《Taken : New Beginnings》 Prologue - The Viewing V2 A cloaked, humanoid figure walks into a grand hall. The room is circular in design, with a vaulted ceiling. A table-height pillar lies in the centre of the room. The figure''s clothing is embroidered - gaudy, even. He walks with a slow, even gait to the pillar. Upon reaching the pillar, he speaks out in a strange tounge, one any human would find indeciferable; "Activate viewing protocols... We have a visitor." The pillar top lit up, with an accompanying low hum. Slowly, the light begins to coalesce in the high-ceilinged room into a large, holographic representation of a planet. At this point, another figure walks into the room. While this man is still cloaked, his clothing is a lot more reserved. While both seem to have been made from fine cloths, this figure lacks any of the gaudiness of the first. This man also approaches the lit pillar.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "I see you have arrived, Moderator" The gaudily dressed man comments upon his arrival. "I have indeed, Administrator," The man replies, dipping his head slightly in greeting. "Hopefully this time we have some planets that fit your needs. Some of these have taken much investment and care to develop." "I hope so too, Administrator." They proceed to examine multiple planets, discussing the good and bad points of all. They spend many hours overall examining these planets, until few are left. "I am afraid this is the last one for now, Moderator" "Let''s take a look at it anyway - I might have some luck." "Fine" The hologram reforms once again, this time into the shape of modern Earth. At this sight, the Moderator perks up a bit, and this time the discussion lasts much longer, until he makes a decision. "I''ll take the planet. While not perfect by any means. It will do for my purposes, as, after all, I only need the people, and not the planet" "Of course" At this point, the pillar gives off a bright flash of light, as if to seal the deal, before both figures bow, turn around, and exit through the respective doors they arrived through. Once the room is empty, the pillar once again dims down to appear like a common piece of stone, leaving the room in near darkness. As the administrator walks away, he mutters under his breath; "Oh humans, you have no idea what you are in for..." Chapter 1 - The Beginning I let out a sigh in dissapointment as I consider the dull and dreary day I have to come. ''Why I thought working as a common grunt at a supermarket would be better than just getting a paper round, I may never know. It was probably the work hours. I hateearly mornings with a passion - I am not a morning person, that''s for sure. At least working here I get to sleep in ''till 9 on Sundays and only work afternoons on Saturdays.'' I''ve just started my Sunday morning shift, and I am already bored out of my mind and horrified at my future. ''It''s my turn on the rota to try and clean out the toilets - or the shithole they call toilets, as I''ve begin to suspect that it''s a farm for producing rat meat. The place reeks to the point of causing involuntary gagging, and it would probably be a microbiologists field trip. That or a biochemical weapon specialists'' field trip - I haven''t quite decided which yet.'' Before I continue that train of thought, my only friend here - John - jolts me out of my reverie. "Hey man - your duty today is it?" "Hey John - And yes, yes it is...'' I let out a dissapointed sigh. ''Why don''t they just get some industrial grade hydrofluoric acid or something and spray down the walls with that - It would both make it a health and safety hazard for us, so we wouldn''t be able to go in there, kill most living things in there, and also destroy half the toilets, probably. Job done! Hell, we don''t even get proper cleaners for that shithole, just this shop''s shitty ''own brand'' one..." "I feel your pain man - I had that duty last time, remember? And let me tall ya, it ain''t gotten any better than it was last time..." "Well, I''d best be off. After all, don''t want the manager to find me procrastinating again, do we?" I reply, chuckling. ''''Course man, see you later!" I once again begin pushing my cleaning trolley towards the depths of he- *ahem* the '' toilets''. The death march soon ends as I reach the side of the supermarket, and the toilets. The first stop being the mens. Grabbing a few cleaning essentials - antibacterial spray, a cloth, and a wheeled mop bucket, of course with mop included - I enter the room. I get to work, scrubbing the already wet (with what, I don''t want to know) floor with the mop, and soon moving onto scrubbing down the taps and sinks. An occasional involuntary gag slips it''s way in, as the room stinks of shit, even if the smell of antibacterial cleaner helps a bet. But other than that, work proceedes relatively smoothly. ''Well, as smoothly as cleaning the shittiest toilets on the planet can be.''If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I finish up the sinks, and walk back to the mop bucket to replace the cloth and get the mop. Grabbing the mop, I walk towards the first of the row of cubicles, to clean the floor within. As I begin to open the door, the room suddenly lights up brightly - light streaming in through the small transluscent window which lies above one of the cubicles. Shocked, I trip forwards, landing on the mop shaft, snapping the shaft near the mop head. ''Ughhh, I''m going to have to pay for that now, aren''t I'' I sigh dissapointedly. ''Well, this day can''t get much worse, can it? Wonder what caused that flash though'' It was a curious thing. A random flash of very bright light through a outside-facing window - ''Hell, the light is still coming in'', I realise as I once more clamber to my feet, still clutching the broken mop. *Ding!*
Announcement!
Earth Humans, I am here to inform you that your planet has come under new Moderation. I am your new Moderator. Hello, nice to meet you. Now that the pleasentries are over and done with, I shall cut to business. All Earth Humans, of ages 12-18, will very soon dissapear off of your planet. Don''t panic. Well, you should, but that''s not the point. Now, all who fall into that category will be transported to an alternate reality Earth. That''s all you need to know for now. Those of you who are in that category will find out more information soon. Goodbye! -Moderator Of Earth
''The fuck... Is... This... Shit...? Am I finally going insane? Is it the fumes from these toilets and the cleaners? Eh, fuckit, I''ll just go outside of here to check that it is just me...'' A wave of pain spreads from my chest, and I welcome darkness... *Thud* Chapter 2 - Well This Is A Shitshow, Isnt It? As I regain consciousness, a dull ache throbs throughout my body. ''Literally every inch of me aches - like when you do very strenuous exercise, and muscles you didn''t know you had ache? Yeah, take all of those unknown muscles and add in a pinch of a few more just for funsies, and that about sums up how I feel right now.'' As I become conscious of this fact, I realize I am lying on my back, and a cold feeling of wetness lies against practically all my skin. Starting slightly, I quickly force myself up into a sitting position, letting out a pained groan as I do so. Opening my eyes, I flinch slightly at the dim light emitted from the ceiling lights. ''As I said, I''m not a morning person. My eyes do not adapt well to sudden changes in lighting - and that does not help getting up in a morning, let me tell ya.'' Looking around with squinted eyes, I have a sudden, disgusting revelation of what the cold ''wetness'' I was feeling before is. The floor is covered with ankle deep sewage water - even complete with floating logs, and not of the wooden variety. As I contemplate my surroundings, the second notice - or blue screen - appears in my vision. *Ding!*
Update!
Hello and welcome, one and all, to the start of your new reality! As I''m sure you''ve realized, you ''passed out'' with a flash of pain, and woke up in a semi-familiar environment! Well, I can safely tell you that all who are reading this message have successfully adapted to your new world system. Don''t worry, less that 1% die from the transition, but suddenly being exposed to energies withheld from your reality for all of your existence can cause... negative side effects... in some. Well, you are all in individual instanced dungeons based on your location before you were ''Shifted'' over to here. Good news is... hmm... well, you have a decent chance of survival from now... Or at least you should do. But it''s mostly bad news, for you lot anyway, I''m afraid. These ''instances'' will all collapse in exactly 24h from this message, at which point you will be destroyed utterly by primordial energies if you have not yet left. So, you must fight your way through the dungeon, and complete it within this time frame, to live. Good luck! -Earth''s Moderator Note - all stats changes are unavailable for the next 24 hours. They are locked at the basic stats you had in this world before the dimensional shift. Call out ''Dungeon Timer'' mentally for the remaining time. Time Remaining : 23h 59m 59sec
''...'' ''REALLY. REALLY NOW. Huh, so reality really has gone to ''shit'' - I was thinking it was just my reality that had. So, it looks like we are in some sort of game-system-based reality now.'' ''Status!''
This Feature Is Unavailable While In This Dimension
''Inventory!''
Inventory
(0/100 Items Stored)
''Okay then. Some features still work. In a dungeon, especially, having something like an inventory feature will be very useful.'' I look up once again, and remember that I''m sitting in a sea of shit. Hurriedly standing up once again, a slew of ''Ding'' s and notice screens appear in my vision
Welcome To The Flooded Toilet Dungeon!
These toilets were once clean and proud, dutifully maintained by a group of unwilling employees. Now, they lie in ruins - sewer pipes burst open and toilets flooded. Now infested with monsters, these toilets are a shadow of their former self. Environment type - Sewer Mob type - Sewer Recommended Level - 3
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Achievement!
You have discovered a Dungeon nobody has ever set foot in before! Title ''Explorer'' 2x XP gain withing the dungeon for the next 48hours 2x mob drop chance for the next 48hours 100XP
Title - Explorer
You have gone somewhere no-one else has! Congratulations - it''s not like every Earthling got this title or anything... +10 to perception +1 to core stats - (Int, Wis, Dex, Agi, Str, Vit, Con) Skill - ''Inspect''
Skill - Identify
A skill needed by most adventurers (and owned by all Earthlings), Inspect allows you to see the basic stats of items and monsters. Details depend on relative level of skill, user, and object. No cost to use. 1 second cooldown. Novice lvl 1 - 0.00%
''Phew, that was a few tables. Was not expecting that. Hey, at least it seems like I got some genuinely useful benefits from all that, even if it does involve standing ankle-deep in sewer water... hey, that gives me an idea...'' ''Identify!''
Log Of Shit
Log Of Shit - What did you think it was, muddy gold? No, it''s shit, you fucktard. +0.1%
''...'' ''Is this system mocking me. Scratch that - of course it is - but does that mean it is some form of AI, or something of the sort?'' Now is not the time, however to contemplate such things *shelved*. Now, let''s just stop and contemplate what the fuck is going on for a minute;
  1. I am now in some sort of game-like reality where I currently have to fight to survive.
  2. I am in a dungeon.
  3. My whole family is in another dimension*buries note*
  4. I am probably going mentally insane.
''Okayyy then... let''s just ignore note 4 for now, as if it is true, then this is probably all just fiction, and the others have no impact of reality whatsoever. So, fight to survive huh... but I''m trapped in some form of toilet dungeon. What the fuck am I supposed to fight with? Logs of shit?'' *Gurgle* *Gurgle* ''Uhhhh, what the fuck was that?'' My head snaps up, breaking me from my reverie, as a wet ''Splat!'' echoes across the room. In the dim lighting, I see the deep sludge ripple outwards from one of the cubicles. As I approach, I almost trip as I kick the broken broomstick, and I grab it as some sort of weapon - for if push comes to shove. Soon, I can see a raised lump within and above the sludgy layer. *Identify!*
Sewer Slime - lvl 1 - (8/8hp)
A type of slime evolved to live amongst utter filth. They mostly feed off of excrement and other crap in sewage, but will happily accept whatever unfortunate beings stumble across it. +5.0%
''A slime... right, time to use game knowledge to my advantage! They are immune to physical damage, are generally made up of an acidic slime, weak to magic damage, and have a vulnerable core - which can be harmed by physical damage.'' The slime continues approaching me. ''So, this spear is practically useless, right?'' *Swish* *Splat* *Thud*
-0hp-8/8hp remaining
My spear goes straight through the slime, and I back up quickly as it approaches. ''Yup, I was right... so, I can hit the core... but in this sludge that is probably never going to happen. What else do I have? Cleaning fluid, and a mop bucket... wait, slimes are made up of acid, right? And cleaning fluid is alkaline, generally. So, shouldn''t that neutralize the slime, and if not kill it let me remove it''s core?'' I hurry back to the mop bucket, where I left the cleaning fluid, grab it and turn around. By now the slime has nearly reached me, so I take a step forward and squirt cleaning fluid onto the slime.
-4hp-4/8hp Remaining-Chemical Burn Debuff Inflicted (-1hp/s)
-1hp
-1hp
-1hp
-1hp
Sewer Slime - lvl 1 Has Died
+50XP Drops; Vial of neutralized slime x1
''Yes! I killed the damn slime, thank god. At least I should be able to kill a few more like this.'' The bottle was only half full, and that took quite a bit, so I''ll have to use it sparingly. The sound of a slime emerging - not unlike the sound of a plunger being used on a toilet - once again echoes out. Except, this time, it appears as though there is more than one. ''In the room, there are five cubicles, so there should, theoretically, be five slimes here, right? I''ve killed one, so that leaves four. Let''s hope that the next wave isn''t any more than two'' *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* ''Oh fuck...'' Chapter 3 - Slime Queen Shitdown! Yes, now there are three slimes. Might not seem like much, but they are clearly very acidic, considering how the alkaline cleaning fluid reacted, and are damn near invulnerable little buggers. And now I have to face three of them, with my only weapon being a half-full bottle of cleaning fluid. ''Great, just bloody great.'' And then I have to worry about the final slime - probably some boss or another - with probably little to none of my only weapon left. *Hiss* ''I don''t know whether to be pissed or pleased right now.'' They really are acidic. ''It appears like one of them ran into some floating ''solids'' in the water, and the ''solids'' practically disappeared instantly. Mostly inference, of course, but that is pretty much all it could''ve been.'' I approach the slimes, or rather we approach each other, and then I crouch down. After I identify the three slimes, for the skill XP, I squirt more controlled bursts of cleaning fluid than I did last time, whilst backing away, and emptying the bottle in the process.
