《Silver Spoon Book 1: Losing Earth》
Chapter 1
Today was not going to be a good day. To be honest Alan had not had a good day in quite a while. When he thought back Alan was not really sure when his life had gone wrong, but he was pretty sure it was all Bernie¡¯s fault. His best friend since basic, Bernie was usually the cause of all his bad decisions. Or, as the late great Jimmy Buffet would say, maybe a woman¡¯s to blame. Then again, if he was being honest, it¡¯s probably his own damn fault. Oh well, Alan thought, at least the view is nice.
¡°Alan, what do you see?¡± came a voice from the console in front of him.
Broken out of his maudlin reverie he focused on the real world again. Below him the walls were covered in wires and pipes. In front of him were windows letting him gaze out into the universe. The most compelling sight was the earth looming above him. Currently he could see a section of the pacific ocean covered in a mass of clouds. His gaze lingered one more moment on that beautiful blue white swirl before turning and looking down over the hull. It was time to deal with the real issue.
His eyes found the FGB. It had a longer Russian name, but it was basically the engine for the international space station. The first thing Alan noticed wasn¡¯t actually the jagged hole in the side of the critical module, it was all of the glittering hull fragments lingering in the area. Most of the debris was blown clear of the station by the explosive decompression, but some of it was still floating out there, glinting in the sun like fireflies in space. The hole was big, and that module was pretty cramped with stuff that doesn¡¯t play well with others. The fact that the whole station hadn¡¯t exploded in fire and death was a miracle. This module was responsible for providing occasional burns to keep the station¡¯s orbit from destabilizing so it contained thousands of kilos of propellant. Highly flammable propellant.
¡°Rick, It¡¯s not good, there is definitely a hull breach on the module. It looks to be approximately a meter in diameter.¡± You would think Alan might be a little more upset that the space station, on which he was the only current crew member, had a large hole exposed to space. Or that the module whose job it was to keep that same station from deorbiting and burning up in the atmosphere would be a critical concern. The thing is, burning it up was kinda the plan all along.
To be honest, the idea was to do it in a more controlled and responsible manner, but fire and doom were still on the menu. This was his sixth day on the station and the third day he was all alone. The other two astronauts who had already been on the station, and the two more who had come up with him, had left on the Dragon spacecraft that had been left docked on the station since the last crew rotation. Alan¡¯s Soyuz capsule was here, but the plan had been for him to take that down in a little over a month. Now it looks like they might need to accelerate that schedule.
¡°Can you see any damage to the nearby modules?¡± asked Rick. Rick was the current man running CAPCOM back in Houston. He was an ok guy as far as Alan could tell and these people were former astronauts who were chosen because they were cool under pressure, at least he assumed that¡¯s why they were chosen. He didn¡¯t really know, the whole space thing was kinda new to him. However, there was a definite warble in Rick¡¯s voice. He seemed to be holding it together, but the stress was coming through. For Alan, this was just another Tuesday, or was it Wednesday, honestly it was hard for him to keep track of up here. Alone in a fancy can surrounded by the void, the days kinda ran together.
It should be mentioned that Alan was not actually an astronaut. He had been in a program that was training him to be one, but he never completed the training. Alan was originally part of a test group that some genius in the Space Force decided was necessary. Long range planners had decided that if America was ever going to put a base on the Moon, or eventually Mars, that they would need a security force to protect it from foreign interests. Rather than wait until either of those fantasies seemed likely, they decided to create a training doctrine now. Alan and the other volunteers were supposed to spend 8 months in an accelerated astronaut training program, then spend another year and a half coming up with the rest of what a space security force would need.
At the time this idea was first put forth Alan was a member of the 1st Special Forces Group. He was stationed in Okinawa, but was being transferred to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. Alan would have said he was loving his job, they were doing good work and he had a life. But then his girlfriend, Jessica, decided that she liked Japan more than she loved Alan and dumped him in a rather dramatic fashion. Nothing physical, but there was an awful lot of shouting in front of an awful lot of random bar patrons. To make things worse, a few days later she hooked up with one of his teammates who was going to be staying in Okinawa. Jim was always an ass, but this was a new low for him.
Alan of course had a bit of an ego. You couldn¡¯t be an operator without a healthy dose of confidence in yourself. Having to return to the states for a less involved position, then having what he thought was the love of his life dump him, followed by someone who he would have thought as a brother swooping in and hooking up with that fallen love had done a number on his mental health. He had been in a dark place. Not suicidal or anything, but the choices he was making tended to fall on the bad side of the spectrum. At what Alan thought was rock bottom, enter his best friend Bernie.
His name is actually Bernard and they met twelve years ago when they went through basic together. For some reason they had quickly hit it off and formed a bond that lasted through the years. It helped that they were occasionally stationed together, but Bernie was not a Green Beret so they mostly interacted outside of their duties. Shortly after being dumped by Jessica, Alan found himself drowning his sorrows with Bernie in a bar stateside. It was there Bernie told him about this new training group. It was a joint program between the Space Force and NASA. SSF, the creatively named Space Security Force, was looking for members of the military or federal agencies to join. Bernie had always dreamed of being an astronaut, and seeing how depressed his friend was he suggested they both apply.
Enough wool gathering, back to the station. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything from here, but there is a lot of debris floating around. Most of it looks like it is headed away from the other modules. The display says that the atmosphere in the rest of the station is holding.¡± Luckily the FGB had recently become known as a danger due to some persistent maintenance issues and NASA had taken to sealing it off from the rest of the station when not necessary to enter. The damage looked like more than what the eggheads had expected, but the hatch for the module must have held.
¡°That matches what we are seeing here. Are you up for a closer look?¡± asked Rick. While the station wasn¡¯t losing any more atmosphere there were still some important functions that the FGB module was responsible for. They had to know how bad it was.
¡°Let me suit up and I¡¯ll head over there.¡± Alan wasn¡¯t going to go for a full on space walk, what with all the debris floating around that was a Bad Decision, but he also didn¡¯t want to get any closer inside the station without some safeguards. The standard space suit is a marvel of engineering, and he meant that seriously. Unfortunately, it is also way too bulky to wear inside most modules and a bitch to get into by yourself. Luckily one of the bright ideas that came out of SSF was a more compact version designed for use inside of a nominally airtight facility that was surrounded by a vacuum. It was an upgraded version of a type of suit they came up with in the pre-Apollo days. It was not rated for prolonged use outside of an atmosphere, but it should allow the wearer to survive brief exposures to vacuum, long enough to seal a breach or move to a different compartment at least. That was the theory anyway. His was one of the first ten suits ever made.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
The suit itself felt a little like a onesie. The collar was uncomfortable but once he secured the helmet and attached the air hose it sat better. The suit came with ten minutes of breathable air, but he wasn¡¯t using that at the moment. Whoever came up with this system designed it with an aperture in the front that let air flow through it normally. However, if the suit detected a sudden loss of pressure, or the wearer activated it manually, the aperture would close and the suit would start using the air in the tanks built into the suit. Alan had seen that part work in tests, but after trying out new gear over the years with his team he knew how reliable controlled tests usually were. It was still better than nothing.
¡°Making my way back now, Rick. I¡¯ll let you know when I reach the hatch.¡± They could track his movements through their systems, but one thing you learn in the field is that clear communications can save lives. As he passed through the station he reflected on how lonely he was. Not just at the moment, floating through empty module after empty module, but in general. Bernie and Alan were both accepted to SSF, but after three weeks in the program Bernie was summoned to meet with the Major in charge. Alan found him in his bunk room shortly thereafter. He had never seen him look so pale. After being accepted they had to go through a battery of tests, physical, medical, and psychological. It took the original group of eighty down to thirty. Apparently there had been an issue with Bernie¡¯s medical exams and they had done some extra testing. It was cancer. In his brain. The technical term is atypical meningioma occurring at the base of his skull where it intersects with the spinal column.
Alan was an unusual case for the green berets in that he was an active member who was also going through medical school. His CO thought that it would be useful to have a member who was a full fledged doctor during a deployment. Alan had only recently finished his residency program at US Naval Hospital Okinawa which is why he was being transferred back to the states. However his specialty was emergency medicine, not oncology. This meant he knew enough to know that Bernie¡¯s diagnosis was bad, but that was it. Bernie was washed out of the program and went back to his hometown for treatment. Alan tried to keep in touch with him over the last six months but between the rushed training he was receiving, and Bernie¡¯s increasingly fatalistic behavior, they had not talked much. This was one of Alan¡¯s biggest regrets, he was his best friend and he should have been there for him.
That probably wasn¡¯t going to change any time soon though. Two months ago sensors on the ISS, and on satellites across the globe had picked up increasing amounts of radiation inside of the Van Allen belts. These belts help act to shield the Earth from radiation, and scientists were at a loss to explain the phenomenon. It wasn¡¯t yet at a point where it was a threat to life, but if the rate of increase kept up that could be a concern in another two months. At that point the atmosphere itself would still protect people on the surface, but anyone in space would be severely at risk. The Chinese had temporarily brought back the astronauts from their station while further tests were run.
It was decided that since the ISS was near the end of its planned mission life anyway and the radiation would soon become harmful to those onboard, that it would be decommissioned and deorbited in a safe manner. This meant setting small charges throughout the station (who thought bombs in space was a good idea?) to break it up into many smaller pieces as it was burning up in the atmosphere. The idea was to prevent a debris cloud in space which would put other satellites in danger and to make sure nothing would make it to the surface. This meant they needed someone who had astronaut training, experience with explosives, and a willingness to work alone. They didn¡¯t want any more people up there with the growing radiation and the now abundant supply of potential catastrophic hull breach devices, aka demolition charges.
Not many traditional astronauts have even the limited experience Alan did with explosives, so it was decided this would be a good way to test what the SSF was capable of. He was currently the highest rated trainee and had the skills required, so he was paired with a couple of experienced astronauts for the flight up. They were also invaluable in giving him some real life practice with the station¡¯s controls and features.
You might be wondering why they didn¡¯t just plan on deorbiting into the Pacific Ocean like usually happens. It took me some digging to find that out too. While eco-activists hadn¡¯t yet managed to solve global warming, they had managed to convince the world that dropping hunks of space junk into the ocean was not cool. The station probably wouldn¡¯t have left much to fall into the ocean if they let it do a nosedive into the atmosphere, but you know, optics. So instead Alan was there and ready to blow stuff up. He wasn¡¯t sure how that looked better, but it was his mission and Alan would get the job done.
He was only a module away from the hatch and could almost see through the window port on it. ¡°Approaching the FGB, everything seems normal out here.¡±
There was no response from Rick. That was odd, they normally took comms very seriously. ¡°CAPCOM, do you copy?¡± There was still no answer. Suddenly Alan heard a voice, but not through his helmet. The suit should muffle most outside noises that weren¡¯t piped through the speakers but this came through loud and clear.
Integration Initiating
¡°Rick, is that you?¡± He asked in confusion.
Standby¡
Congratulations, you are eligible for the tutorial. Would you like to be tested?
The voice sounded male, but Alan could tell now that it was definitely not Rick or anyone else he recognized from mission control.
¡°Umm¡tested?¡± He asked in confusion.
Great! Scanning¡identifying environment¡your test will begin in ten seconds.
¡°Wait! I meant what does testing mean?¡± But apparently he was too late, he could hear a countdown from that same disembodied voice. Alan tried to prepare himself for anything, but when it hit zero nothing happened. Was this some kind of joke they played on the new guy? But then he felt it. A large tremor was coming from the FGB. He floated closer to the hatch just in time to see a tentacle slither through the opening in the hull. He had seen some crazy things in his twelve year career, but this was brown pants level terrifying. The tentacle was a slimy black with what looked like suction cups on one side. It also had small barbs scattered over the surface and was at least 30 centimeters across. Then another tentacle came through. They latched onto some of the panels in the module and he could see them start to strain. Whatever those things belonged to was pulling itself inside.
¡°Rick, please come in. There is something coming into the station¡Rick?¡±
His vision was then partially blocked by faint words that seemed to be floating in front of his eyes. He tried to focus on them to see what they said and they suddenly became clearer.
New Quest: Do you have what it takes?
[You have been chosen as one of the first candidates for the Solarian integration. Prove your mettle by slaying the octospatium.]
¡°What¡¯s an octospatium?¡±
Chapter 2
So, an octospatium is what you get if Stephen King designed an octopus and it was cool with hanging out in space instead of water. Other than the tentacles, the first part Alan saw was its mouth, or maybe it would be more appropriate to say beak. No, let¡¯s go with mouth because beaks don¡¯t have so many teeth. These were not small ridges, they were large cutting teeth. The mouth was located under a set of eight eyes running in two vertical rows on the creature''s body. That body was the same black as the tentacles with some kind of oily substance coating its skin. It would be hard to see against the backdrop of space, but it currently was framed by the planet earth. Alan had a difficult time counting the tentacles because they were constantly in motion, but it was more than four and less than twenty, so he decided to just define it as eight.
The octospatium squeezed its body through the hole in the FGB module. It was a tight fit and the jagged edges cut into the creature¡¯s body. Red blood oozed from the slices, Alan would have lost money on that one. He figured it would have some kind of evil looking purple sludge. Seemingly unaffected by its wounds it scanned the compartment, the eyes all moving in concert as it took in its surroundings. The good news for Alan was that he was in a different module and there was a closed and dogged hatch between them. The bad news was that it had just spotted him through the window. It reached out with a tentacle and pulled on the hatch. It looked like he was safe for the moment since nothing happened. But then it reached out with two more tentacles. Alan had a sudden flashback to a raptor claw on a door handle and he decided discretion was the better part of valor.
He frantically made his way to the last hatch in the Russian section of the station. Before he could get through it he heard a terrible hiss of air leaking out coming from behind him. He imagined it was what a twenty meter cobra would sound like just before it bit you. He quickly pulled himself into the connection joint and reached for the hatch, but unfortunately he had run out of time. All eight of the creature''s tentacles were pulling on the other hatch and it suddenly deformed and was pulled out of its frame. This thing must be incredibly strong.
He found himself hurtling towards the octospatium. With the hatch to the FGB ripped off there was nothing preventing the atmosphere in the rest of the station from escaping out the hole. On its way it was taking anything that wasn¡¯t very securely fastened down. Just before it too was sucked out of the breach Alan could have sworn the octospatium looked panicked. Moments later he too was forced to follow it out and the breathing aperture on his suit closed as it sensed the loss of atmosphere. He also felt gel packs expand around his body. The idea was that these would press on his skin and prevent bruising and ruptures from the difference in pressure. When he had tried them out in vacuum chambers he¡¯d discovered that they still left some bruising, but it was much better than nothing.
Somehow Alan managed to avoid the edges of the breach on the way out preventing his suit from rupturing. The octospatium had not been so lucky. There were at least 3 tentacles floating away on their own and several large gashes across its body. One cut through all four eyes on the left side. Alan briefly hoped it was dead, but it appeared that this thing was very tough as not only was it still alive, it was still looking for a fight. One of its remaining tentacles reached out and wrapped around Alan¡¯s left leg. It started to drag him closer. He tucked his body so he could reach to pry it off but he couldn¡¯t get any purchase on its slick skin. It was like trying to catch a greased pig. He then tried hitting it with similarly worthless results. His fits bounced off its rubbery body like a trampoline.
Quickly scanning around for anything he could use he was surprised by his options. Normally space is pretty, well, empty. That¡¯s why they call it space after all. But between the earlier breach and the recent venting there were lots of objects floating around. The first thing his hand latched onto was a thirty centimeter long handle that had a jagged end where it was ripped off from somewhere in the station. He was pulled closer to the creature¡¯s mouth as he bided his time, he might only get one chance at this. Just before it stuffed him into its jagged maw he stabbed his improvised knife into its face. He felt it push through like he was stabbing jell-o. It didn¡¯t kill the monster, but it must have been incredibly painful. It reared back and threw him away from it. He was traveling at a good clip, but away from the station and unfortunately his suit didn¡¯t include thrusters.
Pretty sure he was screwed, Alan still took a moment to take stock of the battlefield. The station was getting smaller very quickly. This was the nightmare scenario for anyone in space, but the octospatium was also getting farther away from him as well, so maybe that was a wash. Then the beast latched onto the station and began pulling it apart. He didn''t know if it was looking for more astronauts or if it was just lashing out in its pain like a toddler with a toothache. But then suddenly it didn¡¯t matter anymore. The FGB had taken too many hits and something found the fuel supply. A large explosion tore up most of the back half of the station and the octospatium went with it. The body was cut into at least three chunks and no matter how tough it had been, it was definitely dead now.
Well, Alan thought, that was fun. He checked his suit, and while it was surpassing all of his pessimistic expectations he only had about eight minutes left of air and no way to steer. This was not how he was expecting to go, but it''s better than cancer he figured. I¡¯m sorry Bernie, I wish I was with you. Suddenly there was a message trying to get his attention again.
Quest Completed: Do you have what it takes?
[You have slain the octospatium and proven your worth. Reward: Upgraded Tutorial Token]
A small wooden box was suddenly floating in front of him. Instinctively he reached out and pulled it closer. Before he could open it, though, that weird voice came back.
Congratulations on killing a level 1 octospatium! Transition to the Tutorial Preparation Area commencing. Please hold.
It wasn¡¯t like Alan had anything else to do besides asphyxiate. He did have some questions he would like to ask, but it sounded like maybe he was going somewhere that might have the answers. All of this was very sudden and incredibly weird. Frankly he was surprised he wasn¡¯t freaking out more. Training to be a Green Beret meant learning to be flexible and figuring out how to deal with anything a mission throws at you, but this was a whole nother level. It was hard to dispute that something unexplainable was going on. Since first seeing that nightmare tentacle slither into the station it had only been about thirty seconds. His adrenaline had been through the roof but now his body was starting to calm down and it was his brain¡¯s turn to freak out.
Between the strange voice, the floating messages, a monstrous space octopus, and the box he was holding in his hand he was pretty sure this was not his imagination. Floating through space breathing in the last few minutes of oxygen he had left, all Alan could think about was that whatever this was, maybe it would be the kick in the pants he needed to find purpose again. Ever since Jessica left him and Bernie was diagnosed with cancer he had been drifting through life. He had still been killing it in the SSF, because that¡¯s what he was raised and trained to do, but his heart wasn¡¯t in it. Just as his brain started to accept the situation the small voice that was the doctor in him told him he must be in shock.
Standby¡
Loading¡
Ranking Solarian Zone 256¡
Error##
Recalculating¡
Welcome to the Tutorial!
The Earth and the scattered remains of the station faded from view, almost like someone was turning the brightness down on a screen. All that remained was the distant pinpricks of stars until they too faded away. He was left surrounded by a black so all consuming that he could no longer tell if he was floating, standing, or even sitting. He couldn¡¯t see his hands in front of his face and only the sensation of holding the wooden box told him that he still had a body. His brain was trying to freak out again but his training clamped down on it. Until he knew what was going on he needed to keep his wits about him. Then Alan heard another voice. This was not the same one as before, it was more feminine and, if he had to guess, younger. It also seemed to be coming from in front of him rather than all around like that other voice.
¡°Welcome to the Network! I am Tutorial Assistant Manager #33, you can call me Tamee for short. I am here to assist you all as your star system is incorporated into the wider universe. Please sit back and enjoy this video explaining why you are here.¡±
He was then subjected to a twenty minute presentation in the style of a good 80¡¯s public safety video. There was no TV or projector screen, it just seemed to be present in front of him, like the highest quality hologram ever. The gist of the video was that the Earth was screwed. The ¡°Network¡±, Alan still wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, was ever growing. It uses the energy found in stars to expand its reality and add planets, races, and cultures to itself. The next list of stars included Sol, which meant his solar system was about to be absorbed so that the Network could expand itself. It has been around for a really long time and, through a process of trial and error, settled on a particular way of doing things. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Not only was Sol being added, but thirty-nine other stars and their planets were as well. Of those systems, three others also had sentient life in them. These four species, including humans, would be put in competition for control of the new planetary system that was being created. Apparently in the past the races were just thrown together when this happened, which led to several mutual extinction events. Now the Network would place all four races in a tutorial. At the end of the tutorial one race would be deemed the winners and would gain authority over the others. Then they would be allowed entry into the wide universe inside the Network.
In addition to ruling, the prize was the new solar system that was created. A lot of the resources and energy from those forty stolen star systems would go to the Network somehow. But a not inconsiderable amount would be used to make a new homeworld for the remaining members of the four species as well as a whole solar system complete with its own star.
Despite the name, the Network was not a technological thing, so most of the culture was based around what humans would consider Renfest. Swords and sorcery, monsters, dungeons, castles, and quests were the norm. Alan had dabbled with dungeons & dragons here and there in his lifetime so he thought he had at least a limited grasp on what was to be expected.
One thing you learn as an operator was adaptability, so he was gonna jump right in with an open mind. It helped that this was just like those books that his ex loved. There was always some rando who was abducted to a far off planet or some universe spanning organization that inducted Earth into a weird new reality. Now that he thought about it, this genre of stories only appeared in the last ten or fifteen years. Was it a coincidence that it appeared just in time to prepare a large group of people to deal with the now very real Network integration that was happening?
The female voice started up again as the video ended. ¡°Congratulations, you have completed your test combat in the fastest time of anyone in your zone. You have earned the title [Top Recruit], and the first seat in the auditorium¡¡± Her voice trailed off for a moment before she came back strong. ¡°Each planet has been separated into 256 zones and based on our scans the people most likely to succeed from each zone were chosen. Each zone will have ten thousand of the best recruits taken from the given geographical area.¡±
This Tamee was not giving the best briefing Alan had ever received, but there was some important information in there. The video had been light on the details of how this competition was going to work.
¡°As we are going through this introduction the Network is creating a tutorial disk. It is broken into six concentric circular tiers and each tier is broken into a number of sections. The outermost tier is where you will begin. Your section is located in a valley that is just under five kilometers wide and twenty-five kilometers long. This outer tier is broken into 1024 sections, 256 for each race.¡±
He was a pretty smart guy but all these numbers were starting to blur together. As she continued, what he gathered is that the tutorial disk would function as basically a bracket system. The outer tier and at least the next one in would be split into 1024 sections, which is really 256 brackets where all four species would compete. Each of those four sections next to each other would result in one victorious race who would move on to the next tier in, but this also meant that the races wouldn¡¯t mix until tier 3.
¡°This first tier will last for seven days, at the end of which a pass into tier two will open at the end of the valley. This pass will be guarded by a boss. Slaying this boss will come with great rewards for the group responsible. All remaining recruits will then be allowed to continue their journey inwards and attempt to grow in strength. A warning, while all recruits will be able to pass through into tier two, only a small group of the strongest recruits from each zone will be able to advance into tier three, at least initially.¡±
Ok, so not only will humans be competing against the other races, but if he wanted to have a chance to make a difference he would also be competing against the others in his zone. He wasn¡¯t sure how many there were, but his odds probably were not great. However, he thought it would be a reasonable assumption that his background should give him a leg up on the competition.
¡°Your first tier will give you an opportunity to create your class or classes. There are eight dungeons located in the valley and the reward for completing each of them is a class stone.¡± As she said this a small white round object with a humanoid figure appeared on it. ¡°Absorbing these stones will give you a specific quartz level class, which is the only level of class you currently qualify for. Do not worry, you should have plenty of opportunities to upgrade these later on. These stones will only work if you have no more than a certain number of classes. A common class stone cannot be used if you have any classes already. An uncommon stone can only be used if you have no more than one class already, and a rare stone can only be used if you have fewer than four classes.
¡°All those who complete the dungeon will receive at least a common version of the class stone. The first¡¡± Tamee trailed off again before mumbling something and then resuming her discourse. ¡°...5000 will receive an uncommon stone instead. The first 100 will receive a rare version, and the first to complete the dungeon will earn an epic stone, which can be used no matter how many classes you already have.¡± So there were more than 5000 in each zone, that was going to be long odds indeed. ¡°The more classes you end up with the greater your future potential, so you want to be fast out there. Even if you cannot use them, these stones are of great value in the system, so if you can I would suggest getting as many as possible. ¡±
His competitive nature was already ramping up. Alan had no clue what having a class meant, but it had to be good if it was a prize, right? He hoped to be the first to finish one of the dungeons and earn an epic stone. If he could finish another dungeon in the top 100 he could then end up with four classes. This may be a little unrealistic, but a boy can dream.
¡°I will now go over some of the details of how you interact with the Network, such as how to call up screens and forming parties. At the conclusion of this demonstration¡¡± There was another one of her pauses. It was as if she was adjusting her speech on the fly. ¡°...you will be given a couple of minutes to try it out and then be teleported to the surface¡±
She then spent a few minutes describing how the interface would work. It was fairly intuitive where most things were controlled by thought. When she finished explaining, the darkness around Alan started to brighten and he could even feel his weight settle on some kind of chair. He immediately called up his status screen.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class: NA
Health: 122 (12/hour)
Stamina: 102 (20/minute)
Mana: 84 (8/minute)
Stats:
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 8
Perception: 7
Focus: 6
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 9
Constitution: 7
Spirit: 3
Skills:
Daggers: 3
First Aid: 11
Herbology: 2
Running: 6
Unarmed Combat: 7
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents: NA
Spells: NA
He already knew from her explanations that a score of 5 for a stat was considered average for a non-integrated human with 12 being the peak pre-Network value. Being an atheist apparently did not help his spirit score since it was so low, but otherwise he was pretty pleased. He wasn¡¯t sure what the letter next to his race meant, but for a nice bonus the system decided he had some skills already. First aid and herbology probably came from his medical experience, and running and unarmed combat from his military training. He was a little surprised that he didn¡¯t have any other combat skills besides daggers, but he wasn¡¯t sure what counted as a skill under the system. Alan mentally clicked on his title [Top Recruit] and got a system message.
Top Recruit: For completing your test combat in the fastest time you receive an additional level to all of your current skills.
Without knowing how hard it was to level up a skill he wasn¡¯t sure how good this title was, but something is better than nothing. He also wasn¡¯t sure if daggers was a result of his training, his time with a scalpel, or maybe even from the improvised knife that he used to stab the octospatium. He suddenly realized he had been ignoring his surroundings, something he would normally never do. Maybe he was still feeling the effects of his earlier near death experience. Closing his status screen he looked around. He was in a large auditorium, but was the only one sitting in it. In front of him was a stage with a woman in her mid thirties wearing a gray pants suit. She was mildly attractive but seemed to be frozen in place. Alan assumed this was Tamee.
¡°Ummm¡hello? Where is everyone?¡± he asked.
Tamee seemed to come to life as her face lit up with a smile. ¡°Great question! When the system scanned your planet it detected life past the K¨¢rm¨¢n line, something it rarely encounters. This was therefore deemed its own geographical zone. It seems, however, that you were the only sentient life form in that area.¡±
¡°So am I the only human recruit in this zone?¡±
¡°That is correct, I apologize for this unfortunate circumstance, but as a Tutorial Assistant Manager I do not have any ability to rectify this problem.¡±
¡°Does this mean there are no aliens in their zone 256?¡±
Tamee winced, ¡°we don¡¯t like to use the word ¡®alien¡¯, but to answer your question, no. You will be matched with random geographical zones from the other planets.¡±
Alan was actually speechless. Was he doomed to live out the rest of his limited number of days as the only human being around? But then it dawned on him, this could be an opportunity. He had to process some stuff, and his mind was already churning away. Assuming he survived long enough his zone was going to compete against the other three races. It was going to be thousands of them against one of him. Luckily Earth wasn¡¯t depending on his zone alone, but he was gonna seize every advantage he could get and show the Network why nobody messes with the Green Berets. He may only be one person, but he was going to be all that he could be.
Chapter 3
He looked around, Alan had never seen a more serene setting in his life. After finding out that he would be alone in his zone only a few questions had managed to make it through the cluster that was his thoughts, and then he was teleported down. The process was not at all like he expected. One moment he was standing in the auditorium and the next he was standing in a small clearing surrounded by trees covered in bright green leaves. He was wearing a fairly comfortable pair of boots and a loose fitting tunic and pants. The ground was covered in grass, make that lawn, that would have made any suburban homeowner proud.
He could hear small birds singing in the trees and bugs chirping all around. Scanning the trees he couldn¡¯t actually see any of the birds that were supposed to be making those noises, but maybe the leaves were hiding them. He could just see the sun peeking over the trees on one side of the clearing. Alan decided to call that direction east and then he realized that wasn¡¯t the sun he was used to. His was somewhere being used as a battery to create all this. As he looked around with an increasingly dark cloud of thoughts forming in his head a system message popped up.
New Quest: Get a class
[Welcome to day 1 of the tutorial. Today is a safe day, there are no beasts in the woods. Those sounds you hear are just ambiance. Tomorrow is a different story. Find a dungeon and get yourself a class before then.]
Alan paused to think. This was the first moment that he felt almost normal since the FCB blew up. There was no monster attacking him, no strange robot, alien, or fancy AI talking to him. He still wasn¡¯t sure if Tamee was an actual person or not. It was time to deal with everything that had been pushed aside while dealing with crisis after crisis.
The world he knew was gone. That much had become clear to him. Assuming this wasn¡¯t some kind of hypoxia dream. Even if it was, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to assume it wasn¡¯t. It was a mind shattering concept that the world was no more and everyone he knew might be gone. The presentation had been a little vague on where all the people of Earth had gone. Next time he saw someone in charge he would have to ask about that. Putting the people aside, if he thought of this as a new deployment it was easier to come to grips with it. This was simply his new station and he had a new mission. The details of that mission were kinda vague, not a wholly unknown reality in his experience, but the end game was clear. Make sure that the good guys, Earth, were the winners even if it meant killing people. Now that he thought about it, would the other planets even have humans? Probably not. Ok, enough shenanigans.
He wasn¡¯t going to half-ass this. His world was being invaded, sort of, and he could help make sure that humans came out on top. To start with he would treat this like a survival game. The first order of business was getting a feel for the land. He also needed to figure out the rules for this ¡°Network.¡± Then he needed to grow as strong as possible so that he could represent when he met the other races. The start of that would be getting one of these classes. Time for a list.
Personal Quest: Getting started
[Turns out you can make your own quests, who knew?
Ok, game on. He took out his tutorial token. One of the questions that he had thought to ask was about the upgraded token he had gotten after ¡®killing¡¯ that space squid. It would act like a compass for the dungeons. When held in his hand his body would feel a warmth in the direction of the dungeon closest to him. He took one more moment to get a picture of where he was.
Almost due south, just under a klick away, there was a large cliff wall. To the east and west jagged mountains ran north and south. It did appear that he was trapped in this valley. Far to the north there seemed to be another cliff. The fact that he could see it from what should be about 25 klicks away reinforced that he was on a flat disk and not a round planet with a horizon. Another of Alan¡¯s questions had been about the size of the valley. It was approximately five kilometers across and twenty-five kilometers long, although since this was the edge of a big circle and not a rectangle, those dimensions weren¡¯t constant.
As he closed his hand around the token he felt the left side of his body heat up. Turning that way he started jogging through the woods. He wasn¡¯t racing anyone else in his zone, but he still needed to complete at least one dungeon before tomorrow. If possible Alan would love to finish two. Today was a safe day, but tomorrow there could be monsters. If the monsters were anything like what he had already fought he needed all the advantages he could get.
Running through the forest he noticed that it wasn¡¯t a real forest. It was what you would get if you asked an HOA president to design a forest. Alan had spent time in forests on multiple continents and this was nothing like any of them.
The trees were all too similar in size and shape. Each was about ten to twelve meters high and had a trunk that was about half a meter across. They were almost uniformly spaced out so that their branches barely connected and there was little to no undergrowth. Instead the short grass he had noticed earlier grew all around. It was like the forest was growing out of someone¡¯s lawn. It reinforced the idea that this was not his planet and he didn¡¯t know all the rules. Unless the Network changed the landscape between now and tomorrow it should make spotting any creatures easy at least.
He found himself moving toward the mountains to the west. After about ten minutes the forest suddenly thinned out and he found himself standing before a range of large peaks. The bases rose almost vertically, far into the sky. This was truly an impassable barrier. About thirty meters away he noticed a small cave. Even though the sun was shining almost directly into the cave it seemed to be full of shadows, just an opaque wall of black. Definitely not natural. There was some kind of carving above it but he couldn¡¯t make out the details from here.
He quickly ran over. Alan still couldn¡¯t see into the cave but he could now tell that the carving was a cloak with a dagger inside it. Was this a hint as to what was inside? He paused for only a moment before he stepped forward. Time to see what a dungeon was like. As his foot broke the plain of darkness he received another prompt.
New Quest: The Cave of Rogues
[Before you lie two paths. The first is the Path of the Fast and the second is the Path of the Quiet. Choose a path or exit now.]
In the Green Berets he had learned the importance of being fast and of being quiet. He certainly wasn¡¯t going to leave, so which path should he take? At 5¡¯8¡± Alan had always been quick on his feet, but he wasn¡¯t winning the 100 meter dash. Mentally making his choice he continued inside.
Quest Update: The path of the Quiet
[Shhhhh¡someone stole these hobgoblins¡¯ dinner. They are searching high and low for the culprit, and at this point they are hungry enough to eat whoever they catch. Make your way across the cavern without being spotted.]
He found himself standing at the end of a tunnel he didn¡¯t remember walking down. Thankfully he was still in the shadows as he noticed what was before him. There was a large round cavern with boulders of various sizes, from basketball to small van, strewn around it providing a fair amount of cover. It looked like a paintball arena that used rocks instead of inflatables. The light was dim but there was still more than enough to see by. Crouching down and leaning against the wall he noticed six creatures wandering around. They looked to be slightly shorter than he was with rolling layers of fat. Their limbs looked odd too, the arms were long for their body and their legs too short. The eyes were large and each held a rusty short sword in one hand.
They were not pleasant to look at, but this was a monster that TV and movies had prepared him for. He had to force himself to take a few deep breaths but was able to bring his mind back to the matter at hand. If this was the worst he had to deal with he could handle things. It looked to be about a hundred meters across the cavern to another shadowing recess. There didn¡¯t appear to be anything else of note in the room. With the exit identified it was time to break down the situation. He didn¡¯t have far to go but the relatively small space meant that he would be unable to avoid getting close to the searching monsters. Apparently this was a test of whether he could sneak his way past all of the hobgoblins and prove he was ¡®quiet.¡¯ His pressure suit had long ago disappeared and instead Tamee had provided him with new clothes.
He was wearing a loose tunic with a tighter pair of pants held up with a wide leather belt. Both the tunic and pants were a dark blue material that would blend in well with the surrounding walls. The belt had many loops on it for attaching pouches, but only one of them was in use. That pouch contained all of his other items. He had his token, a health potion, and a mana potion.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
The potions were in tall thin test tubes like you would take a shot from at a dance club. These were given to him before being teleported down. The health potion was the traditional red of video games, but the mana potion was a shimmery white color. That was unfortunately all of his equipment. Without any kind of weapon Alan did not like his chances of taking on one, let alone half a dozen, of these things. The excessive fat would work well at limiting the damage he could do with just his hands. He could probably find a rock to swing around but while rock beats scissors, it gets its butt kicked by sword.
He watched for several minutes to see if he could spot some kind of pattern to their movement. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to their paths. They were not searching in a grid or any kind of spiral to create containment. There was also no coordination to their movements. It was as if each was conducting their own search with no regard to the rest of their group. This would make planning a safe route difficult, but hopefully in the moment it would offer openings to move through. Hesitation is defeat. As the nearest hobgoblin turned their back he made his move.
Staying low to the ground he scrambled past the first bit of cover and slid behind another large rock. It had been partially split in two with a narrow crack running vertically for most of its height. He peeked through as he took in the situation. He had made it about ten meters into the room and hadn¡¯t been spotted. He had noticed one of the hobs looking his way while he was away from cover but either the creature¡¯s large eyes were not a sign of its perception or it had trouble seeing in the low light. The first hob was moving away, but two more were moving in from the left. Quickly peeking out the left of the rock he couldn¡¯t see any more of them on that side.
Taking an insane risk Alan crawled that way as they seemed to be focusing across the cavern. He took shelter behind some loose rocks right next to them. If they looked down he was done for, but if they kept moving as they had been there would be a clear path across most of the cavern. His luck held and one barked something to the other as they split up and continued their search.
Checking one more time to make sure it was clear, he sprinted down the left side. As much as possible he tried to stay low and blend in against the rocky wall. He was maybe eight meters from the exit when he was forced to literally dive behind cover. Have you ever tried to dive onto an uneven stone slab without making a sound? It sliced the palms of his hands on the sharp ridges and ripped open the knees of his pants. He winced but didn¡¯t utter a sound. Three of the hobs were converging near the exit. Trying to keep from panicking he took some slow deep breaths. Calm is good.
Standing within meters of the exit they would notice him in a moment if he tried to get past them. Once again the hobgoblins hissed and barked at each other in their strange guttural language. They were pointing in Alan¡¯s direction. One of them must have seen him moving, but not well enough to pinpoint his location. Thinking quickly, he pulled one of the small rock shards out of his palm and tossed it back the way he came. Blood started to well out of the wound, but there was a noticeable sound when the rock hit the wall and then clattered to the ground.
All three started to run toward the distraction. The largest pushed the others down and sprinted toward where the rock landed. These beings were apparently not good at the whole ¡®team player¡¯ thing. The other two spritely regained their feet, showing a nice bit of dexterity, and dashed after it as well. Alan crawled on all fours the rest of the way, leaving bloody hand and knee prints on the floor. Pain he could deal with, failure was not an option. With one last glance back he crossed through the exit. Alan found himself in a small stone room, maybe five meters across. There was a shadowy exit across from him and nothing but smooth floor between him and it.
Quest Completed: The Path of the Quiet
[You have managed to make your way past the hobgoblins without being seen. You are the first in your zone to complete this dungeon so your reward has been upgraded to epic. In addition you are the first in your zone to complete any class dungeon so your reward has been further upgraded to ancient. Reward: One ancient Rogue class stone.]
Once again a wooden box appeared hovering in the air. He carefully reached out and grabbed it. Opening it up, inside was a small smooth quartz stone lying on a dark blue felt bottom. It was shaped like the perfect skipping stone, slightly oblong and about half an inch thick. He took the class stone out and carefully put the box into his pouch. He had left the other box back in the auditorium, but realized it might be useful to have some cases to put things in.
