《The Realm Reborn: Small Closed Demo (LitRPG)》 Chapter One "Welcome to the first ever private demo of The Realm Online, a project that Radical Interactive has been working on since its inception over twenty years ago." Crystal Fedler did her best not to look nervous as she stood in front of the small classroom full of people. She had been tasked with ushering this group into a new age of technology. A representative for the future of gaming. Twenty participants had been selected to demo Radical Interactive''s new version of their previously failed VRMMO. These were the elites, a mix of professional gamers and investors. Half would be able to find all of the flaws in the game, the other half were just there to see the progression of what their money had bought. All had to sign non-disclosure agreements before they were even allowed to enter the building. For as advanced as it was, The Realm Online was far from ready for the retail market. This was just a small sample of where the game was headed. "I''m sure you are all eager to begin." She smiled at the faces staring back at her. "In a few moments, you will be taken to the sleeping bay. There, you will each be assigned a bed. One of our nurses will hook you up to a vitals machine and electroencephalogram to monitor you during gameplay." Reaching to the table next to her, Crystal lifted the Felote to show the device to the beta group. Radical Interactive had done their best to design the helmet with comfort in mind, but that was difficult when it was made of hard materials and needed to cover most of the player''s head. They had been tirelessly working on trying to get implant technology to take off, but society was still reluctant to accept the installation of permanent apparatuses inside of the human body, so this was the best they could do for now. It had a familiar look to it, reminiscent of the gaming helmets on the market today, which should make the players feel comfortable, but the functionality was different on many levels. "Now I know you''re probably wondering why this is an overnight demo. You probably thought that you came here to sit in front of a computer, plugged in playing a video game all night, but that''s not quite the case." Crystal gave her audience a slightly mischevious smirk. "I would like to introduce you to the Felote." She held up the helmet and slowly turned it so that the group could see its sleek design. Round like a motorcycle helmet, it was completely white except for the black visor on the front that would allow the player to see once they logged off from the game. "This is a revolutionary new gaming peripheral that will allow you to...wait for it..." Crystal moved the Felote to one hand and held up a finger for dramatic suspense, "game while you are asleep." There was a mix of collective gasps and looks of confusion from the demo group. Silent questions hung in the air as they waited for Crystal to continue. "Many consumers come home from a long day of work and plug into their favorite games, often staying up too late and suffering fatigue the following day. This results in decreased productivity and job performance. With the Felote, all of that is eliminated because players are able to get rest while they play. Utilizing technology that taps into your REM cycle, the Felote is able to induce a type of controlled lucid dreaming. As you can probably guess, this has multiple benefits for the player and the gameplay experience. "Right now when you game for extended periods, you have to take breaks to eat and use the restroom. While you sleep at night, you''re typically in a fasting period. Most people also do not wake up to use the bathroom. Having said that, the Felote allows the player to experience up to twelve hours of non-stop gaming. Of course, we don''t recommend more than eight." She smiled again, amused by all of the gawking faces. This device was indeed a gamer''s dream come true. "The Felote induces sleep almost instantly to immerse you into the game," Crystal continued, casting her gaze down at the device. "This eliminates the problem of insomnia that many people suffer from on a day to day basis. It will also eliminate the need for prescriptions to control the condition. Embedded within the device is an internal alarm clock. You can set it to wake you at whatever time or after however many hours you prefer. For safety reasons, the device does not allow playtime for more than twelve hours. It also has an internal system that monitors your vitals. If it detects anything beyond its parameters, it will kick you from REM sleep so that you can seek medical attention, if necessary." She finally turned her attention back to her audience. "Does anyone have any questions about the Felote''s safety features?"If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. A man dressed in a suit at the back of the room raised his hand. When Crystal called upon him, he asked, "What about those of us who already have insomnia. Will it be possible for us to wake up during gameplay?" "No." She shook her head. "The Felote works much like the helmets currently available on the market and provides undisturbed gameplay. You will not be pulled out of the game unless you will it." The man smiled, pleased with this. "What if you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night?" A woman asked out of turn. "Currently, eliminating within the game does not exist. If the urge to use the restroom arises, it means that you have to go in real life. At that point, you would simply log out of the game to do your business." The last person with their hand raised lowered it. Crystal silently thanked the heavens that there was no bombardment of questions. It seemed that everyone was eager to jump into the game. "Now we will discuss what you guys are probably really interested in. Gameplay." A few people nodded in agreement, their eager smiles speaking volumes about their hunger for the lecture to be over and the demo to begin. "While I know you''re all eager to explore everything that The Realm has to offer, unfortunately, we''re still working out the kinks for the world at large. Having said that, you will only have access to a limited amount of features and locations. "Today, you will be assigned a specific race and class. When the game launches, you will be able to choose how to build your character. There are currently twelve planned races and seventeen classes, including what you will be demoing today. Mind you, many races will be able to mix and match classes. For the purpose of this demo, classes have been assigned to give you specific starter abilities. "Considering that this is a short demo and we want it to be as exciting for you as possible, leveling has been accelerated. This will allow you to unlock abilities and customize your character faster. "Once you log in, you will be able to customize your avatar and set your emersion preferences. This is all explained within the game. If at any time you become confused or lost, you can concentrate on the help function, and a screen will pop up to provide you guidance. "While we encourage you to explore and get a feel for the world, we do not encourage you to be reckless. One of the features we''ve been considering implementing into the game is a consequence system for dying in-game, one of which we are going to test in this demo. If you die in the game, you will immediately be rejected and will not be able to play again for 24 hours." Brows furrowed around the room and the sounds of upset whispers could be heard. Hands raised, but Crystal ignored them. "In too many games, the only consequence for death is losing your items. Death is a finality, and Radical Interactive wants to make it feel that way. Having said that, if you die during this demo, your demo experience will come to an end. The Felote will automatically set you to sleep a full eight hours, and you will experience a peaceful, dreamless sleep until the end of your demo time." It was clear that many of the participants didn''t agree with this. Crystal was done taking questions, though. She was on a set schedule to get the volunteers to the sleeping bay. Any questions and complaints could be submitted after the gameplay. "Now, if you''ll all stand and come with me." She took a few steps toward the door and gestured for everyone to follow. "Your demo for The Realm Online is about to begin." Chapter Two She was a pretty distraction. The embodiment of the perfect nerdy girl that every guy wished was in his D&D group. Petite frame with a small nose and soft pink lips. Blue-green eyes behind giant round-framed glasses that probably made them look smaller than they actually were. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, her makeup was minimal, and the ruffled white blouse and beige pencil skirt she wore were nothing but professional. There was something attractively nervous about her even though she currently held all of the power in the room. Theo might have been interested in asking her out on a date if the situation was different. But that wasn''t what he was here for. He listened intently as Crystal Fedler gave them a brief overview of the Felote and his pending experience inside The Realm. This had been an opportunity that he hadn''t even had to sign up for. No, Theo had been selected. One of a minuscule group from all over the United States who had been invited to participate in The Realm Online''s super secret demo. Looking around the room, Theo saw a lot of familiar faces. A famous Let''s Play YouTuber, a well-known Twitch streamer, and a handful of professional competitive gamers. Theo fell in with the last of the three. He held the highest rank on two of the top-five most popular MOBAs. Years of experience and countless hours of gameplay had earned him the career of his dreams, to play video games for a living, making more money than most people netted at corporate jobs. At only twenty-two years old, Theo was one of the wealthiest professional gamers in the world. That was what had gotten him here today. While this was an admittedly incredible opportunity, Theo honestly wasn''t into VRMMORPGs. Or rather, he didn''t really have time to play one when he was constantly fighting to maintain his rank on both Chromalife and Hunt of Conflict. What had made him take the time out of his schedule to demo this game was his connection to Nancy Shelton, YouTube''s most famous female Let''s Player and also his best friend online. Though they lived several states away from each other, Theo had never felt closer to any girl he had ever met. If not for the distance between them, he''d like to think they would have dated. There was definitely an attraction there, even if it was just one-sided. Let''s just say, Nancy hadn''t just gotten popular because of her amazing personality. She was absolutely gorgeous. A bombshell blonde with the perfect figure and big tits. The skin-tight shirts she wore in her videos probably had fanboys all over the world sitting in front of their PCs with a box of tissues. Despite her good looks, she was the complete opposite of a dumb blonde. Few people took gaming as seriously as Nancy Shelton, and that was a large part of what had attracted Theo to her. They had met a little over two years ago when she had hopped onto Chromalife to record a Let''s Play video. Back then, Nancy already had a following, but Theo was just beginning to break into competitive gaming. At the time, he was at spot number seven on the leaderboards. Nancy had contacted him through social media to see if they could collaborate. Wanting as much exposure as he could get, Theo jumped at the chance, feeling nervous as hell when they began sharing their cam feeds. Every testosterone pumping gamer on the face of the planet wanted to date Nancy Shelton. It felt unreal that she had reached out to him. Talking to her was surprisingly easy. He found Nancy to be funny and down to earth. In all honesty, Theo had expected fame to have given her an air of superiority, but that wasn''t the case at all. Deep down, Nancy was just a girl who loved to play video games. Nothing more.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. After recording several matches for her show, Nancy stuck around and hung out with Theo online. They ended up playing together for nearly eight hours before fatigue finally got the best of him and Theo was forced to go to bed. As he logged off for the night, Theo had feared that he wouldn''t talk to Nancy again now that she''d used him for her purpose, but that didn''t end up being the case either. They had managed to maintain a friendship throughout the years, even meeting up in person nearly a dozen times at different game conventions. Theo tried to get up the nerve to ask her out on a date, but his confidence always fell flat when they were face to face. Besides, what was really the point when they lived so far away from each other. Now that she was gone, Theo wondered if he had made a mistake. His first successful competitive match of Chromalife had earned him enough money to relocate if he had wanted to, but he had never seen an instance of reflected interest. Nancy had a million dollar poker face when it came to guys hitting on her, and Theo had never been brazen enough to come right out and disclose his feelings, though he had hinted at them from time to time. Perhaps now, he''d never know if she reciprocated. While Theo wasn''t a big fan of VRMMORPGs, Nancy had loved them. Every other one of her Let''s Play videos was on the latest and greatest VRMMORPG. More often than not, she''d max out her character, exploring every nook and cranny of the world she was in, crafting the best equipment, doing all of the mundane farming for currency and crafting components. If not for being stuck in a coma, she would definitely be occupying one of the seats around him. But he wasn''t just here in her honor. No, Theo had heard a rumor. A rumor that had come from Nancy''s lips herself. Radical Interactive had another secret project related to The Realm¡ªa project that was more involved with the medical side of the company. The Realm was already live in another form. She wasn''t supposed to have told him. Of course, Radical Interactive had made her sign an NDA as well. But what are best friends for if not to share secrets? Long before Radical Interactive had sent out an invitation for this closed demo, they had sent Nancy an invitation for a potential beta, one that they probably never thought she''d be able to take advantage of. One that Nancy often joked about harming herself to be able to participate in. Radical Interactive had supposedly designed a version of The Realm for coma patients, one that had been engineered to restore brain function after severe trauma. Only an exclusive few outside of the company were offered the opportunity to sign up, probably because Radical Interactive couldn''t recruit enough guinea pigs from within. I mean, who would be crazy enough to sign up for something like that¡ªa video game that you probably couldn''t log out of. Nancy Shelton, that''s who. Theo was here because he suspected that Nancy was currently trapped inside of the game. After the car she''d been riding in had rolled, Nancy was airlifted to an unnamed hospital. Her social media profiles went silent, which was incredibly strange. Typically, if someone so famous had been injured in such a way, a representative would take over for that person to post updates on their social media accounts about their condition. But for Nancy, there was nothing, just that the accident had happened and that everyone should send their prayers for her recovery. Theo had reached out to her family and received no response. Not even the media published anything after the initial accident. Months passed without any word or update. No matter how much digging Theo did, he couldn''t seem to find out where they were keeping her or anything in regards to her current condition. Hell, even the private investigator he had hired couldn''t dig up where she was being held. It was all too bizarre. This was the only place she could be. Not this facility, in particular. Radical Interactive owned dozens of hospitals throughout the United States. More than likely, she was in one of the California hospitals. But this was as good of a place to start as any. At the end of his demo, Theo would definitely have questions for the pretty speaker who had introduced them to this new groundbreaking technology. For now, it seemed like she was eager to get them hooked up into the game. Theo was eager for that too, wondering if there was any chance that he''d find Nancy inside. Chapter Three Machines beeped softly all around them. Theo would be lying if he said that the general atmosphere of this room didn''t make him a bit nervous. Hospital beds lined the walls, one after another. Of course, these weren''t the typical generic hospital beds found in most medical facilities. These beds were designed for the comfort of high profile patients¡ªthe ones who could afford all of the bells and whistles. When Theo was laid down, he thought the bed was more luxurious than the one he had at home. The pillow beneath his head was created to be a cradle for the helmet. There was a small bump beneath his neck to make up for the height difference. It was clear that Radical Interactive wanted this to be the most pleasant experience possible for their demo group. Half a dozen nurses walked hurriedly around the room, hooking the participants up to the vitals machines and electroencephalograms. Thanks to the cold white sterility of the room, Theo felt like he was there for a clinical trial instead of a game demo. The only color in the room belonged to the clothing of the participants. Theo was assigned his Felote. He stared down at it, the white surface so smooth and shiny that he could see his reflection. "Please, take off your glasses and put on the Felote." The nurse attending to him held out her hand for his glasses. Everyone else around Theo was already putting their helmets on. He acquiesced, still feeling nervous as he slipped the Felote onto his head. For being dark on the outside, his visibility through the visor was near perfect minus his genetically shitty nearsighted vision. Vision problems were easily fixed these days, but there was still no point in doing it until your eyesight had stopped degrading, which Theo''s had not. As he blinked, Theo noticed the first surprising feature of the helmet. With each flutter of his eyelids, his vision became clearer. He was not yet inside the game; this was the Felote compensating for his poor eyesight.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Stupendous, he thought, already wanting a Felote of his own, wondering how well it worked with the current games on the market. A question for later. "Please rest back and place your Felote into its cradle," Crystal''s voice came through a speaker in the helmet. Or was it a speaker? She was across the room from him, but he could hear her clearly as if she was standing beside him. As soon as everyone did as they were told, Crystal continued, "The demo will begin in 3, 2, ..." One moment, Theo was staring up at the smooth white ceiling. The next, he was standing in a lush glade. The transition happened so fast that Theo was barely aware of it. Everything he knew of his previous life faded away, yet there was no confusion. It was as if his memory had been completely wiped, and new information filled in to take its place. The glade was empty aside from a full-length mirror. Theo somehow knew that exploring the glade would be pointless and a waste of time. The trees around him were grouped together so tightly that there would be no getting through them. He stepped up to the mirror, and his mind flushed with new information. The reflection that stared back at him was his own, yet it wasn''t. He stood just over four feet tall, his body broad and stocky. For a dwarf, his skin tone was a bit darker than usual. To the others, he might look like a Halfling, but he most certainly was not. His unruly auburn hair was shaved on the sides but long in the back, pulled into a ponytail that extended to his waist. A magnificent bushy beard fell over his barrel of a stomach. Parts of it were braided, as was the custom of his people. He wore heavy plate armour and had a large two-handed double ax strapped to his back. Theo enjoyed the mountains, mining, gold, booze, and the smell of fresh dirt. Dealing damage was one of his strengths, and he had the capacity to learn spells that would help him in battle, but his short, stout stature made him a bit slow. Elves were his natural enemy. Those pretentious pricks always seemed to walk around like they were better than everyone else. Just thinking about them made his lip curl in a snarl. Theo stepped away from the mirror and inhaled deeply, thinking about how confusing the immersion was. He had to force himself to pull free of it. Accepting the invitation for this demo was all about finding Nancy, and yet the second he had looked into the mirror, she had practically been wiped from his mind as if she had never existed at all. This was the power of controlled lucid dreaming. This was the power of The Realm. Time was wasting. The longer he hesitated, the less likely he was to find Nancy. Resolved to keep his focus, Theo stepped back up to the mirror. It was time for him to enter The Realm Online. Chapter Four The mirror was not what it had appeared to be. Theo looked at his altered reflection one final time before stepping through the portal. There was no fear as he did this; it was a natural choice, requiring as little thought as walking through a door. Seamlessly, he moved from one scene to the next; the perfect transition of one dream merging into another. Theonix found himself standing before the opening to an abandoned mine at the base of Ponoisle Rise. His uncle, Rygnuhdruhr Madguard, beamed at him a few feet away. "Can ya smell tha rock callin'' ta ya, lad?" Rygn asked in his thick accent, his hands on his hips. The family resemblance was barely noticeable. They shared the same darker skin tone, but Rygn''s hair and beard had already begun to grow white with age. Slicked back away from his face, Rygn''s long mane puffed out to the sides unrestrained by the plaits that most of his people wore. His beard was better kept, with two simple braids connecting it to his mustache. Kind blue eyes smiled excitedly at Theonix beneath a thick brow. The curve in his nose suggested that it had been broken at least once before, and it ended at a bulbous tip. He was only slightly thinner than Theonix and decked out in chainmail. A shortsword hung from his hip, and there was a shield strapped to his back. "Why are we here, uncle?" Theonix asked, taking in his surroundings. Ponoisle Rise stood high and majestic before them, its rocky surface giving way to a snowcapped top that reached into the clouds beyond their view. Behind them was a boggy pond known to be the home of moldlings, small moss-like creatures that would attach themselves to their victims and quickly cover them with their tendrils, suffocating them to death right before consuming them with an acid they secreted that broke down skin and bones. Behind the pond stood Willow Forest, aptly named for the species of tree that proliferated the area. It was said to be haunted, and thus no dwarf, man, or otherwise dared to travel through it. They had skirted around the mountain just to get here, always keeping an eye on the treeline. While Rygn was skilled in battle, Theonix had yet to wield an ax in melee. Without his uncle by his side, he would have been easy prey for monsters. "Today, ya become a man!" Rygn announced proudly, stretching out his arms as if this area of Patheana held all the answers. Excitement pumped through Theonix. This was a pleasant surprise, something he''d long awaited. Memories of his past were vague, yet Theonix had a sound knowledge that this was something he''d been meant to do for a while. He desperately desired to be a more productive and respected member of his clan. Proving himself in combat would earn him the ability to take quests from his village elders, which could eventually lead to him working for the mountain king if he was able to make a name for himself. There were many paths that his life could take once he mastered the basics. Throwing his gaze towards Ponoisle Mine, Theonix had a good idea of what he''d be tasked with. There had been a lot of talk in his village about opening the mine back up, especially since his people had been considering increasing trade with the gnomes of Oxbell. It was rich in coal deposits, but the sheer lack of other valuable gems and minerals had made it less appealing than other mines in the area. Not to mention the dangerous location and seemingly bad luck associated with it just by being adjacent to Willow Forest. Moldlings often rolled in from the pond in search of a larger meal. Gremlins also seemed to flock to the area. Keeping them out of the mine had been a constant problem since it had first been dug. A collapse three years ago that had claimed the lives of several good dwarves had been the last straw. The mountain king declared Ponoisle Mine unsafe and ordered it closed. "Are we going to venture into the mine, uncle?" Enthusiasm rang clear in Theonix''s voice. The older dwarf cocked his head to the side, scratching his chin through his beard. "Hmm, we might. But first ey have ta get ya ready fer it. If there be gremlins in there, they''d eat ya alive tha way ya are now." "I can handle a few gremlins," Theonix insisted, staring into the dark mouth of the mine. A low-level monster, gremlins only posed a slightly greater nuisance than the moldlings. "Oh can ya, lad?" Rygn chuckled, his chainmail clinking slightly as his belly moved. "Have ya ever faced a gremlin before?" Theonix hesitated. "Well...no." But how difficult could it be? They only stood two-feet tall. He imagined it would be as challenging as fighting a child. "Let''s start with somethin'' a bit easier first." Rygn stepped up to Theonix and placed his hand on his nephew''s shoulder, turning him to face the pond. A few moldlings sat on the bank, looking unassuming. They were probably assessing whether the two dwarves were worth the effort. While Theonix might have been an easy meal, his uncle most certainly was not. "Ey have a quest fer ya," his tone piped up again. "Yer first combat quest. Gotta make sure ya can handle that ax yer father left ya before I send ya into the cold dark mines." Just then a notification popped up in Theonix''s field of vision. The words hung in the air, the backdrop just solid enough so that he could read easily.
