《Shifter》 Chapter 1 "Hell-" "Do you know what time it is?" I couldn''t help but cut off the smiling young man. Perhaps I was a little louder than I should have been. It seemed more like I was yelling at him like this. It didn''t matter. He deserved it. The young man''s smile disappeared as he kept staring at me. ''What is he staring at? Do I have something on my face?'' I couldn''t take it anymore "Wel-" "3 hours, 21 minutes and 47 seconds past midnight." The young man smiled again. This bastard. Did he wait just to cut me off? Also, what the hell was up with that accuracy? There''s no way that could be correct! I had to push down the anger boiling in my stomach "And? You remember what we talked about?" Once again the young man''s smile disappeared as he seemed to get lost in thought. He wouldn''t get me twice. This time I would wait for him to speak first. Time passed slowly. ''Did he turn into a statue?'' There had been no movements in a while. I was actually getting worried he broke his brain trying to remember. "Hey, are you-" "Oh, yes. Sorry. I remember now. ''Come during daytime'', right?" The young man''s smile rose again. I was sure of it now. It was the only possible answer. This was no man. This was a test from Etia, Goddess of Life. I refused to believe a human being like this could exist. While the carefully laid plans of the heavens revealed themselves before me, he spoke again. "Can I come in?" No matter how much I disliked the young man, I still had a duty as a priest to let him in. I made sure my sigh was audible "Be quick." The young man nodded and walked in. He seemed to know the temple like the back of his hand as he headed straight for the altar. Of course he knew. It would be strange if he didn''t. The young man sat down by the altar, closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. 10 seconds later, a thin streak of light slowly descended from the ceiling above him. As the light neared his forehead, a star appeared and shone brightly. I couldn''t help but feel it was all unfair. Why would a useless man like this be one of the blessed? Children of the Stars people called them. Every time death claimed them they would return. While this type of man would live forever, I would grow older and eventually die with no way to resist. The young man named Rust had no idea about the thoughts of the old priest. The descending light finally connected with the star on his forehead, and notifications appeared in his vision. [Your level has been set to 1.] [Your class has been abandoned.] [Skills and magic for which you longer meet the necessary requirement have been abandoned.] [Remaining skills have lost proficiency.] [Equipment for which you no longer meet the necessary requirement have been stored in your warehouse.] Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. A sudden feeling of powerlessness followed. It was now too late for any regrets. After leaving the temple, Rust couldn''t help but feel tired. The old priest had even not so subtly suggested he shouldn''t come back. He couldn''t help it. It was only possible to do it during nighttime. It was probably one of the failsafes the creators had set up to keep players from mistakenly starting over. How many times did this make? He couldn''t be sure, but too many were probably the answer. The first time had been extremely embarrassing as his equipment was automatically removed and he was left almost completely nude. Luckily the NPC priest was kind enough to give him some clothes so he wouldn''t have to walk around like that. The priest was a good guy, and Rust actually felt bad for having to bother him late like this all the time. The only way to change your class in ''Battleheart'' was to visit one of the designated starter cities and pray at the temple at night. Then the light of the gods would descend and change your destiny. In other words, you would start back at level 1. All remaining skills would also be set at 1 star. Luckily you could keep your titles and any hidden stats you unlocked. But they were hard to come by. Rust was incredibly indecisive when it came to his class and playstyle. It was after all the very first life-like VRMMORPG. There were just too many options. He could be a deadly assassin sneaking around. A fire mage who could set blaze to the world. A stout paladin who defended justice with his shield. A mighty warrior destroying enemy ranks. Just the basic classes were endless. When taking hidden classes into account, the possibilities would make your head spin. But here he was. Classless and level 1 once again. Having played the game for nearly one and a half year, made him hollow inside when he thought how little he had accomplished. Especially when keeping in mind that time in Battleheart passed 4 times faster. One hour in reality would be four hours in Battleheart. While he didn''t play for 24 hours a day, he had still been an inhabitant of this world for nearly 6 years. The average level for players was 150. 150! The highest he''d ever been was 70. Rust let out a deep sigh. There was no use crying over spilled milk. He''d just have to deal with it. ''This will be the last time.'' Only 5 weeks ago, he had made the same promise. There was little point in looking at his status. He''d done this so many times he knew exactly what it looked like, but he did so anyway out of habit. RUST 80/80 hp 100/100 mana 150/50 stamina Attack Power: 20 Magic Power: 0 Defense:25 Evasion: 0% 10 Strength 10 Agility 10 Dexterity 10 Endurance 10 Spirit 10 Vitality 0 Luck Available stat points: 0 SKILLS [Weapons Mastery ¡î] 5% increased attack power with weapons. 5% increased attack speed with weapons. [Magic Mastery ¡î] 5% reduced casting time 5% increased magic power [Crafting Mastery ¡î] 5% increased work speed when crafting. 5% increased chance of getting a higher rarity outcome when crafting. TITLES [Master of None] 10% Increased experience gain. 10% increased skill experience gain. [Jack of All] At level up, 2 extra stat points are randomly allocated to your stats. ''Everything looks normal.'' It was amazing in its own way. All of this was made possible by his ''hard work''. The luck attribute, the mastery skills, and titles. They all came from starting over multiple times. Taking the ''Weapons Mastery'' as an example. His other weapon masteries had combined into ''Weapons Mastery'' after he had gone through countless weapon types. ''Master of None'' and ''Jack of All'' had been obtained after he changed classes many times. As luck would have it, most of the quests in Battleheart were procedurally generated, which meant that running out, even in a beginner town, would be extremely hard. The world in Battleheart was alive. It was like an alternate reality more than anything else. And as such, NPCs always had things that needed to be done. There were also multiple repeatable quests in beginner towns. There was one he had done the very first time he played, and every time afterward when visiting the temple. Rust didn''t even need to visit the alchemist to receive the quest, as he already knew exactly what he needed to do. The alchemist needed slime cores for alchemy If he collected 10, he would receive some exp and