He knew what this must be, but he stared at it trying to read its secrets. Suddenly he was confronted with a message. He must have some kind of Identify skill.
Item: Rogue Class Stone, rarity Ancient. This stone can be used to gain the class Rogue, a dexterity based class that specializes in stealth, sneak attacks, and scouting. Because of this stone¡¯s rarity it can be used as long as you have no classes above quartz level. Also, the ancient variety will award you with two class talents instead of one. Can be used at any time.
That last part was unexpected. Another feature Tamee had mentioned back in the briefing was a kind of wiki. It contained information on many facets of the Network, but it would only reveal a very basic description of most topics. Also, some topics were not available at all until recruits reached certain milestones.
While jogging through the forest he had learned how to create a kind of split screen so that he could read the wiki while running. It was not easy to do, but knowing nothing was going to attack him and with a lack of tripping hazards in the unnatural forest meant he could just manage it. One of the things Alan had learned from it was that the W next to his race was a level indicator, and it was the lowest level possible at that. It stood for White and could be upgraded through the colors of the rainbow from red to purple. Yes, white is not in the rainbow, but it was apparently the starting color anyway. Since classes were so important he had decided to read up on them on his way to get one. Because he was first through the dungeon Alan was expecting to get an epic stone, usable no matter how many classes he already had.
This was the opportunity he had realized earlier. Alan had originally been hoping to be first through a dungeon while racing his peers so that he could get a third or possibly even fourth class. He would have saved his epic stone and then used any common stone and then any other higher level stones first. This would have given him two or possibly three classes. Then he could use the epic stone to achieve a fourth. However, because there was no competition, he could earn eight epic stones and use them all.
This would be a huge advantage, but he had just learned about another. Each quartz class stone awarded you a class and one of six talents. To improve your class you would have to use the talents and the attributes that were assigned for each class. It was possible to find talent stones as loot or in stores that would allow you to learn the others, but they were not very common. Also, it was hinted in the wiki that the initial talent would have a significant effect on your future Path.
By being given a second talent from the start of his class he could probably expect to advance it much faster. Holding the stone in his hand Alan concentrated on the image upon it. It was a hooded humanoid figure crouching with a dagger in its hand.
Do you want to absorb the Ancient Rarity Rogue Class Stone?
This is what he was here for so Alan thought yes and suddenly found myself sitting on the ground with a terrible headache. It felt like someone had driven an iron spike into his head and then melted it so it spread out into brain. After a moment the pain faded and just thinking about it he could feel new knowledge in there. He pulled up his stat sheet to see what had changed.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Rogue (0%) Quartz
Health: 122 (12/hour)
Stamina: 104 (21/minute)
Mana: 84 (12/hour)
Stats:
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 9
Perception: 7
Focus: 6
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 9
Constitution: 7
Spirit: 3
Skills:
Daggers: 3
First Aid: 11
Herbology: 2
Running: 6
Sneak: 2
Unarmed Combat: 7
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Spells: NA
Quest Completed: Get a Class
[You have earned yourself a class. Choose one of the chests in front of you to receive a class item. You may only open one chest.]
As he closed the latest message he noticed three glass chests sitting on the previously unoccupied floor.But that would have to wait. Things were coming at him quickly again, however, this time he felt a little more in control.
Alan now had a class. Somehow he was supposed to be able to improve or upgrade it. As the class became upgraded his class talents would improve as well. As for the talents he had learned, stealth was pretty self explanatory, but he could also tell that he had a better understanding of how to walk and move to better avoid attention. Quick Hands was less clear but as he experimented he noticed that his hands felt more coordinated and he could seem to move them around faster than before. At times they almost seemed to blur. That could definitely be useful.
He also noticed from his stat sheet that his dexterity had gone up when he obtained the class. With it his stamina went up so there must be some correlation between the two. A quick check of the wiki indicated that each quartz level class was tied to one stat. He could increase it by increasing the percent gain in the class. It was less clear on how, or if, you could increase the other stats. Alan was feeling pretty pleased with his improvements and that was before remembering the second reward, loot!
Interlude I
Afilada was excited for this opportunity. On her world, Corell, she was an outcast. Her propensity for anger and violence had caused her to be driven out of her home village. At more than two meters tall she had been the largest person she knew. She had sleek black fur covering her entire body except for the pads on her feet.
Looking at her you would think this is the perfect fusion of a cat and a humanoid. Her limbs were slender but covered in powerful corded muscles. She stood upright on two elongated paws. The arms ended not in a paw but in a hand with four dexterous fingers, one of which functioned as an opposable thumb. Both her paws and her fingers had retractable claws much denser than those used to shred a couch. The ears were still pointed but had moved slightly farther away from each other. Her eyes were a blazing yellow that glowed in low light.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Currently she was looking down on a rabbit person. No longer being on her world, she felt no need to be bound by their laws. This thing had something she wanted and it refused to give it to her, so with a quick slash it was left with its throat torn open and it lay there thrashing as she watched it bleed out. Some of the blood had sprayed onto her arm and she slowly licked it off. The rich coppery taste was intoxicating.
Bending down she picked up the sword it had been carrying and strapped it to her belt. Corellians don¡¯t normally wear clothes, but their tutorial manager had given them all belts as a way to carry the items they would find.
Looking over her shoulder to the tiger person standing behind her she said ¡°Let¡¯s go, the dungeon must be just ahead. I want another rare stone at least.¡±
They may have seen her as unwanted in their civilized world, but here, she was the apex predator. Soon they would all know her name as she crushed the other races. And then, the rules would be what she said they were.
Chapter 4
Before checking the chests in front of him, Alan decided to deal with his hands. At least one of the slices was bleeding freely, a line of blood was running over his palm and down his arm staining his tunic. He tore the already bloody sleeve off and pressed it up against the wound. He wouldn¡¯t be able to clean it until he found a source of water, but he could at least stop the bleeding. It seemed he was going to get to use his first aid skill right away.
As he held the makeshift bandage in place he looked over the three chests. They were approximately the size of a foot locker but made of clear glass. He could see the items inside and could even use identify when he focused on them. The first chest contained a large dagger.
Pugio (common): An iron dagger designed as a thrusting weapon. Approximately 28 centimeters long with a wide and double edged blade.
A weapon would be nice and since he already had dagger as a skill this seemed like a good choice. He inspected the other two chests to see what else there was to choose from.
Cloak (common): A thick woolen cloak that provides limited protection. The dark color also makes it harder to spot you in dim light.
Blackjack (common): a small weighted club used to subdue victims, possibly without killing them.
The cloak could be useful, but the temperature in the valley had seemed warm and it didn¡¯t look thick enough to offer much physical protection. The blackjack was also a nonstarter since he wasn¡¯t looking to subdue monsters. Alan opened the first chest and removed the Pugio. He took a few practice thrusts and found it to be well balanced and steady in his grip. He switched it from hand to hand with no trouble as well. His dagger skill and quick hands talent probably helped with that. He found a sheath underneath it in the chest and attached it to his belt. He moved it to the left side so he could easily draw it with his right hand.
With his wound at least partially tended to it was time to move on. He had also received a notification that he had gained +1 to Identify, so it was now officially a skill. Crossing the room he walked through the exit at the rear. He found himself striding out of the same cave entrance he had used to enter the dungeon. There was clearly some spatial fudging going on as he should have been deeper inside the mountain, not leaving it. However, since he wanted to head to the next dungeon this suited him just fine.
He had wanted to get some first hand experience on how everything worked, but now it was time to try and get some more information so that he could plan his next steps. The first search through the wiki was to see if he could get more information on how dungeons worked, but there was little of use. Following one path through the wiki he did make an interesting discovery. Apparently while in a party members could communicate with each other. They still had to speak out loud, but they could somehow activate the party chat so that their fellow members would hear what they said no matter where they were. Being all alone he hadn¡¯t paid any attention to it before, but he learned that anyone without a group could request to be in a party with their Tutorial Assistant Manager. Apparently there had been some instances where loneliness had driven recruits insane. This wasn¡¯t something Tamee had covered in the introduction, but Alan decided to try it out. He mentally requested to party up with Tamee and quickly got an acceptance notice.
¡°Tamee, can you hear me?¡±
¡°Good day Alan, how can I help you?¡± He could hear her voice as if she was standing beside him, but he didn''t think anyone else would be able to hear it. Unless they were also in the party.
¡°This is so cool. How does this work? Is this telepathy?¡±
I could hear Tamee sigh, ¡°No this is not telepathy. Think of this like one of your headsets that you play games with.¡±
¡°Oh, yeah, that makes sense. Wait, how do you know what a headset is?¡±
Another sigh, ¡°While the system does not seem technologically advanced that is more a choice than a limitation. In getting ready to integrate new systems it thoroughly scans them. The information contained in those scans is made available to all of the managers.¡±
¡°Sorry I must sound like an idiot. I am still trying to process this whole thing.¡± He was not making a good impression.
¡°Apologies, I should make an allowance for this being your first day in a whole new universe.¡±
Something about this interaction bothered Alan. It took him a moment to figure out what it was. ¡°Tamee, are you some kind of AI program or an actual being?¡±
¡°I am sorry Alan but that question is outside of my ability to answer.¡±
That nonanswer was suggestive of an actual answer, but he decided to move on to more pressing matters. ¡°Can you tell me more about my class talents?¡± He knew these would be important to his advancement, but he wasn¡¯t sure how they worked.
¡°All I can tell you is that your talents are not things you can do. Meaning they are not actions you activate, instead they are like things you are good at. For example, if you had the talent Smile, it would help improve any effort you made to smile, not actually cause you to smile.¡±
That made a kind of sense. ¡°Can you tell me what time it is, or how long until it gets dark out?¡±
¡°I am not a clock, Alan. And I cannot tell you that information.¡± So apparently there was information she was not allowed to share. Over the next few minutes Alan asked many questions she couldn¡¯t answer.
¡°No, I cannot tell you what the closest dungeon is¡no I am unable to tell you how any of the other races are fairing¡no I will not tell you how the other humans are doing¡no I cannot suggest what you should do next¡no I am unable to tell you about your friend Bernie¡no I cannot tell you if Elvis is still alive.¡±
Ok, that last one may have just been for fun. One thing she could answer was that there were supposed to be 10,000 people in a zone. That would have made this area a lot more crowded. She had shared this information earlier, but he had lost track of that information after the realization that he would be all alone. Content with what he could learn for the moment he took out his tutorial token to test it out. He was expecting to have to move far away from the Rogue dungeon so that it would detect a new one instead.
That turned out to be unnecessary. Apparently the token was sophisticated enough that it recognized Alan had already completed this dungeon and instead was leading him farther north toward the next closest. He glanced at the sun and judged it to be just after noon. Not knowing exactly what time he had started he was forced to guess at the time. The best he could figure it seemed like only a couple of hours had passed. Breaking into a jog he went looking for his second class. This was jumping down his personal list a little bit, but the first dungeon had been relatively simple and it had also given him some equipment. Who knew what else he would get from the others.
Here by the mountains there were not even any trees to worry about so he made good time. While there were no trees the ground was still mostly covered in grass. There was a section before the mountains truly began where the grass faded to dry dirt. About half an hour later he had found his second dungeon. This one had a crossed sword and spear carved above it. Thinking back he connected the picture of the cloak and dagger with a rogue. This one suggested some kind of melee class. Once again the entrance was covered in shadows, so boldly he stepped inside.
New Quest: The Cave of Fighters
[Before you lie two paths. The first is the Path of the Strong and the second is the Path of the Nimble. Choose a path or exit now.]
This was an easier choice than before. Alan was fairly well built so most people would call him strong. But his fighting style had always been about speed and accuracy, not power. Also, with the dexterity based class he had already gained, nimble seemed like the obvious answer.
Quest Update: The path of the Nimble
[Inside you will find an obstacle course. Make your way through without dying to prove your mettle.]
It was only after making that choice that he thought to ask Tamee something. He needed to remember he now had someone he could talk to.
¡°I assume you can¡¯t tell me what the different paths require, but can you tell me if it matters which path I choose in terms of the reward?¡±
¡°You are correct, I cannot tell you about the paths before you choose one. I can tell you that every choice you make has an influence on your Path.¡±
Alan could hear the capital ¡°P¡± when she said that and so had to ask, ¡°what do you mean by Path?¡±
¡°I think I am allowed to share this now, since you asked¡Think of your class not just as a series of talents and abilities but a reflection of yourself. Every truly sentient being has a soul, and this soul is built of the moments of your life. Your actions and choices are the warp and weft of the quilt that is your soul. Your growth is intrinsically tied to your soul.¡±
¡°Wow Tamee, that was both informative and poetic. Thank you.¡± He was being serious, but he wasn¡¯t sure she took it that way.
¡°If you have nothing more to ask, I have other things to tend to.¡± There was a hint of anger in her voice and it was clearly a dismissal. In his limited experience with women that would be a hassle to try and smooth over so instead he focused on his surroundings.
He found himself standing on a stone ledge almost three meters feet wide. Twenty meters across from that was another ledge, between them was a chasm whose bottom was lost in the darkness. There was a narrow stone beam, maybe thirteen centimeters wide, that connected the two sides. On the far side was the exit. This seemed simple enough, get across the beam without falling to your death. He didn¡¯t trust it for a moment.
Carefully placing his first step Alan began to make his way across. He had found in the past that moving too slowly caused him to lose his balance more often than too quickly, so he tried to move at a steady pace. However, he was also wary of tricks so he made sure to keep himself centered, ready to react. It was a good thing too as a large sandbag suddenly came swinging towards him from the side. He ducked under it but found himself starting to fall. With a couple of quick steps forward he straightened up and managed to keep his balance.
Because of the distraction of regaining his balance he didn¡¯t notice the second bag until it was too late to avoid. Coming from the other side a bag identical to the first was about to hit him. Since he couldn¡¯t avoid it he braced himself on his back foot and angled his body with his arms in front of him. He took the blow from the bag and used its momentum to spin him around in a barely controlled wolf turn. He found himself facing the wrong way, but was still securely on the beam.
He quickly turned back around and scanned for more bags. None were visible at the moment so he resumed his steady walk. Every moment was filled with anxiety so when the next bag came it was almost a relief. This time he didn¡¯t try to duck underneath, he simply took a step back and let it pass in front. When a second one came he stepped forward to allow it to pass behind him. Full of confidence Alan stepped quickly across the beam, watching for a bag to come at him from either side. He almost missed it when instead it came from directly in front of him. Not wanting to put himself in a vulnerable position again by ducking under he braced himself and once again deflected it away while using its momentum to spin around.
Reaching the far ledge he took stock of himself. No wounds and nothing spent but a little stamina, apparently physical exertion slowly drains that. With one last look back he stepped through the exit. Instead of finding himself in a final room there was a long tunnel. The ceiling was just over two meters high and the walls were about five meters apart. They were made of the same rocky material that all the other dungeon areas had been. The floor, however, was made of lava! Not a bubbling red-orange colored water like on a gameshow, but actually melt your face lava. There were some stones spaced out along the tunnel obviously designed for a person to walk across them. It appeared that there was more than the one test this time. For some reason the thought of burning up in lava was more terrifying than the previous threat of falling through mysterious darkness to your death.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
He started making his way across the stepping stones. He placed each boot carefully, wary of both his footing and a trick. Alan wouldn¡¯t transfer his weight until he was sure the rock wasn¡¯t going anywhere. He had played too many Mario games where the blocks fell away beneath you. The heat was surprisingly tolerable. It was no worse than sitting on a beach on a ninety degree day, which is to say he was sweating buckets but wasn¡¯t going to catch on fire or anything. At first the stones were close together, maybe thirty centimeters apart and were easily traversed. As he made his way through the tunnel he found them getting farther and farther apart, his legs having to stretch longer. Soon he was having to take small hops to reach the next stone as they were about a meter apart. None of the rocks had been a trick so far and he could no longer play it safe. Caution was thrown to the wind as he had to hope the Network was playing him straight. He finally reached a small section, maybe two meters across of solid stone, where he could stop to catch his breath.
Looking ahead, Alan noticed that on the far side the stones would require an actual jump to reach. It looked like they were almost two meters apart and smaller than those in the last section. This was going to be tricky. The good news was that this section was only about 15 meters long. He was gathering the courage to make the first leap when he happened to glance at the ceiling. There were long narrow sections of the ceiling cut out across the width of the roof with a lip on the far side.
Noticing one overhead he jumped up and tested it. The edge was strong enough and there was enough room to hold on to the lip fairly easily. These sections seemed to continue all along the ceiling to the far platform which held the exit. Alan hadn¡¯t been on monkey bars in a while but this seemed a much better option than jumping between small rocks.
He had a smile on his face as he swung from cutout to cutout, crossing the distance in less than a minute. This brought him back to his childhood and even basic training running the obstacle course. Watching the stones below get smaller and farther apart as he easily swung above was a great validation that he had made the right choice. He arched his back and leapt from the final cutout onto the end platform. His arms were aching but he had made it.
Deciding to pause for a few minutes and recover in case there was more to this dungeon he thought back on his experience to this point. So far he had been physically challenged, but not terribly. It was important to remember, this was a place for an above average person to prove themselves, and he, all modesty aside, was much better than above average. These dungeons were supposed to allow the recruits to earn classes which meant people had to be able to complete them. The Green Berets don¡¯t just take anyone so Alan better be able to make it through. Feeling recovered, he cautiously walked through the exit. Once again he found himself in the final room like last time. It was empty just as before.
Quest Completed: The Path of the Nimble
[You have managed to make your way through the obstacles proving you have what it takes. You are the first in your zone to complete this dungeon so your reward has been upgraded to epic. Reward: One epic Fighter class stone.]
This time it came in a pouch. Maybe the boxes were for special rewards? That was the kind of random thought an overstimulated mind threw out to distract you. Maybe he wasn¡¯t handling this as well as he thought he was. He opened the pouch and found another smooth white stone. It made sense that a quartz class stone would be, well, made of quartz. It had a figure holding a sword triumphantly over its head. He studied the stone briefly and got a message.
Item: Fighter Class Stone, rarity Epic. This stone can be used to gain the class Fighter, a strength based class that specializes in melee combat. Because of this stone¡¯s rarity it can be used as long as you have no classes above quartz level. Can be used at any time.
Alan studied the figure on the stone and accepted the message. Once again he found himself on the floor with a massive headache. If anything this time it felt worse. Learning should not hurt this bad. His vision was a little blurry, but after that cleared up he opened his status screen.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (0%) Quartz
Rogue (1%) Quartz
Health: 124 (12/hour)
Stamina: 104 (21/minute)
Mana: 84 (8/minute)
Stats:
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 9
Perception: 7
Focus: 6
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 9
Constitution: 7
Spirit: 3
Skills:
Daggers: 3
Dodge: 2
First Aid: 12
Herbology: 2
Identify: 1
Running: 6
Sneak: 2
Unarmed Combat: 7
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Parry
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Spells: NA
Strength had gone up as well as health. He also noticed that his rogue class had advanced slightly. This must be from using dexterity on the obstacle course. He had also picked up another skill, dodging. There was apparently nothing else in the room so he quickly made his way to the exit and found himself outside the dungeon. No gear this time, he hadn¡¯t gotten a new quest to get another class so there was no reward. That sucked.
The sun was no longer visible and the valley was in deep shadows. However, it didn''t seem like it had truly set, it had simply passed below the tops of the mountains to the west. There were gaps in the range where shafts of sunlight broke through. He had a decision to make. He could try for one more dungeon tonight or make camp and wait for day two. He couldn¡¯t be sure but it felt like there was still another couple of hours until the sun truly set, but it would be relatively dim until then.
Never up, never in his parents always used to say. He took out his token and was not surprised that it was sending him north again. He was moving slower this time, both because of a feeling of fatigue and because of the poor lighting. His stamina had taken a hit from that last test, but it was slowly recovering as he ran. Despite his initial fatigue the trip took less than an hour. This time there was a snake carved above the entrance. That one didn¡¯t give him any clues, but it sure gave him the heebie-jeebies.
New Quest: The Cave of Healers
[Before you lie two paths. The first is the Path of the Mender and the second is the Path of the Protector. Choose a path or exit now.]
There was no choice here, he immediately chose the path of the mender. As a doctor this should be the easiest dungeon yet. He found himself in a small cavern about the same size as the Rogue dungeon. This one was not full of rocks, though, instead there were patches of plants scattered throughout. Overhead a hole in the roof let in some sunlight and there was a dampness to the air. It was like a botanical garden.
Quest Update: The path of the Mender
[A baby sheep is being watched over by its mother. Something is wrong with it. Find out what is wrong and fix it if you can.]
Scanning the small area, maybe 20 meters across, he sighted the ewe and its lamb. The baby was lying on its side and seemed to be taking shallow breaths. The mother was prodding it with her nose, encouraging it to rise. Alan started to make his way over but the mother turned towards him and started bleating.
¡°Easy girl¡Easy.¡± Crouching lower and he spread his hands out palms up to show her he wasn¡¯t a threat. She seemed to relax somewhat but became agitated again as he took another step closer. Alan continued to try and soothe her with his voice, telling her he was trying to help her baby. She was growing increasingly agitated, her body was visibly shaking. The mom was protecting her baby and this strange creature that smelled of blood was steadily advancing on her. When he got about five feet away he could tell that she was not going to let him get any closer without attacking him. He did his best to study the lamb from there.
It was easy to see that it was not doing well. In addition to the labored breathing it was also emitting a faint bleating. The fact that you could only hear it from close up was not a good sign. There was also some kind of green saliva around its mouth. Alan was a human doctor, not a vet, but he had grown up on a farm in a small town in New York. The thick saliva leaking from its mouth suggested that it had eaten something that was poisonous to it.
He started studying the plants around it. His identify skill was actually working on most of them. As he stared at each plant he would get messages telling him about them. There were several types of tall grasses, some clover, and mandrake. That last was a concern because it can cause sheep to vomit or be fatal in large enough doses.
While he had studied plants in med school, mostly the medicinal kind, he was surprised at how much he seemed to know about them now. Some of them he recognized from his life on Earth before identify went off but others were a mystery. Maybe it was the herbology skill. It was a reflection of the knowledge he had gained in his old life, but it now resulted in specialized knowledge he hadn¡¯t actually known previously. Checking the mandrake patch there was no sign of it being eaten.
Alan then had to pause as he realized he had just thought of everything before today as ¡®my old life.¡¯ The last twenty hours were so different compared to the previous thirty years that he thought he should be freaking out more. No amount of reading stories ahead of time should have prepared him so well, and adaptability only goes so far. He was a little concerned that it wasn¡¯t natural and maybe something the Network was doing to his brain.
¡°Tamee, why am I handling this so well¡±
¡°You do not seem to have made much progress on your quest so I am not sure what you mean.¡±
¡°I mean why am I calmly talking to you instead of yelling and screaming and thinking I have gone insane.¡±
There was a long pause before she answered in a quiet voice. ¡°Some people have reacted the way you describe. I cannot tell you why you are not.¡± This answer was singularly unhelpful. Could she not say because he was just handling this well and she didn¡¯t know why, or could she not tell him because it was protected information? Frustrated and a little paranoid, he decided to return to his task. As a doctor he felt a pull to heal the sick, no matter what they looked like. He did have to admit that even in its sorry condition that baby sheep was pretty adorable.
He focused his thoughts on the mother and lamb. There was a small pool of water nearby and he decided to clean his hands before he tried to get closer to better examine the lamb. They were bloody and dirty and this was his first real chance to clean them. It was also the closest thing to sterile he could get. As he was washing his hands he noticed some disturbed roots in the water. Using identify confirmed what he had already guessed, they were water hemlock roots. He had learned about these in med school. It was poisonous to both farm animals and humans. The baby must have eaten some while taking a drink. He needed to get whatever it had eaten out of its stomach.
He made my way back to the mandrake plants and took a small handful. Then he placed them on a flat rock and used a small round rock to partially grind it up. Scraping up the small amount of paste that he had made, he held it in his hand. Now the tricky part. The ewe was not going to like this. He made his way over to the lamb. The mother was trying to butt him away with her head but it didn¡¯t take much to resist her. She tried to rear back and strike with her hooves but a small shove caused her to collapse. Alan quickly knelt next to the lamb and scraped the paste into its mouth. It reflexively swallowed and he backed away. The ewe regained her feet but did not chase after him. Shortly the lamb started gagging and then threw up a small pile of partially digested greenery.
That was step one, the small amount of mandrake had caused vomiting and hopefully wasn¡¯t enough to cause another problem. Now no new toxins should be entering the sheep¡¯s system from digesting plant matter still in its stomach. Next they had to deal with what was already in its blood stream. He made his way back to the lamb, taking out his health potion as he did so. He had to once again fend off the mother¡¯s attempts to push him away and poured a small amount into the lamb¡¯s mouth. Backing away he noticed that the ewe had some of the same green saliva coming from her mouth.
No wonder he was so easily able to fend her off. She must have eaten some of the water hemlock as well. He repeated the treatment process with the mother and soon both of them were looking much better. Alan also made sure to remove any other water hemlock he found in the pool before the sheep made their way over and began drinking. They already looked much steadier.
Quest Completed: The Path of the Mender
[You have not only prevented the lamb from dying you have also restored it to full health. You are the first in your zone to complete this dungeon so your reward has been upgraded to epic. Reward: One epic Healer class stone.]
Secret Bonus Quest Completed: The Path of the Mender
[You discovered the ewe was sick as well and cured her. Reward: One spell scroll Minor Healing.]
A larger pouch appeared in front of him. Inside Alan found a scroll tied with a green ribbon and another smooth white class stone. A humanoid in a robe stood with its hand raised.
Item: Healer Class Stone, rarity Epic. This stone can be used to gain the class Healer, a wisdom based class that specializes in healing and curing as well as shielding others. Because of this stone¡¯s rarity it can be used as long as you have no classes above quartz level. Can be used at any time.
Item: Spell Scroll Minor Healing (common). By reading this scroll you can teach yourself the spell Minor Healing. The scroll will be consumed after learning the spell. Can only be learned outside of combat.
The stone was expected, but the idea of getting a spell had him geeking out. Who doesn¡¯t secretly wish they could use magic. And a healing spell seemed like it would be incredibly useful. Without tools and medicine a doctor had only a limited ability to heal.
Chapter 5
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (0%) Quartz
Healer (0%) Quartz
Rogue (1%) Quartz
Health: 124 (12/hour)
Stamina: 104 (21/minute)
Mana: 86 (9/minute)
Stats:
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 9
Perception: 7
Focus: 6
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 10
Constitution: 7
Spirit: 3
Skills:
Daggers: 3
Dodging: 1
First Aid: 12
Herbology: 5
Identify: 2
Running: 6
Sneak: 2
Unarmed Combat: 7
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Parry
Healer: Mend
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Spells: Minor Healing (common)
After recovering from another spike to the brain Alan was pleased with what he was seeing. This time both wisdom and mana went up and herbology had a nice growth as well. If he ever got out of this forest maybe he could start a flower shop? All that identifying also led to another skill level, and of course there was a new talent and a spell.
Learning the spell was kind of trippy. Reading the scroll was not easy as it wasn¡¯t written in English. However, something from his class or the Network allowed him to read the strange symbols with just an extra bit of focus on his part. After getting through the whole thing the words lit up and shot into his head. This caused some minor discomfort, but nothing like absorbing a class stone. He hypothesized that it was due to the difference in the quantity of information being downloaded into his brain. Also, unlike his talents, he could actually call up the details on the spell.
Spell: Minor Healing (common). This spell heals 20 health over two seconds. Mana cost: 50
He was going to try it out on himself but then realized that the cuts and scrapes from earlier had already healed and the scabs had fallen off. The system must give the ability to recover faster than normal. Now that he thought about it, of course it did. Next to his health, stamina, and mana there were numbers that suggested a recovery rate. Assuming zero health meant death, he should be able to recover from near death in about ten hours. He wasn¡¯t sure if this would allow people to grow limbs back or fix paralysis though. Thinking back to the stories he had read he could recall examples of both. Probably not something he wanted to test out, just in case.
Alan also didn¡¯t think it was worth it to injure himself just to see how effective the new spell was. There would probably be plenty of chances tomorrow when the monsters came out. It was then he also realized that he hadn¡¯t eaten anything since he had breakfast on the station. For some reason thirst and hunger hadn¡¯t been an issue all day, but thinking about it made him feel famished. He briefly eyed the sheep, but even if the Hippocratic Oath doesn¡¯t apply to animals, the idea did not sit well with him. He made his way to the back of the cavern which, this time, led directly to the surface.
It was truly night now, but there was a half moon overhead providing some light. It was either smaller or much farther away than Earth¡¯s moon but it still was bright enough to walk around.
¡±Congratulations on surviving the first day,¡± Tamee¡¯s voice burst from the sky. This was not coming in over party chat. ¡°To celebrate I have prepared feasts in several locations throughout the valley. Look for the bonfires to mark their locations. There is plenty of food for all. Be aware that these feasts are not safe zones. At sunrise tomorrow the first beasts will awaken. As the days progress these beasts will get more numerous and of a higher level. Bon appetit!¡±
Looking over the tree line he noticed a glow not too far away between the eastern and western mountain ranges. He carefully made his way over, walking this time due to the low visibility and to give time for him to ponder her words. What was that about a safe zone? If there were no beasts today, then what did they need to be safe from? Then Alan realized he was being an idiot. Even though this was the end of the world as they knew it, and humans were competing against alien species for perhaps their very survival, there would still be those who would push themselves up by bringing others down. He decided to look at this as another advantage of being alone out here, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry that his ¡®allies¡¯ would stab him in the back.
He followed the glow of the bonfire to a large clearing. Nearest to him was the aforementioned fire. It was at least three meters high and seven meters across at the base. It was letting off a lot of heat in addition to the light. At the other end of the clearing were several banquet tables full of food. What food looked like under the Network was something he had tried not to think too hard about on the trip here. He made his way over and was surprised to find a meal you would get at any American family reunion.
There were hamburgers and hot dogs, baked beans, collard greens, all the types of salads, including fruit, and also chili, fried chicken, and watermelon slices. There was even dessert in the form of chocolate cake, cupcakes, and cookies. There might have even been a pineapple upside down cake in there. He was a little confused how everything he was experiencing with the system seemed so normal. If this was all the creation of some universe spanning alien Network, why was everything Earth based? If only there was someone who might be able to help with that.
¡°Tamee, why has everything I found been from some part of Earth¡¯s culture? Not just the food, unless I am mistaken this dagger is a Roman design and those leather bags I was dodging looked like punching bags from a gym.¡±
¡°You know you do not have to say my name every time you talk to me. I am the only one you could be talking to.¡±
¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a force of habit and just seems polite. Also, you didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±
¡°You noticed that, huh?¡± And apparently that conversation was over. With a sigh he returned to the banquet. She was the worst party member ever. That wasn¡¯t really fair if there were things she wasn¡¯t allowed to talk about, and she had given some good information before. Enough about her, back to the food!
There were paper plates and those annoying cardboard forks and knives. They must not want anyone getting anything useful for free. With a plate piled high with all the treats as well as a cheeseburger with BBQ sauce on it he looked for a place to sit. There weren¡¯t any chairs so he popped a squat right there on the grass. It was very comfortable, the grass was soft and the ground was that perfect amount of dry where your pants don¡¯t get wet but it''s not all dusty either.
The food was delicious and he washed it down with some lemonade from a pitcher. There was no point in using one of the paper cups since he could just drink from the container. Who was going to object? This really hit the spot and was a nice break from what was happening. But once finished, it was time to think about the future. Tomorrow means beasts. With three classes he thought he would have a fairly easy time dealing with them. It wasn¡¯t obvious how the classes would make someone a better fighter, but Alan could tell that his body had some muscle memories that he hadn¡¯t developed. Practicing with his dagger felt very comfortable and he could feel his body moving and bending in ways it never had before.
Twelve years in the military, with almost ten in the Green Berets, meant he was legitimately a trained killer. But unfortunately a lot of that was how to do so with weapons he no longer had access to. He would need to think about how to use the new skills to make up for the lack of modern weaponry. Alan would feel confident against an unarmed human, but how do you fight a bear hand to hand? He remembered thinking how silly that was playing video games back in the day. Stealth didn¡¯t seem like it was going to be very helpful since there was not much cover in the forest. The healing spell would probably be incredibly useful, but he could only cast it once, maybe twice, in a battle due to his small mana pool.
Alan¡¯s best bet was to use his dexterity to get in close while avoiding whatever attacks the beast had. Then he would stab it with his dagger once or twice and retreat. This weapon with its wide blade should leave a large hole for the beast to bleed from. Assuming things worked at least similarly to pre-Network, this should cause them to bleed out quickly. The less time he had to spend in close quarters the better.
In addition to combat he wanted to complete two more dungeons tomorrow. The one¡¯s he already picked up had given him stats and talents that should help him somehow. The sooner he finished all eight the sooner he could start incorporating them all into his fighting style. He spent some time that night reading through the wiki on the different quartz classes. Apparently there were exactly eight different quartz classes, one for each attribute. It mentioned that quartz classes could evolve into opal classes but not much detail about how this would work.
¡°Tamee¡sorry about the name thing¡how do I evolve my classes?¡±
¡°You are getting a bit ahead of yourself, but as you use your class it will build up to 100%. Once that happens you can use a compatible opal class stone to evolve it.¡±
¡°What do you mean by a compatible stone?¡±
¡°Remember how we talked about Paths? Class stones interact with your soul to influence your Path. Think of them as the color of your weave. If your soul and the stone are not compatible with each other you will not be able to absorb it.¡±
This was helpful, but he didn''t think it fully answered the question. He debated reading about some of the talents the different quartz classes offered, but thought it might be more fun to ask his semi-willing companion about it.
¡°You know you could just read about this in the wiki,¡± followed another one of her sighs.
¡°I do, but I think your explanations are more interesting than what¡¯s in the wiki.¡± This actually seemed to please her and she happily answered most of his questions. She wouldn¡¯t talk about any classes he hadn¡¯t unlocked yet, but explained about the possible talents for the three that were already taken. Some of those talents sounded great, he was bummed he didn¡¯t have them.
By now Alan was getting drowsy. The wonderful repast was putting him into a food coma and he lay down right there in the clearing. Thinking of his list he had accomplished a lot. The banquet tonight didn¡¯t really count as getting food since it was a one off event, he assumed, but other than that he only needed to find shelter and he would have completed his initial set of tasks. Although, now that he thought about it, some more gear wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. He said goodnight to Tamee and, closing his eyes, drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
He had always been an early riser so was not surprised when he awoke to darkness. The bonfire had burned out in the night and the moon was barely above the mountain tops providing only the slightest amount of light. Alan wondered if he would be able to see in the dark better if he could increase his perception stat. Standing up he took in the surroundings. While the remnants of the fire were still there, all of the tables and the food was gone. That was expected, but it would have been a great source of supplies.
Alan wasn¡¯t sure if the new day started with sunrise or their version of midnight so the first thing he did was scan for any beasts. Everything seemed the same as yesterday and even with the limited light it was clear that at least the surrounding area was monster free. At some point they were supposed to show up so he would need to stay vigilant. In addition he wanted to knock out a couple more dungeons today and see about dealing with the food issue. He would also keep an eye out for a good shelter. Depending on the type of creatures running around it might be smart to sleep somewhere they couldn¡¯t get to him.
There was enough light to see his immediate surroundings, but it was probably better to postpone his departure until daylight before making his way through the forest. Less chance of something ambushing him that way. While waiting for the dawn he did a little yoga. This briefly took him back to mornings spent doing yoga with his ex, Jessica. Despite the bitter memory he found the process calming and a good way to stretch out. Having a routine might also help with his mental health.
The sky was already much brighter and he could have started moving in the direction of the next dungeon but without knowing what the monsters would be like he wanted to be stationary with a good sightline when the sun rose. The sky above the mountains in the east was now very bright so he figured the sun had risen. Because of the tall peaks he wouldn¡¯t be able to see it himself until well into the morning.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
New Quest: Show us what you got!
[All throughout the valley animals have started waking up. Find a beast and show us what you have learned by killing it.]
The plan was already to test himself against one of these creatures, so the quest was just a bonus. And where there was a quest there was usually a reward. While he was trying to psych himself up he couldn¡¯t help but remember the octospatium. Looking back he was pretty sure that even with his new stats and talents that he still stood no chance against it. And it was just a level one monster too. If these animals were anything like that he wasn¡¯t sure how he would kill one. He didn¡¯t have another space station in his pocket to blow up.
Scanning the area there was no trace of any creatures. Without a special way of finding the beasts he decided to get on with his tasks so he took out his token and started for the next dungeon. By walking rather than jogging it would be easier to watch for any opponents. If he was lucky he could find a beast to fight on the way.
The token was actually pointing him east to the other side of the valley. Based on the location of the last three dungeons he figured there was probably still one more on the west side but still farther north. He decided to head in that direction so that he wouldn¡¯t have to backtrack later. He could finish out the dungeons on the west side before hitting the others which were presumably on the east side. After a few minutes the warm sensation from the token shifted to the northwest and he continued on. It wasn¡¯t long after that when he had his first encounter with a beast.
When he first saw it he felt that the term beast might be a little strong. It appeared to be a smallish goat. He was able to spot it before it noticed him and did his best to sneak up on it. There was little cover so he was left with darting from tree to tree like he was playing hide and seek with a grade schooler. This goat must have had a terrible perception stat because Alan was able to come within ten meters of it without it seeing him.
Now that he was closer he could make out details better. He had been stationed in the middle east for a little over a year so he was familiar with goats. This one was almost two feet tall and seemed a little thicker than normal, more muscular. Also, the horns on its head were not the round bone-like protrusions a normal goat would have. Those were designed for ramming into each other in displays of dominance. These looked to be made of the same keratin material, but they were shaped more like curved blades tapering to edges at the front. It was impossible to say how sharp they were, but he did not want to get hit with those things. Currently it was grazing on the low grass growing all around. He couldn¡¯t believe there was much for it to eat with the grass already being so short, so this was probably some kind of Network fudging of its behavior. As he stared at it, identify kicked in and gave some information.
