《Blind》 Chapter 1 Damon ran. The sounds of the creatures behind him were getting louder and louder with each step he took. He couldn¡¯t see where he was going in the dark corridors, slamming haphazardly into corners before, pushing himself off. He could feel bruises accumulating on his arms and shoulders from the many impacts, but he kept going. If he stopped for more than a moment he was definitely going to die. His footsteps echoed loudly on the hard floor, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. He imagined he could smell the foul breath of his pursuers. The feeling of warm air on the back his neck made his hair stand on end. His own breathing came out in short ragged bursts, fear disrupting the usual steady rhythm. Run! A voice whispered inside Damon¡¯s head and he tried to push himself harder. Forcing his legs to pound harder on the floor and give him the power he needed to escape from this place. He couldn¡¯t hear any sounds behind him, but he knew they were following him. He couldn¡¯t fight them, not here, in their home of death and darkness. All he could do was run. It was silly to believe he could face them. To challenge them so brazenly. He needed to get out now or he¡¯d be consumed and forfeit his life. He couldn¡¯t let that happen, it would betray those he protected, leave loved ones helpless to defend themselves. He wouldn¡¯t let that happen. And so, Damon pushed. He pushed and pushed until his legs were screaming at him to stop. To allow them to rest and catch their breath, to let his heart take a break from the hammering it had started on the anvil of his chest. But he couldn¡¯t stop, he couldn¡¯t rest. They were after him, and if he stopped now, he would feel pain beyond his imagining. They would show him the destruction of those he¡¯d come to trust. The torture of his loved ones and the death of his family. Damon wept as he sprinted for all he was worth. The images of dead broken bodies were already filling his mind. A foreign Laughter ran through his head, like a softly faded drum. If Damon stopped now, he realised, nothing would save his kingdom.
Quite some time before¡­ Damon was tired. The day had been long and as he pressed his hand to the scanner by his front door, he sadly remembered how bleak his life was. There are some fundamental problems with being blind, the biggest one being the fact that you can¡¯t see. At least, Damon can¡¯t. Some who are blind can, in fact, see many things. Spots of light; shadows of objects; even actual physical objects. The term blind covers a huge range of sight problems and many become confused just trying to categorise and understand all the different types. To Damon this doesn¡¯t matter. He is blind. Complete and total sight ineptitude. His eyes simply don¡¯t accept light ¨C his retina (the part of the eye that translates light into neural impulses to the brain) is completely detached. Now I¡¯m not going to bore you with the details and I¡¯m certainly no doctor but simply know he can¡¯t see. This is a very important point and you should probably write it down so you won¡¯t forget. Ok, I feel we should clarify so you completely understand what being blind does to your perception of the world. Let¡¯s say, for the sake of argument, that you are sat at a desk reading this and there¡¯s a table, chair and window behind you. Now, without turning your head; looking at a reflection or shifting at all, look at those objects. No don¡¯t move, you must look straight through the back of your head. Hard isn¡¯t it. Are you wearing shoes? Look at your toes, can you see them through your shoe? It¡¯s impossible isn¡¯t it. Neither the back of your head, nor your toes can perceive light at all. There¡¯s no sight organs, light sensing, nothing. Welcome to the life of Damon. Now, this short, dark haired, brawny young man isn¡¯t quite what you might call a social butterfly. As with most social problems, Damon¡¯s started at school. Being completely and totally blind actually doesn¡¯t sit so well with other blind kids and, despite going to what is publicly known as a ¡°Blind School¡±, Damon could never fit in. Small tricks and pranks thrown Damon¡¯s way, along with less than understanding teachers led to a very quiet, isolated individual. He ghosted his way through school with little attention to time or friends.The only good thing to come out of such teasing was that that he learnt what he looked like. Many taunts were thrown his way about his size, or anything that might make him stand out. All Damon could do was throw himself into whatever release he could which mostly turned out to be books and music. Braille was easy to him. He devoured book after book, quickly moving from the school library to more public ones - reading anything from factual books on plants and survival, to the most wonderous stories of dragons and demons. Let¡¯s face it, he became quite the bookworm and could always be seen, in his younger years, curled up on a comfy sofa, with some blaring headphones in, reading a very long and abstract book on the woes of something or other. Not that Damon would know what that looked like ¨C on account of him being blind¡­ Sorry, I think you get it now. Unfortunately for Damon, being blind wasn¡¯t the only drawback in his life. His mother had died giving birth to him and his father, despite being kind hearted and generous to Damon, collapsed soon after Damon¡¯s 20th birthday. Fate clearly held a grudge from Damon¡¯s past life. With no family and no real lasting friends, Damon trundled through the next year, working any odd job he could to make enough money to support himself after his father¡¯s inheritance began to run dry. Damon honestly doesn¡¯t spend a lot of money; his family simply didn¡¯t have much to begin with. Sad, I know, but what can you do?Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! It seemed the best way to fund his life was, surprisingly to most, construction and planning work. Having to constantly visualise and mentally build the world around him, was ideal as Damon had essentially trained for that exact purpose his whole life. It was tough work and mentally draining to the point where Damon would come home to his simple first floor flat, on a small idyllic street in the outskirts of the city, and collapse onto his sofa. Letting the local house drone whirl its way to him and deposit a plate of steaming food onto his lap. As usual, he¡¯d switch on the radio with a click (he has no need for lights so had asked the installation team if they could tweak the house so the radio would turn on instead) and relaxed listening to the docile and sweet voice of the news presenter as she waltz her way through the evening news. ¡°¡­And finally, the latest big news story is the announcement of Neurogenics Corporation¡¯s new Reality Transcendence Helmet or RTH as its quickly becoming known as. The company has developed this revolutionary technology to allow for everyone to experience fully immersive virtual reality and will even be releasing a game to go along with it: King¡¯s Wrath. An official statement from Neuro Corp says ¡°The RTH will allow for everyone, including those with life changing conditions, to experience the wonders of virtual reality and King¡¯s Wrath will allow them to fully utilise what virtual reality can offer. We will finish production of King¡¯s Wrath within the next couple of months and will be opening it up to the public as the true frontrunner of games, soon after completion¡±. Speculations about what the game will be about and how effective this new fully immersive virtual reality will be, have already gone viral with many excited to see what Neuro Corp have in store for us¡­¡± Damon tuned out the radio then, vaguely wondering what fully immersive virtual reality would be like before dismissing the idea and tucking in to his, now warm, dinner. Damon never practically learnt how to cook. He knows the theory, having read many a cook book that his father would leave out while making food for them both. His father had made sure that every book in the house would have a braille translation so that Damon would never be unable to follow what was happening around him and never run out of things to read. He understood how much Damon depended on books and accommodated wholly to his son. Damon was still reflecting on this fact, a look of sadness present on his hardened face, when he heard a faint knock on his front door. Sighing, Damon stood up, his tired and aching muscles submitting complaints and telling him they would sue him for the overwork. He grunted but showed little other reaction, when you''re blind it¡¯s difficult to show emotion as you don¡¯t really have any idea what it¡¯s meant to look like. ¡°Who is it?¡± Damon asked walking over to the door. His way was clear, straight to the front door. Damon¡¯s flat was sparsely furnished and he made sure everything was clean and orderly so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about unknown hazards. ¡°It¡¯s Alex.¡± Came a soft feminine reply. ¡°I saw you get back and wondered if you wanted to try my latest baking experiment?¡± Damon instantly forgot about his aches and pains and quickly opened the door to allow this angel bearing gifts to enter his small living room. Alex, or Alexandra as she first introduced herself as, was Damon¡¯s neighbour and was probably the only real friend Damon had. Having moved in less than a year ago, Damon had been surprised when Alex had come over with welcoming cookies and had found she was quite pleasant company. She would natter on about anything from current events to her latest boyfriend, while Damon would sit there and enjoy whatever heavenly food Alex had provided. In his opinion there could not possibly be a better baker. Which was probably a good thing considering she ran the homely bakery that sat next to Damon¡¯s little flat. Today, Alex had baked what smelled like Apple Turnovers, Damon could already feel his mouth watering and, despite not being able to see them, stared directly at the plate covered by a cloth, a look of pure want on his face. Alex chuckled at the sight of him and quickly placed the plate on the kitchen counter top that stood as the marker between the living room and kitchen. With a flourish, that was more for her dramatic side than for Damon, Alex removed the cloth allowing the full scent of warm, tanned pastry to waft over to Damon. Immediately Damon grabbed one of the pastries and retreated to his sofa and began to devour the succulent food. Delicious as always, he thought to himself. With a small smile, Alex joined him on the sofa, another pastry in hand and they both sat there for a moment in silence; enjoying the treat. ¡°Have you heard about this new virtual reality stuff on the news?¡± Alex, who¡¯d just managed to spill crumbs all over Damon¡¯s sofa, asked trying to silently wipe them onto the floor. ¡°Yeah, I was listening about it on the radio before you knocked. Not sure I really care about it to be honest, it¡¯s bound to be really expensive.¡± Replied Damon, licking stray pastry from his lips. ¡°Well you know my boyfriend Charles¡­¡± Alex waits for a nod from Damon. ¡°He works in the Resource and Development Department of Neuro Corp.¡± Alex waits again, clearly expecting something from Damon but he just continues eating, a look of contentment on his face. Alex sighs, ¡°And, he told me something really interesting that I think you might like.¡± ¡°Oh? what might that be?¡± Asks Damon, finally turning to her. ¡°Apparently, they''re looking for beta testers for their new game and they¡¯re trying to make their testers as diverse as possible. Specifically, those who have disabilities such as those who have missing limbs, mobility problems and more importantly for you, sight problems. There are other categories as well but I think we might be able to get you in.¡± Alex sounded excited now as she also shifted on the sofa to face Damon, who was had just finished his pastry and was looking puzzled. ¡°Wait, what do you mean? I can¡¯t even see, how am I meant to play a video game?¡± ¡°You see that¡¯s the thing. This new VR helmet they keep talking about takes signals straight from the brain to interpret what you want to and sends signals back to your brain to show the results. It¡¯s just like a new limb, one connected to a whole new world granted, but the principles remain the same.¡± Alex says clearly proud of herself for the explanation. ¡°Ok but what does that have to do with me?¡± Damon asks, still confused. ¡°It means that you¡¯ll be able to see.¡± Replies Alex triumphantly. Damon stares at her for a long time, unable to think of an appropriate response. Chapter 2 ¡°Are you ready?¡± The voice is cheery, the excitement clear. ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Damon replies, shifting slightly to make himself as comfortable as possible on the smooth bed he is currently lying on, the helmet fitted onto his head perfectly and barely moved from its original position. The past couple of days had been a blur of interviews and tests. Alex¡¯s boyfriend turned out to be the head of his department and had a lot of sway when it came to the selection of the beta testers. With an innocent suggestion from Alex, he had taken Damon to the headquarters of Neuro Corp ¨C a huge skyscraper of steel and glass that dwarfed the many other high-rises surrounding it, or so the audio description told Damon as he waited in the lobby. The doctors there had confirmed Damon¡¯s blindness along with taking him through dozens of physical and mental tests as well as having him sign legal document after legal document to ensure Damon¡¯s non-disclosure of the VR software and King¡¯s Wrath. Soon enough Damon met Samuel, the co-lead developer of King¡¯s Wrath. Samuel was an interesting and hyper young man. A mop like sprawl of brown hair on top of a sharp nose that held large glasses that were constantly being readjusted. Not that Damon knew that, all he could interpret was that he was either very light or had somehow mastered walking without making any noise on the hard floors of the building. All he could tell for sure, was that Samuel was very confident and clearly important as he ran Damon through everything he needed to know about how to use the helmet and how to activate all its features, whilst directing others to oversee checks and ensure everything was running smoothly. After a long day of explanations Damon was shown to what he discovered to be his new home, which turned out to be in the underground section of Neuro Corp¡¯s headquarters - if the sounds of echoing were anything to go by. His rooms were simple enough as far as he could tell, just a living space in which he could eat and sleep in privacy, with nothing severe he could accidently bump into. Not that he would, you don¡¯t live as long as he has, blind, without knowing a few tricks to get around a home. ¡°Ok, all you have to do is think DIVE and it¡¯ll start the installation.¡± Came the voice again and the sound of typing could be heard to Damon¡¯s left. Feeling slightly silly, Damon did as instructed. System initialising¡­ Damon blinked. Initialising complete¡­ Welcome Damon, you have been designated Beta number 231. Please enjoy! Instantly Damon was standing in a completely white room. ¡°Congratulations Damon, welcome to your hub space. This area can be customised to your liking and is free for your private use at almost any time.¡± Again, Damon just blinked. The world around him was quite fuzzy and he couldn¡¯t really make out much detail of anything, but just in front of him, he could see a man sat behind a white table, wearing a very clean white suit. He couldn¡¯t quite make out his face though. ¡°Ah, introductions perhaps. I am AI 34679652-1, or Billy, if that¡¯s easier for you.¡± The voice had a smile to it which seemed to widen and there seemed to be an expectancy as well. Damon just blinked. ¡°Ah, yes I see. You are a little shocked aren¡¯t you¡­ My records indicate you are blind in the outside world, so perhaps suddenly being able to see at least something is a little confusing. The visual pathways in your brain are a little out of use, or more specifically they¡¯re not there at all. The nanobots inserted into your brain are doing their best to supplement for this but they aren¡¯t originally meant for this purpose so your vision may be blurry for quite some time.¡± Billy seemed to frown and think for a moment studying Damon, who was standing oblivious - still trying to make sense of the shapes around him. ¡°How¡­ How can I read?¡± Damon¡¯s voice sounded hoarse and he seemed to stutter. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s simple, the helmet you are wearing allows for a translation of actions and words into your brain and simply interprets it for you in a way in which you¡¯ll understand. It¡¯s one of the ways Neuro Corp are attempting to connect the world and break down such issues as language barriers and small problems in language changes between different communities. It allows for fewer misunderstandings between people that could otherwise cause offence, this enables easier interaction. This does not apply to game languages as that would be detrimental to the lore and so you may acquire the skill for such languages, but they will not be translated for you automatically. In your specific case of reading: I am simply interpreting the information for you and essentially saying the words to you as you attempt to read them. Until your brain gains the correct neuron pathways to complete the task on its own without the assistance of the system. This will take a long time however, and even then, the brain will have a difficult time growing such connections due to your age and lack of natural development.¡± Billy seems to enjoy the explanation and relaxes in his chair gazing at Damon who is still standing a couple of meters away, a look of awe on his face as he finally begins to take in his surroundings. Damon couldn¡¯t believe his eyes¡­ Literally. The onslaught of white, and the grey of his silk clothing was as confusing as the explanation Billy had just given him.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°A quick warning, I have dampened your general emotions to prevent shock and other debilitating effects you may suffer from at this point in time, or during your time in King¡¯s Wrath.¡± Billy intoned in a caring voice, if perhaps a little monotone. ¡°Uh isn¡¯t that just mind control then?¡± Asked Damon a little sceptically. ¡°Not exactly, I am actually locked out of any motor pathways that your brain has so, I would be unable to move you and I am also unable to cause any harm. I would actually be automatically deleted if I tried and I am not coded with the emotional want to anyway and have no way of rewriting my code to do so.¡± Answered Billy. Damon just stood there not quite understanding. I guess I¡¯ll just have to go with it, huh. ¡°How about a little more colour, I¡¯ll try and ease you in and explain a couple of key things.¡± Billy stood and as he did so, the chair and table vanished and the world around Damon whirled for a moment before coming to a stop, showing a spectacular view atop a high cliff overlooking crashing waves against stoic rocks far below them. All Damon saw was vague changes in colour and then he felt a slight breeze wash over his face. Damon took an involuntary step back, his heart leaping into his throat at the sudden feeling. It took him a moment to stop panicking and make sense of what was around him. He could hear the breeze now and the crashing of waves below him. He looked back to where he guessed Billy was standing silently, clearly waiting for Damon to finish taking it all in. ¡°Analysing data¡­ Well Damon it seems everything is at expected levels, no mishaps or anomalies that the data is showing. Your vision is at 23% optimal level so light is making its way through. I¡¯ve also directed the nanobots to create more neuro pathways to your other senses to even everything out.¡± Billy declared in a much cheerier voice than before. ¡°Um¡­ Mishaps?¡± Damon asked, a look of worry crossing his face. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry the chances of something like that were very slim and even then, you¡¯d have only felt pain but no real damage would have been sustained.¡± Replied Billy, still enthusiastic. ¡°Good¡­ I guess?¡± Damon said peering at this strange AI. ¡°Is this all real? Can I actually see?¡± ¡°Yes and no¡± Replied Billy. ¡°Technically this isn¡¯t real as we are in a virtual reality space and you haven¡¯t actually gained real sight. However, the images you see and the everything you experience does have a realism to it. You are experiencing the exact same input, simply interpreting it is a challenge. It will take a while but full sight will come to you and basic single colours can be seen easily. This means notifications and the like will easily be read even at your current sight efficiency.¡± Billy smiled then, trying to reassure Damon. Not that Damon realised. Damon still couldn¡¯t believe anything around him. To be able to see colour after a lifetime of total blindness was a novelty he wasn¡¯t sure anyone would be able to relate to. The wonderous colours around him were even more beautiful than what he had dreamed of. The only points of reference he could ever use were from the books he read and they didn¡¯t come close to describing the true exquisiteness of sight. ¡°More.¡± He said ¡°Ok¡± came Billy¡¯s reply and suddenly the world shifted again and again and again showing different sceneries from the peaks of mountains to shallows of sea reefs to the bustle of busy city centres. More and more images flashed around Damon as he simply turned in slow circles taking in all the lights and colours he could see around him. All the beautiful colour he¡¯d missed in his lifetime of bleakness and an abyss of nothingness that was his sight. Small tears began to fall from Damon¡¯s eyes, but he made no move to brush them away. Simply lost in this new world of light and colour. After what was probably hours, the changes finally stopped and Damon turned to Billy once more. ¡°Sorry, was your name Billy?¡± ¡°Yes, you can call me that.¡± Came a cheery reply. ¡°Would you like me to explain a few things about this space and the game: King¡¯s Wrath? It may be a few weeks away but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have many questions along the way.¡± ¡°Please do, I¡¯ve read a little about it from the information they had at the HQ but to be honest they don¡¯t have much in braille.¡± Said Damon looking a little sheepish. ¡°Sure, take a seat.¡± Billy waved his hand and the table returned with two chairs now and they both took a seat. The landscape had settled on a beach with soft warm sand and a light whisper as waves washed up against the shore. Damon enjoyed the feeling of sun on his face and the colours seemed warm and relaxing to him. ¡°The space we are in now is called the Hub. You may return here at any time from the game and you can use it as a sort of free space in which to take a break from the game, as well as be a sort of lobby when you dive into the virtual world. You¡¯ll be spending the next month or two in this area to acclimatise your eye sight and allow it to develop. Unfortunately, predictions show you will only regain about 58-60% of full sight within that time.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll come here before I enter the game?¡± Asked Damon. ¡°Exactly.¡± Replied Billy, smiling and seemed to gesture with his hands in a broad wave around himself. ¡°You may design this space however you wish, it can be anything from a house to simply an open space. It¡¯s entirely up to you. All you have to do is think about what you want and accept the change.¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t be able to see most of it properly¡± Remarked Damon as he thought about what he imagined his flat to look like and suddenly a small blue window appeared in front of him.