three, one-star health potions. He already had some better potions, but it would be a waste with his currently low max health. Heading towards the place where he usually hunted slimes, he had some doubts. ''How should I play this time?'' It was a very important question. Sometimes new classes could be unlocked based on the way you played. If you constantly used a sword, the complex system wouldn''t offer you magic or crafting based classes. But it wasn''t unheard of. There were stories of people receiving unrelated classes because they met some hidden requirement. That was also one of his immediate goals. Getting to level 10 and receiving his class. While walking in deep thought, he had an idea. ''No weapon?'' It was unconventional and scary, which is why he hadn''t really given it much thought before. Fighting magic and weapons with bare fists. Only madmen would do such a thing. But it was possible. He had seen it before. Was this the change he needed? ''I''ll try it.'' With hope and excitement, he soon reached the hunting ground. Chapter 2 The slimes were crawling across the wide grassland without a worry in the world. The slimes here were passive and wouldn''t attack as long as you didn''t attack them first. They were slow and weak, but for beginners, they were challenging enough. The slimes were usually the first monster encountered by players. The sudden realization of how real everything felt put most user on edge, so keeping things relatively easy was a good idea. But Rust wasn''t a beginner. Yes, he was level 1, but he had killed enough slimes to become sick of it. He could do it with his eyes closed at this point. He confidently walked over to the closest slime. ''Don''t think badly of me. Blame this dog eat dog world.'' Did slimes even have feelings? Rust raised his foot and slammed it against the slime''s green and wobbly skin. [You have dealt 5 damage.] [You have suffered 5 damage.] What? He only did 5 damage? Hitting it with a sword did damage in the 20s, even at level 1. And he even received damage! He thought himself a master slime killer, but couldn''t even remember the simple fact that slimes were acidic. "What the hell!" Rust''s fist lashed out. [You have dealt 4 damage.] [You have suffered 5 damage.] Even an idiot would most likely realize the acidic nature of slimes at this point. But Rust''s anger at the fact that he received more damage than he dealt to a slime was blinding him. He was a god among these creatures. They should just lay down and die silently. "Just. Die. Already." The punches and kicks flew like a storm. [You have dealt 5 damage.] [You have suffered 5 damage.] [You have dealt 6 damage.] [You have suffered 5 damage.] [You have dealt 5 damage.] [You have suffered 5 damage.] Rust was far from the sharpest tool in the shed, but being able to fight slimes blind wasn''t an overstatement. By the time the slime lunged towards him, he had already moved behind it. [You have dealt 5 damage.] [You have suffered 5 damage.] [You have defeated ''Green Slime''] [You have gained 10 exp] [You have received ''Slime Core'' x1] [You have received 2 copper] The slime turned into glittering motes of light which were drawn to the star on his forehead. It was how Battleheart showed exp gain. Rust felt out of breath. The fight had been short, but he had no experience fighting without a weapon, and wildly flailing his arms and legs put a heavy strain on his already small stamina pool. He would have to give more thought to how he attacked from now on. After calming down and coming to his senses, he realized why he had taken damage. ''Slimes have corrosive skin.'' He gave himself a short nod like he was some kind of expert. It had even burned holes in some of his equipment. He started regretting his choice of fighting without a weapon. But thinking a little further gave him some much-required willpower. ''Creatures with an ability like the slime are rare.'' He had very little basis for these claims. His highest level had only been half of what an average person currently had. It was a fact he had willfully forgotten. He tried calculating the speed at which he could hunt the slimes. A ''Green Slime'' had between 25 and 35 health. Punching and kicking seemed to do an average of 5 damage. Every time he attacked he would receive 5 damage. He had 80 health. Which meant that to stay safe, he shouldn''t kill more than 2 slimes before resting.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He had complete faith in his ability to dodge any attacks, so they were removed from the calculations. "Slow..." Rust let out a sigh. With his small health pool, it would take 10 minutes of rest to heal back to full health. Having to wait for 10 minutes after every second slime was extremely frustrating. There existed other ways to regain lost health. But they were unavailable or too wasteful for the current Rust. As far as he knew, the most effective methods were sleep, magic, and potions. But the truth is that it was still quicker than doing nothing, so he got to work. To his big surprise, it was as slow and painful as he imagined it to be. You could feel pain in Battleheart. It had however been lowered significantly compared to reality. No one actually wanted to feel the pain of being stabbed or burned alive. But that didn''t change the fact that pain was the body''s warning system that something was wrong, which meant that it was unpleasant even if they had removed the worst of it. Not every slime dropped an intact core either, which made it even worse. But like what someone famous once said ''Good things come to those who wait.'' [You have defeated ''Green Slime''] [You have gained 11 exp] [You have received 3 copper] After absorbing the orbs of light, the normally hidden star on his forehead gave off a bright flash. [Congratulations, you have gained a level.] ''Finally.'' Rust smiled. He had been waiting. Heading into his status screen, he allocated 5 of the 10 points into strength, 2 into agility and 3 into vitality. Increased strength and agility would allow him to hunt faster, while the increased vitality would let him kill an extra slime before resting unless he got extremely unlucky. It was also said that high vitality gave you an increased recovery rate. Another bonus was the fact that leveling up refilled your health, stamina, and mana. RUST 104/104 hp 100/100 mana 150/50 stamina Attack Power: 30 Defense:25 Evasion: 0% 15 Strength 12 Agility 10 Dexterity 10 Endurance 10 Spirit 13 Vitality 2 Luck Available stat points: 0 The 2 extra stat points of [Jack of All] was both randomly allocated to luck. Luck had two effects as far as he knew. The first was a small increase in the chance of getting a critical hit, and the second was a small boost in the chance of rare loot dropping. Increasing a special stat which couldn''t be increased through normal means was great, but he felt it would have been better if they helped grow his combat ability more instead. Finalizing his level up, he continued the hunting. He could now kill 3 slimes before resting. Or that was the plan at least. A heavy, gruff voice interrupted him. "You''ll get hurt, newbie." Turning his head he saw something that looked like a