Beast: Goat (common) level 1.
It wasn¡¯t much, but it showed not only a level but also what he assumed was a rarity. While counting to ten he took a few long steadying breaths and then sprinted out from behind the tree. He felt a little silly getting so worked up over a little goat, but that octospatium was fresh in his mind. This little furry beast evoked none of the visceral terror that the much larger tentacle beast did, but who knew what abilities it might be hiding. The goat immediately took notice and turned to face him. It lowered its head and he got an even better look at its vicious horn blades. In later fights he might be more passive and see what the goat could do, but for this one he was all about seeing what he was capable of. While also hopefully taking as little damage as possible.
He ran straight at it and it seemed to think he was going to headbutt it like another goat would. It started to run toward him in return with its head lowered. At the last moment Alan dove to the side and stabbed out with his knife. It sank deep into the beast¡¯s side but the momentum tore it from his hand. No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy. Not only was he now without a weapon, but the blade was still in the wound so it was preventing it from bleeding heavily. It still had to be painful though.
The goat let out a terrible screeching bleat and fell to the ground. For a brief moment he allowed himself to believe he had killed it anyway with a lucky shot to something vital, but it quickly scrambled back to its feet. He didn¡¯t think it would fall for the same trick again so he resolved himself to getting closer and engaging it hand to hoof. He also needed to get closer if he was going to get that knife back. He felt a little silly being so cautious of this tiny thing, but the horns and the memory of his last fight gave him pause. The goat was also wary and slowly made its way towards him. When they were almost three meters apart it lunged at him with its head down again. Alan¡¯s foot snapped out as he tried to roundhouse kick it in the side of the head. It was moving faster than he thought, or he was slower, and he ended up hitting it in the shoulder. It knocked it slightly off course which sent it horn first into his pivot leg. One of the horns tore into his left thigh as the goat lifted its head and sliced him open.
An image appeared in the corner of his vision showing a human silhouette with a flashing red leg and the rest of the image was light yellow. Alan felt blood gushing down his leg. Knowing that he would bleed out soon if he didn¡¯t stop the blood flow, he grappled with the goat instead of retreating. He leaned his body across its spine and hooked his good leg around its front legs. This should prevent it from goring him with the horns again. With his other arm he groped around its side until his hand closed around the hilt of the dagger. Yanking it out he plunged it back in twice in quick succession.
The second one must have hit something critical as it instantly collapsed to the ground. He leaned in and sliced it across the throat to make sure it was dead before backing away. It was then he noticed a Network message trying to get his attention but ignored it for more pressing issues.
Checking his health he found that he had less than 25% remaining. The silhouette in his vision was now a dark yellow and the red was creeping out from his leg. Thinking about casting his minor healing spell he chanted the few words that came to mind. He felt an energy from inside of him condense together and then spread throughout his body. Most of it went toward the damaged leg and he watched as the massive bleeding slowed to a trickle. The rest spread throughout his body to little noticeable effect. He could still see muscle and a little white of his bone, but whatever was happening had at least stopped him from bleeding out. It would be a couple of minutes before he had enough mana to cast it again so he took out his healing potion. Only a little remained after using it on the sheep in the dungeon. He hoped there was enough to do some good. Popping the top he drained what there was and again felt an energy travel through his body to his leg. The wound didn¡¯t disappear but the slice mostly closed up and scabbed over. Feeling a little better about his circumstances and with his health over 50%, he checked the message that he had ignored.
Quest Completed: Show us what you got!
[You managed to kill your first beast inside the system, although it was a close thing. Try to hold onto your weapon next time. Reward: One small Storage Pouch]
He thought that message seemed a little snarky. A pouch floated in front of him. It was slightly larger than either pouch he had received before but it didn¡¯t look like it could hold much. Another pouch wasn¡¯t bad, but it seemed a little paltry as a reward. Some armor would have been nice. He tried identify.
Storage Pouch (common): This pouch has been enchanted to hold more than it appears. Capable of holding approximately 20 cubic meters of material, items stored in the pouch will be stored in the same state they were put in. While inside the pouch the weight of items is reduced to zero. Living creatures cannot be stored in this pouch.
Nevermind, the pouch was potentially better than armor. This could come in handy, his own bag of holding! Last night he was provided with a feast but he couldn¡¯t count on that happening again. If he had this pouch then he might have been able to store a ton of food inside. That would have lasted him for weeks. No use crying over spilled milk, he would have to come up with something else. In his travels he had spent some time in some remote villages that didn¡¯t have a grocery store where they could get their meat. He wasn¡¯t an expert but he had helped butcher a few animals and he felt up to the task now. He knelt down and cut open the goat. Inside were the same organs you would expect from one back on Earth. The next several minutes were spent cutting it up and placing goat steaks into the new pouch. He did accidentally cut himself getting the first steak out, but after that it went smoothly. While normally those steaks would need to be treated somehow to keep them from spoiling, if he understood correctly the pouch would preserve the meat while inside. He cast minor healing on himself once again then checked his status screen.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (2%) Quartz
Healer (3%) Quartz
Rogue (5%) Quartz
Health: 122/124 (12/hour)
Stamina: 99/104 (21/minute)
Mana: 39/86 (9/minute)
Stats:
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 9
Perception: 7
Focus: 6
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 10
Constitution: 7
Spirit: 3
Skills:
Daggers: 5
Dodging: 2
First Aid: 12
Harvesting: 1
Herbology: 5
Identify: 2
Running: 6
Sneak: 2
Unarmed Combat: 7
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Parry
Healer: Mend
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Spells: Minor Healing (common)
There was growth in all of the classes. It was interesting that the rogue class went up more than the fighter class, but it made some sense since it came down to close-in knife work. That seemed more like a sneaky rogue than a brash fighter. He was about to resume his travel but on a whim decided to store the goats horns as well. Maybe he could sell them later or possibly they could be used as a weapon. He grasped the token again to orient himself and took off.
New Quest: Thin the Herd!
[now that you have shown you can handle yourself, help out your fellow recruits. Kill 5 beasts.]
The quests were definitely growing on him. From his first two non-dungeon quests he had gotten his knife and a magic bag for storing things. He was trying to get as strong as he could and the extra rewards were very helpful and would hopefully continue to be so. The plan was already to kill a bunch of these beasts to level up his skills and classes so this felt like a bonus. The meat would be useful too, assuming he could cook it, and also it would give him a chance to develop his fighting style. He had gained knowledge of how to fight a certain way from his classes, but he had to learn how to incorporate that knowledge so that his movements were instinctual and how he should strategize his fights.
¡°Hey Tamee, were you watching just now?¡±
¡°I am responsible for monitoring every recruit in this zone. Normally that would be an enormous task, but since it is just you¡yes I was watching.¡± She replied. There was definitely an annoyed tone in her voice.
He talked over the fight with her and she had the same concerns that he did. It was important to hold on to your weapon during battle, it had almost caused his death. Blood loss is still a thing and the goat had opened the femoral artery. He had underestimated both the speed of the goat and how effective its horns would be. It¡¯s one thing to see those blade horns and think, dangerous, and another to feel them slicing through your skin and deep into your muscle tissue.
There was no doubt about it, Alan had been overconfident in his skills and he was obviously rusty. He had spent the last six months in astronaut training with little time spent on self-defense. That portion of the training was for after they had learned all the space stuff. That healing spell had literally been the difference between life and death. That made him think of something.
¡°You mentioned before that the people who were killed in their tests didn¡¯t really die. If I die here, does it work the same way? Will I come back to life?¡±
¡°So, don¡¯t freak out¡¡± this is always a good way to start a sentence, ¡°but in a way you already died.¡±
¡°What?!? Is this some kind of Hell then?¡±
¡°No, you didn¡¯t die that way,¡± this was getting clearer all the time, ¡°what I mean is that the system destroys your body in the process of absorbing your star system. Before that though it made a thorough scan of you so that it could recreate it. After administering the tests to the willing recruits everyone¡¯s body was destroyed. Those who would be participating in the first group of the tutorial then had their bodies rebuilt and reattached to their souls.¡±
There was a lot to parse through in that little explanation. ¡°Does that mean everyone who isn¡¯t part of the tutorial is dead?¡± With 256 zones of 10,000 humans each, that was only about two and half million people.
¡°It depends on what you mean by dead. I have been parsing through some of your old television programs. Do you recall something called a transporter that could move people from one location to another while storing their body in a buffer? Think of it as a delayed teleport. Their scans are all being stored until it is their time to be beamed into the system.¡±
This was kinda freaking him out, so he chose to focus on his mission. Suppressing emotions is super healthy, right? Frankly his mental attitude since this began was mostly about delaying all the bad thoughts. That was probably going to cause some problems later, but that sounded like future Alan¡¯s problem. Time to get back to his plan. He began to walk again rather than run to his destination. The oddly similar trees passed by in blur. He was supposed to be staying observant but almost dying and then finding out he had already died once and was some kind of organic bionic man was distracting no matter how much he tried to ignore it. It was honestly surprising that he noticed another goat before it got a chance to attack him. The little beast was already looking his way and did not look friendly. It had only been a few minutes so with the last fight fresh in his mind he came up with a new plan.
This time he would try to let the goat initiate rather than charging in. There was about 20 meters separating them and the goat lowered its head as if preparing to charge. Alan moved to put a tree between them and the goat lifted its head back up. When he came out from behind the tree he changed his tactics and instead of moving directly at it, started moving diagonally towards the goat, or let¡¯s say near the goat. If he continued on that path he would pass in front of the goat but not close enough for melee range, but it also meant the goat wouldn¡¯t have a good line to charge. He didn¡¯t want to have to deal with the speed it could generate that way.
It seemed to be working as it kept its head up watching. He changed direction again and moved on a diagonal path toward the other side of the goat. Using this serpentine motion he closed the gap to just over three meters. The goat seemed at a loss for how to respond. With the pugio firmly in hand he paused to see what the goat would do. Now that it had a straight line to him, and he wasn¡¯t moving, it lowered its head again so he quickly took two steps to the side. It kept its head down and turned to face him once more. Alan went to step to the side again but it had run out of patience.
With a leap it lunged forwards trying to slice him up on its horns. He tried dodging to the side like the last time he fought. It was much more successful this go around. Since the goat was moving at a much lower speed he was better able to judge his thrust as it rushed past. He also made sure to keep the blade horizontal so that it would be less likely to get pulled from his grasp. Unfortunately he had forgotten about the ribs. On an animal the ribs tend to be vertical so the wide blade barely penetrated before it scraped against the bones. It suffered only a minor wound but at least he still had his dagger.
The goat had quickly turned after it ran past and hopped right back up to him. With a rather agile twist it sliced at his legs. Reaching out with the pugio he managed to intercept its horns and used its momentum to push its head out of line. Then he thrust forward into its neck and twisted as he pulled it out. Blood gushed from the wound. Quickly backpedaling he got out of range and the goat bled out in a matter of seconds.
Quest Update: Thin the Herd!
[beasts killed 1/5]
Squatting down to harvest he reflected on the fight. He had managed to win without even taking a hit this time. It had been over so fast he hadn¡¯t had much time to think. Now that he could, and wasn¡¯t in shock from massive blood loss, he needed to analyze the two fights.
Allowing the goat to charge and trying to stab it as it went past was probably not going to be an effective attack. Unless he was very fast, stabbing it between the ribs as it ran by would likely pull the dagger from his grasp. The talent Quick Hands might help, but he didn''t think it was at a level that would let him pull it off. He would be better served by getting within knife range and then using his speed to avoid its horns while stabbing it with the dagger. While its horns could do a lot of damage, they were not a particularly agile weapon since they were attached to its head. The mistake in the first fight had been not respecting its horns appropriately and just being rusty in general.
Storing the bloody harvest he continued to the next dungeon. He was feeling more confident so he increased the pace to a light jog. Along the way he would occasionally pause and practice drawing the knife quickly and getting in a fighting stance. He also practiced thrusting and even slicing with the knife. He was going to be better prepared from now on.
It was good he had been practicing because he got to try it out when he was ambushed by another goat. The new plan worked well and he was able to dispatch it with little challenge. The dagger was feeling much more natural in his hand and he was easily able to block or avoid the horns as needed. He still had to be careful not to get a finger sliced off since he didn¡¯t know if he would be getting it back. However, if this was all he would face, the quest should be easy. Finally the cave loomed before him, a carving of a bow crossed with a quiver was above it. Some kind of ranged class then, archer maybe?
Chapter 6
New Quest: The Cave of Hunters
[Before you lie two paths. The first is the Path of the Archer and the second is the Path of the Tracker. Choose a path or exit now.]
This was the hardest choice so far. Without anyone else to compare notes with it was hard to say if the choice really made that much of a difference. However, since talking to Tamee Alan was getting the impression that while it may affect the type of challenge he faced, it may also have a deeper effect as well. In the end all he could do was make the choice that seemed to suit him most and hope for the best.
Alan had very little experience with a bow. He had a couple of archery lessons at a summer camp once, but that just meant he knew how to put the arrow on the string. Part of training in the army was how to track, but it was taught at a rudimentary level and was not his specialty. Working in a unit meant that he usually let the more skilled members do any tracking that was needed, but he had at least paid some attention to what they were doing. He had always liked learning stuff. With some trepidation he chose the path of the tracker.
Once again he found himself underground, this time in another small cavern with two tunnels on the far side. Unlike previous exits he could actually see a little ways down them. He hadn¡¯t really thought of this before, but why was there light in these caves? Other than the sheep cave with the skylight and the one tunnel with lava, there had been no source of light in the others. Somehow though there was always enough to see by. He noticed a notification, but ignored it for the moment to ask Tamee about the light.
¡°Quick question, why is it that I can see in these dungeons? I¡¯m underground and don¡¯t have a torch, shouldn¡¯t it be pitch black?¡±
¡°So far you have only experienced Network dungeons instead of natural dungeons. I will skip those for the moment. A Network dungeon does not have to obey any natural laws. Space is relative and the lighting is artificial, in the sense that it need not have an obvious source. Network dungeons can also mess with the concept of time, so it can cause you to reemerge moments after entering or years later. Do not worry though, these beginning dungeons have no time dilation.¡±
With that answered it was time to get to the notification.
Quest Update: The Path of the Tracker
[A small bandit group once used this cave as a hideout. They used to stash their loot down one of the many tunnels. Track them to where they had hidden the treasure and see if anything is left.]
It was a treasure hunt. That could be kind of cool. Not only would it result in another class stone, but maybe there would be some good loot at the end. This would also be a chance to learn another skill, tracking definitely had to be a skill. While a small walled off portion of his mind was still freaking out about this whole thing, Alan had to admit that he was loving the idea of growing and becoming more powerful. No, not just more powerful, more able. None of this would happen just standing here though.
There weren¡¯t any obvious signs of the bandits in this space, at least that he could see, so he made his way closer to the tunnels at the back. There were two choices and both seemed to lead deeper into the mountain. The first thing to look for were footprints. It was so obvious when he started looking that he thought he was being punked, but then realized these are starter dungeons so maybe they make it easier. The right tunnel¡¯s floor was pristine. Not to say it was clean, as a matter of fact there was a thick layer of dusty dirt at the bottom of both tunnels. However, it had clearly never been disturbed. The left tunnel, though, looked like an entire legion had walked through it. Was it really that simple or a trick? Trying not to overthink it he took the left tunnel.
After walking down it for a minute there was another open area. Here were the remains of several campfires and rotted tents. It looked like a campsite that had been abandoned at least twenty years ago. The coals and charred remnants of wood crumbled at the lightest touch and the tents were mere tatters. He approached them slowly, careful not to disturb any signs. He needn¡¯t have bothered. There were plenty of tracks all through the camp but only one group that led away from it. In the back of the camp there were three more tunnels but the footprints clearly led to the middle one. In an effort to be thorough he checked the other two entrances quickly, but found nothing that would suggest either was ever used. The middle tunnel it was.
This continued for what must have been almost two hours. Each passage led to a cavern and each cavern had two or three tunnels leading out. Each time there was either a set of footprints, some litter, or sometimes a mark on the wall to identify the correct passage. Early on he had decided to intentionally go down the wrong passage to see what would happen. After a few steps into the tunnel he found himself standing back in the original room. This was both a blessing and a curse. It meant that he could be confident he was on the correct path as long as he didn¡¯t end up back here, but it also meant he would have to restart which would suck if he was far into the challenge.
For the first half the signs were easy to find. Footprints, scrapes on the walls, or sometimes trash would show the way. After an hour and probably fifteen rooms, it was no longer so simple. Now some had lots of tunnels, others only two or three choices, but the signs were also much more difficult to detect. One of the more challenging ones was a choice between two equally traveled paths but by sniffing both tunnels he could tell one definitely led to the latrine. It was weird that the scent would linger after all this time. It was probably a feature of the dungeon.
The way this was set up was clearly a test by the Network and not based on a real bandit¡¯s lair. Not only would it have taken them forever to get in and out of here, but what natural cave system would be full of so many branching tunnels and caverns. As he moved through the second half of the test it did become harder and harder to find the clues. The bright side was that at some point he gained the tracking skill. There was no sudden burst of knowledge or newfound skill but it did boost his confidence which in turn made it easier.
The challenge also grew as the trial progressed. In the next room there were some mushrooms growing on the floor. One of the mushrooms in front of a tunnel was growing crooked, suggesting it had been disturbed. Not only was this a very subtle clue, but this was also not a real sign left by some long dead group of bandits but instead a network created lead. The mushrooms would have been hundreds or thousands of generations removed from the ones growing here when the bandits last passed through. Still, he could appreciate the Network¡¯s efforts to at least fake authenticity.
Alan also had to admit that it may have finally gotten him. The current room had three tunnels leading out of it. The problem wasn¡¯t that there were no tracks. There were tracks all over the place. Each of the tunnels had plenty going in and out. He had spent the last several minutes trying to decide if any of them had slightly more, but if they did it wasn¡¯t noticeable. If he had to he could always guess, but he didn¡¯t want to spend another couple of hours getting back here if he was wrong. Returning to the entrance he sat on a mostly flat rock and pondered the room again.
There were several such rocks throughout the room which was more than twenty-five meters across. There were no obvious clues for what purpose the bandits used this room, no sign of habitation or design, just tracks. It was also one of the bigger rooms throughout the test. Spaced out around the room were the three tunnels to choose from. As he looked at them some more he noticed that the spacing was off. Usually the exit tunnels were symmetrically placed on the far side of whatever room he was in. However, here the left and middle tunnel were about five meters apart, but the right tunnel was significantly farther away from the others, maybe as far as ten meters apart.
Then he noticed that while most of the room had tracks running through it, the space between the middle and right tunnel was suspiciously devoid of tracks. Moving closer he noticed that it almost looked like this area had been brushed smooth. It wasn¡¯t just that no one had walked through here, there were paths of footprints that simply stopped before resuming on the far side. One of the footprints was missing the front third. Something was rotten in Denmark!
Looking around again there was a gap behind two of the boulders by the wall. It was almost exactly in the middle of the two widely spaced doors. There was enough room, barely, for him to squeeze in. While huddled behind the two rocks he found a short tunnel that he could crawl through.
This passage was much shorter than previous ones and after about fifteen meters Alan found himself in a room that was just over three meters across. There were only a few small stones scattered about. In the middle of the room was a patch of rich loose soil. After the difficulties with the last room he was ok with this obvious sign. He was also thankful that the soil was so loose since he didn¡¯t have a shovel to dig with. Using his hands he dug down in the thick loamy dirt about six inches and found a small beat up box.
Quest Completed: the Path of the Tracker
[You managed to follow the bandits'' tracks all the way to their loot. Reward: One epic Hunter class stone]
No pouch appeared so he opened the dirty box. Inside was the smooth shiny stone. It had a humanoid holding a bow at full draw.
Item: Hunter Class Stone, rarity Epic. This stone can be used to gain the class Hunter, a perception based class that specializes in tracking, ranged attacks, animals, and scouting. Because of this stone¡¯s rarity it can be used as long as you have no classes above quartz level. Can be used at any time.
He had been looking forward to increasing his perception. One of his favorite characters was always saying perception is the best stat and it is hard to disagree. While he hadn¡¯t found anything in the wiki describing the effect of the different stats, and Tamee wouldn¡¯t tell him either, he felt that they were mostly self explanatory. The ability to spot subtle signs and clues would probably be helpful when exploring dungeons, and seeing things from far away would let him both find and avoid trouble. Also, he was really hoping for darkvision at some point. Night vision goggles were probably not a thing in this medieval style land, but if his eyes could do it for him that would be awesome. He absorbed the stone and checked his stats after the painful burst of knowledge. This was the fourth time, five if you counted the healing spell, but the brain trauma wasn¡¯t any less.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (7%) Quartz
Healer (4%) Quartz
Hunter (0%) Quartz
Rogue (9%) Quartz
Health: 124 (12/hour)
Stamina: 104 (21/minute)
Mana: 86 (9/minute)
Stats:
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 9
Perception: 8
Focus: 6
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 10
Constitution: 7
Spirit: 3
Skills:
Daggers: 7
Dodging: 4
First Aid: 12
Harvesting: 3
Herbology: 5
Identify: 4
Running: 7
Sneak: 2
Tracking: 5
Unarmed Combat: 7
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Parry
Healer: Mend
Hunter: Charm Animal
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Spells: Minor Healing (common)
He tried to see if he could tell the difference in his new perception, but there wasn¡¯t much to look at in here. The walls were relatively smooth and other than the pile of dirt and the exit at the back there was nothing to catch the eye. His previous classes were making good progress but they still had a long way to go for a level up. The new talent, charm animal, was intriguing. Would he be able to cast a spell and get them to fight for him? Could he sing a song and have them sew a dress for the ball? Then he remembered, this wasn¡¯t an action he could somehow activate, he would just be extra talented at charming animals. This still had possibilities, but he would probably need to find someone to show him how to charm animals before it really became feasible. How did one charm an animal? Alan was fairly abysmal at charming people, so an animal that couldn¡¯t even understand him would probably be worse. Although, if they didn¡¯t know what he was saying he couldn¡¯t put his foot in his mouth, as he so often did. The only thing he could think of that might work was feeding them. As a bonus to the new class he had also gained five levels in his new tracking skill.
On a whim he collected a large amount of the rich soil. Maybe he could grow something in it later, it seemed like really good dirt. He laid his pouch on the ground and scooped as much of the dirt in as he could. It didn¡¯t seem to matter that the opening of the pouch was sagging and mostly closed, when it got near the pouch seemed to sense the purpose of his movements and the soil disappeared inside. He couldn¡¯t ¡®see¡¯ inside the pouch, but he had a sense of the contents and there in a corner was a nice pile of dirt. There wasn¡¯t anything else to do so he made his way to the exit in the back of the cave and found himself once again in the valley.
This dungeon had taken the longest of any of them so far. The sun said it was already early afternoon. He didn¡¯t think he was in there quite that long, so he was guessing that the days had to be shorter than he was used to. This would be a good time to take a break, so he figured it was time to try and cook some of the goat meat he had harvested. One by one he took out stones from the campfires he had found in the bandit camp and arranged them in a circle. In his limited time traveling around so far he hadn¡¯t seen any stones lying around outside so he had decided to use that storage space. Between the dirt, rocks, and the remnants of the tents in there it was not a very impressive collection, but when you are trapped in the wilderness you collect everything. Unfortunately the campfires hadn¡¯t had a grill or anything, but it made him feel better to have a ring of stones. Only you can prevent forest fires! He set it up a little ways from the cave entrance on top of that perfectly manicured grass.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Now for fuel. There was no underbrush and no sticks lying on the ground. The trees, however, did have some smaller dead branches scattered throughout their canopies, as you would expect from a real tree. It occurred to him that he had never been able to identify the trees and that his herbology skill didn¡¯t register them as anything either. That was weird. Climbing several of the trees he was easily able to break off whatever dead branches there were. Very quickly his magical pouch of rubbish also included a respectable pile of sticks. No logs, but there should still be some decent coals from the thicker branches.
Now for the fun part. In a happier part of his life Alan had briefly thought of going on one of those reality shows where you are stuck on an island and compete against the others in challenges. He even applied once. In preparation he had taught himself to start a fire. A flint would have been nice, but he had even learned how to start a fire with just two sticks. Survival training had also included how to start a fire, but his trainers had focused more on making sure you had matches and didn¡¯t end up alone with nothing but the clothes on your back. Thank goodness for Jeff Probst.
He used the knife, wincing the entire time thinking of the use he was putting a combat weapon to, and shaved some kindling into the pit. It was also used to carve a small bowllike indent into one stick and then placing the tip of another into the bowl he proceeded to spin it. It took several tries but he finally managed to get a glowing coal and transfer it from the bowl to the kindling. The first time he got a coal he sat back with relief and then it died before he could move it over. Stupid.
Then, huffing and puffing, he blew a little flame to life. By adding larger and larger sticks he got the fire truly going. The pyromaniac in him rejoiced as he proceeded to burn almost the entire supply of sticks. A short time later there were finally enough coals to start cooking. Those who never spend time in the woods themselves think it¡¯s the fire that cooks food, but it is actually the coals that supply the heat. The flames are only good for burning the food. One of the goat steaks was cut into little strips and holes were poked into those strips. With a little bit of work he managed to shove some sticks through them and cooked the meat over the fire like marshmallows. He had four sticks going at once, two in each hand. If his dexterity had actually improved it was hard to tell as he fumbled around trying to evenly cook his dinner.
¡°Tamee, is there a way to sharpen my knife?¡± he asked while cooking. Between using it to cut into wood and slicing up the animal carcasses he was afraid it would soon be dull.
¡°Network weapons are more durable than most of what you had on Earth and will hold an edge longer. That being said, they still have their limits. You could have it sharpened by a blacksmith or use a whetstone and do it yourself.¡± Neither of those options were available to him, so he hoped it would hold an edge long enough to figure something out. He thanked her for the information anyway.
It took about ten minutes before the bloody strips looked like they were cooked enough. He had only roasted four strips but was excited to try them. Something about doing all the work yourself increased the anticipation. That enthusiasm quickly faded with the first bite. The meat was tough and there was no flavor. There was no salt or other seasoning around so that shouldn¡¯t have been much of a surprise. He also managed to get a splinter in his gums, so that was fun! However, it was protein and he even gained a new skill, cooking. Before he tried hosting a dinner party he should find someone to teach him how to cook properly, though.
¡°Tamee, any chance you know how to cook?¡±
¡°No, and you are never cooking for me, those looked terrible.¡± They were, but he wasn¡¯t about to give her the satisfaction. He tried to fake enjoyment with the next bite but the excessive chewing necessary to choke it down wasn¡¯t helping.
¡°While I¡¯ve got you, do I actually need to eat or drink anymore? Yesterday I wasn¡¯t really hungry until right before the feast. And this meal was more out of habit than a desire for food.¡±
¡°Your new body requires less sustenance than before. As you increase your stats you will find you need even less with your body finding other means of sustenance. However, there can be benefits to consuming food and your body is used to the process so you will find you feel better after eating. Well, as long as you are eating something better than those half raw half charcoal strips of yuck.¡±
Done with the midday meal it was time to pack up. The stones were too hot to handle so they were left in place. There were still plenty more in the bag if he wanted to make another campfire, or he could always try and return here if the need for cooking arose again. After finishing gathering up the rest of the stuff he noticed something furry peeking out from behind one of the trees. Using his newly improved perception, or maybe the old perception was simply good enough, he was able to make out what looked like a fox. It must have been drawn by the smell of the ¡®cooking¡¯ meat.
Beast: Red Fox (Uncommon) level 1, threat: low.
Interesting, his identify skill had gone up slightly so now there was also a threat assessment. It was hard to know how reliable it was yet, but he didn¡¯t think the system had purposely misled him so far. The goat had only been common, so did this mean the fox was stronger or simply rarer? While this animal looked similar to foxes he had seen before, its fur looked different. It had the same color he was used to, but the hairs seemed thicker and more bristly than he remembered.
It didn¡¯t have any obvious weapons like the goats¡¯ horns, but a fox would have sharp teeth and claws no doubt. He was more concerned about the claws since they would be more effective against his recent more nimble combat style than a bite. In height the fox was comparable in size to the goat, maybe a couple of inches taller, but it was also almost half a foot longer.
As the fox and Alan continued to stare at each other it occurred to him that this might be a good time to try out the charm animal talent. The fox seemed like it was hungry and there just happened to be some food that wasn¡¯t him. Taking out one of the strips of goat meat that hadn¡¯t been cooked he tossed it over near the fox.
She, Alan decided that it was a she, cautiously made her way over and sniffed the offering. Apparently she found it acceptable and snarfed it down in one bite. That gave Alan an opportunity to see her teeth. They were sharp and slightly larger than he would have imagined from his experience with dogs. The fox looked up at him expectantly and he took out another strip of meat. This time he tossed it about half way between them.
As she made her way slowly to the latest treat, Alan opened up the party chat. ¡°Are you seeing this Tamee?¡± he whispered. It probably didn¡¯t matter since the fox was close enough to hear even if he whispered, but he figured a louder noise would be more likely to spook it.
¡°Yes I am, you know all I have to do around here is watch you, right?¡±
¡°Ok, that¡¯s kinda creepy. Maybe read more? Do you know if I get credit for killing a beast if I tame it instead?¡± He asked hopefully.
¡°No, kill means kill, but a tamed creature would be useful.¡± As she was talking the fox ate the strip and took a hopeful step towards him.
This was working better than expected. Alan took another strip out and dangled it in front of the fox while holding it in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to name her Marian.¡±
¡°Is that a reference I should get? Also, I¡¯m not sure you should be doing that.¡± Tamee¡¯s warning came a touch too late. Alan apparently had not learned the difference between the look a fox gives when ¡®I like you and we should be friends¡¯ compared to ¡®I like this food and I am gonna eat your face.¡¯
Instead of taking the strip of meat she tried to take Alan¡¯s entire hand. Her teeth were indeed sharp and like an idiot he had been using his dominant hand to feed it. It was now held firmly between Marian''s jaws and the fox was shaking it back and forth like she was playing tug with her favorite toy. The pain was intense, but luckily pain is something he had trained for. He brought his left arm up and swung the elbow down hard on the fox¡¯s head.
The blow staggered the beast but it didn¡¯t let go. He hit him again with a similar result. The little status icon in his vision had a dark yellow hand, but the rest of his body was still the normal gray color. Apparently Alan¡¯s hand was not doing great, but it wasn¡¯t in imminent danger of being chewed off. He switched tactics and awkwardly drew his knife with his left hand. Not trusting his aim using his nondominant arm near his trapped hand, he avoided the neck and instead plunged the dagger into the fox¡¯s side three times. There was more resistance than when he had stabbed the goats. It went in, but if he hadn¡¯t been stabbing so hard it felt like it wouldn¡¯t have penetrated.
This finally caused Marian to let go. It was probably time to stop thinking about her as Marian, though. It¡¯s easier to kill when they don¡¯t have a name. All the fight had gone out of it and the fox collapsed on the ground. A few moments later he got the notification.
Quest Update: Thin the Herd!
[beasts killed 3/5]
¡°Wow Tamee, thanks for the heads up, but next time can you lead with the warning instead of the snark?¡± He called up his status sheet to see how it was going.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (9%) Quartz
Healer (4%) Quartz
Hunter (8%) Quartz
Rogue (14%) Quartz
Health: 100/124 (12/hour)
Stamina: 84/106 (21/minute)
Mana: 86 (9/minute)
Stats:
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 10
Perception: 8
Focus: 6
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 10
Constitution: 7
Spirit: 3
Skills:
Cooking: 1
Daggers: 8
Dodging: 4
First Aid: 12
Harvesting: 3
Herbology: 5
Identify: 4
Running: 7
Sneak: 2
Tracking: 5
Unarmed Combat: 8
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Parry
Healer: Mend
Hunter: Charm Animal
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Spells: Minor Healing (common)
¡°You are lucky I gave you that warning at all, I am not sure if I am actually supposed to do that. Hmmm¡¡± Her voice trailed off as he cast minor healing on himself. He was surprised that it actually topped out his health. It should only restore twenty points, but instead added at least twenty-four. Maybe this is the effect of the mend talent? Also, some of the bones in his hand had been broken and he could now confirm that healing will repair broken bones. At least the little ones. It was a very weird process and he was honestly glad that the healing wasn''t instantaneous. Feeling them rapidly shift around as they realigned was bad enough, but having them instantly snap into place would have probably been excruciating.
He had made some nice gains over the last two fights. In addition to improving the dagger and unarmed fighting skills he had improved in three classes. Well, probably four since he had just healed himself. Rechecking quickly, yup, healer had gone up to 7%. More surprising was that his dexterity had gone up by another point which led to a small increase in stamina. Maybe crossing 10% in his rogue class was the cause?
Alan squatted down to harvest the fox meat, variety is always good, but he noticed the knife was still having a hard time cutting through the skin. Touching its fur with his hand he noticed that it was very tough and abrasive. The skin also seemed to be a little denser than he would have expected. Maybe this was some kind of natural armor. He decided to try and preserve the hide as well as possible so that he could maybe make something out of it later. He checked his blade too, this was definitely doing a number on his knife. Luckily a stabbing weapon doesn¡¯t have to be too sharp on the edge, but the professional in him disliked the lack of maintenance.
Checking the sun it seemed like the day was getting away from him. He gave up on completing another dungeon for now and decided to finish the quest instead, before the monsters got harder tomorrow. After finding four dungeons on this side of the valley, he figured the others would be on the far side. While he was this far north he might as well head toward the end of the pass while hunting. It would be interesting to see what awaited him there. As he started out he glanced down and noticed the sorry state of his clothes. Not only were they sweaty from two days of hard travel and deadly fights but they were bloody and torn. The left pant leg was all sliced up from the first fight and was barely holding together. The knees of both were shredded from his first dungeon experience. Durability aside, they were also filthy. After harvesting the goats and fox he had tried his best to rub the gore off onto the grass, but in order to keep his hands cleaner he had used the front of his shirt as a hand towel.
¡°Tamee, you should be glad you are only watching, if you were here the smell would probably kill you.¡±
¡°Ew, gross. You might want to see about taking a bath.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could point me in the direction of a nice hotel, or maybe just a body of water?¡±
¡°Sorry, I am unfortunately unable to give you that information.¡± Alan had already decided that Tamee was either a real person or an AI so sophisticated that it would pass the Turing test, so, still basically a person. He was also noticing that she seemed to be getting more friendly in her responses. He had been using her as an information source and a touchstone to keep from feeling lonely. Perhaps he should instead try and develop a true friendship. Being buddies with the LT was useful when it came time to hand out assignments.
He soon encountered another goat and tried out his higher level identify on it.
Beast: Goat (Common) level 1, threat: minimal.
He was happy to see the threat level because it confirmed it was a feature of identify now, at least against level one creatures anyway. Alan decided he was not going to try and charm the goat, and not just because last time was such a failure. He had actually achieved some nice growth in his hunter class from the embarrassing attempt. The problem was he didn¡¯t have any greens to feed it and while the fox was an uncommon beast and perhaps stronger, the goat¡¯s horns were more worrisome. That being said, he was going to try something crazy.
¡°I¡¯m going to try and let the goat hurt me some.¡±
¡°Why would you do that?¡± She asked, sounding like she thought I was an idiot.
¡°Well, you¡¯ve told me I want to level up my classes, and the only way to level my healer class seems to be by healing people. Since I am the only people here¡¡± He trailed off as he began a serpentine walk toward the goat. The only thing he had seen a goat attack with was its horns, and he didn¡¯t want it slicing up his legs again. However, if he took a slice or two on his left forearm he should be ok. The brachial artery is mostly on the inside of the arm, so he should be able to prevent a serious injury. Even if he screwed up, he would still be able to fight with his right arm.
He managed to close to about six feet before it leapt. He deflected that first powerful lunge with his dagger, but instead of pulling back he stayed in close and prepared to block with his arm. When the blow came he had to fight his instincts and keep his left arm held up to absorb the blow. He could feel bad things happening there as the razor sharp horn met supple flesh, but he focused on his job. Stabbing forward with his right hand he then twisted the dagger out of its throat as he backed away.
The goat quickly bled out and he checked on his injury. The arm was all bloody and it had sliced an actual strip of meat off his forearm. Alan wished he could say that he stoically observed the damage, but something about seeing a part of his own arm lying on the ground was too much for him. He threw up all over the goat. Guess he wasn¡¯t going to harvest this one. The damage looked terrible, but he had only lost about 30% of his health. Only 30%? He suddenly wasn''t sure if he was treating this too much like a game or if maybe he was in shock again. There also seemed to be a bleed effect as his health continued to drop as blood poured from the wound.
He cast minor healing and watched the health points. They went up 25 points. Five points was a nice boost from mend, but not a game changer. He checked on his arm and found that not only had the wound stopped bleeding but the spell had restored a good part of the missing flesh. This was a promising sign, maybe he would be able to regrow limbs. Still wasn¡¯t going to test that if it could be helped.
¡°Alan, I would recommend not doing that again. Not only could you get hurt worse than you expect, but that was gross and you threw up. On the goat!¡± Tamee seemed genuinely upset which he took to be a positive sign for his new mission of friendship.
¡°I think I¡¯ll take your advice about trying that with the goats again. Their horns are easy enough to avoid when you know what you¡¯re doing, but if they do connect they can cause a lot of damage. Maybe if I find another one of those foxes I could try it again.¡±
Casting heal one more time he checked his progress. Both healer and fighter had reached 10% and sure enough strength and wisdom went up another point. He would have to wait to see if this happened every 10% or if there were certain thresholds for growth. If this keeps up he would soon become stronger and faster than any olympian. Enough daydreaming, back to the mission. One more beast and he would get the next quest reward.
It was only another twenty minutes of jogging before he found himself nearing the end of the pass. He had been keeping his head on a swivel, watching all around for any animals he could kill. Because of this he hadn¡¯t really been paying attention to scenery and the looming cliff at the end of the valley. He could now tell that there was a large waterfall coming over the cliff. The trees had been thinning out even more, a sure sign in this artificial forest that he was nearing a clearing. He ended up facing a cliff that rose maybe two hundred and fifty meters into the air. Someone might have tried to climb it but the waterfall was making the rock wall slick. He wouldn¡¯t want to try climbing it, especially since he didn¡¯t know what was at the top.