Quest: Clear the Moldlings
Your clan has decided that it''s finally time for you to become a man, and apparently that means starting by clearing the base of Ponoisle Rise of moldlings. While they don''t prove much of a threat for seasoned warriors, you are not a seasoned warrior. It is crucial to get rid of them now so that they don''t follow you into Ponoisle Mine and catch you unaware later. Difficulty: Medium Success: Kill 6 Moldlings Reward: 7 silver, Moss Gauntlets Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
Accepting was a no-brainer. Theonix was itching to experience battle for the first time. The second he thought yes, the notification disappeared. Immediately, Theonix redirected his attention to one of the moldlings. Rygn patted his nephew''s shoulder. "Now ey know yer itchin'' ta get down ta business, but there are a few things ya should know about battle first. "First things first. Ya need ta Analyze yer opponent so that ya don''t rush headfirst inta a fight ya can''t win." "Analyze," Theonix repeated, watching the moldling''s every move. It had no eyes to speak of, looking every bit as innocuous as a ball of moss that had just fallen near the shore, except that there were no trees on their side of the pond. The only sign of life it showed was that it rolled back and forth every few seconds, its small tendrils stretching out to the ground to help move it along. Rygn followed Theonix''s gaze to the moldling closest to them. "Analyzing takes no Mana. Until ya level tha skill, you''ll only be able ta see tha monster''s most basic information, and that is its color. The color of tha monster tells ya how dangerous it is in relation ta ya. Blue means it''s an easy kill, typically a level or two below ya. Purple means it''s an even match. Green is a slightly higher level. Yellow is a level or two above that. Orange foes, ya don''t want ta mess with unless yer partied up. Red means run." "Red means run," Theonix parroted, practically salivating at the thought of engaging the small creature in combat. It was taking everything in him to have enough patience to listen to his uncle''s lecture. "Now ya try." Rygn gestured to the moldling. "Concentrate on seeing tha monster''s information." Sure enough, as soon as Theonix thought about the moldling''s level of threat, its entire body glowed a soft shade of purple. As if to verify his success, a notification popped up. Congratulations! New skill learned: Analyze Level 1. You will now be able to see how dangerous a foe is in relation to your own level. Use this skill frequently to avoid getting yourself killed. "Good." Rygn nodded as if he telepathically knew that Theonix had performed the function correctly. "Now that ya know yer the same level, ya know that ya need ta be careful. Moldlings have two attacks, tentacle lash and cling. Tha best way ta fight them is ta keep a safe distance, attacking with yer ax. Now, draw yer weapon and prepare fer battle." Theonix reached back for his ax, though the movement was a bit awkward. While he''d never used the ax in battle, he was suddenly aware that he''d had done some training with his uncle before, which had taught him the basics of wielding it. "Attack when yer ready, lad. A good whack or two ought to do the little beastie in. They don''t have much Health," Rygn informed him, making Theonix wonder how much health he had. Just the thought brought up a window with his character sheet.
Name: Theonix Madguard Race: Dwarf Level: 1, 0% of the way to next level Health: 100 / 100 Mana: 100 / 100 Stamina: 100 / 100 Vitality: 10 Intelligence: 10 Strength: 10 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10 Charisma: 10 Luck: 10 Skills: Analyze Lvl 1; 0% of the way to next level Languages: Dwarvish
Well, that answered that. Brushing the notification away, Theonix gripped his ax and prepared to engage the moldling in combat. Though it had no eyes, Theonix knew it could see him. As if taking a defensive stance, it rolled back slightly as he approached. Theonix half expected the other moldlings around the pond to join in and help their comrade, but they simply stayed where they were, watching from a distance. Using all of his might, Theonix swung his ax down at the small creature, but it rolled out of the way. Perhaps he had put too much weight behind his attack, because his ax blade sunk into the mud, sticking there. The moldling took advantage of the situation, lashing out with one of its mossy tentacles. At first, Theonix thought it was performing the tentacle lash attack that his uncle had told him about, but instead of quickly pulling back, its body flew up to attach itself to him. Panic raced through Theonix as more tentacles began growing from the moldling''s body to wrap around his thigh. He cried out, immediately releasing his ax grip to try to pry the monster off. The second his hands made contact with the moldling''s body, it began wrapping around them as well. Pain seared through Theonix wherever the tentacles touched, the digestive acid already going to work. Level 1 Moldling delivers 7 initial damage and inflicts Sting. You will lose 1 HP per second until the Moldling detaches. A red circle with a yellow starburst now blinked in the right bottom corner of Theonix''s peripheral vision. He knew it meant that the Sting status was in effect. "Get off!" he shouted, trying with all his might to remove the moldling to no avail. Rygn was all guffaws until he saw that his nephew was in real trouble. No matter how hard Theonix fault, the moldling just wrapped more tentacles around him. When it bound his arms together to the point that he could no longer struggle, Rygn rushed in, making short work of the creature with a dagger. The moldling squealed pitifully from the quick strike delt to its mossy body. Then it slumped and began to disintegrate, the tendrils breaking apart like dried leaves. Theonix quickly brushed the remains of the monster off of him, panting from exertion. He backtracked closer to the mine, falling heavily onto his ass as he stared at the pond with a newfound respect for his equally matched foes. That had not been as easy as he had expected. Not easy at all. "Ya got ta be careful, lad!" Rygn growled at him. "What did I tell ya?" "You told me to attack from a distance. I attacked from a distance." Theonix gestured at his ax, which was still stuck in the mud. His own frustrations at the situation were flaring. He most certainly hadn''t expected that his overpowered swing would have such a dire consequence. Rygn dug into the bag at his hip and pulled out a small vial filled with red liquid before offering it to Theonix. "Here," he grumbled. You have received the following item:
Potion of Minor Healing Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Heals 30 HP Sell Price: 8 Copper
Theonix uncorked the vial and quickly drank its contents, noticing that it tasted like cherries paired with medicine. The potion instantly restored his Health, making the lingering burning sensation go away. Prior to drinking it, his hands had been covered in a rash where the moldling''s tendrils had curled around him. Now, his tough skin had returned to normal. The vial that had contained the concoction disintegrated in his hand, but this seemed perfectly natural, the potion having served its purpose. "Thank you, uncle," he mumbled, a bit embarrassed by his failure now that the ordeal was over. Rygn wouldn''t even look at him, his face set in a stern expression. "Try again. If ya can''t handle it yerself this time, I''ll be forced ta report that yer no good fer anything but tha mines." Ouch. That stung. Worse than the moldling''s tentacles had. Theonix definitely didn''t want to get stuck working in the mines his entire life. Knowing that his uncle''s patience was waning, Theonix forced himself to his feet and went to retrieve his ax. It took a good tug to get it dislodged from the mud, sending chunks of wet gloopiness splattering onto his shoes. For as exciting as discovering that he would finally see combat had been, this was not turning into a good day at all. Theonix scowled at the mud clumps on his feet, kicking the largest one off before turning his attention to the next closest moldling. Quickly using his Analyze skill, he found that this one was purple as well, though it was a bit braver than its predecessor, cautiously creeping towards him. Perhaps seeing Theonix in peril had given the rest of the moldlings confidence, because they all seemed to have moved a little closer. "Any other tips before I try this again?" Theonix cast back to his uncle, feeling the weight of his ax in his palms and trying to find balance. "Use only enough force that ya need ta get tha job done," came the steely reply. Theonix couldn''t help but wonder if his uncle expected him to fuck up again. I''ve got this, he told himself, feeling more nervous this time than with his first approach. Caution hadn''t even existed with his initial attack. Slaying the moldling should have been easy. They were known as a pest, not a significant threat. Yet one had bested him on the first go round. He wouldn''t underestimate his foe again. Theonix stood there watching the moldling''s movements for a few seconds. If he took too long to swing, it would dodge, the same as the last one had. The stab that his uncle had used hadn''t seemed to require much strength. If he didn''t come down on it so hard, then perhaps it wouldn''t have time to dodge, and even if it did, he could land a second strike quickly. After formulating his plan of attack, Theonix approached the moldling. Instead of preparing for an overhead swing, he held his ax in front of him. The moldling moved back and forth, seemingly ready to dodge. Doing his best to time it just right, Theonix chopped down with the moldling''s movements. As expected, it dodged, but not quickly enough to avoid being hit. Theonix managed to sever a good quarter of it off, the tendrils falling to the side and drying up the same as they had when his uncle had killed the last one. Congratulations! New skill learned: Two-Handed Weapons Level 1. From spears to claymores, two-handed weapons deal great damage if you have the strength to wield them. Used as both a weapon and a shield, fight strategically to smite down your enemies! The moldling squeaked as it tried to roll away, but Theonix gave chase. Too focused on escaping to pay attention to his next swing, the moldling didn''t bother dodging again when Theonix sent his ax chopping down for the killing blow. Defeated Level 1 Moldling. 14XP rewarded. Quest Update: Clear the Moldlings ¨C 1 of 6 Moldlings slain. "You did it, lad!" Rygn walked over to clap him on the shoulder. Theonix''s chest swelled with pride from his first kill. He watched the moldling wither away until only a small round seed the size and shape of a walnut was left behind. Instinctively, Theonix bent to pick it up and was rewarded with a notification. You have received the following item:
Moldling Heart Uses: Seed. Water it daily and it will grow into a Moldling within two weeks. Sell Price: 4 copper
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Theonix placed the Moldling Heart into the bag at his hip and turned his attention to the next nearest moldling sitting by the shore about three yards away. Having seen Theonix vanquish one of its brethren, the moldling was no longer drawing closer. Luckily, it wasn''t receding either. "The work''s not done yet, lad," Rygn urged Theonix to complete his quest. "I won''t let you down again, uncle," Theonix reassured him. Dispatching of the next moldling took two attacks as well. It frustrated Theonix that he couldn''t kill it in one swing. Their dodge seemed to be pretty good. Either that or he was just too slow. The moment he killed it, similar text flashed before his eyes to confirm his success. Defeated Level 1 Moldling. 14XP rewarded. Quest Update: Clear the Moldlings ¨C 2 of 6 Moldlings slain. He was also rewarded with another Moldling Heart, the only loot the creatures dropped. His confidence renewed, Theonix continued hunting moldlings around the pond. The very next downward swing of his ax brought with it a new notification. Congratulations! The skill: Two-Handed Weapons has reached Level 2. This skill enables you to use all manner of two-handed weapons to defeat enemies. Increasing your Strength will make them easier to wield. Theonix quickly pushed the notification away to finish the job. A second chop of his ax finished his foe, and Theonix was ready to move on to the forth moldling. Defeated Level 1 Moldling. 14XP rewarded. Quest Update: Clear the Moldlings ¨C 3 of 6 Moldlings slain. Analyzing his next foe gave him another level up notification. Congratulations! The skill: Analyze has reached Level 2. This skill allows you to see how dangerous a foe is in relation to your own level. Use this skill frequently to avoid getting yourself killed. While there seemed to be no apparent reward for leveling up Analyze, when Theonix faced the forth moldling, he was able to kill it with one strike of his ax instead of two. Though it had dodged, it wasn''t fast enough. Critical hit! Defeated Level 1 Moldling. 14XP rewarded. Quest Update: Clear the Moldlings ¨C 4 of 6 Moldlings slain. Perhaps that was just a fluke though, because it took two more swings to kill the fifth moldling. Defeated Level 1 Moldling. 14XP rewarded. Quest Update: Clear the Moldlings ¨C 5 of 6 Moldlings slain. There had only been five moldlings hanging out on the shore, but as soon as he killed the fifth one, another emerged from the pond. When the deed of dispatching of the moldlings was finally done, Theonix returned to his uncle a bit tired but proud. "Good job, lad!" Rygn beamed at him. "I bet ya be wantin'' yer reward now." Theonix nodded, still catching his breath. For only spending thirty minutes in melee with the moldlings, his Stamina had drained down to 40 points. Swinging the ax over and over again was a lot more laborious than he had anticipated. Congratulations! Quest: Clear the Moldlings has been completed. Your uncle tasked you with killing the moldlings around the pond to test if you were man enough for bigger tasks. Though the start was rocky, you managed to meet his expectations. You have earned 7 silver, 50XP. You have also received the following item:
Moss Gauntlets Defense: +5 Type: Light Armor Durability: 18/18 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Sell Price: 2 copper
TRING! Congratulations! You are now Level 2! Your base stats have been boosted. You have earned 3 points to assign to your characteristics. Please note that adding points to some characteristics(Vitality, Intelligence, and Strength) will further boost your base stats. You may also advance any 1 skill of your choosing by 1 level. Congratulations! You have learned the ability Rupture. Mana Cost: 5 Cool Down: 1 minute Rupture adds 10% of your Stamina to your weapon''s attack power for one hit. Studendous! Energy and excitement zinged through Theonix despite his loss of Stamina. "Congratulations, lad. It looks like ya reached level 2." Rygn smiled at him. "I bet yer itchin'' to customize yer stats. First, ya might want ta bring up yer character sheet ta see where yer at. Right now, everything''s basic, but as ya continue ta grow, ya can flesh yerself out in a unique manner." Theonix did as his uncle had suggested and brought up his character sheet, quickly taking note of the new improvements.
Name: Theonix Madguard Race: Dwarf Level: 2, 17% of the way to next level Health: 110 / 110 Mana: 110 / 110 Stamina: 40 / 110 Vitality: 10 Intelligence: 10 Strength: 10 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10 Charisma: 10 Luck: 10 Skills: Analyze Lvl 2; 20% of the way to next level Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 2; 55% of the way to next level Languages: Dwarvish
Theonix''s Dwarvish nature told him that he didn''t need no stinkin'' Charisma or Luck. He didn''t give two shits if people liked him, and dwarves were naturally lucky in terms of coin and ore. That was the only luck he needed. Agility and Dexterity were important, but not so much when he first started out. Increasing his base stats seemed like the smartest move this early in his adventuring, so he placed one point into Vitality, another into Intelligence, and his third into Strength. Unfortunately, neither leveling nor putting a point into Strength seemed to add to his remaining Stamina. Seeming to read his mind, Rygn said, "There not be no merchants around here, so ey brought what ya need. Up ta now, ey know that everything''s been handed ta ya. But from here on out, you''ll have ta buy what ya need like a proper Dwarf. And right now, ya need a Stamina potion. When yer ready, ya can trade yer loot ta me, and I''ll sell ya one." Theonix wasn''t quite ready yet. First, he wanted to see exactly what allocating his characteristic points had done for his stats, so he brought up his character sheet again.
