips curled up slightly as he departed. 20. Training Montage #1! An unconscionable racket sounded through the cabin. Deep, loud, and vaguely reminiscent of a chainsaw. Saul was sitting in a chair near the very source and was trying his very best to light said source on fire with his eyeballs. Eventually, he just couldn¡¯t take it anymore and he jumped up from the chair, stormed the gap between the two of them, and shook Ishan vigorously. ¡°You¡­ Have¡­ To¡­ Wake¡­ Up!!!¡± The dark skinned man rolled slightly in the chair, half-lying and half sitting, his arm coming up to swat away Saul¡¯s hands unconsciously. Undeterred, Saul persisted until the man opened his eyes slowly and reached up to rub the sleep from them. ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡­?¡± He said. Saul¡¯s eyes practically leaped out of their sockets as he laughed, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s the matter? You sounded like a train barreling through the living room! The snoring was too much!¡± The man had the grace to look chastised. Saul took a few steps back and gave Ishan space to stand up. ¡°Is your mana close to full again, Ishan?¡± The wizard closed his eyes for a few moments and a small smile played across his lips. He nodded. ¡°Good enough. Let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡± Saul moved to the door and opened it. ¡°Come on, Basi.¡± The lizard hopped up and ambled outside. Saul and Ishan followed behind. Saul tilted his head back to try and catch a glimpse of the sun. It was somewhat low in the sky in relation to the treeline. ¡®Looks like a few hours until dark. Good enough.¡¯ He sauntered over to the obelisk and concentrated on his inventory. ¡®Should probably just bring the spear out¡­ Ishan can take care of anything that engages from long range.¡¯ With a thought the spear dropped into his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± He reached up and pressed his hand against the stone. It felt cold against his hand and in that cold, a sense of hunger emanating from within the stone. Something within him seemed to respond to the hunger, a vibration in his soul matching the frequency of the hunger. The humming sound droned out from the monolith, growing progressively louder. The sound continued to roar as he removed his hand. Saul heard a scream from the forest and he turned towards the source. He sank into his stance, on the balls of his feet, as steps thundered from within the forest. Moments later, something massive emerged from the forest, its steps loud enough to drone out the humming sound. The beast filled his vision. It stood on two legs and was covered in thick black fur, it¡¯s body covered in bulging muscles. It pounded on it¡¯s chest and then roared in fury. Dropping on all fours, it charged ahead. ¡®This thing looks serious¡­ It seems extremely heavy. I probably can¡¯t take its rush head on. Its limbs are pretty far apart though. I might be able to¡­¡¯ He yelled to Ishan, ¡°Save your mana for this one. I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± He rushed forward. ¡®Basi, get ready to attack when I hamstring it.¡¯ Just before he and the beast were going to collide, he jumped and turned onto his side, sliding between the beast¡¯s arms. He lashed out with the spear as its legs passed over him, a sweeping cut that scored its left leg and ripped free a huge chunk. It screamed in pain as it collapsed, dust flying as it ripped up the ground.
Vicious Kong, Lvl 12 Health: 85%
¡®Looks like that got it pretty good. Basi, go now!¡¯ He jumped onto his feet and surged at the monster. It was rolling onto its front when he got there, arms in a poor position for defense. The leg he¡¯d attacked was still as if made lame. Basi arrived by it¡¯s other leg and began to bite the monster, huge chunks of flesh torn with each attack from those jaws. The vicious kong¡¯s arms flailed as it tried to defend itself, but it couldn¡¯t reach its legs to harm its attackers. Saul ducked low to avoid one of those heavy blows from the arms and charged to stand next to its head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He apologized to the beast before he stabbed it through the neck. Its health bar began to drain quickly, and as he jerked his spear free, its health expired.
Exp Gained: 1,000! Your share: 500.
¡®Not bad,¡¯ he thought as another roar sounded from within the forest behind him. A charging monster burst through the treeline. Another massive ape. Saul half-turned to face the beast when he saw another movement from the trees closer to him. Another enemy. This opponent wasn¡¯t much bigger than him and was holding a spear. ¡°Ishan, can you handle the ape? Basi will help you. I¡¯m going to deal with this guy.¡± Saul began to approach the enemy in a sideways stance. ¡°No problem!¡± Came from somewhere behind him. He felt Basi moving to attack through their bond. Heard the telltale gathering of mystical energies that precipitated an attack from Ishan. To Saul all of these things were just distractions. Noise. He drew in air, fortifying his body. He examined his opponent closely, watching his form for any sign of an impending charge. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he watched the creature move forward, its steps making him uncomfortable. It took him a moment to realize what was wrong - the knees bent backwards. The sight elicited a queasy feeling in his stomach. The opponent swaggered towards him with those strange steps that he couldn¡¯t quite read. As it got closer Saul could see it¡¯s face was human shaped but where its mouth should be, there was only skin. The same was true for its eyes. ¡®How does it see? What is this thing?¡¯ His curiosity was strong and helped him to fight off the feelings of unease. ¡®Just breathe. Remember your training.¡¯ The faceless monster exploded forward. Saul flowed to meet it, his steps balanced, his spear point angled up at the opponent. Their spears met in between, Saul encircling the opponent¡¯s weapon and batting it aside to create an opening. He struck like lightning. One powerful step forward, his spear exploding forward to bury itself in the opponent¡¯s abdomen. His opponent jumped back to avoid the brunt of the attack but Saul felt a small amount of give as his spear point found the opponent¡¯s flesh.
Faceless Man Lvl 11 Health: 98%
The Faceless Man didn¡¯t seem bothered by the attack. It released its spear with one hand and beckoned Saul forward. ¡®I get the sense it''s smiling at me¡­¡¯ He transferred his weight to his back foot and slid his front foot forward slightly, finding his center of balance once more. He repeated this technique to continue edging towards the opponent. He jabbed towards the Faceless Man¡¯s head, aborting the strike halfway through and lashing out again aimed low. The Faceless Man¡¯s spear was suddenly in the way, knocking Saul¡¯s up and out of the way in a parry that left his guard open. He tried to slide back as the enemy¡¯s spear exploded forward on a collision course with his chest, but the Faceless Man¡¯s spear caught him in between one of his ribs and stole his breath. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Gritting his teeth, Saul grabbed the enemy¡¯s spear with his left hand and planted his feet. He brought his own weapon forward with his right. He pulled on the Faceless Man¡¯s spear, his muscles bulging as he fought against the man¡¯s pressure, to keep it from advancing further even as he twisted and stabbed at the opponent¡¯s head. A sickly thud echoed out as his spear met resistance. He pulled back and stabbed again, and again, until he felt the pressure behind the enemy¡¯s spear recede. The Faceless Man¡¯s head looked like a crushed watermelon. At the sight, Saul¡¯s stomach rolled mightily. The Faceless Man collapsed onto his knees, then fell forward, defeated. Saul bent over, his hands on his knees as his stomach attempted to empty itself. Luckily he kept his lunch down. ¡°Another one down!¡± Ishan yelled.
Exp Gained!: 2,000! Your share: 1,000!
You have leveled up! You are now level 10. +3 to Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance! +2 to Intelligence and Willpower!
He felt stronger. Healthier. He glanced down at his health bar and saw it was totally full once more. ¡®God bless leveling.¡¯ Strength flowed through his body once more. He straightened up and turned to face Ishan. ¡°This is going pretty well so far!¡± Another pulse flowed from the monolith as if in response to his positive attitude. Bass thundered in the forest. Drums. Something emerged from the forest. Next to it, another one. And another. Saul dismissed his spear and summoned his bow as the group of enemies gathered in size. Their frames were small. Thin. One of the beasts was carrying a banner. Saul grabbed three arrows from his quiver. ¡®Never tried this before¡­ Well, here goes nothing.¡¯ He thought as he placed three arrows against the string. He turned his bow sideways and angled each arrow so that they were all pointing at one of the small figures. He drew in a deep breath and pulled back as far as he could. ¡®Not used to holding it this way¡­ Let¡¯s make sure the angle is right.¡¯ He pulled up just a bit on the bow and braced himself and let loose in the direction of the crowd. Whistling reached his ears as the arrows flew, two of them flying true and thudding into two of the small figures who immediately dropped, while another one thudded into one of those massive trees.