walking fortress. The 2m tall figure had dark, thick metal plates covering their entire body and head. The large axe on it''s back swung dangerously close to the ground when it walked. "The slimes are acidic." The supremely manly voice of the armored behemoth answered matter of factly. "Huh?" What was this giant talking about? ''Titan''? He seemed to be a player. No, before that, why the hell was he here? "What do you mean ''huh''? Is the translator messing up?" Titan''s voice was tinged with annoyance. ''Oh no.'' What if he found out Rust could hear him perfectly fine? Would he be mad? Getting PKed at level 2 would be a new low, even for Rust. He couldn''t stop the cold sweat from running down his back. This is why he avoided players! Rust was a strange one. He would treat NPCs like real people, but would often panic and lose himself in strange delusions when meeting actual real people. It was the biggest reason for his solo play. "Are you perhaps?... I apologize. I didn''t realize." The giant''s voice sounded sincere. ''Sincere about what is the problem.'' Things were getting worse by the minute. The behemoth called Titan made him more and more confused. "I-I''m sorry, but-" Titan put up his hand for him to stop talking. ''Now I''ve done it.'' It wouldn''t even be a fight. Titan was clearly in a different dimension compared to Rust. He just hoped that he could appease his anger by dying once. Rust let out a small breath and gave himself a nod. ''I''m ready.'' What happened next left him stunned. Titan seemed to do a small dance and gestured wildly with his hands. Next, he grabbed his massive axe and walked towards a slime. Woosh! The axe had struck the slime before Rust could even react. Where the slime had been, there was now nothing. It had turned it into dust. Rust couldn''t help but gulp and wonder what would happen to the exp in a situation like that. ''Why is he showing off?'' Rust felt like he was going crazy, Titan then walked over to another slime, and pulled the thickly plated gauntlet off his right hand, exposing the rugged and thick skin. He then carefully placed it onto the slime. The low sound of sizzling came from the area where Titan''s hand was touching the slime. ''Masochist?'' Rust couldn''t be blamed for thinking so. It truly was a bizarre sight. Rust was getting more and more nervous. ''This person is crazy!'' The giant placed his hand back into the battle-scarred gauntlet. After opening and clenching fist, he seemed satisfied. This is where shock almost made Rust pass out. All the giant did was give him a thumbs up and wave goodbye while walking off into the distance. Rust sat down. He had no choice. His legs would no longer support him. It was the first time he had met a truly insane person and it left mental trauma. He would rather hunt slimes at level 1 for a month than ever meeting Titan again. While Rust was thinking that, Titan had completely different thoughts. Chapter 3 Titan had always been a rather large man. Many long years of manual labour had built him a big and strong frame, but he was now getting on in years. Not old enough to suddenly fall over and die, but old enough to be retired and have a lot of free time. Even his social obligations had been reduced drastically over the last one and a half year. Spending more time with loved ones in Battleheart than reality was more common than it should be. His children and grandchildren were worried about him when he first started playing. Things like ''It''s too much for your heart.'' and ''You should spend these years relaxing.'' It didn''t matter. Titan did what he wanted. He always had. He proved them all wrong. His performance was exceptional. Even thought he had started 3 months later than many others, he quickly caught up with top players. Being in the top 100 out of the hundreds of millions or maybe billions of players was a giant achievement. But his rank did not reflect his true power. His combat ability was without a doubt in the top 20. Even thought he was a godly player, few had seen him fight, which left him relatively unknown. But for those who had seen him in action, ''God of War'' was a common nickname. Starting late and being in a mediocre guild held him back, but it was all of his own violation. He didn''t play Battleheart to be the best, he simply did it because it was enjoyable. It also allowed him to spend more time with his children and grandchildren who also played the game. Even his guild ''Blazing Glory'' consisted solely of his family members. He was currently on his way to a guild meeting in ''Pinewood Forest''''. He held guild meetings in low-level zones because several of his family members were rather low level and he was worried they might get hurt in a higher level zone. Walking along a stretch of grassland where slimes were roaming freely, he could see a figure in the distance. It was hard to make out at first, but the person seemed to have a mad grin as he looked at the slimes. It seemed like he was preparing to fight, but he was completely unarmed and even had holes in his beginner clothes. ''Doesn''t he know? He''ll get hurt.'' Titan''s good nature wouldn''t allow him to watch a beginner fight bare-handed against the acidic slimes. The young man didn''t even have any armor. He had to tell him. Now being close enough to be heard, he spoke. "You''ll get hurt, newbie." He wasn''t completely sure what newbie meant, but he had heard other people call beginners, newbies. He figured it was common slang among younger people and decided to use it to put the much younger Rust at ease. "W-what?" Titan saw the obvious confusion in the young man''s eyes. Of course, a beginner wouldn''t know. He forgot the fact and explained. "The slimes are acidic." "Huh?" The young man seemed even more confused. What was going on? Didn''t the man named Rust understand what he was saying? "What do you mean ''huh''? Is the translator messing up?" He realized he might have sounded a little harsh, but a bug messing up the game when he was trying to help was annoying. No, that couldn''t be it. He had never even heard of there being a bug in Battleheart. It was one of the points which TechWave prided themselves in. He also saw Rust starting to nervously sweat. ''Maybe...'' "Are you perhaps?... I apologize. I didn''t realize." He was a fool. He hoped he didn''t make the young man feel bad about his disability.