-2hp-6/8hp Remaining-Chemical Burn Debuff Applied - -1hp/second (2 seconds)
-2hp-6/8hp Remaining-Chemical Burn Debuff Applied - -1hp/second (6 seconds)
-2hp-6/8hp Remaining-Chemical Burn Debuff Applied - -1hp/second (1 seconds)
-1hp x9
Sewer Slime - lvl 1 Has Died
+50XP Drops; Vial of neutralised slime x2
''Ok, so now I have two very much alive slimes, with one dead. One has four hp remaining, while the other has five.'' I back away quickly to the mop bucket, where I once again collect the broken mop handle. ''So, if I hit their core they should take damage, right? so, sweep the slimes with a broom until I hit the core... sounds doable... not...'' I once again approach the slimes, and begin sweeping the handle through the water where the slimes are.
-2hp-2/8hp Remaining
-2hp-8/10hp Remaining
''OUCH! That fucking HURTS'' A burning pain flashes out from my lower left leg as a slime tentacle slaps me. ''Who knew they could do that? They have done nothing other than move so far!'' Backing away, I look at the new hole my shop uniform has, and the indented burn beneath it. I stumble with each step, as it causes pain to shoot up my injured leg with each step. I, personally, have not really been exposed to large amounts of pain - although I have a couple of times - and this was a whole new level above large amounts of pain. ''Seriously, that must be some damn strong acid to react with my skin that quickly - or it''s just magic logic - who cares.'' Realizing that limping backwards will achieve nothing except more pain, I grit my teeth and close the distance between me and the slimes once again, this time just within the striking range of the mop handle. Swiping the handle through the moving mass of slime, I once again hit one of the slimes.
-2hp - 0/8hp Remaining
Sewer Slime - lvl 1 Has Died
+50XP Drops; Vial of neutralised slime x1 Vial of sewer slime x1 Damaged slime core x1
''It seems I was lucky and hit the weakened one. Phew, that makes things easier! Also, I got quite a few more drops this way - it seems that killing them without destroying them entirely gives more drops. Neat feature'' I continue swiping the handle through the other slime, and manage to hit it once solidly, dealing three damage, and begin to back away at the same pace as the slimes once again, limping as I go. After a few seconds, I lose all resistance from moving the handle through a liquid, so I pull it back up so I can look at it. ''Goddamn it - the slime is breaking down the wood as well! I must''ve lost about half a foot of length from that!'' Yes, my handle had grown shorter and less jagged at the tip, which had stopped it from striking the slime. I begin swinging once more, however now I begin to lean forward as I swing.This gives me more reach, and allows me to swipe through the slime, and hopefully stay out of tentacle range. Soon, as the handle begins to lose length once again, I hit the slime core, and the slime disappears back into the sewer water around it.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Sewer Slime - lvl 1 Has Died
+50XP Drops; Vial of sewer slime x2 Damaged slime core x1
Level Up!
You are now level 1! You now have [5] stat points to distribute! XP to next level : 0/600
''Ah hah! So it took 300XP to reach level 1, and takes 600XP to reach level 2. So this means that it probably- ouch - takes double the amount of the previous level''s experience to get to the next level. Also, level 1? Does that mean I was basically an NPC before now?'' As I come to this revelation, I stumble again in the shallow water, and flinch at the pain it causes from my bad leg. Taking the now nearly-useless mop handle, I use it to support the left side of my body by using it as essentially a walking stick. I stagger towards the row of sinks and heave myself up onto the platform, taking the weight off of my bad leg - and with it a large amount of the pain I was in, although the pain of the burn was still omnipresent. ''Let''s hope the dungeon is kind and gives me a few minutes respite between fights. ''Assuming that injuries work off of hit points now, I should heal a minor burn like this quickly. Still, knowing games, I will probably have some sort of hp regen debuff from the burn.'' For a few moments, I just sit on the sink counter and take a breather from this unbelievable set of events, before beginning to plan for the what-will-probably-be-a-boss. ''Well, I probably want to turn off battle notifications. When I hit something, I don''t want to be distracted by being told that I dealt 5 damage, unless I want to specifically test the power of my attacks.'' ''System - turn off battle notifications!''
Battle Notifications Disabled. Damage Values Can Be Found In The [Damage Log]. Notifications Will Be Received After A Battle Has Finished.
''Ah, good! Less distractions while fighting. Especially good in a RPG-like world where survival hinges on clearing a dungeon... When it''s put like that, it sounds like a pile of bullshit, doesn''t it?'' I stand back up on the floor to test out my leg again. Surprisingly, it''s much better than it was before, although quite painful. I hobble over to the mop bucket, still using the mop handle as a walking stick, and then back to the sinks, to see how easily I can walk. Now, I can actually walk without hobbling much - although that is only with a walking stick. It should fully heal soon however. *Gurgle* *Hiss* *Crash* ''Ah, it seems that the luxury of time is no longer an option. Well, fuck... Or rather, I''m fucked. Take your pick.'' It seems that this is indeed a boss. For something to make those sounds, it must be much larger than the ones before it. There is also an omnipresent quiet hiss, presumably as debris comes into contact with the slime. About a second later, a large bulge in the water, near a meter tall, emerges from the final toilet cubicle. The slime boss. ''I had problems with level one normal mobs about a foot tall. And now a meter-tall monstrosity wants to kill me and I no longer have any weapons, really. Could I be more fucked? I don''t believe that it''s possible.'' As any sensible person would do, I identify the boss slime;
Sewer Slime Queen - level 5 - [BOSS]
The sewer slimes are a common breed of slime found practically everywhere in the world of Terrae. As they form naturally in sewage, they are always present in places like city cesspits, and so are known to all. When sewer slimes spawn in large numbers, there is a chance many will fuse together, forming a Slime Queen. This monster is more powerful in every way than a normal slime, with it''s own unique abilities and talents. Queen Slimes also have increased intelligence, allowing them to command normal sewer slimes, as well as utilize basic tactics, and counter yours. +50%
''Could they have at least tried to tone down how fucked it would seem I am? Like, seriously? A slime with a form of pseudo-intelligence, and which is incredibly powerful - not to mention immune to all forms of damage I have at my disposal!'' I rage internally, looking at the slime. ''At least I got that 50%XP for my identify skill... Sadly it seems I won''t need any XP for anything soon enough...'' Fighting against all my instincts, I slowly approach the slime, even though it is already quickly approaching me, and try to test the waters. Once it comes withing swinging range for me, I start backing away, slightly faster that it''s approaching, and swing my ''walking stick'' through the slime. *Hiss!* ''Of course it''s also more fucking acidic. Really? Now my ''walking stick'' is another few inches shorter, and it was short to begin with!'' Backing away quickly, I start to kite the boss around the very small room as best I can while I try to figure out a plan. Although the boss does appear to be catching onto what I''m doing, and tries to move to where I will be, I just turn the opposite way and loop back around. ''So... I have a plastic mop bucket, a highly damaged broken mop handle... and myself... and that''s all...'' I continue kiting the boss, the gears turning within my brain. ''Well... plastic corrodes slower than wood, right? So it should last longer in acid, even if it still gets broken down. So, I could use the mop bucket for something...'' Still kiting the boss, I pass by the mop bucket, and drag it by it''s extendable handle behind me. Looking over my shoulder, the slime passes under one of the still functioning lights, it''s core is backlit in the center of the slime. ''A core is a slimes'' weak spot, so it should die if I remove it, right? So, what if I hooked out the core with the mop bucket, then crush it with my feet or something...'' Deciding that I will not be able to think of a better plan - at least before my left leg gives out - I turn around and let the slime approach. Moving backward slowly until it reaches striking distance, I drop the ''walking stick'', and swipe the mop bucket through the slime with both hands. The mop bucket goes straight through - with no more resistance than water - before breaking before reaching the end of it''s swing. *Crash* *Splash* *Hiss* The bucket goes flying into the opposite wall, and the slime collapses. However, I imagine it''s not dead yet, as I should get notifications at the end of a battle. My ankles and feet begin to feel itchy and like they are burning slightly, but the pain is minor compared to the pain of walking on my bad leg, so I put it out of my mind for now. I hobble-run over to the now broken-down mop bucket, and upon seeing the gathering mass of slime slightly away from the wall, I jump off my good leg and land on the slime, hoping to crush the core with my hands as I land. My hands slip through the water and sideways against the slimy tiles with little resistance, leaving me to impact the ground chest and face first. *Crunch* *Crack* Darkness envelopes me. Chapter 4 - Next Level Shit! As my senses once more return to me, I once more go through the ritual of flinching at the light and slowly clambering to my feet. ''Ughh, this is beginning to be a bit too common now, isn''t it?'' Before now, I''ve never fainted, passed out, and never really been knocked out - and yet within a day it''s already happened twice. Still squinting, a flashing icon in the corner of my vision - which has never been there before - catches my attention. Thinking about ''opening'' it or ''clicking'' on it, yet another wave of screens flash across my vision.
Sewer Slime Queen - lvl 5 - [BOSS] - Has Died!
+9600XP Drops; Vial of Sewer Slime Queen slime x10 Whip of the Queen Slime (Sewer) x1 Monster Crystal (Sewer Slime Queen) x1
Level Up!
You are now level 5! You now have [25] stat points to distribute! XP to next level : 600/9600
Achievement!
You have slain a boss monster solo which was at least 5x your level. David and Goliath Title
Title - David and Goliath
Congratulations! You managed to complete one of the rarest achievements an adventurer can get. Not like you cheated - considering even 5-year-olds are a higher level than you, normally. +200% Damage to enemies at least 5 levels higher than you +50% To core stats when fighting a enemy that is at least 5 levels higher than you. +100% Drop chance when fighting an enemy at least 5 levels higher than you. Trait - Strategist +20 to wisdom +10 to intelligence +5 to strength +5 to agility +10 to dexterity +1 to all other unlocked stats
Trait - Strategist
You have an inborn ability to sense the flows of battle and to plan under extreme circumstances. With a calm and logical mind, Strategising comes as naturally as breathing. Boosts planning ability Allows you to stay calm in stressful situations +5 wisdom
Congratulations! You Have Undergone Racial Evolution
Racial evolution is the process of assimilating part of a powerful monster. This can only be achieved under certain circumstances, and is extremely rare. In this case, your extreme desire to survive along with the direct contact of a slime core and your blood, it was assimilated into your bloodstream, allowing you to gain some traits of a slime. This process has been documented for an indeterminable amount of time, and is theorized as how the demi-human (beastman) races came to be. Your race has changed into Earth Human (Slime Variant) +10 luck
Earth Human (Slime Variant)
As you have assimilated some of the traits of a slime, you have increased adaptability to any situation, as well as an increased flexibility and durability. You have also assimilated some other minor traits. Trait - Flexibility Trait - Physical Resistance Trait - Iron Stomach [Trait Enhanced] - Adaptability (Enhanced) Passive Skill - Mana Absorption Passive/Active Skill - Mana Regrowth
Trait - Flexibility
Your body is naturally malleable, increasing your flexibility and range of motion in all joints, cartilage, and flesh. Essentially, you are now double jointed in everything, and also a master contortionist. Congratulations! Flexibility stat unlocked +10 flexibility
Trait - Physical Resistance
Having absorbed the essence of a slime, your body is now much more durable against physical attacks. As you are human, however, this mostly only affects blunt trauma, with little effect against slashing or piercing damage. Unlucky.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. +1% to total armour stat per flexibility point, against blunt weapon damage. +0.1% to total armour stat per flexibility point, against all other types of physical damage. +Durability stat unlocked +5 durability
Trait - Iron Stomach
After absorbing the essence of a slime, your body has evolved to break down any nutrients passed through it. This includes the ability to break down poisons, and the ability to digest tree bark for sustenance. +50% resistance to poisons Ability to gain nutrients from all biological matter Ability to digest all biological matter (On a varying timescale) Increased and near-perfected metabolism
Trait - Adaptability (Enhanced)
As an Earth Human, you naturally have the adaptability trait. This was gained though millennia of selective breeding and evolution, as humans on your planet managed to survive and even thrive on a planet where most other beings had an advantage over them. Those who could not adapt were killed, so instead of this being a rare trait, for Earthlings, it is the most common. However, common traits to other humans are absent in your species. After fusing with the essence of a slime, this trait has been enhanced. Slimes are the most naturally adaptable species, as they have an infinite potential to evolve and have variations formed from undergoing any range of circumstances. You now have an increased ability to adapt to anything. +50% movement speed on all terrain +50% temperature resistance +100% faster skill acquisition for all adaption related skills. Ability to adapt increased +10 balance +5 wisdom +5 intelligence
Skill - Mana Absorption (Passive)
Your body has gained the ability to constantly absorb mana from the surrounding atmosphere, and therefore your body has adapted to this new energy, allowing you to utilise it. Trait - Mana Affinity +2 MP/min regeneration Level 1 - 0.0%XP
Skill - Mana Regrowth (passive/active)
Slimes have the ability to regrow themselves through the expenditure of mana, and after fusing with a slime''s essence, so do you. Slimes can only do this on a passive basis - by constantly channeling their mana absorption into this skill. You, however, can control the amount of mana dedicated to healing your body. You can also activate this skill with your direct mana to rapidly heal from a wound, at an increased cost. As a warning, any unused mana dedicated to this skill will be wasted, will not function on the mind beyond healing a direct injury, and will not counteract natural processes, only unnatural processes. - so no photographic memory, eternal youth, or enhanced state of intelligence for you. Mana regen can be converted into health regen at any time with a 1-1 scale. +1hp per two MP from mana pool instantly. Speeds up recovery of status effects
Trait - Mana Affinity
As your body constantly absorbs mana, it has become attuned to this new energy, allowing you to utilise it. A very rare trait among earthlings, yet the most common trait for most other human species, this trait is essential for survival on most worlds, however it is possible without it for you. Ability to shape mana Ability to cast spells Mana stat unlocked Mana regeneration stat unlocked Spell book tab unlocked +5 max mana +0.1MP/min regeneration
Floor 1 Complete!