Name: Theonix Madguard Race: Dwarf Level: 2, 17% of the way to next level Health: 120 / 120 Mana: 120 / 120 Stamina: 40 / 120 Vitality: 11 Intelligence: 11 Strength: 11 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10 Charisma: 10 Luck: 10 Skills: Analyze Lvl 2; 20% of the way to next level Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 2; 55% of the way to next level Languages: Dwarvish
Seeing his updated stats pleased him. Next was the question of which skill to level up. He currently only had two, and they seemed to be leveling pretty quickly. Ingrained knowledge of how the leveling system worked made Theonix wonder if leveling one of his skills now would be a waste. "Can I wait and level one of my skills later?" he asked. Being able to Analyze his enemies beyond their basic information didn''t seem particularly important right now. What Theonix wanted was more power with his ax. But his two-handed weapons skill was over halfway to the next level. Waiting to use his skill leveling ability until it naturally hit level three seemed smarter. "Ey, lad. Yew can hold on ta yer level fer however long ya wish. It doesn''t have ta be done right now." Rygn shook his head. "Excellent." Theonix put the choice from his mind for now. Besides, who knew what other skills he would acquire that he might prefer to use the perk on. Next, Theonix took off the Starter Bracers he was wearing and replaced them with the Moss Gauntlets. All of his starter armor offered no defense bonus and only had a durability of 10, so it made sense to replace the pieces as he found better equipment. His only complaint was that the Moss Gauntlets looked kind of weird. Instead of being made of conventional materials, they were comprised of woven together moldling tentacles. They looked cheap and flimsy but somehow were firm enough to offer better protection than the thin leather bracers he had been wearing. Once he had finished all other pressing business, Theonix reached into his bag for the Moldling Hearts. Rygn held out his hand, exchanging them for 2 silver and 4 copper, bringing Theonix''s total to 9 silver and 4 copper. As soon as that was done, a screen popped up, displaying everything that Rygn had for sale.
Worn Battle Hammer Attack: +1-2 Type: Two-Handed Weapon Durability: 25/25 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Buy Price: 8 copper
Wolf Skin Cloak Defense: +1 Type: Light Armor Item Class: Common Quality: Average Buy Price: 2 Copper
Potion of Minor Stamina Quantity: 10 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Restores 30 Stamina. Buy Price: 1 Silver, 2 Copper each
Potion of Minor Healing Quantity: 10 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Heals 30 HP Sell Price: 1 Silver, 1 Copper each
Coin Pouch Inventory Slots: 1 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Buy Price: 2 Copper
Looking at the items and comparing them to his own, it made sense to buy the Worn Battle Hammer and Wolf Skin Cloak. The cloak filled an equipment slot that was not yet occupied, and the Worn Battle Hammer offered one more Attack point than the ax he currently had equipped. Theonix wasn''t so sure about buying the Coin Pouch. He already had a dozen inventory slots. The Moldling Hearts had stacked, so they had only taken up one slot. Adding one more didn''t seem like it would make that much of a difference. What he did need though, were potions. Theonix required at least two Stamina potions to recover the Stamina he''d lost while fighting the moldlings, and even that wouldn''t put him at 100%. It didn''t make sense to waste a third just to get there, though. Trying to make the best decision with the money he had, Theonix bought 4 Potions of Minor Stamina and 2 Potions of Minor Health, dropping his remaining coin down to 1 silver and 4 copper. Selling his old ax to his uncle only earned him back 1 copper. With that business concluded, the window closed. ¡°Ya will pick up many items along yer way,¡± Rygn began a subtle lecture while Theonix equipped his new items. ¡°Sometimes, tha best items can be found out in tha field. But it''s always good ta make sure ya go inta battle well prepared.¡± Theonix nodded in agreement. ¡°Speaking of which, it''s time fer yer next task. Ponoisle Mine is infested with gremlins and it ain''t gonna clear itself. That job falls ta the two of us," Rygn informed him with a twinkle in his eyes. While Theonix had honestly expected this, he still felt excitement. Gremlins weren''t just balls of mossy tendrils. They had sharp claws, even sharper teeth, and knew how to wield basic tools. This would definitely present more of a challenge. "Now these little buggars be vicious, and ey don''t know how many of em'' be inside, so ya better stay close ta me." When Rygn finished speaking, a notification popped up in front of Theonix. Rygnuhdruhr Madguard is requesting to join your party. Will you accept? He immediately thought yes, and the notification disappeared. In the left bottom of his peripheral vision, a new set of stat bars displayed with Rygn''s name above them. Curiosity caused Theonix to focus on them, which brought up another window.
Name: Rygnuhdruhr Madguard Race: Dwarf Level: 5 Health: 190 Mana: 160 Stamina: 200
¡°Why can''t I see the rest of your stats?¡± he asked. ¡°Seein'' more requires ya ta level yer Analyze skill. Unless yer partied with someone, ya can only get tha same info that ya would if they were a monster. When yer partied, ya get a bit more info, but not much. As ya raise yer skill level, you''ll be able ta see more.¡± Theonix nodded in understanding. Knowing that they''d be entering the mine soon, he uncorked one of his Potions of Minor Stamina. It was the same size as the Potion of Minor Healing that Rygn had initially given him, but this one was filled with a yellow liquid instead of red. Sniffing it filled his nostrils with the sweetness of sugar, and it hit his tongue like watered-down honey with a twinge of eucalyptus. Immediately, he felt stronger. Just as with the Potion of Minor Healing, the vial disintegrated into nothing once it was empty. Theonix followed up the first Potion of Minor Stamina with a second, restoring his Stamina to 100 points. When he was done drinking, Rygn turned to him with a grin. ¡°Now, lad, let''s go kill some gremlins.¡± Chapter Five
Quest: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins
The mountain king is considering opening back up Ponoisle Mine, but first, it needs to be cleared of the gremlin menace that has taken up residence there. You can help by killing 12 of them. Difficulty: Medium Success: Kill 12 Gremlins Reward: 1 gold, 3 Potions of Minor Healing, Dwarven Pants Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
They stood at the adit, staring into the dark mine. ¡°First ey suppose we oughta get some light goin'',¡± Rygn walked over to a large metal switch set into the wall. His eyes settled on it, and he hummed as he scratched his chin through his beard. ¡°What''s wrong, uncle?¡± Theonix asked then immediately realized that the switch was already flipped to on and the sconces lining the walls remained unlit. ¡°Do you think one of the gremlins might have flipped it?¡± ¡°Nah. Too short. Too stupid. Someone musta been here before us.¡± He stared into the distant darkness for a moment longer in thought, then he sighed and flipped the switch back to its off position. ¡°Let''s just hope this works. Havin'' ta carry torches would just be a pain.¡± Flipping the switch again produced no results. Rygn groaned in disappointment. ¡°Looks like we''ve got more work aheada us, lad. We should really fix tha lighting system before we venture too far inta tha depths a tha mine. Luckily, we don''t have ta go too far in before we should be able ta hit a coal deposit. That''s what we''ll need ta fix this. Before that though, we need ta make torches. I''ve got tha cloth scraps and oil ta do it. Ey just need two sturdy sticks. Be a good lad and fetch some.¡±
Quest: Materials for Torches
Unfortunately, the lighting system for Ponoisle Mine doesn''t appear to be working. You will have to carry a torch in until you can mine the coal to fix the problem. Go to the edge of Willow Forest and find two good pieces of wood to make torches out of, then return to Rygnuhdruhr Madguard. Difficulty: Very Easy Success: Gather two pieces of wood Reward: 1 Torch Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
He nodded, and the notification disappeared. Apparently, Theonix leveling up had given Rygn more confidence in him. Several moldlings had emerged from the pond, and he would have to skirt around it to reach the base of Willow Forest. Theonix took long strides(as long as a Dwarf can take) toward the forest. The urge to kill more moldings was strong, but budgeting his time was more important right now. Rygn was at the adit waiting for him, and while Theonix knew that his uncle would be patient, he was also aware that they had a lot of work to do before nightfall. Even more now that the mine''s lighting system needed to be repaired. Trying his best to give the small mossy monsters a wide berth, Theonix made his way around the pond and approached the forest. There was something incredibly eerie about the trees of Willow Forest, the way their limbs hung like drapes, thick with narrow blue-green leaves that created a curtain obscuring his vision from what was inside. They swayed lightly in the breeze, dancing in a mesmerizing way, inviting adventurers in never to return. As Theonix drew closer, he could have sworn he heard a soft song coming from the trees, almost like a whisper. It sent goose pimples racing across his skin and filled him with a sense of foreboding. From the stories he''d been told as a child, the forest itself was a monster of sorts. ¡°Hopefully, I can find something out here,¡± he muttered to himself, comforted by the sound of his own voice yet wondering if it was dangerous to speak. One of the most famous stories about Willow Forest was of a band of performers traveling on its outskirts. Willow ents had reached their boughs out, entangling and snaring several of the performers, swallowing them into the forest. Only two men had lived to tell the tale. Theonix crouched down, trying to look under the billowy curtain for fallen branches suitable for torches. Part of him felt like a coward for not wanting to cross the treeline. Gathering his courage, he pushed past the first sheet of leaves in his way. The shade that covered Theonix felt like a cloud of gloom. A shiver rolled down his spine as he realized that the temperature had immediately dropped by several degrees.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Luckily, there appeared to be a decent-sized stick at the tree''s base. Urgency to leave the forest''s deadly embrace caused Theonix to jog over to it. He swiped the stick up from the ground, not daring to kneel or put himself in a vulnerable position. You have received the following item:
Weeping Willow Branch Uses: Crafting Component. Sell Price: 2 copper
Quest Update: Materials for Torches ¨C 1 of 2 pieces of wood collected. Congratulations! New skill learned: Gathering Level 1. Nature provides a bounty of ingredients for various purposes. Make the most of the things you find. The dread that the atmosphere created denied him the joy of celebrating his newly acquired skill. All that mattered was finishing the task and getting the hell out of this godforsaken forest. There was something disorienting about Willow Forest, even though Theonix was barely inside of it. Wanting the mounting feeling of confusion to dissipate, he decided it was better to weave in and out of the forest rather than to stay inside. Moving to the next tree, Theonix entered its dreaded covering and was pleased to see another utilizable stick lying on the ground. Employing the same quick snatch method, he grabbed it and exited the forest, feeling like he was shaking off a bad dream. You have received the following item:
Weeping Willow Branch Uses: Crafting Component. Sell Price: 2 copper
Quest Update: Materials for Torches ¨C 2 of 2 pieces of wood collected. Rygn was grinning at him from the entrance to Ponoisle Mine. He fully understood the unpleasant sensation that entering Willow Forest caused. That''s why he had sent Theonix in instead of going himself. "I got the items you requested." Theonix held the sticks up for his uncle to see. ¡°Did ya feel it, lad?¡± Rygn asked. ¡°The evil.¡± ¡°Yeah. I felt it.¡± Theonix shivered as he glanced back at the forest. He wouldn''t soon forget that experience, even though it wasn''t particularly traumatic. ¡°I don''t know why anyone would ever go in there.¡± ¡°Treasure,¡± came the simple reply. ¡°Tha hardest places ta explore have tha best loot. Not worth it fer that one.¡± Rygn shook his head at the forest. ¡°I''d leave it ta tha elves.¡± They had the best chance of survival in a place such as that. Well, maybe not all elves. But definitely the wood elves and dark elves. ¡°Yeah. They can keep it.¡± Theonix agreed, watching his uncle take the rest of the supplies from his bag to craft the torches. A few minutes later, they had fire, and a notification popped up. Congratulations! Quest: Materials for Torches has been completed. You wisely used caution and didn''t venture too far into Willow Forest to find what you needed. Now, Rygnuhdruhr Madguard will be able to create torches to light your way through Ponoisle Mine. You have earned 60XP. You have also received the following item:
Torch Uses: Light Source. Will burn for 1 hour. 60 minutes remaining.
Theonix held his torch up to the darkness before them, illuminating the inside of the mine for the few yards that the light would reach. "Hopefully, we won''t encounter too many gremlins before we reach a decent place ta mine," Rygn said as he stepped up beside his nephew. "Whatever tha case, it can''t be helped. Let''s go."
Chapter Six They hadn''t ventured far before they encountered the first sign of gremlins. There was a skittering sound in the distance, the patter of small feet. Rygn gave pause to place his torch into one of the old sconces in the wall. In some mines, they had been removed entirely when the new lighting system had been installed, but this mine thankfully still had them. Theonix followed suit, immediately readying his Worn Battle Hammer as soon as his torch was out of his hand. ¡°Stay close, lad,¡± Rygn whispered. They stood side by side with weapons drawn, and they didn''t have to wait long before a loud hissing was followed by two gremlins rushing towards them from the darkness. Theonix barely had time to register what was happening before his foe was upon him. Beady red eyes appeared only a second before the body followed. The gremlins had short torsos but long limbs, their legs bent like a dog''s to aid in leaping impressive distances. The one that attacked Theonix did just that, launching itself at him as soon as it was within range. Not expecting such an aggressive charge, Theonix stumbled, falling on his backside with the gremlin on top of him. It smiled wickedly, its batlike ears filling his vision. Rows of jagged pearly teeth peeked out beneath black curled lips before the gremlin swiped at him, its one-inch nails slashing across Theonix''s face. Level 2 Gremlin Whelp delivers 10 damage. Adrenalin was the only thing keeping the pain at bay. Blood dripped into Theonix''s left eye, working to blind him. There was no time to brush it away. He was angry at himself for being caught off-guard yet again. It was similar to what had happened with the molding; Theonix had underestimated his foe. What was worse was that this wasn''t even an adult gremlin but one of the younger ones. It was about a foot shorter, its black skin still smooth, unlike the raisin-like skin of the adults. But its youth also made it more dangerous. Less intelligent than its older counterpart, gremlin whelps tended to be more aggressive. Their ability to jump long distances gave them an advantage over slower foes. Instead of thick calcified nails, the gremlin whelp''s were thin like razor blades. Fighting with his Worn Battle Hammer when the enemy was already on him was out of the question, so Theonix dropped his weapon. Unlike the moldling that was able to wrap itself around him, the gremlin whelp had no such ability. Theonix grabbed it by the throat and easily pried it away from him. It sunk its claws into his arm, causing him to wince, but he refused to loosen his grip. Level 2 Gremlin Whelp delivers 10 damage. Pulling back his free hand, Theonix summoned the Mana within him and used his Pummel ability, adding 10% of his remaining Health to his attack as he punched the gremlin whelp square in its ugly face, causing its head to bounce back and its eyes to roll. Congratulations! New skill learned: Battle Magic Level 1. Your strength is in battle, and you''re able to channel your Mana into helping you succeed. From giving you extra attack power when needed to healing your wounds, Battle Magic makes you a powerful adversary no matter the foe. The punch was more focused than one Theonix would have typically used in a bar fight. An inborn ability, in desperate, close-range situations, Pummel was one of the best weapons he had. If need be, he could use it as many times as his Mana and Health would allow, but it wasn''t the most efficient way to end a battle. Tossing the dazed gremlin whelp aside, Theonix stood and took back up his Worn Battle Hammer. By the time he had recovered, so had the monster. A quick glance in his peripheral vision showed that Rygn had already made short work of his adversary, its lifeless body left bleeding about two yards away with its long pointed red tongue lolled out to the side. Now, Rygn was just standing aside observing. Looking for an opening to attack, the gremlin whelp''s head moved back and forth like a snake''s. But Theonix''s defense was solid this time. He would not let the creature get the literal jump on him again. Much like he''d done with the moldling, Theonix watched the gremlin whelp for several seconds, trying to anticipate its next move. He was hoping it would jump again so that he could slam his hammer into its soft torso, but the little monster seemed content on the ground. It dashed in to swipe at him with its claws, but when Theonix swung down at it, it thought better and pulled back. The gremlin whelp probably wasn''t smart enough to fake him out, and as soon as Theonix realized that, he had a plan. Theonix pretended to attack from the right with a light swing, and the gremlin whelp predictably jumped to dodge, causing Theonix to change course and put all of his weight behind swinging his weapon to the left instead. The face of his hammer connected with the creature''s side and sent it flying against the wall. He could feel something inside of the gremlin whelp give in from the impact, bones crushing and piercing organs. It hit the wall with a sick thud, a pained sigh escaping its throat before it fell the rest of the way to its death. Defeated Level 2 Gremlin Whelp. 32XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 1 of 12 Gremlins slain. "Good job, lad." Rygn walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks." A small smile made its way to Theonix''s lips. He would have been happier if the memory of the gremlin whelp''s bones caving in wasn''t sticking with him. Theonix knelt next to the creature to loot it. Its body was in far less disrepair than the one his uncle had slain, but there was still a trail of blood leaking from the corner of the gremlin whelp''s mouth from its internal injuries, and its side was definitely dented in from the blow. Well, you shouldn''t have attacked me. Theonix quickly brushed his guilt aside. As soon as he thought to loot the monster, its body disintegrated, leaving behind a thin strip of meat where the body had once been. You have received the following item:
Dried Gremlin Meat Uses: Food. Restores 30 Health over 30 Seconds. Sell Price: 2 copper
Theonix had never eaten dried gremlin meat before, but he couldn''t imagine it would taste good. This would probably be one of those ''in case he ran out of healing potions'' kind of items. "I didn''t even get a chance to Analyze them," he complained. "Ya need ta learn ta be quick in battle. Sometimes, jumping back an getting a good look at yer foe is a smarter move than engaging them right away, even if they throw tha first blow. With time, you''ll learn ta Analyze while ya fight," Rygn assured him, though it didn''t wipe the frown from Theonix''s face. He placed the dried gremlin meat in his bag and stood before walking over to the sconce on the wall to reclaim his torch. They pressed on, making their way down the mine for about fifteen more minutes before the sound of gremlin feet could be heard again. This time, Theonix anticipated being jumped at, but his uncle got the feistier of the two gremlin whelps. Not wanting to repeat the same mistake, he quickly Analyzed both foes only half a second before his attacker reached him. To Theonix''s alarm, the gremlin whelp heading in his direction had a green glow, which meant it was a slightly higher level than him. The creature charged straight for him, its lips pulled back in a snarl. Theonix activated Rupture and swung his Worn Battle Hammer straight down on the gremlin whelp''s head. A brief flash of whack-a-mole ran through his mind as the monster sunk, seeming to compress like a crushed aluminum can. That should have killed it, he thought, and was dismayed when the gremlin simply shook the blow off and continued its attack, swiping at his leg with a long arm. Surprised by the creature''s tenacity, Theonix didn''t dodge and received a sharp pain to his shin as the nails tore through his armor and flesh. Level 3 Gremlin Whelp delivers 15 damage. Theonix wanted to hit the gremlin whelp with Rupture again, but his cool down period hadn''t passed. He could see the ability''s cool down time displayed as a sword with a clock face on it. The seconds he had left to wait were grayed out. This gremlin whelp was both persistent and stupid. It faced him directly, slashing out with both arms. Theonix struck it dead-on on top of the head again, and it crumpled to the floor. Defeated Level 3 Gremlin Whelp. 48XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 2 of 12 Gremlins slain. As before, Rygn had slain his gremlin whelp first and had been waiting on his nephew. Ignoring the fact that he was being watched, Theonix knelt to loot the body. You have received the following item:
Dried Gremlin Meat Uses: Food. Restores 30 Health over 30 Seconds. Sell Price: 2 copper
Theonix placed the item in his bag, and they moved on only to encounter a third set of gremlins an equal distance away. At this point, he was starting to get a rhythm down. The nervousness Theonix had felt when first encountering the creatures had almost dissipated, replaced by excitement. He swung his hammer with confidence, activating his Rupture ability once during the battle to kill the level 2 gremlin whelp with one mighty blow. Defeated Level 2 Gremlin Whelp. 32XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 3 of 12 Gremlins slain. TRING! Congratulations! You are now Level 3! Your base stats have been boosted. You have earned 3 points to assign to your characteristics. Please note that adding points to some characteristics(Vitality, Intelligence, and Strength) will further boost your base stats. You may also advance any 1 skill of your choosing by 1 level. Congratulations! You have learned the ability Battle Bandage. Mana Cost: 15 Cool Down: 5 minutes Using Battle Bandage will heal you for 10% of your max Health. Wow. Theonix hadn''t expected to level up so quickly. He hadn''t even used his skill leveling ability from the last time yet. That meant that he could instantly level two skills, or level the same one twice. What he was more excited about though, was the new ability he had learned. Concentrating on his wounds, Theonix pulled from the Mana inside of him. A soft blue light covered his body for half of a second, and he recovered 12 points of Health. In his peripheral vision, a small bandaged hand with a countdown clock appeared. "Congrats, nephew!" Rygn clapped him on the shoulder. "But ya may have wanted ta wait ta use that ''til ya decided where ta put yer points." On the one hand, Rygn was right. Theonix had been hasty to use his new ability. On the other hand, what did one more point of Health matter? Wondering where he was at in regards to leveling his skills, Theonix pulled up his character sheet.