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "I-I''m sorry, but-" The young man tried speaking. Titan lifted his arm. He wouldn''t let this Rust person suffer anymore because of his ignorance. He understood. ''He''s deaf.'' If Rust heard this he might have truly passed out. Titan''s conclusion made little sense. This was a game and your ears weren''t even real to start with. Hadn''t Rust also turned his head when Titan had spoken? All of those points seemed to be completely ignored as Titan tried to convey his words by moving and gesturing. After living for as long as Titan had, embarrassment hardly had any effect on him anymore. He gave no extra thought to what his strange ''dance'' might look like to onlookers. But in the end, the person named Rust didn''t seem to understand. He even seemed a bit scared. ''I''ll show by example.'' Titan pulled the axe from behind his back. He couldn''t help but admire it slightly. It was one of his most prized possessions. Only through one of the hardest fights in his life had it been obtained. ''Gol''t, The Guardian'' was the protector of a high-level dungeon he found by accident. The creature was a human-sized stone golem with incredibly high strength and defense. On each side, it wielded large weapons. A 2-handed serrated blade on it''s right and the axe he was currently holding on it''s left. He had 3 bouts with ''Gol''t''. The first had ended in a defeat caused by a surprise attack when Titan had first stumbled upon the dungeon. The second ended in what could almost be called a draw. Gol''t was down for the count and all he needed was one last swing to finish him off. Unfortunately, Gol''t''s serrated blade had applied bleeding every time he got hit. In the end, it was the blood loss that fell Titan. The third was a landslide victory. Titan was barely touched at all. No one would have ever known if Titan continued living a normal life in the modern world, but he was a genius. A genius at battle. The speed at which he absorbed, adapted, and acted would make people yell ''Unfair!'' and go green in the face. The person himself, however, didn''t even realize what he was. Was it willful ignorance? Or maybe he simply didn''t care. Upon death, Gol''t had dropped the axe. [Guardian Axe ¡î¡î¡î¡î] Durability: 481/500 Attack Power: 988 Defense: 337 * The skill ''Protective Cleave'' is added to your skill list. * ''Guardian Axe'' can function as a shield The axe wielded by Gol''t, The Guardian. It''s large size and shape allows it to be used as a shield if the need arises. User Requirement: Level 260 or higher. Intermediate Axe Mastery ¡î¡î¡î¡î or higher. 1500 Strength or higher. 1000 Vitality or higher. [Guardian Shield ¡î¡î¡î¡î] Durability: 481/500 Attack Power: 337 Defense: 988 Block: 25% * The skill ''Shielded Charge'' is added to your skill list. * ''Guardian Shield'' can function as an axe. The shield wielded by Gol''t, The Guardian. An unconventional form to be sure, but it''s sharp edges and shaft allows it to be used as an axe if the need arises. User Requirement: Level 260 or higher. Intermediate Shield Mastery ¡î¡î¡î¡î or higher. 1500 Vitality or higher. 1000 Strength or higher. While Titan was lost in memories he carelessly swung his axe at the slime. [''Force of Destruction'' has been activated.] [Your attack power has been doubled for 2 seconds.] [You have dealt 6,284 damage.] [Due to your damage exceeding the target''s health by 10,000%, ''Green Slime'' has been pulverized.] [You have defeated ''Green Slime''] [Due to a level difference of 200 or more, no exp or items have been dropped.] Titan was a little shocked. ''Force of Destruction'' activating was a complete mishap. It was a passive skill which had a very small chance of activating when he attacked. Because of that, the little slime had completely disappeared. ''It shouldn''t matter'' Titan was only giving an example. What happened to the slime shouldn''t get in the way of that. He was only trying to show that attacking with a weapon would leave you unharmed. Next, he would show what happened if you fought them bare-handed. After removing his gauntlet he placed his hand carefully on the slime. He made sure to do it slowly with no sudden movements. If the slime thought he was attacking it, it would fight back and he would have to kill it. Titan wanted to avoid that. Destroying more of the young man''s exp would be improper. Through his high defense and several passive skills, the pain was nearly unnoticeable. The skin of the slime felt a little prickly was all. He glanced at the young man he was doing all this for. ''Good. He''s watching.'' Titan felt satisfied as he equipped his gauntlet. Even a child should understand by now. [Mistystep: Hey dad, when are you arriving? We''re all here already.] Mistystep was his 3rd youngest daughter, and also part of his guild. He was unsure of how to convey he was done and had to leave for a guild meeting, so he simply used what he thought to be universal gestures and gave the young man a thumbs up and waved. ''What a strange experience.'' Things like these were the reason he wanted to play the game to start with. Being able to experience new things even at his advanced age brought him great joy. ''She''ll be mad if I don''t respond.'' [Titan: Soon. I had an encounter.] [Mistystep: How many? Who sent them this time?] Titan''s willful nature and often strange conclusions had led to more than one disaster. He had several enemies in this world who sometimes sent PKers and assassins to target his life. Naturally, none had succeeded so far. [Titan: Not that kind. I''ll tell you about it when I get there.] If Rust knew this was only the first, and most reasonable, of many encounters, he would have cried tears of blood. Chapter 4 Rust had defeated his 22nd slime. He strongly wished for a core as he only needed one more. ''Please.'' All of a sudden, Rust''s vision was blocked by a large amount of text. [You have defeated ''Green Slime''] [You have gained 12 exp] [You have received ''Slime Core'' x1] [You have received 3 copper.] [You have received ''Slimy Sandals ¡î''] [Congratulations, you have gained a level.] [A man whose body is his weapon has no need for a sword. With punches and kicks of steel, you''re proof that a fist is as deadly as a blade.] [Skill ''Basic Brawling Mastery'' was obtained.] [With countless paths stretching before you, you have decided not to choose. A greedy choice some may say. But those who reach the martial peak will forever remain legends.] [''Basic Brawling Mastery'' and ''Weapons Mastery'' have combined into ''Martial Mastery''] [Skill ''Martial Mastery'' was obtained.] Rust''s eyes were shining like stars. This was what a game was truly about. Loot, levels, and getting stronger. He took care of everything in descending order. He allocated 5 points to Strength, 3 to Endurance and 2 to Agility. This time, [Jack of all]''s random points went into Spirit and Endurance. The one-star sandals surprised Rust. He didn''t think slimes could drop starred items. There was a correlation between a monster''s level and items dropped. To put it simply, the stronger the monster you defeat, the bigger the chance of a good item. But the level wasn''t all. Luck played a part as well. Both the stat and the real thing. Defeating high-level monsters only raised your chances of receiving good loot, it didn''t guarantee it. Even the top players who were level 250+ received non-starred and one-star loot at times. Rust looked at the sandals. ''They look like a pair of ordinary summer sandals, only...'' The intense neon-green was a design Rust couldn''t agree with at all. ''What''s up with this color.'' [Slimey Sandals ¡î] Durability: 24/24 Defense: 22 * Immune to corrosion effects. These sandals have survived inside a slime for a long period of time without dissolving. But the stranger mystery is how these got here in the first place. User Requirement: None ''Immune to corrosion effects''. Every letter stung his eye. Did this mean he wouldn''t have taken any damage if he attacked the slimes using them? The thought made him shudder. ''I won''t feel bad if I never find out.'' Rust psyche wouldn''t be able to handle it. He threw the sandals into his inventory. ''Out of sight, out of mind.'' Now for the most exciting part. His new skill! [Martial Mastery ¡î] 10% increased attack power while attacking. 