DemonKin, Level 6
¡®Gotta try again.¡¯ He prepared three more arrows. ¡°Ishan, do you have anything that can help thin their numbers? There are a lot of them!¡± They filled so many gaps between trees he lost count of their actual number. He fired again. Two more dropped. Again. As if a dam broke, the flood of enemies surged into the clearing, temporarily blackening the grass between them. There had to be at least sixty. Ishan¡¯s murmuring rang in his ears as he continued to fire as quickly as possible. He dropped one of the ones in the front, who stumbled and fell beneath the feet of other kin. The corpse tripped a few, and like a domino effect several were on the floor. He fired at another of the front runners but this time the Kin¡¯s death didn¡¯t slow any of the others. His hand was a blur as he continued to nock, aim, fire. He heard Ishan¡¯s staff hit the ground and suddenly a thick bar of fire shot out from somewhere just behind Saul. It carved through the kin, wiping out over half of the contingent. A thud came from behind Saul. ¡°I¡­ Have¡­ Nothing¡­ Left¡­¡± Ishan breathed. By the time they were close enough that he needed his spear, Saul guessed that there were 10 DemonKin remaining. Basi rushed forward to help, the lizard bowling over one of the monsters and killing it with a swift closure of his massive jaws. Saul waded forward to meet the flood-turned-trickle like the sunrise greets a flower. He ducked low and swung in a wide arc, sweeping several kin off their feet. ¡®Basi, get those!¡¯ Six of the monsters remained standing. Six of the monsters jumped at him at once. He stabbed forward and took one out of the air, its momentum impaling it on his weapon and making it too heavy to use. Saul growled in frustration and willed the spear to vanish. The others were too close for him to bring the weapon out again. ¡®Haven¡¯t done this in a while¡­¡¯ Two swords appeared in his hands, one crafted with a wicked edge and monstrous barbs in his right, the other a normal looking shortsword in his left. He spun with both weapons extended, slicing several of the enemies open. One managed to make it past his offense, latching onto his back, the weight throwing his balance off and forcing him to the ground. It was digging into his skin where it grabbed him, red flashing in his eyes as those claws pierced his tunic. The monster bit his neck and a scream of pain ripped free from his throat as those jaws closed down. A huge chunk of his health bar vanished. His whole world flashed red as searing pain entered his nervous system, a feeling like fire spreading out from the bite through his entire body. He slammed his back against the ground repeatedly, trying to dislodge the beast, but it hung on and continued to gnaw away at his flesh. He tried to reach back and stab the monster, but he couldn¡¯t find it, and he couldn¡¯t continue to flail with a sword behind his back for fear of killing himself. His health continued to drop. ¡°Basi!¡± He screamed in panic. The pain was intense, burning hot. He blacked out. He was lying on the ground when he came to. Something rough was licking him on the face, a tongue that felt like sandpaper. ¡°Go away, Mr. Fuzzles¡­¡± He said, batting at the tongue. ¡®Silly cat¡­ Wait¡­ I don¡¯t have a cat!¡¯ He opened his eyes and the massive jaws of his lizard filled his vision. Basi¡¯s mouth was open in what he assumed was a smile. Ishan was seated nearby, leaned against the Monolith. ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it. I stopped the summons after that massive wave. We must have got you a healing pill just in time.¡± Saul reached for his neck. No pain. ¡°Y...Yeah, I guess¡­¡± He glanced down at his health bar. 100%. ¡°How many of those things were there?¡± He propped himself up, moving gingerly as his muscles screamed in protest. Despite his full health, his body felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds. ¡°I guess health doesn¡¯t totally determine my pain level.¡± He said absent-mindedly. ¡°To your first question - It looked like sixty five or so? They¡¯re a fair bit below our level, I¡¯m disappointed we didn¡¯t do better. To your second¡­ Well, statement¡­ That¡¯s true. I¡¯ve noticed that stats don¡¯t tell the whole picture. Just most of it.¡± Saul nodded. He looked at the experience screen that flashed.
Exp Gained!:6,000!(100x60) Your share: 3,000!
You have leveled up! You are now level 11. +3 to Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance! +2 to Intelligence and Willpower!
¡®Good to have leveled at least¡­¡¯ He tried to stand and as his legs wobbled, he found he didn¡¯t have the strength. He rolled onto his stomach instead, and with unsteady arms pushed himself up until he was on all fours. ¡°Better get some rest¡­ Two levels in one day isn¡¯t bad if you ask me¡­¡± He tilted his head back to see Ishan¡¯s nod. ¡°Want some help getting there?¡± The wizard asked. Saul shook his head. ¡®Gotta have my pride¡­¡¯ It took Saul a few minutes to make it back to the cabin. When he arrived, the smell of spice was drifting in from the kitchen. ¡°What are you making?¡± He asked as he pulled himself up and into a chair, his protesting muscles sighing with relief as they took the opportunity to relax. ¡°I¡¯m trying to make shawarma. I¡¯m making my best guess with some of these spices though. This smells close enough to Cumin.¡± He brought a jar into the living room and held it in front of Saul¡¯s nose. ¡°Earthy¡­ A bit nutty¡­ Yeah, I¡¯d say that¡¯s probably cumin.¡± The wizard grinned, ¡°I love to cook. Just relax, I¡¯ll bring some food when it¡¯s done.¡± Saul was fast asleep long before the food finished cooking. 21. Intermission After a long battle and short rest, curiosity got the best of him. Saul knew he''d leveled up several times since he''d last checked his stats, and he wanted to see where he was in comparison with his previous strength. ¡®Status¡¯
Name: Solomon Andrews HP: 160=>260 Class: Ranger Level: 8=>11
Talents: Cultivate Befriend Animal Cultivation Level: Basic
Abilities: Attack Shoot Track
Strength: 38=>47(+8) Intelligence: 33=>39(+8)
Dexterity: 41=>50(+8) Willpower: 26=>32(+8)
Endurance: 33=>42(+8) Experience: 15,450
''Nice... I''ve got those all around stat boosts from my arms and armor. That should help bridge any gaps between me and someone who''s a few levels higher. After the next few days here I should be strong enough for whatever they throw at us in Efnelion. If we can figure out what''s causing those disappearances, all the better.'' Next he checked his skills:
Talent Type: Talent Level: Talent Description:
Cultivation Basic, Lvl I You have broken through the barrier and unlocked your second dantian. Energy infusion is more effective, and your senses grow stronger
Befriend Animal Foundation, Lvl II Your connection to your animal companion confers you both greater strength and attributes.
Archery Basic, Lvl III Your growing mastery with a bow allows you to do greater damage.
Single wielding Foundation, Lvl II You are able to use a single weapon in combat without hurting yourself
Dual wielding Foundation, Lvl V Your hands are able to move independently of one another to some effect, ensuring your attacks are likely to land.
Dodge Foundation, Lvl IV You have demonstrated some ability to slip attacks and leave your opponents hitting only air.
Two Handed Weapons Foundation, Lvl V Continued practice with two-handed weapons leads to improvement. You are more likely to hit your enemies and do greater damage.
Way of the Spear Foundation, Lvl V Through your growing understanding of the spear, you are able to do more damage.
¡®Alright, enough of that. Time to focus.¡¯ Saul sat on the ground outside the cabin. He had his legs crossed and his spear was resting across his legs, both hands feeling the shaft of the weapon. His eyes were closed. Behind his eyelids he could see light flickering and flashing, tinged red by the blood in his lids. He drew in a deep breath and reached out for the weapon. His consciousness and the weapon¡¯s spirit intermingled as he sought deeper understanding for the weapon, its purpose, its uses, just¡­ it. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He felt its desire to defeat all enemies. The desire to find the weak point of any armor. The desire to pierce the strongest defenses. ¡®It feels the same things I do¡­ I must defeat any enemies that would stop me from getting home. I must destroy any obstacles that I can¡¯t get around otherwise.¡¯ He reached out with his Qi to brush against the weapon. There was something that seemed to respond. An echo. He brushed against it again, and once again something within the weapon seemed to resonate with his energy. ¡®Interesting¡­My bow doesn¡¯t seem to do that. I¡¯ll explore this more later. For now¡­¡¯ He drew in one last deep breath and opened his eyes.
Through exploration of your spear using your Qi, you have leveled up your Way of the Spear! Your Way of the Spear level is Basic, Lvl I!
