《Re:Absorb》 1. Prologue It happened two years ago, near the village called Hemore - my first level up. We were walking slowly, maybe because of the loot we gathered, or maybe because we were too careless. I was on the front, and my companions were walking behind me, while chatting cheerfully. The day was young, and we just exited the forest after killing a small pack of goblins that were threatening the people living nearby. We didn¡¯t find any more beasts, so we thought that we were safe, and we just continued on our path. I don¡¯t really remember when, but as we walked, a troll started running towards us from behind the trees. He was big, probably two meters tall, and he was very muscular. Now that I think about it, he must have been following us from the beginning, while waiting for a good time to attack. We were still weak, and we couldn¡¯t defeat something like this on our own, so we decided to run away, but some of us were slower than the others. There was this one girl, wearing long robes, and wizard hat. She was pretty small, and she wanted to become a powerful mage after growing up. He got her first, grabbed her hand, and twisted it into an unnatural position. As she screamed, he bit one of her ears off, and after that smashed her leg with his fist. At the time this was happening, I was running. We were all running, not even thinking about helping the girl.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. My legs were trembling, as I listened to her screams. When she finally stopped crying for help, I looked around, and saw her motionless body laying on the ground. Her legs were broken, and body was mutilated, but what was even more sickening, was her face, or rather the lack of it. (((YOU ABSORBED THE EXPERIENCE OF THE DYING ADVENTURER))) ((YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!)) The windows started appearing before me, as I was running for my life. Not much time passed, and the boy that was running near me, was hit by a flying object. His name was Adam, and he was an aspiring knight. The rock, that hit him on the back of his head, killed him instantly, leaving a big hole in his body. When I looked at him with panic, I noticed his still twitching legs. There was so much blood... (((YOU ABSORBED THE EXPERIENCE OF THE DYING ADVENTURER))) ((YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!)) I ran so quickly, while listening to the screams of my other teammates. I ran, and my legs were hurting so much. I ran, and ran, and the windows kept appearing before me. Our group had six members in it, and after that day, I was the only one left. 2. An adventurer Even if you lose everything, you still have something to offer. Your future, and your life. Your every emotion, every smile, and every experience you¡¯ve ever had. I don¡¯t care if they are meaningless, or without a value. They are mine. Your life is burning out, but I will continue it for you. Don¡¯t worry, everyone will live in me, because in the end, this is what I was made for. I¡¯m sorry...
Walking through the roads of Blouver made me think about the old times. How many years did I spend in this world? I¡¯m not the same young boy, that was sent here, but how much time has passed? I wonder, if I had never died, would I become a similar person? Probably not, but I shouldn¡¯t think about it now¡­ I looked around, at the beautiful buildings of this city, illuminated by the sun. They were made of wood painted in various colors, with cute doors, and windows, as if they were taken straight from a fairytale. People that walked on the stone path were all different looking. Some of them small, some of them big. Some of them rich, and some of them poor. Among the humans I saw dwarves, elves, and beastmen. They were all walking in medieval clothing, that was really colorful. As I exited the main road, I saw some of the weaker adventurers. I knew what their jobs were, because of their clothing. One mage, with a staff, and grey robes¡­ One, tall knight with a full plate armor, and silver sword. Two archers among them, with bows from the elven lands. They were all standing near a building, that I wanted to enter. ¡°David?! Is it you David?!¡± the knight started shouting, when he saw me approaching them. ¡°I do think it¡¯s me. Why are you so shocked?¡± ¡°W-Why?! You are one of the most powerful adventurers in here! For me, a level five, to meet a level twenty. This is a true honor!¡± he responded to my words, and the others that were standing near him just nodded with excitement. Yeah, I was this powerful adventurer. If you look at me, you won¡¯t suspect me of something like this. I wear really cheap clothes, that look more like something a peasant would wear. A simple, green shirt, and black trousers. As for my weapon, I have only a short sword, that is chipped, and hard to use because of its broken handle. I¡¯m not muscular, and I don¡¯t look like someone dangerous at all. My face looks like a face of someone always bored, with big, black eyes, and short, dark hair. I don¡¯t even look masculine, because of my small lips, and nose. I just look like a quiet boy, but those people are now looking at me with excitement. ¡°I never saw you here before. Is this a new party of adventurers?¡± I asked, and they all smiled at me. ¡°Yeah! We just registered in the adventurers guild.¡± the elven girl responded, and pointed at the building, that she was standing near ¡°We are going to become like you!¡± Like me? I looked at this young girl. She was short, wearing light armor, and boots of speed. It was a rather expensive item, that would boost your dexterity. Her gaze was serious, but she looked rather comical, because of her long, blond hair that fell on her face. ¡°Yeah! She is right! I heard that you killed an ogre, that was attacking near villages! I want to be just like you!¡± the mage responded. He was older, and taller than me, and yet he was so excited. His clothes were that of a normal mage, but his staff had a small enchant on it, that would boost his water damage. ¡°Well, work hard?¡± I responded, while trying to enter the building. I didn¡¯t really want to talk to them, and their excitement was bothering me. ¡°D-David! I have a question¡­¡± the knight said, and I turned around to look at him ¡°I know that you are powerful, and we are weak. And I know that you have your own problems. I know that you-¡± ¡°Just ask him!¡± the mage interrupted his words, and after that they all looked at me. ¡°If you would like, could we from a party sometimes? I¡¯m not saying that you would become a part of our team! It¡¯s not like that. We would just want to spend some time with you! We know that you are too powerful, to become a part of a team like this!