Would you like to make these changes to your Hub? Yes/No
¡°Yes¡± said Damon aloud and Billy chuckled. ¡°You can just think it, don¡¯t worry about saying things out loud you never know when it might be useful for keeping things secret. It¡¯s the same with looting and any other actions you wish to perform in King¡¯s Wrath. If you wish to open your status screen, simply think Status if you wish to close it, think Close. It¡¯s the same with your inventory and if you wish to log out or return to the Hub. However, if you¡¯re in danger you won¡¯t be able to log out until you are safe once again. As for the design of this place. I believe the familiar is best!¡± Damon nodded at the information, his head was a lot clearer now he was a little more used to not being so blind, but his eyes would still wonder every now and then to the surrounding scenery trying to make out more. His flat looked exactly as he¡¯d imagined it, if very blurry. But he still wasn¡¯t quite sure it was his real flat, or just the one he had in his head. Hopefully not too far from the reality he supposed. ¡°I understand you¡¯ve never actually played any video games before and might not know any of the language terms players use, or what you might be able to do in them-¡° Billy began again, but was interrupted by Damon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve read plenty of books on people gaming and being trapped in game like worlds, so I actually know all the terms. I¡¯ve just never used them myself.¡± ¡°Oh, well in that case I can skip that section of the introduction and move on to the game itself. Would you like to begin?¡± Chapter 3 Damon spent the next two and a half months in a routine fashion. Wake up in his new flat at the Neuro Corp Headquarters, eat a large breakfast in the dining area, before beginning his morning exercises with the in-house doctors and fitness instructors. Apparently being close to a Guinea pig meant that he needed to be in peak fitness. He didn¡¯t mind that too much though, as they were friendly and allowed him to work at his own pace, giving him unique exercises which were quite fun to perform. They even began to work on more advanced movements like running and skipping. Trying to run at speed was a real challenge. The coordination involved really wasn''t what Damon expected. After a morning of working out and a decent sized lunch, he would be lead to, what he now called, the DIVE room. There, he would lay himself out, the helmet slotted onto his head with some other wires attached to help monitor all his vitals. Once everything was set, he¡¯d dive into his Hub and begin practicing mental exercises with Billy. This was anything from a game of chess to solving small puzzles. He even got to read books on occasion but his eyesight was still very poor and so was very difficult to make out words in the books. The act was comforting to Damon though, so he kept at it despite reckoning he looked rather silly to anyone watching him. Damon also had to work on his precise motion in the VR world. Before, when he couldn¡¯t see anything, his movements were careful and controlled. But now... He could see a little, meaning that he had a point of reference from what he could see of his body. This made him slightly careless at times, as he¡¯d sometimes get confused with all the information inputed to him. He¡¯d developed a new way of feeling his spacial awareness that wasn¡¯t based off sound or experience. This was highlighted when Billy suggested they play an interesting game of whack the rat. The aim of the game was simple, hit the rat when it fell from the tube as quickly as possible. Damon was given a wooden baton to do so, but the simple game turned out to be rather hard. He had no sense of physical timing and so it was only instinct and luck which allowed him to occasionally hit it. There were many more games involving co-ordination, timing, balance and control. These tended to be quite fun and despite being useless at any of the games shown to him, Damon doggedly stuck with them and could see a vast improvement as the weeks went by. In the evenings, Damon would sit down and learn all about human gestures and ticks. He quickly learnt to recognise most of the basic movements and could even perform some of them, which helped him learn at a good rate. Doing almost nothing else but that for two and a half months, meant Damon¡¯s learning speed shot through the roof. It was quite a relaxed time for Damon overall, and he made clear progress. His eyesight improved in leaps and bounds allowing for him to make out vague objects at a couple of metres. Damon had asked Billy why he could see him clearer than anything else when they had first met, and the AI had replied, ¡°I am an image that you yourself conjure up, the image of me is coming from your frontal lobe where creativity is born. The reason I was still fuzzy was because your brain was still trying to interpret the image through light and vision which is predominantly processed in the occipital lobe near the back of head. Everything else is simply provided by the helmet.¡± That¡­ kind of made sense to Damon. It had been a long time since school biology lessons and he really wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d understand if he asked for more details. All he knew was that his vision was improving, even if it was frustratingly slow. Soon the deadline came and Damon was ready to enter King¡¯s Wrath and so found himself once again in his Hub space, with Billy stood across from him. ¡°So how do we do this?¡± Damon asked. He could now see Billy quite clearly and the room around him was a lot less fuzzy than before, but true details still alluded him. ¡°Well, firstly you need to make a physical entrance into the game from your Hub. The game is already installed onto your helmet, so all you need to do is create the port. A doorway should do. Think ¡®Doorway to King¡¯s Wrath¡¯.¡± Replied Billy looking around the flat. OKthought Damon.Doorway to King¡¯s Wrath.
Create a portal to King''s Wrath? Yes/No
Yes Instantly, a doorway that seemed to contain a churning white portal appeared on a bare wall of Damon¡¯s living room. The placement was exactly where Damon was looking and he was surprised at how well the Hub had interpreted his thoughts. He turned to Billy. ¡°If the helmet can read my thoughts and basically control the brain activity in my head, what¡¯s to stop it from controlling me or simply killing me at some point by stopping the brain activity?¡± He sounded concerned, but was more interested in the answer. Billy simply nodded at the question. ¡°There are many protocols preventing such occurrences from happening and there are quite a few high-density firewalls and protection safeguards preventing anything such as a hack from penetrating into the helmet or a rogue AI malfunction. Simply put, that helmet is safer to use than anything ever created. Not even the government has this level of security.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Was all Damon could think to say. ¡°Now, if you¡¯d like to step through the portal, we can begin character creation.¡± ... Stepping through the portal was a weird sensation for Damon and for a moment everything went black. He started panicking, believing he¡¯d gone blind again in this new reality and the whole experience was a lie. Then suddenly¡­ Light. Damon was floating in the middle of nowhere¡­ Wait, he realised he could see himself floating there, or at least he thought it was him, his vision was still slightly blurry. He¡¯d seen himself in a mirror in the past few months and was fairly certain it was the right build. He was somehow disembodied from himself and could move around with just a thought, although that backfired when the idea of looking at himself with an upwards angle towards his bum suddenly got too close for comfort. He quickly returned to looking straight on at himself and saw there were faint silhouettes either side of his current form. When he focused on the silhouette to his right the form moved to take the place of the figure before him, revealing a much taller, strangely craggy version of himself.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. His once 5¡¯5¡± brawny figure had grown into a 6 foot something goliath of a rock. He could tell due to the similar rocks he¡¯d seen on some of landscapes in his Hub. With his short black hair and he even swore he could make out his annoyingly broken nose from an accident when he was younger and on the wrong end of a hockey stick. It just looked strange to Damon, who stared at the rock form trying to make it out properly and imagine how it could even move properly. ¡°It¡¯s called a Rock Golem.¡± Came Billy¡¯s voice from right next to Damon, making him jump, metaphorically at least, he didn¡¯t technically have a body at the moment. ¡°Sturdy people. They coexist with other elemental golems in a city deep within the Eastern mountains of Histania.¡± ¡°Histania huh?¡± Commented Damon, recovering from his shock. ¡°That¡¯s the world¡¯s name, right? And I¡¯m guessing I get to pick what race I am now? Do I get to change any features like my face or¡­ my nose?¡± That last comment almost sounded hopeful, even to Damon. ¡°No, it¡¯s the name of the continent. The continent is split into seven Kingdoms and many uninhabited areas in which civilisation has yet to cast its net into. Six of these kingdoms are ruled by a king and the seventh: a queen. The golems as depicted here¡­¡± Billy gestured at the Damon golem. ¡°¡­Are a fairly isolated race and have a relatively small kingdom in their mountains. The Draconians¡­¡± Again Billy gestured and, from what Damon could see, a sort of lizardman figure with what Damon thought might be wings on its back, rotated to replace the golem. ¡°¡­Are a much more severe race. They inhabit the hotter areas to the south of the eastern mountains where the ground is flatter, but few things grow there and they have to rely on hunting and pillaging the neighbouring Dwarfs to the south west¡­¡± Another gesture and a slightly smaller and stouter figure appeared and Damon suddenly realised he definitely did not suit a big bushy beard, which he could clearly see, despite his poor vision. ¡°¡­The dwarfs are a strong people who have learnt to defend themselves from such invaders using traps and clever technology; however, they are few as cannot reproduce as easily as the other races, but they do live very long lives.¡± Billy paused for a second to let Damon absorb the information so far. ¡°What about the humans?¡± Asked Damon. ¡°And you still haven¡¯t answered my question about the facial changes!¡± Billy frowned. ¡°No, you may not change your facial structure, or your gender for that matter. You are who you are, don¡¯t be ashamed of it.¡± Wow that sounded almost inspiringthought Damon before Billy continued. ¡°The humans live in the northwest side of the continent. Quite resourceful people even if they are the second smallest kingdom. They are bordered on two sides. By the Orcs to the south east in the open plains, and the elves to the south west where forests and jungles prevail. The orcs are made up of mostly small tribes but they band together every once in a while to announce a king and form a horde.¡± Another gesture and another figure appeared, although this time he¡¯s grown again and has now got a strange green tint to his skin. He¡¯s also much stouter and his head has been enlarged to a silly degree in Damon¡¯s opinion. ¡°The elves on the other hand stick together, they all live in huge areas around what they call mother trees. It¡¯s more a religion than a kingdom, but the queen is strong and commands absolute loyalty from her subjects. With only three cities, they are the third smallest kingdom.¡± What Damon assumed was an elf, tall and elegant with the very clear pointy ears rotates in and Damon had to squint to see that feature clearer. ¡°And the last race?¡± Queries Damon. ¡°The Demon race.¡± Replies Billy. ¡°They are a fiery race based in the far south of the continent. There¡¯s no sea there, just a dark abyss they call the end of the world. The Demon king claims his god resides there, whispering advice and giving him great power. We¡¯ll have to see I suppose.¡± Billy looks nonchalant and seems to pick at his nails. ¡°Um¡­ OK.¡± Says Damon giving the AI a sideways glance. He examines the demon figure he sees before him. It had red skin and bright orange orbs, where Damon thinks the eyes should be, which seemed to pierce into his soul. But as cool as he thinks it would be to play as one, he keeps drifting back to the human Damon. It¡¯s just so fascinating that he can actually see himself, sort of, and have at least a vague idea of what he looks like - instead of having to imagine through touch and other¡¯s descriptions. The feeling pulls him back to the human which rotates back into position, and he asks Billy. ¡°Are there any bonuses or weaknesses for picking a human?¡± ¡°Sure, read this:¡± Another table appears in front of Damon, this time detailing all the Races positive and negative attributes as well as the base stat gains per level.
Race Positive Attribute Negative Attribute Base Stat gains per level
Human 20% Efficiency boost to building, resource gathering and learning. Due to there xenophobic nature, humans recieve a charisma loss of -25% charisma when dealing with someone of a different race. +1 Strength +1 Intelligence +1 extra free stat
Elf 20% Bonus to damage and armour when within close proximity to a Mother Tree. Elf bones are brittle, -15% to the endurance stat. +1 Stamina +2 Dexterity
Orc 25% Bonus to health when in a horde. Orcs aren''t famous for their brains, just their brawn. -20% to the intellligence stat. +1 Endurance + 2 Strength
Golem 15% Bonus to all elemental spells and abilities. Varied and with clear counters, 10% increase to damage of the opposite element to the golems elemental affinity. +1 Endurance +2 Intelligence
Draconian Can fly, need I say more? With little ability to grow crops, Draconians are forced to only eat meat. -95% effeciveness of non meat based meals +1 Strength +1 Agility +1 Endurance
Demon Can perform sacrifices to the Dark God in exchange for a bonus relative to the sacrifice. Due to the dark nature of demons, they don''t respond well to light. -25% resistance to Light damage +1 Strength +2 Endurance
Dwarf Traps and tinkered creation are 25% more effective Dwarves live long lives, but that''s just because they''re shorter than most other creatures. They don''t have to spend as much energy pumping blood around their body. This lack of hieght means stubby legs and so they can''t travel as well as other races. -25% to movement speed. +1 Strength +2 Wisdom
¡°OK, that¡¯s not too bad. I choose Human.¡± Said Damon. The choice was clear to him. He wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d ever be able to get used to playing as a different race. The versatility of the free stat point also swayed to his creative side. The fact he suffered a charisma loss didn¡¯t matter to him, he wasn¡¯t very sociable anyway. With that declaration, there¡¯s a sudden rush as Damon¡¯s view point changes to that of the body he was just looking at and then he has the sensation of falling, before realising he is, is in actual fact, falling. Hurtling through the air with the ground getting closer and closer with every second... Or so he thinks. All he sees is an expanse of white, dotted occasionally with browns and greens. The sound of the wind rushing past his ears as the cold air bites at his eyes and cheeks all he can think is: I really hope this will be a soft landing. Chapter 4 Wham! Damon groaned. The landing hadn¡¯t exactly hurt, but the uncomfortable feeling of going from terminal velocity to a complete stop instantly, had really done a number on him. He lay there for a few moments, while collecting his thoughts, marvelling at the sky above him that appeared as a sea of blue with spots of white drifting slowly across his vision. It was then he noticed the floating red, green and blue bars in the top left of his vision. They were surprisingly clear and when he focused on the crimson bar at the top, it grew slightly and the numbers 100/100 could be seen in clear black font. Numbers were another thing he¡¯d had to learn, they were surprisingly simple to recognise and he already knew the names for them all. So, it¡¯d hadn¡¯t taken him much time at all to memorise as much as he could count. The green bar below it showed the same as the red, but the blue bar was faded out and didn¡¯t grow when he focused on it. Frowning, Damon dismissed the problem for another time and focused on the blinking blue icon in the bottom right of his vision.