Vivid orange filled his vision, fire crackling in the fire pit, flames trying to ascend to the night sky as if seeking his attention. For just a moment the wind picked up and beat the flames back, blowing so hard the flames were hardly visible. The air was stilled. The fire roared. Flames danced wildly as if in victory, drawing his gaze. He dismissed his spear and withdrew his bow. ¡°Alright there, Ishan?¡± He asked his companion. The man nodded, ¡°Doing good, Saul. Just enjoying the relaxation after a wild day. I¡¯m glad we¡¯ll be getting some training from masters tomorrow.¡± A grin played across the man¡¯s face. An orange glow on his face made his tan even more noticeable. The corners of Saul¡¯s mouth tugged up in response, ¡°Glad to hear it. I just wanted to make sure you were all recovered from your Shawarma.¡± He teased. The man¡¯s expression shifted as storm clouds rolled across his face, ¡°The turmeric¡­ Wasn¡¯t turmeric. Sorry about that.¡± Saul shrugged, ¡°I thought it was good anyways. I guess that¡¯s one of the downsides. We¡¯ll need to follow the recipes they have here. No Earth cooking for now! Anyways¡­¡± He placed his bow across his lap and began to focus his awareness, ¡°I need to get back to my training.¡± He turned his attention inward. He felt his Qi. He felt it flow throughout his body. Concentrating on his hands specifically, he began to pool his Qi into them slowly. From there he reached out to touch the bow, repeating the process he¡¯d just undergone for the spear. He tried to feel it¡¯s purpose. He felt where his skin ended, and the bow began. He pushed past that. Merging. Thinking of the bow as an extension of himself, he could feel the edge of the bow as it faced the fire and absorbed heat from the flames. He could feel the air along its limbs. The wood felt ancient, powerful, supple enough to withstand great tension and durable enough to handle being used as a club by a desperate owner.
Through your use of your senses to feel the weapon, you have unlocked a new skill! Way of the Bow! Your Way of the Bow level is Foundation, Lvl. I!
¡®The bow¡­ The bow is for offense and defense.¡¯ He felt that was a simple truth. As he thought it, the words infused into his Qi, and that Qi resonated within the bow. ¡®The bow is an extension of myself. When I am steady, my bow is steady. When my bow is steady, my shots are effective.¡¯ Those words seemed to cause more resonance with the weapon. He felt an echo. As if a long lost friend was calling to him in a crowd, the awareness of that faint signal was just at the edge of his mind but not something he could bring to the forefront. ¡®The bow is a symbol of improvement. Just as my first shots were poor, my most recent shots have been good. The bow is a vehicle for improvement of myself, and improvement of myself is a vehicle for improvement of my archery.¡¯ Another pulse. The air around him seemed to still, as if he were on the precipice of entering into his own little world. He dug deeper, trying to find more meaning, more purpose¡­ And found nothing. Opening his eyes, he let out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he had been holding, his shoulders sinking and his back slumping as he relaxed.
Through growing your understanding of the Way of the Bow, you have increased your skill! Your Way of the Bow level is Foundation, Lvl. II!
He smiled. Not bad. ¡°I should cultivate.¡± He spoke aloud, partially to Ishan and partially to himself. ¡°But I don¡¯t really feel like it. Basi!¡± He called for his companion. The lizard stood and sauntered over to him at a casual pace. He felt a flash through their bond, the lizard¡¯s expression combined with the emotion suggesting, ¡®Maybe you should be coming when -I- call you.¡¯ Saul laughed and patted the lizard¡¯s head as it approached. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re the best companion a man could ask for. Thank you for being such a great companion.¡± The lizard sat on his haunches and raised his head at the praise, his head lifting as high as possible and revealing his neck to Saul. ¡°Stop preening you show off!¡± Saul teased with a laugh, reaching out to scratch beneath his neck accordingly. A flash of pleasure through their bond let Saul know his touch was appreciated. He tilted his own head back to look at the moon, his hand falling idle on Basi¡¯s neck. ¡®It¡¯s so big¡­¡¯ He thought as he gazed at the half moon. Easily twice the size of Luna, it dominated the sky and was a poignant reminder that this wasn¡¯t home. ¡®I didn¡¯t have anything too special back there, but I do miss it. It will be good to get b-¡¯ His thoughts were interrupted by a several hundred pound lizard suddenly placing its front paws on his shoulders. The pressure forced him backwards and he toppled over, hitting the ground with a laugh. Basi leaned down to nip at his neck. ¡°I got it, I got it! Don¡¯t stop scratching. Jeez. Now get off!¡± He reached up to continue his scratches. Basi moved to the side, contentment flashing through their bond. ¡°Do you miss it, Ishan?¡± He suddenly asked. ¡°Miss what?¡± The man¡¯s voice had a strange note to it. Curiosity, and beneath that was the sound of¡­ regret? Sorrow? ¡°Earth. I know we haven¡¯t talked about it before. There are times when I miss it terribly, and times where I don¡¯t miss it at all.¡± The man was quiet for a moment as if he were contemplating. ¡°I miss Earth.¡± He said simply. Saul continued, talking for his own benefit as well as Ishan¡¯s, ¡°Back home, I just went through the motions. I had a nice time, I taught, had friends¡­ But I didn¡¯t have anything meaningful. Here? I have a chance to save people. My actions matter. We might be able to prevent a war here. That¡¯s huge. Did you have anything important back home?¡± He turned his head to look at Ishan and found that his face was shrouded in shadows. He¡¯d turned just far enough that Saul couldn¡¯t see him. In the firelight, Saul didn¡¯t miss a sudden reflection of light that fell from his face onto the ground. ¡®He¡¯s crying¡­¡¯ After a moment, the man cleared his throat and spoke, his voice just a bit hoarse, ¡°I have family. Important family. A wife. A home. A sick mother. I¡¯m trying to do the best I can to make the best of everything. This is a once in a lifetime experience. If I didn¡¯t have anything waiting, I¡¯d probably stay, but¡­¡± Saul filled in the gaps, ¡°I¡¯ll help you get home, Ishan. We¡¯ll make sure you see your family again. Level V¡­ We¡¯re halfway there.¡± The man¡¯s voice held a note of resolve as he spoke up in agreement, ¡°Level five¡­ It sounds so close, yet so far¡­¡± Saul stood and approached the man - his friend - and laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing softly. He felt Basi¡¯s displeasure through their bond, then satisfaction as the lizard moved closer to the fire and basked in its warmth. ¡°We¡¯ll get there. For now, let¡¯s get some rest. We have masters coming in the morning to help us get closer to our goal.¡± He left his friend lost in thought, finding his bed and falling into a deep and restful sleep. Saul was already rising as the dawn filtered in through the window. ¡®Couldn¡¯t sleep as long as I¡¯d like to. Masters should be here soon.¡¯ He saw Ishan was still sleeping and he tiptoed from the room to avoid disturbing the man. He entered the kitchen. Inspected the supplies. ¡®Adequate.¡¯ He found an ice box that was cold, but he couldn¡¯t see where the ice actually went. Glyphs glowed gently on the side. ¡®A magic refrigerator, eh? Creative.¡¯ Inside he saw several items that looked like they¡¯d have a home in his own refrigerator. Some sort of egg covered in purple spots sat next to thick slices of meat. His eyebrows raised as he considered the possibilities. ¡®Well, everyone needs breakfast.¡¯ He looked at one large stone platform that had a massive iron skillet atop it. The stone had several glyphs inscribed on its side. Saul placed a hand to them and they began to glow orange. Heat could be felt emanating from that surface. ¡®Who needs a stovetop?¡¯ Before long he had meat sizzling in the large skillet, the meat curved like a smiling mouth with two separate piles of scrambled eggs cooking above it reminiscent of eyes. ¡®Reminds me of when I was a kid.¡¯ He thought. His eyes crinkled and he had a skip in his step as he searched for plates and forks. Basi came up to him as he cooked, an expectant look on the lizard¡¯s face somehow. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be the most expressive lizard I¡¯ve ever seen. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± He dug in that ice box and found a large chunk of some unknown meat. ¡°That should work for you.¡± He tossed it to his companion who began to work on it happily. He had both meals plated and on the table before Ishan made his way into the kitchen. ¡°Cooked breakfast.¡± He gestured towards the plate. ¡°Should be a busy day.¡± The two of them ate, the only sounds in the kitchen being those of forks scraping on plates and food being inhaled. A knock sounded at the door as Saul was leaning back with a satisfied smile, an empty plate sitting before him the only evidence of his meal. ¡°Must be the masters.¡± Ishan rose to go and get the door. From his vantage point, Saul could just barely see the forms of four elves standing in the doorway. ¡°Saul! They¡¯ve sent two people for you. They¡¯ve even sent someone for Basi!¡± Saul¡¯s eyebrows raised. He looked over to his companion, still happily working on a massive chunk of meat, much reduced. ¡°Guess you¡¯re getting some work in too, bud. I¡¯m not sure what they have in mind for you. It should be interesting.