By conquering the boss of the first floor of the ''Flooded Toilet Dungeon'', this floor is complete. Follow the ''Next Floor'' sign to reach the next area.
''Hoh-lee fuck what an infodump. And the fuck? I FUSED WITH THAT DAMN ACIDIC AND IRRITATING MOTHER FUCKER! At least it gave me some awesome buffs... I guess...'' Rubbing my eyes after focusing for so long, I look around the room once more, and take in the carnage around me. I''m leaning against the wall opposite to the cubicles, and my ''walking stick'' lies across the room. My leg is no longer in any pain, although my whole body aches, once again - evolution must not go easy on the body. Looking at the cubicles on the opposite wall, I can see the one that the queen slime came out of is much more battered than the rest, and there is a hole in the floor. Lo and behold, this is where the sign for ''Next Floor'' is. Surprisingly, it is in neon piping, and brightly lit up in green. Strangely, it does not seem to cast off any light, and is just within my mind. Also, how fucking long was I unconscious for this time? Time is of the essence, you know! ''Dungeon Timer''
Dungeon Timer
14h 39m 16sec remaining before dungeon collapse
''...'' ''9 HOURS! I have 24 to complete the WHOLE FUCKING DUNGEON, and it took 9 HOURS for me to wake up after passing out, again. If it takes that long for the following floors, I''M DEAD ALREADY!'' I spend a few moments both fuming and panicing at my lack of apparent time, before considering the benefits I got from it - although they will be useless if I die anyway. To list;
  1. Bunch of cool perma buffs
  2. Magical ability
  3. Buffed magic regen (to a very high level - 10x more than standard)
  4. Multiple levels
  5. More stats
  6. Some epic titles - hopefully I can display these later
  7. Some sort of weapon - lets look at that.
''Inventory!''
Inventory
Vial Of Neutralized Slime x4 Vial Of Sewer Slime x3 Vial Of Sewer Slime Queen Slime x10 Damaged Slime Core x2 Monster Crystal (Sewer Slime Queen) Whip of the Queen Slime (Sewer)
''Identify Whip Of The Queen Slime (Sewer)!''
Whip Of The Queen Slime (Sewer)
This is a whip formed from the essence and body of a Queen Sewer Slime. Rarity : Uncommon Quality : Excellent Durability : 20/20 Damage : 3-5 Special : Durability can be repaired at the cost of mana using the ''Mana Regrowth'' Ability. Level Requirement : 5
At least I have something to protect myself with now. Even though I have never even held a whip before...'' ''EquipWhip Of The Queen Slime (Sewer)!'' My new weapon appeared in my hand. ''Well, if I survive this, I will certainly have a much easier time starting out than others. While I am sure others will have buffs like these, they should be above that of the locals'' starting stats, and hopefully slightly better than even my peers. I''ve even got a basic weapon!'' I try to look on the bright side of things - pushing away facts like how I''m screwed, all of my peers are screwed, and I may never get to see my family again in my lifetime. Those cheery thoughts. ''At least the fight-or-flight instinct thing with us humans really helps us ignore emotional trauma for at least a short while during life-threatening situations. Otherwise, I''d probably be a broken mess, right about now - complete with issues like PTSD.'' Having taken a few moments to recollect myself after the, well, stressful day so far, I approach the ''Next Floor'' sign with trepidation. The first floor had mostly level one mobs, with a really OP boss. ''Hopefully the second floor has some less OP mobs - hopefully vulnerable to physical damage - I can actually deal out some of that damage type, with my new weapon... Also, I hope that the mobs stay below the recommended level for the dungeon. Otherwise, I may just be royally fucked.'' I reach the sign, and look down. There is an uneven tunnel below - presumably carved by the slime''s acid, which leads down into darkness. Sadly, I have no light source of my own. The only thing stopping the water flooding the room from draining away is the small lip at the edge. The start of the tunnel drops straight down for a few feet, before sloping gradually down into greater darkness. Clutching my only defense, the whip, I sit on the edge of the hole, before dropping down to the sloped passage below. As I land, My feet slip on the slimy rocks beneath, and I uncontrollably slide down the narrow, and bumpy, passage. In complete darkness, this is not a pleasant experience - hurtling down to god knows where. It, luckily, only takes a few seconds to reach the bottom, before bottoming out slightly, allowing me to slow down. Then, I shoot out into a open space - before dropping into waist-high, reeking water. ''It''s the fucking sewers isn''t it... Figures...'' Chapter 5 - In Deep Shit ''...'' ''The sewers. Really. And it''s pitch black. Fuck me sideways with a barge pole.''
Welcome To Floor Two Of The Flooded Toilet Dungeon!
''That was random... and just a welcome? surely there should be some information... Weird...'' I dismiss the window, and walk over to the left hand (relative to my current direction) wall. Gagging slightly at the ever-present stench (although I had adapted slightly on floor one), I strain my eyes, hoping that there is just a large enough amount of light for my eyes to be able to make out something. Why? Because I have no fucking chance otherwise. ''Well, there''s no light. Let''s go with the old maze rule - stick to the left hand side. Oh well - lets just hope that the lovely, kind monsters on this floor ignore the random guy stumbling through the dark...'' I slowly make my way forwards, trying my best - and failing - to keep silent. I continue gazing around, hoping to find some sort of light source - as, well, how will I ever clear a dungeon floor in this light level? Deciding to try something - even though it may screw me over - I channel my newly-found mana into my palm, hoping that it structures itself to my needs. Of course it doesn''t. Instead, I get some sort of extremely dim, translucent aura around my hand, which is presumably just mana leaking out of me. This seems especially so as I do not gain any notification for completing this action, which you''d expect to get if you created a spell. The blue glow is, sadly, still too dim to let me see any of my surroundings, and can only be seen itself, due to it''s dimness. It would probably even be invisible in normal light. Giving up on that idea, I continue straining my eyes and taking the left hand side. A few times, I go past slight turns, following the left wall, which may or may not be a split, as I stick to one wall only. After about 5 minutes of this sensory deprivation, a splashing sound echoes in the distance. At this, my head snaps towards the sound, and my mind panics - instinct taking over. I once again feel the flow of man in my body - this time instinctively going to my eyes. Within a second, the world begins to once again become visible, however now with an ethereal blue glow.
Congratulations! Skill Gained - Mana Vision
After spending extended periods of time in complete darkness, your racial ability of adaptation has kicked in. With the trigger of a distant sound, the instinct gained from your racial heritage allowed you to gain this skill. Skill - Mana Vision The skill of applying mana to your eyes to see the mana of the world around you. A coveted skill among mages, it has a range of uses - from seeing in all light levels, to seeing mana weaves. Cost - 1MP/min Can be toggled on or off lvl 1 0.0%XP
''Finally, a skill I can use right now! Woot! I may actually survive on this goddamn floor.'' luckily, I have the mana regen from mana absorption, or it would be unusable - as it is, my mana regen is still higher than the cost. With my new-found sight, I begin to survey the surrounding area. As I expected, I am in a sewer, obviously filled with shit, with smooth walls - it''s hard to tell materials with mana vision. Looking in either direction, and the direction of the sound from before, there does not appear to be anything unusual. Ahead, there is a fork in the path, but I decide to stick with my plan of ''staying left'' so I know where I came from. I continue on, walking down the disgusting tunnels. There still appears to be no change in my surroundings, bar a slight curve in one direction or another, but I walk for at least another minute or two until something happens. A dull glow appears under the sewage, heading in my direction. Stopping and gripping my whip, I let it approach slightly - I can''t really hit anything underwater with a whip from above water - non-compressability of fluids and all that. It continues approaching - at a leasurely pace even - until it reaches me. Backing away, I feel a sharp pain in my lower leg - much like a bite. Hissing through my teeth - and hoping to not get infected - I reach down and grab the creature from my leg, tearing away some skin in the process. It struggles in my grasp, but I manage to pull it to the surface. Of course, to fit with the sewer theme, it is a really oversized rat - about two foot in length, including the tail. I expend about a point of mana to heal the wound, before it gets infected. After all, it is under sewer water.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ''Mana Regrowth!'' ''Identify!''
Monstrous Sewer Rat - lvl 3 - (23/23hp)
The Monstrous Sewer Rat is a common sewer animal in most regions of Terrae. A very weak monster, they are only able to threaten any other species in large numbers, and instead feed on the the ''food'' ever-present in all sewers. +10%
''Sewer Slimes... now Sewer Rats... seriously, does this world want me to die out of disgust or something? These are probably the two most ''shitty'' mobs that exist in this new world, so why do I have to get both of them!?!'' Now, however, I am faced with a great dilemma. How am I supposed to use my whip on a creature that I''m holding? Do I just gather up half of it and whale on the mob until it dies? ''Bit cruel that though, even through it is just a common monster... Guess I have no choice...'' I begin whaling on the rat, even though it struggles greatly while I hold it with only one arm. After about 10 hits, it dies, leaving behind a few drops.
Monstrous Sewer Rat - lvl 3 Has Died
+150XP Drops; Monstrous Rat Tail x1 Large Sewer Rat Tooth x2 Rat Meat x1 Rat Hide x1
''So, rats drop more stuff than slimes. Good to know.'' I continue on, gazing around with my mana vision. After passing a few more splits in the tunnel, I once again encounter another rat. About the same process occurs as for the last one, however this time I manage to avoid being bitten.
Monstrous Sewer Rat - lvl 3 Has Died
+150XP Drops; Monstrous Rat Tail x1 Large Sewer Rat Tooth x1 Chipped Large Sewer Rat Tooth x1 Rat Hide x1
The next time I come across more rats, it is as a pair, of which I pick up one, start backing away from the other while whaling on the first, while using mana regrowth to keep myself at a high health level. Then, I pick up the second, and repeat the usual process. The drops are practically the same as what I have gotten before, however at the end of the fight this time, a strange chiming sound echoes through my head, and another window appears;
Monstrous Sewer Rat - lvl 3 Has Died
+150XP Drops; Monstrous Rat Tail x1 Large Sewer Rat Tooth x2 Rat Meat x1 Rat Hide x1
Monstrous Sewer Rat - lvl 3 Has Died
+150XP Drops; Monstrous Rat Tail x1 Chipped Large Sewer Rat Tooth x2 Rat Meat x1 Rat Hide x1
Congratulations! Skill - Identify Has Leveled Up!
A skill needed by most adventurers (and owned by all Earthlings), Inspect allows you to see the basic stats of items and monsters. Details depend on relative level of skill, user, and object. No cost to use. 1 second cooldown. Novice lvl 2 - 5.10% *Detail of identified information increased
''Ha Ha!, finally! One of my skills leveled up!'' Even though it''s kinda sad that it technically took me ten hours to level up my identify skill - even if I was unconscious for 9 hours of that time. At least I got it done in the end. After my moment of celebration, I once more begin slogging through the thick, sludgy water. The ritual of killing rats continues, and I soon encounter another six. However, each rat now only gives me 5% skill Xp per identification, so progress slows down in that area. There is also little to no new detail given about the species. The items I got from the rats were about as average as all the ones before them - no special drops at all.
Monstrous Sewer Rat - lvl 3 Has Died (x6)
+900XP Drops; Monstrous Rat Tail x6 Chipped Large Sewer Rat Tooth x7 Large Sewer Rat Tooth x5 Rat Meat x4 Rat Hide x5
Not long after finding and fighting the sixth rat, I notice that the water level seems to be dropping - or as the case will be the floor is rising. Continuing onwards, I soon reach what appears to be some sort of service tunnel - as the sewer sludge is funneled down a side pipe as the ground becomes dry. Unfortunately, the sewer seems completely blocked somewhere down-pipe, so the water is not flowing at all. Stepping onto the dry land, I survey the area with my Mana Vision. Looking at the right-hand-side wall, a tunnel opening is on the wall, which has much rougher edges than the slime tunnel. This tunnel is also wider, however. Down the tunnel, I can see a much brighter conglomeration of mana essences, presumably rats at the other end. I unconsciously approach the far side, and freeze in fear when I accidentally kick a loose rock, creating a clatter. As I do so, the mana essences at the far end of the tunnel stop their movements, and slowly begin to approach my location. ''Oh fuck... What have I done now...'' Chapter 6 - Ratted Out Seeing the rats approach through the narrow tunnel, I decide to stand my ground for now. As the tunnel is quite small, only one or two will be able to move out at a time, and since I have a weapon with a long reach, I should be able to hold them off for a bit, and get some XP. Once the first rat reaches the tunnel entrance, I swing my whip around to hit the rat, with little finesse involved - after all I''ve never even held a whip before, let alone used one. I miss the rat, and once again my left leg comes alight with a strong burning pain, causing me to almost collapse. Luckily, after my recent heavy exposure to pain, I have become slightly more tolerant towards it - although not to any significant degree - and manage to remember to use Mana Regrowth to heal myself. Taking a second swing, however, I hit the damned creature. Also, I remember to identify the rats once they come into my direct line of sight, for the skill XP. It takes me six hits to kill the first rat, giving me a baseline for those that follow, which is also around the same as those in the water, as they are the same species. Although the rats appear quite dumb, as the next two rats file out of the door oblivious to the fact that their companion is dead, allowing me to kill them. As those two die, however, a strange, faint pulse appears in my mana vision, coming from further down the tunnel. At this, the rats begin to emerge in twos or threes, slightly more sporadically. I still manage to kill the rats as they come out, allowing me to kill another seven, although I am slowly getting pushed back. Looking up into the tunnel once more, I see a larger mass exiting the tunnel, along with a flood of the same rats I''ve been fighting, and identify it;
Monstrous Sewer Rat King - Lvl 7 - [BOSS]
The Monstrous Sewer Rat King is the evolution of the common monstrous sewer rat. A rat king can only exist when rats of it''s species have reached a certain population in the area, and when that occurs one rat will be evolved. The rat king holds command over all normal rats of it''s type not under the influence of another king. These traits make it a worthy foe for low level and rank adventurers, as well as city guards who clear out the sewers of mobs. +50%
''Ding!''