The waterfall fell onto a mound of large rocks at the bottom, sending a spray of mist into the air, but then ran down them into a small lake. The lake was at least four hundred meters across and maybe two hundred from the near shore to the bottom of the falls. There seemed to be a lot of water coming down the cliff but there was no obvious outlet for it to flow away. There must be some Network fudging going on, otherwise the lake should be flooding its banks.
Here was the first sign of any vegetation other than the too perfect trees and the short soft grass in the valley. Growing all along the shore of the lake were bushes. Herbology came in handy as he identified several shrub bushes but also a blueberry bush. The greenish berries weren¡¯t quite ripe yet, but they should be edible in the next couple of days. This was still a clearly artificial creation as there was no debris gathered around and among the bushes. Normally you would find dried leaves and old sticks scattered throughout but these just had the same green grass growing among them. Because of this there were no warning sounds as he was snuck up on.
Interlude II
Staring down at the mangled corpse of the lepoy, Afilada was feeling good. Not just good, she was feeling amazing. The lepoy was one of the most dangerous creatures on Corell. It was a five meter long lizard that was almost as thick around as she was tall. Each tooth in its massive set of jaws was as long as one of her fingers.
Her identify skill had listed it as a rare creature but the fight had been epic. Beating up the other corellians had gotten boring fast. She still did it, but this was the feeling she was chasing. The blood pumping, the heat in her veins, the knowledge that one wrong move could be her last. She pulled her sword from its skull.
The blue blade slid out easily. It was made of a special alloy that had recently been discovered before the integration. She had to kill a party of five fighters to take it from them. At the time fighting all five by herself would have been beyond her, but she had her own group following her around.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
There were now two tiger people, four cheetah people, a bear person, and a rhino person who looked to her to lead them. There had been others who wanted to join but they were too pathetic for her to allow that. One of them had offered a rare hunter class stone to her in exchange, but she just tore the squirrel person''s head off and took the stone from its corpse.
Day two was almost over but she could see her whole life stretched out in front of her. Her Path was an almost physical thing stretching onward. She knew what her destiny was. There would be many challengers on the way who she would leave broken behind her. No power could stop her. She would wade through all the blood and fire climbing a mountain of skulls until she sat at the top, looking down on the world from her throne.
Chapter 7
To be fair, he probably wouldn¡¯t have heard it over the sound of the waterfall anyway. Even though it was a ways off, that much water tumbling over the pile of rocks makes an impression on you. Like a dull roar constantly assaulting his ears, drowning out lesser noises. While he was checking on the ripeness of the blueberries, small feet were making their way along the inside edge of the bushes.
As he glanced up to take in the rainbow mist floating above the lake, small hands clutched a branch on a nearby shrub he had already identified as buckthorn. He missed the sound of that branch being snapped off. A small mouth full of tiny but deadly sharp teeth chanted quickly over the stick but the unholy words found no purchase in his mind.
The first clue that something was out there meaning him harm was when a six inch buckthorn branch hardened by some kind of life magic was plunged into his thigh. As luck would have it, it was the left leg again, the poor thing. He let out a totally manly roar, one that was not at all a high pitched shriek. Looking down he saw a dark blue creature gripping that branch in two small hands while standing on his injured leg. It was already pulling it out to plunge it in again, his blood coating the last few centimeters of its small spear. Whatever it was, it was only about 30 centimeters tall with a thin emaciated body. Its hands ended in four fingers with wickedly long claws. Bundled tightly against its back was what looked like a pair of fairy wings.
Demon: Water Imp (Rare) level 1, threat: moderate.
This was very different from the previous encounters with beasts here in the tutorial. Its body looked fragile so he reached down and tried to crush it with his hands like a giant mosquito. The wings unfurled and it nimbly flew up and away from him. He took another try at grabbing it but it easily dodged the hasty attempt. Holding the stick overhead in one fist it opened its mouth and shrieked at him. He reached for his dagger but the speedy monster darted in at him before he could draw it. He lashed out with a quick slap with his left hand but it once again showed how agile it was and ducked below the strike before stabbing his shoulder and then flying back out of easy reach again. This imp struck faster than a snake. Both his leg and shoulder were yellow on the display. Alan decided to cast minor healing now. He didn¡¯t want to lose the use of his good arm. As the cooling feeling of his spell spread, the wounds closed and he brought up his dagger, the point aimed at the nimble foe.
This time it dove towards his face. He managed to keep his blade in line and angled it slightly to block the stick. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t fast enough to retaliate as it pulled back again. Thinking quickly he reached into his storage pouch and grabbed a handful of dirt. As the imp came in once more he threw it at its face and at the same time sliced at it with his pugio. It worked! The spray of dirt distracted it enough so that it could only partially dodge the true attack. He scored a bloody cut across its scrawny body. It wouldn¡¯t have been more than a flesh wound for him, but this creature, or demon, was much smaller and flimsier.
It let go of the stick as it clutched its wound. Alan reached out with his left hand and grabbed one of its wings. Yanking, he pulled the imp to the ground and stomped on it, once twice, and a third time for good measure. It now resembled a large squished blueberry with its insides squirting out. A few notifications were waiting, but he ignored them to focus on getting a sitrep as the creature and its weapon below him were rapidly turning into some kind of ashy smoke.
First he scanned the area for any more of them and backed away from the shrubs. From here he should be able to see anything approaching from the cover of the bushes and on the other side of him it was that well manicured grass of the forest. Everything seemed clear. With clear lines of sight, he went back to the report he got from identifying the imp. It was a level 1, but a rare, which seemed surprising for the first day. He thought they would go easy on them for day two. There was also the fact that it wasn¡¯t classified as a beast. It was listed as a demon. Was there a difference? The Network quests had referred to ¡®beasts¡¯ and the other monsters had identified as beasts. Was this significant or was he just putting importance on something that was only semantics?
¡°Alan, what just happened? I heard you shriek,¡± she obviously misspoke, it was definitely a roar, ¡°but I couldn¡¯t see anything until just now.¡±
¡°Umm¡I am trying to figure that out too. I was checking the bushes when something jumped out and stabbed me. When I used identify it said it was a demon called a water imp.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not supposed to happen. Have you checked your notifications yet?¡±
Quest Completed: Thin the Herd!
[Beasts killed 4/5. Good job holding onto your weapon this time. Since you proved you won¡¯t lose one, let¡¯s see what happens if you have two! Reward: Error# Conditions not met]
That was unexpected. Before he could let Tamee know about the weird message the Network displayed another message.
Quest Update: Thin the Herd!
[Anomaly detected¡checking program. Beasts killed 4/5]
That was not any better.
Quest Completed: Thin the Herd!
[Creatures killed 5/5. Good job clearing out some creatures. Reward: One Seax (common)]
The first message would have been interesting even without the error. It really looked like the Network was taking an interest in his progress. He had no one else¡¯s notifications to compare it to, but it seemed too personal for a wide ranging reality altering Network. The follow up messages showed that it did matter that it was a demon and not a beast. The fact that he got the reward anyway suggested that there were not supposed to be demons to fight against at the moment. Also, why did the flavor text change so much between the first and last quest complete messages?
As for the reward, nothing appeared floating in front of him. Instead, at his feet was what looked like a large knife or small sword in a sheath. He used identify on it.
Seax (common): A large iron knife used for personal defense. It is designed as a slashing weapon with only a single sharp edge on the blade that narrows to a point. It is approximately 50 centimeters long with a very limited crossguard.
All other concerns aside, this was a great reward. He drew it out from the sheath and took a few practice swings. The blade was much narrower than the pugio, but it was also considerably longer. It could still be used to stab with it but the single edge and length of the blade would lend itself better to fast slashing attacks. He moved the pugio to his right hip and fastened the seax to his left.
When he told Tamee about the notifications she told him to hold on. There could only be so many nudges and winks before it became crystal clear that something very weird was going on. There was nothing he could do about it until she got back to him so he decided to test out his new weapon while waiting.
A few practice draws with each showed that they were readily accessible. Then he experimented with holding both at the same time. The seax was definitely heavier than the smaller pugio, but that didn¡¯t prevent him from quickly swinging the seax around. He then tried them in combination, first swinging the seax followed by a thrust from the pugio. The seax felt comfortable but the pugio was awkward in his off hand. He thought maybe a little practice would help. The next few minutes were spent with him waving them around like a college larper. Finally Tamee¡¯s voice came again.
¡°Okay, so what just happened, should NOT have happened. I cannot explain why, and I cannot even tell you why I cannot say why. In return for not pestering me about this and pretending this did not happen I can give you some help.¡±
¡°Sure, I can agree to that.¡± Alan really didn¡¯t want to agree, but what choice did he have. At least this way he would get something out of it. Also, if something was broken with the Network there was no way he would be able to fix it. And if he could help out with their issues a little and appear reasonable to his observer all the better.
¡°Remember how you suggested I do some reading rather than watch you all the time? Rude by the way. Well, I actually did. You seemed to be very concerned about keeping your dagger sharp so I read about whetstones. I am not allowed to just give you one, it is not within my purview, but I learned how to make one.¡±
¡°Wow, Tamee, that¡¯s great, but is it something I can actually do here?¡±
She then went on to explain the process. There were apparently easier ways to do this, but the method she would teach him, she called it lapping, was one that could be done with two rocks. The other methods she had learned about required more tools than he had access to. In lapping, you simply rub the stones together to smooth them out. Basically a whetstone is a rock that has been polished to a high finish. They can be hard or soft stone and vary wildly in their effectiveness.
¡°So the key for you will be finding a rock you want for the actual whetstone. I would recommend a harder stone, quartz is actually really good. If you do get a harder stone you will want to find a second at least as hard to rub it with. The flatter and smoother they are to start with the better.¡±
He wasn¡¯t sure he was going to be able to find any rocks until he went into the next dungeon. The ones he stored from the fire pit rings were too large and were the wrong shape. There weren¡¯t any rocks lying around in this artificial forest either. However, he found some in the lake when went over to see if it looked safe to bathe in. Now that he had become aware of his odorous state, he was increasingly desirous of a bath. Turns out the bottom of the lake was fairly rocky. It wasn¡¯t painful to walk on though since they seemed to be exclusively river stones, meaning they were relatively smooth and rounded but with flatter surfaces. This would be perfect for his purposes.
¡°Tamee, I am going to jump in the water now. Any chance you could do something else for a while?¡± Alan wouldn¡¯t describe himself as shy, but the idea of her watching as he got naked and scrubbed down made him uncomfortable.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
¡°Bashful are you? Sure, I have a few things I can check on.¡± He had no way of knowing if she actually stopped watching, but he decided to trust her.
He stripped down to his skivvies, but even those were filthy so he took them off as well and walked out into the lake. The water was cool, but not enough to make it too uncomfortable. He had to walk out about ten meters before the water was deep enough to submerge in. Along the way he was looking for rocks. He saw several but figured it would be better to gather them on the way back since he didn¡¯t have anywhere to hold things while in the nude. There wasn¡¯t any soap to help with washing so he picked up handfuls of the dirt that was under the rocks at the bottom of the lake and used it to scrub all of the blood and gore from his body and even a little from his hair. Fifteen minutes later he was still just floating in the water calming down. In the heat of the moment he felt like he had handled his encounters well, but afterwards the gravity of the situation was threatening to overwhelm him.
He had a mission, help Humans dominate in this competition, and he was making progress. He had gained four classes and now had two weapons. He was also learning more about the rules of the system. When he eventually came in contact with others he would hopefully be able to dominate his competition and eventually join up with others from Earth. Of course, since he didn¡¯t know how anyone else was doing he didn¡¯t know if his progress was good or not.
It was about this time that he started to have visions of Network created fish gliding through the water and taking bites out of the meat bag called Alan. Relaxing in the water was now off the menu so he made his way back to the shore. Along the way he collected about fifteen rocks of varying shapes, sizes, and types. He would have collected more but as he bent down to get number fifteen he almost lost the pile he was holding against his chest. When he reached land he set the rocks down next to his belt and took his pants, tunic, and underwear back into the water. He proceeded to scrub them the best he could. After putting the underwear back on he hung the pants and tunic from a nearby tree. He had wrung the underwear as much as possible but it was not dry yet. Still, he felt the need to have something on and a little cool dampness down there was not an unpleasant sensation.
As decent as Alan was going to be for a while, he called on Tamee. He needed help choosing the best rocks from his collection. He used identify on the stones, which felt like cheating since he personally had little knowledge of rocks. How could he identify them if he had no basis on which to do so. It worked, however, so he told her what they were. Most were eliminated right off the bat as impractical, but some had promise.
¡°That white rock is good. It''s a quartz stone. I read that those are a common rock used for whetstones. Something about the hexagonal structure of the crystal. What about the last two?¡±
¡°Hold on Tamee, I notice that my classes are called quartz and my class stones are made of quartz. Is this rock special or magical or anything?¡±
¡°Let me check on something really quick.¡± He held the white stone in his hand while waiting. It had a good weight to it and the size was nice. It was round on the edges which made holding it easier, although the whetstones he was used to for his Dan D knife in the service were more rectangular. He didn¡¯t know if that was a big deal.
¡°Ok, so what you¡¯re holding is regular quartz. Sometimes regular quartz in the system absorbs mana and becomes special. That is what is used in class stones and various other crafts. That would be the best thing to use, but you won¡¯t find any in the tutorial as it takes time for it to absorb ambient mana.¡±
¡°This may be over my head, what is ambient mana, better yet, can you explain what mana actually is?¡±
¡°Huh? Mana, never heard of it.¡± What the heck? He understood not answering a question, but the way she sometimes gave him information and then implied he shouldn¡¯t have it was weird. It seemed more like she knew what she wasn¡¯t supposed to tell him and usually chose to abide by the rules, but wasn¡¯t automatically prevented from breaking them. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s look at the last two stones¡±
The first was granite. This would be a great rock to use except it is one of the hardest rocks and it would take a long time to smooth it out. He set it aside, it would be good as the lapping stone, the one used to grind the whetstone smooth. Tamee was very excited by the last rock.
¡°That is black quartz, it is even better than the white quartz. It is a little harder and has a finer grit.¡± The stone was slightly bigger than the white quartz one but it was also longer, more rectangular. He set the white quartz in one of his pouches as a backup and took the black one in hand. As she explained the process, it seemed he had a lot of hours in front of him.
He ripped up some of the bushes near the lake to give him space to work. Luckily the root systems on these bushes were not very developed. It would have taken more strength than he had to rip them out of the ground if he was back on Earth. Here, however, he was able to pull the bush right out of the ground and expose a tiny ball of roots. Remembering digging up an unwanted bush when he was a kid caused a moment of nostalgia. He had tried exposing the roots with a shovel while his dad used a dig bar to loosen the soil and try to pry it out. Eventually they gave up and his dad hacked the roots apart with an axe allowing them to get the bush out. At some point he would need to think about crafting some type of tools. Thinking of tools he got back to his future whetstone.
He dunked both the granite rock and the black quartz in the water. The granite stone was set on the ground with the other rock laid on top. Then he pressed down with one hand and slid it back and forth, occasionally dipping the soon to be whetstone back in the water. Soon might be wishful thinking.
After half an hour he checked his progress. There was a definite difference, some of the ridges now had slightly darker smoother sections, but at this rate there was a lot of work to go. When he had asked Tamee how they are normally made she mentioned sandpaper. It occurred to him that he might have something like that. The fox pelt he had skinned had fur that was pretty rough, he remembered thinking it was abrasive when he skinned it.
Taking a section out of storage he laid it on the ground. Running his hands over it, he could feel his skin being scraped off. It was like a hardcore exfoliating treatment. This seemed to be a good substitute for sandpaper so he decided to give it a try for half an hour and see how the results compared. The rock was dipped in the lake again and then placed on the fox fur. Back and forth he slid the rock, occasionally alternating hands. His arms were starting to cramp up by the end, but when he turned the rock over it was much smoother than before. There were large patches of the dark smooth places and they had little sparks of light in them. The underlying crystal structure was showing through and reflecting the light. Fox fur for the win.
Alan spent the next three hours rubbing that stone on the pelt. His arms were in agony after the first hour, but after that he was able to enter a kind of meditative state. The back and forth motion allowed his mind to drift off and his thoughts focused on the simple concept of moving his hand. Then the pain caused him to focus on what he was feeling in his arms. It was almost possible to see the muscles cramping up in his mind. He started talking to the muscles in his head, willing them to go just a little longer, to hurt a little less, to relax the tenseness. It was strange, he almost could feel an energy that was flowing into his arms and then back out, and it was drawing the pain with it. When his arms felt better he started focusing on different parts of his body and seeing if he could sense his muscles or energy moving into and out of them. Nothing was ever as obvious as his arms, but he felt like he could feel something.
By the third hour he was sure there was something there as he focused on the energy itself. He could sense something so he tried to push it around. This was hard, but as he tried to move it he could almost feel how the energy already had a path to move through. It was like a system of energy flowing throughout his body. He felt a few places where it seemed bunched up or constricted. He willed the energy to smooth out like he had willed the pain out of his arms. Something went right because he suddenly felt a loosening throughout his body and the energy seemed to surge around its mysterious pathways.
He blinked and was once again aware of his surroundings. Good thing nothing had tried to eat him while he was meditating. Stopping to check the whetstone he found a beautiful flat sparkly finish. He was excited to try it out, but the sun had already passed below the mountains and would soon actually set. He needed to find a place to sleep tonight and he didn¡¯t think it would be safe to sleep in the open now that beasts, and other stuff, were roaming around the valley.
Sleeping in the forest wouldn¡¯t offer much protection either, although he could try sleeping in a tree. A dungeon was another possibility. He could try reentering one he had already completed and sleeping inside. Checking around he started to look to make sure he had collected everything back up. He put on his slightly cleaner tunic and shredded pants which were only slightly damp at this point.
Looking back at the waterfall he noticed something he hadn¡¯t seen before. With the false sunset the moonlight was throwing strange shadows on the cliff face. It allowed him to see a shadowy cave on the wall near the waterfall. He hurried around the lake and could see from closer up that there were actually a few alcoves on the cliff face. The closest was maybe seven meters up and was about 5 meters across.
He decided to risk the climb on the wet face for such a secure sleeping site. The cliff had quite a few hand and foot holds so it wasn¡¯t too difficult. However, there were a couple of times he almost slipped on the slick rock, so he made a note to be careful when descending in the morning. It wasn¡¯t until he was almost up to the cave that he considered what might be up there already. His mind filled the dark space with snakes and scorpions and other nasty surprises. He had gone too far now to give up without even looking though.
After pulling himself over the lip he found an alcove that was just over two meters deep and just under two meters tall at the top. It was also blessedly empty. He was thankful he was on the shorter side because he could stand comfortably without hitting his head on the low rocky ceiling. He smiled momentarily thinking about his friend Bernie having to walk around stooped over in here, and then his smile slipped when he thought about the possibility that Bernie was just a pattern somewhere in a storage system.
It would be possible to set up a campfire here, but the spray from the waterfall, and the thought of having to climb down and back up again to get firewood disabused him of the notion. He may get hunger pangs overnight but Tamee said he didn¡¯t really need to eat and the temperature in the valley had not gotten that cold so a fire was not a necessity. If he was starving he could always try to cook something in the morning where he set up the fire pit.
Without any way to really improve his sleeping area at the moment, he figured this would be a good time to sharpen his weapons. Part of the daily ritual in the military is taking care of your kit, and his kit was basically limited to the two knives.
Taking out his new whetstone he began sharpening. There was no oil, so he held it up until the mist had gotten it good and wet. If his sleeping area was going to be soaked in the mist he may as well make use of it. Using slow steady strokes he took his time working the stone on the blades. Despite having spent three hours repeatedly scraping a rock on a pelt, this repetitive act of sharpening his weapons was mentally soothing as it brought him back to simpler times.
He wasn¡¯t going to try and meditate since he was basically rubbing a sharper by the moment knife with his hand. One slip and he could be down some fingers. Focus was key. Stroke, stroke, stroke, he lost himself in the work. He had to spend about 30 minutes on the much misused pugio and then spent ten minutes on the seax. It was already sharp but he felt like he was building an intimacy with it as he worked it over.
After finishing he found that he wasn¡¯t sleepy yet. ¡°Tamee, are you awake?¡±
¡°I do not actually need sleep. What is your question?¡±
¡°I wanted to ask about something that happened to me earlier. I was kinda meditating while making my whetstone and I felt like I could see inside my body. There was some kind of energy I could sense moving through pathways. Was this some kind of hallucination?¡±
There was a pause before she answered. ¡°Wow, I really wish I could talk to you about this, but I am not allowed to discuss that thing you may or may not have seen. Talk to me the night of our sixth day.¡±
¡°Ok, I feel like you kinda answered my question anyway. Umm, thanks? So if that¡¯s off the table, how bout you pick a topic?¡±
¡°I have one I was wondering about. What is your culture''s obsession with reality shows?¡±
They spent the next hour chatting about questions she had concerning Earth customs. This was doing nothing to help him learn about his new situation or directly helping humans beat those other races, but what it was doing was making a deposit on a future payoff. He hoped.
Chapter 8
That was one of the best night''s sleep he had ever experienced. That was strange because his bed was a rough rock floor and he was soaking wet. Be that as it may, Alan woke up in the morning, early as usual, but he felt fully recovered and more rested than he had since leaving Okinawa. Thinking back to his time there, he decided to warm up this morning with something he hadn¡¯t done in a while.
His ex was into all kinds of natural and spiritual exercises and one she picked up in Japan was Tai Chi. In addition to couples yoga she would make him come to classes with her. At the time he found it a very calming and centering activity. He had dropped it as a morning routine after the break-up but for some reason felt like resuming it today.
Unfortunately the sleeping cave did not have room to reach above his head without scraping his knuckles, so he cautiously made his way down the cliff. The sun had not yet risen and the moon was barely peeking above the mountains, but he found that he could still see where to place his hands and feet. He didn¡¯t think he could see in true darkness, but he found that he could still see well enough with the limited light. It was more of a bright gray scale rather than full of shadows. Perhaps his higher perception was showing? Once safely down at the bottom he made his way back to the clearing in front of the lake.
With a slightly elevated heart rate from the climb and the walk over, he first tried to slow his breathing. He began by focusing on inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Long slow breaths, filling his lungs completely before releasing. As his heart rate settled and his breathing calmed he then started moving through several forms. The slow steady movement of his body felt good after the recent life or death fights.
As he transferred weight from one leg to the other he could feel a new sense of potential power in his limbs. Since having his body rebuilt, his brain quickly skipped past that horrendous concept, he had gained points in both strength and dexterity. He had not really felt the difference before, but this morning he was very aware of the change. While performing White Crane Spreads Wings there was a power in his arms aching to be unleashed. It was a heading feeling hinting at what new force he could bring to a fight.
On a whim he decided to draw his daggers and hold them in his hands as he did some of the movements. It greatly limited which moves could be performed, but he also needed to get comfortable with the weapons. It seemed like his new reality was going to be much more violence oriented than the previous one. And considering his old job, that was saying something compared to the average person.
Many people think of special forces operators as killers who move silently through the enemy, eliminating all opposition. While that is something they have been trained to be, much of the mission in the 1st SFG instead involves training and supporting local groups. There had been times of extreme violence in his life, but he expected this new existence to far exceed that.
After spending about an hour performing various movements and exercises he decided it was time for some food. Setting out a ring of stones for cooking, all that was missing was fuel for the fire. The first stop was the nearby bushes. This would hopefully offer up some good kindling, and he wanted to check out one bush in particular. Yesterday when he had looked at the blueberries he had thought they still had a few days to ripen, but this morning he found the bush to be sagging under the weight of hundreds of fat dark blueberries. The idea of trying to choke down another batch of poorly cooked meat strips held little appeal in the face of this juicy alternative, so he picked a good third of the berries off the bush. Most went into his mouth, but some were also stored in his special pouch.
The sky was starting to lighten, there was a rosy yellow color beginning to replace the previously dark firmament. True sunrise would soon be happening and it was time to get going. As this was day three he was expecting harder encounters than what he saw yesterday. Tamee had mentioned in the intro that the monsters would get more difficult as the days progressed. He had initially been wary of the beasts yesterday, but felt more comfortable by the end. Thinking back to the octospatium he hoped the challenge wouldn¡¯t increase too much.
After only having completed one dungeon yesterday he felt the need to get two done today despite the higher risk from attacks. There were still four more classes to gain and now that he was starting to feel the improvements in his body he wanted to see what other changes would occur. That sense of potential power in his movements was almost like a drug. Taking out his tutorial stone he followed its sense of warmth to the east, looking for his next fix.
There was no quest message today. He had been hoping for one since they had been his only source of gear so far. Better clothing or armor, or maybe even a real sword would have been nice. Images of chopping heads off with a katana had occasionally passed through his mind since this whole competition began. There can be only one! Oh well, no use whining he guessed. Hoping to put his travel time to good use he chose to focus on improving his relationship with Tamee.
¡°Good morning Tamee, how was your evening?¡±
¡°Boring, with up to 10,000 recruits in these zones I am supposed to have lots to do and there is always something to watch. While I wouldn¡¯t say you are uninteresting, as a matter of fact you seem suspiciously competent and super active, there is only one of you. A girl needs some excitement.¡±
They then spent about ten minutes chatting. Alan told her more about his background, explaining why he was so at ease with the challenges he had faced. Tamee seemed interested and told him she was going to read up on the special forces more. He hadn¡¯t thought about this before, but was she sitting in a fancy control room somewhere with screens and computers? She had said that the Network wasn¡¯t technological, but that it was also by choice and not a limitation. Maybe there were magical portals and touchstones instead of keyboards and monitors?
While chatting he was also looking around the forest, not only scanning for danger but taking in the small changes to the environment. The grass was slightly longer and less uniform in appearance. An uptight HOA might have complained about getting it mowed. The trees were still spaced widely apart but you could start to see some variations between them. So far the differences he had noticed were mostly in the shading of the bark. Some were very darkly colored now while others had a lighter bark like a birch tree. It was while looking at the trees that he saw his first animal of the day sitting on one of the branches.
Beast: Fox Squirrel (common) level 1, threat: minimal.
He had never heard of a fox squirrel, only gray and red squirrels. It was a little larger than a gray squirrel, maybe sixty centimeters long including its tail. That tail did not look fluffy, though. It looked thick and tough. He could also see long sharp claws on its feet. Its small size would make it hard to hit, but one blow should be enough to kill it. He drew his seax since he figured it would be easier to hit it with fast slashing attacks rather than stabbing at it. He debated drawing the pugio as well, but wasn¡¯t sure he was coordinated enough yet to move two sharp objects around at the same time without cutting himself. His workout this morning had given him a little confidence, but those controlled movements were a far cry from active combat.
The squirrel was still just sitting there. It wasn¡¯t like a regular squirrel who pauses every now and then as it scampers around or eats a nut, it was just staring at him. It was unnerving. He had heard once that animals couldn¡¯t match gazes with people, but its eyes were burning into his as if trying to read his soul.
He thought of trying to work on his hunter class by taming it with his new stash of blueberries, but then his improved perception picked out something in his peripherals. There were two squirrels moving through the branches on his left and right. The first squirrel was just a distraction while these other two were supposed to ambush him.
¡°Clever girl,¡± Alan whispered.
Not wanting to be caught between the two newcomers he backed up so that he could see all three in front of him. Somehow they knew that the game was up and started to move closer to each other. He didn¡¯t want them jumping down on him from above like some kind of furry bombs so he moved as far away from the tree trunks as possible. There were still branches above him but they were small and hopefully wouldn¡¯t provide as stable a platform as the branches closer in.
Two of the squirrels ran down the trunk of a tree while the original one tried to get above him. He started making his way around the tree forcing the squirrel up there to hop from branch to branch. The thinner branches out this far were indeed causing it some difficulties. With its progress slowed he took the chance to advance on the two squirrels on the ground.
They were fast, there was no doubt about that. While they were down on the ground it was too hard to try and engage with the seax. While it was longer than his pugio, it was still not long enough to effectively target something only a few centimeters off of the ground. It didn¡¯t stop him from trying, though. He soon felt foolish, more like he was fanning them with his blade than attacking them, so he switched it up and tried to kick them instead.
Whack! He actually managed to connect solidly with one of them, sending it flying through the forest a good ten meters. Unfortunately the other one used that distraction to jump onto his plant leg. He grimaced in pain as its claws dug into his left one again. Why was it always the left one, did it smell better than the right leg or something? Its claws dug in and he let out a groan as the leg turned light yellow on his display.
Reaching down he grabbed it with his left hand, and while holding it in place brought his seax into play. He didn¡¯t try to hack at it since it would most likely cut through the squirrel and continue right into his own leg. Instead he sliced it across the back. There was a slight resistance but then it cut through its spine. He was then easily able to tear it off and toss it away.
This had taken up too much of his time and the squirrel in the trees had managed to get above him. It leaped down, all of its sharp points reaching for his tender flesh, but it landed on his left shoulder instead of his head like he would have expected. It dug its claws in and then slapped his head with its tail.
Slapped was the wrong word. That tail felt like it was a damn wooden bat being swung by a tiny home run champion. Alan staggered from the impact as it twisted to strike again. With blurry vision he dropped his seax and reached up to grab it. The evil, wretched, and not at all cute little squirrel bit one of his fingers with its tiny mouth. Luckily the small creature also had smallish teeth so it was unable to bite his finger off, but he could feel them tearing through his flesh.
He refused to let this thing hit him again, possibly knocking him unconscious, so Alan used his superior strength and willpower to push forward until he could grab its body with the rest of his hand. He could feel the teeth pressing down on his bone and scraping along it as his finger ended up getting pushed down the squirrel''s gullet. Finally he felt fur with the rest of his fingers and clamped down.
Yanking it off of his shoulder he drew his pugio with his left hand. Holding it up he drove his dagger into its body. The blow was instantly fatal. A quick glance showed the other squirrel that was cut was still alive on the ground, but it was clearly out of the fight. Using his off hand he pried the original squirrel¡¯s mouth open and pulled his bloody finger free. Then, bending down, he grabbed the dropped seax. He didn¡¯t sheath the pugio since it was covered in blood and he didn¡¯t want it getting stuck in the scabbard. Walking over he stabbed the crippled animal in its head. That still left the one that had been kicked. It was a solid blow, but it was hard to tell how hurt it was or even where it had ended up.
Scanning the branches above he didn¡¯t see anything. Crouching down to make himself a smaller target, Alan looked around on the ground. While crouched he cast minor healing and felt a little dizziness that he hadn¡¯t realized he had disappear. He must have had a concussion. Also his finger, which was why he cast the spell, stopped sending agonizing jolts through his nervous system.
He finally spotted the squirrel crawling along the ground. It was trying to sneak up on him but it also was not moving well. His kick must have done some serious damage. He had to give this thing credit, it was obviously in agony but it was committed to at least doing some damage before it died. With its movements impaired, and no other threats, he made quick work of it attacking it alternately with his two daggers. Using the now longer grass Alan wiped the worst of the gore off the blades and then used his shredded pants to finish cleaning them off and put them away. Then he called up his status sheet to see what he had gained.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (19%) Quartz
Healer (18%) Quartz
Hunter (10%) Quartz
Rogue (20%) Quartz
Health: 126 (13/hour)
Stamina: 108 (22/minute)
Mana: 88 (9/minute)
Stats:
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 11
Perception: 9
Focus: 6
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 11
Constitution: 7
Spirit: 3
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Skills:
Cooking: 1
Daggers: 11
Dodging: 4
First Aid: 12
Harvesting: 5
Herbology: 6
Identify: 5
Running: 7
Sneak: 2
Tracking: 5
Two Weapon Fighting: 1
Unarmed Combat: 9
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Parry
Healer: Mend
Hunter: Charm Animal
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Spells: Minor Healing (common)
It seemed like he was going to gain a stat point for every ten percent gained in his classes since his dexterity went up again with his rogue class at 20%. He had also somehow increased his hunter class. It was perception based, so maybe searching for his enemies counted? He had also made good improvements to several skills but almost laughed when he saw two weapon fighting. Apparently it took pity on his inept flailing at the end and gave him a reward. Maybe he should work on this more because being able to use two weapons at once would be of great benefit if there were going to be more groups he would have to fight by himself.
Thinking back to his initial goals, he still needed some more gear and a real shelter. Between the blueberry bush and the thankfully preserved pile of corpses in his pouch he had food covered. Sorta. The meat strips he cooked probably counted as food. He had four classes so far, possibly as many as any other person in the tutorial would get, and was definitely kicking ass, even if they had been cute furry animals so far. His cave last night would probably be a good place to set up for now, but he already had some ideas to make it a real shelter. Sleeping in a puddle while being misted on all night was not doctor recommended, and he should know.
He didn¡¯t feel like cleaning and skinning the squirrels at the moment, plus he had just cleaned the knives, so their corpses were tossed into the pouch and he kept going. He had noticed that he could store things in the special pouch that were actually bigger than the opening. There was some kind of fuzzing when things got close and they just seemed to fit themselves inside. One of the rocks he stored in there was at least 80 centimeters across and yet it slid right in. Maybe it was the same kind of magic that let Santa Claus fit down chimneys.
¡°How was that Tamee, you think I¡¯m getting better at this?¡±
¡°Well, you did drop your knife again.¡±
¡°Okay, that was on purpose this time, I needed my hand,¡± he defended himself.
¡°Still counts.¡± Dammit.
¡°I was wondering, shouldn¡¯t there be more animals? If there were 10,000 people here it seems like there would need to be a lot more beasts than I have been seeing.¡±
¡°Well, this is a potential advantage for you. Most recruits would not have finished that thinning the herd quest unit day three or four, or even later. This is supposed to be a tutorial, recruits need a chance to rest, recover, and cultivate between fights. Because of this we don¡¯t flood the area with monsters. You have been abnormally active and without others to keep the numbers down, you are seeing more than your share of action. That being said, the spawn rate is affected by the population somewhat, so it is lower than it would be otherwise.¡±
¡°I know what rest and recovery are, what do you mean by cultivate?¡± he asked her.
¡°I didn¡¯t say cultivate, I said consolidate.¡± He was positive that is not what she said, but once again had to let it go. The list of things he had hints to but no answers for was growing depressingly long. What he hadn¡¯t figured out yet was if these were deliberate slip-ups to help him or if she needed a better filter. Well, no use trying to figure it out now when there was work to be done. Alan had finally reached his destination. Above was a carving in the shape of a hand that seemed to be on fire, it kinda looked like an album cover.
New Quest: The Cave of Mages
[Before you lie two paths. The first is the Path of Growth and the second is the Path of Decay. Choose a path or exit now.]
While he didn¡¯t necessarily know that growth was good and decay was evil, that was certainly what 21st century movies had primed him to believe.
Quest Update: The Path of Growth
[This magical circle is stimulating the growth of the plants in the cavern. It is not being as efficient as possible. Modify the circle to improve the growth.]
Magic circles, this was definitely outside of his experience. He tried to keep in mind that these dungeons were not only a test but also an opportunity for growth. If he paid attention there should be clues to help him. Please let there be clues.
This dungeon was in the largest cave so far. It was over 150 meters across and in the center was a large tree. It looked like one of those oaks you find at a college that has been growing for 400 years. The trunk must have been more than two meters in diameter. There were some small strange fruits growing from some of the branches.
Surrounding the tree was what he assumed was a magical diagram. It was drawn with a white powder and was fifteen meters in diameter. There were several concentric circles with the innermost circle empty of the powder, but from the edge of the inner circle to the outer circle it was a dizzying array of lines and curves connecting and passing through the circumference of all three. There were symbols spread throughout that spaghetti mess. This was not going to be easy.
To orient himself in here he decided to call the entrance of the cave south. There was a small skylight in the western zone and to the east there was a small pond, maybe ten meters across at its widest. There was also a large yellow crystal in the north quadrant. It was just under two meters tall and had several crystal spires extending from its base. The only thing he could compare it to were those weird crystal lamps that get advertised on the internet for your girlfriend.
All around the southern section were small white stones. It almost looked like a large zen garden. Upon closer inspection they looked to be quartz stones. He spent some more time looking around the outer zones before heading closer to the circle. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything else to find other than the large features he had already observed.
The magical circle was still a mystery. There were three concentric circles with the largest having a radius of eight meters and the smallest a radius of maybe six meters. Between the outer two circles there were five different symbols. If someone had to describe them they would call them glyphs, but Alan had no means of identifying their meaning. They seemed to act like anchor points around the diagram for all the other lines, but were only located between the outer two circles.
Coming from around these glyphs and crossing over the center circle to the edge of the inner circle was a confusing array of lines and curves drawn with that white powder. In this inner region the lines and curves would sometimes intersect with those drawn from the other symbols. Something about it felt familiar but for the life of him he couldn¡¯t figure it out. It kinda looked like a crazy spirograph drawing.
Stepping carefully through the circle he made his way to the large tree. This close he could almost feel the vitality of it. The entire cavern had a buzz of energy in the air, but this pillar of nature was making the air vibrate with it.
He thought he understood what he was supposed to do for this quest, but he had no idea how to do it. That circle was somehow helping this tree to grow better. He was supposed to improve the circle to make the tree grow betterer. That wasn¡¯t a real word, but that wasn¡¯t important right now. He had an idea of how he could add to the circle, but had no idea of what that would do. Many of the fantasy stories he read demonstrated the danger of messing up a magical circle you didn¡¯t understand. Summoning a demon or melting into a pile of goo were not high on his bucket list.
As he inspected the tree Alan made a discovery on the far side. Nestled against the trunk was a mortar and pestle made from some dark stone. He was now positive that the white powder that was used to draw the diagram was crushed quartz. If he was going to add to the circle he would have to crush up the quartz rocks that were scattered by the entrance.
Returning to the southern quadrant he collected a large pile of the stones, storing them in his special pouch as he went. He could have brought the mortar over here, but he figured it may have been placed where it was for a reason. He sat with his back to the tree in the same spot the mortar had been placed. He found himself facing the strange crystal and noticed that one of the glyphs was directly in line with it. Rule #39, there¡¯s no such thing as a coincidence.