Name: Theonix Madguard Race: Dwarf Class: Battle Mage Level: 3, 2% of the way to next level Health: 87 / 130 Mana: 80 / 130 Stamina: 75 / 130 Vitality: 11 Intelligence: 11 Strength: 11 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10 Charisma: 10 Luck: 10 Skills: Analyze Lvl 2; 70% of the way to next level Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 2; 80% of the way to next level Gathering Lvl 1; 40% of the way to next level Battle Magic Lvl 1; 60% of the way to next level Languages: Dwarvish
It felt like a waste to use his skill leveling ability on any skill below a level 3, so he decided to wait again. For assigning his points, now that Theonix was seeing more combat, he thought it might be a good idea to place one into Agility and one into Dexterity. The third was a bit more challenging to assign. Never had Theonix felt at risk of mortal danger since his first encounter with the moldling that had wrapped around him. While he was using his Mana more now, he still didn''t feel like it was draining quickly. The only concerning thing was that Theonix hadn''t encountered any Mana restoring potions or edibles yet, so he had no way to refill it. Stamina seemed to be his most lacking resource. Everything drained it, from gathering to swinging his hammer. The only time he was able to avoid using it was when he activated an ability that consumed Mana instead of Stamina. With that in mind, and knowing that mining would definitely by a Stamina drain, Theonix decided to place his last point into Strength. Now that he really thought about it, he probably should have put all three points into Strength, but it was too late to go back. Once a point had been assigned, that was it. With that business concluded, Theonix closed his character sheet and knelt to loot the body before him. He was surprised to see that the gremlin whelp had disintegrated into a small pickaxe.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. You have received the following item:
Starter Pickaxe Attack: +1-2 Type: Two-Handed Durability: 25/25 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Mining, Weapon Sell Price: 1 Gold, 8 Silver
Theonix''s eyes widened as he read the value of the item. It was the most expensive thing he''d seen so far, probably because it had multiple uses. "It''s a good thing ya found that. Otherwise, ya would have had ta purchase one from me, an they ain''t cheap," Rygn told him. "A lucky find, indeed." Theonix smiled. Rygn looked beyond him into the depths of the mine. "It shouldn''t be much further." "Good. I feel like this is taking forever." They continued on for about ten more minutes before Rygn finally stopped and placed his torch in one of the sconces. "This should be good," he mumbled before approaching the left wall and running his hands over the stony surface. Theonix stepped back as he watched his uncle pull his pickaxe from his belt and swing it at the wall a few times. Rocks crumbled at Rygn''s feet, and a minute later he rested his pickaxe against the wall and knelt to scoop up a handful of the fallen material. He examined it for a moment before carrying it over to Theonix, his palm extended. Chunks of black ore rested on his hand. "This is what we''re lookin'' fer, lad," he told his nephew. "We''ll need quite a bit ta get tha lighting system working."
Quest: Mine Some Coal
Rygnuhdruhr Madguard has determined that the lighting system in Ponoisle Mine is out of coal. To fix it, you''ll have to replenish the fuel source. Twelve pieces of coal ought to do it. Difficulty: Very Easy Success: Mine 12 pieces of coal Reward: 1 gold, 1 Potion of Minor Stamina Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
Theonix accepted the quest and took up his pickaxe. Rygn continued working on mining the area that he had started, giving his nephew no sense of where he should begin his efforts. Wanting to stay out of his uncle''s way, Theonix walked a few feet towards the entrance of the mine and began picking at the opposite wall. The second his pickaxe struck stone, a notification popped up. Congratulations! New skill learned: Mining Level 1. Whether in a mine or a quarry, mining allows you to extract ore and minerals. Be careful when mining, because dangers often lurk in the depths of The Realm. It took two strikes before Theonix hit something. Already, he was wishing he would have placed all of his points into Strength because swinging the pickaxe drained him of 10 Stamina every time he did it. The reward for his effort was, what appeared to be, a white rock. Prying it from the rubble brought up a notification. You have received the following item:
Small Diamond Uses: Jewelry Crafting Sell Price: 500 Gold
Oh, holy shit. Theonix had struck it rich on his first try at mining. He was so excited by the find that he couldn''t help but break away from his duties to share it with his uncle. "Look what I got." He jogged over to show Rygn. The older dwarf''s eyes fell to the small diamond, and a twinge of jealousy took over his expression. "Beginner''s luck." Immediately, he refocused on his work. Theonix''s smile sagged from his uncle''s quick dismissal. Disappointed, he placed the gem in his sack and returned to his post. Before taking up his pickaxe again, he finished off his Potions of Minor Stamina, knowing he''d need the Strength. On his very next swing, he struck coal. You have received the following item:
Coal Uses: Combustion Material Sell Price: 7 Silver
Quest Update: Mine Some Coal ¨C 1 of 12 coal mined. Damn. The coal was worth a good amount, too. Eight more swings of his pickaxe produced three more pieces of coal. It also drained his Stamina down to only 25 points and leveled the mining skill. Congratulations! The skill: Mining has reached Level 2. This skill allows you to mine precious stones and metals. Use it to build your wealth or find rare materials for crafting. That took way too much effort for such a little reward. Theonix''s arms were trembling from the weight of the pickaxe, and his palms were already beginning to blister. While he had wanted to wait to use his stored up skill leveling abilities, it was worth placing one in mining if it reduced the stress on his body and made him able to complete this task faster. Without second-guessing himself, Theonix immediately leveled up his Mining skill to 3. Congratulations! The skill: Mining has reached Level 3. This skill allows you to mine precious stones and metals. Use it to build your wealth or find rare materials for crafting. Theonix groaned internally as he realized that no perks were gained from leveling the skill. Perks were rewarded every few levels, but he hadn''t been sure how many it would take with the Mining skill. He had hoped to get lucky. Not the case. For a few moments, Theonix struggled with the idea of using his final skill leveling ability to advance his Mining skill one more level but ultimately decided it wasn''t worth it. More than likely, he wouldn''t receive a perk until he hit level 5 in the skill, and while it was a Stamina drain, mining wasn''t particularly dangerous. He still had gremlins to slay, and he''d much rather level up his Two-Handed Weapons skill than waste the ability on something so trivial. That didn''t take care of his immediate problem though, which was that he was almost out of Stamina, and he had no more Potions of Minor Stamina left. It was time to visit his uncle again. "Hey," he called to get Rygn''s attention. The dwarf was still tirelessly chipping away at the wall, a pile of rocks and coal at his feet. "Yeah." Rygn stopped, setting down his pickaxe to wipe his brow with the back of his arm. "I need to buy some more stuff from you." Theonix pulled the Small Diamond from his bag. Without another word, the two dwarves met in the middle, and the bartering screen appeared again. This time, there were a few additional items for sale.
Dried Gremlin Meat Quantity: 1 Uses: Food. Restores 30 Health over 30 Seconds. Buy Price: 4 copper
Mine Water Quantity: 1 Uses: Drink. Restores 90 Stamina over 90 Seconds Buy Price: 2 Copper
Coal Quantity: 5 Uses: Combustion Material Sell Price: 1 gold, 4 silver
Potion of Minor Stamina Quantity: 6 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Restores 30 Stamina. Buy Price: 1 Silver, 2 Copper each
Potion of Minor Healing Quantity: 8 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Heals 30 HP Sell Price: 1 Silver, 1 Copper each
Coin Pouch Inventory Slots: 1 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Buy Price: 2 Copper
"Heyyyyy!" Theonix couldn''t help but react to the fact that his uncle was selling things for twice their value. "You''re buying Dried Gremlin Meat for 2 copper but selling it for 4. That''s not fair." He gave his uncle a disapproving look. A toothy smile took over Rygn''s face. "No, it''s not fair; it''s business." Theonix''s expression sulked. Whatever the case, he could afford anything he needed now that he''d mined the Small Diamond. Handing it over, he collected his 500 gold. Then a thought occurred to him. If he purchased the coal from his uncle, would that add to his quest? This felt like a test somehow, but Theonix was tempted to try it. Why would the coal show up in Rygn''s inventory for sale if he wasn''t allowed to buy it? The worst thing that could happen was that his uncle would deny him the sale and he''d get an earful about cheating. While he mulled over what to do, Theonix went ahead and bought the rest of Rygn''s Potions of Minor Stamina and the Mine Water. Hesitating, he gave his uncle a suspicious look before purchasing all of his Coal as well. As soon as he closed the sale window, a notification popped up. Quest Update: Mine Some Coal ¨C 9 of 12 coal mined. Rygn turned away and went back to work on his part of the wall, leaving Theonix standing there dumbfounded. Perhaps he knew that his nephew was tired and low on Stamina. Sympathy had never been one of Rygn''s stronger attributes, though. Whatever the case, Theonix wasn''t going to argue. Feeling kind of bad that he''d clearly cheated on the quest and hoping that there would be no latent repercussions from it, he drank two of the Potions of Minor Stamina before returning to his own patch of the wall. While his uncle didn''t punish him for his laziness, the universe seemed to be doing it in his stead. It took four swings of his pickaxe before Theonix hit coal again. A few more swings, and he needed to down two more Potions of Minor Stamina. They were depleting way too quickly. Considering how difficult it had been just to mine what coal he had, Theonix was regretting buying the rest from his uncle less and less. From the look of things, he would have run out of Potions of Minor Stamina long before he would have mined the required amount of coal to complete the quest. The Realm continuing to punish him, it took five more swings before he finally mined the last piece of coal he needed. Quest Update: Mine Some Coal ¨C 12 of 12 coal mined. And with that, he was also forced to down his last two Potions of Minor Stamina which only brought his Stamina up to 65 points. Hopefully, the gremlin whelps would start dropping Stamina recover items. Otherwise, he was going to be screwed. "I did it," he said exhaustedly as he carried the required amount of coal over to his uncle. Rygn seemed just about finished mining, too. "Excellent." He nodded, pleased. Congratulations! Quest: Mine Some Coal has been completed. Rygnuhdruhr Madguard noticed your weakness and cut you some slack. This should teach you how important correctly allocating your characteristic points are and starting a quest with the right items is. You''ll know better next time. Despite your shortcomings, you got the job done. You have earned 1 gold, 90XP. You have also received the following item:
Potion of Minor Stamina Quantity: 1 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Restores 30 Stamina. Sell Price: 6 Copper
Theonix immediately drank the potion then debated using Battle Bandage to restore some of his Health but decided that it was better to save his Mana for his attack abilities. Instead, he drank one of his Potions of Minor Healing to bring his Health back up to 117 points. "Now what?" Theonix asked Rygn, happy to be done mining. While he generally loved the idea of mining¡ªthe excitement of finding valuable ores and minerals¡ªit took a backseat when he had other quests to complete. "Now, I''ll show ya how ta fix tha lighting system." Chapter Seven "Do ya remember tha boxes on tha walls when we were walking here? There were two at tha entrance an another two halfway in." Rygn touched a small metal pipe that extended down the right wall and connected all of the sconces on that side of the lighting system together. There was an identical pipe on the other wall. "I remember." Theonix nodded. "I need fer ya ta take this coal," Rygn handed all of the coal back over to Theonix in a small sack, "an go fill tha last set a boxes, halfa tha coal in each box. There should be a switch next ta tha box. Flip it, an if Finborh permits, tha lights should work."