¡± As he was saying this, I smiled to myself. They were all good kids, that just wanted me to teach them. If I were younger, I would probably agree without any problem, but the time has changed me a little. The person that loved going on adventures was no more¡­ ¡°First get a higher level. After that I will think about it.¡± I responded, and they all looked at me with happiness. ¡°Really?! Then we will work hard!¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Hah! I told you, that adventurers in here are great people!¡± ¡°And you thought, that we would be left alone to ourselves!¡± They talked to themselves, while laughing. Just like new adventurers would do. Their minds were full of happy thoughts¡­ ¡°I need to get inside. I have some things to take care of.¡± I said, and the knight guy looked at me. ¡°Y-Yeah! Of course! Take care, and thank you!¡± he responded, and I entered the building. When I did, I took a look around. Adventurers guild was a place, where people that wanted to become heroes would come. There were many of those guild inside the kingdom, and they would give quests, and rewards for doing them. Inside a spacious room, there were many tables, with chairs near them. I looked at the many people, that were gathered inside. All of them looked like adventurers, with their swords, armors, and staffs. I could smell a soup, and meat of some kind, as I approached the counter that was on the end of the room. There, a cute girl was standing, looking at me with a smile. ¡°Came back already? You never cease to amaze me.¡± she said, and smiled. Her name was Annie, and she was a beastman. For that reason, above her short, brown hair, were two, wolf¡¯s ears. ¡°And you still work here? I thought that you would find a better job.¡± I responded, and the girl laughed. ¡°And where would they give me clothes like this?¡± she said, and grabbed her green dress that she was wearing. Her clothes were cute, and looked nice. On her dress, she had a white apron, that made her look really fresh. I knew her very well. From the start of my adventures, to this moment, I spend my time in this city, while taking the quests from her. Even if she was smaller than me, and looked like a teen, she could still be malicious, and hard to please. ¡°So, do you have them?¡± she asked, and looked at me, with her big, amber eyes. ¡°I do¡­ Just don¡¯t tell me, that the quality is bad.¡± I responded, and took out three small, violet stones from my pocket. They were shining in a beautiful way, as if they were magical. ¡°I would like to say that, but they are perfect! You really worked hard, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Just give me my money.¡± ¡°Oh, of course! Here, take it. You earned every penny.¡± Annie said, and gave me a small moneybag. I opened it, and started counting. ¡°Three golden coins, and four silver ones¡­¡± ¡°You think that I would deceive you?!¡± ¡°You can never be sure.¡± I responded to her words, and she smiled. ¡°Yeah, you are probably right. So, do you want to take another quest? Or do you want to take a break?¡± The reason she was asking, was because of the amount of quests I was doing. I spent almost every day, on killing monsters, finding rare materials, or helping people in need. Normal adventurers would just take a break, but I wasn¡¯t normal. ¡°You know that I don¡¯t rest. Give me something.¡± I said, and she took some papers from the counter. ¡°Well, even if you do so many quests, new ones just keep coming. We have some gathering quests, but for a silver rank like you, I would rather recommend a hunting one.¡± she said, and showed me one of the papers ¡°You see this? A troll hunt¡­¡± she then added, but after that stopped, and looked at me with a worried look on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It was years ago, and I already forgot about this.¡± ¡°B-But, they all died, because of a troll¡­¡± ¡°I told you that it doesn¡¯t matter. I can kill a troll, or two. It¡¯s not like I will end up like th-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t end this sentence!¡± she interrupted me, and looked at me with a fake smile ¡°You really changed David, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°People do change. How is my status?¡± I just asked, and she looked at me with sadness. Why does she care so much? ¡°You are still a silver rank. You will need to take more high level quests, to get to the golden rank, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend it. In this city, you are one of the most powerful adventurers anyway. To have a level twenty in your age¡­ Just don¡¯t rush anything.¡± Adventurers guild - a place where you have a rank, that shows how powerful you are. From bronze, silver, and platinum, to gold, and finally diamond. I am a silver, and because of that I wear a silver badge on my chest. The more powerful you are, the harder are the quests that you get. ¡°I¡¯ll take the troll quest. Should I bring you an eye, or something for a proof?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Your word is enough.¡± Annie replied, and handed me the paper, with the localisation of the quest, and the prize for doing it. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get going now. The day is still young, but I want to do it today. The more work I do in one day, the better.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your choice. Are you sure you want to go alone?¡± the girl then asked, while looking at me with concern. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it¡­ It¡¯s not like anything will happen.¡± I just replied, and smiled. As I turned away, to leave the building, I noticed a girl standing near the door. I knew almost every adventurer in this city, but she didn¡¯t look familiar to me. Her black hair, and beautiful face. Her body, and the look on her face, I didn¡¯t know them. She looked strong. ¡°Who is this?¡± I asked Annie, and she looked at the girl. ¡°Her? She just came here from the capital city. I don¡¯t know her name, but people are saying that she is really powerful.¡± she then said, and looked at me ¡°Maybe you should team up with her?¡± As Annie was saying this, I looked at the girl, that was now staring at me. She was about my height, with a cute face, and weird gaze. She had big, blue eyes, and she was wearing a high quality light armor, made probably from a powerful monster. When I was looking at her, I noticed something very interesting. A golden badge, that she was holding in her hand. ¡°Yeah, I probably should team up with her.¡± I responded, and smiled to myself. 3. An adventurer - Character card I slowly approached the girl, that was now standing near the door. She was staring at me for the whole time, but I didn¡¯t mind it. When I was near her, I looked at her for a moment. She had long, black hair, and a beautiful face. Her clothes looked even more expensive from the close range, because I could clearly see the good material from which they were made. ¡°You are not from here, are you?