Congratulations! Skill - Identify Has Leveled Up!
A skill needed by most adventurers (and owned by all Earthlings), Inspect allows you to see the basic stats of items and monsters. Details depend on relative level of skill, user, and object. No cost to use. 1 second cooldown. Novice lvl 4 - 90.10% *Detail of identified information increased
''Well, at least I get benefits from being fucked over, I guess...?'' Even though skill level ups seem to do little except between skill tiers, I still welcome the increase, with a total of two levels as I got one more while killing the rats before. However, the sheer level of fuckedness I am about to go through now is seriously off the charts. Even though I''m a much higher level than when I faced the Slime Queen, I can''t distribute any of my attribute points, or have any of my title stats apply (not including stat unlocks, apparently). So, I am essentially a level one noob trying to fight a level 7 boss mob and his hordes of level 3 minions. ''How much more fucked could I b- actually, let''s not continue that thought, I could always have to face a level 100 dragon on the next floor... heh...heh...'' I begin to back away, but stay away from the water - these are after all sewerrats, built to swimquickly, even if this rat seems a bit big to do such a thing. The ~1m tall rat-like monstrosity follows at a surprising pace - especially for it''s bulk. The dry area of tunnel up here is only about 15m long and 3m wide, so I have very little room to maneuver, especially with more of the little ratty buggers around the edges of the tunnel. It is slightly faster then me, leaving me with no choice but to try and face it head on. I start to whip the giant rat as I continue retreating, however I can only get in a few whips before the rat reaches me. At this point, I pivot and run past the rat, once more whipping it as I move past. Continuing this pattern, I whittle the rat down to what I would guess is around 50% health. At this point, the giant rat makes a peculiar noise, accompanied by another mana pulse, after which the smaller rats surrounding the area rush in to try and defend their king. The giant rat backs off behind the swarm of monstrous buggers, of which even two or three at once could cause me serious harm - and there are dozens of them. Kicking any that get close, I try to keep them all at range, while abusing Mana Regrowth for health regen, at least as much as my mana pool can handle - after all, my MP regen is only 0.1/min with Mana Vision active, and 1MP/min invested into the skill. I still continue lashing out with my whip, but with the flood of enemies, I manage to once again hit myself twice. The threat of death is the only thing stopping me from passing out from pain, with how badly mauled I''m getting, but with all the adrenaline in my system I manage to persevere. I manage to kill a few of them, before the rats once again back off. As they resume their previous positions, the rat king once again approaches. Obviously this fight is on some form of pre-programming, or perhaps it could be just their instinct as a race. Me and the rat king once again resume our former tango - me getting mauled often in exchange for getting in a few points of damage. Sadly, my mana pool empties within the first few exchanges, as I have to spend one or two points of mana to regen the damage he does to me, meaning that I can only rely on my meager mana regen to heal. Luckily, this trade off does allow me to get in a lot more damage quickly, despite how painful it is. I start getting more evasive - after all if you can''t recover from an attack why receive it - and continue laying down small amounts of damage to try and whittle down the boss'' health. Before it even reaches what I guess to be about 25% health, I''m already in trouble. With practically no mana to heal actively, my health keeps taking more and more hits. With each hit from the king rat, I lose about 1hp - so long as it is not a direct hit. Most hits I manage to dodge, but it takes me 10 mins to regen the amount of mana to actively heal that back, although as I have one point invested into the mana regrowth skill, I can heal it passively in one, however it is much easier to manage and target damage with active healing - after all, I still feel the effects of being injured, such as mobility loss, which may not be a priority for the passive skill. Still, I am taking much more damage than I can heal at the moment.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Once I manage to drop him down to ~20%, my health starts getting too low to keep fighting in a frontal confrontation.. Deciding to take a risk, I deactivate the mana vision skill in pulses, so my mana regen goes up while I should be able to still see. However, the sudden shifts from bluish light to darkness are, in fact, really disorienting. Instead of being able to heal faster, I begin to instead lose health faster, and within a few seconds my health goes down to about 3/10. The boss charges me, sweeping my feet, and sending me a few meters backwards into the closest wall. As I hit with a thud, dropping my health to 1/10, A new band of bright bluish light appears overhead, and makes the rest of my mana vision unclear. Deactivating it, I see that a row of ceiling lights have turned on - obviously I just flew into a switch. Sadly, smaller, more detailed objects are hard to spot with mana vision, as it merely shows the mana all objects emit in small amounts. However, now that the switch is on, I can have much greater mana regen, which will allow me to heal faster. Looking across the room, it also appears like the rats are purely adapted to see in the dark, perhaps the same way I was, as they all appear much less coordinated and seem to have a much harder time telling where they are going. This, luckily, includes the rat king. The new addition of light also allows me to properly see my surroundings and the rats - as well as what they look like. Like most rats, these have brown fur, four legs, and a rat-like body (duh), however they also have bright red eyes, webbed feet, and a paddle-like tail, showing how they are adapted to the water. Strangely, though, the rats'' eyes appear slightly glazed. However, features like their mouth and teeth seem to be pretty similar to normal, however on a much larger scale - then again, I haven''t ever inspected a rat''s teeth before. The sewer rat king has a very similar appearance, just with the addition of the aforementioned crown-shaped protrusion, and larger claws and teeth to it''s scale. Strangely, it''s eyes also appear to be much brighter than the others'', perhaps indicating some type of ability - maybe the king rat is controlling the monstrous rats, which could explain the pattern of the fight? Within seconds, the rat king recovers from the sudden change in lighting, even though the surrounding monstrous rats are still practically blind. The recovery period, however, allowed me to recover some health, although not enough to make any worthwhile change. My stamina has also risen slightly out of the red, but not even giving me enough back to make one swing at full power. The main gain from the lighting change, however, is the observations I can now make. Although I have already observed the rats for their appearances, I have not looked around at the presumed service tunnel. In Mana Vision, although you can indeed see things, it is more like using an infra-red camera. What you see is dependent on the mana differentials between all things, with living beings having greater mana concentration than inanimate objects. This, however, also makes water appear opaque, although outlines are visible beneath it - hence how I could see the rats - as well as make your surroundings look like an amorphous blue-ish thing - no texture or form over the basics is discernible. Now, however, with normal vision, I can see much, much more. For example, I can now tell that the walls are brick, and that the surface I am standing concrete, and part of - as I presumed - a sewer service area. There is a ladder on the far wall, sadly bricked off at the roof level - presumably due to the whole dungeon/pocket dimension/reality-based thingthat this place is. It does, however, still give me a refuge - if I could get there. Of course, it is on the far wall of the service entrance place thing, with most of the rats between me and it, not to mention my new best friend, the hopefully soon-to-be-dead monstrous sewer rat king! Joy! Despite these kind-of helpful revelations, I still have a very angry and quite injured sewer rat king opposite me. Both of us are down to ~20% health, with me on two and him (it?) on whatever the fuck what I approximate to be 20% health would be. From just those stats alone, it would seem that I now have the advantage now that it''s minions are down, but that is most certainly not the case. Before I could use mana to heal, but now that I''m out, it will take me a while to regen to full health. It is still useful that his minions appear to have become more passive. Once again I decide to focus on bullshittery to win, sprinting at the rat. The rat counter-charges me, his crown facing forwards, and as I nearly reach him, I shovehard with my right leg, sending me to the left, although still moving forwards and still standing. My new stats help with this maneuver, apparently, as instead of landing flat on my face like any normal (and not trained) human would do, I do the aforementioned action of standing up! Screw you physics! As I had hoped, the rat continued sprinting past me, it''s eyes widening comically in my peripheral vision. Of course it stops relatively quickly, but now I have crossed the 10 meter distance to the ladder. Leaping up it, I climb up the fixed ladder quickly, to the point where I am above the rat''s reach. The normal rats all crowd around the base of the ladder, as the king once again approaches. He begins pacing beneath the ladder, as I turn my body to try and face the rats. Hooking each leg behind one rung, and resting each foot on the rung beneath, I manage to lock my lower body onto the ladder. Sadly, I can''t get a much better position than that, due to the way the curved ladder is attached to the wall. I hold onto the ladder with my left hand in this position while I tentatively extend myself to whip at the rats. The position is unstable to say the least, but is manageable enough to work. I focus on the king, only whipping any other rats while the king is out of reach - still doing damage to both despite the weakened hits from stamina loss. I spend about 5 mins doing this, allowing my health to regen, and even some of my mana along with it - which is instantly used to heal critical areas. This further hurts the king, even though my damage is reduced as I can exert less force through the whip. At the end of this period, I estimate that he must have dropped down to around 10% health. I give out one more whip, catching the king on the shoulder, and then stare in shock. The king bellows loudly, which seems to make the surrounding normal rats regain focus and clarity, even in normal light. His fur also begins to glow red, as he backs up. He lets out another low growl, and sprints forward. As the minion rats part at his growl, I see his muscles swell beneath the crimson fur, as he lowers his crown-shaped protrusion to face the wall the ladder is built into. Of course, the rat is trying to smash the wall, or ladder, down, so I am within his reach. Not to mention the apparent use of a berserk phase! As the rat king slams into the wall, I feel something crack beneath me, the wall I had assumed solid obviously having an area behind it. As the wall tilts forward slightly, I desperately try to throw myself forwards, free of the falling wall. I have a final look down, seeing the rat king, stopped in it''s tracks, blood dripping from it''s crown. It is staring at the falling wall, seemingly in the same state of despair as I am in, as my feet catch the rung they are hooked around. I come free slightly, falling towards the ground. Before darkness once more comes forward to greet me, my last thought is; ''Why does this always happen to me!?'' Chapter 7 - Exit I blink my eyes open slowly once more, shocked to even open them once again. As I blink the bleariness out of my eyes, and try to take stock of the situation, I can''t help but notice a number of things. For example, the crushing pressure over most of my body, as well as the painful throbbing from all of those areas. ''Didn''t clear the wall then...'' I realise, as, obviously the only thing that could cause this and leave me still alive would be the wall. If the roof had collapsed, I''d be dead, and there was not really anything else to fall on me. Of course, as soon as I fully recognise myself as being conscious, a wave of tables once more arrives;
Monstrous Rat King - lvl 7 - [BOSS] - Has Died!
+14900XP Drops; Royal Rat Pelt x1 Teeth Of The Rat King (Dagger set) Monster Crystal (Monstrous Rat King) x1 Crown Of The Rat King (Head Accessory)
Level Up!
You are now level 6! You now have [30] stat points to distribute! XP to next level : 6900/19200
Congratulations!
Your repeated successes at somehow surviving impossible odds and coming back from the brink of death more than once has earned you a new trait! Trait - Survivalist
Trait - Survivalist
Through surviving repeated near death and low-odds situations, you have earned this trait. +5 Luck Increase to survival chances in low-odds situations Other subsets of this trait are unlockable.
Dungeon Cleared!
Congratulations on clearing floor two of the Flooded Toilet Dungeon. As there were only two floors to this dungeon, it has now been completed, and so you gain your rewards!Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Title - Dungeon Delver Title - Lone Adventurer Exit Portal Other loot may be found in the dungeon, and the exit portal may be used at any time. Exit portal is locked to this location, so return to leave.