Quest: Fix the Lighting System
You''ve collected the necessary amount of coal. Now you must travel back toward the entrance to the mine to place it in the combustion boxes. Doing this and flipping the two switches should repair part of the lighting system in Ponoisle Mine. Difficulty: Easy Success: Fill two combustion boxes with coal Reward: 2 silver, 5 copper Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
Should fix it? Theonix huffed internally at that part. Also at ''repair part of the lighting system.'' That probably meant he would have to mine some more. Such a time suck when daylight was burning. "And what will you be doing?" he asked. "I''ll stay here an mine some more coal. We''ll need it as we descend further inta tha mine." Rygn reached into his bag and withdrew two sticks to make new torches. Theonix''s mouth fell agape as he watched his uncle. "Do you mean to tell me you had those all along? That you sent me into Willow Forest for nothing?" Rygn shrugged. "Ya needed tha experience. But ta be honest, ya should have brought back more sticks, ya lazy shyt." A grin spread his lips. It was a good thing that Rygn did have the extra sticks because their torches were already beginning to sputter. Almost the second he lit the new torches, the old ones died out. The burnt pieces of wood disintegrated in their sconces, their usefulness expended. Words from the last quest completion notification flashed through Theonix''s mind. This should teach you how important correctly allocating your characteristic points are and starting a quest with the right items is. Fuck! It was now blatantly apparent that Theonix should have taken the time to gather more sticks, but how was he supposed to have known that they wouldn''t be able to fix the lighting system before their torches ran out. This was a lesson in ''it''s better to take too much than too little.'' Rygn handed one of the new torches over to Theonix. "Now, get going." He briefly thanked his uncle before turning to head back toward the entrance. It wasn''t long until Theonix lost sight of Rygn, though the sound of his pickaxe slamming against the stone wall could still be heard. While the tunnel was wide enough to support four stout dwarves standing side by side and tall enough that Theonix didn''t need to bend over to walk, due to his limited visibility from relying on the torchlight, it felt smaller somehow. A near circular coffin under the ground. That thought was disconcerting. This was where Theonix should have felt at home. Underground. Deeply entrenched in the smell of the earth and the coolness of the stone around him. It was the knowledge that foes still lurked that made him uncomfortable. Almost as soon as he thought it, Theonix heard a noise. Up until now, all of the threats had come from deeper within the mine. But this one was traveling toward him from the entrance, and it sounded like more than one. Theonix quickly side-stepped to place his torch in one of the sconces. Then he grabbed his Worn Battle Hammer, adjusting his grip on the handle repeatedly as beads of sweat began to form on his brow from nervousness. Now completely alone, he would have to handle this threat on his own. One gremlin, he knew he''d be able to take out, but he wasn''t entirely confident in his abilities to fight more than one at a time. Listening, he waited, watching the edge of the light, knowing that he would see the gremlins'' glowing red eyes before their bodies would follow. He had been right; there was more than one. Focusing on the closest as both gremlins made to attack him at the same time, Theonix was only able to Analyze the one right in front of him before the melee began. Thankfully, it Analyzed as blue, an easy kill. Wanting to finish it off quickly, he activated Rupture to take it out in one hit. Gore squirted from the gremlin''s ears as its skull sunk in. Its eyes bulged from the compression, one of them popping from its socket. Theonix wretched into his own mouth, the horrific sight catching him off guard. This is what should have happened to the last gremlin he had scored a direct hit on, but that one had been stronger. Defeated Level 2 Gremlin Whelp. 32XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 4 of 12 Gremlins slain. While Theonix was occupied fighting the first gremlin, the second came in and swiped at his leg, landing a hit across his shin. Level 2 Gremlin Whelp delivers 10 damage.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Theonix hissed from the pain, adrenaline keeping most of it at bay. Using all of his strength, he pulled his Worn Battle Hammer from the first gremlin whelp''s skull and took a wild swing at the second. The creature dodged and then lunged in for another strike, swiping its claws across his right shin this time. Level 2 Gremlin Whelp delivers 10 damage. "Son of a bitch!" he yelled as he swung his hammer down, trying to smash this goblin whelp the same as he had done to its friend. This one saw the move coming and dodged. Congratulations! The skill: Two-Handed Weapons has reached Level 3. This skill enables you to use all manner of two-handed weapons to defeat enemies. Increasing your Strength will make them easier to wield. As planned, Theonix immediately used his second skill leveling ability to level the skill one more time. Congratulations! The skill: Two-Handed Weapons has reached Level 4. This skill enables you to use all manner of two-handed weapons to defeat enemies. Increasing your Strength will make them easier to wield. Damn. Still no perk. Oh well. It can''t be helped right now. Calm down! Theonix told himself. The reason this goblin whelp was able to dodge his attacks wasn''t because it was smarter than the first. It was because he was swinging too wide, his movements fueled by his desperation to end the battle quickly. He shouldn''t be so frantic. Without even having to Analyze the gremlin whelp, he knew it was a level 2. There was no way it had more strength than him. If he would just calm down, this should be easy. Taking a defensive stance, Theonix gathered his nerves. Now that his fear was dying off, the pain in his legs was increasing. Luckily, the scratches were barely skin deep thanks to what little protection his armor provided. If they had made it through muscle and bone, he''d have a much harder time winning. "Come on, you little shit," Theonix seethed as he watched the gremlin whelp''s movements. It bobbed back and forth in much the same way as the ones before it¡ªas if they couldn''t physically sit still. The creature wasn''t trying to fake him out; this was just how they moved. Every once in a while, one foot would jut an inch in one direction or the other. That gave a good indication as to where the whelp would try to strike out next. Theonix watched, trying to anticipate the monster''s next move. Figuring out how the creatures fought was one of the best ways of learning how to quickly defeat them. It took a few more moments, but eventually, the gremlin whelp tired of waiting on Theonix to brashly attack again, and it went on the offense. He calculated its direction of attack and swung in as it leaped forward, batting the creature across the mine like an incoming baseball. Its body fell, limp and dead, just at the edge of the light. Defeated Level 2 Gremlin Whelp. 32XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 5 of 12 Gremlins slain. "Fuck yeah!" Theonix whooped, proud of himself for having killed both of the gremlin whelps when he had been outnumbered. Sure, they had been weaker than him, but this was the first time he''d faced more than one foe at a time, and he''d triumphed without the help of his uncle. It was a huge personal victory, and it bolstered his confidence for future battles. Now it was time for his reward. Theonix knelt next to the closest gremlin whelp''s body first. It was difficult for him to look at its crushed skull. While he knew that everything had happened faster than the creature could probably feel pain, its face was still set in a look of agony. Thinking of looting it caused the gremlin whelp to disintegrate away. You have received the following item:
Coal Uses: Combustion Material Sell Price: 7 Silver
Well, that was a bit unexpected. Why would a gremlin whelp have coal on it, especially one that was just now entering the mine? Theonix shrugged it off. It didn''t matter. This was one less piece of coal he''d have to waste his Stamina on mining. Placing the coal in his bag, he moved on to the next goblin whelp. You have received the following item:
Dried Gremlin Meat Uses: Food. Restores 30 Health over 30 Seconds. Sell Price: 2 copper
He was beginning to wonder if gremlin whelps even dropped Mana and Stamina recovery items. They didn''t use any spells, so it made sense that they wouldn''t carry Mana recovery items, but they definitely used Stamina. Theonix tried not to think on it too much. With 75 points of Mana left, it would still be a while before he ran out. As long as he didn''t use Battle Bandage, he should be able to make it through his gremlin killing quest before completely running out. Besides, he hadn''t even had to use Rupture on the last gremlin whelp. It shouldn''t be necessary on weaker foes. Picking back up his torch, Theonix continued toward the entrance, now finding the mine much less constrictive. Pride swelled in his chest, and he had to fight the urge to whistle while he walked. Dwarves were known to be amazing whistlers, and Theonix was no exception. But not having a clear view of what was ahead of him would make that a stupid move. Giving his position away could lead to being swarmed by gremlins. He would not make that fatal mistake just because he felt the need to express his joy. The remainder of his journey to the combustion boxes was uneventful, and there was no mystery to what he needed to do next once he arrived. Theonix filled up one combustion box with twelve coals, then flipped the switch. The crunching of gears and a whirring sound could be heard for a few seconds, then the sconces leading deeper into the mine lit up one at a time. Rinse and repeat with the combustion box on the other wall, and the deed was done. Theonix sighed in relief, enjoying that he could now see down the mine. There would be no more surprises. No more red-eyed beasties jumping out at him from the darkness. His mood elevated even further, Theonix walked back down the tunnel toward his uncle. This time, he whistled while he walked. Chapter Eight ¡°How''d it go?¡± Rygn asked upon his nephew''s return. Sweat covered his brow from picking at the wall while Theonix was away. He looked happy for the rest. ¡°We have light now, don''t we?¡± Theonix gestured around them. ¡°Ey. We have light.¡± Rygn nodded. Congratulations! Quest: Fix the Lighting System has been completed. You faced little opposition as you traveled back down the mine to restore functionality to the lighting system. Thankfully, it still works despite having not been used for some time. You have earned 2 silver, 5 copper, and 120XP. ¡°Ya didn''t run inta any monsters when ya were down there, did ya?¡± Rygn''s face filled with concern. Hadn''t he heard Theonix cursing? Theonix''s gaze dropped to his bloody shins. ¡°Two gremlin whelps, but I made short work of them.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He seemed pleased. ¡°Ya better heal an stock up on supplies before we head further in. Up ''till now, we''ve only run inta gremlin whelps, but there should be more powerful beasties ahead. I found a few items while ya were gone. Ya should check out my supply an see if there be anythin'' ya might need.¡± Theonix thought to check Rygn''s inventory, and his barter screen popped up.
Dried Gremlin Meat Quantity: 4 Uses: Food. Restores 30 Health over 30 Seconds. Buy Price: 4 copper
Mine Water Quantity: 3 Uses: Drink. Restores 90 Stamina over 90 Seconds Buy Price: 2 Copper
Coal Quantity: 2 Uses: Combustion Material Sell Price: 1 gold, 4 silver
Potion of Minor Stamina Quantity: 5 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Restores 30 Stamina. Buy Price: 1 Silver, 2 Copper each
Potion of Minor Healing Quantity: 11 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Heals 30 HP Sell Price: 1 Silver, 1 Copper each
Coin Pouch Inventory Slots: 1 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Buy Price: 2 Copper
Basic Pickaxe Attack: +1-2 Type: Two-Handed Durability: 30/30 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Mining, Weapon Buy Price: 189 Gold, 9 Copper
He went ahead and stocked up on everything he thought was useful, leaving nothing behind but the Coin Pouch, Dried Gremlin Meat, and Basic Pickaxe. There was no reason to buy the mining tool since he already had a pickaxe of his own. After closing the window, Theonix immediately drank one of the Potions of Minor Stamina to bring his Stamina back up to 110 points. "Ya ready?" Rygn asked. "I think so," he said, glancing down at the rubble left behind from his uncle''s efforts. Had he really only mined two pieces of coal while Theonix was away, or was Rygn just holding out on him? Judging by the additional Dried Gremlin Meat in the older Dwarf''s inventory, Theonix could only assume that Rygn had encountered some gremlin whelps as well. Rygn began walking down the mine, forcing Theonix to jog a few paces to catch up. Now that there was light following the path of the tunnel, it was easy to see their enemies coming, which was good because one of the creatures approaching them was not a goblin whelp. Slightly larger than its buddy, this foe had a green aura around it, meaning it was a higher level than Theonix. Thankfully, it was on his uncle''s side. The monster approaching him was a gremlin whelp that Analyzed as blue. Congratulations! The skill: Analyze has reached Level 3. This skill allows you to see how dangerous a foe is in relation to your own level. Use this skill frequently to avoid getting yourself killed. Drawing their weapons in sync, the two Dwarves made short work of their opponents. Theonix favored the overhead swing technique. Although the initial decimation of his earlier opponent''s head had made him ill, he was beginning to develop a sick enjoyment for the way it felt when bones crushed beneath the weight of his Worn Battle Hammer. Blood gushed from the gremlin whelp''s ears, spraying out onto the floor. This time, its eyes didn''t bulge, though there was a trail of viscous liquid leaking from its closed lids. Theonix wondered if he could eventually hit one hard enough to make its eyes completely pop out of its head. That would be both gross and kind of cool. Defeated Level 2 Gremlin Whelp. 32XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 6 of 12 Gremlins slain. TRING! Congratulations! You are now Level 4! Your base stats have been boosted. You have earned 3 points to assign to your characteristics. Please note that adding points to some characteristics(Vitality, Intelligence, and Strength) will further boost your base stats. You may also advance any 1 skill of your choosing by 1 level. Congratulations! You have learned the ability Stun. Mana Cost: 3 Cool Down: 3 minutes Activating this ability will stun your target for 3 seconds. Knowing that there would probably be more mining in his near future, Theonix placed all 3 of his characteristic points into Strength. He then pulled up his character sheet to try to determine how to spend his skill leveling ability best, though he already had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do.
Name: Theonix Madguard Race: Dwarf Class: Battle Mage Level: 4, 3% of the way to next level Health: 97 / 140 Mana: 75 / 140 Stamina: 105 / 180 Vitality: 11 Intelligence: 11 Strength: 15 Agility: 11 Dexterity: 11 Charisma: 10 Luck: 10 Skills: Analyze Lvl 3; 0% of the way to next level Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 4; 10% of the way to next level Gathering Lvl 1; 40% of the way to next level Battle Magic Lvl 1; 80% of the way to next level Mining Lvl 3; 20% of the way to next level Languages: Dwarvish
While he was tempted to level up Analyzing since it was at 0%, Theonix decided to use the ability on Two-Handed Weapons instead. Congratulations! The skill: Two-Handed Weapons has reached Level 5. This skill enables you to use all manner of two-handed weapons to defeat enemies. Increasing your Strength will make them easier to wield. Perk: Two-Handed Weapons do 20% more damage "Stupendous." That was what he had been waiting for, a perk that gave value to leveling the skill. "Congrats!" Rygn clapped him on the shoulder. "Thank you, uncle." Theonix smiled before kneeling to loot his kill. You have received the following item:
Dried Gremlin Meat Uses: Food. Restores 30 Health over 30 Seconds.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sell Price: 2 copper
"Now, let''s go kill more gremlins," he said as he stood and enthusiastically faced the depths of the mine. They continued walking, and it wasn''t long before another set of enemies came scrambling toward them. This time, they were both the bigger version. The one approaching Rygn Analyzed as an equal match, but the one heading for Theonix was blue. Though he really wanted to try out his Stun ability, Theonix feared wasting his Mana on such a low-level foe, so he held back, sticking with smashing the gremlin with his hammer instead. While swinging the weapon felt no different, it didn''t seem that the monster sunk a few centimeters more when he struck it than the other gremlins had. Defeated Level 2 Gremlin Underling. 32XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 7 of 12 Gremlins slain. The gremlin underling was about half a foot taller than the whelp. Its black skin was just starting to wrinkle. Caught somewhere between a baby and an adult, its eyes had been inquisitive, though it showed no more intelligence than its younger predecessor. To Theonix''s disappointment, looting it produced another piece of Dried Gremlin Meat. He had been hoping for something better since it was a different type of gremlin, but perhaps all gremlins dropped the same loot. A third set of gremlin underlings presented themselves about fifteen minutes deeper into the mine. This time, they both Analyzed as an even match. Knowing it would better his chances, Theonix activated Rupture as soon as the monster reached him. Going for his typical overhead swing didn''t fare so well this time. The gremlin underling dodged, though not quickly enough to avoid being hit entirely. Theonix''s hammer clipped the side of its head, ripping part of its ear. Screaming in pain from the injury, the gremlin underling fell back. It gently batted at its wounded ear before narrowing its eyes at him. Congratulations! The skill: Battle Magic has reached Level 2. From adding extra oomph to your attacks to healing yourself when needed, Battle Magic can turn the tides during a fight. You have earned your choice of one additional ability. Please select between one of these two abilities. Fist of Pain Health Cost: 5 Cool Down: 5 minutes Sacrifice 5 Health to do 5 damage to an enemy, negating any buffs or armor that might otherwise prevent them from taking the damage. Bash Mana Cost: 5 Cool Down: 3 minutes Knock down and stun an enemy for 3 seconds. Theonix pushed the notification away. There was no time to look at it while he was in the middle of a battle. As it was, the gremlin underling had already recovered and was rushing toward him. It hissed as it leaped, unable to get as much height as its younger, lighter counterpart. Both arms slashed towards Theonix. He took a quick step back, swinging his hammer to the left. The attack came too early, striking the creature on its shoulder and sending it careering to the floor. Its feet hit the ground, the momentum making it spin. One arm now hanging limply at its side, the monster charged at Theonix in a rage. Spittle fell from its lips as it slashed wildly at him. He had never seen such a ferocious gremlin before. More bewildered than afraid, Theonix swung to the right this time. The creature was too angered to be deterred. It reached toward him, one of its long claws barely scraping against his armor before he sent it sailing several feet away. It fell limp against the wall, leaning against it for support, though it still wasn''t dead. Worried that the gremlin underling would attack again, Theonix rushed over just as it was struggling to its feet. The creature looked up at him, a mix of pain and malice in its beady red eyes. Its arms hung useless at its sides, making it difficult to gain the balance needed to stand. Hisses and garbled gibberish fell from its lips as it...cursed him out? At least, that''s what it seemed like it was doing. Surely, it knew it was done for. In one last ditch effort to do some damage, the gremlin underling crouched down and lunged at him, mouth wide open, pointy teeth ready to sink into whatever it could reach. Theonix''s Worn Battle Hammer caught its head in mid-flight, smashing it down against the ground. The monster''s skull exploded like a watermellon, sending bone and brain matter spraying all over the floor and Theonix''s feet. The smell of old meat and bowels filled the air, mixing with the horrific sight to make his stomach roll. One of the creature''s eyes, popped free from its socket, sat a few inches away from the toe of Theonix''s boot, staring up at him. Defeated Level 4 Gremlin Underling. 64XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 8 of 12 Gremlins slain. "Holy shit," Theonix breathed. That had been rather intense. Wanting to make the grizely scene disappear as quickly as possible, Theonix knelt to loot the body. You have received the following item:
Coal Uses: Combustion Material Sell Price: 7 Silver
All of that for a piece of coal. It was interesting how killing the gremlins was affecting him. Some deaths were less significant, but there were times like this when he actually felt some small level of guilt. The creature had suffered before it had died, which was unfortunate. Theonix preferred for his kills to be clean. He''d have to work on his accuracy and controlling his emotions so that he didn''t strike out so brashly. Once looting the body was done, it was time to turn his attention to other things. There was a blinking asterisk in the upper right of his peripheral vision. Concentrating on it brought back the selection screen. Theonix read over the benefits of each ability. Fist of Pain would be great if it didn''t cost him Health. Then again, of that he had plenty. It might be worth using on weaker foes to one-hit kill them, not that he couldn''t already do that with his weapon. Bash seemed pretty similar to the Stun ability he had just acquired from leveling up. The only real benefit was that it knocked his foe down, too. He wasn''t sure how useful that would be. It also had a higher Mana cost. As he wasn''t particularly impressed with either ability, it was a hard choice to make. In the end, though, he decided that learning Bash was better because it would allow him to stun two foes in battle when combined with his Stun ability, or to stun the same enemy twice for a total of 6 seconds. Congratulations! You have learned the ability Bash. Mana Cost: 5 Cool Down: 3 minutes Knock down and stun an enemy for 3 seconds. With that done, they continued walking down the mine. Thoughts of the gremlin underling''s aggression and desperation haunted Theonix. The creature had honored itself by trying to kill him until the bitter end¡ªnever giving up. He could respect a foe like that. Only when he noticed that the light stopped at a fork in the mine did Theonix tear his thoughts away. Then he groaned internally as he saw two more combustion boxes. "We''re going to have to mine again, aren''t we?" he asked his uncle. "I''m not." Rygn grinned from ear to ear, walking straight up to the combustion box on his side of the tunnel and opening it to fill it with coal. As Theonix stood there watching, a notification popped up.