¡± 22. The Masters The masters that Llewil had found for the three of them were nothing if not demanding. Ishan¡¯s master was a man named Relwir. He had been the one who knocked at the door. He had his arms crossed as he waited, his foot tapping as though he¡¯d been waiting for an eternity. His lips pursed together, he scoffed when he saw Ishan. Saul felt bad for his friend. Ishan''s new master hadn''t waited long before he began to criticize his development so far. ¡°You¡¯ve done everything all wrong! A mage over level 10 with such paltry mana regeneration? I bet you don¡¯t even know how to make your spells more efficient!¡± Ishan was silent, his head bowed in deference. It seemed to tell the man all he needed to know. ¡°Have you been doing any mana control exercises?¡± Saul watched Ishan open his mouth as if to answer, before the master continued on, ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t! Come with me! We will start from the ground up. I¡¯ll give you the same exercises we give to the children. If you can better control your mana, you can reduce the costs of your spells!¡± The elf turned and moved to the other side of the clearing with a huff. When Ishan didn¡¯t join him right away, the master turned back and glared daggers at his student. ¡®Looks like he¡¯s in for a rough time,¡¯ Saul had thought with no small measure of amusement. The master who was there to train Basi had set up some small obstacle course on the opposite side of the monolith. She was an elf maiden with a lovely smile who seemed as friendly as Relwir was rough around the edges. ¡°Better go with her, Basi. Do as he says. They¡¯re going to help us get stronger.¡± The lizard loped over to her and the two of them moved to begin using the obstacle course. Saul wanted to watch his companion go through the strange training, but he had his own training to attend to. ¡°I am Telwyn,¡± The elf standing closer to him had said. He was tall for an elf and had a warm expression. A massive spear was sticking up over his head, strapped to his back. He made a small gesture to the other elf standing with him, their features covered by a cloak that left them shrouded by darkness. ¡°This is my sister, Alwyn. I¡¯ll be instructing you in the spear. She can help you in other matters. You are a ranger, correct?¡± Saul nodded. The elf continued, ¡°Good! She¡¯s one of the most skilled hunters we have in our village. She can instruct you on any number of valuable skills. Archery, hunting, moving in the shadows¡­ She will be working with you to improve in all these areas. Now¡­¡± The elf clapped his hands together with a wide grin. ¡°We¡¯d best be getting started! Your training with me will be more physically exhausting. Since you¡¯ve got monsters to fight later, we¡¯d better go first.¡± He took Saul to the right side of the field. As they got closer Saul could see several wooden stilts rising up from the ground, their tops all shaved flat and placed at similar heights. They were no more than a third of a meter apart. Telwyn jumped into the air and landed lightly on one of the pegs, walking out into the middle of them. ¡°We¡¯ll be doing your spear training here. This is a special training method we elves developed to help master basic melee footwork.¡± He jumped from one peg to another, his feet almost silent as he landed. He reached behind his back to grab his spear and held it at the ready. ¡°If you have mastered your footwork, you can attack and defend to much greater effect. Footwork is the foundation of any good warrior. Without a proper foundation, anything built is worthless. Now, come up here.¡± Saul leaped into the air and landed on one of the pegs with a thud. His weight pressed into the wood and caused it to sway, his arms flailing as he searched for his balance. ¡®This is harder than it looks.¡¯ He thought. The peg wasn''t wide enough for him to get into his stance. He placed one foot on the next closest peg and sank down into the ready position. His muscles were working overtime to maintain balance on the pegs. They were solid wood, but they didn''t offer much support. His spear dropped into his hands. ¡°I believe that my foundation is good. Let¡¯s see.¡± He said with a grin. Telwyn¡¯s smile faded as the elf adopted a serious expression. ¡°That is a foolish position to take. I will instruct you.¡± The elf danced forward, moving across the pegs with practiced ease. He came at Saul low, Telwyn¡¯s spear sweeping towards his leading leg. Saul lifted his leg up and pivoted on his back foot to find secure footing on another platform. Next he shifted his weight forward to stab at the elf''s head with his spear. Telwyn danced back and then surged forward, putting Saul on the defensive once more. His spear searching for an opening. He went low again and again Saul moved his foot to another platform. His legs wobbled as he struggled to find his balance. In that moment of uncertainty, Telwyn went after his plant foot and swept his spear through. One moment Saul was standing on the platform, the next he was falling onto the sea of pegs. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He landed with a heavy thump. He hit one particularly high peg with the majority of his weight. The impact stole his breath away, catching him on his back between his shoulder blades. He climbed back to his feet to see the elf smiling again. ¡°As I said, a weak foundation makes the building useless. You seem to have a decent grasp of how to use your spear, but without solid footing, you can¡¯t even touch me.¡± Saul let his gaze rest on the ground in a sign of deference. ¡°Of course, master Telwyn. I apologize for my earlier boasts. I look forward to learning all you have to teach.¡± With his gaze downcast, Saul was able to see the exact width of the pegs they were standing on. Each one was just big enough for both of his feet. For him to stand in the center of two and achieve maximum balance would take careful footwork. ¡°Master, how do you suggest I go about building my footwork?¡± The elf moved back and forth from one platform to another as if in a familiar dance. ¡°First, I¡¯d recommend you just get used to the idea of moving around up here. Each peg is roughly the same distance apart, but the slight variations in height mean you can¡¯t forget to look where you¡¯re stepping. What we¡¯ll be doing is simple enough. Spears away.¡± The elf strapped his weapon to his back in a smooth motion. ¡°For our first day together, I want you to focus on catching me. If you¡¯re able to catch me three times before it¡¯s time for your archery training, we can begin to spar.¡± ¡®Playing catch, eh?¡¯ Saul thought. His weapon vanished from his hands. ¡®It makes sense. The best way to get used to moving up here is to move around.¡¯ Telwyn jumped back to stand on the furthest row of pegs, landing as naturally as a bird. ¡°Now, in order for you to get the most out of this training, you¡¯ll want to move as if you¡¯re holding your weapon. That means you want to chase me in the appropriate stance. If I see bad footwork, I¡¯ll let you know immediately. Let¡¯s begin.¡± Saul moved forward as quickly as he could. He began aggressively, but his feet weren¡¯t centered over the pegs. Those errant steps came close to making him fall several times. He reigned in his desire to rush ahead and paid close attention to each peg as he stepped forward. Saul¡¯s approach was so slow that he hadn¡¯t forced Telwyn to move yet. Saul¡¯s focus was totally on the pegs, intent on finding the appropriate spot for his next step. He didn¡¯t make it halfway across the field before Telwyn tapped him on the shoulder. He spun in surprise, losing his balance and falling onto a peg again, this time getting speared so hard in the lower back that the breath left him in a rush. When he managed to clamber back to his feet a sour expression was spreading across his face, ¡°How did you do that? How do you move so fast?¡± Telwyn tilted his head back and let out peals of laughter that were almost melodic. ¡°I didn¡¯t move fast at all! You were so focused on your footwork that you forgot to keep your eyes on me! It¡¯s important to see where you¡¯re walking but you can¡¯t forget to see your enemies. That¡¯s a mistake that will prove to be fatal if it isn¡¯t corrected.¡± Saul nodded and took a few measured steps back, careful to check his footing before committing to any of them. ¡°So keep my eyes on you and watch where I¡¯m walking. Makes sense. Let¡¯s go again.¡± Telwyn created more distance between them. This time, Saul alternated between quick glances at his footing and quick glances up to Telwyn. He was making decent pace towards the elf, approaching him with his body sideways. His left foot was his lead foot as he inched along. When he was close enough to Telwyn to close the gap in a leap, he circulated his Qi into his legs and took one more small step towards him. The instant he felt his foot touch the peg, he exploded forward and closed the distance between the two of them, his arms outstretched as he soared through the air. A smile spread across his lips as he drew closer, triumphant, a smile that vanished as Telwyn calmly turned to the side to avoid his grasp. Saul¡¯s outstretched arms broke his fall, pain blossoming in his right shoulder as he rolled head over heels and landed in a crumpled heap. He let out a pained sigh as he rose to his knees, then used his left hand to push himself up. His right arm hung loosely by his side as pain radiated throughout his body. With grit teeth he looked up at the elf, ¡°Does anyone here happen to know healing magic? I know I can just yank this back into place, but it¡¯s a bad idea.