Title - Dungeon Delver
As one who has cleared a dungeon, you have earned the title to prove your actions! +1 to all main stats (stats which can be modified with attribute points) per dungeons cleared Current Dungeons Cleared : 1 -Flooded Toilet Dungeon
Title - Lone Adventurer
As you have cleared a dungeon on your own, without the help of others, you have gained this acheivement. Due to the danger of gaining this acheivement, few have it, although some very low level dungeons take a large toll for people to gain this title. +5 to all stats when fighting alone +1 to all stats when fighting with others
''Phew, now that was an ordeal. At least the dungeon is over and done with, I was afraid I''d have to go crawling through those rat tunnels next!'' Although still pinned under rock, I can''t help but be overjoyed that I''ve managed to clear the dungeon both within the required timeframe, and rightly at all. The stat bonuses don''t hurt either. Nor does the loot. Or the exit portal that merely requires that I be in this atea for use. Still, I''d best make sure that I was not unconscious for too long; ''Dungeon Timer''
Dungeon Timer
1h 14m 54sec remaining before dungeon collapse
''Well, that''s less than I hoped...'' I had hoped to be able to look around the area a bit, and perhaps kill some standard rats, just for the XP and loot. Sadly, with that timer, I won''t have time for anything like that. Still, it''s worth trying to get out from under here, so that I can see what was behind the collapsed wall. As my head is free, and I can see the area around me, strewn with clumps of old bricks that did not fall apart, I start trying to move myself that way. My arms are still free, as my back is holding up most of the piece of wall above me, and so I use those to try and move myself forwards. Unfortunately, I am on my front; so I can''t even attempt to lift the wall slightly, so that I can get out. However, I can slowly wriggle forwards, causing scrapes, which I repair with mana regrowth (as my mana has regenned), making some progress. After about 10 mins of slowly and painfully getting out from under the wall, My back is freed and just my legs are still under. As I once more try to continue moving forwards, the chunk of wall breaks in two without the support of my back, allowing me to slide easily underneath. Once more getting to my feet, and looking around the room, I can see debris strewn around the service coridoor. Turning around and lookin around me, I see a cave like room, with a more etherial light to the electrical ones currently above me. Clambering over the rubbish and entering the room, I can see a chest on ground level. I recklessly approach the chest, despite the dungeon scene, and open the lid. After fighting for many hours, and undergoing heavy trauma for the rest of the last 23 hours has taken it''s toll on me, and I didn''t even cinsider that it might be trapped. I still open the lid fully though, as a stalagtite shatters to the floor beside me. Within, is a small pile of gold, a book, and some other miscellaneous stuff. Swiping it all into my inventory, I run through the cave entrance again, mentally screaming ''EXIT PORTAL'' As I pass the boundry into the service tunnel, with more stalagtites and now some rocks and bricks falling around me, a bright flash encompasses my vision. I made it to the portal! Chapter 8 - Return As the blinding light fades from around me, I collapse to my knees in relief. I had survived! I bask in the feeling of freedom for a few seconds, before I notice the strangely familiar sensation of cold water seeping through my trousers. Standing quickly up once more, I discover that I''m back in the toilets once more, however they are in a dilapidated state, similar to but not quite as extreme as in the dungeon. Having taken in my suroundings, a blue window once more appears;
Congratulations!
You have cleared the Flooded Toilet Dungeon within the required timeframe. For now, you have been returned to an alternate version of Earth, along with all others who have finished their challenges. Until time runs out, you can explore this new Earth, continuing to level and gain loot, or hole up and gain some much needed relaxation for a few hours. Time also trevels at a third of the time here than in the dungeon, so you should have some time to complete some final actions before you leave. Once time runs out, everything non-mechanical in nature (I.e. clothing but not technology) will be teleported with you. Use the time wisely.
The window confirms what I aleady suspected, that I was in an alternate Earth, similar to the dungeon. As we can still level, this version is obviously still full of mobs, however for a change we can go wherever we please. Deciding that the stress I have gone through already is enough, I walk over to the once-again-untouched mop and bucket, grabbing the cleaning fluid due to it''s use in the past. Walking out of the room, I scour the trolley for anything useful, finding little, except from a couple of aerosol air fresheners. I take them as the store could have items which could work with these, such as lighters. Before I leave, I take the opportunity to walk around the store I once worked at, looking for anything useful. I find a few normally useful items, such as knives, however they have little use to me now - especially with the daggers I gained from the Rat King. I also see some things like food, which I avoid as a long time appears to have passed in this alternate Earth. While scouring the shelves, I encounter a few large rats, which identify names as Giant Rats, however they all run away and don''t attack.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Before leaving, I grab myself a change of clothes from the clothing section, just changing in the store, as well as an extra set which goes into my inventory. I also grab a new pair of shoes, along with a pair of relatively durable-looking boots. Lastly, I take a large backpack, which looks like it could store some items. My inventory is not limitless, and so I should also be prepared to carry items in and of themselves. In the backpack, I chuck a few essentials which I find, such as a box of matches, both so the backpack is less awkward to wear, and in case I need to start a fire. With it, some standard locks, for whatever reason I might want them. Anyway, I figure that they are not modern enough to be discarded when I move on to Terrae. On the way out, I also loot the tills, as I have no idea whether there is any value to normal money or not. I get a few hundred pounds from it, all fitting into the inbuilt inventory system. Walking the streets home, I also encounter a few mobs, mostly of low level. Most run away, however one group does fight me. While walking down the street, a group of zombies spotted me from the other end of an alley. There was only four of them, and they only gave 50 XP each, and were easy to take out with the whip. If I had to get into arm''s reach of them though, I''m not sure things would''ve gone so cleanly. I got two pieces of rotten meat and one thigh bone as loot, which I disgustedly stored in my inventory. The XP had little impact on my level though, bringing me up to 7050/19200. Continuing on, it takes me 15 mins to walk to my house. At times, I see activity of sorts in the distance - whether it be mob groups or other prople I am unsure - after all I''m slightly shortsighted. alking up onto the driveway and up to the door, I pull on the handle to see if it is unlocked. Surprisingly it is - obviously my parents were in when this alternate world was created. Looking around the house, I am surprised to see that it''s in relatively good condition, unlike anything else I''ve seen so far. Saddened by how my normal life was torn apart with but one sudden change, I depressedly consider how I might not even see my family ever again. A solitary tear slips down my cheek, as I walk upstairs to what was once my room. Not bothering to change, I set my alarm for a few hours so I still have tome to make final preparations, before lying down on the bed to get a few final hours sleep in. After all, I don''t know when I''ll get to sleep next. Chapter 9 - Departure Waking to the obnoxious beep of the alarm around two hours later, leaving me with around 20 minutes before we are teleported out of this shitheap of Earth. I should mention that I amnota morning person, and so waking to an alarm in general is not pleasant. Let alone when it''s just a normal day, waking up to face a almost literal hell-on-Earth is not fun. Nor was it on my bucket list. Well, even though it wasn''t, it''s still been achieved. ''Woot! I guess...'' Well, after the obligatory few minutes of waking up and grumbling at the world, and the alarm clock, I get up from my bed. Going downstairs, still clothed from yesterday, I search the house for any food which may not have gone off. As I have said, my house appears to be in quite good condition, so there might be some cans of food or something hidden away. Searching through the cupboards, I find a couple tins of beans, as well as some alcohol - after all, what house does not contain at leastsome alcohol. I put the alcohol in my inventory, as at the very least it could be used as trade goods, and continue rummaging. I look into the fridge and am surprised to see that everything appears to be of normal quality, and not aged or degraded in any way. Pulling out some items, they all look perfectly edible, leading me to believe that the houses of the people who survived the dungeons were preserved. Hoping it was safe, I grab some leftovers from the last family meal we had, and sit down to eat. I ear quickly, and savour the taste of food, after having been unable to eat for almost a full day. I also fill a glass with plain tap water, as I have had very little to drink either - merely some sewer water. Luckily, I don''t seem too badly affected by this, probably because of the mana regrowth skill - it''s passive could help provide nutritional supplements to my body as well as heal, or merely keep my cells alive without a solid requirement for glucose like normal. After eating, while I''m still in the kitchen, I grab some basic pots from the cupboards, as if I need to cook in the future, I will need some to cook in. Leaving the room, I move around the house and reminisce at the memories I have of this place, ad well as my family and friends who I might not even see ever again. Hell, it''s likely that many of my friends died to the dungeon, let alone the random chance of me encountering them being so low. Feeling tears well in my eyes, I focus on the goal of being able ot return home one day to my family, rather than the futility of the goal. With determination holding my mind steady, for now, I move around the house, collecting items which could be useful in the new world. Granted, I don''t know what the world will be like at all, but fantasy and fiction tropes dictate that is blue boxes and monsters start appearing in your world, it''s generally a fantasy themed world in nature, at least a few centuries behind us in pure tech. Therefore, I focus on items which could help survival, or could be traded for other items. Sadly, there is not much in the house that I''m willing to just take and sell, and even then most things would be technologically advanced enough to be stopped. I also take a few books, themed around subjects like maths, as if the other world is behind us in technology, then modern math would likely be valuable to them.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Completing all these actions leaves me with around two minutes left before I''m moved to the new world, leaving me at a loss for what to do. While pacing the house in this period, I glance into a mirror, and freeze at the sight of myself. Although what looks back from the mirror is recognisablyme,it is also not what I remember. Unlike before, the surface layer of my skin has a slightly translucent tinge to it, giving it a strange look. Throughout, there is also a strange greenish colouration to this translucent layer. Most of the rest of me is the same, except perhaps the fact that the shape of my bod in general seems to be slightly different to the average human body, with fewer lines on my hands, although I still appear to have a fingerprint, and a almost softer look to my body shape in general. I can only presume that these changes come from the race change, with me taking on and adapting some of the traits of a slime. With that, I wonder if I have a core somewhere inside of me? Unlikely, but still disturbing if there is. Uncomfortable with the changes, but unable to do anything about them, I tear my eyes away from the mirror and back back into the living room from the corridor. Checking the world timer, as it is called now that I have left the dungeon, I see how long I have left
World Timer
25seconds remaining until world change initialises.
With only a short period of time remaining, due to how long I stared at my own reflection, I take a final look around the room, making a solemn vow to myself ''I will do everything I can to one day make it back home, to my family'' With this, A blinding flash of light encroaches on my vision, pushing in from the sides, until I could see nothing but blinding white light. I had officially left Earth. Side Chapter 1 - Earth On a fateful day in summer, 2016, a strange event occurred worldwide. On that day, normal people the world over stared in shock at the strange, blue windows that appeared in front of their eyes, describing the strange events that were transpiring around them. On that day, all the people earthlings knew who were between 12-18 years of age had mysteriously disappeared, with nothing but the blue windows to explain. At around mid-morning, mere moments before the windows appeared, a sudden flash of light, even indoors, shocked the people of Earth, waking them, or causing them to pay shocked attention to the windows. In addition, those who looked outside on that day, would claim to have seen strange crystal formations hanging in the sky, from which the penetrating light shot from. The crystal formations hung in the sky for a full 24-hour period, before emitting another final flash, and fading into the sky. Scientists the world round were puzzling on how this was even possible, or mourning the sudden disappearance of their children. Religious groups took the event to prove the existence of their gods or goddesses, and conspiracy theorists claimed that it was all just a government ran plot to usurp the peace.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The strange formations were observed to be emitting forms of... something which was measurable with modern equipment, but yet completely different to anything ever seen before - perhaps the cause of the upheaval, with many people claiming to have being able to feel it themselves at the time. Overall, the disappearance of teenagers the world over caused the greatest impact, with large amounts of personal assets going unclaimable due to combinations of law and protesters, parents grieving, fearing that their loss was final, and businesses and schools collapsing around the disappearance. With high schools almost empty, and no teenagers of age to fill jobs many shops needed to be done, employment demand soared to new heights, for those who could adapt to this change, and some jobs and industries temporarily collapsed, waiting for children to grow to the required age to fill placements in schools, for example. Due to this, people were fired from their jobs at a similar rate to unemployment, causing both stability and instability in communities. That fateful day forever changed the people of Earth, and would be remembered with disbelief, horror, and sadness when looking back, not to mention the day a new enemy was created in the hearts of humanity as a whole... Chapter 10 - Terrae As the white light fades, I blink in shock at what I can see around me. I am standing in a small clearing, surrounded by what appears to be dense forest - although of a different sort to anything I have seen before. The environment is full of bright colours and in places resembles a rainforest, but the atmosphere and general structure seems to speak of something like a dense temperate forest. The clearing I am in is only a few metres wide, although it seems conveniently structured. The trees arch over the top, forming a very thick, nearly impenatrable-seeming roof layer, save a open circle at the peak, which allows light to stream in freely. A small stream runs along the edge to the left of me, trickling gently in the background of sights and sounds. Completing the structure, there is an opening on the side I am facing, which is presumably to let me either in or out. In the distance there is a gentle cacophony of sounds, like you often hear a rainforest portrayed, with the gentle croaking of insects and animals, bird song, and other unidentifiable sounds. Altogether, it forms a peaceful synphony of noises, something that I have never had the pleasure to hear before in my life. Although it could probably affect sleeping, it is quiet enough to make that unlikely. As I go to move around the small clearing, or even structure, I am once again bombarded by a familiar sight; a wave of tables.
Welcome to Terrae!
You and many others of your race have managed to pass the trials set before you! Congratulations! Now, a whole new world of challenges and dangers await you. Good luck, as you''ll need it!
Temporary Structure
The structure you are in is a temporary structure. Like the dungeon you have been through in the past, this area does not truly exist in the real world, but is instead a twisted version of it. In here, you will be (mostly) safe until it breaks down, in exactly a week from now, to give you an introduction and tutorial period to Terrae. However, it is advised that you travel outside and build up your strength before it is gone, as afterwards you are on your own!
Restrictions Unlocked
All restrictions placed upon access to your status on Earth have been lifted now that you are on Terrae. Stat boosts will take effect, and you will be able to place any attribute points you gained from levelling into your stats. Congratulations for surviving, and good luck.