Quest: You Know the Drill
This ain''t your first rodeo. Mine 12 more coal, fill the combustion box on your side of the tunnel, and flip the switch. Otherwise, you''ll be proceeding in the dark. At least you don''t have to backtrack this time. Difficulty: Very Easy Success: Finish repairing the lighting system Reward: 5 silver Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
"Ugh," Theonix complained under his breath. Tedious. This reminded him of those repetitive games he didn''t really enjoy. Time to bust out his pickaxe again. At least, he only needed 8 coal this time instead of all 12. "Got any more coal for sale?" There was no shame behind the question. If Theonix could cut down on time, he would. "I''m sorry, lad, but yer gonna hafta do tha hard labor this time." Rygn didn''t sound apologetic at all as he flipped the switch on his side and sent light streaming down the left fork. "I suppose this is as good a place to mine as any." Theonix looked at the wall. "But what are you going to do, stand there and watch me?" He gave his uncle an annoyed look. "Nah. I''m gonna head down that side." Rygn pointed his weapon down the left path. "When yer done fixing tha lighting, ya can go down tha other. I should finish before ya an be able ta meet up. Be careful though, there''s usually a boss somewhere in tha mine. If we kill it, that should keep the gremlins from comin'' back long enough fer us ta get more people down here ta keep em'' out." It wasn''t the worst plan. While Theonix would have much preferred for his uncle to stay and help him mine the remaining coal to fill the other combustion box, at least he would be doing something useful. Without having to see the sun, Theonix knew that they were almost out of daylight. They needed to wrap this up quickly if they didn''t want to spend the night in the mine. Once the sun set, gremlins would likely flock to the cave, and they could become overwhelmed. Every second mattered. "Alright," he replied reluctantly, watching as his uncle took the path to the left. "Holler if ya need me," Rygn cast over his shoulder. "Not that I''ll probably be able ta hear ya." This last bit was said under his breath. Theonix shook his head and dug into his bag for a Stamina potion as his uncle walked away. More than likely, he was about to drain all of his Stamina items mining what he needed to complete the quest. As Finborh would have it, Theonix struck coal on his first pick. You have received the following item:
Coal Uses: Combustion Material Sell Price: 7 Silver
Quest Update: You Know the Drill ¨C 5 of 12 coal mined. Maybe this won''t be so bad after all, he thought, hopeful. Three more picks, and he struck coal again. You have received the following item:
Coal Uses: Combustion Material Sell Price: 7 Silver
Quest Update: You Know the Drill ¨C 6 of 12 coal mined. Halfway there. Theonix pulled one of the small bottles of Mine Water from his bag. He uncorked it and drank the entire thing in five long gulps. It had a minerally taste but was still refreshing. Slowly, he felt his strength recovering. The glass bottle that the Mine Water had been in disintegrated, and Theonix took back up his pickaxe to continue with his work. Two more strikes and he drew back his pickaxe sans tip. "What the fuck?" A notification popped up to clarify the situation. Your Starter Pickaxe has broken. As long as an item''s durability hasn''t run out, you can take it in for repair. Once an item''s durability wears out, it can no longer be used and must be replaced. As soon as Theonix pushed the notification away, his Starter Pickaxe disintegrated in his hands. "Oh, what the fuck!?" he screamed, his voice echoing. The frustration tearing through him like a tsunami made him kick the wall. Rubble crumbled at his feet. He kicked it a few more times for good measure, hoping that some coal would magically fall from his efforts. It was a no-go. Trying to calm himself and stop the pulsing pain in his foot, Theonix stepped back, staring at the place where he had been chipping away at the rock. "What am I supposed to do now?" Chapter Nine It was clear that the Basic Pickaxe had appeared in Rygn''s inventory for a reason. Theonix had been meant to buy it, and he had fucked up. Why did he keep messing up? Time wasn''t on his side. Important decisions had to be made, and he felt that the mine needed to be cleared as quickly as possible. Could he have really spared the time to pick up more sticks for torches or mine more coal when he was with his uncle instead of having to deal with this now? It felt like this entire excursion was filled with unexpected lessons. What else of his was about to break? Theonix quickly brought up everything in his inventory that he knew had durability.
Moss Gauntlets Defense: +5 Type: Light Armor Durability: 12/18 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Sell Price: 2 copper
Worn Battle Hammer Attack: +1-2 Type: Two-Handed Weapon Durability: 23/25 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Sell Price: 4 copper
It seemed that the durability of his equipment was decreasing at a relatively slow rate. That made him question why his Starter Pickaxe had broken so quickly. Pondering the mysteries of the durability system wouldn''t solve the problem though. Without a way to mine coal, he couldn''t fill his combustion box which meant he couldn''t travel down the right path and finish clearing out the gremlins. However, some of the gremlins did drop coal, and if he waited long enough, there would undoubtedly be a few traveling down the mine toward the entrance. All he needed to do was wait for them. Alternatively, he could go after his uncle and buy the Basic Pickaxe from him, though that would cause some level of shame¡ªan admittance that he''d screwed up yet again and couldn''t solve his problems on his own. It was the quickest way to finish this, but if there was one thing Theonix had learned, it was that the quickest way wasn''t always the best. No, he had gotten himself into this mess, and he needed to get himself out of it. With a sigh, he stood at the entrance to the right fork listening and waiting. Thankfully, it wasn''t long before he heard the patter of small feet approaching. The two gremlin underlings that appeared from the darkness Analyzed as blue and purple. Theonix took a deep breath, moving toward the stronger of the two. As soon as it was within reach, he summoned the Mana within him and held his hand out. An almost imperceivable vibration floated through the air, striking the creature in the chest and inflicting Stun. The time it took to use the ability was all that the weaker gremlin underling needed to reach him. Theonix grabbed his hammer and swung it at the creature, but the monster ducked, sliding under his defenses to deliver a blow to his thigh. Level 3 Gremlin Underling delivers 15 damage. "Shit." Theonix jumped back. The other gremlin had already shaken off the Stun. Now standing side by side, it seemed that the gremlin underlings were grinning at him, knowing they had the upper hand. They kept their eyes on their prey, bobbing back and forth as they looked for an opening to attack. Theonix was now completely on the defense, waiting, knowing that as soon as he countered one gremlin, the other would swoop in to land a hit. Let''s try this again, he thought to himself, doing his best to hold his weapon up with one hand while he made a fist with the other, then slammed it toward the ground. Again, he targeted the stronger of the two gremlin underlings, activating his Bash ability this time. The creature immediately dropped, and the other took advantage of Theonix''s off-balance stance to try to attack, but when it saw his hammer falling(admittedly more from the weight of it than anything else), it thought better and retreated. Theonix quickly gripped his Worn Battle Hammer with both hands again, then lunged forward to slam it on top of the weaker gremlin underling''s head. It jumped back a second too late, the hammer clipping its brow and knocking it to the ground. As it desperately tried to scramble to its feet, Theonix smashed the face of his hammer down onto it again, this time landing a square hit and vanquishing his foe. Defeated Level 3 Gremlin Underling. 48XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 9 of 12 Gremlins slain.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The effects of Bash had worn off of the stronger gremlin, and it was in the process of trying to stand. Theonix took a shorter swing at it, just wanting to knock it to the ground again. It rolled out of the way, its claws digging into the dirt so that it landed on all fours, then immediately righted itself. The monster hissed at its attacker, then lunged forward. Surprised by the gremlin underling''s speed, Theonix was unable to dodge. With surprising power, it latched onto his waist. Sharp claws slashed at his armor again and again, sending blood and shreds of fabric flying into the air. Level 4 Gremlin Underling delivers 20 damage. Not good. Not good at all. Pain assaulted him, and his Health was already more than halfway depleted. Trying to escape the gremlin underling, Theonix took a few steps back, but the monster had a relentless grip with its legs. It continued to maul his chest, hissing all the while. Level 4 Gremlin Underling delivers 20 damage. In a panic, Theonix tripped over his own feet, falling on his back with the monster on top of him. It took them both a moment to recover, the gremlin underling straightening itself and pulling its long arms back to continue its assault. Theonix dropped his hammer and activated Pummel, punching the creature in its face. The gremlin underling toppled over which gave Theonix the chance to roll away. His flesh seared as dirt clung to his chest. Large droplets of blood fell to the ground when he pushed himself up onto all fours, feeling like it was taking his insides with it. A quick glance to both sides showed that his Worn Battle Hammer and the gremlin underling were an equal distance away. The only problem was that the gremlin underling was already getting up. There was no way he''d be able to reach his hammer before it attacked again, and with only 42 Health points left, one fatal move could cost him his life. Making a decision purely based on instinct, Theonix forced himself toward the gremlin underling, shouldering it back over onto its side. As soon as the monster was down again, he reached for its arms. The creature''s long appendages flailed at him, managing to scratch his skin and causing him to readjust his grip further down toward its wrists. Level 4 Gremlin Underling delivers 7 damage. Not far enough. As soon as the gremlin underling had enough room to move, it swung its head up, sinking its teeth deep into his forearm. Level 4 Gremlin Underling delivers 20 damage. "Gah!" A bellow of pain erupted from Theonix''s throat. One more bite or swipe of the gremlin underling''s sharp claws and he''d be dead. Desperation made him lose all rationality. Using the arm that wasn''t currently being chewed on, Theonix moved his grip up from the creature''s wrist to its bicep. Then he headbutted the tenacious thing. Its teeth sunk deeper, delivering 5 more damage and taking off a large chunk of flesh. This is it. It''s him or me. That was the only thought in Theonix''s mind as he headbutted the creature over and over again with everything he had. It grunted when its mouth tore away from him, spitting a clump of Theonix''s own arm into his face. 5 more Health lost from the injuries that he was causing himself from using his thick skull as a weapon, but eventually, the gremlin underling stopped moving, its smaller frame unable to handle the impact. Defeated Level 4 Gremlin Underling. 64XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 10 of 12 Gremlins slain. Nothing mattered except for the blinking red bar in the corner of Theonix''s peripheral vision that was almost completely depleted. He felt like he might pass out at any moment, the blood loss finally getting to him. If he did that, he would undoubtedly die when the next round of gremlin underlings came. Mustering up what little strength he had left, Theonix dug into his bag for whatever healing items he could grab. He quickly downed a Potion of Minor Healing, then shoved a piece of Dried Gremlin Meat into his maw. A strange sour flavor assaulted his tastebuds as he ground his teeth into it. Chewing was taking way too much effort, so he followed the Dried Gremlin Meat up with another Potion of Minor Healing. Theonix laid there as his wounds began to heal, his muscles and skin tingling as he felt the potions going to work. The pain started to subside, little by little mending from unbearable to uncomfortable. Still, he continued to lay there, not wanting to get up. That fight had taken everything out of him both physically and emotionally. His near death was too surreal. I underestimated my foes again. I fucked up again. The pitter patter of feet caused Theonix to fly into a sitting position. Fear the likes of which he hadn''t experienced since this whole ordeal had begun filled him. He wasn''t sure if he was ready to face more gremlin underlings. Not when he was still so shaken from his last encounter. As quickly as possible, he looted both of the bodies, closing the item notifications as soon as they appeared. Then he jogged down the path that his uncle had taken. Chapter Ten Theonix didn''t even bother checking what he had received as loot until he was a safe distance away from the gremlin underlings. A safe distance was where he couldn''t hear their feet padding towards him anymore. He felt like a coward for fleeing, but that last battle had nearly cost him his life, and he wanted to be better prepared before he faced the enemy again. You have received the following items:
Coal Uses: Combustion Material Sell Price: 7 Silver
Mine Water Uses: Drink. Restores 90 Stamina over 90 Seconds Sell Price: 1 Copper
Quest Update: You Know the Drill ¨C 7 of 12 coal mined. Mulling over everything that had happened during that last melee, Theonix walked at a leisurely pace. Screw the time. He kept feeling like he needed to hurry up, yet everything in The Realm seemed to be telling him to slow down. Theonix decided to take The Realm''s cue. What had gone wrong? Perhaps it had been attempting to use Stun in the first place. The few seconds it had taken to activate the ability had given the weaker gremlin underling a chance to attack. At the time, he had thought that disabling the stronger one should be his priority. Theonix hadn''t even seen the other gremlin underling as a threat. And to be honest, it really hadn''t been. Sure, it had evaded his first attack and dealt a little damage, but in the grand scheme of things, it had been relatively easy to kill. His second attempt at stunning the stronger foe with Bash had been more successful. It had allowed him to finish off the weaker of the two. Taking that swing at the more powerful gremling underling as it was recovering was when everything really started to go to shit. No matter how Theonix spun it, he couldn''t find the error in his battle strategy, only in his ignorance and bad luck. How could he have predicted that the gremlin underling would be able to make it back to its feet so quickly after it had rolled? Or that it would be able to cling to him with such strength? The only mistake Theonix could see that was blatantly his was not immediately trying to pin the gremlin underling down by the wrists. Now that he thought about it, perhaps it would have been smarter to go for his Worn Battle Hammer. But with his back turned, the monster could have jumped onto him and slit his throat. No, he definitely didn''t see a smooth end to that battle no matter what choice he had made. Theonix walked until he came to another fork in the mine. This time, light streamed down both paths. Rygn must have stopped to fill both combustion boxes. That was a bit unlucky considering that Theonix now had no idea which way his uncle had gone. "Just my luck," he grumbled under his breath, his eyes moving from left to right. Moldings wrap and gremlins bite. A good wench keeps ya up all night. In tha rock, we like ta mine. This choice will end up just fine. Theonix chanted as he pointed to a different path for each syllable. It was a poem he had learned at a tavern while playing a drinking game, but he figured it would work just as well in this situation. By the end, his finger was leaning to the right. ¡°Guess this one¡¯s it.¡± He took a deep breath, hoping he¡¯d chosen the correct path.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. About eight minutes in, Theonix heard a sound in the distance that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. At first, he had thought he had gone the right way. All had seemed clear. But now he was questioning himself. More than that, he was questioning if he should turn around. Gremlins of some variety were coming. Theonix could avoid them by retreating, but that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d be able to avoid the next batch that entered the mine. When he really thought about it, no direction was safe. Whether Theonix wanted to or not, he¡¯d have to face them again eventually. Running now could lead to being caught between two groups of gremlins later. It wasn¡¯t worth the risk. He needed to dwarf up and face the threat head-on. Every mistake that Theonix had made raced through his mind as he readied his hammer and waited for his attackers to come into view. A quick check of his stats told him that he wasn¡¯t quite battle-ready. Theonix set his hammer down and rested the handle against his knee, then dug into his bag for potions. Already, he felt like he had made a grave mistake by not being prepared. By the time Theonix was able to double fist a Potion of Minor Stamina and a Potion of Minor Healing, the two gremlin underlings were in view and racing toward him. Shit. He still only had 110 Stamina. How could he have been such an idiot as to not think he''d engage in combat again before he reached his uncle? This was a noob mistake. Tossing the empty vials aside before they had a chance to disintegrate, Theonix took back up his weapon. He was barely able to Analyze both gremlin underlings before they reached him. It was the same setup as before, with the weaker foe on his left and the equally matched one on his right. The time wasted drinking the potions immediately put him at a disadvantage. Both gremlin underlings were on Theonix before he was able to ready his weapon. Instead, he had to use the handle to block against the stronger monster''s incoming swing. The weaker foe flanked his left side, immediately swiping at him as soon as it was within range. Though not a talented jumper, Theonix was somehow able to dodge the blow with a quick leap to his right, putting both of his enemies in front of him again. His heels dug into the dirt, and he used the momentum to lift his Worn Battle Hammer and swing it at a wide arch to the left. By some miracle, he caught the stronger foe off guard, hitting it on the side of the head and sending it flying into the other gremlin underling. Both monsters fell over, and Theonix wasn''t about to let them right themselves again. Using Rupture and a powerful overhead swing, he tried to kill two birds with one stone. The gremlin underlings were stacked, though the weaker one''s head was out of range. If he was able to hit hard enough, he might be able to damage its internal organs. The stronger monster looked up just as the face of Theonix''s hammer was descending on its skull. It made a feeble attempt to escape the blow, but blindly placing its hand on its comrade, the hand just rolled off, leaving it helpless. Theonix''s weapon came down with a sickening thud, but not before the weaker of the two gremlin underlings was able to scramble out of the way. Well, mostly. Its left foot was caught under the weight of its friend''s crashing head, and it screamed in agony as its bones were crushed. Defeated Level 4 Gremlin Underling. 64XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 11 of 12 Gremlins slain. Theonix immediately pushed the notifications away and turned his attention to the gremlin underling that was busy forcing itself up onto its one good foot. It looked afraid, and that made Theonix''s chest swell with confidence. He would show no mercy. This was his moment¡ªthe moment when he did everything right. Letting out a victory cry, he put all of his weight into his next swing, pulling his hammer to the right with such force that the gremlin underling''s body exploded when it hit the wall. The sack of now lifeless bones and flesh peeled off and fell, leaving a sizeable red splatter behind. Blood dripped down the wall, rejoining the corpse it had come from. Defeated Level 3 Gremlin Underling. 48XP rewarded. Quest Update: Rid Ponoisle Mines of Gremlins ¨C 12 of 12 Gremlins slain. Theonix''s eyes danced from body to body, taking in the carnage around him. His chest heaved as he caught his breath. Perhaps he had been a bit overzealous again, but there had been no folly in it, so he wasn''t going to chastise himself. For the first time ever, he had engaged in battle with two foes and come out on the other end without sustaining a single injury. It was an incredible feeling, especially when his opponents, combined, had been stronger than he was. Unfortunately, there wasn''t much time to celebrate. More footsteps could be heard in the distance, but these did not belong to gremlin whelps or underlings. Theonix could tell that these footsteps belonged to something much bigger. Chapter Eleven To run or not to run, that is the question. Whatever was coming his way was obscured by a curve in the tunnel. The same thought that had passed through Theonix''s mind when the gremlin underlings were approaching assaulted him again. If he did run, he''d likely end up encountering other enemies. Putting distance between him and this larger monster might be a smarter move, though. At least, Theonix knew he could take on the gremlin underlings and win. As for this new threat, he wasn''t quite so sure. Theonix turned slightly, preparing to take off at a sprint, though his head remained glued in the direction of the footsteps. Having no idea of the creature''s speed, waiting for it to come around the bend might not be such a good idea. Gremlins were fast¡ªtypically faster than Dwarves as far as running was concerned. If this monster saw him, there would likely be no choice other than to fight it. As soon as Theonix saw the creature''s shadow, he began walking back from whence he had come. I should have run. He silently cursed his own stupidity. Theonix would likely not be able to make it out of range of being seen before the creature rounded the corner. Another grave mistake in a long string of fuck-ups. Hopefully, Rygn was near enough that he''d hear Theonix if he had to shout for help. Then again, that would likely draw more gremlin underlings to him, too. He picked up the pace, glancing back every once in a while. Thankfully, whatever lurked around the bend didn''t seem to be in any hurry. In fact, it seemed to be slowing down. By some miracle, Theonix was able to make it around the next corner before the creature exposed itself. While he should have continued going, curiosity made him stop. Theonix took a deep breath and blew it out steadily. Had he just encountered the boss monster? Shouldn''t he know for sure so that he could inform his uncle? Footsteps could no longer be heard. Perhaps the monster had turned around and gone back the way it had come. Theonix''s heart drummed against his chest as he thought about what to do. Silent minutes ticked by while he mulled over his decision. Follow or keep running. Though he didn''t want to be seen as a coward, it was better to be a coward than to be dead. If it is the boss, then I won''t have to finish the quest to fill the combustion box to light the other path. We can come back here, fight the boss, and be done for the day. But I''ll still need to find my uncle. I can''t fight it alone. There was no way to sufficiently plan without knowing what he was up against. More than likely, the monster had turned around and headed back down the mine. As long as it wasn''t moving in his direction, maybe it would be safe to follow it long enough to see what the threat actually was. Summoning his courage, Theonix peeked around the corner, and his heart lurched up into his throat as he came face to face with a set of brown eyes. There was no stifling the scream that tore through him. Thankfully, the hand that clasped over his mouth did that for him. But the effort was too forced¡ªthe pressure too great¡ªand he ended up being pushed back onto his ass. The serious expression on Rygn¡¯s face cracked for half a second into a chuckle. Then he shook his head and reached down to pull his nephew from the floor. ¡°If ey had been tha boss, ye¡¯d be dead right now.¡± Theonix pinched his eyes together. ¡°You about scared me to death!¡± ¡°What in tha heck were ya doin¡¯ sneakin¡¯ around? Did ya clear yer side of the mine already?¡± He kept his voice low, indicating that Theonix should do the same. ¡°My fucking pickaxe broke.¡± Theonix couldn¡¯t hide his frustration. Rygn smirked. ¡°That¡¯s what ya get fer bein¡¯ ill-prepared.¡± He tapped his nephew¡¯s forehead hard enough to make Theonix wince. ¡°But it don¡¯t matter anyway. Ey found tha boss.¡± ¡°You did?¡± Theonix¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s down that way.¡± Rygn thumbed back in the direction he had come from. ¡°We lucked out. Tha mine is newly infested. That¡¯s why we haven¡¯t seen any larger gremlins.¡± He gave his uncle a queer look. ¡°I¡¯m not following.¡± ¡°Tha boss is just a gremlin mother. Mind ya, she¡¯s more powerful than her whelps an underlings, but nothing that ya can¡¯t handle.¡± The second Rygn finished speaking, a notification popped up.