¡± He took a small step forward and winced as his knee threatened to buckle. Telwyn nodded, his smile gone for once, and gestured to Alwyn, ¡°She¡¯s got a couple low level healing spells that should resolve everything. Now, before you get healed let¡¯s talk about where you went wrong. What do you think?¡± Saul growled softly. The pain was intense. The last thing he wanted to do at the moment was analyze his failures. He tried to shrug those thoughts off, drawing in a deep breath and responding, though the pain meant he did so through clenched teeth. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have leaped at you. Once I was in the air, I had no control. If you were a real enemy, you could have struck me down if you managed to avoid my attack.¡± His master nodded. ¡°That¡¯s exactly right. We¡¯ll call it a day for now. I want you to get healed up, then train with Alwyn for now. Tomorrow we¡¯ll play catch again for the first hour, and regardless of what happens we will be working with our weapons for the second hour.¡± Telwyn bowed low to him, ¡°Thank you for accepting my instruction. Now, I¡¯m going to go get some rest. We¡¯re going to be staying in the empty room in the cabin for the next week. If you have any questions after your training, feel free to ask.¡± Saul bowed in as low as he could in return, bruised and battered, before lumbering over to Alwyn. Luckily for him, her healing spells did just the trick and had him ready for more training in almost no time. 23. The Masters, Pt. II His body rocked forward as a powerful blow was laid across the back of his shoulders, ¡°Your posture is all wrong!¡± She snipped. He exhaled and released his bowstring harmlessly, the twang of the string¡¯s vibrations unaccompanied by the usual arrow that flew from his weapon. ¡°Sorry.¡± He drew in a deep breath. She continued, ¡°Do it again. This time, your body must be perfect. Rigid. Only when your posture is perfect can we worry about shooting at a target.¡± He did as he was told. He steeled his body, tensing his muscles. He withdrew the string back as far as it could go, as if he had an arrow ready to fire. He sighted the target downfield and raised his left arm slightly. If he had an arrow to fire, this one would be a bullseye. He smiled slightly. Another blow fell upon him, this one cracking across his backside. He jumped slightly, his body losing the tension that gave it strength. The bowstring slipped from his grip. He wheeled on her, mouth open to protest. She cut him off. ¡°Your posture was great that time. That doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t expect distractions. You must be as solid as iron. As fluid as water. Only then will you begin to approach a higher level of skill.¡± His jaw snapped shut. He nodded. Grumbling softly below his breath, he prepared to assume the posture once more. His air filled with lungs, steeling his abs and back. He retracted his shoulder blades, pulling the bowstring back as far as he could. He expanded his Qi cloud around his body, then further, and took careful aim at the target. His body strained against the pull of the bow, but his time in the Dungeon had increased his strength significantly, allowing him to hold the position for quite some time. He felt a disturbance in his Qi and focused on remaining still. Rigid. The blow fell across his knees, gentle but well aimed enough that if he wasn''t prepared he would lose his balance. He stayed strong at his core, but bent his legs to diffuse the threat, sinking lower to increase his balance. "Better." She said. He felt another disturbance coming for the backs of his knees. This time, he felt fingers dragging across the backs of his knees gently. It wasn''t fair! Nobody would tickle in the middle of a fight! He couldn''t help it. He tilted his head back and laughed, concentration broken, posture deflating. She stopped tickling his knee as he turned his head to look down at her. The lovely elf was crouched beside him with a small smile on her lips. She seemed like she''d had fun with that one. "Now, to use a bow is to pursue perfection. You want to be perfectly precise, perfectly accurate. You want to know that each shot has a chance of doing the most damage possible." He nodded. That much he could agree with. She continued, "We will be working on your accuracy first. I''m going to have you turn your back. I''ll set up several targets. When I say, you turn and shoot them. You only get one shot per target." She gestured to a spot about forty paces away. He marched over there and stood with his back turned to her. ''Looks like Ishan is having fun,'' he thought, a grin playing on his lips. His friend was sitting cross legged with several books floating around his head and several more balanced on his head. Every so often his master loomed over him. Based on the elf''s raised hands and the slight sounds of his voice from across the way, Saul safely assumed he wasn''t praising Ishan''s efforts. From the corner of his eye he could see Basi running through the strange obstacle course at his master¡¯s behest. There seemed to be targets set up at varying heights after obstacles that the lizard would have to bite, or rear up and slash. Saul didn¡¯t have long to observe Basi¡¯s training. ¡°Go!¡± Alwyn yelled. Saul turned and readied his bow. The first target that caught his eye was the closest, hung on a string and moving back and forth across the clearing in pendulum motion. He smoothly withdrew an arrow from his quiver and aimed at the point he expected the target to be. As it rose to the top of its arc, he released. He didn¡¯t bother to watch his shot, already focusing on the next target. It was twice as far away and it was also on a string, though it seemed to be moving straight up and down rather than in an arc. He withdrew an arrow and had it nocked in a fraction of a second. He drew in a deep breath and aimed for just a moment, releasing as the target was just reaching its lowest point. His gaze moved to the next target. Nearly three hundred yards away from him and the smallest of all the targets, this would be a challenge. It moved on a horizontal plane. He drew in a deep breath as he nocked the next arrow. He released the breath, then drew in another breath as he pulled back on the strings. His body steeled. His mind focused. His aim was sharp. Release. The projectile soared away towards the target, crossing the massive distance in a short period of time. He saw his shot nick the target, but it spun out of the path of the arrow which continued past it into the woods. Cursing, Saul went through the next few targets. When he was done, he jogged over to stand before Alwyn. ¡°Six out of eight isn¡¯t bad, you know.¡± She said. She looked at the targets she¡¯d set up, their strings all leading back to her fingers which wiggled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not great either. That¡¯s not even addressing the fact that it took you a while to take some of your shots.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He nodded, ¡°I thought I had the farthest one, but I must have mistimed my shot. I¡¯m not used to taking such long shots.¡± He had done well, it was true, but not well enough. ¡°I¡¯d actually like to get better at long ranged shots in particular.¡± She smiled at him, her entire face lighting up as he spoke. The smile reached her eyes in a way that took his breath away, ¡°That¡¯s good! I think as a ranger you should be most capable at long range attacks. Ideally, you should get so good at archery that you never even need your spear. We¡¯ll focus mostly on distance shooting today, but we¡¯ll mix in a little of what I like to call mobile archery.¡± She wiggled her fingers again and the targets began to move once more, ¡°What do you think?¡± He smiled in response and lifted his bow, ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± She moved over to the spot he¡¯d stood when he fired upon the targets. She beckoned for him to follow her. He moved to stand beside her, his bow at the ready. ¡°The farthest target - It wasn¡¯t that you couldn¡¯t propel your arrow all that distance. The issue was one of sighting the target. I have a way to help you overcome that. I want you to take your stance and sight the target. Then, draw and hold.¡± He did as she asked, turning his body sideways and bringing his bow up to aim at the target without preparing an arrow. He drew the string back. ¡°You can use Qi, right?¡± He nearly jumped at that. He was so surprised he released the string and turned to look at her. ¡°Yes. Can you?¡± She nodded. ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t think many elves could. Sorry.¡± He resumed his stance and drew once more. Waiting. ¡°Many can¡¯t, but I can. I¡¯ve developed a technique to help me sight the farthest targets. I want you to reach into your core. Feel your Qi within. Coax it free. Guide it up along the pathways that take it highest.