10% increased defense while defending. 10% increased attack speed. 10% increased attack power while unarmed 10% increased defense while unarmed The new skill was amazing. It almost seemed fraudulent. Being close to twice as strong as other basic mastery skills at one star. Rust stopped moving. The joy he felt only a minute ago had now faded. He had remembered that he had only accomplished this through one and a half years of ''hard work''. A new skill couldn''t hide the fact that he was only level 3, no matter how great. It couldn''t cover the gap between himself and top players. Heck, it wasn''t even close to covering the distance between himself and an average player. ''Am I really too far beh-'' No. He couldn''t think like that. He wouldn''t let people look down on his hard work because of his low level. He would make up for what he lacked in level with skill and experience. He would even wear the Slimy Sandals, and he would wear them with pride. Never had a man put on a pair of sandals with such determination. Onlookers would have been forced to stare in admiration at the act. The thing Rust had willfully forgotten was the fact that many others had put in as much effort as he had. Only they weren''t as indecisive as he was. Rust finished getting fired up about nothing at all and resumed walking. Getting to the alchemy shop from the slime hunting ground wasn''t hard. Especially not for someone like Rust who had done this many times before. The sun had now risen and NPCs had awoken from their slumber. The previous silent city was now full of life. The sound of people yelling, children playing and everyday life activities had started. While Rust and many players treated night time and day time no different, NPCs couldn''t do the same. Because for them, the world of Battleheart was their only reality. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Maneuvering through the small city of Risa was easy. But Rust''s previous encounter with Titan had scarred him. So he decided it was for the best to limit his interaction with players. ''The sandals have nothing to do with it.'' It''s unknown who he was trying to convince. His normal route would have cut through the marketplace. This time he decided on detour instead to avoid as many players as possible. He moved through the dark and gloomy back alleys like a street urchin. From experience, Rust knew that it was safe. There was a dreary atmosphere, but very little danger was present in Risa, even in places like this. TechWave wouldn''t thrust beginners into a city full of death as soon as they started out. After a while, the alchemy shop came within view. The old wooden door creaked as Rust pushed it open. A strong stink of plants and herbs slammed against his nose. Stepping inside, the shop seemed to be empty Rust called out. "Haywood! I''ve brought some cores." Rust heard movement in the back behind some curtains. The back room contained Haywood''s workshop. A wrinkly, pale old man coughed as he stepped out of the room. Haywood found the young man called Rust strange. Every couple of weeks he would return here with cores. All while complaining about how hard it was to choose which kind of magic or which kind of weapon to use. This pattern had continued for 6 years If the man was as overflowing with talent as he seemed to think he was, why then did he seem to never change at all? Haywood didn''t think Rust was a bad person. A bit of a braggart perhaps, but Haywood didn''t dislike him, which was rare. It made what he had to do next harder. "I didn''t expect you this early." Haywood was short and to the point. Rust answered with a half smile "Yeah." Rust felt embarrassed. Every time he was in here he talked up a storm about his future plans, only to return a few weeks later. He couldn''t help it. His excitement and the thought of ''this is the last time'' made his mouth move by itself. Haywood gave him a short nod. "So?" [A quest has been created.] [Haywood''s Task.] Difficulty: ¡î Haywood is in need of slime cores for his alchemy. Completion Status: 0/10 ''Slime Core'' Completion Reward: 500 Exp, ''Small Health Potion ¡î'' x3 Failure Penalty: None [Would you like to accept Haywood''s quest?] "Here." Rust placed his cores on the shop counter. [You have accepted Haywood''s quest.] Haywood gave the cores a quick glance. Looking satisfied, he laid down 3 vials of red liquid. [You have completed ''Haywood''s Task''.] [You have gained 500 exp] [You have received ''Small Health Potion ¡î'' x3] [Congratulations, you have gained a level.] [Congratulations, you have gained a level.] The first time Rust had done this quest, Haywood had spent close to 5 minutes studying the cores. Luckily he seemed to trust him more now. "Pleasure doing business with you." Rust smiled as he scooped up the health potions. Rust noticed a weird expression on Haywood''s face. It seemed like he was regretting something. Haywood spoke with some difficulties. "I''m sorry, kid." Rust felt confused. Why was he apologizing to him? "You won''t have to return here anymore." The shock on Rust''s face was impossible to hide. Using Battleheart time, he had been going to Haywood''s shop for 6 years. Had he done something to anger him? "Don''t get me wrong. I appreciate the help. To be frank, you''ve brought me enough cores to last me a lifetime. Even three arms wouldn''t suffice." Rust sometimes forgot that this wasn''t an ordinary game. This was another reality. These NPCs were no different from normal people. Any craftsman would eventually get enough materials. "I understand." Rust nodded. He showed a normal expression but was actually feeling a little down. Haywood was the NPC Rust had known for the longest. He might treat Battleheart like a game, but he treated the NPCs like real people. Haywood was direct and to the point, but he was a good guy. It''s not like he couldn''t ever return, but it wouldn''t be the same. This had been like a tradition whenever Rust started over. "Treat this as my apology. " Haywood placed a small vial of blue liquid on the table. [You have completed a hidden quest.] ''What?'' [Haywood''s New Beginning.] Befriend Haywood and show him the glory of slimes. Make him love them as much as you do. Completion Status: MAX/MAX Reputation with Haywood 500/500 ''Slime Core'' Completion Reward: 2000 exp Haywood becomes Haywood, The Slime Enthusiast. ''Vial of ???'' x1 [You have gained 2000 exp.] [Congratulations, you have gained a level.] [Congratulations, you have gained a level.] [Congratulations, you have gained a level.] [Haywood, The Slime Enthusiast wishes to transfer ownership of ''??? (pet)'' to you.] [Do you accept?] Chapter 5 [Haywood, The Slime Enthusiast wishes to transfer ownership of ''??? (pet)'' to you.] [Do you accept?] ''A hidden quest! Slime Enthusiast?'' It seemed like Rust had accidentally set Haywood on a strange