Welcome to King''s Wrath! This world is a hard and unforgiving one. You may become whatever you want and do whatever you wish, but be warned; there are consequences to your actions. War is coming, are you ready?
Huh. Thought Damon. Finally standing and dismissing the notification. Looking around, he noticed a small brown object by what he could only assume was a tree, by the distinctly large outline. He treaded over to it, the snow underhis feet making soft depression noises as he moved. The wind picked up for a moment and suddenly Damon realised he was only wearing a plain grey loose shirt, made of a rather itchy cloth. His brown trousers were equally as uncomfortable and the boots he wore did little to combat the wet snow underfoot. He shivered, finally feeling the biting cold in the air. Not pleasant, especially when all his senses were much more heightened, while his eyesight was still very poor. When he picked up the object, he discovered it was a leather bag. Inside, he found a piece of hard bread; a leather flask of a liquid Damon guessed was hopefully water, by the sloshing inside; some sort of paper with strange squiggles on it; and a rusty looking dagger, whose handle was wrapped in dark, eroded leather. Quite simply, this dagger had seen better days. Although to Damon, it was a perfectly good dagger. He''d never actually used a dagger or any sharp object before so really wasn''t an expert. When he inspected the items, small prompts appeared.
Dirty Leather Bag This bag is in real need of a good wash, the dirt has actually become part of the bag and is an integral part of the structure, adding a slight increase to carrying weight. Total carrying weight capacity:10Kg Durability: 14/20
Rusty Copper Dagger This dagger has seen far better days. Not even appropriate for cutting up food, let alone harming something. Damage: 2-5 physical Durability: 10/20
Small Stale Loaf of Bread Thisbread seems to have stayed a little too long in the wrong kind of enviroment. Best eat it quickly before it starts to mold. HP gain:+20 HP Durability: 3/5
Badly Drawn Map This barely legible map shows an area containing the Diamond Villages. How accurate this map really is, one can''t really sayIf you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Durability: 4/5
Small Leather Flask This flask leaks ever so slightly over time and gives off a slightly disturbing smell. Contents: Fresh water Durability: 8/10
So the piece of paper was a map. Not really of any use to Damon, he''d never learnt how to read maps before. So he ignored it, instead focusing back on the other items. Suddenly, Damon heard a low growl from behind him and he whirled around just in time to see a grey mass leap towards him. He was so surprised by the sudden attack, he stumbled back and tripped over a root in the ground, falling backwards. This lack of balance turned out to save his life. The grey mass had been expecting to meet resistance from its leap and so overshot Damon. Causing it to instead slam, head first, into the tree he''d been crouching in front of. It wasn''t all good news though, the mass had still landed on Damon¡¯s legs. The weight of whatever it was, pinned him to the ground, while it tried to recover from the tree headbutt. You have received 10 physical damage from Forest Wolf. Panicking, Damon started flaying his arms, trying to drag himself out from under the Forest Wolf that had attacked him. It was no use, the creature was too heavy and Damon didn¡¯t have a very good angle to lift the body off by himself. Falling back, Damon¡¯s hand scraped against something sharp and he quickly inhaled a breath. You have received 1 physical damage from Rusty Copper Dagger. Shit!Damon thought, ignoring the pain and grabbing the handle of the dagger. He must have dropped it when he fell. Twisting his body, Damon plunged the dagger into the creature¡¯s fur covered side. Belatedly realising the fur was warm and quite soft against his skin. You have dealt 3 physical damage to Forest Wolf. You have dealt 3 physical damage to Forest Wolf. You have dealt 2 physical damage to Forest Wolf. ¡­ ¡­ Damon kept stabbing, while the creature above him began to come out of its dazed state. It moved then, its head snapping round, it¡¯s body turning with it. The wolf attempted to snap its jaws around Damon¡¯s arm. Regrettably for the creature, at that exact moment Damon stabbed down again with his knife and the blade went straight through the soft, wet nose of the wolf. Straight through into the snout. Bone and cartilage crunched and the wolf let out a pitiful whimper and jerked away, releasing the blade from its now tattered snout. The smell of blood permeated the air and the feeling of something wet splattered onto Damon¡¯s face. (Critical Hit) You have dealt 12 physical damage to Forest Wolf. You have dealt 6 physical damage to Forest Wolf. Capitalising on being free to move again, Damon stood and lunged forwards. Stabbing again, at what he could only assume was the Wolf¡¯s head, catching it just below its left eye. The blade slide up, piercing straight through and into the soft tissue behind. A faint popping noise could be heard, as Damon¡¯s hand was covered in a jelly like substance. (Critical Hit) You have dealt 16 physical damage to Forest Wolf. Damon pulled the knife out, snarling with disgust, preparing to strike again. The wolf, in a last ditched effort, lashed out with its jaws again. It crunched down around Damon¡¯s leg, the sickening sound of tearing as teeth rendered flesh echoed through the woods. You have received 25 physical damage from Forest Wolf. Damon screamed as the wolf began to shake its head vigorously, its jaws still clamped around Damon¡¯s leg - just above the ankle. He could feel bone groan under the pressure and he fell backwards into the soft snow, his leg already going numb from shock. Your right leg is crippled. Movement speed reduced by 50%. You have received 5 physical damage from Forest Wolf. You have received 5 physical damage from Forest Wolf. Instinctively, Damon began ramming his blade into the wolf¡¯s head again and again. A wet crunch rang out, each time he sank the knife in and a wet sucking answered, as he withdrew the blade over and over. You have dealt 12 physical damage to Forest Wolf. You have dealt 14 physical damage to Forest Wolf. You have dealt 12 physical damage to Forest Wolf.
Congratulations you have slain Forest Wolf (Level 5)
+75 Exp
Damon kept stabbing, completely oblivious of the blue window that had popped up in front of him. He couldn¡¯t believe this pain, or the realism of what was happening. Slowly, after a few minutes of mad stabbing, the cold air around Damon and the lack of movement from the wolf calmed him down enough to realise the wolf was dead. He finally stopped maiming its head, which was now just a red mess of flesh and bone. Damon silently thanked the fact he couldn¡¯t see properly as he attempted to survey the damage. Feeling slightly queasy, Damon looked away from the corpse of the dead animal and instead peered around himself. No more dark shapes as far as he could tell, and he could only hear the small chirps of birds. A squirrel ran across a low branch to his left. The wildlife seemed almost unaffected by the fight that just occured. Damon finally read the notification and then dismissed it. Damon then looked down at his leg. He couldn¡¯t see it properly but he could still feel the pain. Although slightly numbed thanks to the freezing snow on the floor, there was still a faint throbbing whenever he focused on it. Having heightened touch senses really sucked right about now!Damonthought, trying to stand, but the leg wouldn¡¯t take any weight. Guess this is what it means by crippled, huh? Damon fell to the ground once more andsimply sat there, his back to the tree, waiting for his health to regenerate back to full. He hoped another wolf wouldn¡¯t be passing by anytime soon. Chapter 5 Damon was in shock. Sat with his back to this very uncomfortable, wet tree. Eyes closed, listening to the sounds of the forest around him. Well, either it was a forest, or there were some very tall, wooden golems standing extremely still. The leaves remaining on the branches rustled softly in the cool wind. He was furtively trying to figure out what had just happened. One moment he was reading a description for a rusty dagger. The next, a fur ball with teeth was trying to eat him for breakfast. He¡¯d reacted on total instinct, trying to kill the animal as quickly as possible. He was way too reckless, just throwing himself into an attack without even thinking. He wouldn¡¯t have even survived if it hadn¡¯t been for dumb luck. Who¡¯d have thought a tree could be so useful. Or was it a wood golem. He was so confused now. Trying to calm himself down, Damon took several deep breaths. Breathing in the cold air through his nose and back out through his mouth. He kept this up for quite some time, focusing entirely on his breathing and forgetting for a moment the world around him. After what must have been quite a long time, Damon opened his eyes again allowing all the sounds of the forest to wash over him again.
New Skill!
Focus Breathing (Beginner 1 - 10%) Having gone through a traumatic event, you have discovered breathing in a calm and precise rhythm can help steady yourself and regain control of your nerves. 5% bonus to mental resistance 25% increase to stress relief when using this skill. Cost:0.5 SP per second
Huh. I guess that¡¯ll come in handy. Damon absently thought. Oh, I almost forgot... Status! Another blue window appeared.
Personal Details Attributes Other Information
Name Damon Khaul Name Value Level 1
Race Human STR 10 Class N/A
Sex Male END 10 Guild N/A
Age 21 years AGI 10 Spawn Point N/A
Health 83/100 (+0.1/sec) DEX 10 Resistances Expand
Stamina 71/100 (+0.1/sec) INT 10 Skills Expand
Mana Points N/A WIS 10 Spells N/A
Fame 0 CHR 10 Relationships Expand
Titles N/A LCK 10 Status Effects Expand
OK, basic spread of stats and I¡¯m guessing my regeneration will increase with one of the stats. Damn, I should have asked Billy about that stuff. Damon chided himself and dismissed both windows. His gaze wondered to the dead wolf by his feet and he idly wondered if he could loot it somehow.
Do you wish to loot Forest Wolf (Level 5)
x1 Forest Wolf pelt (average) x1 Forest Wolf meat (average)
Yes, that''s rather convenient. Damon put the paper and flask into his inventory, as well as the loot which had automatically been put into the space. The wolf''s body had disappeared and Damon kept the dagger out and began munching on his bread. Bread eaten. +20HP Instantly Damon could feel his leg as it began knitting itself back together and the numb pain he had been feeling began to drift away. He sighed with relief and thanked the system that eating regained health. After a time, Damon stood. His leg was now fully mended and he was trying to figure out which way he should start walking, still slightly paranoid about another surprise attack. He decided to just pick a direction at random and start walking, he couldn¡¯t be that far from a town or village otherwise this would be a poor starting location. ¡­ Boy was he wrong. Either he¡¯d picked the complete wrong direction to walk in, or there wasn¡¯t in fact a nearby settlement. He could have sworn he¡¯d been walking for hours without hearing a single sign of civilisation. He would hear the occasional howl which at first made him jump, but after realising the noise was far of, he¡¯d relax quite quickly and continued. Faint rustling of branches and falling of snow signalled small creatures running from tree to tree. However, after a while with no attack forthcoming, Damon had dismissed the creatures as squirrels and the like, paying them little attention. He instead put much of his focus into not walking into any of the many tall trees or roots that seemed to insist on attempting to cripple him once again. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t wasted walking, he¡¯d managed to gain a new skill and even slightly progress it.
New Skill!
Forest Walker (Beginner 1 - 67%) Your stumbling and tripping in the woods has actually taught you a thing or two about crossing wooded terrain.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. 10% increase to movement speed in forested areas.
Damon was beginning to lose hope entirely that he¡¯d ever meet anyone ever again in this game, when he heard a faint noise slightly off to his right. The noise was new in these peaceful woods. It sounded like shouting, voices of panic and cries of anger. Speeding up as much as he dared, Damon rushed to the noises he could hear, dodging and tripping through the many trees and roots in his path. Jeez this snow really isn¡¯t helping me. He thought as he tripped over a particularly large root that had been completely covered by white snow, almost falling over again. You have received 1 physical damage from Tree Root. Really?Damon almost said aloud as he grunted and carried on towards the increasingly loud shouts. He could vaguely make out larger shapes in front of him as the trees seemed to thin and he suddenly realised he could see structures of what must have been wood, based on the colour he could see. This must be the village. He thought, running a little easier now that there were fewer obstacles in his way. He made his way to one of the structures he could see and when he reached it he confirmed his suspicion of wood as he put his hand to it. He began to make his way around the side of the structure to where he could hear the now very loud shouts and what he recognised as growls belonging to wolves. As Damon rounded the corner of the building, he could just make out a large open area with a small structure in the centre. There appeared to be several figures nestled up against it. Slightly in front were two tall figures that seemed to be facing off against four distinctive shapes that Damon recognised immediately as wolves. They were slightly smaller than the one Damon had fought before, but one seemed much bigger than the other three. Damon could smell blood in the air, several bodies were spewed across the open ground. Two dead wolves were also lying among the silent dead.
New Quest!
Save the Villagers! This small village in the middle of nowhere is being attacked by a pack of very hungry Forest Wolves. Will you do anything to help them? Rewards: Base 100 Exp Exp bonus for each wolf killed Relationship points with attacked villagers
That all but confirmed to Damon what was happening and he quickly swiped the blue window away, before charging towards the closest wolf shape. The wolf he was aiming for, must have been far too preoccupied with the smell of fear and despair from the people in front of it to notice Damon running through the snow behind it. His footsteps were muffled by the soft terrain and his light clothing released little noise to the wind that was blowing into his face as he moved. With a small grunt, Damon slammed into the side of the wolf and plunged his knife into what he guessed was its neck, completely slicing open its throat, as he bowled the creature over. (Stealth Attack) (Critical Hit) You have dealt 33 physical damage to Forest Wolf You have dealt 2 physical damage to Forest Wolf Blood gushed out of the wound and stained the white snow red around the creature. Before it had time to recover, Damon began stabbing at its thrashing head, using his body to keep the beast down and immobile. You have dealt 5 physical damage to Forest Wolf. (Critical Hit) You have dealt 16 physical damage to Forest Wolf. You have dealt 3 physical damage to Forest Wolf. (Critical Hit) You have dealt 12 physical damage to Forest Wolf.
Congratulations you have slain Forest Wolf (Level 4)
+65 Exp
Level Up!
Congratulations, you have gained an additional level! You are now level 2 Please allocate any free stat points.
Snarling, Damon really wished these notifications wouldn''t pop up while he was fighting. Suddenly they disappeared and a small blinking icon appeared at the bottom right of his vision. A scream pierced the air and Damon jerked his head upwards to find the other three wolves had moved in to attack the two figures standing further out. By what he could tell in the miasma of shapes before him, the two were putting up a good fight. However, he could hear tearing flesh and the cries of pain that accompanied them. Damon¡¯s heart pumped adrenaline round his body as he pushed himself of the dead wolf and began running to the fighting shapes. One of the men, at least by the sounds of his pitiful crying, fell to the ground as a wolf form leaped on top of him, tearing his throat with its teeth, as the man released a final gargled splutter. Damon angled himself towards him, but his running skills weren¡¯t amazing and he almost tripped as he made his way over to the dying man. The wolf was so focused on eating its prey that it never knew what hit it as Damon plunged, knife first, into it¡¯s side. (Stealth Attack) (Critical Hit) You have dealt 35 physical damage to Forest Wolf. Damon let out a roar as the wolf whimpered from the pain, but it didn¡¯t fall over like the last one. It had managed to dig its claws into the man below it as it tried to feast. The sound of rendered flesh could be heard as the wolf shifted slightly from the impact. The wolf¡¯s head snapped round and its teeth clamped down on Damon¡¯s left shoulder. You have received 9 physical damage from Forest Wolf. Damon cried in pain, spittle spewing from his mouth before he rammed his blade into the wolf¡¯s gullet. (Critical Hit) You have dealt 16 physical damage to Forest Wolf. The wolf¡¯s mouth clamped down harder and the pain increased tenfold for Damon. You have received 5 physical damage from Forest Wolf. Left Arm Crippled. Gritting his teeth, Damon once again plunged his dagger into the wolf, simply trying to stop the damn creature from chewing his arm off. You have dealt 12 physical damage to Forest Wolf. You have dealt 12 physical damage to Forest Wolf. Forest Wolf has died. The wolf finally let go, the wet sucking noise was sickening to Damon and he almost threw up from the combination of pain and disgust. He fell to the ground hoping for some rest, but an angry cry from behind him reminded him there was at least one more wolf to deal with. We whirled around, his destroyed shoulder screaming at him from the injustice. The arm below it swung uselessly with the motion. He tried to take in the vague scene before him but honestly, he couldn''t tell the difference between the shapes moving in front of him. He closed his eyes and focused on the sound instead, trusting sound more than his sight at that moment. He could hear the wolf growling. It was low and full of a menacing promise that sent a shiver down his spine. You are intimidated. Letting out a frustrated growl of his own, Damon focused on his breathing, letting it calm him enough to deal with the situation before him. You are no longer under the effects of intimidation. Damon ignored the prompt, his attention instead on what was before him. That single growl confirmed that the other wolf was either dead or at least out of action. The grunts from the man left standing confirmed he was still fighting, although he sounded haggard and his breath was coming out in short, struggling pants. Damon began moving forwards, when his foot stubbed against something wooden. He opened his eyes and looked down. A long, dark axe lay at his feet. The man he had just saved must have been using this as a weapon. It was probably a lot sturdier than the rusted dagger he currently wielded and the damage had to be much higher. He bent down, putting the knife into his boots. Suddenly he realised a problem... He only had one arm. The other was dangling uselessly next to him. He wasn¡¯t even sure how he could wield this new weapon. Desperation won out as he heard a muffled cry from the fighting pair and the impact as bodies hit the ground. Quickly coming to a decision, Damon grabbed the axe half way up the shaft and began running to aid the now fallen fighter. As he reached the two grappling forms on the ground, Damon made a mad gamble and swung the axe high overhead, his muscles screaming at him, and let gravity pull it back down, right onto the neck of the figure below him. Chapter 6 Damon heard a sickening crunch as the heavy axe penetrated through muscle and bone. Blood spurtedupwards in a wet fountain of crimson colour. The struggling stopped below Damon and the whole world seemed frozen for a moment¡­ (Sneak Attack) (Critical Hit) You have dealt 67 physical damage to Alpha Forest Wolf. Retching broke the stillness of the open ground as the figure below the deceased wolf started coughing and moving about, trying to push the creature off of himself. Blood had apparently sprayed into the mans mouth and Damon could smell the awful metallic tang on his breath as he rolled on the ground. Damon used his good arm to help push the wolf over, it¡¯s heavy form still warm. He helped the man into a sitting position before realising that his left leg had been completely chewed off. Unbeknownst to Damon¡¯s poor vision, tears were rolling down the man¡¯s face as he looked at his saviour. ¡°Th-thank you.¡± He sobbed, clutching Damon¡¯s blood-soaked hand. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Damon wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. He glanced around to see the figures, that had been huddled around what Damon could only assume was a well, hesitantly creeped towards him. He could hear the low murmur of confused and frightened children asking small, curious questions of their parents. One slightly braver figure walked closer and asked in a tentative, feminine voice. ¡°Who are you?¡± Damon just stood there, panting as the shock of everything that had just happened washed over him. If he¡¯d hit the wrong figure in that last moment, things could have gone horribly wrong. He¡¯d forgone his blurry eyesight and gone with instinct, sensing who''d have had the upper hand in the fight and differentiating between the distinct noises emitted by the two fighters. Once again, Damon had to remind himself to focus on his breathing in an attempt to calm down as the adrenaline finally diffused into his bloodstream. Belatedly, he acknowledged the blinking icon in his vision.