¡± He did as she asked. Reaching for his Qi was made more difficult by his held breath, but he managed to touch the power. He tried to tease it along its pathways. It was stubborn. Resistant. He struggled with the power, grasping firm hold of it and yanking it upwards. Resistance broke. Power flowed. He directed it upwards, just as she said. Along his neck. He could see her watching expectantly out of the corner of his eyes, ¡°Now, infuse your eyes with that power while keeping them on the target. It might be a struggle, but if you can manage it¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish. He didn¡¯t ask. He got the power up to his eyes, but he was having a hard time getting it into them. It was almost as if there was a blockage that stopped the power from advancing. His lungs burned. He struggled with his own power, his entire body quivering. Something broke. He let the stale air in his lungs out and drew in a ragged breath. Failure. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. It may take some time for you to get this technique down. It¡¯s called Telescopic Sight. Your Qi will grant you the ability to see far beyond what is normally possible.¡± ¡°That sounds¡­ Really¡­ Useful.¡± He gasped. ¡°It is. It¡¯s one of the most important techniques for true mastery of archery, as far as I¡¯m concerned. It may be easier for you to break through your blockage by using whatever breathing technique you perform while cultivating, but it is important for you to figure out how to control Qi without breathing.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He shook his head and straightened as his breathing calmed. ¡°Think about your breathing while you shoot. You don¡¯t breathe steadily the whole time. You inhale, aim, and shoot. Holding your breath is important in archery. Cultivating and Qi manipulation are often tied to breathing, but in archery that can hurt you.¡± He nodded. It made sense. She didn¡¯t make him work on the Telescopic sight technique again that day. ¡°We¡¯ll save it for tomorrow,¡± She¡¯d said, ¡°I want you to work on breaking through your blockages tonight.¡± Instead, she¡¯d had him repeat the same drill she¡¯d started with over and over. As the day wore on, he found he was growing tired, but he could see a marked improvement in his abilities. Then, suddenly, the masters all seemed to act as if hearing the same signal. Alwyn smiled at him patiently. She was a great instructor, ¡°Time¡¯s up for the day. You all should get some lunch. You¡¯ll need to recover some strength in order to fight off a horde of monsters later today.¡± Saul made it back to the cabin first. He didn¡¯t waste any time getting settled into one of the large, comfortable chairs in the living room while he waited for his companions. Ishan and Basi weren¡¯t far behind. The wizard held the door open for the reptile who went into a corner and promptly slumped to the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you.¡± The man said. He had a scowl on his face and kept looking down at his hands with his brows furrowed. ¡°Alright there, Ishan?¡± Saul asked. He saw a darker expression cross the man¡¯s face before he shook his head. ¡°Not really, no. I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve learned anything at all today. I was belittled, berated, and admonished, but I don¡¯t have anything to show for it. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m going to make a bite to eat and get some rest before we have to fight for our lives this afternoon.¡± Saul had never seen the man in such a foul mood. He nodded his understanding and relaxed back into his chair. If Ishan wanted space, Saul could provide that. He napped for close to an hour, only waking up when his stomach growled loud enough to interrupt his sleep. He made a sandwich from an interesting looking meat spread and a bread that was reminiscent of french bread and ate it with gusto. ¡®The one good thing about the Dungeon is the food. I haven¡¯t met something I could eat that I haven¡¯t liked yet.¡¯ He fed Basi a mixture of meat and vegetables that he literally just threw together, then fell in his chair again until it was time to train. They fought monsters. The monsters that seemed most enraged by the monolith today were more of the DemonKin, a swarm that was nearly as big as yesterday¡¯s coming to try and exact revenge. Between the three of them, they managed to make short work of the monsters, though Saul had seen their masters waiting by the cabin. Watching. Analyzing. That night, Saul settled down to cultivate. He worked long and hard on it. Teasing the energy to his eyes, trying to force it through. It took him far longer than it should have, but eventually he found success. When he went to sleep that night, he had a huge grin that wouldn¡¯t go away. He was improving in a major way, and had an awesome new technique that could help him get home by keeping him safe. ¡®I didn¡¯t even have to use my AK¡­ I¡¯ve gotta say, it was a good day,¡¯ he thought as he drifted off to sleep. 24. The Search Begins. Saul opened his eyes, the room still dark as the sun had yet to rise. He stretched out in his bed, moving slowly enough to avoid making any noise that might wake his room mates as they rested. A smile played across his lips as he considered the previous week. It had been a blur. He had split his time between lessons from both masters and training against massive monsters in the afternoons. The strange monolith seemed to be able to agitate endless hordes into existence. Saul¡¯s days had been packed with action. Training with Alwyn and Telwyn dominated his mornings, while afternoons were spent fighting monsters. In the evenings, his exhaustion had been so complete that he would eat dinner in a fog and then sink into a deep slumber. Through the bond he shared with Basi, he had felt his companion experienced a similar level of fatigue. He didn¡¯t encounter Ishan often outside of their training sessions, but the man seemed as fatigued as he was. Despite the trials and tribulations they¡¯d endured, Saul could see a clear improvement in his power. His sessions with Alwyn had been extremely fruitful. Not only could he shoot, and more importantly, see further than ever before, she¡¯d trained him in the art of moving archery. He now had an ability to dodge and evade foes while using his bow that still needed improvement, but would no doubt prove useful in future battles. She had even trained him further in the art of stealth. Between his new abilities gained under her tutelage, he had a good chance of ending battles before they ever truly started, sniping enemies and vanishing before their allies had a chance to exact revenge. Telwyn hadn¡¯t been idle in his instruction, either. Saul¡¯s footwork was better than ever. He was now capable of nimbly stepping across the wooden pegs to close the gaps between himself and the spear master, and his abilities with the spear itself were growing by leaps and bounds. His base was more solid, which meant his attacks and defenses came from a place of greater strength. The elf had trained Saul¡¯s techniques as well, helping him to find flaws and inefficiencies in his moves. The secret to mastery of the spear was actually simple: There weren¡¯t that many basic techniques or moves that could be executed. There were feints, stabs, blocks, parries, reverse attacks, and sweeps. These techniques could be combined together in many different ways, but the limited number of options meant that his biggest improvement would come through mastery of the basics. Through eliminating inefficiencies in his movements, he could increase the speed and precision of his attacks. Through increasing speed, he could increase power, and through greater precision, he could increase the damage that each attack caused. Telwyn had even indicated that through further training and refining of his Qi, he would be able to use it to propagate attacks from his spear at a distance. It was related to his mastery of the Way of the Spear. The elf hadn¡¯t answered any further questions, he had merely indicated that it was of utmost importance to continue increasing his skills, and to continue convening with his weapon. It was time to see just how far he¡¯d come. ¡®Status.¡¯
Name: Solomon Andrews HP: 260=>360 Class: Ranger Level: 11=>14
Talents: Cultivate Befriend Animal Cultivation Level: Basic
Abilities: Attack Shoot Track
Strength: 47=>56(+8) Intelligence: 39=>45(+8)
Dexterity: 50=>59(+8) Willpower: 32=>38(+8)
Endurance: 42=>51(+8) Experience: 28,242
Another huge improvement. That¡¯s awesome. It¡¯s too bad that I get diminishing experience returns from monsters as I grow higher in level, but it just makes sense... Next he checked his skills:
Talent Type: Talent Level: Talent Description:
Cultivation Basic, Lvl V You have broken through the barrier and unlocked your second dantian. Energy infusion is more effective, and your senses grow stronger
Befriend Animal Basic, Lvl I Your connection to your animal companion confers you both greater synchronicity and abilities. Your animal shows greater intelligence.
ArcheryIf you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Intermediate, Lvl I Your growing mastery of the bow increases your damage, range, and ability to reload.
Single wielding Foundation, Lvl II You are able to use a single weapon in combat without hurting yourself
Dual wielding Foundation, Lvl V Your hands are able to move independently of one another to some effect, ensuring your attacks are likely to land.
Dodge Basic, Lvl III Your footwork and ability to slip attacks leaves your enemies hitting nothing but air.
Two Handed Weapons Basic, Lvl II Your attacks with two handed weapons fall swiftly with true aim.
Way of the Spear Basic, Lvl III Through your growing understanding of the spear, your attacks are more precise and inflict greater damage
Way of the Bow Basic, Lvl II Through your growing understanding of the bow, your attacks find enemy''s vital spots more easily.