path. ''But what''s this about loving slimes? A blatant lie. It''s a tradition!'' Rust was complaining but was boiling with excitement on the inside. Hidden quests were rare, and he had only managed to complete one before. It was what awarded him with the luck stat. He accepted ownership without a second thought. Now being the owner, Rust picked up the small vial between his index and thumb. "What is it?" While it looked like some kind of liquid, he realized it wasn''t. Whatever was contained within clumped together when he shook it. It kinda looked like a... "It''s a slime. I think." Haywood looked unsure as he answered Rust. "You think?" Rust didn''t understand. It either was a slime or it wasn''t. "It should be." Haywood gave a nod. "It should be?" Had Rust made a mistake in accepting ownership too fast? This whole situation seemed strange. Haywood scratched his chin and seemed to be thinking. "I''ve been trying to find alternative uses for slime cores. Then this thing appeared." Rust nodded his head like he understood. ''Hey, hey, didn''t you skip the most important part?'' This was unlike the normal Haywood. He had always been direct and to the point. The reason for Haywood''s vagueness was simple. It was embarrassment. Haywood had big pride in his alchemy. So when he had ruined half his lab with an experiment, it wasn''t something he would tell others. The worst part was that he couldn''t even remember what he did! A staring contest began. ''Wait, that''s it?'' Rust had gained absolutely no useful information. Rust, the one who wanted answers, and Haywood, the one who couldn''t give them kept staring at each other. Seconds ticked by. Rust couldn''t help but laugh evilly within. ''If it''s a staring contest you want, bring it on.'' Rust had complete confidence in himself. He had once stared at himself in the mirror for 30 minutes without blinking. Haywood wouldn''t even be an opponent. As usual, Rust was misunderstanding. Haywood didn''t speak because he didn''t know what else to say. Minutes started passing. In the end, Haywood was the one to speak first. "I''ll give you 5 health potions if you leave." Was this a way to treat someone you had known for 6 years? Of course not, but the current Rust was freaking him out. He hadn''t blinked in 5 minutes! "Deal!" ''No wai-'' In the end, Rust had forgotten about his original purpose for a brief moment. After receiving the potions, and saying goodbye, Rust was now standing outside the alchemy shop. The blue vial was in his hand. ''Let''s take a look. This is the easiest way to find out.'' Rust popped open the tiny vial and poured its content into his hand. The blue ''thing'' was small. Barely half a finger in size. Rust had trouble believing it was even alive, but as if to prove him wrong, the blue ''thing'' started squirming. ??? Level: 1 Health: ?/? Mana: ?/? Stamina: ?/? ? Strength ? Agility ? Dexterity ? Endurance ? Spirit ? Vitality ? Intelligence Available stat points: 0 Skill: [?] Skill: [?] Title: [?] [This creature is beyond your understanding.] [Would you like to name ''???''] ''What the hell.'' This was far from what Rust had expected. The entire ''thing''s'' status screen was a big question mark. The only information he could get was its level. The game even told him he couldn''t understand what it was. Green, purple, red, gold, etc. A multitude of colored slimes existed, but he never heard of a blue one. It made Rust doubt if Haywood even knew what it was himself. ''A name, huh.'' How was he supposed to name something when he didn''t even know what it was. The only thing he knew was... "Blue." [Are you certain you want to name ''???'', ''Blue''?] "Yes." [''???'' was given the name ''Blue''.] Rust felt satisfied with the name. The pet lovers of the world would have beaten up Rust up if they knew. Most players would spend a large amount of time when deciding on a name for a pet. Rust had done so in seconds and in the most basic way. It now had a name, but everything else still remained a mystery. Rust shrugged. ''If I keep playing, I''ll be bound to find out eventually.'' Rust wasn''t too bothered. Things like this are what kept Battleheart so interesting. Not to mention having a travel companion would be a nice change of pace.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. He was uncertain how much companionship Blue would provide. But he decided to stay positive. "Are you ready, Blue?" Blue gave off a slight shiver in his hand. Rust assumed it meant yes. Rust turned around and took a final look at Haywood''s shop. ''I won''t be back.'' It wasn''t meant as an insult. It was a simple display of determination to not not start over again. Rust didn''t know it at the time, but he would have to return in the future. "Go Blue!" Rust threw Blue towards the approaching goblin. [Critical Strike!] [Blue has dealt 1 damage.] [''Male Goblin'' has been blinded for 2 seconds.] By luck or otherwise, Blue had taken a direct path towards its eyes. Rust wouldn''t let the ''blind'' debuff go to waste. He moved and planted his foot in the chest of the goblin as it stumbled around blindly. [You have dealt 58 damage.] And shortly followed up with a punch to its face. [You have dealt 54 damage.] The goblin got forced backward and shook it''s head as the ''blind'' debuff faded away. Goblins had low intelligence and only used a single strategy. Attack, attack, and attack until someone died. Staying true to its nature, it launched itself towards Rust. The goblin''s club set into motion. Rust put his hands up to guard against the strike. [You have suffered 41 damage.] "Ouch." Being hit by a club was unpleasant, to say the least. Rust forced his way through the shock the club had brought his body and grabbed ahold of the goblin''s head. His knee did major damage as he thrust it into the goblin''s face. [Critical Strike!] [You have dealt 91 damage.] Rust was actually more than capable of avoiding the goblin''s club. The reason he didn''t do so was two-fold. He needed to get used to fighting without a weapon. That included blocking as well. Weak goblins with clubs were the perfect opponent. ''Skill...'' The other reason was the hope that it would develop into a new skill. The goblin hit the ground and turned into motes of light. [You have defeated ''Male Goblin''] [You have gained 72 exp] [You have received ''Goblin Tooth'' x4] [You have received 9 copper] Rust smiled. "Only two more." He brought up the quest information. [Find My Teeth!.] Difficulty: ¡î The self-proclaimed accessory genius known as Momok has given you a task. She wants you to collect 20 goblin teeth for her latest crafts project. Momok is lacking in patience and asked you to return within nightfall. Completion Status: 18/20 ''Goblin Tooth'' Completion Reward: Momok''s liking towards you will increase. A random accessory. 