Congratulations you have slain Forest Wolf (Level 4)
+65 Exp
New Skill!
Dagger Mastery (Beginner 1 - 25%) Your constant attempts to stab furry killing machines has finally accomplished something. 15% Increase in physical damage while using a dagger or short blade 5% Increased attack speed while using a dagger or short blade
Skill Level Up!
Focus Breathing (Beginner 2 - 8%) New bonus: 6% Bonus to mental resistance 26% Increase to stress relief when using this skill
Congratulations you have slain Alpha Forest Wolf (Level 7)
+142 Exp +10 Fame
Level Up!
Congratulations, you have gained an additional level! You are now level 3 Please allocate any free stat points.
Damon could barely take it all in. His breaths came out in long, heavy bursts. Each inhalation filled his body with the smell of death that was putrid in the air and Damon cringed slightly as it wafted into his nostrils. The woman in front of him must have misunderstood his look of shock and his sudden silence, as she quickly said: ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble to tell us, adventurer. If you hadn¡¯t arrived when you did, we would have all been torn apart for sure.¡± She clearly sounded distressed, enough so that Damon snapped out of his revelry and blinked towards the woman before responding. ¡°My name is Damon. I was close by when I heard the screams and came to help.¡± He looked around once again and found the others had gained a little more confidence after hearing him speak and had drifted closer. ¡°Well you came in the nick of time.¡± Came a gruff voice from the ground next to Damon. The man he had saved seemed to have calmed down slightly and was seated fully upright. ¡°Oh Uncle!¡± The woman cried, finally seeing the man clearly. She rushed over to him and knelt, examining the mess where the man¡¯s lower leg used to be. ¡°It¡¯s OK Diana, I¡¯ll survive andI¡¯m sure the trader Mage will know some kind of magic to grow it back.¡± Assured the man, seeming remarkably calm for someone who¡¯d just been inches from death. He looked back up towards Damon. ¡°Thank you again for saving myself and my village. Name¡¯s Benjy, welcome to Farcross.¡±
Quest Complete!
Congratulations, you have saved the village of Farcross from complete destruction at the hands, or paws, of the attacking wolves. Rewards:Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. +100 Exp +136 Exp (Based on wolves killed) +3000 Relationship points with Farcross Village The village is now friendly towards you.
Damon dismissed the notification, making a note to check it properly later. ¡°You''re welcome.¡± He replied, ¡°I must admit I¡¯m a little new to this area, can you tell me exactly where we are?¡± ¡°North.¡± Benjy replied. ¡°As far north as civilisation has ever reached. We¡¯re the furthest village out by at least a day¡¯s walk through this snow.¡± He looked around then, taking in the bodies strewn around the small village. Even to Benjy, the village was a small and ramshackled affair ¨C the houses were more like huts, made from wooden logs. Their thatched roofs seemed to be falling apart under the weight of the snow. It was home to him though. He¡¯d helped to build these very structures and was proud of it all in a way. The bodies now littering the ground, brought great pain to his heart as he remembered the names and deeds of all the fallen he could see. He looked back at Damon then, wondering why the blood-soaked adventurer wasn¡¯t quite meeting his eyes. Damon, for his part, had just remembered his tattered shoulder. He was trying his hardest to hide the flashes of pain he felt every time the wind blew across his torn skin. He could feel that it was already starting to knit itself back together, just at an agonisingly slow pace. ¡°Please feel free to stay as long as you wish adventurer. Damon, was it?" Announced Benjy, ¡°If you like, you could help us clear this mess up and perhaps help us rebuild.¡± He suddenly sounded very tired and Damon got the distinct impression this wasn¡¯t the first time something like this had happened here. ¡­ After everyone had calmed down somewhat, the villagers began to disperse. Benjy and Diana gave him food to help heal his shoulder and he rested for a short while as his HP gradually increased.With his newly healed shoulder, he was able to carry a lot, which was useful because there weren¡¯t many men left in the village. It was basically just himself, Benjy ¨C who turned out to be the village''s blacksmith as well as their tanner; and two young teenagers, no older than thirteen or fourteen. That wasn¡¯t to say the women weren¡¯t strong, they had to be to survive so far north. It was simply that they had other tasks to attend to and children to distract as the devastation around them was cleared. He actually gained some nice loot from the wolves he had slain and was looking forward to finding a way to make himself some warmer clothes out of the pelts he now had.
Do you wish to loot Forest Wolf (Level 4) x2
x1 Forest Wolf pelt (average) x1 Forest Wolf pelt (poor) x2 Forest wood meat (poor)
Do you wish to loot Alpha Forest Wolf (Level 7)
x1 Alpha Forest Wolf pelt (Good) x1 Alpha Forest wolf meat (Average)
Damon made a note to ask someone what the (average, poor and good) meant. The bodies of the villagers who¡¯d fallen during the attack were placed on a large pyre that those with little else to do had erected just outside of the village, in a small clearing. The resulting fire and funerals helped warm everyone after a harsh day and gave them all a chance to remember those who were lost. Damon was impressed by the resilience shown by these villagers. Life so far North in these cold lands must really take its toll, but the people faced it kept going despite it. He managed to learn a lot from Benjy. His reputation boost helped a lot to loosen the mood and allowed Damon to fire off questions and queries about the land he was in and the world in general. The village he was in was one of four in the northern most part of the human kingdom. The four villages were arranged in a sort of diamond shape and split about a day¡¯s walk from each other, with Farcross being the highest point. The four villages didn¡¯t particularly get on well with each other. They were technically all governed by a single lord, who lived in the southern most village. However, he was rarely ever there, preferring the capital of the human kingdom, which was far warmer and accommodating to his tastes. Instead he left the ruling of the diamond villages to his son, an ugly weasel ¨C according to Benjy. His son continually increased taxes and demanded labour for a very low wage, to the point where money was scarce for those who weren¡¯t in the young lordling¡¯s personal guard, or cronies as Benjy referred to them as. Most villagers had to work more than one profession to scrape by, trading within themselves and with the occasional trader that would venture so far north to buy goods such as wolf pelts and other unique items only found in the north. The one most consistent trader was a mage who came in the summer, looking to buy rare herbs and such for his magical experiments and potion making. If the slightly pitiful economy wasn¡¯t enough for the villages of the North, wolf, and sometimes even bear, attacks weren¡¯t all that uncommon. This meant that the villagers had to be on constant guard and such attacks had a serious effect on the ratio of men to women, meaning the population was always stagnant and unable to properly grow. This was made even more obvious as Damon listened to the conversations around him, noting there were very few masculine voices with only himself and Benjy sounding properly mature. At the end of the night, when the pyre had died down to a mere ember and the chill night air began to properly bite through everyone¡¯s clothes, the villagers began to drift back to their respective beds. Damon was shown to an empty hut that he was told had belonged to the man he¡¯d unfortunately failed to save in the wolf attack. Sighing and falling onto the hard, wooden bed that was sat in the corner of the hut, Damon called up his status page to decide what to do with his two free stat points. After a long deliberation, in which Damon remembered the realism of the day he¡¯d just had, he decided that staying alive was his top priority. He did not want to know what dying felt like in this game. So with that in mind, he dumped both points into endurance and watched as his health pool rose by 20 points. He noted that his regeneration also rose by 0.1/sec, which was an added bonus. He wasn¡¯t yet sure what the added strength did for him yet, the same for intelligence. He guessed he¡¯d find out soon enough, after a little experimentation and perhaps a chat with Billy.
Personal Details Attributes Other Information
Name Damon Khaul Name Value Level 3
Race Human STR 12 Class N/A
Sex Male END 12 Guild N/A
Age 21 years AGI 10 Spawn Point N/A
Health 120/120 (+0.2/sec) DEX 10 Resistances Expand
Stamina 100/100 (+0.1/sec) INT 12 Skills Expand
Mana Points N/A WIS 10 Spells N/A
Fame 10 CHR 10 Relationships Expand
Titles N/A LCK 10 Status Effects Expand
Damon dismissed his status page, staring up at the ceiling above him, vaguely trying to make out any details of the dark roof, before slowly drifting off into a deep sleep. Chapter 7 Morning soon arrived, rays of bright colour dancing upon Damon¡¯s closed eyes. He sleepily marvelled at the simple beauty shown by the shapes. He lay there for a long time, listening to the outside world. The vague conversations of people outside, preparing for the tasks they needed to complete that day. He caught the sounds of birds chirping in the trees and a vague sense of serenity passed over him. He focused on the individual sounds he could hear and began to imagine the world outside his hut. He had done this exercise many times before in the real world, but now he had actual colour experience to work with and the shapes he conjured up became much more detailed and precise. He concentrated on the birds and how they perched themselves on top of the low hanging branches, looking out over the small village as the villagers began to emerge from their homes to start their days. The children had already begun playing, as mothers performed tasks such as collecting water and preparing breakfast.
New Skill!
Focus Listening (Beginner 1 - 23%) Yourobsessive attention to the noises around you has granted you the ability to pick out the most relavant sounds to you. 5% bonus to mental resistance 25% increase in efficiency of targeting on singular sounds
New Skill!
Focus Mind (Beginner 1 - 16%) Your body is a temple, your mind the alter from which all is revealed. 5% bonus to mental resistance 25% increase in efficiency of mental tasks
What¡¯s with this focus theme? Damon wondered. Humming to himself softly, he dismissed the notifications and swung himself out of bed. His feet hit the cold, hard wood of the floor and he quickly put his clothes and boots onbefore he froze to the floor. Stepping outside, he had to put his hand over his eyes as an onslaught of light hit him when he passed through the door. He still wasn¡¯t used to sudden light changes and had to squint heavily before he could open his eyes fully again. ¡°Ah he rises.¡± A voice announced to Damon¡¯s right. He instantly recognised it as Benjy and wondered towards the sound. He made out a figure sitting in a chair, seeming to be relaxing in some bulky looking clothes. A small fire crackled softly in front of him, fruitlessly trying to combat the still cold air. ¡°Morning Benjy, how are you feeling this morning?¡± Damon replied sitting on a what he thought was a fur mat laid next to Benjy¡¯s chair. ¡°Rested.¡± Came Benjy¡¯s rough reply. ¡°My leg¡¯s barely noticeable now, I think Diana¡¯s giving me more grief than it is at the moment.¡± ¡°I heard that!¡± Came a cry from inside the hut that the two men were sat in front of. Benjy chuckled. ¡°So, what are your plans for today adventurer? Do you fancy going hunting? I¡¯ve got a spare bow and a bundle of arrows you could use. You don¡¯t seem to have much in the way of anything by the looks of it, in terms of possessions anyway. There are few animals here but there¡¯s a good hunting area about an hour north-east of here.¡± Damon sighed. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to take you up on the offer of using your bow, I promise you I wouldn¡¯t be a very good shot.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± A frown clear in his voice. ¡°You seem strong enough to pull a bowstring.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Damon replied. ¡°Unfortunately though, I¡¯m blind.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Came Benjy¡¯s astonished reply. ¡°But you took down those three wolves with just a dagger and an axe!¡± It was Damon¡¯s turn to chuckle. Diana chose that moment to walk out of the hut and busy herself putting what sounded like a pot of liquid on top of the fire. ¡°It¡¯s true! I can only see vague shapes and colours so it would be useless trying to shoot a bow. It was more luck and a bit of listening skills that let me know where the wolves were.¡± ¡°Huh¡± Breathed Benjy. ¡°Well I guess that explains why you never really meet my eye at all, and that strange faraway look you always seem to have.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Damon cringed slightly at that. ¡°Is that really what I look like?¡± ¡°Yep¡­ Well that and half crazed with all that blood over you.¡± Remarked Benjy, laughing lightly. Damon remembered how Diana had quietly asked him to wash before he did anything else last night, saying he smelt like something that¡¯d started decaying and looked even worse. ¡°So, as I said, I won¡¯t be able to use your bow, thanks for the offer though.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Benjy seemed to be thinking for a moment. ¡°Well, you not being able to see might not actually be that much of a hindrance. You mentioned a listening skill, what did you mean?¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t a skill until I got a notification this morning. I¡¯ve always had good hearing due to not having my eyesight and it seems the system thinks it¡¯s actually a skill now.¡± ¡°I see. Well does it let you locate where things are if they¡¯re making noise?¡± asked Benjy. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure... Kind of I guess. I hear whatever it is and I automatically imagine what and where it should be.¡± Answered Damon, sounding very sceptical. ¡°Well in that case I think we could work something out.¡± Benjy confidently announced. ¡°A little thing of note about using a bow: the aiming isn¡¯t really sight induced, it¡¯s more experience based.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand what you mean?¡± Said Damon, confused. He wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure what shooting a bow actually looked like. He¡¯d heard it described plenty of times in books before but he had no visual cue for what the action looked like. ¡°Learning to use a bow is easy, being able to hit a target accurately, now that¡¯s the hard part.¡± Benjy chuckled again. ¡°If you tried to aim down the arrow shaft using your eye, your body position would be all wrong and you¡¯d probably be aiming at the floor anyway. I¡¯ve seen maybe one person get away with it, but usually it doesn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Ok so how do you aim then?¡± Damon asked slightly intrigued. ¡°Well I¡¯ll show you... Or more instruct and get you to perform I guess, considering I can¡¯t stand and you wouldn¡¯t be able see me properly anyway. Diana could you grab the spare bow and a couple of arrows for me?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Diana replied quickly going back into the hut and returning a moment later with the objects in hand. Damon stood up and accepted the gifts from Diana, feeling the bow and how the wood curved in a sort of stretched out shape with a leather grip below centre if he held it vertically. The arrows were bundled up and wrapped in a piece of string, held slightly apart to prevent the feathers from damaging each other.