¡± I asked, and smiled towards her, but her expression didn¡¯t change. As if she didn¡¯t care about my words, she just looked at me, while still holding her golden badge tightly. ¡°You don¡¯t want to speak with me?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± she finally answered with a cold voice. ¡°I was just curious about you. We don¡¯t see people from outside the city often in this place.¡± I replied, and looked at her hand, in which she was holding her badge ¡°And you aren¡¯t a normal visitor, are you?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± the girl asked once again. ¡°There is no reason to be so cautious. I was just curious, that¡¯s all.¡± As I said those word, I noticed that she felt uneasy. She was looking around, while trying not to attract too much attention. The people inside the guild already knew that she was there, and many of them would look at her. They did it not only because she was powerful, but also because she was beautiful. And yet, this person was scared for some reason. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked, and she looked at me with a weird look in her eyes. It was a mixture of anger, and irritation. ¡°Why would you ask?¡± ¡°I told you already, that there is no reason to be so cautious.¡± I replied to her words, and smiled. After that I showed her my silver badge ¡°You see it? I¡¯m an adventurer, just like you. One of the more powerful ones in the city, and now you arrive here. Of course I would be curious.¡± The girl just looked at it, and after that at me. Her gaze was strong, and she was staring at me for quite some time. Finally, after a moment, she took a small step towards me. ¡°My name is Calene, and I¡¯m an adventurer from the capital city. It¡¯s rare to see someone as young as you, with a silver badge.¡± the girl said, and smiled a little ¡°Well, I shouldn¡¯t be the one to say things like this, should I?¡± ¡°Well, certainly you don¡¯t seem to be older than me, and yet you have golden badge. You must have worked hard for it.¡± I said, and she looked at the floor. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Calene then replied shortly, without looking at my face. Something about her was off. The way she talked, and moved. Even if she was looking at me, her eyes would seem distant, as if she was thinking about other things. ¡°Why are you in this city? I can imagine, that living in the capital is better for someone like you. Quests for adventurers aren¡¯t really good in this place, and they don¡¯t pay well. Are on a mission, or just traveling?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­¡± she stopped herself for a moment, as if she was thinking if she could answer my question ¡°I¡¯m just traveling.¡± she then said, while avoiding my eyes. She was lying, and it was easy to see. A golden badge is something very powerful. Not many people can wear it, and it¡¯s rarity even among the older adventurers. If you have something like this, it must mean that you are a part of one of the seven houses. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a bother, but could we sit in here, and talk for a moment? I always wanted to talk with someone that is as strong as you, and now I finally have a chance.¡± My words made her feel uneasy, and she once again looked at the floor. She then played with her hands, as if she didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°So? Can we talk? It really is a great pleasure for me, to meet someone like you.¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± she responded to my words, with a weak voice. After that she went to the table at the corner of the guild, and I asked Annie for two bowls of the soup she had on the stove. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to kill a troll?¡± she just joked a little, but after that gave me the food, and I went with it to the Calene. As I handed her her portion, I noticed that some of the people were still staring at us. I could understand them. The golden badge must have made a big impression on them. I was one of them most powerful adventurers in here, but now that she was in here, I could as well be the weakest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the them. I know that it might be uncomfortable, but it¡¯s rare to see someone of your abilities in this city. Not that I¡¯m any better¡­¡± I said, and smiled at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Calene responded, and grabbed a wooden spoon, that was placed near the bowl. She then took a sip of her soup, and a warm expression appeared on her face. The food must have been good, so I did the same. The soup was ineed delicious; made from vegetables, and some kind of meat. It was very filling, and with the bread, it tasted great. I took a few bites from my portion, and after that I looked at the girl, that was sitting beside me. ¡°You know¡­ I was always curious about the strength of people like you. I met many bronze, and silver adventurers, so I know how powerful they are, but I never met a golden one.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing really. ¡° ¡°Nothing?¡± I asked, and laughed a little ¡°Is this a joke, or something? I¡¯m sure that you are just being modest, but you must be really strong. For someone in your age to have clothes like this.¡± I said, and looked at her. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Her light armor was perfect. Made probably from a minotaur skin, it was thick, but also light, and very durable. I didn¡¯t see it before, but now I noticed a small dagger hanging from her waist. It was made from silver, with a handmade handle full of ornaments. Comparing her clothes to mine, would be like comparing a queen to a peasant. ¡°Would you mind taking a look at my character card? I want to have an opinion of someone like you. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m leveling up right skills.¡± As I said those words, the girl took a glance at me from her bowl, and after that nodded slightly. When she did, I joined my hands together, and a small amount of mana started leaking from my fingertips. A few seconds passed, and the blue string of energy danced before me, creating a window.
Name: David Wright HP 1980/1980 MP 970/970
Strength 220 LVL 20
Intelligence 180 Race Human
Dexterity 420 Class Adventurer
Luck 98 Age 19
Charisma 150 Gender Male
Skills
Advanced Swordsman : You are good with a sword. It''s easy for you to block enemy attacks with it, and you don''t get too tired while fighting. You can use your sword with only one hand, without the penalty to damage BONUS : You have a slight chance to deal 150% damage while attacking enemies without heavy armor.