Title - World Traveller
Like all other living Earthlings in your age category, you have travelled betwen worlds. Although this is normally a rare title to gain, this title has very little benefits to begin with anyway. This title will merely allow you to get a very small leg up on your path to catching up with the residents of this world. +1 to all main stats per world visited (other than home world) Worlds visited: -Terrae
Title - Tenacious
For surviving against tall odds with strong determination, you have been granted this title. Although not uncommon for either your fellow world travellers, or the residents of Terrae to have, it strongly demonstrates what you are made of throughout, and not just on the ourside. Willpower Stat Unlocked +5 willpower (willpower stat can only be gained through titles or experiences, not through stat points)
''Huh... Okay then, I won''t refuse either the free titles, or the free protective shelter!'' I think happily, as after all, who wouldn''t want free protection against the dangers which lie outside this clearing? Nobody is the answer! ''Now, the windows mentioned that I will gain the stats given by titles now, however I can''t feel any changes, is there some sort of limitation on them, I wonder?'' I can''t help but think to myself, and lo and behold, the great blue window gods do indeed provide!
Stat points will be applied while you are asleep, so that your body can adapt to the new changes, without a damaging period of a lack of control.
''Well, that, surprisingly, makes perfect sense!'' As I would imagine, it seems as though gaining large amounts of strength, for example, could seriously throw out the body''s normal natural balance, if it had no time to adapt. Some stats could theoretically be alright anyway, such as manual dexterity, as it would most likely just affect the precision with which I can move my muscles, rather than any difference in strength or intelligence, however it would probably still help to be able to adapt.Stolen story; please report. Deciding to hold off on stat point allocation for now (I have a lot being put in already, and I would like to be able to feel how it affects me, so I can be more informed when I put in stat points), I instead look around the structure, to see what there actually is. Inside, there are no other useful features, except from what seems to be a near-bottomless hole at one side. Which, surprisingly, I can''t actually put a foot or hand down, at all. Having a waste disposal area, as well as a toilet, is always useful - after all, I don''t want to contaminate a potentially contaminatable water source (I''m not testing if I can or not). However, the lack of anything else means that I must have to provide any food I need, as well as fire to cook it, or to gain warmth by. However, although there are no other practical features, I do find out that when I look out of the top of the structure, I can see a relatively small floating crystal, transluscent blue in colour, floating up above, which appears to be giving off the light for the area, in place of the sun. Perhaps the crystal has something to do with the dungeon-like dimension, which from my past understanding of fiction is most likely either an instance or a pocket dimension, or it is merely a light source for the place. However, after looking around, there is nothing else for me to do. Instead of just being lazy and waiting around, or sleeping for the stats, I decide to take a quick glance around outside. Walking up the the entrance-like area, I take a glance around the edges of the arch, seeing if it actually seems natural, and I also look into the arch itself, to see if I can see anything out of it. Instead of seeing forest, however, I can merely see an inky blackness, as though there was an endless tunnel with no light in front of me. Taking a teep breath, I walk through. After a moment of a feeling like walking through tar, I step out the other side. This time, I stepinto a clearing, from a natural-seeming atch, apparently linked to the temporary structure. The new clearing is about the same size as the one within the natural-esque structure, which could lend credence to the idea that the place with the structure is in fact an instance. This time, however, the trees appear nowhere near as impenetrable, instead appearing as a more normal dense forest. I can still hear the peaceful noises of animals in the distance, and for a minute or so I just sit down in the grass and bask in the beauty of this new world. However, I am startled out of my thoughts by an angry hiss. My eyes snap opn, to see an angry bunny-like thing glaring at me from the other side of the clearing. However, this one has red eyes, is quite a bit larger, and even appears to have long and sharp teeth and claws. Sensing that this will likely be a close combat fight, I summon the rat king''s daggers from my inventory, which I still need to identify, and then identify the bunny;
Savage Bunny - Level 12 - 45/45hp
Although most bunnies in the forests of Terrae are just normal bunnies, like the ones from your world, some are driven insane by the kill-or-be-killed-to-level-up environment of Terrae, and become savage and brutal in their quests to become the most powerful bunnies! Although this bunny is relatively weak for it''s kind, it is still an irritating opponent for most untrained people your age on Terrae, and perhaps a few very low levelled adventurers.
Quickly skimming through the information, my eyes widen at the first line. At level 12, this would be a much harder fight than even the Rat King, if it was not for it''s low health. From it''s build, as well as apparent stats, it must be a speed-based killer, and not a brute strength boss like the Rat King. Focusing back on the beast itself, I go into what could almost be consiered hyperfucus, waiting for some form of movement or twitch on it''s part to broadcast it''s movements. As I do this, the muscles throughout it''s body ripple as they tense, before it leaps at me. Jumping to the side, I narrowly avoid the attack through my observations, spinning to continue watching. Again, it leaps at me, and this time I fall to the side, holding out the knife in my left hand as I fall. As it flies past, I clip one leg, drawing some blood, and drawing a yelp from the animal as it lands. Clearly deciding that that strategy was nor working, it charges me, using it''s speed to move out of the way of me throwing kicks at it''s agile body as it claws at my legs. It tears apart the lower portion of my trousers, cutting long wounds into my flesh. Letting out a loud hiss, I drop down to my knees, so that I have some more reach with my knives, and also so that I can protect my legs better. I narrowly miss the beast with my knees, which is a shame as that would''ve led to an easy kill on it, after it had lost it''s advantage of movement. I see the animal running around to my front again, obviously more confident now that I had left the more maneuverable position I had earlier. However, now I can reach the animal with my knives. I slash backwards and around with my right hand knife, stabbing it through it''s jaw, which was open ready to chomp down on my leg. With the critical hit, and it''s low health, the animal drops dead. Swiping the loot quickly, without checking what it is, and carrying the body with me, I stagger back into the realm of safety. Dropping the body by the entrance, I stagger on my lacerated legs towards a softer-looking patch of grass at one side of the structure, and collapse down on it, falling asleep almost instantly... Chapter 11 - Stats I blink my eyes groggily as I wake up from my night''s (I think) sleep. Blearily blinking my eyes, I feel astounded at how different I feel throughout. I feel many times more energised than in the past, even after just waking, with a clear mind which feels as though it can work many times faster than in the past. My body almostpulses with power compared to the past, and all of my joints and muscles feel much smoother and easier to move, in any direction. I can almostfeel how much my coordination has increaced, as I feel a greater harmony between my mind and body. There are also more... subtle changes that I can almost vaguely sense, but cannot describe or even... comprehend. Almost as though the way in which I am percieving these changes was practically unused in the past. Despite all this though, I can still tell that I am... me. Despite feeling as though my computational ability, physical ability, dexterity, and more have all increaced, my mind, my core of being, still remains constant. Although it may change because of how I have changed, the change in my body had no change on my... self? It''s almost as though I cansense what the core of my being is, and yet also not be able to; as though I can feel it''s existence but feel no further. The effect of stat points seems to be absolutely marvelous - greater than my imagined effects of ''I am now stronger'' and ''I can now think a bit faster'', my whole being has changed along with the stats. Although I am still me, I am nowmore than I once was. Surprisingly, as I inspect my body, my physical form has not greatly changed. Although with some of my stats, namely flexibility, the addition has clearly changed my body to be able to be more flexible, the other stats seem to have not greatly affected my physical form. Taking strength as an example, although my physical form has changed slightly, as my muscles (or what I have that could be called muscles) feels slightly more refined, few other changes have occured, despite the change. My body also feels quite different in this regard, as my strength appears to have been evened out over my whole body, in stark contrast to in the past; my right arm, for instance, was much stronger than my left, due to the many more tasks I used it for in my life. However, the lack of change in my physical body appears that it could show that although enhancing stats, at least in the realm of physical ability, is also dictated by natural talent - it appears that, for example, if I trained myself to be in peak physical form, my strength stat would not change, even if I did gain in strength. This would mean that certain people would have a higher aptitude towards strength, as some people can put on some more natural muscle than others. However, after a point, training would probably affect stats, as even for the strongest people on Earth, there was still a limit to how much strength they could gain. This could imply that other areas could also be influenced by aptitude, which would mean that some people are predisposed towards certain ''class'' archtypes, or even mixes, than others; i.e that someone with a higher strength aptitude would be more suited to become a strength-based warrior, or something along those lines. However, besides some mostly circumstantial evidence, I have no proof for this. Stats, though, would still allow people to grow in any direction they chose, if this is the case, as enhancing a stat would still enhance that stat, it would merely be that some people would find it easier to develop into a mage than others might, for example. Deciding to take a break from trying to decifer the mechanics of this new world, I open up my status screen;
Status
Name James Davidson
Race Earth Human (Slime Variant)
Age 15
Level 6 (8400/19200)
Titles
Explorer, David and Goliath, Dungeon Delver, Lone Adventurer, World Traveller, Tenacious
Traits
Strategist, Flexibility, Physical Resistance, Iron Stomach, Adaptability (Enhanced), Mana Affinity, Survivalist
Stats Resistances
Unspent Stat Points - 30 Temperature 50
Strength 17 Humidity 50
Vitality 12 Poison 50
Constitution 15 Death ???????
Agility 15 Life ???????
Dexterity 24 Fire ???????
Intelligence 30 Earth ???????
Wisdom 46 Water ???????
Perception 22 Air ???????
Luck 24 Nature ???????
Flexibility 17 Ice ???????
Balance 20 Electric ???????
Durability 13 Metal ???????
Willpower 17 Void ???????
Mana 43.5/43.5 Space ???????
Mana Regen 6.7/min (5.7) Mind ???????
Health 29.75/29.75 Light ???????
Health Regen 1.6/min (2.6) Dark ???????
Skills Inventory
Settings Miscellaneous
This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ''That... is one monstrosity of a status screen'' I think as I state at the ''floating'' window. Reading through the stats, I can see how much I have improved, even just in 24 hours. Following the standard template for tables, the base average appears to have been 10, although the stats actually seem to depend on my own physical body, form, and mind, and not just have a common base level, as if I took 10 as the base for all, I can immediately see. Also, seeing the titles and traits laid out makes them seem a lot more substantial than before - after all it seems quite extraordinary to be able to collect them all within 24-hours. There is also evidence which could show the stat calculations for Mana and Health depending on stats added, however I shelve that for later as it would take a while to work out. Once more leaning away from the mechanics of this world, I walk over to the small stream in the corner of the room. Cupping my hands, I drink a few mouthfulls of water, sating my thirst, before washing my face in the clean, icy water. For breakfast, as I currently have nothing to cook with, I eat the remaining leftovers I grabbed from back home, leaving the few cans we had in storage, as I have no way to either heat cans or cook meat, such as what I have from the rabbit corpse from yesterday (presumably I slept through the night), and perhaps from it''s loot, which, thinking of it, I decide to check while eating the meal. Instead of checking my inventory, I decide to check the battle logs of the fight, for the death notification;
Savage Bunny - Level 12 Has Died
+1300 XP Drops; Bunny Meat Steak x1 Savage Bunny Hide x1 Savage Bunny Ear x1 (Bounty Item)
As expected, I gained some meat, as well as a hide - despite the fact that the bunny corpse still has both. Perhaps, the one collected from the actual animal has a chance to be much higher quality or something, only one can be held onto, or it is a way to double your rewards. Looking over at where I left the corpse, I am shocked to see it fading into the air. As I watch, it turns transparent, before it''s faded, transluscent remains sink into the ground. Apparently, accessing the loot from the monster is the time when it''s actually collected, a process which removes the corpse of the monster. So, by that logic, you should collect what you want from a monster before taking it''s loot, which would presumably no longer include any of the manually harvested items. In the case of a substance like meat, it ould be possible to obtain much more than otherwise, and it would presumably let you gain any item drops from the monster still, which is most definitely a neat feature! Finishing the meal, I decide to start work on something more permanent for me to stay in - a shelter in the ourside world. After all, this pocket dimension is only here for a mimited time, so it would be smart for me to have somewhere to stay afterwards. Putting off allocating my stat points for now - after all I should get used to the stats I have now first, I change clothes into the second set I took from the shop, before heading over to the exit from the dimension. Sweeping a final gaze around the structure, I step into the black abyss-like exit, and leave in a flash of light. Chapter 12 - Basic Neccesities Stepping out of the portal, I blink my eyes to acclimatise to the bright sun. It appears to be late morning, based on the position of the sun, although it could be early afternoon, it seems unlikely that I slept that long. Looking around the clearing, some signs of the fight yesterday still remain - a few marks in the grass, as well as a few dried blood patches, standing out against the consistent green of the clearing. Thinking back to my original purpose, the clearing is a perfect place to build a shelter, and is also presumably why the dimension was created here. After all, it seems to build onto and edit a version of reality, not create its own new landscape. However, obviously, there are no materials for a shelter within the clearing itself. Which means venturing into the forest, which, if based on the random rabbit from yesterday is not even close to being safe. However, after my night''s rest, I also am, technically, much more powerful than I was then, due to the eventual addition of the large amount of stats I had gained from the titles and traits I had unlocked back on Earth, and the couple I got when I arrived here earlier. So, it should, theoretically, be much easier for me to kill such a monster, despite it still being more powerful than me in levels alone. Taking the risk, I walk out into the relatively dense forest, mentally marking where the clearing is. From my experience reading back on Earth, I know what it''s very easy to lose your position in a dense forest, so, pulling out the daggers I got from the rat king, I score a mark on the inward side of the trees on each side. Therefore, I can know the exact pathway I took, if I stumble across a tree with these marks. On every 5th tree on my right side, I draw an arrow, to show the direction I am currently walking in, so I know to head the opposite direction to get back. In the dense forest, I can see a few things that would be useful for making a shelter, even just a few meters from the clearing. For example, there are some flexible-looking vines clinging to the trees, which I of course identify, even though each only gives me 1 XP, of which I collect 10 3-meter long strands, each about a centimeter thick, while only ranging about 15 meters into the forest. I head back and drop them off in the clearing, before heading back out. The main item I need for the shelter is some form of structural material, which in a forest is almost always wood. Luckily, when I was younger I spent quite a lot of time building small shelters and such, so I have a basic idea of how to put one together, and so, I know what I need to have, in principle. I collect any long pieces of deadwood, even if they''re not straight, and carry them back to the clearing, separating them into piles based around what they are - usable wood in one pile, potentially usable in another, etc. Luckily, up to this point I have managed to not run into any dangerous animals, although I have heard some noise in the underbrush. Though the noise in the underbrush is vaguely worrying, it is probably just small wildlife scattering at the noise I was making. By the point that I have enough materials to be able to construct the beginnings of my shelter and work on most of the structure in general, it is already approaching evening. At early afternoon I went back into the dimensional shelter for some water and a late lunch of cold, canned food, which was horrible, before getting back to work, and after this point I had to begin using my knives to cut off more pieces of wood, but now only those which seemed useful for building the shelter with. At this point, it is nearing the end of the day, so I decide to put off assembling the shelter itself - an act which could take a while. Alternatively, I decide to go into the forect to prepare some materials for a fire tomorrow - after all lighting one now would be pointless. I head out into the forest, setting off down a new direction than where I went earlier. After walking about 50 meters, carving the lines into trees as I go, I come across a fallen tree, with some dead underbrush beneath - the tree is quite wide, so parts of the plants underneath died as they grew in a different direction to get sunlight. I collect some of the dead, dry pieces of the plants, so that I can get a big enough fire to light some larger wood when I start the fire.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. I begin to head back to the camp, walking in the now near-darkness, and gat about halfway back. I freeze in terror as I hear a pained hiss and a raised area beneath my left foot, and cast Identify into the darkness;
Large Forest Snake - Level 15 - 67/67HP
A common predator in most forests in this region of Terrae, the large forest snake is a large constrictor species which is partially nocturnal. These snakes are not innately aggressive, however if provoked they can be vicious, often willing to fight to the death with whomever awakened it''s wrath.