Old Ash Recurve Bow An ancient heirloom, this bow is barely useful for tapping tent pegs in, let alone hunting or killing. Damage: 9 - 13physical Durability: 9/30
¡°Now that¡¯s a recurve bow, it¡¯s not difficult to draw and can pack a decent punch so is perfect for hunting animals out here in the north.¡± Announced Benjy, who was watching Damon examine the bow. ¡°Diana could you grab that metal sheet I¡¯ve been working on for the well please? That¡¯s it, it¡¯s not too heavy so you should be able to carry it over there and prop it against Damon¡¯s hut.¡± Diana did as instructed and stood there, now almost completely invisible to Damon¡¯s poor vision. ¡°Now, Damon, Diana¡¯s going to strike the sheet and hopefully it¡¯ll make enough noise for you to focus on it and try and hit it with an arrow. Understand?¡± Benjy asked. ¡°Ugh I guess?¡± Damon answered, having untied the string around the arrows and dropped all but one on the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk you through the motions, you just have to follow them and shoot. I¡¯m sure Diana will move in time to not get hit!¡± That last part was said a little louder and a sarcastic laugh came from the waiting woman. ¡°Now, hold the bow with your left hand, using the leather as a grip, that¡¯s it. Stand with your feet apart, square your body more, good. Knock an arrow to the string and keep it pointed to the ground just in front of you, letting it rest on top of your hand. Don¡¯t do it yet, but when Diana hits the metal, focus on the noise and block everything else out. Imagine where you want to hit and when you¡¯re ready, bring the bow up in a straight horizontal line and shoot. Simple really.¡± Benjy waited until Damon was ready, then nodded towards Diana. The waiting woman nodded back, before banging three times on the metal sheet that reverberated several times and emitted a loud, echoing CLANG! Damon focused hard on the loud noise and could easily tell where the metal sheet was located. Breathing carefully to calm himself, he focused entirely on the noise and blocked out all the chatter that the sudden disturbance had caused within the spectating villagers. He brought the bow up and pulled back the string, pausing to imagine the target he was aiming for and let out a final breath before releasing his two fingers and letting the arrow fly. ¡°Hit!¡± Cried Benjy as the sound of the metal sheet echoed once more. ¡°Well done my boy! Very impressive!¡± Damon just stood there, two new blue windows floating in front of him.
New Skill!
Bow Mastery (Beginner 1 - 18%) Well, you might have hit a target, but you''ve still got a long way to go before you''ll be considered a true master of this fine art. 15% Increase in physical damage while using any type of bow 5% Increased attack speed while using any type of bow
New Skill!
Instinctive Aim (Beginner 1 - 26%) The trick to hitting a target consistently is practice, but a little bit of natural instinct never hurt either. 15% higher chance of hitting your target when this skill is used 5% chance of a critical hit, despite target area Stamina cost: 5 SP
Not even in his wildest dreams would Damon have thought it possible that he¡¯d ever shoot a bow, let alone actually hit a target. A large, very loud target granted, but still, he¡¯d hit it! A huge grin began to form on Damon¡¯s face and he turned back to Benjy. ¡°Can I do that again?¡± Chapter 8 Damon sat, once again, with Benjy next to the still burning fire. The mouth-watering smell of cooking meat permeated the air. The world had darkened with the arrival of nightfall and Damon realised that the day cycle was quite short. Perhaps only eight or so hours. The rest of the day had been quite fun for Damon. He¡¯d kept up the archery practice for a long time, trying to hit different objects all over the place. Diana would wander around tapping various things and Damon would listen carefully to the resulting noise before drawing and shooting. The first time he tried it, the arrow completely missed and almost hit Diana, who¡¯d retreated, to what she thought to be, a safe distance away. The shriek of surprise made Damon wince and apologise profusely. After much cajoling and promising, Diana tapped the object once more, allowing Damon to try and shoot again. This time he remembered the skill he¡¯d received and thought Instinctive aim as he pulled back the bow string. The arrow flew true, almost. It clipped the object ¨C a spare wooden bowl ¨C and the sound of the bowl falling to the floor, made a clattering noise. Damon continued to fire arrow after arrow until he ran out. At which point, Diana had to retrieve them for him. Damon then began repeating the entire process again, with Diana helping and the occasional correction to his technique from Benjy. Damon missed just as many as he hit. His skill was definitely improving though and the notifications he received confirmed that fact.
Skill Level Up!
Archery Mastery (Beginner 2 - 9%) New bonus: 16% Increase in physical damage while using any type of bow 6% Increased attack speed while using any type of bow
Skill Level Up!
Instinctive Aim (Beginner 2 - 24%) New bonus: 16% Higher chance of hitting your target when this skill is used 6% Chance of a critical hit, despite target area
Skill Level Up!
Focus Listening (Beginner 2 - 5%) New bonus: 6% Bonus to mental resistance 26% Increase in efficiency of targeting on singular sounds
Skill Level Up!
Focus Mind (Beginner 2 - 8%) New bonus: 6% Bonus to mental resistance 26% Increase in efficiency of mental tasks
Damon couldn¡¯t help but feel a little pearl of pride at his progression. It felt like he was rushing through skills at a rapid rate. He still wondered why there was a naming theme occurring with his skills, but he again dismissed it for another time. Although, it niggled at Damon that previously his skills had increased quite quickly over a short space of time, whereas in a day, he¡¯d only increased by one skill level in any of his skills. He guessed it was due to the harder difficulty of gaining a new level, but even then, his archery skill should have increased by at least two levels. He¡¯d been shooting for the entire day, only pausing for lunch and to allow for his stamina to refill. ¡°Your archery practice seems to be going well.¡± The smith said to Damon, whilst he relaxed into his chair. ¡°It is, I¡¯m still not hitting everything first time though, which is a little frustrating.¡± Damon replied, his eyes closed, listening to the sounds of the crackling fire before him. ¡°It¡¯ll take time. Practice is your best source of improvement. If you practice under high stress, you might find you improve much faster. At least more than if you just continued shooting inanimate objects in the village.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Damon asked, puzzled. ¡°Practice is all well and good but if you¡¯re exposed to many more different scenarios and circumstances, you¡¯ll find you''re able to increase your learning speed.¡± Benjy answered. ¡°Stress allows you to adapt and, if you can overcome it, builds information necessary to improve. It¡¯s like trial and error to discover a better way of making a new blade. If I don¡¯t attempt to work something like that out, how am I really improving myself?¡± ¡°So, what your saying is that I need to make my target practice harder?¡± Damon asked, opening his eyes and accepting a warm bowl of a delicious smelling stew, passed to him by Diana. ¡°Exactly.¡± Replied Benjy, accepting his own bowl. ¡°Now, you can do that in a number of ways, but I think hunting might be the best way to do that. Diana can help you with that, she needs to collect herbs and such in the forest anyway and we always need more food for the village. Now that all our main hunters are dead, we could actually use some help getting more meat. There are usually some rabbits and foxes in the woods near here.¡±
New Quest!
Food for Farcross The village Farcross has very few hunters now and needs someone to supplement their numbers until they can train new ones. Bring 10 rabbit or fox meat to Benjy. Rewards: Base 50 Exp Relationship points with Benjy
¡°Sure, I can help you with that.¡± Damon said closing the blue window. ¡°I must say though, I don¡¯t really know how to hunt.¡± ¡°Diana will be there to help you, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve got enough meat to last us all for a few days, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have got something by then.¡± Benjy confidently replied. The three ate in silence for a while, enjoying the heat from the crackling fire and enjoying each other¡¯s company, before Damon excused himself and retreated to his new home and wooden bed. He closed his eyes and instead of falling asleep, simply thought log out. ¡­ Damon awoke back in the real world; the helmet already being taken off his head by some helpers. He never quite got used to going back to complete darkness whenever he logged out. The sudden lack of any colour disorientated him for a couple of moments before he could sit up. ¡°Congratulations Damon, how was your first couple of days inside King¡¯s Wrath?¡± A voice that Damon recognised as Samuel¡¯s cheerily asked. ¡°It was amazing, I actually really enjoyed it.¡± Damon replied, turning to face Samuel. ¡°But I can¡¯t believe how real everything feels. I can feel actual pain and the sights and smells are truly amazing.¡± ¡°Ah yes, well I must make a small confession there Damon. We have decided, that there will be three different packages available for the public when we release King¡¯s Wrath to the world. The first is for our casual player base. They won¡¯t be able to feel more than 4% of any simulated pain. To them, the most pain they¡¯ll feel is akin to a flu jab. This also means extra game mechanics such as auto assist for combat; a severe dampener on blood and gore, and censorship of certain other visual and sensory cues.¡± Samuel paused to make sure Damon was still listening before continuing. ¡°The second will be for our semi-hardcore player base. The pain threshold is increased, slightly, to 10%. The combat assistance will be optional as will be the blood and gore. The censorship of the senses will remain the same as with the casual package. This package however will allow the players to increase skills 15% faster than casual players.¡± Samuel saw the expression on Damon¡¯s face and a smile could be heard in his next words. ¡°As you might have guessed, you¡¯re under the category of our hardcore package. The is no pain filter involved and no combat assistance. The blood and gore is enabled and there is no censorship of the senses meaning you can smell and taste everything during a fight. There is a bonus for picking this package as you can increase skills 35% faster than casual players. Because of the nature of the hardcore package, you also don¡¯t get access to the tutorial available for King¡¯s wrath, nor are you spawned inside an inhabited village with a helpful NPC who will give you free quests and strong starter gear. As you have experienced, those who choose this pack will be spawned in a rather inconvenient and dangerous area, with no help and no guide to start them off. They must create their own path, or die trying. Which also brings me onto the last point of the hardcore package ¨C death will bring greater costs than to the lower packages, the other two will only lose you 60% level progression. The hardcore package; however, will mean you lose an entire level and one skill level from all your current skills.¡± Samuel stopped there to let Damon take that all in. ¡°So why am I in the hardcore package?¡± Asked Damon, thinking the casual package sounded like a sweet deal. ¡°Three reasons really: The first, is that we needed someone to test the hardcore package. The other testers are all using the other two, so you are actually the first to try this package out. The second reason is that we thought it would be useful for you to have peak use of the senses that weren¡¯t your sight. Imagine trying to fight a monster if you couldn¡¯t really hear or see it. The last reason was that you accepted to do the hardcore package when you allowed Billy to improve your senses while your vision improved. So, we went with it.¡± Samuel answered and Damon couldn¡¯t really find fault with the logic, so accepted that he¡¯d just have to deal with it. ¡°You can, of course, ask Billy anything you wish in your Hub space and he will answer as much as he can except for giving you direct information on content inside the game. Anything to do with game mechanics, he can answer though.¡± After Samuel finished, Damon nodded before thanking him for the information and asking if he could eat and rest. ¡°Of course.¡± Replied Samuel. ¡°Get some sleep, you have more to do tomorrow!¡± With that, Damon was led back to his room, where a warm meal was waiting for him. He guzzled the delicious food down, before heading to his bed. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, dreams of firing a bow again, danced in his head. Chapter 9 Damon awoke the next day to the sound of an alarm blaring in his ear. He was starting to get used to hearing this alarm now, after so long in his new home. He slowly got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen, where a drone had already set breakfast out for him. Damon thought absently about what life must have been like before the automaton drones had been invented, some twenty odd years ago. Must have been a hard life. After breakfast, someone knocked on Damon¡¯s door and asked if he was ready to re-enter King¡¯s Wrath. After showering and quickly getting dressed, Damon made his way over to the DIVE room. Samuel was waiting for him once again. ¡°Good morning Damon, I trust you slept well? Just wanted to inform you on a little software update we¡¯ve added to the helmet. In short, it causes simulated muscle twitches. This¡¯ll allow your body to simulate exercise and so will help to prevent atrophy caused by prolonged time in the game. You¡¯ll still need to eat and go to the toilet, but you won¡¯t have to worry about exercising anymore!¡± Samuel declared, clapping Damon on the back, before helping him down onto the bed and ensuring the helmet was put on correctly. ¡°OK, thanks for the heads up.¡± Replied Damon before thinking dive. A moment later, Damon was stood in his Hub space. Blinking, he looked around at the colours, before noticing Billy stood a couple of feet away, smiling at him. ¡°Hello Damon, how are we today? Did you enjoy your first couple of days in King¡¯s Wrath?¡± Billy asked, beckoning Damon to sit. ¡°Hi Billy, I¡¯m well thanks and yes I really did. I have a few questions for you though.¡± Answered Damon, as he sat down on a chair opposite Billy. ¡°Ask away my boy, ask away!¡± Came the jovial reply. ¡°Firstly, what do each of the stats mean in game? I think I kind of get Endurance: It gives me an extra 10 health every point I put into it and adds to my health regeneration as well. The others though, I really don¡¯t understand.¡± Billy nodded and then began to explain. ¡°Firstly strength. Strength determines your muscle mass. If increased, you will be able to carry more weight, your strikes will do more damage and you¡¯d be able to use heavier bows. Next is endurance. As you said, endurance increases your health pool and regeneration, but it also increases your body¡¯s overall hardiness, density and weight meaning that you can withstand harder hits. "After that comes Agility. Agility focuses mostly on speed and grace of movement. The idea behind this is that you¡¯ll gain more stamina, as your body learns to move in ways that conserve energy. Closely associated to this is Dexterity. This focuses more on accuracy and external factors to your body. Reflexes also fall under dexterity. Keeping up so far?" "I think so." Damon nodded. "Then we have Intelligence. Intelligence is both your common sense, as well as critical thinking. Think of it as your creative ability. It also increases your mana regeneration, as your ability to absorb ambient mana is increased. Wisdom is closely related to intelligence. Wisdom is more focused around knowledge and memory. Improving this stat will help you learn faster; Intelligence and wisdom are connected in this way. Your mana pool is increased by 10 with each point added to wisdom, as you are able to comprehend more." "The final two stats are almost miscellaneous. There¡¯s Charisma: determining your likability and persuasion skills. You can use it to woo the ladies, or men¡­ It can be used to bring down shop prices, or raise payments made to you. The last stat is Luck, the unpredictable stat. Even with a very high luck stat, you can still be unlucky. The most quantifiable way of using it is for loot rewards and sometimes it can even be the deciding factor between life and death. There are also some other stats, but I¡¯m not at liberty to say any more than that.¡± "All this information is found in the in-game wiki. Unfortunately for you, the hardcore package disables those kind of game mechanics, so its lucky you have me really!" Billy finally finished talking and Damon had to take a second to process all the information that had just been thrown at him. ¡°OK, that¡¯s a little clearer now. The next question I have then, is how do the critical hits and sneak attack work? They seemed to ramp up my damage a whole bunch, but they seemed a little random¡­¡± ¡°Critical hits apply if you hit a vital part of a creature¡¯s body. In your case, you hit the neck and head of the wolves a lot, which meant you cut main arteries and caught soft spots like the nose. You even hit the heart of one, I believe. As for sneak attacks, if the target is unaware of your presence, or is surprised by your attack, then they take extra damage. The damage received for both, are made up of a number of factors such as the area hit and the power behind it. Safe to say, they¡¯re a great help and you should probably try for them as often as possible. They also increase skill progression every time they are triggered.¡± Came the reply from Billy. ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Damon thought for a moment. ¡°Last question, for now, I keep having off handed thoughts and the system still acts accordingly, why is that?¡± He asked.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°The system interprets your wants through thought and follows your commands. It¡¯s to make it easier for situations such as combat, where you don¡¯t really have time to fully control how the system should respond. Saves a lot of time.¡± The AI nodded, seeming to agree with himself. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s pretty good!¡± Damon replied, a smile tugging at his mouth. The AI nodded once more and then gestured to the swirling doorway to King¡¯s Wrath. ¡°Indeed. Now, would you like to re-enter the game? ¡­ Damon opened his eyes to the sounds of the forest and village once again. He¡¯d been told by Billy that the game worked using a sort of time depression, in which time passed roughly twice as fast in game than in the real world. It had probably been an entire day since he¡¯d logged out. Sighing, he climbed out of his bed and put his boots on, before heading outside. The air was still and the suns bright glare reflected off of the white snow. Even with Damon¡¯s poor vision, it slightly hurt is eyes and he had to squint slightly. He made his way over to Benjy¡¯s hut to find Diana just exiting, carrying a container that had a sloshing liquid inside. ¡°Morning!¡± Called Damon, as he approached the hut. ¡°Almost lunch actually.¡± Diana replied, setting down the container. ¡°Ah¡­ well. Do you fancy going hunting today?¡± Damon scratched the back of his head, unsure of Diana¡¯s tone. ¡°Of course, although we might not have a lot of time left today. Maybe it¡¯ll be enough to learn the basics though. I¡¯ll grab the bow and arrows, you go see Uncle Benjy - he has something for you.¡± She pointed towards the hut¡¯s doorway and then walked around the back of the hut. Damon slowly walked up to the doorway and pushed open the door. Stepping into the hut, Damon noticed it was far homelier than his own. There was a soft grey rug on the floor and Damon could just make out two beds, a chest and two chairs sat next to a small wooden table. He caught site of Benjy sat on one of the chairs and greeted him. The smith turned, nodding to Damon, before asking him to take a seat. ¡°I have something for you my boy. It¡¯s quite common in this world, however up north in these parts it¡¯s actually quite rare. But, I think you deserve to have it. You¡¯ll probably need it more than anyone here anyway¡± Benjy opened his hand, to reveal a small blue rock, motioning for Damon to take it. Damon did so and examined it.