He rolled to the edge of the bed and stood. He crept to the small closet where his armor and underclothes were hanging, drying from the previous evening. He dressed swiftly and left the room, leaving Ishan and Basi sleeping peacefully. He crept into the kitchen to avoid waking any of the masters. He prepared one of the quietest meals he knew, grabbing a hunk of cheese and bread and slipping outside. He took a seat on one of the logs near the fire pit, eating his meal as he looked up at the stars in wonderment. The constellations are different. I wonder if there are other planets that support life here. He had always loved outer space, and being on a different planet with a different solar system didn¡¯t dampen that excitement at all. Qi flashed in his eyes as he activated Telescopic Sight. Suddenly, an already star-filled sky grew orders of magnitude brighter. It was so intense that he had to fight down an instinct to shield his eyes. He scanned across the massive expanse, paying particular interest to a few points that seemed extra bright. He focused upon them as intently as he could, his vision seeming to zoom further until he could just make out hints of spherical shape - Other planets! I wonder if any of the species here have advanced telescopes. Space is so cool! His gaze wandered over to their massive moon, large mountains and craters visible to his eye. He could see deposits of different colors, different from the general grayish color he was used to, swirled through the dirt. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alwyn¡¯s voice came from behind him. He jumped up from the log, qi fading from his eyes as he let his telescopic sight skill end. He turned to look at her with a slight flush in his cheeks. She was standing there in a silvery shift that somehow hung loosely from her form and left little to the imagination. He made a concerted effort to keep his eyes on his face. ¡°It really is. Your sky is very different from what we have back on Earth.¡± She smirked at him, ¡°Just the sky, then?¡± She seemed to move one leg in a way that did¡­ interesting¡­ things with her shift. His eyes remained on her face, a look of great concentration visible. She relaxed her posture with a laugh, ¡°Just teasing you. I came out here to congratulate you on your progress. What you - All of you - have done is really impressive. It takes a lot longer for us to train most of our warriors. Qi can explain some enhanced growth, but even putting that aside, it¡¯s impressive.¡± He smiled softly, ¡°I¡¯ve had great teachers. Basi as well. I can¡¯t speak for Ishan¡­ He seems to spend a great deal of time cursing his master.¡± She responded with a nod, ¡°Relwir has earned a reputation as a harsh master, but he¡¯s an excellent teacher.¡± A soft giggle escaped her lips, ¡°He doesn¡¯t inspire many fond thoughts from his students though. Telwyn and I aim for a softer approach.¡± He looked away from her and towards the horizon as light began to shine over the peaks of the trees. A slight orange tinge was starting to show in the sky. ¡°Time will tell. Ishan does seem to have greater control over his spells, or at least more mana. He hasn¡¯t seemed drained at the end of our afternoon sessions.¡± If he were being honest, Saul wasn¡¯t sure that he was ready to face whatever mysteries awaited them in Efnelion. Despite his misgivings, he could tell that he and Basi were both much stronger than before. Ishan seemed to have grown a lot stronger as well. They passed the sunrise in silence, the sun¡¯s rays putting on a dazzling display of color. Saul sat there and enjoyed the peace, grateful for Alwyn¡¯s quiet company. He didn¡¯t expect that he would have many opportunities for relaxation in the coming days. He just drank in the wondrous sights before him. When the day broke, he withdrew his bow from his inventory and inspected it. The string seemed to be in good order and he didn¡¯t see any cracks. Nearly time for an upgrade. A look over to Alwyn showed her disapproval at the quality of his weapon. He shrugged as if in response, then began to polish the weapon. He reached out with his Qi while he polished the weapon, willing his energy into the weapon even as he helped prepare it for the upcoming battle. It wasn¡¯t something that the masters had taught him, just a habit, but he felt as though pouring his intent and energy into the weapon helped to strengthen it. When he was satisfied with the bow he dismissed it and withdrew his other weapon. The spear, purchased from a dwarf craftsman, was of much higher quality. He polished the haft of the weapon, feeling the quality of the wood beneath his fingers as he pressed his Qi forward. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he spent polishing his weapon, but when he looked up, he saw Ishan was sitting on the log across from him. ¡°Morning!¡± He greeted his ally. Ishan nodded, but his attention seemed to be focused inward. Saul looked around and saw that the rest of the masters were outside now. Basi had joined him on the log at some point. He stood and moved to stand in front of them and Basi seemed to come with him, looking specifically at Telwyn and Alwyn as he spoke, ¡°I want to extend my gratitude to all of you. You all have put a lot of energy into helping us improve, and I know we leave here better for it. Thank you.¡± He bowed deeply. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Basi dip lower to the ground in an approximation of a bow. That brought a smile to all of them. Well, all of them except Relwir. Telwyn spoke up, ¡°It has been a pleasure to instruct you, Saul. I just want to wish you the best of luck!¡± Alwyn, and the other female master who he¡¯d learned was named Selin, nodded supportively. Relwir frowned in his direction. He took that to be a well wish from the perpetually grumpy elf. Before long, Ishan was standing beside him. ¡°Relwir, a word alone please?¡± The elf¡¯s eyebrow raised slightly, but he nodded and walked with Ishan to stand beside the cabin. The two of them were back a moment later, a small smile on Ishan¡¯s lips and a surprised look on the elf¡¯s face. He cleared his throat and spoke up, ¡°As far as I can see, you have all made great progress. Congratulations! Go with our blessings.¡±
The three of them set out on their journey to Efnelion. Along the way, Saul and Ishan discussed the best way to approach the problems surrounding their mission. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we should start out investigating the disappearances directly. Sneak around the town, get a feel for what¡¯s going on.¡± Ishan was saying. Saul shook his head, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make more sense to speak with the leadership first? If they know anything, we¡¯ll be able to suss it out and go from there.¡± Basi hissed from his spot between the two. Saul felt a flash of amusement from the bond. Is that at our expense? He sent the thought to his pet. Another hiss. Stay out of it! Saul thought with false anger. More amusement flashed through their bond. The dark skinned wizard gave an exasperated sigh, ¡°That¡¯s foolish and you know it. If they are behind the disappearances, they¡¯ll be hostile and we will be in the center of their power. Best to handle things one at a time.¡± He¡¯s not wrong¡­ Saul stepped over a particularly thick root. ¡°Okay, okay¡­ You¡¯re probably right. Let¡¯s skirt around the edge of town and investigate the disappearances first.
They managed to make it to the other side of Efnelion without much trouble. Their growing power meant that most of the creatures in the woods couldn¡¯t pose a threat to them. More importantly, Saul¡¯s newly increased abilities meant he could detect trouble more easily. They made great use of his track ability to evade elf patrols. Despite the use of the ability, they had one close encounter with a patrol from Efnelion where the patrols were particularly dense, but a quick spell from Ishan had rendered them invisible and undetected. Once they had the gate in sight, they began their search. They wandered around the forest for hours. They began in close proximity to the path that went between the doorway and Efnelion, looking for any signs of disappearances. Most of the time, their search seemed fruitless, but eventually Ishan called Saul over to him. ¡°Look at this.¡± On the ground was a cowl, bloodied with faded trim that was difficult to place. It looked like it had been ripped from someone''s head. 25. The Trail Heats Up They arrived in The Forest without any issue. The journey from Bel Dharim to the gateway had been uneventful, save for a few monsters that descended on them and threatened violence. The serenity of the forest was a welcome sight, and the two of them had stood there for quite some time, simply soaking in the peaceful sounds and the lush greenery. Every level had been beautiful in its own way so far, but the sight of a forest filled with trees that hurt one¡¯s neck to sight their branches, and trunks so thick that a two lane tunnel could easily fit within was a majestic sight unlike any seen on Earth. The varying shades of green were absolutely gorgeous. They didn¡¯t hesitate long at the gateway. They set off along the trail that led from the gateway into the woods together, their pace hurried but still comfortable. The two of them had been travelling together ever since they¡¯d entered the Dungeon, but their companionship went back far further than their entry into the strange land. As the trail led them into the darker woods, the woman gave her male companion a reassuring smile. The trees were so large that they weren¡¯t clustered close together, yet between the ferns and the debris things seemed to be cluttered together. They walked together in a comfortable silence for several minutes, until they came across a small clearing where the trail simply faded into nothing. What¡¯s this all about? The woman thought. The man looked up to her, his eyes asking a silent question. Her sword dropped into her hands. He nodded and brought his hands up, the arcane energy that surrounded them bright enough to illuminate the woods surrounding them. ¡°What¡¯s this, then?¡± He asked softly. She shrugged. There was no telling. It was quiet. Too quiet. An arrow flew from the darkness, plinking harmlessly to the side as it deflected off of her armor. ¡°Look out!