He placed the first small rock in the mortar and started to grind it up with the pestle. Unlike a certain dinosaur filled survival game, he actually had to do it himself. He couldn¡¯t kick it off and go do other stuff. It was surprisingly easy, the mortar must have some kind of enhancement to make the process go faster. He once again lost himself in a repetitive process as he crushed the pile of rocks. Grind grind grind, place the crushed quartz back into the pouch, put in a new stone, grind again.
Latching on to his focused mental state he tried to see the energy flowing inside of him. Might as well use this time constructively. After a few minutes he was able to recreate his vision from yesterday. Once again there seemed to be places where the flow was restricted. Focusing his mental energy he willed them to smooth out and soon the energy was flowing freely. The pile of stones was almost finished when something occurred to him.
Rather than looking inward, he used those same senses to look outward. At first he focused on the mortar and the stone inside, but he didn¡¯t sense anything special. Then he noticed something from the tree behind him. It almost felt like there was energy from the tree flowing into him from their contact. Following that flow back into the tree he could just barely sense a great stream of energy coming in from the roots of the tree and spreading up toward the branches. It was definitely harder to sense this outside of his body, but it was still possible.
This seemed like it might be useful for the challenge. What would the circle do if not provide energy for the tree to grow. Maybe he could sense the energy coming from the circle and figure out some way of changing it. Perhaps he would need to add more lines or drawings to make it stronger? Figuring he would need more powder no matter what, he collected more stones and sat down to grind again. This also seemed to help him focus on whatever the other sense he had discovered was.
It wasn¡¯t long before he found a line of energy flowing near him and into the tree. The line seemed to be coming from the inner circle. He was surprised it wasn¡¯t coming directly from the glyph or crystal. Setting down the mortar for the moment, he decided to try and follow the energy to see exactly where it came from.
Already being locked on to it made it easier to focus on, even without the grinding process to help center him. It led directly to one of the lines that crossed through the middle circle and onto the inner one. The inner circle seemed to have its own low level of energy and he followed that around. Everytime he came to a line that intersected with the inner circle he found an otherwise invisible line of energy extending toward the tree.
Now that he was getting used to this he found that he was able to extend his senses a little further than before. As he moved around the circle he started to get a sense for what was going on. Each of the glyphs was glowing with energy. They were spaced around the circle and three of them had energy lines that led to the key features in the room. One for the pond, one for the crystal, and one that led up to the skylight. The other two had no energy lines coming into them so he wasn¡¯t sure what was up with that.
There were lines drawn in the white powder coming out of all the glyphs and each one had a line of energy flowing along it. Where the drawn lines intersected with each other the energy flows seemed to merge. Now that he was looking at one of the merges he could sense a difference between the energies of each line. He didn¡¯t know how to describe it, but he could distinguish between the two incoming flows of energy and he could even tell that the energy flowing out felt different from what went in.
He still didn¡¯t really understand what was going on, but had a general theory. The glyphs represented some kind of elements, like water or light, and whatever that crystal was for, and these energies were combined by the diagram somehow and sent into the tree boosting its growth. The powder drawn lines enabled the energy to travel along them and even combine when they intersected, but when they hit the inner circle the powder stopped and the energy still somehow continued to the tree. Why they were combined the way they were, or really how this was even possible, was beyond him though.
You might wonder why he hadn¡¯t asked Tamee for help. To be honest, it was because he was still a little annoyed with her from earlier. She kept dropping these hints, either intentional or not, but then denied ever saying anything. It was getting tiring and he needed a break from it. He knew he sounded whiny, but it was still how he felt. Also, it seemed like helping during a quest was strongly forbidden so what would she be able to add anyway? Luckily the quest didn¡¯t really require him to understand what he was doing, as long as he did something.
As he had moved through the circle he had sensed areas where the flow was off. Similar to how he could sense restrictions in the flow through his own body, he could tell there were areas where the flow was not as strong as it should be. It didn¡¯t feel like the constriction he sometimes felt in his own body, it was instead as if something more was missing or unbalanced. Trusting his instincts he chose to go for it.
He traced one line of energy headed for the tree that seemed to be weaker than it should be. Following it back from the inner edge, he traced it to where a line from one of the mysterious glyphs merged with it. The energy from this line was off. On his hands and knees, careful not to disrupt the drawing, he followed this new line to an earlier intersection. Something about the way the two streams here combined was off. It seemed like the mystery glyph line needed something else to balance the energy from the other line coming in. He had never been a big believer in his gut, but that was all he had to rely on. Deciding to just go for it, he drew a line that connected another nearby line to the struggling line.
The energy at the node, that¡¯s what he was going to call where the energy lines met, swirled and then the process continued as before. Except now even less was getting through, he must have made a mistake and now he had to fix it. Figuring out how to undo a line was fun.
Breaking the line by running his finger across it didn¡¯t work, it just sent a really painful jolt through his body and caused a slight dimming in the energy. Smoothing it out by mixing it with the surrounding dirt did nothing as well. He had to physically remove the white powder, which at this point meant scooping up handfuls of the dirt and carrying it away since they were now intermixed. When he was done he smoothed out the furrow he had created as best as possible and the energy flows returned to normal.
So, that was definitely how to change the magic, but he had messed up on the specifics. Studying what he had done he realized that the line he had randomly connected to eventually ran all the way back to the crystal glyph. The other side of the broken node had a line that also eventually led back to the crystal glyph. Maybe you needed one of each?
Alan found a glyph that wasn¡¯t connected to this node yet and traced it to a line that was drawn nearby. He connected this line to the problem line and he noticed a dramatic increase in the energy flowing through the node.
Having a better understanding of what to look for, he moved around the circle and added in more lines trying to improve every node he could. It had been about four hours since entering this dungeon when he finally got a notification.
Quest Completed: the Path of Growth
[You managed to improve the growth of the Tree by 56%. Reward: One epic Mage class stone and one Scroll of Light Bolt.]
Bonus Reward: the Path of Growth
[Because of the impressive level of improvement you have been awarded a bonus. Reward: One Scroll of Light.]
It was nice to receive recognition for a job well done. This was the second time had received a bonus reward and he wondered if this was a thing for all quests, or if they were only available for some. He almost checked with Tamee right then, but decided he wanted to get his new class first.
One very large spike to the brain and two smaller ones later and he was feeling very pleased with himself. The light bolt spell would add a ranged element to his repertoire that he was sorely lacking, and the other spell would come in handy if darkvision was not a thing. For a class talent he picked up Light Spinner. Combining that with the scrolls he got he would imagine it gave some kind of boost to any light based spells. Was it a coincidence that all three of his rewards had a theme? He also picked up the skill mana drawing. He hadn¡¯t known there was such a thing, but since there was, it made sense he received it after drawing all those lines.
Before he left he looked at the tree again. It looked the same as before, but some of those small fruits growing on it looked much bigger, grown almost to the size of an apple. As he was staring at one he got a message.
Consumable: Fruit of Knowledge, ???
It was a slightly oblong dark orange fruit with what seemed to be a thin skin and small hairs similar to a peach. He climbed into the tree and picked four that looked ripe to put them in his storage pouch. What was the point of magical storage spaces if you didn¡¯t use them?
Chapter 9
Back in the valley Alan found himself geeking out. When playing video games he usually found himself playing the melee classes, but having participated in an actual magical ritual, or circle at least, and now having a spell was sending the endorphins shooting through his brain. Technically he already had the healing spell, but that just didn¡¯t seem the same. Maybe it was because he was a doctor and so was used to healing, or maybe it was because it wasn¡¯t something he cast on others. A quick scan left him bereft of targets so he thrust his hands toward the sky and cast light bolt. A streak of light shot into the sky and quickly disappeared. That was magic!
It would be fun to try out the new spell some more, but that dungeon had taken a while and it was already almost noon, or what he was calling noon anyway. Tamee still wouldn¡¯t tell him how long the days were. He really wanted to finish another dungeon before the day was over, but was also thinking that it might be nice to improve his cave if there was time. What settled it is that he also needed to fight more monsters to level up his classes. There was less chance of encountering beasts back the way he came since he had already cleared that area out. Figuring that beasts were more likely to appear on the way he headed out for the next dungeon.
As suspected based on the previous dungeon locations, the token was sending him to the south. The pace he set this time was much faster than before. He wanted to test out his body. The idea of him casting magic rammed home that he was no longer Alan Taylor of the SSF, he was now a fantasy hero. It was time to see what he was capable of. He was able to run much faster than he had previously, but Alan still found himself tiring quickly while sprinting. Slowing up to a fast jog he considered how his body had changed.
The new strength was easy to notice. When grinding up the stones, or swinging daggers he could tell that he was significantly more powerful. It was the difference between a gym rat and a bodybuilder. Both were strong, but one was at a whole nother level. Dexterity was only a little harder to notice. He threw some random turns into the run and even did a cartwheel. Alan could feel the agility he now possessed. He wouldn¡¯t be joining the olympic gymnastics team any time soon, but it was a safe bet that he could if he trained for it. He might even be able to do a flip now, but decided not to test it. His body had the potential but he needed to work on getting it used to the movements.
Perception was another stat that was not too difficult to notice the change in. He could see details from farther than before. When looking back at the cliff from here he could just make out the waterfall pouring down the face. It wasn¡¯t just sight, taking a deep breath he could smell things that before he never would have noticed, his BO included. The bath last night had helped, but he had worked up a sweat breaking up all those stones and from his quick run. He wondered if there was a stat that would help with that?
The last two of his stats that had improved, wisdom and intelligence, were harder to figure out. Intelligence had gone up with his mage class, and wisdom had increased twice with his healer class. Both had caused an increase to his mana pool, but the boost from intelligence had been significantly greater. He wasn¡¯t sure how to measure what other effects these stats had, though. There were no IQ tests lying around and what is the measure of someone¡¯s wisdom?
¡°Tamee, I don¡¯t suppose you can tell me about what the different stats do?¡±
¡°As an assistant manager there are a limited number of topics I can give you information on. The tutorial is where you learn about your new potential. I am here to help guide you through questions you might have about the tutorial itself. By the way, nice job on that last dungeon. Most people do not catch on so quickly.¡±
¡°Can you tell me how people in the other zones are doing?¡±
¡°I am currently only able to observe human zone 256. Even if that was not the case, I cannot answer questions about how others are doing. That would be an abuse of my observer role.¡±
¡°But you just told me that I did better than others in the last dungeon.¡±
¡°I only told you how you compared to what historically others had done in that dungeon. Remember that the Network has integrated new races thousands, even millions, of times. The dungeons you will be running are rarely unique and are usually based on past versions.¡± That was good to know. Maybe he could exploit this.
¡°Can you tell me what historically the other three dungeons were like?¡±
¡°That would also be cheating. It is ok to talk about challenges you have already overcome. It is not ok to prepare you for future challenges.¡±
Alan would have to think about how to get some information to help him out without running into her manager''s sense of duty. Now was not the time though because he had found a new threat. He could see two foxes in the forest ahead. It didn¡¯t look like they could see him yet. He also didn¡¯t think they would be able to smell him from too far away because there was little to no wind in the valley at the moment. Taking a page out of the squirrels¡¯ playbook he slowly and quietly made his way to a nearby trunk. With a slight jump he managed to catch a thick branch and easily pulled himself up.
It was soon apparent that there would be no careful crawl from tree to tree to get over the foxes. The trees were spaced too far apart and the outer branches would not be able to support the weight. Unable to pounce from above, Alan decided to try out his new ranged spell on a real target.
Spell: Light Bolt (common). Summons a bolt of light which can hit a target up to 30 meters away. Deals a small amount of damage which scales with your intelligence. Mana cost: 20
He could currently cast it four times, but decided to try it twice and see how effective it was. He wanted to keep enough mana in reserve to cast minor healing if needed. Light bolt was nice because you didn¡¯t have to say anything. You only had to point with a finger and think it into being. When he had cast it previously he hadn¡¯t really been paying attention to the specifics, he was just excited to cast.
Pointing at the closer of the two foxes, about twenty meters away, he willed it into being. At first it looked more like a ball of light, but then it quickly streaked toward the target, stretching out as it flew. He willed a second into being while the first was on its way. There didn¡¯t seem to be a cool down which was nice. When he managed to grow his mana pool higher he could send a mass of bolts at a target in a quick burst.
The total travel time was maybe one second. The physics of it was confusing since the bolts seemed to be simply light, but the two streaks actually caused the fox to stumble. The uninjured one turned and found Alan in the treetops almost immediately. He guessed these bolts acted like tracers which could be easily tracked back to their source. Something to keep in mind in the future. The fox that had been hit seemed to have some singed fur and was a little unsteady on its feet. It would be nice if they had a health bar.
It seemed that the spell had done a little damage, but it wasn¡¯t going to allow him to mow down enemies. Both foxes made their way over, noses in the air as they stared up at him. It was apparently too much to ask for them to come all the way beneath him, though. They stopped about five meters away and spread out a little from each other. It was an impasse as long as Alan was in the tree since they couldn¡¯t reach him and he didn¡¯t have the mana to take them out with his spell, which was his only ranged weapon. However, he had stuff to do and needed the growth he could get from killing them so it was time to press the issue.
Not wanting to jump out of a tree with his weapon drawn, he grabbed the branch with his left hand and used it to slow his fall as he hopped down. The right hand went to his seax and drew it immediately. Meanwhile, the foxes had advanced as soon as they saw him start falling. Staying about a hundred degrees apart they moved on him together. Both were leading with their jaws, maybe foxes, like dogs, don¡¯t usually use their feet and claws for fighting. He swung his dagger in front of him to fend off their attacks but they were far enough apart to make it awkward. He tried to go on offense and focus on striking one rather than keeping it back. Alan managed to score a small cut to its face but at the same time the other managed to bite his leg.
He was able to shake it off but decided he needed to try using his other dagger as well. He had gained two weapon fighting last time so maybe if he kept working at it the second dagger wouldn¡¯t feel so awkward in his left hand. Backing up Alan reached over and drew his pugio as well. The next couple of minutes were going to be a learning experience.
It instantly became apparent how much easier it is to keep them back, having two weapons to wave in their faces. However, he still wasn¡¯t confident enough to make an actual attack with his off hand. He had some success attacking with the right hand while brandishing his left at the second fox to keep it back. It was during one of these attacks that his seax sliced a fox¡¯s neck open. Either the improved strength or the sharpened blade let it cut right through the beasts thick hide. Collapsing to the ground it quickly bled out.
Alan started to turn on the second fox but found his movements suddenly sluggish. It felt like he had just finished a triathlon. Keeping one of his blades between him and his foe was a herculean effort. After calling up his status screen he found the problem. His stamina was almost at zero. He hadn¡¯t ever thought about it before, but thinking back he realized that he had always finished his fights fairly quickly. His stamina had never been an issue in battle before, but maybe it was the reason he got so tired after sprinting. Luckily it was his fastest recovering pool. By playing defense for a little while and focusing on conserving energy he should recover enough to end the fight.
The remaining fox had other ideas, but now that Alan had both daggers to keep it away there was no chance of it getting close. Even slowed, it was easy to keep sharp iron between him and its teeth. After another minute of this he found himself able to move faster and took the opportunity to end it. With a clumsy stab using his left hand as a distraction Alan slashed its throat open with the seax when it moved to avoid the feint.
Now it was time to carve up the carcasses. While the pugio was a blade designed for stabbing it still had a double edge. With its shorter blade he found it to be the better tool for harvesting. Wiping his other blade clean on the foxes fur he sheathed it to free up his main hand. Squatting down he then proceeded to collect the fur and meat from both foxes. While he was at it he pulled out the squirrel carcasses and skinned those as well. He took this time to also cast healing on himself and called up his status screen to check on his growth.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (24%) Quartz
Healer (20%) Quartz
Hunter (14%) Quartz
Mage (4%) Quartz
Rogue (25%) Quartz
Health: 128 (13/hour)
Stamina: 40/108 (22/minute)
Mana: 51/98 (10/minute)
Stats:
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 11
Perception: 9
Focus: 6
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 12
Constitution: 7
Spirit: 3
Skills:
Cooking: 1
Daggers: 13
Dodging: 4Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
First Aid: 12
Harvesting: 7
Herbology: 6
Identify: 6
Mana Drawing: 3
Running: 8
Sneak: 3
Tracking: 5
Two Weapon Fighting: 3
Unarmed Combat: 9
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Parry
Healer: Mend
Hunter: Charm Animal
Mage: Light Spinner
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Spells: Minor Healing (common), Light Bolt (common), Light (common)
Three of his classes had hit 20% already and several of his skills were going up. Daggers hadn¡¯t improved as much as Alan might have expected, but maybe the growth slows down as the skill level gets higher. As excited as he was about using magic, he still thought his melee talents were more effective. The light bolts could definitely serve a purpose, but they wouldn¡¯t bring a beast down by themselves right now. All in all he was pretty pleased with how the fight went, but it would be important to keep an eye on stamina in the future.
Running again he continued through the forest to the next dungeon. On the way, there was time to engage in small talk with Tamee. This time her questions were about Earth¡¯s political systems in the western hemisphere. While this was Alan giving information rather than the other way around, it was furthering the bond she felt with him. He had to admit that the talks were also enjoyable, Tamee had a good personality and was fun to talk to. Even when he had to explain the electoral college. Most of the questions he was able to answer, but Brexit was something few Americans really understood so he muddled through those responses the best he was able.
The concept of democracy was apparently not unheard of in the larger Network, but a government where truly all people were allowed to vote was not common. Most societies were based on strength and class levels, a kind of might makes right hierarchy. Alan took this opportunity to try and find out about what awaited humanity beyond this tutorial, assuming they survived.
¡°So how many star systems are there in the Network?¡±
¡°There are somewhere between four and five million star systems currently integrated in the system. Not each of those has its own government. There are many empires, coalitions, kingdoms, powers, federations, dynasties, and conglomerations. Other systems have no governing body whatsoever and are considered rather lawless.¡±
¡°What happens when our tutorial ends, are we automatically added to some bigger empire or do we start independent?¡± This was the type of question he really wanted an answer to. He was in this to save his planet, such as it was, and knowing what came next would be important.
¡°Much of what happens will depend on who ends up with authority over your planet. That is what you are fighting for, the power to choose what happens.¡± She paused for a moment as if realizing she had said too much, ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t say anymore about this now.¡± That response just gave him more motivation to grow as much as possible so that he could maybe help out the other humans. That had been his motivation ever since being teleported down here.
He didn¡¯t expect to be able to make it all the way to the end, but the more tiers he passed the fewer enemies the other human zones would have to deal with. And maybe at some point he would run into other humans that he could team up with. One against 30,000 in tier three was long odds, but he was growing more powerful every day and he liked to think he could stand on his own against anyone he might face. At most someone might get five classes, he thought, but Alan would hopefully have eight.
And here was his opportunity to earn number six. The carving above this dungeon was a book with a shining sun above it. He already had a mage class so he wasn¡¯t sure what this would be. There was only one way to find out.
New Quest: The Cave of Seekers
[Before you lie two paths. The first is the Path of Faith and the second is the Path of the Soul. Choose a path or exit now.]
It may have been mentioned earlier that Alan was an atheist. That didn¡¯t mean he hated religion. He thought it was great, for other people. If it brought them comfort and helped keep them from becoming psychopaths, then more power to them. Personally, the idea of a God never made sense to him. Ghosts, auras, and the power of crystals seemed pretty fake as well. On the other hand, here he was in a Network that could literally rewrite reality. Alan had fought demons, used crushed crystals to channel mystical energy, and had been introduced to the concept of a soul. So what did he know anyway?
All of that is to say he didn¡¯t think these two paths were as silly as he maybe would have a few days ago. The concept of faith was tricky for him. What type of faith did it reference? Being part of a team you had to have faith that your buddies would take care of their business. Faith that ¡®thoughts and prayers¡¯ would solve your problem, though, seemed reckless. The faith in this path felt like a capital F. In the end the soul path just felt more palatable to him.
Quest Update: The Path of the Soul
[Every sentient creature has a soul. It is possible to see parts of another being¡¯s soul and determine if they are lying or telling the truth. Use your senses to determine which of these guards is a liar and which one tells the truth. You can only ask one of them a question, but you can ask them that same question as many times as you would like. Identify the liar to complete the task.]
Someone had been watching too many 80¡¯s movies. Was David Bowie hiding somewhere playing with a crystal ball waiting to steal his baby brother? The movie wasn¡¯t really that great, but he did think Bowie looked kinda cool juggling that thing around. Maybe with his increased dexterity contact juggling was something he could pick up. Focus dude, more important stuff to think about.
Anyway, this was a challenge he was thoroughly prepared for. Between movies, fantasy books, and unoriginal DM¡¯s, Alan knew exactly how to handle this. Sure enough, as he looked around the room he saw 2 guards standing in front of a tunnel. As he approached they crossed their spears in front of the door. If he was going to pass he would have to figure out which guard was telling the lies.
The general idea behind the solution to this challenge was to ask one guard about what the other would say. Because of one always lying and the other always telling the truth they would end up giving the same answer no matter which guard you asked. Kind of like how a positive and a negative always multiply to a negative, regardless of the order. His challenge was not to find a safe path like in Labyrinth, but simply which guard was lying.
He stepped up to the guard on the left and asked ¡°Who would the other guard say is the liar?¡± If the guard he asked was the liar then the other one is the truth teller. The truth teller would say that the other guard is the liar, so Alan¡¯s guard, the liar in this situation, would lie and say the other guard. Does your head hurt yet? Let¡¯s use guard 1 (the guard questioned) and guard 2 (the other guard) to make it easier. In the other case, If guard 1 is the truth teller then guard 2 is a liar. That means #2 would lie and say that guard 1 is the liar. Since guard 1 tells the truth about what guard 2 would say, he would say guard 1. In both cases the guard identified in the end is the truth teller, which means the other one is the liar.
His chosen guard looked at him and said ¡°He would say that he is the liar.¡± Looks like he had picked the naughty one to start. Alan now knew which guard was the liar, but he hadn¡¯t actually tried to do anything with the soul. It is important to remember that this was an opportunity to learn more about his powers in addition to making his way through. He started by looking inside himself.
He found his energy flow again and once more had to smooth it out in a few places. Was this happening naturally over time, or was this possibly happening because his classes were going up? Maybe his gains in power affected how the energy passed through his body. He didn¡¯t have enough data to make a determination yet, so the question was shelved for later. Now it was time to see if he could tell when he himself was the one lying.
¡°I love getting my left leg mangled.¡± Nothing.
¡°The moon landing was fake.¡± Still nothing.
¡°How I Met Your Mother had a great ending.¡± Maybe he felt something that time. It wasn¡¯t anything in his energy flow, but it wasn¡¯t not in his energy either. It wasn¡¯t until after a few more times trying that he was sure he could see something. It was very faint but Alan could sense some kind of ripple spreading out from his chest when he lied.
Now to test what happens when telling the truth. ¡°I was born in New York.¡±
¡°My favorite color is magenta.¡±
¡°Spiders creep me out.¡±
No reaction to any of those. It was possible he was missing something, or it was possible that telling the truth doesn¡¯t cause any kind of reaction. Either way he decided it was time to try it on the guard. Alan asked him the question again and got the same response. He was unable to see the guards energy flows, but he could still sense a disturbance when he lied, like a ripple moving across his body that somehow wasn¡¯t really there. Just to make sure he wasn¡¯t deluding himself he did it five more times, each with the same result.
That settled it. There was definitely some kind of disturbance when someone lied. It would be hard to notice if you weren¡¯t specifically looking for it, but if you were it was obvious. Were there ways of beating this like you can with a lie detector? That was a question for another day.
Now he only had one problem, how to complete the test? He had figured out who the liar was a long time ago but there was no notification that the quest was done. Maybe he needed to make some kind of formal commitment.
Pointing at the lying guard he declared, ¡°You sir, are the liar.¡± The guards uncrossed their spears and Alan entered the tunnel between them. This brought him to a room identical to the last one.
Quest Update: The Path of the Soul
[You have passed the first test. Now demonstrate that it was not just luck. Liars identified 1/8]
Wow, that was kinda smart of the Network. He wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if he identified the wrong guard, but by making him do this over and over he would have to be really lucky to guess correctly every time. Or he would actually need to be able to tell if they were lying. Alan asked the question again to one of the new guards, and again he had chosen the guard who was lying. He could sense the disturbance when he answered and declared him the liar immediately.
He passed into a third identical room and this time ended up choosing the truth teller. No matter how many times he asked the question, twenty-nine times if you must know, Alan could detect no change in his energy and no ripple. He declared the other guard the liar and moved on. And so it continued with each room, he would ask his question and declare the appropriate guard the liar. After the eighth guard he once again found himself in an exit room, the same as in the very first dungeon.
Quest Completed: the Path of the Soul
[You have become more in tune with the soul. Reward: One epic Seeker class stone.]
Item: Seeker Class Stone, rarity Epic. This stone can be used to gain the class Seeker, a spirit based class that looks for meaning beyond themselves, it specializes in auras and the soul. Because of this stone¡¯s rarity it can be used as long as you have no classes above quartz level. Can be used at any time.
He absorbed the class and suffered through the requisite headache. Was Advil still a thing he wondered? His spirit stat increased by one and he had gained the new class talent Sensitivity. Receiving that talent kinda made sense with how the quest went, but it would have to be tested to see if it worked how he thought. Just like with all the others. It would really be nice if Tamee would be more helpful, or if there were others to talk to. Comparing notes with someone would have been useful. But then again, if there were other people then he wouldn¡¯t have his sixth class. Alan had also picked up a new skill, Aura Reading, that must have been what was happening when he was sensing the guards'' falsehoods.
Upon leaving the dungeon he found that the sun had already passed behind the mountains. It was time to return to his alcove at the end of the valley for the night. Sleeping outside in the open wasn¡¯t appealing anymore since he couldn¡¯t be sure beasts wouldn¡¯t attack during the night. On the way he continued to chat with Tamee.
¡°Is there a god?¡± was the simple question he chose to start with.
¡°That is a loaded question. There are beings that could be considered gods, but if you mean an all powerful deity who created all things like some of your planet¡¯s religions, then probably not. Some would argue that the Network is God, but there exist things outside of its reality, so I would not think it counts.¡±
This was actually reassuring. He would hate to know that he had lost Pascal¡¯s Wager. The discussion continued with some more questions regarding the soul and the god-like beings she mentioned. She once again was unable to really help him. The rest of the time was spent explaining to her the many uses for duct tape. Apparently there was nothing like it in the Network. Alan felt a little bad for them. How would you fix things without it?
Arriving back at his new home he decided to cook up one of the squirrels. It was already cleaned and skinned so all he had to do was place it on a spit. Throughout the day he had spent a lot of time in a tree or fighting things in the trees. This had knocked a lot of dead branches onto the ground and he had made a point of collecting these and any others found during his travels. If a reality bending godlike entity gives you a magical pouch that holds whatever you want, it would be rude not to use it. He was a little surprised that there were now branches on the ground, other than the ones he knocked down there. The first and second day the ground had been bare, but now there was the occasional stick or small branch among the grass. Maybe other squirrels had knocked them loose from the trees, or possibly the change in the environment he had noticed was causing them to act more like real trees.
Either way, two thicker branches with a useful ¡®y¡¯ shaped branching at the top were stuck in the ground outside the ring of stones as the holders of the spit. Then a thinner branch was run through the middle of the squirrel and it was ready to cook. Before getting the fire going he took a quick dip in the lake. Trying to be fast so that he could get to cooking, he rinsed himself clean as best he could and washed his clothes. The wet remains of his wardrobe were hung near the fire once it was going.
Turning the squirrel for about thirty minutes he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. For some reason this repetitive motion drove him crazy, unlike the blade sharpening and stone grinding, go figure. Maybe it was the anticipation of juicy meat. It seemed to be cooked all the way through so he bit into it and there was no comparison to the calamity that was the goat strips. It still could have used some seasoning but it was hot all the way through, not burned, and there weren¡¯t any splinters this time. Hooray!
With that he made his way up to his alcove. There had been a plan to spruce it up but there was no more daylight. The two quests today took much longer than the more physical dungeons from day one. He would have to work on it in the morning. Even if he didn¡¯t have time to make improvements to his house he was still going to take care of his kit. The sound of his stone rasping against his blades could be heard across the lake for the twenty minutes he spent on each blade.
The entire time Alan tested out his energy senses, seeing if he could detect anything in the blades. He even tried pushing the energy from his hand into the stone to then send it into the dagger. Contact with the dungeon tree had helped him expand his senses into it and he hoped the same concept would work here. By the end he managed to push his energy into the stone, but once it entered he couldn¡¯t do anything with it. This did cause his mana to drop a little, so something must have happened, but it didn¡¯t help him sense the blades.
He wasn¡¯t sure what he was trying to accomplish with this process anyway. Being honest with himself it was probably because he had a new power and he kinda wanted to try it out. He had always been one to test his limits. Unfortunately he couldn¡¯t sense anything, either because his daggers are not living things or more likely because he didn¡¯t know what he was doing. With that failure to keep him company through the night, he lay down and passed out.
Chapter 10
¡°Tell me of your homeworld Tamee,¡± Alan requested as he did yoga this morning. It finally felt like it was time to test her.
¡°What makes you think I have a homeworld?¡±
¡°Little things here and there, but mostly it is your fascination with learning about my world. The kind of questions you ask could only come from someone who has experiences of their own who wants to compare.¡± It was again possible she was a super advanced AI, but he would like to think he wouldn¡¯t feel the same connection with a machine.
¡°I can probably talk about this since you seem to know already.¡± Sometimes confidence can be a superpower. ¡°Yes, I am from another world. By participating in a tutorial I can gain rewards for both me and my planet.¡±
¡°What kind of rewards?¡±
¡°Is it not rude on Earth to ask someone how much they make? Also, my actions can affect my reward. I can be penalized for breaking rules and rewarded for outstanding achievements. That is why I cannot break the rules, no matter how I might feel about it. Telling you about what rewards I could earn would be exposing you to possibilities you are not to learn about yet.¡±
That seemed fair, and she was playing for more than her own interests so it would be selfish of him to get her in trouble. On the other hand, Alan too was playing for the possible continuing existence of his whole race, so he was going to push it. Plus, they brought him here, he hadn¡¯t forced her into her role.
¡°You told me I should wait till the sixth night to ask more, but I have been sensing¡I call them energy flows, in myself and some other things. Can you tell me anything about it?¡± This was something there was no knowledge of on Earth, as far as he knew, so he was hoping for anything to help him better understand it.
¡°I really cannot say more about it until then. I am truly sorry.¡±
Alan asked about a few more topics but got the same kind of response. This was more frustrating than he thought it would be. He finished the rest of his yoga thinking in silence. He now knew what Tamee¡¯s stake in this was, but other than that he hadn¡¯t learned anything significant.
Today was day four. The monsters would be harder, but Alan honestly wasn¡¯t too worried. So far the first fight was the only one where he was truly injured. You could count that weird fight with an imp, but even that wasn¡¯t too hard. It just seemed that the beasts in the forest weren¡¯t a real challenge. He might be getting cocky, but there had been nothing here even close to the octospatium. Another night on the cold, hard, and wet cave floor made him want to try and spruce it up. However, if he was going to leave this valley in a few days, was it really worth it?
There were also two more classes to pick up. If he was going to go for one dungeon he might as well do both while he was down there. Based on the location of the other dungeons they would be located at the far end of the valley. He didn¡¯t want to travel all the way down there and come back just to do it again tomorrow. If he did go and knock out those today, though, then the last two days could be spent however he wanted.
That decided it for him. He collected blueberries from the bush before heading out. Alan had purposefully not picked the whole bush yesterday, but he had still taken about a third of the fruit. You couldn¡¯t tell that today, however. It seemed like things were growing faster here than they did on Earth. On a whim he dug a hole near the current bush and planted a couple of blueberries in it. He might only be here a few more days, but if he saw signs of growth by then it would give him a sense of the difference compared to pre-Network. He made sure to add in some of that rich soil that was stored in his bag. He also used the empty health potion tube to carry water from the lake and dampen the new soil. Survival school had taught him to keep everything, you never knew what you could use it for. Feeling like his trainers would be proud, he made his way south.
All of the dungeons on the western side had been explored so he knew that the next two would be on the eastern edge of the valley, so he headed almost due east and then ran along the emptier terrain that bordered the mountains. While running outside, but next to the forest, he noticed that the trees continued to differentiate themselves. Instead of almost exact copies of each other like when he first arrived, they now had different shades of bark and that bark was textured differently from tree to tree. He could even see that some of the leaves had changed.
His higher perception was also coming in handy, allowing him to spot small differences at a glance. It would be interesting to see how it would affect him when it got even higher. So far it was mostly like his senses were getting stronger, his eyesight clearer, his nose more sensitive, excetera. However, he had also noticed that his peripheral vision had improved as well. Not just in the sense that he could see things clearer, but also that he could see a wider angle.
The first encounter of the morning happened before the sun had even crested the eastern mountains. At first he thought it was just a big fox, but learned he was mistaken after using identify.
Beast: Coyote (common) level 2, threat: low.
A level 2 beast! The threat level was still not impressive so it was with confidence he advanced on it. As a canine it probably was reliant on its jaws, like the fox, so the claws on its feet shouldn¡¯t come into it. He drew both daggers so that he could block it from biting him and still be able to attack. As he approached, the coyote stayed in the same place but he could see it laying its ears back and snarling at him. It also lowered its stance, possibly preparing to lunge.
When Alan got close he lifted his index finger off of his pugio and pointed it at the coyote. Two light bolts went flashing for its face. While it was distracted from the light and pain he jumped forward and sliced at its neck. His blade bounced off of its spine without inflicting much damage. There was a small trickle of blood and a flap of skin, but he had achieved no real penetration. Following up quickly with a stab using his offhand while it was distracted, he hit it right where the skull meets the neck. The blade sank in and with his now signature twist as he pulled it out blood poured from the wound.
Just like that the fight was over. Low threat indeed. Eager to finish his tasks for today he stuffed the body in the storage space without skinning it and continued on. He encountered another coyote on his way and killed it as easily as the first. Both fights had been over quickly, but he was still starting to run low on his stamina as he ran down the valley. It was important to remember that while he was becoming superhuman he wasn¡¯t Superman. He took the last bit of the journey at an easier pace to preserve his stamina pool and at last he reached the first of the dungeons for today. Carved above it was an open book with a feathered pen across it.
New Quest: The Cave of Scholars
[Before you lie two paths. The first is the Path of Knowledge and the second is the Path of Learning. Choose a path or exit now.]
Alan considered himself an intelligent man, he had gotten through an accelerated undergrad program and med school with top scores after all. However, the path of knowledge made him hesitate. Was this knowledge of the previous reality or knowledge about the Network? He felt the safer path was learning as that was a process he was good at, as opposed to specific knowledge he may or may not have. Also, these dungeons had mostly been learning experiences already, so why not lean into it?
Quest Update: The Path of Learning
[The exit from the cavern is sealed by a gate. On this gate you will find several crystals. Light up all of the crystals to open the gate.]
There was indeed a gate on the far side of the room. It was the thick wooden reinforced kind that you envision when thinking of a castle door. There were five crystals in a vertical line running down the middle of it. The rest of the cavern was rather uninteresting. It was the same old rock walls with a dirty rock floor that he had seen in most of the dungeons. There wasn¡¯t any furniture or striking features and there weren¡¯t even any large rocks. With nothing else to do he walked over to the exit and checked for any clues.
It was definitely made of wood and it looked very solid. Each of the five crystals appeared to be quartz and was about the size of his palm. He started to reach out and touch one, but then realized he could check them with his new senses first. It took a moment to attune himself but when he did he noticed that each blazed with energy. Studying them closer he could tell that each type of energy was slightly different.
Still without a hint of what to do he reached out and touched the middle crystal. There was a popping sound of displaced air coming from behind him. A section of the wall had disappeared and a small room was revealed. He made his way over and checked it out.
There was a bench with five circular stones on it. Each stone was about two centimeters thick but their diameter varied from about six centimeters to more than thirty. He opened his senses but felt no special energy in any of the stones. He stared at them for about a minute before deciding to just try something, he figured he would unravel the secret as he went. Placing the largest one on the bottom he stacked the stones in a pyramid. When Alan placed the smallest stone on top nothing happened, it was kind of a let down. But then he looked around and noticed that the center crystal on the door was now lit up.
So it seemed like he had completed the task for this room and it caused one of the crystals to activate. It was an easy assumption to make that each of the crystals would have to be lit up to open the door. By touching a dark crystal he could open a new room with a new task. When he figured out how to finish the challenge he would light up the crystal he had touched.
Now that the dungeon¡¯s secrets were revealed the rest of the quest progressed smoothly. Each crystal touched opened up another room and closed the previous one. The only difficult part was determining what the specific task was. There was a lot of guess and check which was the learning named in the quest most likely. The final task involved placing a set of stone pegs into holes on the top of a pedestal. There were more holes than pegs so it took a while to get the correct configuration. As far as he could tell there was no meaning or pattern in the placement of the stones, but maybe it was based on something he had never seen.
When the final peg was placed the last crystal on the gate began to glow. Alan walked back over to the gate but it was still closed. He reached out and pulled on it and the door swung open smoothly. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn¡¯t tried to open it before, he had just assumed it was locked. He really hoped it had been, otherwise he would feel like an idiot.
On the other side was another shadow filled exit. Passing through he found himself in what he was now calling the completion room, similar to what was located at the end of several other dungeons.
Quest Completed: the Path of Learning
[You have shown your ability to learn. Reward: One epic Scholar class stone.]
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Item: Scholar Class Stone, rarity Epic. This stone can be used to gain the class Scholar, a focus based class that specializes in understanding the world, people, and creatures around them. Because of this stone¡¯s rarity it can be used as long as you have no classes above quartz level. Can be used at any time.
Absorbing this class gave him the talent Understanding. The irony that he didn¡¯t understand what it would do was not lost on him. Returning to the surface he was confronted by a small hairy mammal coming out of a tunnel in the ground nearby.
Beast: Badger (uncommon) level 2, threat: mild.