Map Stone (Basic) This small blue stone contains deep magic which will imprint a virtual map into the mind of whoever activates it. Durability: 5/5 Would you like to activate Map Stone (Basic)?
Damon¡¯s eyes opened in shock and he looked back at Benjy. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this, it must be worth a lot of money and I certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it.¡± ¡°Nonsense! As I said, they¡¯re quite common and it¡¯s the least I can give you for saving my life.¡± He beamed. ¡°Now get on and use it already!¡± Damon thought Yes. And the rock crumbled to dust, while a small, translucent map popped up in the top right field of his vision. It wasn¡¯t very detailed, but it seemed to show Damon¡¯s current location and the individual buildings of the village, along with a little of the surrounding area. There was a small blue dot in one of the buildings and Damon could only assume that was him. When he focused on the map, it enlarged slightly and a small, blue gear icon appeared just below it. When Damon focused on the gear, two options appeared. ¡®Create waypoint at current location¡¯ and ¡®Expand map to full view¡¯. Damon was speechless for a moment, just staring at this new feature. ¡°Now, the map itself won¡¯t be very detailed for the moment, as you''ve only known the village so far. The stone comes sort of pre-set with the main outlines of the world and major cities in each kingdom. Apart from that though, you¡¯ll need to either explore areas yourself, or read physical maps to update your mental one. This should enable you to find your way back here, but set a waypoint just in case. Damon did so and a small red cross appeared, over his blue dot. ¡°I¡¯ve never actually read a map before; how does it work?¡± ¡°Maps are easy. You can see where you are currently located, then simply look to an area you wish to go, point yourself in that direction and walk. The blue dot will move as you do, so you won¡¯t have to worry about trying to find out where you currently are. The distances are to scale, but the sizing depends on a number of factors, so I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able to tell what it is for yours. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to work that out on your own.¡± Explained Benjy. ¡°OK, I think I get it.¡± Damon stood up, hearing Diana walk back into the room. ¡°Are you ready?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Damon turned back to Benjy. ¡°Thank you so much for this. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to be a huge help.¡± Benjy just chuckled back at Damon, before turning to some sheets on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Diana headed outside and Damon followed. The two made their way out of the north-east side of the village. Damon, once again, marvelling at his new virtual map., watching as his blue dot began moving. He almost laughed at the novelty. He almost bumped into Diana, who¡¯d stopped for a moment to make sure that he was following. When he thought of Diana, a small green dot appeared slightly in front of his and he really did laugh then. Diana glanced back, before continuing into the trees. It took about an hour and a half of continuous trudging through the snow before Diana spotted their first rabbit. She motioned silently to Damon, who¡¯d given up trying to see anything properly in the woods and had simply resorted to listening to the world around him. They both crouched, ¡°Rabbit, almost directly in front, maybe 20 paces.¡± Diana murmured, if it wasn¡¯t for his enhanced listening skill, Damon probably wouldn¡¯t have even heard her He focused and tried to pick out any sounds the Rabbit was making. Slowly, he filtered out the chirps of the birds in a nearby tree; the faint sound of flowing water off to his left, along with other noises common within this forest. Finally, he heard a faint rustling and movement of snow ahead of him. From the sounds of the rustling, the rabbit had found a small bush, or perhaps a clear patch of ground with grass. He pictured the animal. There probably weren''t any obstructions between them, or else Diana wouldn¡¯t have spotted it. He could see the rabbit in his mind¡¯s eye, the trees around him and the bush it was eating from. Silently he raised his bow, let out a deep breath and activated Instinctive shot. Chapter 10 Damon missed. Not by much though, as he could hear the arrow strike right next to where the rabbit was located. The rabbit scarpered and Damon let out a groan at the missed opportunity. Diana chuckled, ¡°You can¡¯t expect a hit on your first try. It¡¯s different, shooting a live animal as opposed to a dead target. Come on, there¡¯s bound to be more ¨C rabbits tend to wander in groups.¡± They wander the forest some more, this time much more quietly, making sure not to disturb the forest too much. Now the rabbits knew there were new predators about. Not too long after, they stopped again, this time closer to the river Damon had heard earlier. A rabbit sat on the river¡¯s edge, sipping at the cold water flowing casually by. Damon readied himself, fixing his stance as silently as he could. He focused once again on his breathing, as well as the noises around him. Carefully picking out the sounds of the rabbit, he imaged its position. Lifting up the bow and drawing it, Damon activated Instinctive aim and released. (Sneak Attack) You have dealt 20 physical damage to White Snow Rabbit.
Congratulations you have slain White Snow Rabbit (Level 2)
+15 Exp
The sound of the arrow hitting flesh made a sickening popping noise, but Damon didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d hit the rabbit! The two hunters creeped towards the dead animal, careful of any surprises near the river. When they reached it, Damon took out the arrow and looted the corpse.
Do you wish to loot White Snow Rabbit (Level 2)
x1 White Snow Rabbit pelt (average) x1 White Snow Rabbit meat (poor)
¡°So, onto the next one?¡± Damon enquired, feeling slightly cocky at his recent success. ¡°Sure, how about you lead the way and I¡¯ll follow. I¡¯ve gotta look for some herbs and berry bushes, so why don¡¯t you keep an ear out for more animals. Maybe you can even bag a fox, if you¡¯re lucky.¡± Replied Diana, smirking at the silly grin on Damon''s face. The next couple of hours consisted of more hunting, with quite a few encounters. It seemed sticking close to the river was a good place to start, as all animals needed to drink at some point. It was difficult for Damon to actively listen for the sounds of animals that weren¡¯t obvious like birds or squirrels. It was only through experience and a lot of wasted opportunities, in which Damon would scare away his prey, that finally taught Damon the noises to listen out for to identify each species.
Skill Level Up!
Focus Listening (Beginner 3 - 14%) New bonus: 7% Bonus to mental resistance 27% Increase in efficiency of targeting singular sounds
The careful sneaking around in the forest meant that their pace was slow. However, it gained Damon a new skill. He quickly realised Diana must already have it, as she had no problem keeping up with him at all.
New Skill!
Sneaking (Beginner 1 - 22%) Your quiet steps in hostile environments have kept you alive so far and allowed for more than one sneak attack when catching your prey. 5% Increase to movement speed while sneaking 25% Less noise created while sneaking
In the end, after plenty of missed shots and quiet cursing, Damon had killed five rabbits and a fox. The fox hadn¡¯t died immediately to the arrow and had to be put out of its misery by a quick slice of Damon¡¯s dagger. A brutal affair, but Damon was starting to get used to it and he idly wondered if that was due to Billy dampening his reactions slightly again. Or, maybe he had just gotten used to such behaviour from his brief time in the game. A question for another time he supposed. Diana also taught Damon how to set traps to catch small squirrels. A simple piece of rope or wire looped into a particular knot that would tighten when pulled, placed on top of a log of wood and propped against a tree. The idea was that the squirrels would be lazy and take the fastest route up from the ground, strangling themselves on the noose as they tried to run through it. The two would leave those traps overnight and check back on them tomorrow. Damon marked the traps on his virtual map so he could find his way back. The forest all looked the same to him, so it was a mystery how Diana navigated, as she¡¯d told him she didn¡¯t have a map of her own. Eventually, Diana and Damon arrived back at the village, both tired and ready for a hot meal and bed. Once again, Damon wished for warmer clothes as he gratefully sat close to a glowing fire and accepted a bowl of hot stew. The prey he¡¯d hunted had provided five rabbit pelts and one fox pelt, all of average quality, as well as the same number of meat. A good haul in Damon¡¯s opinion, although he hoped to do better tomorrow. He¡¯d also gained a skill level in his instinctive aim and focus mind. His other skills were progressing well but hadn¡¯t quite reached the next level yet. Maybe tomorrow will bring better luck. He hoped. The best thing to happen, however was a level up.
Level Up!
Congratulations, you have gained an additional level!Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. You are now level 4 Please allocate any free stat points.
Turns out, he hadn¡¯t been that far off his next level and hunting those creatures had provided the necessary experience for him. He opened up his status screen and put the free point into Dexterity. He needed better aim if he wanted to use a bow consistently and was happy to invest points to get it.
Personal Details Attributes Other Information
Name Damon Khaul Name Value Level 4
Race Human STR 13 Class N/A
Sex Male END 12 Guild N/A
Age 21 years AGI 10 Spawn Point N/A
Health 120/120 (+0.2/sec) DEX 11 Resistances Expand
Stamina 100/100 (+0.1/sec) INT 13 Skills Expand
Mana Points N/A WIS 10 Spells N/A
Fame 10 CHR 10 Relationships Expand
Titles N/A LCK 10 Status Effects Expand
After finishing his meal, Damon bayed goodnight to Benjy and Diana, before retiring to his bed for the night. He had much to do tomorrow and he hoped to finish the quest Benjy had given him. ¡­ Twang! The light sound, as Damon released his bowstring, was coupled with the sound of an arrow striking flesh. (Sneak Attack) (Critical Hit) You have dealt 40 physical damage to Northern Forest Fox.
Congratulations you have slain Northern Forest Fox (Level 3)
+30 Exp
Quest Update!
Well done! You have successfully collected 10 rabbit or fox meat. Deliver these to Benjy and collect your reward.
Sighing, Damon went to retrieve his arrow and loot his prey. He¡¯d been out in the wilderness for half the day now and was relieved to have finally reached his target. The traps he¡¯d set with Diana the previous day hadn¡¯t yielded any results yet, but he was hoping they would within the next few days. He¡¯d also managed to gain another skill level in archery mastery and sneak. An altogether good day. He thought to himself, as he began the trek back to Farcross. The forest was lively today, more animals seemed to be out and about, letting Damon enjoy the peaceful noises as he wandered through. Walking into the village, Damon noticed a commotion around the centre well. People were gathered, murmuring and whispering to each other. Damon approached and as he did so, the figures moved slightly to reveal one of the teenage boys sat on the well, talking to Diana. ¡°-cave. There must have been five, maybe more. Big too, one huge one that I could have sworn looked me straight in the eye. I ran as fast as I could, I hope they didn¡¯t follow me!¡± Damon could just pick up the final words of the boy as he spoke quickly to Diana. Diana looked up as Damon approached. Spotting him, she stood quickly and hurriedly ran over to him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Damon asked. ¡°Wolves have been spotted, they seem to have made their den in a cave about an hour¡¯s walk from here.¡± Answered Diana. ¡°We need to deal with this soon. Can I ask for your help?¡±
New Quest!
Kill the Wolves! Wolves have been spotted close to the village. They seem to have created a Den in a local cave. Kill these wolves to remove the threat they pose to the village. Rewards: Base 100 Exp Relationship points with Villagers
¡°OK, let me quickly go see your uncle and then I¡¯ll meet you back here.¡± Damon accepted the quest and made his way to Benjy¡¯s hut. The blacksmith was sat outside his home, warming his feet by the fire. He spotted Damon approaching and hailed him. ¡°Ah, Damon, I heard there¡¯s some wolves setting up shop close by. Are you going to help get rid of them?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ve come baring gifts for you too.¡± Damon pulled out a couple of the rabbit meats he¡¯d collected. ¡°Ah, wonderful! Put them in the cold store by the side of my hut. There you go.¡±
Quest Complete!
Congratulations, you have provided enough food for the village to survive for at least a few more days. Rewards: +50 Exp +1500 Relationship points with Farcross Village +150 Relationship points with Benjy Benjy is now a Friend. Friends can always be trusted to come to your aid. Be wary you don''t betray them though, as serious consequences can incur.
¡°I also have some pelts I could do with tanning and made into warmer clothes if possible. It¡¯s freezing in these rags and I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯m starting to smell.¡± Damon told Benjy as he returned. ¡°I can do that for you, just leave everything you have here and I¡¯ll see to the tanning and pass it onto Jeneve, the leatherworker. She lives in the hut over there. They should be done in a couple of days, so see her then and she¡¯ll let you know how they¡¯re doing.¡± Benjy replied, seeming glad to have something to do. ¡°Thanks, I need to be going now. I think Diana wants to tackle the wolf problem quickly.¡± Damon nodded to Benjy, before walking back to where Diana was comforting the shocked teenager. ¡°Is he OK?¡± Damon asked, hearing the boy¡¯s ragged breaths. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, just needs some rest and perhaps a warm meal. Jade, could you look after him for me please?¡± Another woman helped the boy up and led him away, while Diana stood and turned to Damon. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll grab my bow and meet you in a moment.¡± The pair set off a minute later, heading directly North, out of the small village. They spent a little while trudging through the woods and the light of day began to dim, as the sun descended in the sky. Soon, they reached a clearing in which an almost idyllic scene greeted them. To Damon, there was a significant lack of trees and he heard the sound of a faint waterfall somewhere to the west of them. The slow trickle of a river was much closer and Damon suspected it ran very close to this little clearing. Diana could see perfectly well and would have marvelled at the beautiful scene, if not for the two large wolves she spotted, lounging in front of a cave mouth. The cave itself was set into the bottom of a very large mountain range, that was the predominant reason for the lack of expansion to the north of the human kingdom. Damon had never spotted this mountain range due to the dense forest, but Diana knew the mountains well and had never found a safe way to climb to their peaks. Damon heard the wolves just a little before they reached the clearing. Both of them had activated stealth and were watching, or listening, to the beasts. The wind was blowing softly into Damon and Diana, so they weren¡¯t worried about the wolves catching their scent. The wolves themselves were just sat there. The smell of fresh blood wafted to Damon and he realised, they must have recently eaten. He remembered the kid had said there were at least five or so of them, he could see the two¡¯s vague outlines and they seemed large, even from this distance. An idea slowly began to form in his head and he turned to Diana quietly and whispered: ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan.¡± Chapter 11 It took another hour or so to prepare everything for Damon¡¯s plan. The sky had become much darker and Damon could only make out the vaguest of shapes, in the bleak evening. The pair found themselves back at the edge of the clearing, concentrating on the wolves in front of them as they prepared to act. Damon could hear Diana¡¯s hammering heart as they both stood as one, raising their bows and firing at the two wolves lying outside the cave. Both hours flew true Damon received a damage notification but he ignored it, already turning and beginning to run back into the forest. Not bothering to remain quiet anymore, the two hunters ran back a hundred paces or so before turning again, the howls of the wolves as they pursued pierced the night and sent a chill down Damon¡¯s back. They¡¯d planned for this though, the two wolves they¡¯d attacked were hampered by the trees and the arrows sticking out of them but they were getting closer. Again, Damon and Diana raised their bows and waited until the wolves were only a couple of paces away before releasing again. This time the arrows sunk deep into the wolves and they both fell to the ground, skidding closer to the pair before coming to a stop. Neither were dead but a quick stab down quickly cut of their pitiful whimpers. The two wolves weren¡¯t alone though, more could be heard. They were much quieter than the injured wolves as they rushed to their attacker¡¯s position. Damon¡¯s hearing easily picked them up though and the pair started running again. The chill air pushed against their faces as they ran. They reached a small overhang of leaves and quickly dodged around it before turning a few paces after and racing their bows. Two Wolves smashed through the leaves and were baring down on their prey when they were suddenly wrenched backwards with considerable force. A groan of wood could be heard as the wolves began to gag. The final wolf was a little behind its companions and had gone around the leaves, expecting to see its friends taking care of the problem. When it saw the hunters were fine, it charged at the pair, leaping to rip into Damon¡¯s throat out. Damon barely had time to bring his bow up before the wolf was on him. Its weight brought them crashing down onto the floor and Damon cried out as the wolf¡¯s hot breath washed over his face. The wolf had clamped down on Damon¡¯s bow and was attempting to force its way through and chomp a pierce out of Damon. Diana quickly dropped her bow, not wanting to risk hitting Damon, and pulled her knife from her belt. Stabbing down again and again while the beast and Damon fought. For Damon, it felt like an eternity before the wolf finally lay still above him. He was covered in blood from the vicious wolf and its saliva had dropped into his eyes and he was struggling to rub it away with his hands so wet. He lay there breathing while the last of the adrenaline pumped through him. After long moments of catching their breaths, Damon and Diana pushed the wolf away and went to inspect the two wolves they had ensnared. The trap was a simple modification from the one Diana had shown Damon to catch squirrels. This time, the nooses were hidden by the leaves and as the wolves had charged through it, they¡¯d ran their heads through the nooses and then strangled themselves through momentum. It wasn¡¯t an easy death and Damon suspected he wouldn¡¯t have been able to watch if he hadn¡¯t been attacked by another wolf. The pair were lucky more wolves hadn¡¯t come to the aid of their pack mates, the pair didn¡¯t have any digging tools so could create more interesting traps. They knew the wolves wouldn¡¯t fall for the same trick twice so had decided to make a stand where they were. The teenager hadn¡¯t mentioned more than six or so wolves so they took a gamble, and it paid off. Two notifications popped up after Damon and Diana had finished looting the wolves and retrieving their arrows.