''That is one powerful snake... which I just appear to have provoked...'' The snake is still hissing at me, and I slowly step backwards from it in the darkness. As it moves, it''s shiny scales catch a partch of now dim light, showing a three meter long body with forest green scales. Backing away slightly faster, I move about two meters away from the snake before it launches it''s body at me, hitting me in the chest. Just after the point of impact, I manage to jump backwards slightly, preventing the snake from coiling around me. However, I still lose some health and my chest aches from the impact. Seeing no way to get past the snake and get back to camp, I decide to attempt to kill the monster. With it''s tough scales, it is unlikely that the blunt damage from the whip of the slime queen will do much damage at all, and so I decide to attempt to kill it with the rat king''s daggers which I already have in my hands. While the snake is recovering from it''s diving strike at my chest, I jump forward with a slash from my right hand dagger. I hit the snake near it''s head, but only manage to draw a shallow wound on it''s scales - even the sharp rat king''s daggers nearly just bounce off. Backing off once again, the snake, biding it''s time, follows my every move. I raise my left arm slightly higher up into a more guarded position, and at this point the snake strikes. Diving forward again like earlier, it targets my arm now, rather than my chest like earlier, displaying a higher intelligence than I would expect from a snake. It catches my upper arm with it''s two non-venomous fangs, deeply penetrating into my bicep. Using the momentum from the diving motion, the snake wraps it''s body around mine, tying my left arm to my body along with most of my right arm, leaving only my lower arm free. Now, the snake begins to constrict, cutting off my air supply. Collapsing on my side, I manage to wound the snake with my trapped left dagger, forcing it to loosen it''s hold slightly. I force my right arm to loop around and stab between it''s coild into it''s left eye, tearing up it''s brain inside. Thankfully, this does enough damage to kill the snake, and it''s body collapses to the floor, leaving two deep gouges in my arm. Thankfully no arteries or veins seem to have been severed, by some miracle, however it is still excruciatingly painful. I also dump my passive mana regen as well as my mana pool into mana regrowth, which closes the wounds a bit, and speeds up recovery I head back to the camp, firewood long forgotten, and head into the dimensional shelter. I wash the wounds in the small stream, before taking a shirt from my inventoryand tearing it into strips. I use these to bind the two wounds. Luckily I''m not losing too much blood anyway, however it is much better to be safe than to die from blood loss in my sleep. Then, trying to ignore the pain, I let my already exhausted body lie down where I did the night before, and rest to try and heal the wounds overnight. Chapter 13 - Progress Waking up, I blink my eyes in mild pain at the bright-ish light which greets me. Getting up, I wince at the pain when I attempt to use my left arm to help lift myself up, as it is still slightly wounded from yesterday night. i figured it would be healed by now, however it seems that the system has many different rules that govern injury recovery. I change out of my now ripped shirt into another one grabbed from the store, eat a small breakfst of more canned food, washed as best as I can in the stream, and headed back outside. Looking around the clearing, I see that in my absence the piles of sticks and vines I had laid out have all been battered around, mixed up, and many even are now broken. Once again, I gather the different pieces of wood into their respective piles; by straightness and length, and survey what I have. After the wreckage done overnight, about half of the wood I gathered yesterday is unbroken, and all the vines are all still intact. Shuddering at the thought at heading back out to get more wood, I decide to make a start on some basic construction. Using my past knowledge, I begin placing sticks in the ground, using the vines to tie them together and make a relatively sturdy frame. Soon, I use up all the sticks I still have availible after the wreckage done overnight. Seeing that it''s about noon, I head into the dimensional structure to eat a meal of cold food. After lunch, I take some of the broken, yet still straight, pieces of wood. Layering them against the slanted walls of the shelter, I build up a thicker layer of wood, so that, especially after the addition of other features, will help protect the interior from rain. About an hour later, I run out of the usable sticks, and decide to get a fire going so that I can cook all the food I have in my inventory. Luckily most of the food is of the same type, and so it doesn''t bog down my relatively small inventory with only one or two things. Having dropped all the dry kindling in the woods after the snake attack, I have no choice but to either go and try to find more, or collect what I lost. Sadly, both involve a trip into the forest, and so I pull both knives from my inventory and head out along the same path as yesterday. Soon, I reach the area where I first encountered the snake. Looking around in the relatively bright light, I can only see a few pieces of spindly kindling in the area, all of which are covered in the moist earth of the forest. Giving up on that plan, I continue deeper into the woods, until I find the fallen tree. Searching underneath, I again find the dead and dry vegatation from before, and collect a decent amount before heading back. This time, thankfully, I manage to avoid any monster encounters - although it would boost my experience, I do not want to have to do this trip again tomorrow. Back at camp, I start digging out a small firepit. I build it about two meters away from the shelter, and out of the way of the dimensional shelter entrance - I don''t want to break an ankle in it when I leave it in the morning, after all. Sadly, there are no rocks around either, as no fire pit looks complete without a stone ring around it, as well as the added safety it presents with the massive amount of wood around. Once it''s dug, I place the kindling and different thicknesses of sticks near me, in organised piles, to help build the fire when lit. Then, I take out a box of matches from the store back on Earth. However, when I look at the once colourful and well-branded box, I see that it has now become a small wooden container, which still has a sliding compartment like a matchbox. Opening it up, I can see a flint and striker, as well as a small pile of tinder. ''Really, a bloody tinderbox...''.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Deciding to go with it and not check what lighters have become - what medieval equivilent would that be? Hell, it might be magical or some shit - after all, mana exists - I place a small amount of tinder into the centre of the firepit, and attempt in near-futility to light it. The forest is currently near windless, which certainly helps, however I have no practice using an actual flint and steel. I have used ferrocerium rods before, but never a true flint and steel. After about 10 minutes of trying, I finally get a small spark to catch. As the tinder starts to burn, I carefully place the kindling I had nearby over the flame, to build the fire. Luckily, it takes, and the kindling rapidly ignites into a much larger flame. I spend about 10 minutes growing the flame with progressively larger pieces of wood, before I have a relatively large fire burning, on substantially sized wood. While I wait for the flames to die down enough to cook on, I decide to check through the notification I have had building for the last while. The first thing I check is the death notification for the forest snake;
Large Forest Snake - Level 15 - Has Died
2500 XP Drops; Snake Scales x23 Snake Meat x4 Snake Tendon x2
Looking at the window, the loot appears to be pretty standard - body parts only. Then again, now that I am on Terrae, these monsters are probably considered to be the lowest of the low - after all, the system has repeatedly told me that even young children from Terrae are much stronger than I am now, and if I can beat these monsters, then they''re not really a challenge for anybody from here. Despite this, they obviously have a working ecosystem, so perhaps this is an area controlled by a nearby town to train the younger generations, or provide food to the town. That, or this is some sort of initial growth area for low-tier monsters, where they grow and gain in strength before leaving to go to areas with higher levelled populations. However, such a topic can''t be answered for now, as after all I have nobody to give me the answers. And so, I look through the remaining notifications, of which there was nothing interesting, and by this time the fire has begun to die down. I take out a frying pan from Earth - the most fitting tool I have for the job - and the pan has obviously changed to fit Terrae aswell - it''s plastic handle is now varnished wood, and the once shiny stainless metal is now a matt black, and is probably now cast iron, or perhaps some alloy similar to stainless steel from this world. Despite the colour though, the pan is still just as smooth to the touch as polished metal, so perhaps the rules that govern the change decided that stainless steel was too far above cast iron to merely become that. However, such things don''t change the cooking of the meat I have, so I get to it. I cook each piece of meat the same way - well done, pretty burnt, and miraculously none ruined. I finish cooking the large amount of meat, before letting the fire die, and taking the pan inside to wash in the stream. All the cooked meat is also stored in my inventory. After all this, it''s late evening, and I''m exhausted from the day''s work. i sit down and eat a meal of burnt rabbit steak - I''m not brave enough to trysewer rat yet - and lie down to get a good night''s sleep, thankfully not injured like I was yesterday. Chapter 14 - Lair Wiping the sleep out of my eyes, I get up the next morning. Strangely, after the addition of stats, things like getting up on a morning seem to be much easier for me than they were back on Earth - after all, I never was a morning person. As I have the last couple of days, I wash as best as I can and change clothes, before having breakfast - however this time I can have cooked meat, rather than cold, tinned food. Strangely, despite mana regrowth, there are still two white lines on my left arm from the snake bite, however they still appear to be healing. Also, I move .1 mana regen from the skill, so that my mana pool will slowly regen back to full. After breakfast, though, I head back outside to my soon-to-be camp. Luckily, the structure is still standing, and no animals appear to have done much if any damage to it - a stark contrast to what they did the night before. Walking around, I can see that the wood has not even been scratched by animals overnight, and even the ground looks relatively untouched. Perhaps the fire I had yesterday scared the animals off, or it could just be that it was sheer coincidence that animals passed through here and messed up the wood in the first place. Since I used up all the remaining wood yesterday, I decide to head back out into the woods. Since I have already mostly collected the deadwood that could be used for a shelter, I decide to continue removing appropriate branches from trees with the serrated rat king''s blades. Heading off in yet another new direction, I mark the trail as I go, cutting down some long, straight lengths of wood. Periodically, I head back to the camp to drop off the wood, so that I don''t get too overburdened. After a few trips back to camp, I realise what an idiot I''ve been. I have a bloody inventory! why don''t I just store the wood instead of carrying it? I hold a piece of wood in my hand, and think of sending it into my inventory;
Item is over the maximum size and weight limitations of your inventory.
''Well... damn,'' I can''t help but think - after all how amazing would it be to be able to just store large lengths of wood for later use, without actually having to carry them around? Not that it appears to be possible, although it could also be linked to my strength stat, as it states ''your inventory'' and not ''the inventory''. After that dissapointment, I get back to work, and after about three hours of total work, I return to the camp for lunch. By now I have managed to cut down around 30 pieces of wood, although none of them were very thick, and the rat king''s dagger does an amazing job as a saw. After all, if cutting down wood is measured on a system similar to health, then the rat king''s daggers would definately be faster due to their high damage. After lunch, I once more head down the same path, putting off building more of the shelter, and this time decide to explore for a bit. I travel around 400 meters from the camp, marking the trees as I go, before I come across another clearing. As I enter it from the side, I can immediately see that it''s much larger than the one I currently stay in, however in the centre there is a large opening. The opening is quite like a burrow; it is slightly tilted upward, although it is facing me, and is in a large mound of dirt. It''s entrance is also about as tall as I am.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I approach the ''burrow'' from the edge of the clearing, and when I reach about 5 meters away from it, a notification pops up:
Monster Lair
A monster lair is a natural phenomenon formed when a large number of one species of monster congregate in an area. A monster lair is similar to a dungeon in it''s idea, however monster lairs do not conform to the standard structure of floors and bosses, and adhere to the monster''s natural home structure. Monster lairs, when left to grow uncontrollably, also sends out waves of monsters when it reaches full capacity. These will destroy nearby settlements or kill rivalling monsters, if left unchecked. Inside a monster lair, monsters will also reproduce their number faster than they would otherwise, meaning that without destroying a monster lair, it will always be a threat. A monster lair can be destroyed by killing all the monsters inside, or forcing them to flee.