Quest: Defeat the Boss of Ponoisle Mine
Rygnuhdruhr Madguard has ventured ahead and discovered that the boss of Ponoisle Mine is a Gremlin Mother. She will do whatever it takes to maintain her claim on the mine, so you best be prepared. Defeating her is the only way to rid Ponoisle Mine of the gremlins currently inhabiting it. Difficulty: Hard Success: Defeat the Gremlin Mother Reward: 2 silver, 5 copper, 5 Potions of Minor Mana Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
This was the first Hard quest that Theonix had been offered, which made him a bit nervous, but there was no way he had come this far just to back out now. When he accepted, the notification went away. ¡°Speakin¡¯ of which,¡± Rygn continued, ¡°it looks like ya filled yer gremlin quota.¡± Theonix nodded, and another notification popped up. Congratulations! Quest: Rid Ponoisle Mine of Gremlins has been completed. The onslaught of gremlin whelps and underlings proved to be a nuisance, but you''ve cleared your share. You have earned 1 gold and 200XP. You have also received the following items:
Potion of Minor Healing Quantity: 3 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Heals 30 HP Sell Price: 1 Silver, 1 Copper each
Dwarven Pants Defense: +4 Type: Light Armor Durability: 40/40 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Sell Price: 2 copper
TRING! Congratulations! You are now Level 5! Your base stats have been boosted. You have earned 3 points to assign to your characteristics. Please note that adding points to some characteristics(Vitality, Intelligence, and Strength) will further boost your base stats. You may also advance any 1 skill of your choosing by 1 level. Congratulations! You have learned the ability Armor Up. Mana Cost: 5 Cool Down: 5 minutes Increases your overall armor by +10 for 5 minutes. Ohhh, this ability would be super useful. Time to check out his character sheet to see where improvement was needed.
Name: Theonix Madguard Race: DwarfUnauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Class: Battle Mage Level: 5, 17% of the way to next level Health: 125 / 150 Mana: 52 / 150 Stamina: 105 / 190 Vitality: 11 Intelligence: 11 Strength: 15 Agility: 11 Dexterity: 11 Charisma: 10 Luck: 10 Skills: Analyze Lvl 3; 53% of the way to next level Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 5; 28% of the way to next level Gathering Lvl 1; 40% of the way to next level Battle Magic Lvl 2; 40% of the way to next level Mining Lvl 3; 33% of the way to next level Languages: Dwarvish
Looking at his skills first this time, Theonix decided to save the leveling ability for later. Everything was too far along for him to want to waste it. The battle with the gremlin underling that had almost cost Theonix his life made him immediately throw a point into Vitality. If he was about to face a boss, then perhaps it would be better to toss two points that way, but he had a lot of healing items, so he didn¡¯t think it was particularly necessary. What he lacked was Mana, but using a point to increase his Intelligence wouldn¡¯t increase what Mana he had left, so it didn¡¯t feel worth it. Not entirely sure of what he needed most right now, Theonix decided to increase his Agility, and then for the hell of it, throw a point into Luck. He didn''t know if he was unlucky or just stupid, but not much had gone right for him since the day had begun. After Theonix closed his character sheet, Rygn walked up to him. ¡°Ey suppose ya might need ta do a bit a restockin¡¯.¡± Immediately, the bartering screen popped up.
Dried Gremlin Meat Quantity: 14 Uses: Food. Restores 30 Health over 30 Seconds. Buy Price: 4 copper
Mine Water Quantity: 8 Uses: Drink. Restores 90 Stamina over 90 Seconds Buy Price: 2 Copper
Potion of Minor Stamina Quantity: 3 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Restores 30 Stamina. Buy Price: 1 Silver, 2 Copper each
Potion of Minor Healing Quantity: 3 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Heals 30 HP Sell Price: 1 Silver, 1 Copper each
Potion of Minor Mana Quantity: 6 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Restores 30 Mana. Buy Price: 1 Silver, 4 Copper each
Coin Pouch Inventory Slots: 1 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Buy Price: 2 Copper
Basic Pickaxe Attack: +1-2 Type: Two-Handed Durability: 30/30 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Mining, Weapon Buy Price: 189 Gold, 9 Copper
Gremlin-skin Pants Defense: +6 Type: Light Armor Durability: 40/40 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Buy Price: 4 copper
Rusted Pitchfork Attack: +2-4 Type: Two-Handed Weapon Durability: 35/35 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Buy Price: 9 silver, 2 copper
Theonix was surprised to see a few new items added to the list. Finally, mana potions! There had to be some in this gods-forsaken mine. The other two things of interest were the Gremlin-skin Pants and the Rusted Pitchfork. After having just earned a pair of pants from completing the gremlin killing quest, albeit inferior, Theonix was torn about purchasing the better ones. Why couldn''t his uncle have found a shirt or some other useful piece of armor that Theonix didn''t have yet? The luck of the draw, he supposed. Still, it was unfortunate. The fact that a Rusted Pitchfork was stronger than his Worn Battle Hammer was almost laughable. A pitchfork? Really? His eyes did not deceive him, though. Screw it. I have the coin. Besides, this is going to be a boss fight. Not just these weak gremlins that I''ve been beating so far. Sucking back his apprehension, Theonix once more cleaned Rygn out of supplies, leaving only the Coin Pouch, Basic Pickaxe, and Dried Gremlin Meat behind. He could have purchased the Basic Pickaxe and finished up the You Know the Drill quest, but what was the point of lighting the rest of the mine when he already knew where the boss monster was. Once they defeated her, they could go home. Besides, completing the quest wouldn''t level him up again anyway unless he came across more gremlin underlings to slay along the line. And that would just drain him of potions. Theonix sold his Worn Battle Hammer, Dwarven Pants, and Dried Gremlin Meat to his uncle. He thought about selling the rest of his coal as well but decided to keep it for future use. Once he was done, he equipped his new items. After slinging the heavy hammer around for so long, the Rusted Pitchfork seemed unnaturally light. Hopefully, his unfamiliarity with it wouldn''t prove to be a hindrance in battle. "Ya should probably fully heal up before we go inta this battle," Rygn reminded him. Taking his uncle''s advice, Theonix drank a Mine Water and three Potions of Minor Mana. The blue liquid inside the small vials was thick and syrupy, tasting of blueberries. He felt no different after drinking them, but a quick look at his status bars let him know that the concoction had done its job. "I''m ready," Theonix told his uncle when he was done making preparations. The two men faced the depths of the mine and proceeded onward toward the boss. Chapter Twelve The gremlin mother was surprisingly big¡ªas far as gremlins go. Only a foot shorter than Theonix, her wrinkled skin was tinted red. Looking lazier than her offspring, she sat in the middle of a large chamber at the end of the mine, her legs spread out to either side, saggy teets hanging from her chest like sad squashes. They were so long that they almost touched the floor. In her meaty fist, she loosely gripped a large wooden cudgel. The only intimidating thing about her was the fact that she Analyzed as yellow¡ªa challenging foe to defeat. Theonix had fully expected her to Analyze as orange, since this was a hard quest. ¡°What¡¯s our plan of attack?¡± he asked as they hid behind the bend that separated them from the path to their enemy. ¡°Yew take tha gremlin mother, an I¡¯ll handle anything else that approaches,¡± Rygn told him. It seemed simple enough. They¡¯d had the good fortune of not running into any additional gremlin underlings on their way to the boss¡¯ location. Then again, there wasn¡¯t exactly anywhere they could have come from but behind. ¡°Are ya ready, lad?¡± ¡°She looks slow,¡± Theonix noted. ¡°That''s cause she''s restin''. It''s gotta be hard nursin'' a full brood a gremlins. She''ll become more lively when we attack.¡± His eyes raked up and down the Rusted Pitchfork in his hands, still feeling that it was an inferior weapon. Maybe he should have kept the Worn Battle Hammer after all. ¡°It won¡¯t be much longer before more gremlins come this way. We should make it quick,¡± Rygn urged him on. Theonix nodded. His uncle was right; it was now or never. Summoning the Mana inside of him, Theonix activated Armor Up. His skin grew thicker, becoming an armor of its own. Feeling the added protection gave him courage. Taking a deep breath, he rolled around the corner. As soon as the gremlin mother saw him, she stirred, her bat-like ears perking up. Despite the oncoming assault, she was slow to stand, using her cudgel as a cane to help her rise from the floor. Pulling her ears back, the creature hissed at him, lifting her weapon. Theonix wasn¡¯t exactly sure how to approach. One thing he did like about the Rusted Pitchfork was that it gave him a longer reach, which seemed necessary in this fight due to the gremlin mother¡¯s sheer size. Her limbs were long and lanky, providing a good distance between her weapon and her body. Landing a hit with the hammer would have put him at too close-range to her. Theonix held up his pitchfork, taking a few cursory stabs. The gremlin mother was able to block them easily enough. She looked at him as more of a nuisance than a threat, though she wasn¡¯t particularly hostile either. More than anything, she just hissed at him, perhaps taking her time to find an opening instead of attacking blindly. ¡°Get in there,¡± Rygn enjoined impatiently, and Theonix soon discovered why. The familiar sound of footsteps padding their way meant that more foes were coming. Theonix turned for a split second to see how many. That one distraction was all the gremlin mother needed. There was a searing pain in the side of Theonix''s head followed by a sharp ringing noise as the cudgel made contact with his ear and sent him stumbling to the side. Level 7 Gremlin Mother delivers 35 damage. It was a near fall, caught at a kneel with his hand on the ground. Using the same overhead swinging tactic that Theonix favored, she hit him again, this time square in the back, knocking the breath out of him with an oomph as his chest made contact with the ground. Level 7 Gremlin Mother delivers 35 damage. The next thing he saw was the cudgel flying towards his head. Survival instincts kicked in, and Theonix rolled out of the way. Dirt flew up into the air from the force of the swing. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, but not before the gremlin mother was on him again. Theonix had to leap to the right to avoid the cudgel slamming into his side, though he lost his balance when dodging and ended up on the floor again. The Rusted Pitchfork lay a few feet away. He rolled for it. Not the smartest move, Theonix realized a second later when the gremlin mother kicked him, sending him off course. Level 7 Gremlin Mother delivers 35 damage. His fingertips grazed the handle of the weapon, and he had to army crawl a foot to finally reach it. By that time, the gremlin mother was preparing to swing down at him again. Using all of his strength, he plunged the fork up into one of her teets. It was an awkward angle with not much force behind the stab, but it still did the job. The monster screamed, waving her cudgel above her head. Milky blood leaked from the wound when Theonix pulled back. His stomach turned from the sight of it, but this was no time to be a pussy. He needed to use the distraction to get away and heal. Retreating to the other side of the chamber as the gremlin mother took time to register the pain she was in, Theonix dug into his bag for three Potions of Minor Healing. It was a difficult task since running with the pitchfork tucked under one arm was awkward. He shakily downed all three potions in quick succession, thankful that his foe was too fixated on her wound to attack. By the time he had tossed the three vials aside, she was over it, and she looked pissed. Shit. If only he had had time to drink one more. His Health was only healed up to 110 points, but that would have to be enough for now. Grunts and the soft clanking of metal came from the direction where Rygn was now engaged in battle with the gremlin underlings. It took everything in Theonix not to be distracted by it. His instincts made him want to keep an eye on his uncle to make sure that he was all right, but Theonix had his own fight to worry about. Now that he''d struck a blow, the gremlin mother seemed much more engaged. She took slow steps toward him, her lips peeled back in a snarl. Theonix shifted his weight, holding his weapon in front of him, refusing to give up ground. Clearly not afraid of him, the monster used her cudgel in a surprising move to knock his pitchfork aside, then swiped forward with a long, clawed hand. Her nails raked across the front of Theonix''s shirt, digging into the soft skin beneath his chest and causing him to wince. Level 7 Gremlin Mother delivers 11 damage. The advantage Theonix had acknowledged in the reach of the Rusted Pitchfork now seemed a disadvantage as he found himself retreating toward the wall. He had no choice but to back up if he wanted to use his weapon. Jogging around the gremlin mother, Theonix tried striking at her side. This time, the prongs pierced her right shoulder. Again, she cried out, pulling away. For all the damage that Theonix was doing, none of the hits were critical or even anywhere near a vital organ. He needed to go for the monster''s neck. It was the most vulnerable spot on her body that was easily reachable. Unlike before, when her pain had stunned her, the gremlin mother rotated as Theonix tried to round her. Holding her injured shoulder with her left hand, she didn''t seem willing to switch her weapon over to her non-dominant hand. Theonix stabbed at the creature again, this time going for the sweet spot, but she raised her cudgel in time to block. The first set of gremlin underlings had fallen to Rygn''s ax, but a second wave was already approaching. Theonix wondered how long his uncle would be able to hold the gremlin offspring off before he gave in to exhaustion. He needed to finish this quickly. Damn it! Maybe if I... Theonix activated Rupture, but the gremlin mother was ready for it. He had hoped the attack would break through her defense. With her cudgel held in front of her to block, it only pushed her back. The saving grace was that the sheer force of the attack made her fall over. Taking advantage of the situation, Theonix dove in and used Stun. It was a hit! The gremlin mother laid there paralyzed, looking up at him in a panic. Three seconds was all that Theonix needed to right himself and plunge his Rusted Pitchfork into the monster''s throat. A gurgled cry erupted from her mouth, and the second that Stun wore off, she flailed her arms. Theonix put all of his weight into driving the prongs in deeper, pushed through muscle and sinew and skin to come out the other side. He kept the pressure as he waited for her to choke to death on her own blood. It was a slow death¡ªone he might have felt guilty for had she not landed so many hits on him at the start of the battle. Blood oozed from the corners of the gremlin mother''s mouth. As she coughed, her body convulsed. Finally, after what seemed like a short forever but was probably closer to thirty seconds, the monster''s chest heaved one last time before her body went limp, the glow in her red eyes dulling from the surrender to death. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Defeated Level 7 Gremlin Mother. 140XP rewarded. Exhausted from the fight, Theonix continued to lean on his pitchfork to catch his breath. Moments later, he heard heavy footsteps plodding up behind him. A quick turn of his head showed Rygn coming to join him, his armor blood-stained from fighting. ¡°Ya did it, lad!¡± Rygn slapped Theonix on the back. Congratulations! Quest: Defeat the Boss of Ponoisle Mine has been completed. You have defeated the Gremlin Mother. The rest of the gremlin underlings and whelps will now flee the mine from fear of the loss of her protection. The mountain king will surely be grateful for your efforts. You have earned 2 silver, 5 copper, and 300XP. You have also received the following items:
Potion of Minor Mana Quantity: 5 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Uses: Restores 30 Mana. Sell Price: 7 Copper each
TRING! Congratulations! You are now Level 6! Your base stats have been boosted. You have earned 3 points to assign to your characteristics. Please note that adding points to some characteristics(Vitality, Intelligence, and Strength) will further boost your base stats. You may also advance any 1 skill of your choosing by 1 level. Congratulations! You have learned the ability Pummel II. Mana Cost: 10 Cool Down: 5 minutes Adds 20% of your remaining Health to an unarmed attack. Upon seeing the level up notification, Theonix remembered that he hadn''t even used his last skill leveling ability. Perhaps he''d save this one too since none of his skills had leveled during the boss fight. There was no harm in waiting to use the perk. "That was a bit tough," Theonix admitted as he pushed the notifications away and stared down at the body. "Ey, but I think ya handled it like a champ. Yer father will be proud." Rygn beamed at him. "I hope so." Theonix offered a soft smile. "This will bring me one step closer to working for the king." "Indeed. But," Rygn cocked his head to the side, "ya still have a little way ta go before ya get there. There will be more quests in yer future, an ey won''t always be around ta protect ya." "No, you won''t. But you''ve taught me well. I think I can handle myself from this point on." "That''s certainly good ta hear." Rygn patted him on the back a few times before dropping his arm to his side. "Ya just have one more piece a business ta take care a before we can leave here." "What''s that?" Theonix glanced over at him. A smirk crept across Rygn''s face. "Ya gotta collect yer boss loot." When Theonix looked back down at where the gremlin mother''s body had been, there was now a large gold chest in her place. Excitement and greed welled up inside of him as he knelt to unlatch it. This was where all of his efforts finally paid off. This was the good stuff.