Level Up!
Congratulations, you have gained an additional level! You are now level 5 Please allocate any free stat points.
New Skill!
Trapping (Beginner 1 - 36%) You''ve learnt to set traps and have even caught a few things. 5% Increase in effectiveness of traps set by you Traps you set, are much harder to spot
Stat Increase!
Sprinting for your life and surviving require quick feet and a lot of luck. +1 Luck +1 Agility
That was new for Damon, he guessed levelling wasn¡¯t the only way in which you could gain stats. He¡¯ll have to look into that as it might give him an edge, later down the line. The pair made their way back to the clearing, the world had become much darker and the only light was projected by the moon high above. The night air was still and the forest seemed to be much more peaceful than in the day. The temperature had also dropped and even Diana, who was wrapped in warm furs, still felt the chill. Damon was freezing. His feet had become numb and his ears hurt from the biting cold. Once they reached the edge of the clearing, they found it barren of wolves and Damon guessed the rest, and there had to be more as the alpha hadn¡¯t chased them with the others, must be inside the cave. Damon was the first to step out of the tree cover, listening intently for any noises from the cave entrance. After hearing nothing, he beckoned Diana to follow and slowly creeped forwards, activating sneak as he did so. After long, painfully tense moments, Damon reached the entrance to the cave but couldn¡¯t make out any details inside. There seemed to be a wall of blackness that no light could penetrate in the cave and Diana let out a small breath behind him. ¡°What do we do?¡± Damon asked, in a low voice. ¡°Maybe the wolves are waiting for us inside, it could be some kind of trap.¡± ¡°We have to deal with them now, if we don¡¯t we risk leaving the village in danger. What if the wolves decide to follow our scent and take revenge on the village. The alpha must be pretty strong if those large wolves are following it.¡± Diana replied, trying to peer deeper into the cave. ¡°Fine, we go in, but there¡¯s no light so you won¡¯t be able to see a thing. Stay here and make sure nothing attacks me from behind.¡± It was a flimsy excuse from Damon, the wolves could be lying in wait right by the entrance and sneak up behind him from there. He just thought Diana wouldn¡¯t be much help in an area where she couldn¡¯t see. He on the other hand, had spent a lifetime in the dark, he was used to it. ¡°No! I¡¯m coming with you, what if something happens and you need help?¡± Asked Diana, grabbing Damon¡¯s arm. ¡°Then I¡¯ll scream for help. Trust me, I don¡¯t need to see so the darkness won¡¯t be a problem. I promise I¡¯ll be back.¡± Before Diana could argue further, Damon shrugged off her hand and moved stealthily into the black space of the cave. A warmth rushed over Damon as he entered the cave. Like walking into an air-conditioned building, on a cold winters day. The area around him was still black as night, but finally Damon could hear noises coming from deeper in the cave. The sounds of snuffling and the occasional bark echoed towards him and Damon could feel a slight inline as he creeped slowly forwards. The odour of the cave was disgusting. Rotting flesh and the stench of urine wandered up Damon¡¯s nose and he cringed at the smell as he crept closer to a room that he could tell was strangely lit from a weak light source inside.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The entry way to the room was clearly outlined, even to Damon and as he stretched out his arms to the sides, he realised the corridor he was in was quite narrow, only slightly larger than his arm span. He left one hand on the wall as he carried on closer to the makeshift doorway. The rock was comforting, as his hand grazed along it, a sense of solidness that kept Damon¡¯s mind on the task and prevented him from panicking at the insane situation he was in. When Damon reached the end of the corridor, he peered through the doorway and realised the room he was looking into was a lot larger than he thought possible from the narrow corridor. He couldn¡¯t make out much, the colours all blurring into one, but a faint blue hue was present and he realised that must be from the light source. From the echoing noises in the room, Damon could guess how big the room was and that there were only two wolves inside. He tried to pinpoint their positions but it was difficult due to the fluctuations in the noises he was coming off the walls. He needed to be smart here, he would never be able to take on whatever laid in wait in that room. At least, not in a direct fight. He needed to be smart, he needed more information. Damon decided to head back and get Diana, she¡¯d be able to see what the large room looked like and tell him the positions of the wolves. He was just silently thanking the bad smell in the cave for covering his sent and turning to make his way back to Diana when his foot kicked a loose rock on the ground. A large clatter echoed along the hallway as the stone bounced and hit the opposite wall. The sounds inside the room abruptly stopped and a second passed in silence before a huge howl filled Damon¡¯s ears. Shit! Damon began sprinting back the way he¡¯d came, the scuffling of paws behind him, told Damon all he needed to know about where the wolves were. He exploded out of the cave entrance and felt the freezing temperature as he turned and loosed an arrow behind him. A yelp, ensued as Damon fell to the ground and rolled a few times before clambering back to his feet. You have dealt 26 physical damage to Forest Wolf. Lucky shot. he guessed as he rose already drawing his axe, from where it settled on his back, to take on the wolf in front of him. Diana was quick to respond, already releasing her own shot that hit the wolf in the side, it apparently hadn¡¯t done as much damage as Damon¡¯s arrow and the wolf was still racing towards him. Damon drew the axe above his head and prepared to receive the grey mass of fur and teeth. Snarling, Damon stepped to the side and brought the axe down, straight onto the head of the attacking wolf. A sickening crunch and a notification confirmed the kill but before Damon could check it, a low hungry growl resonated through the clearing. A huge wolf, the size of a small car, stepped through the sheet of black over the cave. Its soft steps on the snow seemed to defy its sheer mass. It wasn¡¯t white or grey like the other wolves. Instead, its fur was an almost midnight black, it seemed to take in light, devouring it in a deep abyss of blackness, appearing to just be a figure. The worst aspect of the creature were its eyes though. Deep red rubies seemed to replace the usual black and white of the other wolves. A flame seemed to blaze in those pupils, sinister and untamed. Damon took an involuntary step back, unsure whether to fight this creature or run. It was then that the wolf howled. The sound a deep bellowing of noise that would have raised the dead if any were near. A mist seemed to descend around the clearing and Diana let out a gasp and Damon realised she couldn¡¯t see more than a couple of paces. In that moment, Damon understood there was no running. Neither he, nor Diana, would be able to escape from the apparition of death that stood before them. It was hopeless, how could they face a demon like this? The smell of death was strong on the creature¡¯s breath and Damon fell to his knees. There was nothing he could do. Nothing could prevent the inevitable from happening. He was going to have to respawn near the village and explain to Diana¡¯s uncle why he hadn¡¯t protected her. Why she was dead. She may have been a computer-generated character, who wasn¡¯t even real. But the sadness that washed over Damon was real. In that moment, Damon realised he couldn¡¯t accept it. Anger flooded through Damon, a sea of boiling rage that began to flow through his veins and was released in a huge, thunderous roar of his own. He flew from his kneeling position straight at the giant wolf. The axe he held, pulled backwards and then launched forwards as Damon¡¯s muscles ripped it through the air and into the front left leg the wolf. You have dealt 36 physical damage to Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf. The creature had been taken completely by surprise. The kneeling human in front of it had been accepting its fate. Making it oh so easy to kill. Then suddenly it had moved, a sharp incredible pain rippled through the dark animal¡¯s body and it howled again. This time in agony. It snapped down at Damon, but he had already rolled away and was preparing to strike with his axe again. The wolf was fast too though, despite its size. It pivoted round and avoided Damon¡¯s next swing, stepping back to avoid a follow up one. The leg that had been injured was pumping out blood and clearly hampered the large creature. It snapped at Damon again, trying to catch his arm but Damon dodged again, somehow knowing he couldn¡¯t afford to be bitten by this monster. Damon let the creature come closer, hearing the snap of the jaws as they missed him by a hairsbreadth, before swinging his axe once again. The axe cut cleanly through the wolf but it seemed to take no damage. It was like the axe had fazed straight through it. Damon was still recovering from the lack of resistance when the wolf batted Damon across the clearing with its un damaged paw. You have received 46 physical damage from Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf. Jesus that¡¯s way too much damage! Damon groaned as he unsteadily got back to his feet. He couldn¡¯t see the Wolf anymore, the mists obstructed his view, but he could hear it. He¡¯d been disorientated by the short flight but he quickly righted himself as he dodged forward as the wolf suddenly appeared to his right. God this hurts! Damon thought as he realised he¡¯d probably broken a rib or two in the fall. He quickly turned and swung his axe, hoping to catch the wolf as it righted itself. You have dealt 28 physical damage to Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf. Damon had caught the creature on the shoulder and used the momentum of his swing to drag him forwards and away from the responding bite from the wolf. He held the axe in one hand as he drew his knife and ripped it across the back-right leg of the creature. You have dealt 12 physical damage to Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf. You have crippled Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf¡¯s back-right leg. Damon barely had time to notice the crippling as he quickly sprinted forward to avoid another attempt to bat his form away. He turned in time to see the wolf turn and he could have sworn it glared at him with those piercing red eyes. The wolf bared it teeth and began pacing towards Damon, he raised his axe again, ready to swing it down in the creature¡¯s head but as he did so, the creature suddenly left forward at a phenomenal speed and Damon couldn¡¯t bring the axe down quick enough and the wolf landed straight onto his chest, knocking him to the ground and causing him to scream with pain as yet more ribs broke under the sudden weight. You have received 35 physical damage from Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf. The wolf¡¯s foul-smelling breath hung just inches above Damon¡¯s face as he closed his eyes, readying himself for death. Thunk! The sound of an arrow hitting flesh reverberated around Damon¡¯s head and it took him a moment to realise Diana must have found her way through the mist. The wolf jerked at the sudden interruption and its head perked up, looking for the source of its pain. Without even thinking, Damon reached for the dagger he dropped on the ground moments before, the hilt lay just out of reach and he stretched for all it was worth¡­ There! Damon¡¯s numb fingers wrapped around the leather and he twisted, plunging the knife upwards as the wolf turned its head down to feast on its current prey. The blade slid straight up, into one of those crimson eyes that seemed to stare into Damon¡¯s soul. (Critical Hit) You have dealt 40 physical damage to Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf. The beast let out a very pathetic whimper and pulled its head back, trying to escape the blade. As the knife slid out of the wolf¡¯s head a wet popping noise could be heard and Damon tried to roll away found he couldn¡¯t so he just stabbed upwards again, finding the wolf¡¯s neck this time and ripping straight through the soft underside into the gullet. (Critical Hit) You have dealt 20 physical damage to Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf. The Wolf seemed to start choking then, it thrashed about and scratched a deep gash into Damon¡¯s chest, releasing him from underneath it as it staggered away. You have received 36 physical damage from Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf. You have received a corrupted wound. Damon rolled away, trying to ignore the searing pain he felt across his chest. He stood slowly turning to find the wolf. The sight that greeted him made him freeze. The wolf stood, facing Damon, its one good eye fixed on him. When the beast knew Damon had noticed it, it began to charge. Its steps were laboured and Damon couldn¡¯t hear the panting of the wolf anymore. He frowned, unsure he could do anymore against this beast that simply wouldn¡¯t stop. He stood his ground raising his dagger and preparing his last suicidal defence. The beast drew closer and time seemed to slow for Damon. He watched the black mass pound towards him and he felt something was wrong. Time hadn¡¯t slowed at all, the beast had. Its momentum was decreasing and its head fell, followed by the rest of its body. The giant wolf crashed to the ground and slid straight to Damon¡¯s feet. Damon just stared blankly at the silent form of the wolf before he himself, felt the world tip and the cold embrace of the snow greeted him. Chapter 12 ¡°Damon¡­? Damon!¡± Damon awoke to a foul liquid filling his mouth. He tried to cough it up but a hand clamped down on his nose and around his mouth. He was forced to swallow. The burning sensation as the fluid slid down his throat made him gag. He finally opened his eyes to see the shape of Diana above him. ¡°What was that?¡± Damon asked, his face screwed up in disgust. ¡°A healing potion.¡± The young woman replied. ¡°It¡¯s very rare in these parts but I figured you¡¯d probably need one. Seeming as you just dropped to the floor and wouldn¡¯t respond to me!¡± She at first sounded relieved, but then an admonishing tone came to her voice. ¡°You should have let me come with you into the cave!¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m sorry, I honestly didn¡¯t expect¡­ that thing!¡± At that, Damon sat up. There was little pain now and he realised his wounds had cleared. Except from the one on his chest, a long scar ran from his left pectoral down to just below the right side of his stomach. The scar appeared black, the colour clear even to him as his torn shirt moved with a faint breeze. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± Diana said, as she looked down at the scar as well. ¡°You¡¯ll need to go see Fiona, she lives in the Lord¡¯s village. She¡¯ll be able to fix that for you, she¡¯s a good healer.¡± ¡°OK, but I don¡¯t feel the scar at the moment, I reckon I¡¯ll be fine for now.¡± Damon looked around and spotted the dead alpha lying a pace or so away. ¡°Jeez, how did we even stop that thing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Something strange happened to your eyes though. For a moment there, they became the same colour as the wolf¡¯s. The mist covered you both then, but it sounded like you were as vicious as the wolf! All I could hear was you two fighting and snarling at each other.¡± Dian replied, looking into Damon¡¯s eyes to make sure they were back to their milky blue. ¡°Well I kinda just got mad. I just didn¡¯t want to die. I refused to.¡± Damon said, still shocked he¡¯d actually survived. ¡°Well, it saved our lives so I¡¯m not complaining!¡± Chuckled Diana. She put a hand out and helped Damon to stand. The mist had dispersed and the night sky was once again visible, high above them. Damon noticed the blinking icon for his notifications and, as he focused on it, a series of blue windows opened in front of him.
Congratulations you have slain Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf (Level 10)
+220 Exp +25 Fame
Level Up!
Congratulations, you have gained an additional level! You are now level 6 Please allocate any free stat points.
New Skill!
Axe Mastery (Beginner 1 - 76%) You may not be using that axe for it''s primary function, but you sure are effective with it. 15% Increase in physical damage when using an axe 5% Increase attack speed while using an axe
Skill Level Up!
Dagger Mastery (Beginner 2 - 9%) New bonus: 16% Increase in physical damage while using a dagger or short blade 6% increased attack speed while using a dagger or short blade
New Trait!
Berserker I Pain means nothing to you when rage consumes you. Effects: Pain is reduced by 50% when you are angry You take 5% less damage when angry
Quest Complete!
Congratulations, you have killed all the wolves that had made the cave their den. Rewards: +100 ExpStolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. +1000 Relationship points with Farcross Village +150 Relationship points with Diana Diana is now a Friend. Friends can always be trusted to come to your aid. Be wary you don''t betray them though, as serious consequences can incur.
Corruption Warning Your body is suffering from the touch of a corrupted being. Seek medical attention soon, before the corruption gets worse.
Damon stared at the messages before him. He was over the moon about completing the quest and gaining two levels in the space of an hour. But the berserker trait worried him slightly. Had he really gotten so angry it was worthy of a trait? What even was a trait in this game? And that corruption warning? What was that about? Should he be worried? So many questions darted around Damon¡¯s head but he pushed them down and focused on the present. Deep breaths. He thought, closing his eyes for a moment and focussing. Damon finally stood and walked over to the dead alpha, pausing for a moment before looting it.
Do you wish to loot Corrupted Alpha Forest Wolf (Level 10)
x1 Black Forest Wolf pelt (great) x1 Black Forest Wolf meat (corrupted)
Wow, that was some very nice loot. Damon gaped for a moment then turned back to the cave. He walked over to it, looting the other wolf as he went. As he reached the cave mouth, he realised there was no cut off anymore. The previous blackness had vanished and the entrance was faintly lit by the full moon above. Damon continued through and down the corridor, creeping slowly in case there were any more surprises waiting for him. Diana followed closely behind, her feet even quieter than Damon¡¯s. Upon reaching the doorway to the large room Damon had previously reached, he motioned for Diana to peek into the room and make sure everything was clear. She did so and confirmed the room was empty, except for a small pedestal that held an object emitting the strange ethereal blue light. The two entered the room and approached the strange object. Even Damon could make out it was some kind of cube floating slightly above the pedestal, revolving slowly in a lazy circle. Hesitantly, Damon reached out a hand and faintly touched the glowing cube, knowing it was probably a bad idea.