500 exp. Failure Penalty: Momok''s liking towards you will decrease. Witnessing a genius level temper tantrum. Time Remaining: 6 Hours. As a person who was willing to wear neon-green summer sandals in a middle-ages setting, he had no right to question her taste in accessories. This was actually the first time he''d ever heard of or met Momok. But 6 years had passed in Battleheart, so it wouldn''t be strange for some new faces to show up among the NPCs. Rust''s quiet contemplations got interrupted by a weird sensation. Looking down he could see Blue squirming up his leg. He gently cupped Blue into his hand. "Good job, Blue." The tiny Blue shivered. Did praising it make it happy? [You merciless massacre has awoken the ''Goblin Chief''.] [Prepare yourself for battle] [Quest: ''Find My Teeth!'' was updated.] ''Merciless? Massacre?'' This Goblin Chief was unreasonable. Not only had he hunted a small number of goblins, but he even allowed them to hit him! The game made it sound like he had slaughtered an entire village of women and children. The Goblin Chief was what players called an Elite. Most of the time they were a stronger type of whatever monster was common to the area. Some people called them ''Mini-bosses'', as they could be difficult to hunt solo. The goblin chief stepped out from the biggest hut in the goblin camp. He was at least twice the size of a normal goblin and thrice as muscular. He looked more like an orc than a goblin. Another difference was the equipment. Goblins in early zones wore loin cloths and used clubs. The Goblin Chief, however, wielded a sword which glittered in the sunlight. He also had a higher defense because of some basic leather armor. Rust had a lot of experience playing Battleheart, but he still worried about the Goblin Chief. He hadn''t even gotten his class yet. The bar was only halfway to level 10. Honestly, he wanted to leave. He took a look at the updated quest. [Find My Teeth! And Tooth!.] Difficulty: ¡î¡î The self-proclaimed accessory genius know as Momok has given you a task. She wants you to collect 20 goblin teeth for her latest crafts project. She didn''t tell you of her wish to use a goblin chief''s tooth as the crowning jewel, because she does not yet trust your abilities. Prove your worth by bringing her both. Failure will cause rumors of the goblin chief to spread, and Momok will hear of your involvement and failure. Momok is lacking in patience and asked you to return within nightfall. Completion Status: 18/20 ''Goblin Tooth'', 0/1 ''Goblin Chief Tooth'' Completion Reward: Momok''s liking towards you will increase substantially. [Wolf Teeth Bracelet ¡î], 1500 exp. Failure Penalty: Momok''s liking towards you will decrease substantially. Momok''s temper tantrum skill will rise by 1 level. Witnessing a genius level temper tantrum. Time Remaining: 6 Hours He made a decision. No, wasn''t this blackmail? Why would he be blamed for not doing something he wasn''t asked to do? "Hang on." Rust placed Blue on top of his head and rushed towards the goblin chief. He wasn''t confident in winning, so he wanted to end the fight as fast as possible. The Goblin Chief showed the difference between an Elite and a normal goblin. It had much better reactions and swung the sword towards the nearing Rust. Rust hesitated for a brief moment. He still hadn''t faced sharp weaponry bare-handed. That short moment was critical. It put Rust off balance as he jumped backward. The Goblin Chief didn''t let it slip. He stepped forwards and planted a solid kick in Rust''s chest. Was this revenge for the other goblin? There was no time to defend. [You have suffered 82 damage.] Rust felt the cold sweat flowing down his back. If the chief had used its sword again, he would''ve been in deep trouble. If a simple kick did that amount of damage, he wouldn''t want to know what it could do with the sword. He only had one advantage. His brain. While it wasn''t the best brain, it was still better than a goblin brain... He hoped. Rust gathered his courage and ran towards the goblin chief again. The same thing happened. When Rust neared, the chief swung his sword. This time Rust came prepared. The goblin had no time to react as Rust sidestepped the downwards swing. "[Heavy Punch]" This was Rust''s secret weapon. Why was it secret? Because it was his only active skill and everybody should have a secret weapon. If possible, he would have liked some pocket sand. By activating the skill, he could put more power behind his punch. At least that''s what the skill said. He could feel every muscle tighten as the fist collided with the goblin''s nose. [Critical Strike!] [You have dealt 122 damage.] [''Goblin Chief'' has been dizzied for 0,5 seconds.] This was another effect of ''Heavy Punch'' The dizzied status would make it harder to move. The chief shrieked as his face became bloodied, and quickly tried to gain some distance. But Rust wouldn''t allow that. He stuck to the goblin, like glue. It was made significantly easier by the goblin''s slowed movements. Once, twice. Rust struck the goblin chief. [You have dealt 44 damage.] [You have dealt 47 damage.] The goblin was panicking. It had never faced someone at Rust''s level. Being the ''boss'' in a beginner area surrounded by weak and stupid creatures never gave it a real challenge. Rust felt hopeful and kept up the pressure. [You have dealt 49 damage.] Rust was smiling widely. ''I can do thi-'' [Blue has dealt 1 damage.] [Goblin Chief has been blinded for 2 seconds.] ''Blue?'' The top of his head felt lighter, and he could see the tiny Blue falling towards the ground. Being blinded brought the goblin chief to the breaking point. The goblin''s panic and pain turned into boiling rage. Even while being blinded, it wildly swung it''s sword full force. The attack was too sudden. Rust didn''t have time to dodge and could only block to the best of his ability. [You have suffered 252 damage.] [You are bleeding heavily. Health will be lost every second.] Shock filled Rust''s deathly pale face The pain wasn''t as bad as you would imagine. What was worse was the psychological effect. What kind of person wouldn''t be shocked at the sight of a wound which went all the way to the bone? It wasn''t the first time something similar had happened to Rust, but that wasn''t much of a comfort. The goblin didn''t give him time to think and swung it''s sword again. ''Shi-'' Rust rolled away but couldn''t fully avoid the sword. [You have taken 50 damage.] [You are bleeding. Health will be lost every second.] More bleeding? There was a difference between bleeding normally and having the bleeding debuff inflicted on you. The latter would deal more damage, and in some cases scale with the attackers power. At least it wasn''t as severe as the first strike. Rust came to the conclusion that it had to be the sword. He had doubts that the goblin chief would have any titles or skills that inflicted bleeding. [You are bleeding heavily. Health will be lost every second.] [You are bleeding. Health will be lost every second.] [Your health is at a critical level.] ''Damn it'' Rust sucked down a health potion. The warning told him that his health was currently below 20%. His brain started working full force. His chances of running were slim as the goblin most likely had higher stats than him. So he was quick to discard the thought. His health potions would be able to keep the bleeding at bay, but he only had so many. Rust looked at the goblin. It seemed to take pleasure in his pain and displayed a wide grin. It had no intention of attacking. It was taunting him. He