Monster Lair
Recommended Party size - 5 Reccomended average level - 20
''Well, fuck'' I think as I turn around and bolt back to the ''safety'' of the woods. I continue to hurry back to my camp, and finally to feel safe enter the dimensional shelter. And so, I now know that in my pretty much literal back yard, there is a large lair of high-level monsters which would probably easily annihilate me. Thinking about it, it was probably a wave of those who destroyed the wood I left out the previous night. And so, this leaves me two choices: Flee into the complete unknown - which could potentially be much more dangerous - Or stay, and grind like crazy to have a functional shelter, and be high enough level to be able to survive a wave of enemies from it. Luckily, the dimensional shelter here should let me survive one more wave, by hiding, and give me an extra few days of safely to become stronger. And since I don''t fancy running off into the middle of nowhere, with what''s in my inventory, nowhere to sleep, and in a world I know nothing about, I suppose I have no choice but to stay.Hell, the lair itself could be a good place to grind once I get a bit stronger, and could let me grow in strength much faster, if at much higher risk. Heading back outside, I begin to advance the shelter a bit further, with the wood I harvested earlier. I continue building up the simple shelter I started last time, finalising the structure, and strengthening it in places. I also use up the last of the vines, and so I''ll have to get some more of those along with the wood tomorrow. After I finish adding on the wood I have, the shelter''s structure is nearly finished, and only needs a little work before I attempt to waterproof it and make it a bit more livable, if at all possible. By this time, the sun is beginning to set in the sky, and so I head into the dimensional shelter for a late meal of two - yes, two - pieces of cooked meat, and some water from the stream, before once more going to sleep for the night. Chapter 15 - Reinforcement Waking up once again, I go through my new morning routine - Cleaning myself, having breakfast, and changing clothes - before heading back outside. After the scare with the lair yesterday, I am thouroughly motivated to do whatever is needed to raise my strength high enough to resist it''s threat. I suppose the first port of call is to make the shelter relatively resistant to attacks, so that it will be safe to sleep in when the dimensional shelter closes. I already have some ideas to help, however most are quite over-the-top and time consuming. However, before I can execute any of those ideas in the first place, the structure must be finished. I head back out into the forest and gather some more wood and vines, taking around 20 minutes. Not much wood is needed to finish the shelter now anyway, but I should have everything I need for it now. I quickly start assembling the last few parts, and secure it a bit more using the remaining vines. The next most important part is waterproofing, which luckily shouldn''t be too hard in this forest. As it is a cross between a rainforest and a desiduous forest, there are plenty of trees with large, waxy leaves, like you would find in a rainforest. As a temporary measure, these should help stop water from leaking straight through and into the shelter, and so I start to try and collect those. After looking around for such a tree, I begin to climb it - one of the skills I had back on Earth. not only did I climb trees when I was younger, but I had been an avid climber for many years, at least until all this shit started. Once I reach the leafy parts of the tree, I use a dagger to cut down leaves, letting them fall to the ground. I spend a while up there, cutting down the lower layers of leaves, but before long I climb back down, gather them up, and take them back to the shelter. After all, I don''t want to neccasairily kill the tree, just use it to waterproof my shelter. After all that, I had a stack of over a hundred leaves, each being around a square foot in area. Before collecting more, I decide to put these in place first, and so I slide the leaves between the vines and sticks, forming a lattice of leaves across the structure. Soon, I manage to cover one side of the shelter, but after that I only have a few leaves remaining.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. I repeat the process, until I have covered the shelter. About halfway through I took a break for lunch, and now it is approximately 4pm. The shelter is pretty much finished now, all I need to do is try and make it less easy to destroy. With a good few hours left to work, I decide to attempt to do something to help. I cut down a thicker branch, cut a foot-long section from it using my daggers, then split it lengthwise. I use my daggers to flesh out the shovel-head shape with their extremely sharp edges, and carve out a crude hole for another stick to slot into, I cut one off a tree, and whittle it to shape, and withing half an hour I have made myself an incredibly shitty wooden shovel! I begin to dig a trench just outside the edge of the clearing, where underbrush will still conceal it. It is slow work with the crappy shovel and my utter lack of skill, but it is still much better than using my daggers or hands for such a job. I toss the excavated dirt into the clearing, and after a few hours of work I have a foot-deep trench about three-quarters around the clearing, and a large pile of dirt. I left the side facing away from the lair undug, as I after all want a safe place to walk once I finish digging out the trench for any upcoming attack. Thinking about the lair as well as the trench, I decide to attempt to use the dirt to reinforce the walls of the shelter. After all, if it works for the monsters, why can''t it work for me? I pile up the dirt around the base, and pack it tight, before building up the dirt around the shelter to almost form a mound. Of course, I don''t have nearly enough to cover the shelter yet, but already it would be harder to dislodge the structure of the shelter than before. I also try and build it so that the dirt does not rest on the shelter itself, but more on the dirt beneath it, so it does not strain and break the structure under it''s own weight. By now, it''s getting dark, so I head inside. Tomorrow I will probably distribute my remaining stat points, and also should finish the shelter. After that, all I can do is raise my own personal strength to try and resist any attack the lair throws at me, but who knows if what I''ve done will even be enough? I suppose faith is all we have when it comes to this. And so, after a quick meal of cold, badly grilled meat, I go to sleep, ready for the next day. Chapter 16 - Trip Hazard Waking up blearily, I tiredly climb to my feet, wiping sleep from my eyes. Once up, I go through my now usual routine of washing myself in the stream, and eating a meal of badly cooked meat, in the sense of it being heavily burned and overdone. Then, I change into one of the few clean sets of clothing I still have, before going back out to work. In the clearing, nothing has changed since I was last here - the shelter still half-finished, with remnants and materials scattered around the area. Immediately, I get to work deepening the trench, widening and deepening it while piling the dirt up near the shelter. Eventually, I get a half-meter wide and deep hole dug around the edge of the clearing, apart from in one section, which has been reduced from a quarter to a meter-wide strip. Leaving the trench for now, I first grab a bite of lunch before I decide to do as much as possible to finish the shelter with what I currently have. I continue piling and compacting the dirt around the wooden and leaf-covered frame, quickly using up large quantities of dirt. As the shelter, despite it''s overly long construction time, is still very small, I manage to cover most of it with what I have, leaving just a section at the shelter''s peak uncovered. Deciding to dig up more dirt a bit later, I go back out into the forest to gather some straight lengths of wood, making sure to go in the opposite direction to the lair. After about a half hour, I return with an armful of long, straight sticks, thinner than the ones I used for the shelter, but still substantial in thickness. As most are around a meter in length, I break the 10 or so sticks into foot-long lengths, getting around 3 per stick. Then, getting out my extraordinarily sharp knife set, I whittle the sticks to as sharp a point as I can get on one end. Luckily, the Rat King''s knives make the job much easier as the blades'' sharpness makes whittling almost feel like cutting butter, speeding up the job tremendously. After another half hour of hard graft, I have finished with the sticks, and set them to one side temporarily. Before setting them in the trench, I decide to finish the digging by lowering the half-meter wide ditch by a few inches, and raising a wall on the inner edge, making the wall''s effective height larger.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. After digging the dirt, I pile it on the inside, building up a small wall, before remembering that I still need some for the shelter itself. I quickly lower the area I''ve dug by a few more inches, and consistently lower the trench by double the original amount, splitting the dirt distribution between wall and shelter 50-50. Within the hour, the job of making the two piles of dirt is complete; one horseshoe shaped and the other a generic conical pile. I go around, compacting the dirt in the ''wall'', so it won''t be easily knocked over by any unfortunate creatures. After that, I finish up the top of the shelter, compacting it down, completing the now amorphously lumpy shape of the shelter. A brown log in a lovely green field. Damn, if it doesn''t ruin the scenery! Ignoring the blemish on the landscape for now, I turn my mind to another local blemish on the landscape, drawing from it the determination to keep working. I Go back out into the woods, before the sun starts the set, and collect more arm-fulls of straight sticks, around an inch thick. I do this three times, taking up around a half hour, and then do the same thing as I did before, breaking them into 3 equal pieces, which would be nigh impossible to do neatly without my new strength, and whittle them down to a point, giving me a total of 127 sharpened stakes. I go around the trench, shoving the pointy end of each stake into the ground, turning them around, and ramming them into their own created holes, so that I don''t have to dig them or sharpen both ends. After the trench is completed, I still have around 40, so I place them facing outwards in the wall, so that anyone jumping into it would have a nasty surprise. Looking at the near-dark sky, I head over to the entrance to the pocket dimension. "CRASH" My head snaps backward, and I pull my knives out of my inventory. The noise came from the other side of the shelter, so I edge around, listening intently. As I approach, I hear some muttering, and as I round the corner, I am shocked to see a small group of people mocking another guy who seems to have just tripped in my trench... "Hello...?" Minor Update Decided to not use the author note for this, well, author''s note, as mostly this chapter will be an author''s note. I just want to give some explanation for the many delays that have happened, for whatever reasons they have, and things along those lines. Well, I have already mentioned why chapters did not really come out around the start of my summer, and that was for a number of reasons, and the last chapter was the first one in the summer, I believe. I did say I would have one out during that week... which didn''t happen... nor did it that Saturday... or during the next week... until we get to today. I''m dropping you guys this note just to give you a more solid head''s up about when updates are coming out and what I''ve been working on. Not long after I posted the last chapter, I finally gave in to some of the other fiction ideas I have had in my head, for, well, as long as I''ve been writing this, and since my writing window makes up only a few hours a week, usually (there are exceptions) due to a variety of circumstances, it mostly got consumed by that. I at one part wrote some of the chapter, then went to save the draft, only to realise that my computer had been restarted and chrome reopened to the page it was at before, which signs me out. And, RRL, for some reason, instead of giving you a warning to copy changes or anything, makes you log in, then redirects you to the login page and does not save the work done in the draft. And, after that, I gave up for that night out of sheer frustration, and the next. That has happened to me more than once now as well. And, just to tack on the end here, I want to mention that the fiction I said I was spending time planning and drafting out a bit, might actually go on here at some point. i know I have struggles with 1 chap a week, with one fiction, but in soem ways two might even help that as it provides variety in writing. However, that won''t be for a while, as I will stock pile a helluva lot more chapters than I did for this when I came back to it. Once I get a few chapters finalised though, I might put one in spoiler tabs at the end of a chapter sometime soon.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Oh, and I didn''t mention that there should be a chapter either tomorrow or the day after. I still have like 7 chapters to make up, and I plan to at some time, and if I can I''ll start this week. This week will be pretty much the last week where I have a substantial amount of time for writing, as I will have to work on a bunch of schoolwork until the end of summer after that, but I should be able to put out a couple and hold onto a couple more, as a reserve incase I can''t write something one week, like has happened a few times. Thanks to all you guys for reading this, and I appreciate you guys even just bothering to read the stuff I put on here xD. When I first started this a year ago, I expected to get like 10 readers or something, and then at the time it just sorta grew quickly when I first posted it, then shit happened, then I came back and it spiked, then slowed down, and while it is down due to the lack of content, I plan to climb to the top someday, if I have the potential. Ramble-filled shitty update complete! -Oh, this will also be deleted like then the chapter after next comes out, so if you read this then come back a while later and wonder why it won''t let you access the page, that''ll be why. EDIT - Well... this has been longer than anticipated. A couple days into last week, we had some rather sad news in the family, so I didn''t feel like writing for a while, and I also forgot I was away all weekend, so I couldn''t write then. You guys will still be getting a chapter soon, but it might be a little longer yet - it''s definately too late tonight, with it being 1AM! Im Back (Kinda) : New Fiction! Well, I''m back, kinda. Although I''m not going to be publishing anything on this fiction for a while yet, honestly, I will be editing past chapters in drafts and writing future ones, so such a discontinuation does not happen again. And so, I can safely say this fiction is not dropped - all that happened was RL happened hard, and then my old PC completely gave up the ghost, so I have been pretty much unable to write until recently, with my amazing new laptop! What I am doing right now, though, is writing a new fiction. I have had some ideas for a ''dungeon core'' themed fiction for a while now, hell even when I started this (2015 for fucks sake, it''s 2018 now!) it was a toss up between this and a dungeon core fiction. The dungeon core ideas kinda came together into a cohesive idea in my mind, and it''ll be a good way for me to get back into writing and get some practice for this, which I do see as my ''main fiction'' - I plan this to be long if I can stick through, which I plan to, trust me.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The new fiction is a dungeon-themed fiction, as stated already, with some unique twists on the topic from myself. It will not be one of those OP dungeon fictions, which many on this site or on amazon are - where the dungeon can hold out against S ranks or whatever within the first 50 chapters - it is more of a long haul fiction, in my plans, with a longer build time and further potential. So, if you want a dungeon core fiction with that sorta vibe, you can find it here: https://www.royalroadl.com/fiction/15919/world-core-expansion Hope you guys like it!