At approximately 70 centimeters in length and low to the ground it didn¡¯t seem like much of a threat, but it was the highest threat level since the imp. He drew his seax and closed in. The badger was snarling as it scurried forward. The metal blade slashed down and scored a hit against its back. There was no penetration, though, instead it felt like hitting a rock. Meanwhile the badger bit down on his left leg. That one was Alan¡¯s fault this time, he had led with that leg to get a better angle for his attack.
After latching on with its teeth it dug in with its claws and started to climb him. Alan tried to slash it again but its hide and muscles were too tough, his blades bouncing off without leaving even a scratch. It was like a fur covered tank as it tore through Alan¡¯s much more vulnerable flesh and muscle on its way up. Slightly panicked, he drew his pugio and stabbed it in the side. The angle and type of attack allowed him to get more force behind it and that was in turn transferred through the incredibly sharp point allowing it to punch in several centimeters. It was by no means a fatal blow but at least it showed this thing could bleed.
By now the badger had reached his chest and it started clawing at his gut while its front paws held on. It was slicing through his hard earned six pack like a frat boy through a case of beer. Alan¡¯s torso was going from yellow to red quickly in his display. He cast minor healing and stabbed again at the same spot as his only successful attack so far. Since the skin had already been pierced the blade slid in easily and penetrated all the way to the hilt. He must have hit something critical because it stopped digging for his colon and instead tried to throw itself off, pushing away with all of its paws. It wasn¡¯t going to get away so easily, however. Using the leverage from the pugio to hold it in place he punched into it with his seax as well. That was too much for its system and it expired there on his chest.
Dropping the corpse to the ground he looked over his injuries. Minor healing had helped but he had to cast it again to top his health off. He watched as his belly stitched itself together through the torn and mangled piece of fabric he called his tunic. The left pant leg of his trousers was now completely torn off at the knee while the right leg was mostly intact but covered in gore. It would almost be better if healing worked on his clothes instead of himself. He knew first aid so he could have patched himself up, somewhat, but he had no real sewing skills so his clothes were a mess. At least no one else was around to see his pathetic state. Well, almost no one.
¡°Tamee, tell me the truth, how do I look?¡±
There was a long pause before a snorted ¡°Great!¡±
Let¡¯s just power through it. His outfit may look like he went through a wood chipper, but thanks to his healer class he felt fully restored and he only had one more class to gain. The scholar dungeon had only taken a couple of hours so he was ahead of schedule. Using his improved speed the trip to the next one took almost no time, but now that he was standing before the last class dungeon the anticipation dropped away and he felt a strange sense of enervation.
Alan¡¯s life had been turned upside down in a moment and now the fate of the world was at least partially in his hands. He had been pushing himself through the upheaval by having a goal, but now that goal was almost done. What would he do next? Panic tried to claw at his mind.
¡°After I complete this last dungeon and gain an eighth class, is there anything else for me to do?¡± he asked Tamee.
¡°Like I told you earlier, you are way ahead of where most people usually are. Not only do you already have seven classes, but you have killed almost twenty beasts and you finished all your dungeons on the first try. Many people take multiple tries to finish even one.¡± That made him think of something.
¡°What does happen if you fail a dungeon?¡±
Tamee¡¯s answer was more helpful than usual. ¡°Well, it depends on the dungeon. Some, like that mage dungeon cannot be failed. You simply get a reward based on your level of accomplishment. Several others just mean returning to the beginning and starting again. Some, though, like the obstacle course in the fighter dungeon, can lead to your death.¡±
¡°I never did get a straight answer from you, what happens if I die¡again?¡± Alan waited, hoping he would finally find out.
¡°Yes, you can die. There are specific circumstances where the system may revive you, but if you get yourself killed, there is usually no coming back. As a matter of fact, only somewhere between half to two thirds of the initial recruits usually pass the first tier. Between the beasts and the dungeons some people just cannot cut it. There are also those who are killed by their peers.¡±
¡°I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that people would target each other, but you would think there would be a sense of shared purpose when your whole race is at stake,¡± he lamented.
¡°Assuming you continue to survive the next couple of days, you will not be the first tier one zone to end up with only one recruit passing it. There have been a few times where zones turned into bloodbaths with maniacs eliminating all of their competition. Some civilizations out there do not handle stress and rivalry well¡± With that cheery thought he stepped into a class dungeon for what he hoped was the last time.
New Quest: The Cave of Guardians
[Before you lie two paths. The first is the Path of the Rock and the second is the Path of the Hard Place. Choose a path or exit now.]
Quest Update: The Path of the Rock
[Being a guardian can mean protecting someone from harm, but it can also mean dealing with the harm that comes to hurt them. Deal with it.]
Not really seeing a difference between the two choices Alan had gone with the one that sounded more fun. The update was a little ominous. As he looked around he saw a cavern that was about ten meters across. Several stones and boulders littered the floor. They varied in size from pebbles to one boulder that was as big as himself. The cavern wall was mostly the same rock that was in all the other dungeons, but the wall to his left had a four by three meter section of some translucent material.
On the other side of it was the slightly distorted figure of a person, looking through the wall was like looking through an antique window full of imperfections. It looked like a human girl and she seemed to be in a small hollowed out space, almost like a cell. She was just standing there, but then he saw what looked like a stream of water pouring in from the ceiling. It was quickly pooling around her feet and rising. She started banging her fists on the wall and he could hear what sounded like screams coming through.
Quest or not, he wasn¡¯t going to sit by and let someone drown like this. He hurried over and ran his hands along the wall. It wasn¡¯t glass or plastic, it seemed to be some kind of clear stone. Maybe it was even quartz, that would be consistent with other challenges.
Alan tried pounding on it but his fists cracked against a surface that certainly felt as hard as rock. A quick glance around didn¡¯t reveal any obvious way of stopping the water or opening the cell. After calming his mind some, he even tried sensing any energy flows. At first there was nothing but in his desperation he felt like he pushed his mind into the rock, like pressing your face against a window, and suddenly he could see a subtle framework of energy. It was like a grid adding strength to the substance. It was the clearest picture he had gotten from something outside himself. Scanning it for any obvious flaws or disruptions he finally found a hint of what to do. About halfway up on the right side there was a flaw in the stone and it caused a disruption in the energy.
The water by now was up to her waist. Looking around for a rock to use, he found one about the size of his head. He grabbed it and slammed it into the flaw. The small boulder shattered and he was left with a handful of rock chunks and powder in his hands. Desperately he looked around for another. This one lasted two blows until it also shattered.
The water would have been at her shoulder height but she was now swimming in her cell, keeping her head above the water. Alan somehow needed the rock to be stronger, whatever the wall was made of was tougher than the boulders lying around. The next one he found was slightly bigger than the first two, but he didn¡¯t have any faith that the size would make a difference.
Extending himself he once again pushed his mind, this time into the rock in his hands and could sense a framework of energy running through it. It was weaker than the one in the wall. With nothing else to try, he pushed energy from his body into the rock. It was working! He could feel his mana pool draining and energy pouring into the rock. Using his will, Alan tried to force it to flow into the existing framework to reinforce the lines of energy. He found it was easier to sense the energy flows in the rock now that his own mana was inside of it. Imagining the two forces merging together his mana quickly drained into the natural energy lines of his rock.
He took the small boulder, hopefully reinforced, and smashed it against the flaw in the wall. His chosen rock held this time and he saw a small crack form in the crystal wall. The girl on the other side was out of time though. The water had reached the top of the cell and she had no air pockets left. He drew back and smashed the wall again. The crack grew but at this rate she would be long dead before breaking through, she was already frantically pounding on the wall form the other side.. Another blow and Alan knew that it was hopeless. How could he help save his people if he couldn¡¯t even save this one poor trapped girl. With a roar of desperation, frustration, and a refusal to fail he hammered the rock down again with everything he had.
With incredible force the rock smashed the wall and the crack turned into a hole and water started spraying out. Two more mighty blows later and the whole wall was crumbling as the water drained. The girl''s body was sucked out with the torrent of water as well, skimming across the floor till she came up against a large rock. Rushing over he bent to pull her out of the water and he realized it wasn¡¯t a girl.
She was short, which is probably why he thought she was a girl, but probably twenty-five years old and one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. She had long red hair that was wet and lying tangled over her face. As Alan brushed it off he saw high cheekbones and full red lips, but he couldn¡¯t tell the color of her eyes because they were closed. He looked down at her chest, she wasn¡¯t breathing. With no time to think he started CPR.
Opening her mouth he found there was no obstruction so he started with chest compressions and followed it up by pinching her nose closed and locking their mouths together so he could force breaths into her. He had repeated the cycle three times before there was a response. Even though he was a doctor, working at a military hospital in Japan meant he didn¡¯t have to perform CPR that often, and when he did it was for a patient whose heart had stopped, not for someone who had drowned. This was just like on TV shows about lifeguards, she started to gag and then spit up a bunch of water as he rolled her over onto her side. He slapped her back as she coughed out more.
Finally getting to the point where she could breathe again she sat up and just looked at him. Her eyes were a lovely deep green.
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± and ¡°Thank you¡± were spoken at the same time. She blushed and Alan apologized again.
¡°Why are you apologizing, you saved my life?¡± she asked.
¡°If I had acted faster you wouldn¡¯t have been that close to drowning,¡± he protested.
¡°It looked like you bashed the cave wall in with a big rock, that¡¯s an impressive feat. I truly thank you for saving my life.¡± She coughed and lowered her head. Then she brought it back up and asked ¡°is there a reason you didn¡¯t just pull the lever?¡±
He looked at her in confusion until she pointed to the side of the now shattered wall and sure enough there was a small wooden handle. He turned a bright red and felt like the biggest idiot in the world. She had almost died because he had panicked and overlooked this now obvious means of helping her.
It took her a minute to regain her breath after that long statement so soon after drowning. Alan had never believed in love at first sight or soul mates, but this new world was changing his views in all kinds of ways. He felt as if something inside of him was reaching out toward this woman and something from her was trying to connect with him as well. He offered her some blueberries and she accepted. After she had eaten a few she introduced herself.
¡°My name is Cassidy. If I can ever do anything for you, just let me know.¡±
¡°I am being rude, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m Dr. Alan Taylor.¡±
Her nose scrunched up in a cute manner. ¡°Doctor, that¡¯s kind of a strange name.¡±
¡°Oh, doctor is a title, you can call me Alan.¡±
¡°Title, does that mean you are some kind of noble?¡± She asked.
Alan was confused. Cassidy appeared human and spoke English, but she didn¡¯t know what a doctor was. Also, he didn¡¯t think anyone he knew would think noble when they heard the word title. Maybe she was an englishwoman?
¡°Cassidy, where are you from originally?¡±
¡°A small town, you never would have heard of it. Thank you again for rescuing me. If it''s not too much trouble, could you help me out of here?¡± He offered her his arm to help steady her as they walked. When she clasped his bicep, those tendrils he felt from the two of them finally connected. They curled around each other as if trying to form a tight bond between them. With an unsteady walk they started toward the entrance. He soon received a notification but Alan didn¡¯t want to look at it until he got Cassidy safely out of here.
As they approached the door he saw her look up at him with a sad expression and then clutch his arm just as they stepped through. There was a terrible pulling sensation from his soul and a sudden terror gripped him. Appearing back in the valley Alan found himself alone. Where had she gone?
Interlude III
Afilada looked around and was pleased with all that she saw. Just this morning she had used her epic fighter class stone to gain her fifth and final class. Several of her lieutenants had four classes but most of her followers had only two or at most three classes. Those who were only able to obtain a single common stone had long since been culled, some before they even used their stone. They had hoped to be able to trade theirs for protection or a class that better suited them. Such weakness would never be rewarded.
What was left was six thousand corellians who were her army. There were far too many of them to assemble in one place, but before her were the one hundred lieutenants who led her companies. Next to her stood the other four members of her party.
Pierto was a tiger person and had been with her since almost the beginning. Ayuna was a cheetah person and was their scout. She was the only one who could keep up with Afilada when it came to speed. Forto was a rhino person and the tank of the group. The fifth and final member was Sabi, a relatively new addition to the party. She was a gorilla person and the only other corellian with a fifth class. Sabi was their spell caster and their healer.
She took a step forward and prepared to address her leaders. She stood tall, of the corellians she had encountered here only Forto was larger than she was. Jutting from her back was her Bluesilver sword, still the most powerful weapon she had found. Crisscrossing her body was a network of red leather straps and belts. It was considered a type of armor by the Network and allowed her to secure several throwing knives around her body in addition to providing some defense. There was also a place on her belt to secure her spatial pouch. All in all it gave her a very savage look. Add in the intimidating aura talent she had gotten from her seeker class and there was no one who could look at her and not bow their head and offer their neck in submission.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°We are halfway through this first stage and soon we will be tested by the first ¡®boss¡¯ this place throws at us. I will stand before it and show you what strength truly is. You have until then to wring every treasure you can from this valley. Kill every beast, conquer every dungeon you can. When we are unleashed on the other races we will show them that they are the prey and our mercy is all they can hope for.¡±
A cacophony of yells, barks, roars, and cheers broke out. At first Afilada had planned to kill everyone she didn¡¯t respect but Pierto had convinced her that they would need troops to face the other zones. She still had certain standards, but she could appreciate how many treasures the others could provide for her. If she was going to become the ruler of this world she would have to grow her strength at a tremendous rate, and she felt it would take a lot of resources to make that happen.
¡°Let the hunt begin¡¡±
Chapter 11
Activating party chat Alan asked in a panicked voice, ¡°Tamee, where did Cassidy go?¡±
¡°She didn¡¯t go anywhere, she is still in the guardian dungeon.¡±
¡°You mean she¡¯s trapped in there?¡± He started to go back in but when he tried to step into the shadows it felt like moving into jello. The more he pushed the more the surface deformed, but there was no penetration. He couldn¡¯t seem to activate the entrance teleportation.
¡°You will not be able to go back in, these starter dungeons are one time only opportunities. Once you have completed it you cannot return. As to whether she is trapped in there, it is kind of complicated.¡±
¡°What do you mean, what is going on?¡± He was desperate for answers. He liked to think that he was cool under pressure but something had him really worked up. A pretty face wasn¡¯t normally enough to get him so riled up. Alan had a strange feeling like a part of himself was missing and he desperately needed to get it back.
¡°She can¡¯t leave the dungeon until the tier closes. She is a volunteer who has chosen to be part of your tutorial.¡±
¡°What? But she¡¯s human, how could she have known what she was getting into to volunteer?¡±
There was a pause and then a sigh from Tamee before she went on, ¡°You really are good at pushing the boundaries. I too am human, that is one of the reasons I was chosen for this zone. Humans are not unique to Earth. While there are millions of inhabited planets in the system, there are only a little less than a thousand different races, and many of those are very similar to each other. For some reason the same sentient races keep appearing all over the universe. Cassidy is most likely a human without a class from a backwater system. She volunteered to be part of this dungeon in the hope of gaining a class stone for herself. She knows nothing about Earth¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand, why would the Network need volunteers for its dungeons? I thought it just creates whatever it needs.¡±
¡°The Network can indeed create life, like with the beasts you have been fighting. Sentient races, however, are not so easily duplicated. The Network can create their bodies, but without a soul to bind with they would have no motive force. Even the Network does not have the ability to create a fully grown soul. Therefore it must find people willing to be incorporated into its dungeons.¡±
¡°But what if I had failed to break her free? Wouldn¡¯t she have died? That seems like a huge risk.¡± He was starting to calm down but still couldn¡¯t really grasp what Tamee was telling him.
¡°Remember how I told you that in certain circumstances the Network could bring you back, like it did for everyone in your home system after absorbing their bodies? Well, this is one of those circumstances. Anyone who becomes part of a Network dungeon has their body scanned. Every time the dungeon resets they are reborn.¡±
Alan was sitting on the rocky soil near the dungeon entrance with his back against a large rough boulder and his head in his hands. He could feel small ridges and points poking him through the thin fabric that was left of his tunic but he didn¡¯t care. Tamee had finally finished explaining what was happening as well as she could. Cassidy was inside the dungeon right now and would stay there until the Network reset the dungeon. When that happened she would have her body absorbed and then reborn. She would lose any memories she had of him or what had happened. It was seen as a mercy to reset their memories so that they wouldn¡¯t have to potentially relive dying over and over.
To make it even more complicated, because of the strange rules here it was possible for there to be multiple Cassidys at the same time. The Network could create multiple copies of her body and her soul would be spread across them all. This would allow multiple people to run a dungeon at the same time and she could be there for all of them. The stronger the soul the more difficult this was, however. She had mentioned something about how the soul became more bound to the body as it grew and was less able to handle the strain of multiple copies.
Because she had not even gained a class yet her soul was only lightly bound to her physical body and could be spread across thousands of iterations at a time. There was a reason more people didn¡¯t volunteer for these opportunities though. The reward for something like a starter dungeon was usually at least a rare class stone, so you would think people would be lining up in droves.
The issue is that while the memories of their many lives were blocked while inside the dungeon they weren¡¯t lost. Once their time was complete the memories would return to them all at once. The brain often wasn¡¯t able to deal with that much information coming in all together, so as a defense mechanism the memories usually were hazy and they would be unable to recall specific details. But that wasn¡¯t the worst part, stretching the soul over too many bodies could cause a strain that resulted in permanent damage. Sometimes that damage to their soul was minor and no one would ever realize it was there, others would be permanently hobbled.
The soul was integral to your class growth. Tamee was still vague on the details, but injuries to the soul could prevent you from being able to advance your class past a certain level. Some had even been stuck at quartz for the rest of their lives after soul trama. The damage to the soul could even affect someone¡¯s personality. Apparently it was very rare, but not unheard of, for the person who returned to act completely different from how they went in. Their friends and family wouldn¡¯t even recognize them anymore.
There was another shocking revelation. Having achieved even one quartz class Alan had permanently altered his body and now had a life expectancy of almost double what he did before. The fact that he had more than one class extended his life further, but not much. After attaining eight quartz classes he could probably expect to live for almost 300 years assuming he didn¡¯t progress any further. As he leveled up he would become almost immortal as the highest level classers could live for millions of years.
The precis of all this was that he would never see Cassidy again. When her time was done in the dungeon she would return to her planet, one of the many in his new universe. Even worse was that her actions were not necessarily real, she was simply playing a role. It hadn¡¯t felt like it at the time, Alan thought he had felt an instant connection when their eyes met and even something happening between their auras. Even thinking such thoughts felt silly so he was too embarrassed to mention that to Tamee. In the end it turned out that apparently she was simply doing her part to earn better rewards. It was time to move on.
He resolved to try and get more out of Tamee about how dungeons worked later, but right now he was emotionally wiped out. After accepting the notification of completing the dungeon he inspected his latest reward.
Item: Guardian Class Stone, rarity Epic. This stone can be used to gain the class Guardian, a constitution based class that specializes in protecting others. Because of this stone¡¯s rarity it can be used as long as you have no classes above quartz level. Can be used at any time.
He knew he was being stupid, especially after working so hard to get this, his eighth and final starting class, but he couldn¡¯t deal with it right then. Alan put the pouch containing the stone on his belt and decided to deal with absorbing it later. Pushing himself to his feet he reflected on how lucky he was that nothing had attacked him while he was wallowing in self-pity. Turning to the north, he began the long trek back to the lake. With his improved speed he could probably make the trip in a little under two hours if he was running full out. That would of course result in his stamina crashing before he had made it halfway back. A more sustainable pace would see him back in around three hours. Feeling disheartened and with no sense of urgency he instead set off at a brisk walk. At this rate he should make it back by nightfall, but just barely.
¡°Alan, are you alright?¡± Tamee asked in a soft voice. He could hear actual concern from her.
¡°No, probably not. It¡¯s weird, I died, my planet and everyone on it was broken down into parts for some alien program, then I was reborn and told that I was competing in the most high stakes survival game ever and I was fine. Well, not fine, but I was managing. Now I find out that some woman I knew for 45 seconds was an actor and didn¡¯t really care about me. And it leaves me devastated. Now I know how Truman felt in that movie, and he had it for his whole life.¡± Truthfully Alan was a little confused about his emotions. After his ex, Jessica, broke up with him he had experienced some severe depression, but that was a long term relationship and the ending had left him feeling betrayed. This was a brief chance encounter, but something inside of himself felt broken. It was like his emotions were trying to lean on something for comfort and, finding nothing there, face planted in the dirt.
¡°Look, you¡¯re going to be ok. You have been in a kind of shock since this whole thing began. It happens all the time. Unlike most you have had no one other than my voice to interact with since the integration, so it makes sense that actually seeing and touching another person would have a profound impact on you.¡±
That actually helped and he was feeling a little better. Her explanation made a lot of sense. Being in the military resulted in him almost always being around other people. Barracks life and then eventually the Teams meant that he rarely had time alone. It had only been four days since the Network arrived, but even before that Alan was alone on the space station. His brain had simply latched onto the first real seeming person he had encountered.
This whole time he had been traveling in a gray haze and he now took a moment to observe his surroundings. He was deeper in the forest than at any time since the first day. While walking he had left the more barren edge of the valley and wandered well into the woods. The trees here were a far cry from when he started in the valley. Much more so than the ones he had seen on the perimeter. There were branches that were crooked and bent instead of picturesquely perfect and for the first time his identify actually registered on some of them.
Alan saw an oak, some maples, and even a cherry tree. Others still failed to register. No matter how long he looked at them no message appeared. After the success of finding energy fields in rocks he moved closer to one of the maples and extended his senses.
Sure enough there was a field inside the tree. It was much more complicated than the simple grid in the rock. This was more like what he had found inside his own body. The whole thing was a confusing mesh of energy lines with most of it flowing into the center of the tree. There was energy coming up from the roots and even slowly coming into the leaves of the tree from the air around it and then it circulated throughout the trunk and branches.
Extending his senses toward one of the trees that didn¡¯t trigger the identify skill he tried to sense a difference. There was still an energy field there but it was not as strong. It also seemed to be more regimented, more straight lines rather than the organic curves found in the other trees and his own body. There was less mana flowing in from the leaves as well. Running his hands over the two trees also let him feel a difference. The maple felt more solid than the non-differentiated tree, like it was harder, more dense.
Alan continued moving north but now he was stopping to test out different trees with his senses. In every case the trees that couldn¡¯t be identified had a weak and rigid field, but it seemed like once they crossed some threshold the tree would start to differentiate as the field lost its rigid structure and also started to gain in power. Once that happened he could use identify. He became a little worried that he would be walking around with his vision filled with identification messages now that more things were starting to register. However, his concern was soon allayed when he learned the trick of looking without focusing. Unless you gave something your full attention it wouldn¡¯t trigger identify.
Lost in testing out his senses and identify ability he failed to notice a beast sneaking up to ambush him. It was perched in the branches above, slowly making its way over until Alan was directly below it. This was the second time he had been ambushed, but this time he had no one to blame but himself.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Alan watch out!¡± Tamee''s scream caught him off guard and he physically jumped. That may have saved his life and at least prevented a brutal mauling. A ball of fur sporting five sharp points came shooting down from the branches above. Because he had been startled and jerked just before it arrived, it missed his head and instead impacted on his hip. There was a burning pain as it bounced off and ran. With its ambush foiled Alan figured it must have decided to look for other prey. Probably a good call on its part as Alan had been a menace to the wildlife around here. Focusing on it he activated identify as it scurried away.
Beast: Bobcat (rare) level 2, threat: mild.
While still reeling from the surprise of the attack he failed to immediately chase after the beast and it soon disappeared into the woods. He also couldn¡¯t believe that Tamee had given an actual warning. ¡°Tamee, not that I don¡¯t appreciate it, but wasn¡¯t warning me breaking the rules?¡±
¡°Yes, it most definitely was, but when I saw it about to maul you I didn¡¯t think, I just reacted.¡±
¡°Well thank you for the warning.¡± Alan hoped she wouldn¡¯t get in trouble for two reasons. The first was selfish, if she didn¡¯t get in trouble this time she would be more likely to break the rules again. The second was because he was thinking of her more as a friend lately and honestly did not want her to get punished.
Checking his hip he found that the bobcat¡¯s claws had left shallow slashes. That¡¯s when he noticed a bigger problem. A small piece of string is all that remained of one of his pouches. A quick check confirmed that it was the newest one, the one that contained his last class stone.
Feeling like an idiot he frantically searched the ground around the scene of the attack but couldn¡¯t find it. Self-recriminations ran rampant through his mind. He should have been paying better attention and the cat never would have snuck up on him. If he hadn¡¯t been moping around he would have absorbed the stone when he first got it. Instead that animal must have taken the pouch with it when it scampered off. Alan ran in the direction it went but after less than a minute realized that catching it this way was hopeless. He had no idea how fast it was, and it could have changed directions or climbed a tree at any point. It was time to be smart about this.
Alan made his way back to the area where the attack occurred. He knew he was in the right place when he spotted the drops of blood from the ambush. Now it was time to try out his tracking skill. Doing it in the wild would be much harder than the easy trial in the dungeon, but his perception was higher now, so hopefully that would help.
The area around him had been disturbed both by the attack and the initial search for the pouch. Luckily the bobcat had left clear furrows in the ground when it landed. Not only must those claws be sharp but it also must weigh almost fifty pounds to leave such deep marks. This might be easier than he originally thought.
Within a few steps those claw marks disappeared. He was able to find a pad print, but it must have retracted its claws. That was going to make things trickier.Following along the trail it soon got worse. In the beginning it was running to get away from him and left deep imprints in the ground from the force of its bounds. However, once it was out of sight it must have slowed to a walk.
In one sense this was good, its steps were now closer together and it wasn¡¯t moving away as quickly which would allow him to catch up. On the other hand, it was no longer leaving an imprint in the dirt. If this had been the first day Alan would have been screwed. Now that the grass was growing higher though, he could occasionally catch a place where the longer grass had been crushed.
Worried that these signs would also disappear he tried to see if he could sense the bobcat. Looking for any trace of its energy failed as he found nothing that he could say was the cat¡¯s. Instead there was a small amount of energy suffusing the entire area. He continued to follow the few tracks that he could find but then the bobcat must have reentered the treetops. The signs pointed to the base of a tree and he soon found claw marks in the bark. After climbing the tree he was unable to find any other traces.
It was hard to believe that an animal that weighed almost fifty pounds could make its way through the treetops with the trees so spread out, but the evidence was clear because it wasn¡¯t here. Alan descended back to the ground and started moving out in a spiral pattern, hoping to see a place where it came back down. There wasn¡¯t much hope in his heart, but he had to find that stone.
With everything pointing to the creature vanishing you can imagine his surprise when he found the bobcat sitting against the base of a tree about five minutes later. His thoughts were already dark with the knowledge that he would never find this beast and he would lose the chance to gain all eight classes, so seeing it sitting before him hit like a meteor. A quick scan revealed no sign of the pouch, though. Now what? If he killed it and it turned out that beast had stuffed it in a burrow somewhere he was never going to find it. Trying to follow it back to a lair was also impossible since it already saw him and as an ambush hunter it probably had a higher perception than he did. It would surely know it was being followed.
That left one longshot possability, he could try to charm it. His last attempt hadn¡¯t gone so well, but Alan was left with no other choice. He pulled out some of the goat meat from his storage and tossed it over near the cat¡¯s feet. There was a lot of goat meat in his pouch and he didn¡¯t enjoy it himself so he figured why not get rid of that. The creature sniffed at it, but made no move to eat it. Apparently they both shared a similar pallet. Next Alan tried tossing one of the squirrel carcusses. The cat almost seemed giddy as it stalked over and sniffed it.
It gently picked it up in its mouth. He, it might be sexist but the cat seemed like a he, looked up at Alan briefly and then scurried with its treat back up into the trees. He was afraid he would spook the cat if he ran after him, so he followed while walking as fast as he could manage. The whole time Alan was saying nice things about the bobcat. How sleek its fur was, how nimble it was in the trees, what sharp claws it had.
If Alan was lucky the cat would lead him back to its burrow, and if not then maybe he would have another chance to charm it. After less than a minute the bobcat paused on a sturdy branch and proceeded to dissect and devour the carcass. The way he used his claws to slice off little pieces and place them in his mouth could only be called dainty. Entranced, Alan sat and watched while the cat took his time. It was probably twenty minutes before he finished.
He turned as if to leave and Alan took out his last squirrel. ¡°I have another treat for you, you wonderful majestic creature.¡±
Whether his stomach or his vanity was leading the way the bobcat turned and slunk back down the tree trunk. He stared as if waiting for Alan to throw the body to him. ¡°If you want this one, you¡¯ll have to come closer.¡± And come closer he did. The cat walked up until he was maybe a meter away from him.
It was close enough to lunge out and grab, but Alan thought that would have led to catastrophic results all around. Was that a pun? Maybe. Anyway, it also wouldn¡¯t have accomplished anything since it didn¡¯t have the stone on it. Instead Alan stared into its eyes and reached out with the squirrel. With their eyes locked he tried sending his mana toward the bobcat.
He had once heard that animals didn¡¯t like looking humans in the eyes, but this one was transfixed by his gaze. Alan could also see his nose going crazy, smelling the treat in front of him. Finally a tendril of his energy reached out from his extended hand and flowed toward the cat. Just before it reached him Alan saw the furry creature almost pull away. Then the energy pushed into his body and there was suddenly a connection. The bobcat shook twice and then settled down. Something was different in its eyes though. There had been an important change but Alan wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it was and there was no notification.
¡°Good boy, do you want this squirrel?¡±
Alan could sense that it understood him. He, and Alan was now sure it was a he somehow, waited patiently as he slowly lay the squirrel down in front of the cat. Then the bobcat proceeded to pick it up in his mouth and start to walk away. After only a few steps the cat paused and looked back, as if to see if Alan was following. He didn¡¯t need another invitation.
Together they walked through the forest, the cat leading and Alan following, giddy with what had just happened. He had done it, he had charmed him. It wasn¡¯t control, he wasn¡¯t Alan¡¯s pet and he couldn¡¯t command it. Instead, it was more like a friend. They walked for almost a hundred meters and arrived at a tree that was much larger than the rest. It wasn¡¯t as big as the one he had found in the mage dungeon, but it was much bigger than anything else he had seen since getting here.
The bobcat looked back at him and then scurried up the trunk and crawled into a large hole in the tree that Alan had missed at first. Walking over he placed his hands against the bark, trying to sense the energy field. He really needed a better term for that, ¡®energy field¡¯ just felt clunky. This field was the strongest of anything he had sensed outside of a dungeon. There were more curves and lines than any other tree around. The energy entering it from its crown was also an order of magnitude greater even than the maple from earlier.
A low growling noise alerted Alan to his new friend''s return. The cat seemed like it had been sitting there for a while. He made a mental note to be careful when using these other senses, he was finding that he sometimes lost track of his surroundings. Looking down at the bobcat he saw it had his pouch in its mouth. The cat lowered it to the ground and then waited expectantly while Alan slowly bent down and retrieved it. He wasn¡¯t worried about the animal attacking him, but something about the connection between them demanded respect.
A quick peek inside confirmed that the stone was still there. Alan bowed his head slightly and thanked the cat who turned away and trotted into the forest. He stood there for at least five minutes marveling at what had just happened.
¡°Alan, that was awesome.¡± Tamee finally broke the moment.
¡°Yes it was. Now I feel a little bad about killing those other beasts.¡±
¡°Remember, these are Network created for the purpose of testing recruits and helping them to grow. Also, it worked with this one, but not all animals can be charmed. You should not feel bad about killing the others just because you had an amazing experience with this one. And, you might want to absorb that stone before something else happens.¡±
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (29%) Quartz
Guardian (0%) Quartz
Healer (27%) Quartz
Hunter (36%) Quartz
Mage (9%) Quartz
Rogue (30%) Quartz
Scholar (0%) Quartz
Seeker (6%) Quartz
Health: 136 (14/hour)
Stamina: 118 (24/minute)
Mana: 98 (10/minute)
Stats:
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 12
Perception: 11
Focus: 7
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 12
Constitution: 8
Spirit: 4
Skills:
Aura Reading: 6
Cooking: 2
Daggers: 15
Dodging: 4
First Aid: 11
Harvesting: 7
Herbology: 7
Identify: 7
Mana Drawing: 3
Mana Enhancement: 1
Running: 9
Sneak: 3
Tracking: 9
Two Weapon Fighting: 7
Unarmed Combat: 9
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Parry
Guardian: Hammer Blow
Healer: Mend
Hunter: Charm Animal
Mage: Light Spinner
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Scholar: Understanding
Seeker: Sensitivity
Spells: Minor Healing (common), Light Bolt (common), Light (common)
Tracking down and then taming that bobcat was really good for his hunter class, it went up about twenty percent and was now his highest leveled class. His tracking skill also went up a bunch, which made sense, and aura reading also went up. Maybe those energy patterns Alan was detecting are actually called auras. It seemed like a better term so he decided to try using that from now on.
The new class seemed nice, absorbing it hadn¡¯t even given him a headache. That one point of increased constitution caused both stamina and health to go up eight points. That would be a very useful stat to level. Hammer blow seemed fairly self explanatory, and it was also obvious why he got that one. Thinking back on it, almost all of his class talents made sense based on how he had gotten the class stones. Tamee must have known what she was talking about when she said your choices and actions affect your Path.
That whole encounter had been a long one. Checking the sky it looked like he would have just enough time to get back to camp before sundown if he ran. Once more the idea of sprucing up his shelter would have to wait.
¡°Tamee, we¡¯ll talk more when I get back to the lake.¡± And with that he was running through the trees again.
Chapter 12
The journey back was rather uneventful. Not because there weren¡¯t anymore encounters with animals, but because he chose to run away from the badgers and the one bobcat he saw, and quickly killed any coyotes and stuffed them in his bag. Alan had learned a lot today and wanted to get back to his camp so he could spend some time putting it all together.
The badgers were tough little buggers which would cost him time to kill and he now felt an attachment to the bobcats so he left them alone as well. Coyotes, however, were a quick way to level up some of his classes and would also provide him with some carcasses to harvest for resources. He did notice a definite uptick in encounters. They must be spawning more often now.
The sun had set fifteen minutes before he made it back to the lake. The moon was already up and with his increasing perception the twilight shadows were not a hindrance to his sight. The bright gray light his eyes perceived made it easy to navigate the scattered trees and occasional fallen stick. Those that were in his path got added to his pouch. It finally looked like he was starting to fill it up. There was still plenty of room, but it actually felt as if there was stuff in it rather than being an almost empty space.
The first thing he did when he got back was to get a fire going. Running for almost twenty miles helps you work up an appetite. While occasionally tossing sticks and small branches on it to get some coals going, he also set about carving up one of the coyotes. The squirrel from the previous day had been tasty, but after the bobcat he was fresh out.
He carefully skinned the pelt and set it aside. Then he cut up the meat and sliced a nice long strip off of one of the back quarters and put it on the spit. There must be a better way of cooking the meat because turning it was a labor intensive process and he had other things he could be doing. It was something to work on in the future. One thing he could do now was talk to Tamee.
¡°So, Tamee, how did your day go?¡±
¡°Well, I watched this idiot run around for a while. He even managed to lose a very valuable class stone, the kind that would go for a fortune on the outside. But then he somehow lucked into befriending a vicious clawed terror and got it back. Oh, and for some reason he spent a lot of time literally hugging trees.¡±
¡°I find it is easier to sense their aura when I am touching them.¡± There was a long pause so he asked ¡°Tamee, are you still there?¡±
¡°What do you mean by their ¡®aura¡¯?¡± She finally asked. There was something in her tone, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was excitement or a sudden wariness.
¡°I had been calling it an energy field, but since I got a skill aura reading I figured that¡¯s what they¡¯re called. You seem surprised. I told you earlier about sensing the energy flows in my body.¡± That reminded him, he needed to see about his own aura, but it would probably be rude to do that in the middle of a conversation. He made a mental note to work on it after dinner.
¡°Yes, you told me about seeing the energy inside yourself, but that is very different from being able to sense that aura in someone else. And gaining the aura reading skill while still a quartz classer, and an early one at that, is very rare.¡±
¡°Really? In order to pass the seeker dungeon I had to read people¡¯s souls.¡± Alan was truly confused, it seemed like sensing energy was an important element to completing many of the dungeons.
¡°While they are tied together, a soul and an aura are not the same thing. That is why even non-living and non-sentient things can have an aura. Also, most people do not actually complete that dungeon in the way it is described. Some, like you, figure out a clever question to ask. Others just go by luck. It takes them a long time, but eventually they can guess right every time. Are you saying you could actually read their soul to determine if they were lying?¡±
¡°It took me a while, but once I saw the effect of lying on myself I was able to find it on the first guard since I knew he was a liar.¡±
¡°Alan, this is important, can you walk me through how you completed all of the dungeons?¡± This time Alan could definitely hear the excitement in her voice.
He wasn¡¯t sure why this was so important to her, but there wasn¡¯t much else to do while turning the coyote so he told her everything he could. She wasn¡¯t very interested in the more physical dungeons, but the mage and seeker dungeons she had him go over several times. It was the guardian dungeon, though, that really peaked her interest.
¡°Are you saying you actually used your mana to make the rock stronger?¡±
¡°Yes. I needed the rock not to break so I had to reinforce it somehow. It was difficult at first but I was able to push mana into the rock and then it was kind of easy to get it to meld with the existing grid. I even got a skill out of it, mana enhancement.¡±
¡°Ok, I am going to ask something that is seen as rude where I come from, but can you share your status screen with me?¡± She had to explain the process to him. It would have been easier to share if both of them were physically together, but since they were in the same party it was still possible. She looked over it for a few minutes before she said anything else. By this point the coyote-ke-bob seemed to be done enough so he took it off the fire and started nibbling on it. It wasn¡¯t terrible but he really needed to find some spices. A grill might be helpful as well.
¡°Most of your skills are pretty common. I should say they are not uncommon for people to have a few of them, but with all your classes you ended up with more than usual for such a low level. Putting quantity aside, mana drawing, mana enhancement, and aura reading are much rarer and more valuable than the others. Mana drawing is not unheard of, you can gain the skill just from drawing magic symbols even without a real understanding of what you are doing. That is actually how I thought you completed the mage challenge. I did not realize that you were actually seeing how the energy interacted and flowed along the lines.¡±
¡°So you thought I was just getting lucky?¡±
¡°I already told you I thought you were surprisingly competent. But, honestly, when I first saw you I thought you looked like a dumb jock.¡± She said very matter of factly.