only had one option. He would have to fight and kill the goblin without taking damage. The chances of success were slim at best. ''No.'' This was the kind of defeatist attitude that would lead to death. Rust slapped himself across the face. He would do it. He could do it. He would kill the goblin chief and survive. [You have suffered 1 damage.] "..." Chapter 6 [You have suffered 1 damage.] "..." Sometimes he felt he could do without the realism. Rust''s complaining got put on hold by the tiny creature squirming its way towards him. It was Blue. The goblin didn''t notice. It was just enoying watching him bleed to death. Rust discretely picked up Blue and whispered. "You crazy thing. I almost died." Blue seemed to sink together and become even smaller. Was it apologizing? "Just give me a warning next time." Rust gently tapped Blue. Blue shivered. It was an affirmative. "Good." Rust placed Blue on his head once again, and slowly stood up. He stared at the goblin. ''Slow, deep breaths.'' Rust swallowed a large mouthful of air and released it. ''Now focus. This is the only thing that matters right now.'' Rust kept his focus on the goblin chief''s murky eyes. Unnecessary noise faded with every breath. Soon all he could hear was the beating of his own heart. ''Yes. This is what matters. As long as my heart is beating, I can win.'' Rust wasn''t quite sure himself where the deep desire for victory had sprung from. His focus eventually reached the peak. He didn''t even read the notifications that appeared as he swiftly removed them. It was at this moment Rust''s many years of battle experience truly began cumulating into something greater. It was the beginning of his true blossoming. ''What is this half-dead human doing?'' The goblin became confused. Why did the human keep staring at him? It was uncomfortable. The longer the human stared, the more unbearable it became. In the end, the goblin folded. ''Die human!'' "Kii!" The goblin released a battle shriek as it sprang forwards. ''Huh?'' As soon as the goblin moved its sword, Rust vanished. Rust had of course not become invisible or anything. He had slipped into one of the goblin''s dead zones.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The brief lull in the goblin''s concentration gave him time to strike. Rust planted his elbow in the side of the goblin chief. [You have dealt 52 damage.] The goblin swung its sword in desperation. But it was too slow. "Heavy Punch." A powerful surge traveled from his feet and into hist fist. [You have dealt 89 damage.] [Goblin Chief'' has been dizzied for 0,25 seconds.] [You have struck a weak point.] [Goblin Chief will be confused for 2 seconds.] The powerful blow connected with the goblin''s jaw and sent it stumbling. Rust stepped closer, folded his hands and slammed them against the back of the goblin''s head. Wham! The goblin fell over and crashed to the ground. "Hah." Rust let out the breath he had been holding in. His stamina was rapidly depleting because of his bleeding and intense focus. But the goblin still wasn''t dead. Yet there was no doubt. In his current state, there was no room for doubt. This was a fight Rust would win. The goblin chief that got pounded into the ground felt a shiver up his spine. Every time he had seen the human''s face, it had been staring into his eyes. Even now he could feel the human looking at him. The goblin shot up. His entire body hurt, but resting wasn''t an option. Not moving would mean death. He couldn''t die. He was going to use the sword he found to become goblin king! A single human wouldn''t stop him! Much less a human''s eyes! [The ''Goblin Chief''s'' Battleheart beats. All the ''Goblin Chief''s'' stats are temporarily increased by 20%] Like the previous ones, this was another notification which got ignored by Rust. But that didn''t stop him from noticing the goblin''s increased power. Its slash was more fierce and quick than ever. The time Rust had to react was shortened even more by the chief''s power up. The width at which he managed to dodge the strike allowed it to cut his shirt. Rust moved close and sent a quick jab against the goblin. The goblin twisted it''s body and managed to avoid. The buff had done more than increase it''s attack speed and power. It''s battle capabilities increased all-around. The health potion''s cooldown had ended, so Rust swallowed another one. It was the start of the true battle. "Hah, hah, hah." Rust''s vision was blurry as he sucked down deep gulps of air. It was no longer about Rust''s capabilities or will. In the end, Battleheart was a game, and in the game, he had a stamina pool. It was close to empty. If he reached 0 stamina, he would receive a huge debuff called ''Exhausted''. All his stats would be reduced by 50%. He had believed that he wouldn''t need many stamina potions in such a low level zone, so he had only brought a single one. And he had already used it. There also existed a second problem. As Rust had run out of steam, he got inflicted by a series of small cuts and his health potions could no longer keep up with the bleeding. The goblin looked no better. Actually, it looked worse. It''s already ugly face was bruised and beaten enough to make its own mother scared. It was too bad for Rust that their biggest difference laid in their remaining amount of stamina. The battered goblin chief was slowly moving towards Rust while dragging its sword along the ground. Rust had to finish this right now. But would he be able to? His body was shaking so much he had trouble even standing. The goblin chief was like a death reaper''s scythe slowly inching closer. ''Even after all this, I''m going to fail.'' The goblin was soon close enough to have Rust within its strike zone. Rust felt extremely bitter. Never had he put so much effort into something. But it seems that even his best wasn''t good enough. The goblin chief hoisted it''s sword high and stared deeply into Rust''s eyes. Rust could see it. It''s pride. ''I''m strong'' it seemed to be saying. But there was also respect. Respect for Rust. Respect for the human who pushed it to the brink and allowed it to grow stronger. Maybe being killed by a strong goblin wasn''t that bad. Who knew, this goblin might grow to be someone big in the future. Rust lowered his head. That''s when he felt it. The slight tugging in his hair. Rust wasn''t sure how he knew what it meant, but he did. ''Move. Move. Move.'' He screamed within for his body to squeeze out it''s remaining power. Blue jumped from Rust''s hair and struck. [Blue has dealt 1 damage.] [Goblin Chief has been blinded for 2 seconds.] The goblin chief shrieked and grabbed its eye. ''Move. Move. Move.'' It was at a stage where it couldn''t be called conscious thought anymore. It was closer to a form of auto-hypnosis. ''Move. Move. Move.'' "Move!" Rust released what sounded more like a roar than a human voice as his fist moved. "Heavy Punch!" The game''s autocorrect function stabilized his fist. It connected. [Critical Strike!] [You have dealt 163 damage.] [''Goblin Chief'' will be dizzied for 0,5 seconds.] By the time the notifications appeared, the goblin chief was turning into light. An explosion of text appeared in Rust''s vision.