Beginner in Magic : You have a slight understanding of magic, that allows you to cast simple spells. Your pool of mana is small, and most of the spells you can use take longer to cast
Advanced Bows Mastery : You can use heavy bows without the penalty to speed. Your accuracy is high, and you don''t get the penalties for the terrain, and distance if your enemy isn''t further than half a kilometer from you BONUS : You can shot two arrows at once, dealing 2X damage, but having 50% accuracy
Calene was reading the table that I created, while thinking. She seemed to be very focused, as she looked at the skills, and the stats that were written before her. When she was done with reading, she leaned on her chair, and looked at the ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t really know¡­¡± she said after a moment, and then looked at me ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to me, as if you are doing anything wrong. You have still a lot of room to grow, and your skills are pretty normal. It¡¯s not like I can give you any advice.¡± she then added, and sighed. ¡°You think so?¡± I asked, and took another sip of the soup ¡°Well, someone like you probably doesn¡¯t understand someone weak like me.¡± When I said this, she looked at me with angry expression. It seemed that I touched a sensitive topic. ¡°Well, you can think whatever you want.¡± the girl then replied to my words, and went for a bowl with bread, that was on the middle of the table. She wanted to take a slice, but she couldn¡¯t because the bowl was empty. ¡°It seems that I took the last slice of bread.¡± I said as I looked at her, and then laughed a little. Her displeased face made me realise, that I shouldn¡¯t joke about things like this. ¡°Annie! Can we have some more bread?¡± I asked the girl standing behind the counter, and she nodded at me. It took her maybe a minute, but after that she approached us with a few slices of fresh, rye bread. It tasted sour, and was a little hard, but that made eating it even more enjoyable. I took the bowl from her hands, and brought it closer to the Calene, which made a little smile appear on her face. She took one of the biggest slices from the bowl, and after that she dipped it into the soup. When it soaked, she bit it, and I smiled at her. ¡°Are you sure that you should be going on a date in here right now?¡± Annie said, as she looked at both of us ¡°You were going to fight alone with a troll today, didn¡¯t you?¡± she then added, while walking towards the counter. After she said that, Calene looked at me with a worried expression. Some of the soup she was eating, was now dripping from the corners of her mouth. When she noticed it, she quickly wiped it with her sleeve. ¡°You were going to fight a troll? With skills like this?¡± she then asked. ¡°Yeah. They might be powerful, but for a silver adventurer like me, if I¡¯m careful enough, I can kill them without any pro-¡± ¡°Are you stupid?¡± she interrupted me, and took another slice of bread from the bowl ¡°You can¡¯t just risk your life like that. You should always travel in groups, because you never know what will happen.¡± Calene then added, and dipped the bread into the soup. She was a good person. Even if I seemed like someone that was just bothering her, she still gave me a good advice. People like that just can¡¯t help themselves, when they see someone in need. ¡°You know what¡­¡± I said quietly, and she looked at me ¡°You are probably right, I shouldn¡¯t fight a troll alone, but I also want to see you in action.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Can we go together?¡± As I asked this question, she gazed at me from her bowl. I couldn¡¯t read her expression, because she didn¡¯t even flinch after my question. She just took another sip of the soup, and after that she looked at me. ¡°If you want to travel together, you need someone you can trust. Someone you can trust with your life, do you understand?¡± ¡°You mean that you don¡¯t trust me?¡± I asked, and she got up from the table. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t trust you, but this doesn¡¯t matter. A fight with troll means nothing to me, and he poses me no threat.¡± Calene then said, and I stood up too. ¡°So what do you mean?¡± ¡°Why would you want to travel with me? Are you sure that you can trust me? Are you sure that you can put your life on the line, while traveling with someone you barely know?¡± she said, and started slowly walking away. She must have been used to it. Used to people wanting to team up with her. Yeah, for her I was just another weak adventurer, that wanted to travel with someone more powerful. But that wasn¡¯t the case. The truth was slightly different. ¡°Of course I can.¡± I responded to her words with a smile, and she looked at me surprised. 4. An adventurer - A level up I was standing near the Blouver. As I looked at it, I saw its big, white walls, and a gate leading to the inside of the city. The weather was nice; it was sunny, and there were no clouds in the sky. From time to time, a small breeze would hit me, making me feel good. When I turned around, I saw big meadows that stretched for miles. Weak monsters were walking there, eating grass, and not minding me at all. In the distance, I saw a forest. Its trees were massive, and they danced, while being moved by the wind. This was my destination, and the place where I would find a troll that I needed to kill. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± I heard a voice of a girl, and when I turned into its direction, I saw Calene walking towards me from the gate leading to the Blouver. She took my offer, and she decided to help me. It wasn¡¯t easy to persuade her, but for her, to leave an adventurer like me to kill a troll¡­ It was impossible. ¡°Took you some time.¡± I replied, and threw one of the bottles of water that I had in my hands at her ¡°Here, it¡¯s too hot, to travel without anything to drink.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you. You really know how to prepare yourself for traveling.¡± the girl replied, after catching the bottle I threw at her. After that she opened it, and started drinking. She must have been really thirsty, because she drank half of the water inside without a break. I looked at the drops of water, that were escaping corners of her mouth, and smiled to myself. ¡°You said that you needed to prepare, but you didn¡¯t have time to drink anything?¡± I asked, and she looked at me. ¡°Maybe.¡± her reply was enigmatic, and she wasn¡¯t looking into my eyes. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not my business. But, if by any chance you are hungry, I have some sandwiches with me.¡± I said, and lifted a bag, that I had hung on the shoulder ¡°I can share. Fighting on an empty stomach is as stupid, as fighting without a weapon.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you. That would be great.