¡°Wait, how do you know what a jock is?¡± Alan wasn¡¯t really holding up his end of the conversation, so maybe she had a point.
¡°Even if we did not have sports on my world, I have been learning about your Earth culture. You kept fumbling around with your weapons and you sometimes asked the stupidest questions. Your prowess in battle was decent, but who bashes down a solid wall when they could just pull a lever?
¡°Anyway, what I was going to say before I was interrupted, was that your aura reading skill is very rare. I would be surprised if any other recruits had it before completing at least tier two. It isn¡¯t until after evolving a class to opal that many people learn it. Your mana enhancement skill, that is almost unheard of. This is not to say that no one has that skill on the outside, but those that do have it usually get it with their amber class. Sometimes you hear of people learning it at ruby or garnet, but I have never heard of someone gaining that skill before their first body evolution.¡±
¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s something I¡¯m good at? Also, not to doubt you, but how much do you know about this? Maybe it happens more often, just not on your world? Also, amber and ruby class, what¡¯s that?¡±
¡°I am truly surprised you are ¡°good at it¡± since your spirit stat is so low. Usually those who show talent with auras and mana skills have a very high spirit. Also, while I do not hail from a core system, I am not a country bumpkin and when I say it is rare, you should believe me. You are currently quartz class and can evolve your classes to opal next. Several steps down that path lie garnet and ruby, and amber is after that. I myself am above that at topaz.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s a long way away for me. Then what does having these skills now mean for me? I don¡¯t suppose you could tell me what I can use them for?¡± He was pretty sure what the answer to that question was, but there was another long pause before she answered.
¡°I am not sure how much I should say. It could be that part of why you have learned so much is because you don¡¯t know your limitations. However, even if I thought it was a good idea, that would definitely exceed my mandate here.¡± That last part was expected, but the first half was surprising.
After another long pause she continued with her voice lowered to barely above a whisper, almost as if she was afraid of being overheard. ¡°I know there is much you do not understand and I have not answered many of your questions. Understand that I have an obligation to my homeworld. By performing well here I could boost our resources significantly. However, before I left I was told by the elders to keep an eye out for talented recruits. I was authorized to take some risks if I found any who seemed truly gifted. If you can prove to me that you are one of these supremely talented individuals, then I can provide you with a lot of help that I otherwise should not.¡±
This is what Alan had been waiting for, a chance to make her a real ally. If he could somehow convince her of his value she could become a huge asset. ¡°How would I prove that I am worthy?¡±
¡°You have two days before the final challenge of this tier. If you can get all of your classes over 30% by then I will know that you are truly gifted. It is unusual for most to get over 30% in one class, and individuals with more than three classes usually only have one that high. If you can demonstrate that you can learn how to grow all of your classes that high then I will be certain.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can tell me how to do that?¡±
Another Tamee sigh. He was starting to hear an unspoken ¡®idiot¡¯ whenever she made that noise. ¡°I will repeat what you were told at the start. To grow your classes you have to use them. I will not say more, that is part of your test.¡±
He had been wondering what his next goal was going to be since he had completed all of the dungeons, but now there was a path before him. He didn¡¯t know how to do it, but he already had two classes at that level and two more were very close. That left four that would need significant growth.
Alan had finished his meal by this time and needed to get cleaned up. A quick trip to the lake would solve that. After several forays into the water he was much more confident that there were no killer fish hiding in the depths. His clothes were trashed, but they were washed as well as possible because he still didn¡¯t want them to stink even if they looked awful. While washing he was also thinking. If he understood correctly, in order to grow a class you had to use a class, just like she said. But he had seen that it could be through the class talent or through applications of the stat associated with it.
That was probably how he gained some of his growth as a hunter. A large part of that came from taming the bobcat and the failed attempt with the fox. Some more had also been gained from tracking that same bobcat. There was also some growth he had achieved in between all of this. Thinking back on what specifically he had been doing at the time, it was most likely when he was fighting with the squirrels. It had required him to follow all their movements as they ran around the trees and along the ground. That could be seen as using perception in the fight. However, he also had been using perception lately when studying the growing differences in the valley. There had not been any noticeable growth from that. Maybe you get more out of it if combat, or at least some level of danger, is involved?
The healer class should theoretically be easy, he just had to heal himself a lot. The same could be said for the mage class, but with casting more spells in combat. Seeker he could probably level by trying to sense auras more often. The class talent was sensitivity so that seemed straightforward. Scholar was going to be more of a challenge.
While going over his status sheet with Tamee it had not escaped Alan¡¯s notice that he had gained some points in scholar today, six percent, but it was less clear why he gained them. The class talent was still a mystery, so that left the stat Focus. Had he been particularly focused today? Maybe you could say he was focused while tracking down and taming the bobcat, but he didn¡¯t gain any points in it until after using his guardian stone.
Whatever it was must have happened on the way back. Try as he might, Alan couldn¡¯t figure out how to improve that class, but at least there were plans for the others. Guardian was perhaps going to be the easiest, all he needed was to find a club and bash things. With a talent like hammer blow he hoped that would work.
Now that he was washed and his clothes were drying by the fire it was almost time for his nightly sharpening ritual. Before he got to that it was time to deal with his shelter. It was the last item on his original list of things to do and he felt he had earned an upgrade in his sleeping arrangement. There wasn¡¯t a whole lot he could do with the resources he had on hand but a fortuitous find today would help.
While traipsing through the woods he had found a branch that was partially separated from the trunk. There were large claw marks in it suggesting something a lot larger than a bobcat had been sitting on it. Perhaps its weight had been too much for the branch or it had gotten into a fight and caused the damage. Either way, after a little bit of tugging and a lot of cursing Alan had managed to pry it off and store it in his pouch. It was the single largest item in his storage space.
This was going to allow him to make a significant difference in the state of his shelter. By wedging the large branch just so, he made a kind of frame that stretched across much of the entrance to his cave. Using some of the rotten tent he had collected in the hunter dungeon he was able to create a barrier from the constant mist of the waterfall.
This wouldn¡¯t do anything about the puddles of water in the alcove already, but it should help prevent him from getting soaked overnight. He also collected large handfuls of grass and used them to push as much water in the largest pools as he could over the edge. It was not the most efficient method, but after twenty minutes of work he had eliminated the majority of the puddles inside. Next for a bit of luxury.
The coyote hides he had harvested ended up having some of the softest fur he had ever felt. He laid down another pile of grass to soak up any further water, and some of the blood that still clung to the hides, and placed three of the hides on top to make a kind of bed. Looking around in the gray light of night he took in his work. It wasn¡¯t the Four Seasons, but it was an incredible step up from a literal slab of rock.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Personal Quest Completed: Getting started
[You have completed your personal quest Getting Started. Reward: There are no rewards for personal quests.]
Achievement earned: Self-Motivator
[You have set yourself a list of tasks as a personal quest and followed through to their completion. The effect of your Focus is slightly improved]
That was partly unexpected. Part of the reason for improving his shelter was a personal sense of satisfaction of completing the list he had set himself on the first day, but he hadn¡¯t really expected anything to come of it. The quest completion notice was exactly what he expected. It would have been a cheat if you could set yourself quests that you were then rewarded from. He still wasn¡¯t sure how he activated the personal quest, but it would have seemed unfair to get a reward.
However, even if the quest didn¡¯t have a reward, he had earned an achievement. Whatever that meant. The description of the achievement was interesting, it hadn¡¯t caused his focus to increase but it said the effect of his focus would increase. Time to check his tutorial guide.
¡°I hate to bother you again,¡± Alan began, ¡°but I just earned an achievement. What does that mean?¡±
What followed was a ten minute exchange where he explained how he had earned it and what it said. Tamee was unusually helpful with her answers this time. Apparently achievements were a rare treat from the Network that didn¡¯t come with physical rewards. The fact that it had improved the effect of one of his stats was not a common reward, but it was not all that rare either.
There were a myriad of other ways it could provide an improvement and unfortunately Tamee was unable to list others. She did hint that there were additional rewards beyond those stated. What she could say is that the increase to the effect of his focus was just that. Whatever focus did, and she wasn¡¯t sharing that, it would now do it slightly better than before.
Tamee left him with a parting thought. ¡°There are many ways to improve yourself such as leveling your classes and raising your skills, but achievements are by far the most sought after. Everyone gets some, but those who hope to follow their Path to its Coda need as many as they can get. And some are better than others. The one you earned is one almost every person gets at some point. Be aware, though, that while two people may earn the same achievement, they do not always gain the same reward from it.¡±
The night was dragging on, if Alan had a watch it would probably say it was after midnight. His new bed was calling, but first he had something to do. Taking out his whetstone, he sat down and started on his seax. Holding it in his hand he first tried to sense an aura again. There was still nothing he could detect, but from hints in the conversation with Tamee he was pretty sure there should be something. Maybe his senses weren¡¯t strong enough?
Giving up on finding its aura he then started swiping along the blade with the whetstone after dunking it in the lake to get it wet. As he got lost in the rhythm he focused on his own aura. There had been a lot of growth in his classes and stats today and sure enough there were a lot of new disturbances in the flow. Alan was also able to sense that even with the disruptions the overall flow of the energy had increased. Rather than trying to smooth them out he first focused on a particular rough spot to see if he could see what was causing it.
The best way to describe it was that his energy was flowing along a special energy artery. There were occasional branches coming off of the artery like arterioles. The branches occurred all over his body, but the one he was focused on at the moment was located near his right eye. There was a disturbance here because the branches coming off of the main flow were not well formed. Some came off at sharp angles and others had partial blockages. He focused his mental energy, almost like someone pretending to use the Force, on smoothing out the sharp turns. He tried to elongate the tube to make the branches take longer to make the same turn. Alan also thought of his energy grinding over the blockages and smoothing them out and found it happening for real.
When he felt like he had accomplished all he could, what he observed was an area that used to be a disturbance was now one of the smoothest flowing sections in his body. Excited with the progress and now burning with adrenaline he moved around fixing all of the turbulence in his aura, even improving some of the areas that he had previously thought were repaired. By the time he was finished sharpening the seax he was also finished with his aura.
Alan knew he was feeling better, but he wasn¡¯t exactly sure of how. It was almost like smoothing out the flow unlocked potential in his body. He was definitely looking forward to the sixth night when Tamee said she would explain all of this. Come to think of it, if he could finish her new mission by then they would hopefully have a lot more to talk about than just that. And maybe she would be more forthcoming with her answers.
Sheathing his seax, it was time to sharpen his pugio. Before he began sharpening it though, Alan had a thought. Checking his status screen he was disappointed to find that his scholar class had not gone up. He thought that with all the focus involved in finding the flaws in his aura that it might have increased, but apparently that is not the kind of focus it meant. That or it didn¡¯t count since there was no combat involved.
The rasp of the whetstone resumed as he started sharpening the pugio blade and this time he focused not on himself or the blade but on his whetstone. He quickly found he could sense the aura of the stone. Perhaps stones were easier than metal, or maybe because the blades were worked metal instead of raw ore? He was shooting in the dark here but he felt he was onto something. The whetstone had a strong grid. It did not have the more organic curves that he was coming to associate with living things, but the strength of the grid was impressive.
While grinding away at the edge of the blade he tried to make the aura in the stone even stronger. He could sense his mana pool dropping as energy seemed to flow into the black quartz. A large pool of mana formed in the stone. It was definitely in the stone, yet it was somehow separate from the grid already present. Deciding there was enough mana collected he then worked on layering it over the existing pattern. The pool was quickly depleted but the amount of energy he had added had not had much of an effect. So he kept pushing more mana in, each point of mana he drained sent the equivalent of the previous large pool into the stone. This time rather than trying to build up a reservoir he instead tried to push it onto the framework as he went.
There was a learning curve and at first it was a struggle, there was little progress and much of the mana seemed to dissipate into the air. However soon the energy was flowing directly from his hand into the grid of the whetstone. Alan soon had emptied his mana pool but still energy was pouring out of him. He had no idea where it was coming from until he looked back at his own aura and noticed how little energy was flowing through his own veins and he immediately cut the connection.
Looking down at the whetstone with his senses it was easy to detect a significant increase in the strength of its aura. Not only that, but even with his normal eyesight he could detect a glow from the stone. He wasn¡¯t sure what he had done, but he had definitely done something. And whatever it was had really left him drained. His vision faded as he found his eyes closing and he collapsed forward onto the ground.
Alan was woken some time later by two coyotes. They were nudging his body as if to check if he was alive. Unluckily for them he was. He wasn¡¯t sure why he had passed out, but if he had to guess it would be because he had put some of his body''s own energy into the whetstone and not just his mana. That must have left him drained. A quick check of his aura showed that the flow was not fully restored, but it was much improved from earlier. Now to deal with the visitors.
His left hand was still clutched around the hilt of the pugio. A glance through slitted eyelids showed that one of the coyotes was more hesitant and was standing back from him while watching the other. That coyote, though, was much less scared of him. It was bending down and poking at Alan¡¯s right arm with its nose.
He looked closely at it trying to find its jugular. With his aura still not at full force he wasn¡¯t sure how weak he would be so it would behoove him not to get involved in a prolonged fight against two opponents. It was important to kill this one with his first strike. It was also the more aggressive and probably more dangerous of the two.
There was no more time to set up his first blow as it decided Alan wasn¡¯t a threat and started chewing on his arm. Luckily it got a piece of his tunic first instead of ripping off a chunk of his bicep. Moving quickly he stabbed it in the neck and then pulled the blade out. A cascade of blood fountained from its neck all over him. He was going to need another bath, but the first coyote was out of this fight. He scrambled to his feet as its snarling partner came to avenge it.
Initially he started to switch his dagger to his right hand, but then he picked up the whetstone instead. As the coyote tried to hamstring him with a bite he brought the stone down on its head as hard as he could. It staggered under the blow and Alan brought it down again and this time heard a crack as its skull split open. A third blow sent it to the ground and it shuddered weakly before expiring.
Both bodies went into the pouch. It''s a good thing it preserved things or it would probably reek in there. It also seemed to sort things somewhat as the bodies tended to end up together, as did the rocks and sticks he had gathered. Experimenting quickly he found that he could actually move things around in the storage if he concentrated. Then it was back into the lake for another bath. Luckily for him the blood hadn¡¯t dried yet and it was relatively easy to wash it off of his skin. It was not so easy to get out of his clothes. They seemed to have a permanent red tint in the areas that weren¡¯t already brown with other stains.
The moon was most of the way across the sky. He had already been up late so he probably hadn¡¯t been unconscious for too long. Unfortunately there was little point in trying to get some more sleep now anyway. He would have woken up normally in a couple of hours. Feeling hungry, he took a brief break from washing to get some blueberries from his pouch. That reminded him of something.
He took a detour on the way out of the lake and checked on where he had planted some berries yesterday. There, sitting in the patch of dirt, was a growing plant. It was maybe twenty centimeters high with several leaves. Things really did grow faster here. That kind of growth could have taken weeks before.
Now that he was thinking about it he took a quick look at its aura. It was small and faint, which made sense for a newly growing plant. Careful so as not to exceed his mana pool, or to overly stress the plant, he reinforced its aura. It wasn¡¯t any bigger, but in some way it looked more vibrant. It wasn¡¯t glowing like the whetstone, but everything about it was more robust than before.
Checking on his own growth he was shocked to find that his scholar class had grown. Several of his skills also increased, including mana enhancement, and some of his other classes had grown from the fight as well. Fighter had gotten to 30% finally. It was the growth of scholar that he was most interested in, however.
Thinking back to the description of the class it mentioned understanding the creatures around you and its linked stat was focus. Maybe when he had focused on the coyote¡¯s neck, looking for a weak point, that had counted? It wasn¡¯t much to go on, but it was something he could test out today. There was no point in going back to sleep for an hour or two, so he decided to get started early. Instead of yoga or tai chi it was time for some practical practice with his new body. Alan spent a little while working on jumping, rolling, and climbing. His strength and dexterity had improved to the point where he would have been a world class athlete. It was important to find how that changed the ways his body could and did move. He soon felt more comfortable with his body''s new limits.
Next he practiced drawing his daggers. Both one at a time and in concert. He tried to practice stabs and slashes against invisible opponents but he felt like a poser waving his arms in the air. Instead he found a holly tree that had developed near the lake, it was about seven meters tall. Standing before it he practiced stabbing with his left hand while using the seax in his right hand to ward off imaginary foes.
Alan picked out certain leaves to stab and if he wasn¡¯t careful and overextended, or swung wildly with his attacks, he was rewarded with painful scratches from the sharp leaves. He then switched it up and used the seax to slice leaves off of branches while protecting himself with the pugio. His blood was pumping by the time he was ready to take a break.
Making his way back to the grown blueberry bush he collected some more while also snacking and about half the berries made it into the pouch. A quick glance at his growing plant was enough to notice that it was already several centimeters taller than just an hour ago. Maybe that mana infusion had really helped. Not wanting to begin the day too low on mana he made another quick check of the camp to make sure he had everything and then he was good to go. The first stop was a nearby tree. It was one of the non-identifiable kinds, but he had noticed it had one potentially useful branch sticking off of it.
Using his nearly inhuman strength he snapped it off of a larger branch. This was difficult, but not impossible since this branch seemed to be dead already. Using his seax he trimmed up some of the tiny branches on it, and broke off the top where it got too narrow for his uses. When he was done he was left with a stick that was about four centimeters in diameter and just over sixty centimeters long. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but it was the best club he could come up with using what he had.
If he was going to be bashing things for his guardian class he would prefer not to do it with a rock in his hand. When he used his daggers it seemed like his fighter and rogue classes got all of the improvement. After bashing that one coyote¡¯s head he had noticed a nice increase in his guardian class. With a talent of hammer blow it made sense that bashing things with blunt objects would count.
The next six hours were perfect for a training montage. It was time to do some power leveling and today he was finding groups of beasts, which made it go faster. He had avoided the one pair of bobcats he found, but was death incarnate on anything else. Alan started most fights with his daggers, but once he had eliminated the majority of his opponents he would switch to his newly crafted club. Sometimes he was able to keep the whole group alive while severely wounding them so that he could get even more work in with the club.
While searching for his first victims he had spent the time infusing mana into the stick. He didn¡¯t want it to break, so he made sure it was as strong as he could make it. This method had worked on the rock so it should work on the stick too. By the time he found three coyotes together it felt as hard as steel and was faintly glowing.
Item: Mana Infused Club (common), this crude club has been infused with light mana to increase its durability. It also provides a low level of illumination.
Checking his whetstone he found that it had a similar description. Somehow his mana had given both of these items some kind of magical enchantment that made them glow. That was something to think about later. The coyotes, on the other hand, weren¡¯t really worth talking about. Alan quickly slashed one¡¯s throat open and stabbed another one in the mouth. It gave it a chance to bite him, but he wanted to take wounds so that he could use his minor healing spell.
With two opponents down he dropped his daggers and pulled the club from storage to face the last one. Removing things from his storage was easy, it took more effort to put stuff inside so it was easier to just drop them. The lone remaining wolf was driven insane with rage by the death of its packmates and lunged at him with a shocking disregard for its personal safety. A quick blow to the side of its head cracked its skull open and a second blow to its back broke its spine. One last blow to the head spilled its brains onto the ground. This was a solid club indeed.
It was confirmed that focusing on his opponents¡¯ weaknesses counted for improving his scholar class when he fought a strange pairing of a badger and a coyote. That time he tried to blind both animals with light bolts to their eyes before clubbing them to death. He was not a great shot, but it caused significant progress for both his mage class and his aim by the time he was done.
He also tried to work on improving some of his skills. While jogging through the forest at a good clip he would sometimes cross tracks of animals. If they looked fresh he would stalk the animals and get as close as possible before ambushing them. He also made sure to try to sense the aura of every animal encountered. This improved tracking, sneaking, and aura sensing in addition to his classes.
Alan quickly began to notice differences in the aura of different types of beasts. The badgers with their incredibly tough hides and strong muscles had a lot of energy pathways near the surface of their bodies, with only a few thick streams running through their center. The coyotes had larger pathways in the center as well, but they were more numerous. Also, they had many very small branches throughout their limbs, almost like capillaries. Perhaps this helped increase their agility? The two bobcats had a more balanced set up, similar to what he saw inside his own body, but the amount of energy flowing through them was much greater than any other beast he had observed.
It was after an especially hectic encounter with ten squirrels that he contacted Tamee. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel like an asshole. I am going all murder hobo on these poor animals.¡±
¡°Remember, that''s why these animals are here. Also, while you are technically killing them, the system revives them after a set amount of time. Think of them like dungeon volunteers.¡± That helped a little, but by the end of his killing spree he still felt a bit like a monster himself.
Checking his gains as he washed off the blood and guilt back at the lake left him impressed. Scholar was still his lowest class but he had gotten it up to 12%. Guardian, Mage, and Seeker were all approaching 20% and his other classes had made progress as well. Rogue was over 40%! It seemed that all of the knife fighting counted more as a rogue¡¯s style rather than a fighter¡¯s. His skills had seen similar improvement.
With a solid push tomorrow he should be able to meet Tamee¡¯s deadline with no problem, especially since the monsters should once again get an upgrade. If it was similar to how the last four days went, he would expect to see solitary level three creatures.
Chapter 13
He had made it back to camp well before even the false sunset of the sun passing below the mountaintops. Yes, growing his classes was important and he could have spent more time doing that, but he also needed to take care of some other long term considerations. If the next tier was anything like this one then he would need to work on a plan for a better shelter. His cave was safe and hopefully very comfortable. It was a shame he hadn¡¯t gotten to sleep in it the night before, which was part of why he came back early. But he also didn''t know if he was going to be able to use it after tomorrow night. He would need to be prepared in case he lost access to it.
The encounter with the coyotes that morning while he lay unconscious proved the importance of a secure base. The beasts were getting stronger every day and if that continued into the next zone he absolutely could not just sleep in the open. While it may be possible to come back to his current safe shelter, it would probably not be convenient going forward. If he could locate another elevated cave that would be great, but a plan was needed for constructing a more conventional shelter just in case.
The biggest thing holding him back from making improvements was a lack of wood. It was possible he could build something using stones and mortar, but he didn¡¯t have the ingredients. Well, he had access to the water and there might be some limestone in the lake he could use, but sand would be a problem. The bed of the lake was more of a swampy dirt which would not be suitable. Also, the thought of how much grinding he would have to do, even if he found enough limestone rocks in the lake, made his arms ache.
Wood was a much better alternative. Only using what he could break off of trees would be severely limiting. If there were other people around then maybe someone could have gotten an axe as a quest reward and could have cut down trees and branches for others. All by his lonesome he had no such luck. He could either whine about it like a baby, or put on his big boy pants and make his own axe.
The process that he went through for making a whetstone was a little similar to how he was shown during a survival training course to make a stone blade. You can do it with nothing but two rocks, a stick, and possibly a fire. Alan already had a perfect stone to help him shape the axe head, the extra white quartz rocks in his pouch. Looting anything that might be useful was now his mantra. There was no way he wasn¡¯t going to collect some of those freely provided stones from the mage dungeon. Now he needed a good sized river rock to be the blade.
Luckily the lake was full of these. It probably shouldn¡¯t be since there wasn¡¯t really a flow of water to wear away the rough edges of the rocks, but like the initial setup of this place, they didn¡¯t seem to be too concerned with making sure the science made sense. After fishing around for a few minutes he found one that was larger than the others and a good shape. It was granite which had positives and negatives. It was a hard stone so it would make a strong blade, but it would also be harder to shape. Between mana strengthening and his almost superhuman strength, though, he should be able to handle it. Flint would have been even harder, and was the traditional stone people thought of for stone tools. However, he had yet to locate any in the lake.
To begin he spent some time infusing his chosen white quartz hammer stone with mana. It wasn¡¯t as much as he had put in the club, but it should be adequate to make it durable enough to be his hammer. Quartz was supposed to be harder than granite, but they were close. A little reinforcement wouldn¡¯t be bad. Next he looked over the stone that would be his axehead. It was already a nice shape, not too thick and oblong in shape. It was about twenty centimeters long and thirteen wide and was a dark gray color. It wasn¡¯t all that large, but he wasn¡¯t trying to make a war axe, and honestly there weren¡¯t many larger stones in the lake except for the much larger boulders by the waterfall that would be unsuitable.
Next was a check using his aura senses. The granite had a nice grid without any obvious flaws. Now he could use a process called pecking to slowly form an edge on one end. Using hard precise blows with his hammer stone he slowly chipped away. This took him about an hour, which is honestly much faster than he expected. There was now a rough and jagged edge on one end of the stone. Using his whetstone he ground that edge to a smooth polish. Then he followed that up with some mana reinforcement to make sure the ¡®blade¡¯ could handle powerful strikes.
Now he needed a handle. The club he had already made would be a nice size, but it was a little thin and was probably too hard to shape now that it had been infused with mana. Instead he found a branch on a hickory tree that was about seven centimeters across. Holding the stone axehead in his hand he cut the branch down to an appropriate length and then used the head to also remove any small twigs coming off of it.
It was not fun cutting through that using his arm as the handle, each blow left his hand aching with vibrations. It would be nice to get a real handle. He also appreciated not having to use his precious daggers for this work. Yes, he could sharpen them afterwards, but sharpening a blade is a destructive process. You are removing parts of the blade to leave the edge cleaner. Over time this would reduce his blades to the point of making them brittle and small.
It was unfortunately necessary to use his pugio to remove a section of bark from one end of the branch. The axe edge was not quite sharp enough to shave the bark with. He then cut, as best he could with his stone, a hole through that section. It was slightly smaller than the unfashioned side of the axehead. After that he then cleaned the hole up the best he could with his seax. It was going to be an extra long sharpening session tonight.
Next up was the hammer rock again and he pecked down the back of the axe head until it would fit snugly into the hole. Once this was completed he placed the stone in the end of the handle and then, gently at first and then with increasing force, tapped the axehead into a tree trunk causing the stone to bury itself firmly in the handle.
He now had an axe that was about ninety centimeters long with the top twenty having no bark. In that section was buried a now eighteen centimeter stone axehead that was about ten centimeters wide and stuck out maybe seven centimeters from the handle. The rest of the branch was covered in shaggy bark.
Another twenty minutes was spent removing the bark from the bottom third and then using one of the coarse fox pelts to sand smooth all of the exposed wood. While he was sanding it he was also infusing the wood to make sure it wouldn¡¯t crack or split. Alan smiled to himself when he thought of all the people back home who would have gone crazy over this ability. Its uses for creating strong tools was incredible. When he was done he had a fairly impressive looking piece.
Item: Mana infused Stone Axe (common), this crude stone axe has been infused with light mana to make it more durable. It also provides a low level of illumination.
Again infusing it with his mana seemed to cause it to glow. Why was that? Possibly because his mage skill is light spinner. Now that he really thought about that it seemed obvious. Ok, he had an axe, now what? Chopping time. No he wasn¡¯t trying to make logs for a shelter. While it would be possible now that he had an axe it would not be fast. Especially with the relatively low quality of the axe and its smaller size. Also, he didn¡¯t need a new shelter yet. Instead, he wanted to upgrade his arsenal. The club he had used today was serviceable, but nothing impressive. It was similar to a billy club and he was envisioning more of a Fred Flinstone thing for his upgraded version.
Going back to his hickory tree he found a thick branch, it was about twenty-five centimeters thick. He took his axe and slowly chopped the branch off. It took about five minutes, but that axe was sharp! He was reevaluating how long it would take to cut a tree into boards. The limiting factor was the size of the blade. Even the branch proved too thick as it meant he had to chip into it in several sections to make a cut all the way across the branch.
Next he trimmed it up and cut the other end off so he had a section that was over a meter long. All in all, after putting it to hard use, he was very happy with the axe. The handle especially was an improvement, and it left his arm in a much better condition.
He then used the axe to trim down the diameter of his future club. The goal was a taper from the fat end all the way to the thinner end which would be the handle. The last seven centimeters were left a little thicker to provide a base for his hands to brace against. He now had a very rough club that was over twenty centimeters across at the whacking end and tapered to the handle area which was about five centimeters in diameter.
Picking it up with one hand he found it heavy, but not unwieldy. Holding it with two hands was much more comfortable. He had tried to make the cuts as smooth as possible, but it showed that he was working with a stone tool. Taking out his sanding fur he set about smoothing the shaft. He focused mostly on the handle area, but made sure the whole thing got a pass. Once that was done he again used mana to harden it.
He hadn''t gathered any resources for a future shelter, but now that Alan had an axe that would be much easier if it turned out to be necessary to build one. Tomorrow he hoped to avoid using his daggers at all while fighting, instead using only his new war club, so he could focus on leveling his guardian class instead of his other martial classes.
Storing the club and the axe back in his pouch he made his way back to the lake. The perfect trees were unfortunately not all right there at the lake. During his exploration of tree auras he had located the ones needed and they were scattered around in maybe a three klick radius, so he had a relatively short walk back. The sun was now officially set and he wanted to get an early start the next day. The sooner he was able to complete Tamee¡¯s mission the sooner he could start getting real help, or at least better answers to his questions.
His daggers had seen a lot of use today and he refused to neglect them, especially after using them some for carving. Sitting down by the lake he sharpened them as he focused on his aura. With all of the stat growth he had managed there were quite a few disruptions that needed fixing. Using his new level of sensitivity and insight Alan fixed the problems and smoothed out his aura. He was also able to tell that the flow had increased again. There seemed to be more energy and it was also moving through the field faster.
He said good night to Tamee, who laughed at him for his efforts crafting the new tools. The Network had called them crude, and she saw them that way as well. What she didn¡¯t realize was how useful an axe can be in a survival scenario, even if it wasn¡¯t a fancy one. On the other hand, maybe she knew that his survival days were behind him and thought it was wasted effort. She did know what was coming up after all.
The next morning he awoke at the usual time and did some tai chi. The feeling of restrained power in my body was heady. He would say that his body felt at least twice as powerful as before he started this tutorial. He was looking forward to the day when he could spar against an actual person and see what he was now capable of. When he thought of the fact that his next ¡®spar¡¯ would probably be against an alien who would be trying to kill him, he lost some of his enthusiasm. But not all. In the end Alan was still a Green Beret and kicking ass is in the job title.
He went to check his new berry bush and found that it was already starting to fruit. There were only a few, and they were nowhere near ripe, but that was insane progress. He wasn¡¯t a gardener, but his mother was, and he knew that what he was seeing should have taken weeks or months. Some plants he knew took years to produce fruits but he thought that was mostly for the tree borne variety. Grabbing some berries off of the original bush he set out into the valley. Sports training montage number 2!
His nemeses today were boars, wolves, and cougars. Thankfully they did not travel in groups. The boars were the easiest to fight. They were built like tanks and could hit like one too. However, they were slow and the new club was amazing. His daggers would not have been able to make much of an impact because of its tough skin and hard muscles. A couple of good whacks to the spine or head with his heavy club was enough to put them down, however. There was something to be said for blunt weapons when dealing with an armored foe.
The wolves, on the other hand, were fast and their bite was much worse than a coyotes. They also were willing to take a hit to deliver one. One wolf took a slice to the face so that it could bite his arm. They moved too fast for his large club and the smaller one couldn¡¯t generate enough force to really hurt them, so he was forced to use his daggers again. The wolf was strong too and when it clamped down and shook Alan¡¯s arm it almost dislocated his shoulder. Sadly for the wolf, its fur, while thick, provided no protection from a pugio to the lungs. After skinning the first one he noticed that their fur was even softer and thicker than the coyotes¡¯.
All day long he was also trying to make sure each blow hit a vital area. It was not only improving his scholar class, but also helping him with his aim. By the end he could tell he was a much more effective fighter now than he was four days ago, and not just because of his increased stats. He was mowing through the beasts with little challenge now. This gave him plenty of time to work on his scholar class which had the farthest to go to get to 30%.
The hardest of the beasts was the cougars, which thankfully were rare. They were fast and agile and used all of their lethal claws in addition to their vicious bite. He found that using the club was most effective. While they were fast like the wolves as well, they also were more protected by their thick muscles. It was easier to land a blow with his daggers but it was difficult to make them count. With the heavier club a hit would do plenty of damage.
Taking a page from the wolves fighting style, he allowed the cougar to wound him in order to create an opening. Like the wolf he could take a smaller strike to deliver a devastating one. A well placed blow from his heavy club would often leave the cougar wounded enough that it was then easier to finish it off. This also let him work on his healing.
His healing class made huge improvements when Alan realized he could heal not just himself but his enemy too. It wouldn¡¯t be something he did in a real battle, but even these level three beasts didn¡¯t really pose a lethal challenge. He killed so many that he was forced to take out all of the old carcasses to make room for the new ones. The pelts he had already skinned and the few loose goat horns were saved, as well as some of the squirrel carcasses. They had been tasty, and useful for charming that bobcat. A lot of meat was thrown away, but he was looking forward to cooking up boar later. That was one of the few animals he was killing that he had eaten in his previous life.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
In true montage fashion he was back at the lake by midafternoon flush with victory. He pulled up his status sheet to confirm.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (40%) Quartz
Guardian (34%) Quartz
Healer (48%) Quartz
Hunter (41%) Quartz
Mage (31%) Quartz
Rogue (51%) Quartz
Scholar (31%) Quartz
Seeker (36%) Quartz
Health: 164 (16/hour)
Stamina: 146 (29/minute)
Mana: 126 (13/minute)
Stats:
Strength: 13
Dexterity: 14
Perception: 12
Focus: 10
Intelligence: 11
Wisdom: 14
Constitution: 11
Spirit: 7
Skills:
Aura Reading: 13, Blunt Weapons: 17, Cooking: 3, Daggers: 26, Dodging: 9, First Aid: 11, Harvesting: 9, Herbology: 7, Identify: 11, Mana Drawing: 3, Mana Enhancement: 4, Running: 13, Sneak: 9, Tracking: 12, Two Weapon Fighting: 18, Unarmed Combat: 10
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Parry
Guardian: Hammer Blow
Healer: Mend
Hunter: Charm Animal
Mage: Light Spinner
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Scholar: Understanding
Seeker: Sensitivity
Spells: Minor Healing (common), Light Bolt (common), Light (common)
Basically everything had improved. Classes, skills, stats, everything. Alan also felt like he had managed to integrate his various combat abilities fairly well. For example he found that a light bolt to the face, while not very damaging, was a great distraction to allow for dodging or delivering a more significant blow with his daggers or club. He also liked the flexibility that being able to use a club or daggers gave him, and it was finally getting comfortable to use his off hand in combat.
It was time to see what Tamee could do for him. ¡°Ok Tamee, I did what you asked,¡± he told her as he also shared his status screen.
¡°Now I am guessing you want to hear how I am going to help you? First, I want you to know why I am helping you. It is difficult to trust if you don¡¯t know someone¡¯s motivation. By becoming a tutorial assistant manager for a zone I receive rewards based not only on my own performance, but also on how far the recruits in my zone make it. With only one person I thought this zone was doomed. But with your talent we have a chance to get all the way to the end.¡±
¡°No pressure there, thanks. By the way, what¡¯s your real name?¡± Alan asked.
¡°It actually is Tamee. I am not really tutorial assistant manager #33, we don¡¯t get numbers. I just added it on because it was already so close to my name. I¡¯m a little bit of a nerd, deal with it! There are other reasons why it makes good sense to help you, but let us not get into that now.¡±
¡°So the better I do, the better you do. Works for me, but won¡¯t you get in trouble for helping me? What happens if the Network decides you have broken too many rules?¡±
¡°Well, this is where it gets interesting. There are some rules I cannot break because you are correct, I would be removed and forfeit all of my rewards and possibly my life. I might have even crossed that line when I warned you the other day about the bobcat. However, my actions are not under the scrutiny that they usually would be.
¡°You have heard of the Network out there and I have talked about the Network providing you rewards in here. These are not actually the same entity, or at least they did not start that way. The outside reality is controlled by the Network, but the tutorial disk you are on is actually the inside of a dungeon.¡±
The next ten minutes stretched the picture he had built of his new reality to the breaking point. There was a Network, and it did absorb star systems to incorporate potentially new races and new cultures. However, the tutorial disks were not run by the Network, or at least not directly. They were instead built inside of a kind of sentient dungeon. The sun orbiting the disk was actually the core of a massive dungeon.
This dungeon was tasked by the Network with introducing the new races to the reality they would be faced with when fully integrated into the larger Network. While responsible for all of this getting set up, the Network is so large it cannot focus everywhere at once. It somehow makes these huge dungeons to run the tutorials for it.
Tamee had told him about how the Network can¡¯t create sentient life. That is not exactly true because it can create dungeon cores which in a way are sentient. They, however, lack a soul. Also, when a dungeon is born there exists a line of control between the maker and the created. While the dungeon has the power to do almost anything it wants inside its zone of control, the Network also retains the ability to control the dungeon.
This entire set up was like a dictator sending a general out to found a new town. As far as the people in the town are concerned the general and the dictator have the same powers, but at any time the dictator could come in and take back control. And apparently that is what had happened. Not only that, but what he had been dealing with wasn¡¯t even the general. These tier one zones were under the control of much smaller dungeons that were newly created. The larger dungeon in the sun had already been around for thousands of years, and had created and run countless smaller dungeons. This was like a promotion for it. These smaller ones were like baby dungeons, or possibly toddlers. They may have been tasked with running one tiny dungeon somewhere, but this was their first chance at something bigger.
¡°Here is what gives us a big opportunity. The dungeon is no longer in control of this tutorial. Do you remember when that imp attacked you back on day two? Apparently the dungeon running this tutorial was messing up. It was having trouble dealing with its new much larger zone of control. Its difficulties showed it was not up to correctly running this whole valley yet, so the Network stepped in and basically locked out the dungeon''s ability to affect its zone. It was trying to prevent a cascade of issues that could have thrown off the whole tutorial. You might think this would be a problem for us, now that a much more powerful force was running things, but the Network is so large that it cannot devote as much focus on the individuals in the tutorial as the singular dungeon could. As long as no major rules are broken it will not notice.¡±
¡°If it can¡¯t notice small infractions how can it detect larger ones?¡± he asked.