¡± She called as she saw several more arrows flying towards them. She moved to stand in front of him, an odd light glowing in front of her as she activated a special ability, ¡®Bulwark.¡¯ The arrows seemed drawn to her. She swung her massive sword in a way that cut many of the arrows from the sky, while the rest were drawn to her armor where they bounced off. Noise erupted from the woods around them as several dark shapes charged at them. They were heavily cloaked and wearing cowls that made it impossible to make out any real details. Three of the figures closed to melee range quickly. The woman shifted, her left leg going out in front of her body as she held one hand out in a guard while the other lifted her sword to hold it near her head, the tip of her blade angled downward. As the first figure approached, her fist flashed out and caught them in the cowl. A cry of pain was all the response she got, but she didn¡¯t dwell on it as she brought her blade upon one of the others, the sharp point rushing toward her enemy like an avalanche moving down the mountain. The weapon took them in the stomach, blood erupting from their back as it skewered them. She yanked backwards on the blade to pull it free, but she wasn¡¯t able to bring it up in time before one of them managed to catch her in the side with a powerful blow that dented her armor. Behind her, her companion¡¯s energy flashed out. Bolts of raw energy took the assailant who closed into melee range out. Several more of the bolts flew off into the treeline, screams of pain indicating that they had found targets. He heard noise behind him and spun with his energy flared, lashing out at another cowled figure who dropped to the ground. He could hear several other figures approaching. They¡¯re going to overwhelm us. ¡°Back here! There are more approaching from behind!¡± He called. The massive woman turned with a grimace, the dent in her armor reducing her ability to move effectively. She moved to meet the enemies where they stood, her broadsword flashing out as several more figures surrounded her. She managed to score hits on several of them, but she found herself surrounded even as bolts of arcane energy slammed into their opponents. Suddenly, she heard a cry behind her. She spared a glance behind her and saw two cowled figures grabbing her companion beneath his arms. ¡°HEY!¡± She cried. She activated her most powerful skill, orange light enveloping her blade as she whirled around and cut through several of the figures, but more took their places. He was being dragged away. He fought against them, kicking and yelling curses. Arcane energy flew from his hands, but held as he was he couldn¡¯t properly aim. A heavy blow fell across his head, he felt wind fluttering across his face, then he knew no more. The figures threatened to overwhelm her. She felt the bitter sting of tears in her eyes as she continued to fight them viciously, like a cornered animal. She struck out in a way that allowed her to turn back and see what had become of her companion, but he and his assailants had already vanished into the trees. Her health was dwindling. She was helpless to save him. Yelling in frustration, she activated one last skill and a large blast of energy emanated from her body, knocking the assailants back. She swore revenge and staggered away as quickly as she could. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she ran for, but eventually she realized that she had gotten away. Her body was so tired. Her legs heavy. I just need to rest... Then I''ll save him. She took a seat against a massive tree trunk, her vision swiming as she leaned back against the sturdy trunk. I''ll just rest here for a while... She didn''t notice her health bar dwindling. Ticking down further and further. Darkness consumed her. Enjoying this book? 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As he laid eyes upon that familiar cowl, Saul frowned and crouched down to insect the fabric. His fingers felt moisture there in the crimson fabric, and when he pulled them away from the fabric he found their tips stained red. A smell of the liquid revealed the coppery scent of blood. Holding those fingers up to Ishan for the man to see, he brought his other up to his lips in a shushing gesture. ¡°Could be trouble.¡± He whispered as quietly as he could manage. Basi crept up beside him and sniffed the garment, then began to sniff around the clearing. He turned his head, his eyes searching through the small clearing for signs of a struggle. Nothing leapt out at him. He closed his eyes and drew on his dantian, letting the energy within flow freely in his body. As the energy settled in his eyes, he opened them once more. It was as if he had been blind before. On the ground leading away from the cowl were small drops of red. Those drops were spattered intermittently between two soft lines that spoke to him of someone being dragged away. Every so often, there were divets that broke up those lines. They indicated that the person had been struggling, likely kicking their feet to try and break free. In the far edge of the clearing, he could see branches that looked to be missing leaves compared to others, some of the ferns on the ground there bent or twisted unnaturally in one direction. Moving throughout the rest of the clearing, he developed a picture for what had happened. He could see the faint hints of two human looking footprints, one bigger and deeper than the other. The two of them appeared to have stopped somewhere near the cowl, before an explosion of motion occurred. Footsteps blended together in a way that indicated battle. In several spots, he could see splashes of red liquid, intermingled with the undergrowth. Tracing those steps, he could the heavier ones headed in another direction, separate from the trail that indicated dragging, haphazardly placed as if their source was staggering. He felt for his bond to Basi and sent a message to the lizard, ¡°Follow that trail. If you see any enemies, come back and get me.¡± His companion moved off into the woods. Saul turned and waved a hand to grab Ishan¡¯s attention. He mimed a walking motion with his fingers, then pointed to the alternate trail. He crouched low and moved off, his steps as silent as a ghost as he stole through the forest. The footprints were irregular, as if the source had been staggering, and eventually they seemed to round one of those massive trees. He summoned his spear from his inventory, the weight falling comfortably into his hands as he rounded the tree, spear at the ready. A massive armored form filled his eyes, a woman with blonde hair. Her eyes were closed, head slumped to the side. Beneath her armor, he couldn¡¯t see if she was breathing. He could see a massive dent in the breastplate. ¡°Liza?¡± She didn¡¯t stir. He crept forward, dismissing his spear and reaching out to place a hand beneath her nose. Her breath played across his knuckles, hot, short, shallow. He withdrew a medium healing pill from his inventory and pressed it against her lips. With his free hand, he pulled her jaw open and he inserted the pill. He stepped back and waited. Ishan came to stand beside him while he watched Liza for any signs of improvement. ¡°Who is she?¡± The man whispered quietly. ¡°Someone I did a quest with, back in The Mountains before we met. Her¡­ partner¡­ wore the red cowl that we found in that clearing. She may have some information for us, and if nothing else¡­ She¡¯ll have a desire for vengeance.¡± Her skin, which had been pale, was starting to grow flush before his eyes. Seems like a good sign. Eventually her eyelids fluttered open. ¡°Liza? Are you doing okay?¡± Her eyes were cloudy as she looked around, before her gaze settled on Saul. She placed a hand against the dented portion of her breastplate and winced, a pained hiss escaping from her lips. The pain seemed to bring clarity to her eyes, ¡°Saul? Where¡¯s Edwin?¡± Saul just shook his head, ¡°I was hoping you could tell me. It looks like you guys had a run in with something nasty. I¡¯m here investigating reports of disappearances along the trail.¡± Her eyebrows furrowed, then her eyes opened wide. She leaned forward as if to get up. ¡°We were walking on the path¡­ I remember coming through the gate¡­¡± She paused for a moment, looking around as if to help get her bearings. A frown crossed her lips. Her gaze seemed to grow more focused as she continued, ¡°That¡¯s right, we had just come through the gate when we came under attack. They¡­ I couldn¡¯t really see what they were. They were wearing cloaks. Edwin¡­ He¡­¡± She drew in a breath, her eyes showing moisture at the edges as she closed them. ¡°I managed to kill some of them, but when he saw we couldn¡¯t win, he tried to distract them¡­ I got away, but¡­¡± She bit back a sob. He placed a hand on her armored shoulder, the metal cold beneath his hand. ¡°How are you feeling now? This is Ishan.¡± He gestured to his partner who waved. ¡°We¡¯re going to find whoever did this, and we could use some help.¡± She looked at him then, and for a moment her eyes were unfocused. Must be reviewing her status. She gave him a nod and rose to her feet, her lips drawn thin in a grimace as she steadied herself. ¡°I can help.¡± A small pill appeared in her hand. She popped it into her mouth and chewed vigorously on it. Her posture seemed to straighten as she chewed as if the medicine gave her strength. She extended a hand to Ishan, ¡°Liza. Nice to meet you.¡± Her words were short and clipped. Her focus, absolute. Ishan took her hand into his own, ¡°Ishan. I will be happy to help you.¡± Saul cleared his throat and spoke clearly, ¡°Party invite: Liza!¡± As she accepted, her status bar appeared in the bottom right corner of his vision. He could see her health was below half, but it was creeping up at a quick place. She should be fine. Basi appeared before them just at that moment. An impression of a clear trail flashed in Saul¡¯s mind. An impression of a man cloaked in red, bound and battered, but not dead yet. ¡°I think Basi saw him. He knows where they¡¯re holding him. Let¡¯s go get him back!¡± Liza nodded, her eyes smouldering with resolve. ¡°These people will have hell to pay. Let¡¯s go rescue my man.¡± 26. The First Encounter If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.