¡± Calene just said, and we started walking towards the forest. I knew that she was a nice girl. Her behaviour, and the way she talked¡­ She must had something she wanted to hide, or rather she had someone she wanted to hide from. But even if she did, she still agreed to help me. Adventurers are rather selfish beings, and most of them like only money, and power. If they form a party, it¡¯s only to become stronger than others. But this girl was different. She decided to help me. ¡°I wanted to ask for quite some time, but why are you wearing clothes like that?¡± Calene said, after we walked for some time ¡°They don¡¯t look like that of an adventurer, and you even have a chipped sword.¡± she then added, looking at my weapon. ¡°Well, as for my clothes, I don¡¯t really have money for high quality things like you, and I don¡¯t like wearing heavy armor. And this sword¡­¡± I said, and grabbed it with my right hand ¡°You¡¯ll see in the forest, what he can do.¡± ¡°You really think, you will be able to land a hit on a troll, with a golden rank adventurer with you?¡± the girl replied to my words, and started laughing. ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t laugh in your place. I might be a silver rank, but I can be deadly.¡± I smiled, and took a sandwich from my bag ¡°Here, eat this. I put a lot of cheese, and ham into it, so it should give you a lot of energy.¡± ¡°Well, I will take you on your offer.¡± the girl said, and grabbed a sandwich from my hand. After that, she took a big bite, and made a pleased face. Crumbs of the bread, fell on her cheeks, as she chewed the food I prepared. It must have been really good, that¡¯s why I took my own portion and started eating. Indeed, the cheese tasted delicious, and combined with ham it it made a good combination. I also spread some mayo, on the bottom slice of the bread, so the sandwich wouldn¡¯t be too dry. ¡°You always go on adventures with food like this?¡± Calene asked, when she finished her sandwich. She was a fast eater, but I didn¡¯t mind it. ¡°Well, I always try to take some good food with me, but today I have a special guest, so I prepared something special.¡± I replied, and smiled. After that she took another sip of her water, and I took the bottle from her, and put it in my bag. As we walked towards the forest, we talked about many things. About our adventures, people we met, and the things we enjoy. I might have seemed like a person, that just wanted to go on a quest with someone more powerful than me, but she still shared some stories with me. Of course, she was still being somewhat mysterious, and she didn¡¯t want to talk about many things, but it didn¡¯t irritate me. We just met, and she decided to help me anyway. People like that were on the verge of extinction. As I thought about those things, we were approaching the forest. The city was now a kilometer away from us, and the road was becoming more uneven. ¡°It¡¯s nice¡­ Finally getting to the shadow.¡± Calene said, when we entered the forest. Indeed, the high trees were growing on both sides of the road, and their shadows were completely covering it. That¡¯s why the temperature in here was lower, and the air was fresher. ¡°You think that the troll is near the entrance to the forest, or is he hiding somewhere deeper?¡± I asked, and the girl looked at me. ¡°Well, the day is still young, so he is probably looking for someone to kill¡­ But there is also a possibility, that he might be sleeping in some cave, because he already has ¡°food¡±. You know what I mean?¡± Calene asked, and I just nodded. Trolls were known for their high intelligence. Of course, they weren¡¯t even near this of a human, but they still knew how to prepare food. That¡¯s why it was easy to find dried human meat in their caves, and pieces of fish hanged near the fire. That¡¯s what made them even scarier. Being killed by a wild dog can be horrifying, but the thought of being torn apart by a large beast, only to be smoked over the fireplace¡­ It was worse. ¡°Well, I think that for now we should just look for him.¡± I said, and we left the road, and started walking among the trees. Trolls would leave big footprints on the ground, but after a lot of them were killed because of that, they learned to cover them. The would just use dirt, or leaves, but it still made it hard to find them, if you didn¡¯t have a dog with you. Of course, dogs were scared of trolls, and it made it difficult to take them on missions. Most of them would just run after finding on footprint, and you couldn¡¯t really rely on them in combat. If you wanted to have a dog that would help you while fighting, you needed a special breed of it, that would cost you a small fortune. For that reason many of the people would take beastman with them. Their senses were stronger, and they had good physique, which made them good at finding monsters that wanted to stay hidden. ¡°You think that this troll is alone? I know that the quest is talking about one troll, but we can never be sure.¡± I said, and the girl looked at me. ¡°Well, there is no reason to be afraid. If you went to do this quest by yourself, then maybe you could be scared of things like this, but now I¡¯m here. I can take two trolls by myself without any problems.¡± Calene then replied, and smiled. It took us some time to find anything. We could make some noise, to lure the troll to us, but there was a possibility that he would just get scared. Many of those beasts have their own personalities. Some of them are timid, and easily scared, and some of them love fighting, and killing. For that reason there is no special way to find, and kill a troll. Because it¡¯s like killing a human¡­ ¡°I think I found something.¡± the girl that was walking before me said, and pointed at the ground. When I looked at it, I noticed a footprint. It was big. Two times as big, as that of a human, and with long fingers. ¡°It¡¯s a big one. Probably two and a half meter high, and he weighs a lot. Look at how deep his footprint is.¡± Calene said, while crouching ¡°It¡¯s also fresh, and wet. He must have gone to a stream to wash himself, and drink. Now he probably went to his home.¡± ¡°You know a lot about things like this.¡± I said, and she turned to look at me. ¡°Of course. The better adventurer you become, the more you know about tracking, and deception. You can¡¯t kill everything just by using your sword; sometimes you need to use your brain.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± I just replied shortly, and we continued our walk. The deeper we went into the forest, the more trees were growing there. A few minutes passed, and we could barely walk there, because of bushes, and other obstacles on our way. But we walked anyway. This footprint was our only clue, and there was no reason to turn away now. Finally, after maybe ten minutes of march, we found a small cave. There were no trees near it, and before the entrance to it was a big campfire. Near it, there was a pile of bones, mostly human. ¡°I think this is the place.¡± I said, and the girl nodded. We were standing behind the trees, trying not to attract the attention of the monster, that was probably inside the cave. Of course, it¡¯s not like we needed to be that careful, but when you play with your life, you always need to be on guard. ¡°Want to go inside?