Protector''s Cudgel Attack: +2-4 Type: Two-Handed Weapon Durability: 35/35 Item Class: Common Quality: Average Sell Price: 3 Silver
Linen Cloak Defense: +2 Type: Light Armor Item Class: Common Quality: Average Sell Price: 1 Silver, 9 Copper
Teleportation Pendant Uses: Can be used to instantly teleport to towns you''ve already visited. Can only be used once every 24 hours. Soulbound. Durability: Limitless Item Class: Epic Quality: Average
Nothing was as fascinating to Theonix as the Teleportation Pendant. It lay at the bottom of the chest; its long silver chain snaked beneath a teardrop-shaped piece of silver about half the size of Theonix''s palm. In the center was a sparkling amethyst. He picked up the pendant to get a better look. Stamped into the metal was writing in a language unknown to him. There were cursive-like qualities to the text mixed in with hard, blocky edges. "Is this a type of Elvish?" Theonix turned his head slightly toward his uncle, not taking his eyes away from the pendant. "It''s said that Teleportation Pendants were forged by the gods themselves. Tha language belongs ta all a us but is readable by none, though I''m sure the elves would tell ya otherwise." He grunted, then continued to mutter about how the elves pretended to know everything. "Anyway, ya should put it on. I''m relieved that was in tha box. Now we don''t have ta walk back." "How do I use it?" Theonix asked as he placed the pendant around his neck. Instantly, he felt like he would never be parted from it again. This was the item''s Soulbound quality. "Simply think about home, and ye shall be transported there." "Think of home," Theonix parroted, grasping the pendant firmly in his palm as he held it over his chest. "Ya might want ta¡ª" Rygn''s words were chopped off as Theonix closed his eyes and became lost in thought. Home should be the small village of Starpoint up in The Motionless Mountains. That''s where he had been born and raised. Yet it wasn''t. As he tried to remember his home, his mind became warped and confused. A staticky image of his straw mattress was replaced by a strange bed of metal and memory foam. As the image began to clarify, Theo realized that it was the former of the two that was strange. Why would Theo ever sleep on a straw mattress? What were these remnants of a memory where he lived in a hovel filled with earthy scents and the chill of mountain air? That wasn''t his reality at all. He lived in a high-rise in Austin, Texas. It was hot as hell in Austin and smelled more of exhaust than clean air. Oxygen sucked into Theo''s lungs to the point that they burned, and he shot up into a sitting position. His head felt heavy, and there was a stabbing sensation in both temples that quickly spread into a full-blown headache. The sound of beeping to his right amplified, and a woman in a nurse outfit quickly rushed to his side. "Calm down. It''s going to be okay. You''re okay." The nurse soothed Theo as she helped him take the helmet off. He glanced over and recognized the Radical Interactive logo on the front of her stark white scrubs. Then everything came back to him in a whoosh of information. What he had just experienced hadn''t been real at all. It had been The Realm. Chapter Thirteen Nancy. I failed her. Theo stared at the sleeping bodies still locked inside of their new realities. A few of the beds were empty, the participants having woken and moved to the cafeteria for breakfast. He would be permitted to join them as soon as he felt physically ready. Then it would be back to the small conference room to fill out a questionnaire about his experience. Mostly, Theo was angry. While everything had seemed real at the time, he hated that his entire identity had been stripped away as soon as he had entered the simulation. That wasn''t the level of immersion he had wanted. Wasn''t he supposed to have gotten a choice? That''s what Crystal Fedler had told them before the demo had begun. But Theo hadn''t felt like he''d had a choice at all. If he had, he definitely would have spent all of his time looking for Nancy, not traipsing around some stupid mine killing a bunch of noob enemies. It was a lost opportunity, and Theo couldn''t even tell if it was his fault or not. Numbly, he dragged himself to the cafeteria. As he ate, he listened to the excited chatter about how amazing the game had been, but he didn''t feel that way at all. Sure, leading a completely different life had been interesting. Many would see it as the best gaming experience ever. But having gone in with a goal and feeling like he had no power over accomplishing it, Theo considered The Realm Online more a prison than an escape. Perhaps his personal interests were getting in the way, but he couldn''t help but think that there was something nefarious about the game. Looking past the fact that he had little control over his location or the course of the story, Theo had a lot of other gripes. It was clear that what he''d gone through had been a tutorial of sorts, yet he felt that there was too much left to ambiguity. How could he have possibly known that he was going to need more sticks than the two he had been sent to collect for torches? Or that his pickaxe was going to run out of durability? Or that he was going to return to his own world whenever he used the Teleportation Pendant? The list went on and on. Hell, he hadn''t even been able to finish looting the boss monster before he was sent back. Had he known what was going to happen, he would have stayed in the game much longer. Not wanting to bring everyone else around him down, Theo kept most of his thoughts to himself. It was clear that the rest of the group was looking for the ultimate escape, and this was it. No one else had gone in even wanting to think about the outside world. Of course, they''d all be satisfied. It took a while for the remainder of the participants to wake up. Theo had been one of the first, probably because he hadn''t taken the time to fully explore his surroundings or kill excess monsters. That was clear by the bragging he heard from those who had reached level 10+. Maybe VRMMOs just weren''t his thing. He was too used to fast-paced MOBAs. Perhaps, subconsciously, that''s why everything had seemed like it needed to be rushed. When they all returned to the small conference room, Crystal Fedler was waiting with a look of nervous anticipation. The demo had not gone off without a hitch. Theo wasn''t the only one who had endured an unpleasant experience when coming to. The first player who had woken up, a woman in her mid-thirties, hadn''t even made it an hour into the demo because she had started freaking out. Ignoring the rules, she''d had a bunch of stimulants throughout the day. The game had done its job to force her into full immersion, but her brain wouldn''t accept it, and the tug and pull between the Felote and her consciousness had caused her to have a full-blown panic attack. Understandably not wanting to try again, she had already taken her leave. "How did you guys like it?" Crystal asked, her eyes hopped from happy face to happy face. When she noticed that Theo wasn''t smiling, she quickly passed over him. "It was fun, wasn''t it?" A chorus of agreement rose from the crowd. "I''ve been given five minutes to answer your questions. After that, you will be required to fill out a questionnaire. Now," Crystal clasped her hands together, "is there anything you''d like to ask about your experience or the future of The Realm Online?" Almost every person in the room shot their arm into the sky. Theo groaned internally at his competition. With so many people wanting to ask questions and only five minutes to get answers, the odds of her picking him before the window of opportunity closed was slim. Not surprisingly, the first person she chose was one of the investors. Also not surprisingly, his question had nothing to do with the gameplay itself. He asked about the anticipated release day for The Realm Online and projected sales for the first year. "We don''t have a solid release date planned yet," Crystal told him. "You guys are the first outside group ever to test the functionality of the game. We will take your feedback and the data we gathered and be making changes accordingly. Having said that, we are currently unable to project sales for the first year, though I can tell you that it will be in the billions." A collective excited gasp erupted from the investors in the room. While the answer wasn''t specific, it clearly pleased them. People flailed their hands in the air when Crystal asked if there were any more questions. By the way that everyone kept glancing down at their wrist comps, it was apparent that they were counting down the time until she would leave, desperately wanting answers before then. The next opportunity was given to a younger investor. Theo remembered him from the cafeteria as one of the participants who had managed to reach level 10. "I think that everyone here would agree with me that the game mechanics are very lifelike. I played as a human ranger, and I just so happen to have archery experience in real life." Get on with it, Theo thought impatiently. Time is wasting. "My question is, will skills within The Realm Online translate into real life. For instance, if I had never shot a bow before, but I learned how to do it inside The Realm, would I also be able to use that skill in real life." "The answer to this is two-fold," Crystal began. No. No. No long answers. Just yes or no, please. Of course, it wouldn''t be that quick. "Radical Interactive has strived to make every real-world skill as realistic as possible. As you all know, many other games currently on the market have done this as well. The problem with practical application remains the same. You are using the skill inside of your mind which means that your muscles are not being trained." She paused for a moment to think. "I suppose what I''m trying to say is that you will never become a master swordsman simply from playing. The knowledge of the techniques that you learn inside the game can be brought into the real world. The stances. The way you should move your body. But you would need to practice with an actual weapon to become proficient." "So the medical technology contained within the Felote adds no benefit to learning such skills in real life?" The man followed up his question with another which pissed Theo off and probably everyone else in the room who was still waiting to ask theirs. "Not entirely." Crystal cocked her head to the side. "One of the medical benefits that the Felote provides is that it helps boost memory retention. This quality is unique to the Felote. With that said, theoretically, the odds of you mastering a skill that you learned inside The Realm Online faster than you would playing other games is certainly possible." "But it hasn''t been tested yet?" the man added. Fuck''s sake. "No, it hasn''t been tested yet. Not on that application," Crystal admitted. As if fearing he would ask something else, she turned her attention away from him. "I have time for one more question." Please let it be me. Please let it be me. Now Theo was one of the people frantically waving his hand in the air. He was so desperate that he was rising from his seat to gain height on everyone else. Crystal ignored him in lieu of one of the few women in the room. "You spoke about avatar customization and selecting a level of immersion, but I do not feel that I was able to do either. When I arrived in The Realm Online, my avatar''s physical features were set. There were no screens to make selections. I was provided with a single choice, and my brain seemed....programmed, for lack of a better word, to just accept it without question." She seemed to be struggling to word what she wanted to say. "What was up with that?" At least this was one of the questions that Theo would have wanted to ask. Still, it didn''t satisfy what he truly needed to know.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "The representation of your character comes from your subconscious mind. For this demo, we matched you with a race, and your brain produced a reflection based on what you would want to look like as that race. All changes to the base avatar are made instantaneously so that you immediately recognize it as you. If there was something about your reflection that you didn''t like, it would change before you could register it. The technology behind how this happens is rather complex, but I assure you that your avatar turned out just as you wanted it to." The woman hesitated, "I was fine with how my avatar looked. I suppose I''m just used to other games where you spend an hour tweaking every little aspect to perfection. To stand in front of a mirror and see, what you say is, exactly what I wanted...it''s a foreign concept to me. I''m still having trouble wrapping my brain around the idea." There was a murmur of agreement from the room. Even Theo thought it odd. He couldn''t have ever imagined before how he would have envisioned himself as a dwarf. The likeliness was similar enough. Certainly, he wasn''t displeased with how he had looked. Yet he was still curious if he would have been able to see other options, would he have chosen the same avatar. Crystal''s answer seemed like a cop-out. It was hard to believe that the game could delve that deeply into the brain¡ªthat the immersion was so complex. Though, everything else he had experienced had undoubtedly pointed in that direction. Never had he ever played a game where he had lost his real identity before. "As far as immersion goes, that is also something that you subconsciously decide, and it can change every time you play. For instance, one day you might be in a hardcore gaming mood where you want to feel every ounce of pain that The Realm Online has to throw at you. Another day, you might want something a bit more leisurely where pain barely registers at all." "Perhaps I''m confused about what you meant by immersion," the woman continued. "I was referring to the fact that I couldn''t even tell it was a game at all. I was unaware of this outside world." She gestured around her. "Ah." Crystal smiled. "Well, isn''t that the point of playing games?" "I mean¡ª" the woman began to speak again, but Crystal quickly cut her off. "I''m sorry, but that''s all I have time for today. If you have any more questions or concerns, feel free to leave them in the space provided at the end of the questionnaire. You should be able to access it from your wrist comp now. Thank you all for participating in this demo. Your feedback is very valuable to us." She bowed her head in appreciation, then made for the door at a quick pace. Panic raced through Theo as fast as Crystal''s footsteps. Within seconds, she''d be gone. He could ask one of the other staff members his question, but he doubted any of them would know the answer. She was the main representative for this demo, charged with speaking to investors and other important people in the game industry. It just made sense that she would have insider information about Radical Interactive. Words blurted from Theo''s mouth without restraint, rising above the soft conversation that had enveloped the room as soon as Crystal had announced her departure. "What about the secret version of The Realm that Radical Interactive has been working on? The one for coma patients. At any time during the demo, did we have access to that version?" All eyes flew to Theo, and confusion littered the expressions of the participants. Crystal stopped, glancing back at him. "I have no idea what you''re talking about." Then like that, she was gone. He wanted to run after her, but he was bombarded by questions from the other participants. Theo knew better than to talk. What he had just blurted out was classified information. Hopefully, his words wouldn''t have serious repercussions. Playing it off as a rumor that probably wasn''t true, Theo quickly delved into his questionnaire to get everyone off of his back. The room quieted down, and the rest of the participants got to work giving their feedback. Theo scowled at the digital form, feeling like he''d accomplished nothing. This entire experience had been a waste of his time. Blowing out a breath of frustration, Theo raced through the questionnaire. Most of the questions were standard. One asked if the player preferred instant subconscious customization over the old style of character customization that took forever. Another asked if players preferred for spells(which had been called abilities in his version of the demo), to be bought or earned with experience. Basically, what aspects of the gameplay did the player like and not like. How intense was the immersion? Did they feel like they had received enough guidance through the tutorial? The very last question asked if he would buy the game when it came out. Theo had fully expected to receive a free copy for his efforts. Perhaps that was a little presumptuous though. As a professional gamer, companies often sent him pre-release versions of their games. He had close to a hundred on his account that he hadn''t even touched yet. Whatever the case, it looked like Radical Interactive wouldn''t be so generous. Theo had half a mind to tick the no box, but he didn''t want to be excluded from any future demo opportunities. Grudgingly, he placed an x in the yes box and moved on to the space at the end of the questionnaire where he could leave his comments. Theo spent a good thirty minutes typing in his gripes¡ªgripes that most other players would probably say were the game''s strengths. It was difficult for him to think about it objectively. He typed so much that he ran out of space. Apparently, a 3,000-word limit wasn''t enough. Participants were excused when they finished the questionnaire. The urge to poke around the facility was strong, but Theo was no detective. Hell, if the detective he had hired couldn''t find anything out about Nancy, then why should he be able to? Feeling utterly defeated, Theo submitted his questionnaire and trudged out of the room. As he was leaving the building, he saw Crystal walking toward her car. With a spark of hope reignited inside of him, Theo took off at a run, catching up just as she was opening the door. Hopefully, she wouldn''t slam it in his face. "Hey!" he said to get her attention. Seeming disturbed, she glanced up at him. "Oh, hi." Enthusiasm didn''t reach her eyes or her voice. "Sorry about the disturbance in there." Theo thumbed back toward the building. Crystal''s mouth opened as if she was about to speak, but she said nothing. Then she glanced into her car. The interruption clearly made her uncomfortable. He placed his arm on her door so that she couldn''t close it. "I know this is sudden, but I was wondering if you''d like to go out for lunch." What time was it? "Breakfast," Theo quickly corrected himself. Hadn''t they already had breakfast? He had, at least, and it was definitely closer to noon. "Lunch," he corrected himself again. "I''m sorry, but no." There was a touch of amusement tinted with rudeness in her tone. "Hey, listen," he firmed his grip on the door as she slid into her car, "I really need to know something." Theo''s eyes shifted from side to side, making sure that no one was within earshot. "Whatever you need to know, you''ll find out whenever The Realm Online is released." It was now abundantly clear that she was annoyed with him. Crystal grabbed the door handle and tried to close it, but Theo didn''t budge. "My best friend... I think she''s trapped in The Realm. She was in a car accident and is in a coma. If you have any information..." Desperation filled his voice. Her hand went limp on the door handle, and she gave him a brief look of sympathy. "I''m sorry about your friend, but I truly don''t know what you''re talking about." "I know it''s confidential information," he said before she had a chance to try to shut the door on him again. "We can pretend that this conversation never happened. But I need to know. I need to know if The Realm can save her." It was a lie. All Theo wanted was to know if the rumor was true. Was Nancy Shelton trapped inside of The Realm? Crystal''s jaw set as her features hardened. Her gaze fell to the floor for a moment, then she looked back up at him. "I''m sorry, but I can''t help you." This time, she used enough force to jerk the door out of Theo''s hand. He heard the door locks firmly click into place. She didn''t even look at him as the car''s autopilot kicked in to back out of the space and drive away. As he watched the car turn out of the parking lot and disappear in a line of traffic, he analyzed the brief conversation. It had been tense and uncomfortable. Crystal had been too curt. Shutting him down. Avoiding the question. Maybe she didn''t really know the answer, but he felt like she did. She was hiding something. All of Radical Interactive was. And Theo refused to stop searching until he found out exactly what they had done with Nancy Shelton. THE END...or is it? Want to find out what happened to Nancy Shelton? Start The Realm Between series.