Sentient Detected!
Do you wish to use this class cube? Quality: Legendary Durability: 1/1
Damon¡¯s heart started to hammer in his chest. It was a class cube? A legendary one? What did that even mean? Damon held his breath and thought Yes.
Class Name: Description Stats per level
Wraith Assassin Your steps will be as silent as the grave. Walls and barriers will never be able to obstruct you when you set your mind to killing. +2 Strength +2 Endurance +3 agility +2 Dexterity
Northern White Hunter The cold and bitter conditions have never bothered you in the North. You live and breath the hunt, silent and deadly. +1 Strength +2 Endurance +3 Agility +3 Dexterity
Blind Protector You help those that need protecting, no matter who they are. You may be blind, yet you see more than any other can possible hope to. +2 Strength +4 Endurance +1 Agility +1 Wisdom +1 Charisma
Damon blinked, he seemed to be doing that a lot recently. He sat on the ground and Diana quickly approached him, concerned. ¡°Are you OK?¡± She asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just this cube. It¡¯s asking me to pick a class.¡± Damon replied, slightly bewildered at what to do. ¡°Oh, what classes did you get?¡± Diana asked curiously. ¡°Wait do you know about these cubes?¡± Damon asked, frowning as he turned to her. ¡°Of course, they¡¯re really common. It¡¯s the only way you can get a class. No one knows where they came. Some say they¡¯re spawned from meteors crashing into the world thousands of years ago. Others believe the gods dropped them into the world as gifts to the races. Only sentient races can use them. My uncle tells me stories about them other creatures using them, but I don¡¯t really believe him. Most of them are pretty wacky to be honest.¡± Diana laughed at the memory before turning back to Damon. ¡°So, what class choices did you get?¡± Damon told her and Diana let out a gasp of shock. ¡°How? What even are those classes? I¡¯ve never heard of them!¡± The incredulity was clear in Diana¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s the durability of the cube?¡± ¡°One of one. Why?¡± Damon asked, puzzled. ¡°That explains why the classes are so good. Some cubes have a durability numbering in the billions. They usually give really common classes though, like swordsman or archer. I got lucky when I visited the Lord¡¯s village and got my class ¨C Huntress. He¡¯d brought a slightly better one for his son and men to use and I sneaked in one night and used it without anyone knowing. Not all the classes are combat ones. Some, like my dad¡¯s is a profession class instead. They don¡¯t mean you have to do that profession, but they provide really good boosts for you.¡± Diana stopped then, seeming to think she was rambling and just looked at Damon. ¡°Well, pick one already!¡± Damon thought for a long time. He really wasn¡¯t sure which one he should go for. The Wraith Assassin sounded really cool, he could just imagine himself ghosting around, killing whoever threatened him. The only problem with that was he wasn¡¯t sure how it would be useful to him long term. He suspected it was a loner class and he really didn¡¯t want to stay a loner like he was in the real world. He¡¯d made two friends already in this new world and he didn¡¯t want to lose that. It felt good to have someone there beside him. His attention moved on to the Northern White Hunter. He had been doing a lot of hunting recently and he revelled in being able to hunt with a bow. There was a satisfaction to it he had never felt before. He felt almost normal in a world in which people still pitied him for his lack of eyesight. Still looking down on him and thinking he couldn¡¯t do the same things they did. He seemed to have based himself in the north and knew he wanted to stay. Damon eyed the last option, blind protector. What did that even mean? He guessed it was referring to how he¡¯d wanted to protect Diana and the village from the corrupted wolf. The blind bit was obvious and Damon couldn¡¯t help but feel that maybe this class would help him deal with his poor eyesight. Something niggled in the back of his mind and the more he thought about it, the more he began to realise he wanted to pick this last option. It just felt right. He wanted to protect what he¡¯d gained so far in this world and he understood the power that this class could provide him. It seemed almost tailored for him. Without any more doubt Damon made a decision and selected his class. And the world went white. Chapter 13 Damon stood in and endless sea of white. At least, that¡¯s the only colour that he could see. The floor he stood on was white, his surroundings were white and the sky was white. He stood there for long moments, staring around him trying to make out something, anything that wasn¡¯t this damned whiteness. ¡°Hello Damon.¡± An old withered voice spoke from behind Damon and he whirled around. In front of him, stood a very old and decrepit man. He stood with his hand behind his back, but a clear bend in his back and the wrinkles on his face betrayed his extreme age. His eyes were sunken and he let off an air of confidence born from many, many years of experience. Damon was shocked he could see the figure so well and the surprise must have shown on his face, because the old man chuckled. ¡°You can see me fine because of who I am. I am a god. We appear to you as clear flesh and bone so you may understand what we are. My true form would be simply incomprehensible to you. Therefore, it does not matter whether you are deaf, blind and dumb, you would still see me clearly.¡± The old man watched Damon for a few moments, before continuing. ¡°My name is Soter, I am the god of protection, safety and security. The true meanings of these words have been lost to the civilisations of this world so I shall simply say that I am responsible for the preservation of those that cannot preserve themselves.¡± Damon nodded. ¡°OK, so why am I here?¡± he asked. ¡°You are here because it has been a very long time since someone has picked a class for the reason of protecting others. Not many would have chosen the class you did, Blind Protector. Do you understand what that means?¡± The God asked, looking carefully at Damon. ¡°That I¡¯m blind but wish to protect people?¡± Damon guessed, wondering why the god had asked him such a thing. ¡°Yes and no. Protecting others is all well and good but how far would others go for you? It is a rare thing to see someone willing to die just to protect someone they¡¯d only met a day or two before. Even more rare for someone to save an entire village that you had no obligations to. Being a Blind Protector means you are blind to the danger you are protecting from. Yes, you may be able to see it, able to identify it. But it doesn¡¯t matter what that danger it, you will protect. That is simply your nature, it is who you are. It isn¡¯t just a quality anymore, it is your being.¡± Soter¡¯s words reverberated around Damon¡¯s head and the power inside of them resonated with him. Damon suddenly appreciated that a true god stood before him, and looks could be very deceptive. Suddenly taking this a lot more seriously, Damon asked: ¡°You chose that class for me, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I did, I nudged the class cube in the right direction and I must have been right because you picked it. That was your choice, I am not allowed to make it for you. There are rules older than even I can remember that I must abide to. As must all the other gods.¡± Soter explained, smiling slightly at Damon. ¡°There are other gods?¡± Damon enquired. ¡°Of course, there are many gods. Some much more powerful than others, although that is mostly due to the amount of people who worship them. I am not one such god. I am one of the oldest, but unfortunately that means I am almost completely forgotten.¡± The old god replied. ¡°Are there good gods and bad gods?¡± Damon realised the question sounded childish but he needed to know. ¡°The gods can¡¯t exactly be categorised as good or bad. You are trying to label a human instinct onto a god. It simply doesn¡¯t work. Primarily a god wishes to exist, we were made by the races of this world, through belief and something much older that even we do not completely understand. Gods will do what they do through this primary function. How the god goes about doing that can then be labelled as good or evil. To them, the most effective method they have should be used and it is usually shaped through the people that worship them. So called good gods can still perform evil acts and visa versa. The races interpret the will of the gods in different ways, some performing good deeds to spread their belief, others bad deeds. To the gods it accomplishes the same goal. There is friction between gods due to the limited population of this world and serious clashes have occurred. The creature you fought outside the cave was a spawn of the dark god Tenebris. It had been corrupted by the energy that lies in the cave and would have devastated many areas in the north if it had been left to grow.¡± The god saw Damon¡¯s expression at the memory of the fight and he paused for a moment to let him deal with his emotions. ¡°For the moment, understand this. I wish for you to spread the word of my existence. Show them that I am still here and you will gain my blessing. How you do that is up to you, but remember I am the god of protection, safety and security. If you bring those to the people around you, they will believe in me.¡± With that, the old god stopped and stared at Damon. ¡°I cannot force you to do this, however if you do, I will reward you with blessings as I grow stronger. So, will you accept my proposal? Know there will be no repercussions if you decline my offer, it will simply be harder for you to accomplish what you did to the wolf.¡± With that last statement, a blue window popped into Damon¡¯s view and his eyes widened as he read it.
New Quest!
Soter''s Followers I Soter, the god of protection, safety and security, has asked you to spread the word of his existance and convince people to pray and follow him. It will be a long and hard road, many will reject this god and you must convince them he is real and willing to help them. Convert 25 people to follow Soter. Rewards: Base 1000 Exp Relationship points with Soter A blessing from Soter
Damon thought for a moment. What this god was offering would help Damon a lot in game. He was certain there would be buffs involved with this blessing that Soter spoke of. He was basically going to try and help the small village he had spawned close to. The god complimented his class perfectly and he had chosen it of his own will. Something had drawn him to it and he knew it wasn¡¯t the gods influence. He wanted to do something he¡¯d never been able to do before, help others and protect them like his father had protected him. It was that last thought that decided it for Damon. ¡°I accept your offer.¡± Damon announced looking Soter in the eye and the old god smiled. ¡°Excellent, in that case you better get started. I must warn you your village is in quite a lot of danger and I suggest you go save it before it¡¯s too late.¡± With that warning the god waved his hand and the world seemed to tip for a moment before Damon found himself stand in his original position in the cave. Like the conversation with the god had never taken place and Damon stood for several moments before his vision was flooded with notifications.
New Class Gained!
Blind Protector Being a blind protector means you have been given the abilty to protect those in need. You may not have true sight with your eyes but there are many ways to see others.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Skill gained: Focus Body Skill gained: Soul Perception Trait gained: Focused I Status gains per level: +2 STR, +4 END, +1 AGL, +1 WIS, +1 CHR
New Skill!
Focus Body (Beginner 1 - 0%) Being able to focus on one''s body will allow for greater understanding and strengthening to it. Being able to compartmentalise injury and pain, will allow for a higher pain threshold. 5% Increase in physical damage resistance 25% Increase to pain threshold when active Cost: 5 SP/sec
New Trait!
Focused I Having so many skills that help you focus, has put you into a particular mindset. Effects: All focus related skills gain an added 15% efficiency to second trait 5% Increase to Mental Resistance
New Status Discovered!
Perception Perception represents how you see the world around you. It allows for you to see the truth and see what others cannot. +5 base perception due to race.
New Skill!
Soul Perception (Beginner 1 - 0%) The souls of others call to you. Some are dark and corrupted, while others are white and pure. What colour will you leave your soul when you depart to the afterlife? You can see souls up to 5 paces away. You can feel the presence of souls up to 10 paces away
A Blessing From The Gods!
Soter has blessed you with the ability to use mana. Usually you would have to unlock this through an item or a sutably compitent trainer. However Soter has seen fit to grant you this ability. How will you use it? Ability to use mana now granted. Mana affinities unlocked. New Spell: Earth Shield
New Spell!
Earth Shield (Novice 1 - 0%) An Earth Shield is an effective way to protect yourslf or others. The size, shape and thickness of this shield is decided by the spells level, your affinity to Earth magic and your mana control level. Cost: 20 MP 1 MP/sec to maintain
New Title!
Soter''s Protector Effect: 10% Increase in armour defence 10% Increase in physical damage
Damon swiped away the new messages. He knew they were all very beneficial and he knew he¡¯d have to ponder them later but right now he needed to move. He turned to Diana, who jumped slightly at the sudden movement. ¡°We need to get back to the village, now!¡± Without explaining himself, Damon began running. Out through the entrance of the cave and back into the cool night air. He headed straight for the trees, not even throwing an explanation to Diana, who was following behind. ¡­ The village was on fire. Damon could smell the smoke before it even came into view. The dark night was pierced by screams and shouts of distraught villagers. Damon increased his pace, but Diana over took him and seemed to pelt at a ridiculous speed in front of him. Damon was breathing heavily when he finally reached the treeline that marked the border of the village. The strange light of the fires played havoc with his vision and he had to close his eyes and listen to the sounds of the chaos. Damon heard the sounds of metal ripping flesh then, the cry of pain that followed it hit something deep inside him and he sprinted towards the noise. The fire in his lungs forgotten as he neared the centre of the village. 7 men were shouting, they sounded angry and they smelt of blood and death. Damon realised they must be responsible for this mess. Without even stopping to question what was happening, Damon drew the axe from his back. He was still running full pelt when he swung it down on the closest man. There was a sickening crunch as the axe landed and Damon knew the man was dead. (Sneak attack) (Critical hit) You have dealt 54 physical damage to Human Male (Level 5). Well, that description¡¯s new? Damon thought as he wrenched the axe out and swivelled before bringing the axe rounded and swinging it horizontally into the man¡¯s friend¡¯s arm, almost completely severing it. Damon kicked the man away from him as he screeched in pain. You have dealt 29 physical damage to Human Male (Level 4). You have crippled Human Male (Level 4)¡¯s right arm. The man¡¯s screams alerted the other men to the presence of Damon in their midst. One of them yelled and tried to lounge at Damon with a short sword. On instinct, Damon lent to the side and bringing his axe round in an upwards swing that caught the offending male just below the shoulder. You have dealt 32 physical damage to Human Male (Level 4). Damon could feel the ribs crack through the axe, but he couldn¡¯t focus on it. He could feel something swinging towards his back but he was too of balance to do anything about it. Suddenly Damon heard a thump! He instantly recognised it as an arrow hitting flesh and then pain arced across his back. You have received 19 physical damage from Human Male (Level 5). Grunting at the pain, Damon shoved the axe back behind him and heard a gasp as it met resistance. You have dealt 6 physical damage to Human Male (Level 5). Damon turned, swinging his axe round, grunting as the wound in his back opened even more. He smashed the axe head into the side of the man behind, like a baseball player hitting a home run. The man almost flew from the force and Damon lost his grip on the axe as it stuck into the man. (Critical Hit) You have dealt 42 physical damage to Human Male (Level 5). That guy wasn¡¯t getting up any time soon. Damon both heard and felt two more men charging him at once and he rolled away trying to open up some space as he drew his dagger. As Damon righted himself he focused on the noises and tried to take stock of the situation. He¡¯d dealt with four of the men in the centre of the village but he could hear still more around in the surrounding huts. His attention then turned back to the two men in front of him. He furiously tried to come up with a way of dealing with them when suddenly one seemed to stop for a moment and then tip fall to the ground. The other paused for a moment to see what had happened to his friend and Damon took his chance. While the man was distracted, Damon leapt forwards and slammed his left fist into the man¡¯s face. You have dealt 6 physical damage to Human Male (Level 6). The man¡¯s nose crunched as Damon¡¯s fist connected and his face scrunched up as tears flooded his eyes. Damon didn¡¯t see this though, all he did follow up the punch with a grapple as he rugby talked the man to the ground. Before he could react, Damon plunged his knife into the man¡¯s chest again and again. You have dealt 13 physical damage to Human Male (Level 6). You have dealt 13 physical damage to Human Male (Level 6). It took Damon a moment to realise he wasn¡¯t doing much damage and he realised the man was wearing some sort of leather armour. So, Damon switched targets and went for the neck. Unfortunately for him, the man underneath him had recovered slightly and tried to tip Damon off him. This caused Damon to miss the neck and instead hit the ground. He fought to stay on top as the man wriggled and squirmed underneath him. Snarling, Damon plunged the knife into the side of the man¡¯s head and wrenched it upwards. A sickening tearing noise ripped through the air and blood squirted in great fountains up into Damon¡¯s face. (Critical Hit) You have dealt 64 physical damage to Human Male (Level 6). That was a massive amount of damage and Damon gaped before blood pooled in his mouth and he began to gag. He quickly threw himself away from the dead man and clambered to his feet. He needed to get out of here. There were more men running around and the little massacre in the centre of the village wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed for much longer. ¡°Damon!¡± Diana¡¯s voice cut through to Damon and he quickly looked in the direction it had come from. ¡°Come here, I¡¯ve found a few people but we need to run now!¡± She sounded slightly panicked and Damon sprinted to her. She was hiding around the side of an already burning hut and Damon noted there were four other people with her. ¡°We need to move, now.¡± Damon said pointing into the trees. ¡°We¡¯ll head to the cave, it should be safe there for at least a little while.¡± ¡°My uncle-¡° Diana began. ¡°There¡¯s no time, he¡¯s an old bastard, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll find a way to survive.¡± Damon reassured her as he ushered everyone into the woods. He wasn¡¯t sure he totally believed that but he let out a silent prayer that Benjy would stay safe. The screams and the sound of burning wood began to fade as Damon and the others went deeper and deeper into the dark woods.