¡± I asked, and the girl looked at me. ¡°It¡¯s better to fight outside the cave. Anyway, you should stay stand behind me, and I will try to lure him here. Don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± After I said those words, she slowly approached the cave. When she was before the entrance, she grabbed one of the bones, and threw it inside the cave. A moment passed, and nothing happened, but after that we heard a loud roar. ¡°He¡¯s coming! Prepare your weapon!¡± the girl shouted, and I ran towards her. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The troll that came out of the cave was massive. He was three meters tall, and really fat. On his green skin, he had many scabs, that were yellow. When he saw us he roared once again, and started waving a big club that he had in his hands. ¡°What an ugly piece of shit!¡± Calene shouted, and started laughing. Indeed, he was ugly. His face was like that of a goblin, but bigger, and his limbs were unnaturally long. The thing that made him even uglier, was that he was wearing only a simple piece of cloth, that covered his private parts. ¡°You¡¯re not scared?!¡± I asked the girl, and she smiled. ¡°There is nothing to be scared of!¡± she then replied, and charged at the troll. He tried to attack her with the club, but she evaded his attack with a swift move, and ran towards his legs. There, she took her silver dagger, and cut him, making him fall on one of his knees. ¡°You see? He is just a big piece of meat!¡± she then said, and stabbed him in the back. She was really a golden adventurer. Her moves were fast, and she was confident in herself. A troll can cause terror in ones heart, because of the way he treats his enemies. They can be cruel, and there are even stories saying that they like to torture people, before killing them. And yet this girl looked like she had no fear in her, and this monster was now powerless before her attacks. ¡°You really want me to not do anything, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, he still breathing.¡± she replied to my words, and I grabbed my sword. Then I approached him, and he looked at me with anger. When I was near him, he tried to attack me with his hand, but I cut it with my dull sword. It wasn¡¯t a clean cut, and for that reason it hurt much more. Cuts like that weren¡¯t going to heal properly, and they were hard to treat. ¡°Oh, you know how to use it!¡± Calene said, and jumped on the monster. After that, she pierced his head with the blade. It killed him instantly. His hands fell on the ground, as he looked at me with surprised eyes. I¡¯m sure that he was used to humans being weak, and easy to kill. But this wasn¡¯t the case now. ¡°You really are something.¡± I said, as I looked at the troll that was now laying on the ground motionless. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like he stood a chance. Anyway we have done our quest, we should-¡± she tried to say something, but she stumbled on her feet. After that she grabbed her head, and sat on the ground. ¡°Something happened? You don¡¯t feel well?¡± I asked, and she smiled at me. ¡°A-Ah¡­ It¡¯s nothing. I just didn¡¯t fight for some time¡­ I¡¯m sure that I just need some rest.¡± she replied, with a weak voice. ¡°Here, you should drink some water.¡± I said, as I gave her the bottle from my bag ¡±Just wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll take a look at the troll, and after that we will go to the city.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± After she said that, I approached the body of the troll. He truly was big, and disgusting. I could see some blood under his fingernails, probably because he used them to attack the animals in the forest. Trolls like human flesh, but they eat mostly fish, and cattle. Well, of course it depends on the beast we are talking about. Some of them just like the screams of a human, and they go out of their way to find one. I looked at the troll, and noticed a necklace that he was wearing. It was made from teeth, probably human. Well, it¡¯s not like I could sell things like this, so I just took the teeth, to show them to the Annie. I¡¯m sure that something like this would serve as a proof that we killed him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m back. Do you need any hel-¡± I tried to offer my help, as I returned to Calene, but I was interrupted by her. ¡°D-Don¡¯t come¡­ near me!¡± she shouted, and looked at me with furry in her eyes, as she still sat on the ground. ¡°What happened? You don¡¯t look well. You probably have a high fever. We should return to the city, and ge-¡± ¡°You¡­ Y-You poisoned me!¡± she said, and squeezed her hand on the ground. Her veins were visible, and fever was getting higher with each second. She was trembling, probably from the cold. I looked at her¡­ And then I smiled. ¡°Yes.¡± I said, and she threw the bottle at me. ¡°Y-You sick bastard! W-What do you¡­ What do you think you are¡­ Doing!¡± she was saying, while trying to catch a breath. ¡°You¡¯ll see. Don¡¯t move too much, or it will get more painful.¡± ¡°I¡­ I am immune¡­ I am immune to poison¡­ How¡­ How did you find something so powerful...¡± she tried to speak to me, while breathing heavily. She was sweating, and her eyes started getting red. ¡°I made it.¡± I replied, and she looked at me surprised. ¡°I-It¡¯s impossible. You don¡¯t h-have a skill¡­ I saw your skills¡­¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be stupid. I¡¯m sure you know the answer.¡± I said, and she looked at me with terror. ¡°Y-You altered¡­ You altered the character card?¡± she asked, and coughed with blood. ¡°Yeah. Many of the more powerful mages are capable of doing things like this. Well, I needed to make sure that people wouldn¡¯t catch up, about how I level up.¡± I said, and looked at her ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you started jumping so eagerly, when we went to fight with the troll. I was scared, that the poison might start working too late, but a little bit of exercise¡­ And your heart takes care of the rest, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Y-You sick fuck¡­ I will¡­¡± ¡°I told you not to move. You know how much poison I put in your food?¡± ¡°You fucking¡­ You sick bastard¡­ I will kill you¡­ ¡° she was saying, as she crawled on the ground ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ I won¡¯t let you¡­¡± ¡°Now, now¡­ I can¡¯t let you go away.¡± I started walking towards her, and then I grabbed my sword. She was still crawling, when I stood above her. After that I pierced her back with my blade. She screamed from pain, and squeezed her hand on the grass. I just took out the sword, and slashed her in the hand. ¡°Stop! H-Help! Somebody! Please!¡± she was crying for help, while screaming in agony. ¡°The higher the level, the more HP you have. I don¡¯t enjoy things like this, but it must be done.¡± Once again I pierced her with my sword, but this time I slashed her neck. I did it a few times, because my sword was rather dull. Each time I hit her, she let out a quiet cry, but after a moment she stopped. She stopped, when her head rolled on the ground.
YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!
YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!
YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!
Three levels? She must have been rather powerful, for her to give me three levels. I looked at her motionless body, and started undressing her. I took her armor, and the dagger she had with her. ¡°Pocket dimension.¡± after saying those words, a small teleport appeared before me. I threw the dagger in it, and started looking at her clothes. I didn¡¯t find anything useful, except a letter with a rather peculiar seal on it. It was a seal of Nightshine, one of the great, seven houses. They are known for their assassins, and spies. If she had a letter with her, then she must have been on a mission¡­ Or maybe¡­ I looked around, and after that I threw all of her clothes into the pocket dimension, leaving only the letter in my hand. ¡°Summon: Dark beast.¡± I said, and from the shadows of one of the trees, a tall, and skinny monster appeared. He was as tall as the troll, but was made entirely from darkness. ¡°What do you want, master?¡± he said, with a chilling voice. ¡°Find out if anyone is tailing me. If they are, bring them to me. If you can¡¯t bring them to me, then just kill them.¡± I said, and the shadow before me nodded. After that it disappeared into the ground. I needed to take care of the body. I didn¡¯t want anyone to find her, and leaving traces of a murder, can¡¯t be a good habit. ¡°Burn.¡± I said, and pointed my finger at the corpse. A moment later, a blue fire started dancing on the body of the girl. It didn¡¯t take long, and the only thing that was left of her was her ashes. My quest was done. Reborn into this world many years ago, I was just a normal person, that wanted to live through a big adventure, but I was stupid. Those thoughts of mine were stupid, and now I can see it so clearly. I summoned my character card, and looked at my skills. Absorb... This is my curse, and also my blessing. I devour the experience of the adventurers near me. I eat their souls, because I¡¯m no longer a human. I am something else...
Name: David Wright HP 20970/20970 MP 18900/19000
Strength 2429 LVL 42
Intelligence 2460 Race Unknown
Dexterity 4019 Class Unknown
Luck 998 Age Unknown
Charisma 1980 Gender Male
Skills
Sword master : Your ability to use swords is massive. You can call yourself a master, because of your skills. There aren''t many living people that can defeat you, while fighting with a sword. Your moves are fast, and you can pierce even an enemy with a full plate armor. Bonus Your every strike has a chance to deal 2X damage.
Fire magic : You are a great magician, that can cast one of the most powerful spells in the known world. With this skill, you can cast spells from the fourth level of fire magic, and every weaker spell will be more powerful. Bonus After using the fire magic for so long, your body has gained some kind of resistance against fire. You take only 50% of damage dealt by fire
Golden lips : Have you ever met someone, that can just talk his away out of every situation? You are such a person. You have a lot of charisma, and people trust you more easily. Bonus while shopping, you have a 15% discount.
Quiet steps : You are a perfect thief. Your every move is quiet, even if you wear heavy armor. Sneaking on enemy is easier, and it''s harder for them to see you, if you are crouching. Bonus if you attack an enemy from behind while sneaking on them, you will deal 4X damage.
Light armor : You have worn armors like this for quite some time. You know how to use them, and how to move in an armor like this. For that reason, it doesn''t restrict your movement, and gives you even more armor. Bonus Every light armor you wear, gives you 33% more armor
Bow master : You can use heavy bows without the penalty to speed. You have used bows for quite some time. Even if you are far away from your enemy, you don''t find it hard to shot him in the face. Your shots are powerful, and hands are steady. Bonus You can shot two arrows at once, dealing 2X damage
Magic : Your ability to cast spells is massive, and you have a great knowledge about basic spells. You can cast weak spells, from the fourth level of magic, from each one of eight shools of it. Bonus EVERY spell you ever cast, is 20% more effective
Necromancy : You are proficient in the dark art of necromancy. You can create powerful undead beings, and summon demons from other dimension. Bonus Every thing you will summon with this skill, will become 150% more powerful
Alchemy : You can create strong potions, and poisons from the things you find in the world. Bonus Every potion/poison you ever make, will be 120% as effective
Absorb : Welcome David. I hope you will find it useful in this cruel world. I also hope, that you will find happiness within this skill. You should find out for yourself what it does. Good luck, and happy hunting. I love you...
5. An adventurer - A start of the adventure I walked inside the adventurers guild, with the necklace of the troll in my bag. Day was slowly ending, and the room was lit mostly by the fireplace that was to my right. Annie looked at me with a smile when I entered the building, and I greeted her. ¡°Came back already? And where is the girl?¡± she asked, while wiping a mug that she had in her hands. ¡°She told me, that she doesn¡¯t want to see your ugly fa-¡± ¡°Hey! If you don¡¯t want to tell me, then just stay silent.¡± the girl frowned, while waving a wet cloth before my face. ¡°Stop that. You¡¯ll get water on me.¡± I replied, and she just smiled. ¡°So, how did it go? Did you do it? I was a little worried, to tell you the truth.¡± ¡°Yeah, we had no problems with taking care of him.¡± I said, and took a necklace from my bag ¡°I didn¡¯t take an eye, because you told me not to do this, but I took his necklace. Is this proof enough, that we ki-¡± ¡°You idiot! I didn¡¯t want an eye, because it¡¯s dirty! Take it¡­ Oh, the smell.¡± Annie was covering her nose with her left hand, and I smiled a little. After that I put the necklace in my bag, and looked at her. ¡°You seem to be in a great humour. Something good happened?¡± the girl asked, and looked at me with perverted eyes. I knew what she meant, but the thing that happened in the forest wasn¡¯t as romantic as she imagined. I killed a person. Once again, I took someone¡¯s life for my own benefit. This person that I have become; sometimes he disgusts me. The things he can do for himself are pathetic, and selfish. But he is alive, and well. This is the only thing that matters. ¡°You can put it that way.¡± I replied, and smiled once again. When I did, the girl covered her mouth, and looked at me with surprised eyes. She was blushing, and probably imagining some weird things. ¡°But¡­ Why are you alone right now. Don¡¯t tell me that you went for a kiss, without permiss-¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t come here for long. Probably was on a mission, and needed to leave soon. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t come with me.¡± I interrupted her, and Annie looked at me with stupid eyes ¡°You don¡¯t understand? Why would a golden adventurer come to a place like this.¡± I added, and I saw a spark in her eyes. ¡°Ah¡­ You are right¡­ Wait! She was a golden adventurer?!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know it? Didn¡¯t you see the badge, that she was holding in her hands?¡± ¡°Why would I look at her hands!?¡± She looked angry, but this was just an act. After that she smiled, and brought me a big sack full of gold. Once again I opened it, and started counting. This time she didn¡¯t make any snarky comments, and just waited for me to finish. ¡°So, is this enough?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°More than enough. Are you sure, that you should be giving me bonuses? Others might get jealous.¡± I said, and she leaned towards me. ¡°You just need to keep quiet, okay David?¡± ¡°Well, I can do that, but I don¡¯t think I will get any more money from you.¡± I said, and she looked me with interest ¡°I¡¯m going to leave the Blouver. I think about going to the capital city, to find some better jobs.¡± ¡°Oh, I will miss you¡­¡± she said, but after that she once again looked at me with perverted eyes ¡°You said, that the girl already left? And now you are going to the capital city?¡± Annie then added, and smiled brightly. ¡°I know what you are thinking, but this isn¡¯t the case. I really just need t-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything more. Your every excuse makes it even more suspicious.¡± ¡°Well, take it how you want. I will probably leave tomorrow morning, so this is our last meeting.¡± I said, and Annie looked at me with sadness. ¡°How long was it? Few years? I remember when you were crying here, after your first adventure¡­¡± she said, and after that smiled ¡°And look at yourself now. People in here are looking up to you, and they want to become like you. Are you sure that you are going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. The road might be difficult, but I need to take more challenges.¡± I said, and looked at the girl¡¯s face ¡°I need to meet powerful adventurers.¡± ¡°You really did change. Well, if I knew that you were going, I would throw you a party. Now I can just wish you everything best. Can¡¯t do more, can I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t.¡± I replied, and she smiled, but her smile was a sad one ¡°I would want to chat with you some more, but I need to get going. I need to prepare, and there is much I need to do.¡± ¡°Well, I can understand that. It was a pleasure to meet you David.¡± ¡°Farewell Annie. I hope that we will be able to meet again.¡± I replied to her warm words, and started slowly walking away. Some of the adventurers that overheard our conversation, were now looking at me. There was a mixture of sadness, and excitement in their eyes. If I were to go away, they would get more quests, and they wouldn¡¯t be compared to me by the people living in the city. Yeah, but on the other hand I was someone they adored. I still remember being laughed at, when I first returned from a quest, covered in big toad¡¯s slime. They liked me, and they gave me tips on becoming someone powerful. In this place I met my first companions that were always smiling so brightly. As if they weren¡¯t afraid of dying. Where did it go so wrong? I thought, as I opened the door. The sun was slowly setting, and the temperature was getting lower. I looked at the city, that I was now going to leave. The buildings, and the people. When I first entered its walls I was excited. I thought that I will become a hero, but I¡¯m not a hero. I walked, while looking at the view. The sunlight was reflecting off the windows, covering the road in its yellow warmth. Everyone was walking slowly, probably because they were returning back from their work, finally coming to their houses. When did it all go so wrong? When did I become a beast? I thought, and looked at the letter that I took from the Calane¡¯s corpse. Why is the thought of devouring experience so exciting to me?
Dear child, I write to you because of something of great importance. Our house is in a great danger, and there is little we can do about it. The demon king is gathering his armies, and we don¡¯t know for what reason. We don¡¯t know if he wishes to attack us or if he is preparing for something else. Those thoughts don¡¯t let me sleep at night. I only pray for your safety, but I can¡¯t do more. I¡¯m sorry for everything I have done to you, while we were still living together. Now that I look back at it, I realise that I was a fool. You are my only child, and I don¡¯t know what would happen to me, if something were to happen to you. I understand now, that the life in the castle doesn¡¯t suit you. I fully understand, why you ran away. I¡¯m not asking you to go back, I¡¯m just asking you to take care of yourself. I hope, that we will be able to meet once again. Your loving father, Adam Nightshine