¡°Remember the dungeon where you had to find the lying guards. The ripple you detected was caused by their soul recognizing an intent that goes against their moral code. If a person was a sociopath there would be no ripple when they lied, because they wouldn¡¯t recognize it as a bad thing. Similarly, all of the tutorial assistant managers know what the rules are, and when we break them it causes ripples. Small infractions cause small ripples, large infractions cause larger ripples.¡±
¡°So that is probably why you got away with warning me the other day. It wasn¡¯t an intentional action so your soul didn¡¯t recognize it as a problem.¡±
¡°Wow, that is a rather insightful perspective, maybe you are not as dumb as you look.¡±
¡°That is hurtful. I have an MD you know.¡±
¡°Ok, but I am not sure what that is. Was that not a state or something? Anyway, what all this means is that I can provide you a lot of assistance as long as I avoid breaking the major rules. Things like direct intervention or direct instruction. As long as I skirt around the edges of the rules we should be fine.¡±
That didn¡¯t sound like much help to him, but she told him to wait a few minutes and he would begin to see some of the value. It was almost sunset so something was probably going to happen then. Tamee¡¯s voice was once again broadcast throughout the forest.
Congratulations on making it to the end of day six. Tomorrow, the passage to tier two will open. You do not have to go to tier two, you may remain here if you wish. However, tier two has exciting possibilities for you to grow. Like this valley it will have dungeons. Instead of a few small dungeons providing you with access to classes, these dungeons will have fantastic rewards and allow you to grow to new heights. There will also be significantly more of them, enough that you will be unable to visit them all. Tier two will last for one month. At the end of that month the strongest recruit in each zone and his party will be able to move on to the third zone. Everyone else will be temporarily removed from the tutorial. Not to worry, those of you who do not make the cut will still get a chance to return.
Just to make sure your zone has progressed far enough to enter tier two, the passage will be guarded by a mana infused beast. In order for anyone to pass into the second tier zone, someone or a group of someones will have to defeat it. There is also a great reward for the ones who do. Good luck tomorrow!
Alan waited, but that was apparently the end of the message. ¡°Ok, so how is that helping me?¡±
It was easy to hear the excitement bubbling out of her, ¡°That does not. That is the Network approved message that all TAMs have to give. What I can do now is tell you what it actually means.¡±
She then proceeded to lay out what was about to happen. Tomorrow the passage, which was somewhere here at the end of the valley, would open and he would have to fight a mana infused beast to gain access to the next tier. That apparently meant that the beast would have some powers, like it could breathe fire or trap you in vines. This was caused by whatever mana was used to infuse it, like his light mana causing his tools to glow.
Assuming Alan beat it, he would then have passage to tier two which was full of dungeons. These were all system created dungeons, meaning they fall under the purview of the Network because they were originally created by the dungeon we were inside, and not spontaneously generated which was apparently a thing. This idea of dungeons creating dungeons seemed a little bit of a ¡®hat on a hat¡® situation to him, but what was he gonna do about it? These new dungeons were designed to give them the tools we needed to grow. Spells, gear, money, knowledge, and even opal class stones. It was not uncommon for recruits to evolve one or even a few of their classes to opal during this time.
Alan was originally dreading that that would mean a lot more time in caves, but apparently the term dungeon was misleading him. Just like the tutorial disk was actually a dungeon, these smaller ones could be anything. They might be a series of tunnels and caves that led to a nest of angry goblins, but it could also be a castle where you had to seduce the queen to gain access to a treasure vault. He knew which he was hoping for.
The first eight dungeons he had already gone through are pretty standard, just like the initial valley. If he somehow ended up on another tutorial disk he would see pretty much the same thing. Apparently that time is not only for the newly collected to grow, but for the newly promoted dungeons to learn how to work with the huge upgrade in the amount of energy they were given to run this whole place. That is why everything seemed too perfect, the dungeon was working from a preset blueprint and hadn¡¯t learned fine control yet. The next zone would be fundamentally different and Alan needed to prepare himself because his opportunity had just become a liability.
These dungeons would be designed with parties in mind. Most recruits team up and work together, and the dungeons are built assuming that will happen. They won¡¯t require a party to get through them, but without others to back him up he could have a very difficult time. Some would be designed with the assumption that people could be working on different tasks at the same time and it would take careful juggling to overcome that by himself.
The other thing Tamee did was explain to him what was going on with his aura. She had earlier hinted that she could tell him tonight anyway. By this point it is assumed all recruits have a class and will have begun leveling up. An important part of leveling is apparently cultivation. Because this is probably a foreign concept to most non-Network races the TAMs are allowed to explain it now. The wiki also had a new section on the topic available, but why read when you have your own tutor.
The energy field he had sensed inside himself, which is actually called an aura, is a conduit for the mana that is flowing through a person. Not necessarily his mana pool, but the mana that empowers his whole body. It is the energy flowing through your aura that gives you your abilities. It is also that energy that fills your mana pool, which is like a reservoir of easily tapped energy. As your classes level more energy flows through your aura. When your stats go up, it is really your aura spreading to more parts of your body, the branching that he had been seeing. As this happens, though, the addition is usually not perfect. Part of cultivation is learning how to fix these branches to truly unlock their power. That is why Alan hadn¡¯t felt much of a difference in his body until he started fixing the flows that second night.
Cultivation is only partly about fixing your aura, it is also about growing the pipes. Think of the aura like a body¡¯s arteries, arterioles, and capillaries. You start your Network life with just the major arteries. When you get your first class the energy flow increases and as you start increasing your stats you add more, smaller, arteries, reaching new parts of your body and unlocking more potential. But the level that the energy is growing at does not match the expanded area. As the arteries shrink and become more like arterioles and then eventually tiny energy capillaries, they will be incredibly widespread. All this time the amount of energy is growing while the size of the vessels containing them get smaller. They will be unable to handle the extra flow which causes a kind of pressure to build.
¡°So what cultivation will allow you to do is not just improve the flow of your energy, but also make the pathways better able to handle an increased flow.¡± Tamee explained to him. ¡°I will teach you methods for improving your body that will cause the pathways to increase so that they can better handle the increased flow.¡±
It turned out Alan was even more blessed to have all eight basic quartz classes than he knew. Because he had all of them it meant that all of his stats, and therefore energy arteries, would grow as he leveled up toward opal. Because of this his aura would be better spread around his body and able to handle more energy. He wouldn¡¯t have to cultivate as much as others whose auras would be more limited by their lack of stats. There were ways for them to improve their non-class stats, but it was time consuming and expensive. It turned out that you had to reach some threshold of energy to be able to upgrade to opal, and that was much more difficult with fewer classes.
She also explained some basic techniques for improving his aura that the Network allowed her to share, but she also told him that better cultivation techniques could be found in the challenges ahead. All in all he felt that Tamee had shared a lot of very useful information. Some of it he had guessed at, but getting confirmation did a lot for his confidence going forward. There was a lot to think about and it was well past sundown.
He worked on his ¡®cultivation¡¯ while sharpening his daggers and the new axe, although the axe really did not need it. The mana reinforcement seemed to help a lot. It was a shame he was unable to do the same for his daggers. He both fixed the changes in his aura from his leveling today and worked on growing his aura as Tamee had taught him. There was already a change in his pathways, but it was almost imperceptible.
Alan was unsure if he would be able to sleep with all of this on his mind, but when he lay down on his new luxurious bed in his much drier cave, he fell asleep as soon as his head rested against the soft coyote fur.
Interlude IV
The lava flow at the end of the valley quickly went from a river of fire to barely a trickle. It was now at a point where Afilada could simply step over it and continue up the hill of coarse black stones. The heat was still intense but their bodies were more resistant to it now that they had been integrated into the Network.
The rest of her party followed behind her, except for Forto who strode next to her, ready to intercept any attacks. Ayuna would normally be ranging ahead but Afilada felt it would be better if they approached the boss together. As they neared the top of the hill she did motion for her scout to take the first look. She had the highest perception of them all.
After a quick scan she carefully made her way back down and motioned the others closer. Then in a whisper Ayuna shared what she saw.
¡°Identify says it¡¯s a mana-infused Jilipold, but it¡¯s bigger than any I¡¯ve ever seen. It¡¯s at least ten times larger than anything I¡¯ve ever heard of and it has a line of fire burning down its back.¡±
There were some uneasy looks but Afilada took charge, stiffening their resolve. ¡°You all know what to do. Forto, you get its attention, Pierto and I will flank it while Ayuna uses her arrows to go for its eyes. If it¡¯s blind it will have a hard time hitting us. Sabi, shield Forto and use your stone spears to keep it locked in place. Watch out for some kind of fire attack, and remember, if it is like jilipold¡¯s from our home it will be very fast and its talons can slice us in half like we¡¯re made of butter.¡±
Afilada knew that she was destined to crush all opposition, but even her ego had a hard time confronting the monstrosity in front of her as they crested the hilltop.
Beast: Mana-infused Jilipold (Epic) level 5.
This reptilian beast had a snake¡¯s head, but instead of two extra large fangs the teeth looked more like a shark¡¯s and there were two rows of them. The body was that of a quadruped but the skin on even a normal specimen was so thick it could shrug off all but the most focused of strikes. This juggernaut version probably had skin thick enough to deflect all normal attacks. It was also at least ten meters long and six meters high, and that wasn¡¯t counting the tail.
Rather than having short stubby trunks for legs like you might expect, it had long and sinewy ones that were built for speed. Its tail was also slender but made up almost half of its length and the tip was hardened like a mace. Normally it had a dark green coloring, but this fire-infused version had black skin with angry red lines in a spiderweb across its body. And as Ayuna had said, the ridge along its back had flames that were at least half a meter tall.
With a grunt Forto charged toward its midsection, his axe held high and his shield ready. He was confident that with his leader here they could take on anything. As Pierto also moved to get in position Afilada was released from her temporary panic. She was a blur of speed as she tried to cut around to her flanking position. The ground up here was the same volcanic rock as the hill, but there were small streams and pools of lava that they would have to avoid.
As Forto got within five meters the jilipold whipped out with its tail and he maneuvered his shield to block. The mace at the end of the flying tail clanged against his shield with enough force to drive him back several steps and leave a small dent in it. Afilada smiled as she realized it wasn¡¯t also ten times stronger than a real jilipold or he would have been sent flying back down the hill.
Pierto had reached his position and was ready with his club. Afilada had her sword in a two handed grip, figuring she would need the extra force to penetrate the incredibly thick skin. Forto once more advanced but this time he was looking at the maw of the creature as it had turned to face him. Sabi cast her protective spell on their tank and a shimmer appeared in front of him.
It was just in time as a ball of flames seemed to swirl in the back of the boss¡¯s throat. The flames built until a raging inferno blasted out and engulfed Forto. The shimmer became a solid wall of burning light before it quickly began to fade. Maybe half of the flames had been spent when Sabi¡¯s barrier disappeared and Forto could do nothing but hide behind his metal shield. The flames were directed around his shield but enough remained to still burn him as they passed by. His tunic caught on fire and he dropped to the ground and tried to roll around to put out the flames.
Pierto and Afilada had not been sitting idly by while he was getting crisped. With the creature¡¯s attention focused forward they charged its sides and struck. Afilada drove her sword point toward the jilipold¡¯s lungs with all of her momentum behind it. The skin was too tough though and the sword slid upwards and did no noticeable damage. On the other side Pierto¡¯s club slammed into its spine. The beast staggered slightly so some force must have penetrated.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
If she was going to contribute to this fight she would need to strike for areas where the skin was not as thick, like where the legs joined the body or behind its knees. Ayuna¡¯s first shot with her bow was a great one. As the flames died out her arrow penetrated the back of its open throat. It quickly crunched down on the shaft, breaking it into little bits but you could see the pain in its eyes.
As Forto rolled on the ground the jilipold leaped forward. It was going to land directly on top of him and without his shield in position to block the claws on its feet would rip him to shreds. Luckily, Sabi had another one of her barriers ready and it landed on top of a wall of air. She had angled the shield so that it slid to the side and landed next to him instead of on top of him.
Pierto was already in motion when it landed and he interposed himself between the beast and Forto. The first swipe of its claws were intercepted by his club but the other paw tore across his chest and sent him tumbling backwards over their rhino tank. Ayuna¡¯s next arrow glanced harmlessly off the thick skin of its face, missing its eyes.
Afilada ducked under a swing of its tail and sliced at its back leg. This time her sword bit into the flesh and scored a cut at least fifteen centimeters deep into the muscle behind its knee. It roared and tried to kick out with the closest leg, which happened to be the injured one. It wasn¡¯t moving properly and with her high dexterity she was easily able to roll under the blow. This brought her to the other hind leg and she once again sliced across it.
She continued her role until she was completely on the other side. The beast wasn¡¯t immobilized, but neither of its back legs was working well. Flush with her success she failed to keep an eye on the tail and as she regained her feet it cracked her in the side. The force was enough to send her flying and there was a pop as at least one rib was broken.
Unfortunately for her she landed near a lava puddle and some ended up on her chest. If the blow from the tail was like getting hit by a train, this was like being burned by the sun. The surrounding fur caught fire and the flesh where it hit melted. But she was no stranger to pain and she wouldn¡¯t let simple agony stop her. The world would be hers!
Standing she took in the battle and noticed that Pierto had helped Forto to his feet. Side by side they faced the creature which now had an arrow sticking out of its left eye. Ayuna¡¯s bullseye talent let her pull off an incredible shot. Sabi had used more of her mana to send a stone spear into one of its back legs, right where it had been cut. This really hampered the jilipold¡¯s movements.
If they thought the fight was over they were soon disabused of the notion as it roared out another blast of flames. It wasn¡¯t quite as large as the first time, but Sabi wasn¡¯t ready with a shield either. They weren¡¯t cheap mana-wise and she had just cast her stone spear spell. Forto managed to get his dented metal shield up and he and Pierto hunkered behind it.
They both were still getting crisped by the flames curling around the edges, but soon the blast had superheated the metal on his shield and Forto involuntarily let go. Luckily the flames were almost spent but Pierto¡¯s entire front was set on fire as his fur and tunic burned. Forto pushed him over and lept on top of him to help smother the fire.
Sensing that things were rapidly turning against her party, she felt the need for drastic action. Afilada used the distraction of its breath weapon to jump onto its back. While she easily weighed over 110 kilograms the beast below her was so large it didn¡¯t even notice.
Her first blow was a slash at the base of its tail, cutting off all six meters of willowy danger. That got its attention, but it seemed at a loss of what to do without its tail to strike at her. She dashed up its spine ignoring the burning in her feet as she ran along the flames. She was moving so fast that her legs barely felt the heat from her passage. Arriving at its head she raised the sword above her with the tip pointing down and drove it through one of the creature''s small ear holes. There was some resistance but she pushed with all her strength and drove the blue blade completely through its brain until it finally came to a stop when it hit the flesh on the underside of its head.
Sabi rushed over and did her best to heal Pierto and Forto of their burns. Ayuna glanced around, checking for any more threats. Afilada looked back over the valley from her perch on top of the giant boss. She could just make out the mass of her troops on the field below. Some of the hunters noticed her and started pointing her out to others. She pulled the sword from the jilipold and raised it over her head in victory, keeping the anguish from her face as her broken ribs protested the movement.
Even from so far away she could hear the roar of approval. Corellians were normally a mostly peaceful people, bound by honor and law. She had shown them what they could become if they let their inner beast rule. She had shown them power and they were coming to love her for it. Now she turned, for that valley was the past. It was the crucible that turned her people into warriors.
Before her was what looked like another valley, but this one would turn her warriors into a true army. She would take the best for herself, of course, but the others would be dragged along until they were able to form the pedestal on which she would stand.
Chapter 14
Danny is an idiot. It cannot be properly expressed how completely he defines that term. This was Alan¡¯s eighth try and in the previous seven Danny did everything in his power to die. He¡¯s not suicidal either, that would be more understandable. The fool had made seven decisions that he thought were the greatest ever and then died. Every time. Danny is the reason why escort missions are the worst.
It was Alan¡¯s second dungeon in tier two. Tier one had ended earlier in the day with a drizzle, literally. He had woken up mentally psyching himself up to fight this crazy monster with incredible powers. As he went to start his daily morning workout he noticed that the waterfall had been reduced to a fraction of its former size. Behind it was revealed a pass.
The entrance must have been flooded under a few feet of water while the waterfall was going before, but the pass had a significant incline so the water would have just run back toward the lake forming a small pond on the other side.
Next was a quick jog and some limbering exercises to get the blood flowing and the body ready, all the while watching the end of the pass expecting something badass to come out at any moment. Nothing did, so he figured he would have to go find it.
Alan crept along the rocks by the cliff wall and cautiously peered around the corner into the pass. Still nothing. Then he noticed a cave opening that was at least five meters tall and more than three meters wide on the side of the pass. It was located just beyond where the edge of the pond would have been.
Thus began another slow approach, keeping his balance centered at all times as he prepared to fight or flee at a moment''s notice. None of the fights so far had been a true challenge, but this was going to be some kind of boss with special powers. It was possible that he would need to retreat and improve himself some more before he was ready to face it.
And then it happened, out walked the boss. If you could really call it that. It was a big hedgehog. To be fair, it was incredibly huge¡for a hedgehog. Most likely whoever thought this was a good boss meant well, but that dramatic increase in size meant that instead of being able to hold it in your hand it was under a meter and a half long and a little over a meter high. So, a little bigger than the cougars that he had been fighting yesterday. Identify made it seem a little better.
Beast: Mana-Infused Hedgehog (epic) level 5, threat level: medium.
Alan thought, okay, mana infused, cool. Epic, should be nice. Level 5, much higher than anything else. Threat level, medium? That was the highest yet, but what self respecting boss would simply be medium? Turns out it was infused with water mana and could shoot jets out of its spiny hair. The water it shot would probably have torn small holes in a weaker person, but with a constitution of 11 it felt more like getting shot by a pellet gun. Painful, but causing nothing more than a bruise. And, the worst part was that his already tattered clothes took the brunt of that attack.
Also, in credit to its creator, its water infused spines were really tough and neither his big club nor his sharp knives could harm them. Unfortunately for the hedgehog the wolves had taught him a trick and he simply waited for it to try and bite him. Oh, that was another let down. When it opened its mouth to bite it had the cutest little teeth. Alan felt kinda bad about shoving his pugio into its mouth and through its brain. The little teeth barely pierced his toughened skin.
The one nice thing about the fight was that he had picked up an opal class stone for a reward. He couldn¡¯t use it yet but Tamee assured him it was a good one.
The first dungeon he found on the other side of the pass was a much better experience. It was a kind of open air thing too. After killing the ¡®boss¡¯ he had gone to the end of the pass not sure of what to expect.
Once there Alan saw spread out before him another long valley. Whereas the last one was solid forest, except around the edges, this one seemed to have a variety of biomes. Fields seem to be the dominant feature, though. The nearest thing he noticed was a small bit of forest to the east that seemed to have vines growing through the trees.
It was begging to be explored, and apparently it was a dungeon. As soon as he stepped in he had gotten a quest to kill the King of the Swamp. His biggest concern was that it was going to be a bunch of stupid spiders, but it turned out to be a three headed snake. It was at least ten meters long and the heads were on the end of necks that stretched well over a meter. The heads themselves were the size of prize winning watermelons.
Luckily it wasn¡¯t a hydra situation because after he managed to hack one of the heads off it did not grow back. It took four separate blows to cut through with his knives. Once he could focus on just two heads it got much easier and after cutting off the second he switched to his club to smash the last head. Afterwards, he was left with a feeling of accomplishment and his body was pumping with adrenaline. That was a proper fight.
The reward was nice, too. He got a pair of snakeskin boots that would enable him to keep his footing even in rough or wet terrain. It wasn¡¯t a walking on water situation, but it would have saved him from the mud bath he got if he had been wearing them when he went through the swamp. An upgrade, or simple replacement, of his pants would have been better since his starter boots were still fine, but he wasn¡¯t about to turn down magic loot. It also introduced Alan to something Tamee hadn¡¯t warned him about, the Dungeon Exchange.
It was a virtual store where you could spend points that you earned from completing these tier two dungeons. The prizes that he saw weren¡¯t amazing, but it was nice to be able to pick and choose what you wanted instead of having to rely on what the Network gave you. Technically it wasn¡¯t the Network rewarding him anymore. Now that he was in tier two control had passed to something else. Tamee was reluctant to explain what was in control now, but it was neither the larger Network or the initial dungeon core that had been replaced. This was normal though, tier two was a much larger and more complicated space and so it needed a more sophisticated controller than the last zone. The prize he was most excited for was a pair of self cleaning and self repairing pants. They weren¡¯t actually armor, but they would at least keep him presentable. After his clothes were mostly obliterated by the hedgehog''s water attack and then the remains were dragged through a swamp he was feeling underdressed. There was a definite breeze on his unmentionables.
The cost of the magical pants was nothing to scoff at. Tamee had told him that it was because of the enchantments on them. The swamp dungeon only gave thirty dungeon points and it would cost two hundred to buy them. That explained what he was doing with Danny.
The second dungeon Alan had found had as its entrance a small wooden shack maybe five meters on a side. The front had a door with a shadowy opening that he would always associate with dungeons, and stepping though he found himself on a wide road that passed through thick woods. To avoid potential confusion, this was a wide well packed dirt path, perhaps ten meters across, not asphalt. Next to him was the new bane of his existence and the reason he was there.
New Quest: Escort Dantelion (100)
[Dantelion is a nobleman''s son who has decided to make a trip to see the big city. Unfortunately the local woods are infested with bandits and monsters. Protect him until he makes it out of the woods.]
Someone might wonder how big the woods could be if they fit inside that small shack. That was basically what he asked Tamee.
¡°That shadow you see in the opening is the sign of a portal. The actual dungeon is located underground, below that shack. Everything you see around you is being created by the core. The sky above you is merely an illusion, so it could be quite large.¡± Great.
Dantelion was a human male who thought he was the greatest being in the universe and this trip was his chance to finally prove himself. He saw Alan not as a bodyguard but as more of a manservant, and not a good one at that. Five minutes later Dantelion was dead from a sword through the belly. They had been ambushed by bandits and the pompous fool challenged their chief to a duel. That was when Alan learned what happens when you fail, at least for some dungeons.
Quest Failed: Escort Dantelion (100)
[Dantelion has died, you have failed the quest. Make your way back to the entrance to either exit or try again.]
Tamee told him that this is a common thing for dungeons to do, but that not all dungeons could be done again if you failed. Sometimes you only had one shot. Alan managed to escape the bandits and run all the way back to the entrance. Luckily it wasn¡¯t far. He restarted the quest and Dantelion appeared next to him the same as before. It took three more runs before he figured out how to convince the kid to let him handle the bandits. Unfortunately he couldn¡¯t convince him to sneak past, ¡®I shall travel the road, not creep through the woods like a peasant.¡¯ Yay.
Twice more his ward died. Once to a stag that skewered him with its horns and then to a pair of bandits who he insulted so much they shot him with an arrow. In the most recent run they could see the end of the forest when the fool decided to sample a mushroom growing from a tree. Turned out it was a bunch of deadly skullcaps.
That would have been the end of the quest attempts for Alan, but that 100 next to the name was how many dungeon points it was worth. That was half of the cost of the pants for one quest. However, one hundred points or not, this was going to be the last attempt. Alan couldn¡¯t go through this again. It may be only one quest, but it was incredibly frustrating.
¡°Listen Danny,¡± Alan started.
¡°It¡¯s Dantelion,¡± the lordling corrected.
¡°Not today it isn¡¯t. You manage not to kill yourself and then I¡¯ll call you that. We are going to go through these woods. I will do any talking. I will do any fighting. If we are attacked by bandits you just stand there like a big strong man and put your hands in the air. If you see a cool animal, just remember there are cooler things in the city, so ignore it. And for the love of all that''s good, DON¡¯T EAT MUSHROOMS YOU FIND IN THE FOREST,¡± he finished in a not very quiet voice.
¡°That last one seemed oddly specific, but you have no need to shout. I heard you. I will let you do all the work, after all that is why my father is paying you,¡± the brat even managed to sound magnanimous.
When they ran into the bandits it was Alan who ended up challenging the chief to a duel. Knowing that they were outlaws, and most likely murderers, he had no expectation they would keep their word so in the middle of the fight he turned and killed two of the bandits standing around watching. That left the chief plus three other bandits. The chief was already moving on him, but the other three were still shocked by his perceived treachery. Alan managed to kill one more before they got over it and then it was three on one.
Danny tried to make it three on two, but after a lot of yelling and one light bolt someone shot past his face, the lordling stayed put. His face was turning a nice shade of puce, though. The chief was actually low on stamina so he fell fairly easily. That left the other two and there was a reason why they were bandits and not soldiers. They managed less of a fight than their exhausted leader. Alan looted their bodies for the fifth time so far and got a couple of rusty swords and some copper and silver coins.
The second time he had looted them he thought that maybe he could exploit the repeat nature of the dungeon and just loot them over and over when he failed the mission. Unfortunately you only get to keep the loot when you leave a dungeon through an exit. If you go back out the entrance before completing the quest, anything you had collected until then disappears whether you restart the quest or exit. He hadn¡¯t noticed the stuff disappearing until he put the second set of rusty gear in his pouch.
¡°That wasn¡¯t very fair to attack the others while you were supposed to be dueling the chief,¡± Danny naively informed him.
¡°It wasn¡¯t very fair of six people to ambush us in the woods and demand all our stuff, they got what they deserved,¡± he grumbled in reply.
Then it was time to talk the young nobleman out of hunting the ¡®glorious stag¡¯. Next the two bandits with bows were easily scared off instead of insulted. Finally, not thirty seconds before they came to the mushrooms Alan repeated his warning about not eating fungus you find growing wild. The little bastard tried to do it anyway. He had to slap it out of his dainty hand at which point the fop drew his rapier and challenged Alan to a duel.
He stole the kid¡¯s sword and sat on him until he saw reason. Then Alan returned his sword and they left the forest with Danny safe and only slightly rumpled. He told Alan that he would no longer need his help and stalked off. He was the one who felt frustrated? Alan debated killing him right there himself, but decided that was a line he shouldn¡¯t cross. Even if this wasn¡¯t real for the kid playing Danny, it was real for Alan. His actions in the ¡®fake¡¯ dungeon could turn into his actions in the ¡®real¡¯ world.
It didn¡¯t matter. A minute later while he was checking his notifications Danny bent over a small pond to take a drink of water and was eaten by a rather large alligator. There may have been some cheering at that. Luckily the completion notification didn¡¯t go away.
Quest Completed: Escort Dantelion
[You managed to see the young man safely on his way out of the forest. Reward: leather bracers and 100 dungeon points.]
The leather bracers were nice. This wasn¡¯t an upgrade but instead a piece of equipment he had never worn, not even in the service.They appeared to be custom made to fit his arms and would provide some protection for his forearms in a fight. That would have been useful against the wolves, cougars, and even the hedgehog bossling.
All together he had probably spent most of a day trying to keep Danny alive, but when he stepped back outside the wooden shack he found that the sun had hardly moved in the sky. Luckily many of the dungeons in this section had time dilation. There was a notification when you went in letting you know the rate. This dungeon had 20:1, meaning twenty hours inside is the same as one outside. After finishing her test in the previous zone Tammy had finally told him that the days were 20 hours long, so that one day of questing had lasted only an hour outside.
¡°Ok, Tamee, I¡¯ve tried a couple of these and seen what¡¯s going on. Any suggestions for what to look for?¡±
¡°Well, obviously any dungeons with a good dilation ratio are worthwhile. The more time you spend leveling up between now and the end of the tier the better. By the way, I liked your new friend.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t even go there. Tell me, I know he was a real person who was basically hired for a role, but he was just acting right? No one can be that dumb.¡±
Tamee laughed before answering. ¡°Sadly there is no way to tell. There are spoiled idiots out there, but I would like to think our lifestyle in the Network usually roots out those who truly don¡¯t have a clue.¡±
Now that the less observant Network was no longer in charge, Tamee had to be more cautious with her answers. Luckily all TAMs were allowed more freedom in their interactions in tier two anyway. Unfortunately, while she could give tips and advice now, Tamee couldn¡¯t tell him where to go for the next dungeon. He decided to head toward the eastern mountains. The last tier had all the dungeons by the mountains so Alan figured there was a good chance he would find a bunch there. He noticed that the mountains seemed smaller here than in the last zone, as if they were tapering down toward the middle of the disc.
The tutorial token that had directed him from dungeon to dungeon had really spoiled him. After completing the last dungeon in tier one it had become an inert piece of wood. He still kept it in one of his regular pouches as a memento. While walking he checked his status. He had made some nice gains and even reached the next threshold in a couple of classes. Rogue was still the highest class. His reward from the tier one boss had been an opal class stone that could upgrade it.
Item: Opal Phantom Class Stone, rarity Rare. This stone can be used to upgrade the quartz rogue class to the opal class Phantom, a dexterity based class that specializes in moving stealthily and dealing viscous blows. Requirements: Daggers 50 and stealth 25
It sounded pretty awesome but he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it until his rogue class reached a hundred percent. He was about halfway there already, but he wasn¡¯t going to focus on it to the detriment of his other classes. His progression was a marathon, not a sprint.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
He now found himself along the eastern edge of the valley. The knee length grass of the fields was thinned out as it got closer to the mountains. There was now more dirt than grass with only scattered patches of scraggly greens. Alan jogged to the north and soon was standing before a stone doorway covered in runes. He stepped into the shadows and found himself in a short tunnel that led to a very bright opening.
New Quest: Dwarven Mine (10)
[Before you lies a dwarven mining camp. Find a guide to take you into the shafts to mine a vein of iron ore.] [Upgradeable: Daily]
This didn¡¯t sound very interesting. Instead of fighting something, he would be mining ore? Also the payout in dungeon points was pitiful. The time dilation wasn¡¯t great either, only 3:1. On the other hand, having some ore to explore his aura abilities with might not be a bad idea. He wasn¡¯t sure what the upgradeable thing was so he checked in with his not so silent partner.
¡°You definitely want to do this. Yes the points aren¡¯t great, but you will probably learn the mining skill. It may not sound good now, but it could come in handy later on. The real bonus, however, is the upgradeable part. Most dungeons are fairly static. If you come back tomorrow or a year from now you will see the same thing. An upgradeable dungeon will change every time you complete it. The ¡®daily¡¯ after it tells you how long it takes for the upgrade to finish so that you can then reenter it. There is no way to tell how it will change, but the rewards always get better. If there were other people here this dungeon would be a major strategic resource. Parties would probably even fight over who would go inside. Depending on how many upgrades it goes through, the final reward could be unbelievable.¡±
That was pretty hard to say no to, so Alan went down the tunnel to where it opened up into a large cavern, maybe two hundred and fifty meters across. Inside was a small village with two meter high wooden fort walls surrounding it. Peeking out above the walls he could see quite a few wood and hide structures. More toward the center he could see some larger stone buildings. There was a gate a short distance away with two people even shorter than he was guarding it.
As he got closer he remembered the name of the quest. These weren¡¯t short people, they were dwarves. Taking them in it was like reading a Tolkien novel. They stood well under a meter and a half tall but were almost as wide. They both were also wearing a solid looking leather and metal hybrid armor.
When Alan was about ten feet away the lefthand dwarf called out ¡°Hail wanderer, we haven¡¯t seen you before. State your business.¡±
¡°My name is Alan, I have come to find a guide who might teach me the ways of dwarven mining.¡±
¡°So you¡¯ve come to steal our secrets? Get out of here you no good stinking human.¡± spat the right hand dwarf.
¡°Now, now Urpo, there ain¡¯t no law against learning a trade, and he wouldn¡¯t be the only human here. His money is as good as the next persons.¡±
The part about money was not a good sign. He didn¡¯t have much, just the little bit he had gotten off of the bandits. What followed was a brief argument where Urpo was eventually overruled by the other guard, Groundim.
¡°You can go on in. If it¡¯s a guide you want you better head toward the mining tower. Go to the middle of the village and you can¡¯t miss it.¡±
Thanking him, Alan made his way inside. It was not a very crowded camp, but it looked well used. Those people he did see were almost all dwarves, but there were a few humans around and he even saw another person who was covered completely in fur. Not wanting to be rude, especially after the racist greeting at the gate, he tried not to stare as he hurried to find the tower.
The buildings around the outside of the camp tended to be of a single story wooden frame construction with stitched together hides for walls. It would make sense that in a cave there wasn¡¯t enough wood to make whole buildings out of it. Most of the structures he passed seemed to be some kind of dwellings. It wasn¡¯t until he got near the larger structures in the center that he caught sight of buildings that were for other purposes. None of the signs on the buildings had words, but he was pretty sure he saw a tailor, a blacksmith, and possibly some place to get food. When he got to the center he found a dirt square surrounded by five multistory stone buildings. The largest appeared to be an inn. Over the door was hung a sign with runes on it and a picture of a steaming cauldron. Another looked like some kind of store. These were the first buildings where the signs had writing in addition to the pictures. Unfortunately he couldn¡¯t read the runes.
Of the last three buildings he noticed one had a crossed pickaxe and shovel carved above it. There was a pretty good chance this was the mining tower so he went inside. There was a large entry area with a few tables with chairs around them and three desks against the far wall. On that wall was a reinforced door to another section of the building. The room was practically empty with only one table and one desk occupied.
¡°Can I help you with something sir?¡± Asked the female dwarf sitting behind the desk. Contrary to what some Earth fiction would lead you to believe, this female did not have a beard. Because of their stocky build this was the easiest way to tell she was female.
Alan walked over and introduced himself. ¡°Ah, yes. My name is Alan and I am looking for a guide or mentor who could help me learn how to mine.¡±
¡°I see. We don¡¯t have a program for that or anything, we are more of a working camp than a teaching society. But you can always try and work out a deal with any of the miners. Unfortunately most have gone out into the mines for the day. I wouldn¡¯t expect them back for several hours. My name is Eile if you need anything else.¡±
She seemed pleasant enough, but he wasn¡¯t sure if everyone was going to be as nice. The encounter with Urpo at the gate had shown him that not all dwarves would appreciate him being here. Seeing an opportunity to practice his aura reading, and curious if a different race would have a different aura, Alan extended his senses.
All in all it looked similar to what you would expect, if you could see illusory energy lines in the people and objects around you. One difference, though, is that the dwarves'' arteries seemed to be thicker than his own, but less energy was flowing through them. He had no way of knowing if that was because he was a higher level class and had more energy or if it was something based on being a dwarf. The more he explored with his senses the better he should get at interpreting what differences in auras meant.
¡°Can I help you with something else, sir?¡± Alan had been staring a little long and apparently he was making her uncomfortable. Thanking her again for her time, he moved to the only other people in the room.
Seated at the occupied table were two dwarves having a conversation. Based on their relaxed body posture and the smiles on their faces, he didn¡¯t think he was interrupting anything serious.
¡°Good afternoon, kind sirs,¡± More flies with honey is not just a saying, ¡°my name is Alan and I am looking for someone who can take me into the tunnels and maybe show me how mining works?¡±
They looked at each other and the older of the two was the one who responded. ¡°My name¡¯s Bodvar. Is it just you or are you here with a group?¡±
¡°Yes, just me. I have some down time before I have to be anywhere and I was hoping to make good use of it.¡±
¡°Well, see, we occasionally help out travelers with tours of the mine, but that''s usually a group of people. Not sure it''s worth it for just one. How much you offering?¡± Reading Bodvars aura he seemed like he was being honest.
¡°I only have a few silver pieces.¡±
Bodvar laughed and told Alan that wasn¡¯t nearly enough to get him back down in the mines so soon after returning. He got up from his table and turned to his companion.
¡°I¡¯m gonna go get a pint at the boiling cauldron, you coming Thadrick?¡± He asked.
¡°I¡¯ll catch you later, I¡¯ve had a couple unlucky days. I could maybe use an extra set of hands.¡± Thadrick replied.
Bodvar smiled at him and told him he¡¯d see him later. It didn¡¯t seem like there would be any hard feelings. He didn¡¯t really know what to expect from these people, and being on his own for the last week had made him a little off when reading social cues. Especially after that fiasco with the woman Cassidy.
¡°So, you want to go into the tunnels and maybe pick up some tips on how to mine ore. You got your own tools?¡± He asked Alan.
¡°I don¡¯t, pretty much what you see is what I got.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if spatial storage items would be seen as common so he was trying to hide the fact he had one.
¡°Well now, that might be a problem. I¡¯ve got an extra pick, but what if something happens and you break it. They aren¡¯t cheap, you know. How many silver you got?¡±
Alan reached into one of his pouches. He had put most of his coins in one of the many normal pouches he had as his purse. He must have grabbed the wrong pouch because he pulled out his glowing white quartz rock instead. Thadrick¡¯s eyes opened wide and he reached out to touch it. At the last moment he seemed to realize what he was doing and pulled his hand back.
¡°Mind if I see that?¡±
He offered it to him and the dwarf quickly ran his hands over the rock. He held it up to his nose and he even licked it.
¡°This is a nice chunk of quartz you have here. Normally it wouldn¡¯t be worth much of anything, but I notice that it is glowing a little. It¡¯s absorbed a lot of mana hasn¡¯t it?¡± Thadrick wasn¡¯t hiding his excitement.
¡°I think so. I found this rock in a lake so I am not sure where it came from, but you¡¯re right it does glow. Why, is this valuable?¡± Alan could already tell that it was based on Thadrick¡¯s reaction, but he wasn¡¯t sure why. He was going to play it safe and not tell him that he was the one who had put the mana in it, at least until he found out more.
¡°Aye laddie, this is valuable indeed. You could probably get a couple of gold for it. The right craftsman could use a stone like this to make something special.¡±
That was good information to learn. He knew the lake had a lot of these stones, and his pouch had a pile of at least thirty of these as well. He also knew how to get the mana into them. Maybe this was a way to get a nice pile of money to buy himself more gear. It should also help him finish his current quest.
¡°I¡¯ll tell you what Thadrick. If you agree to take me down in the mines and help me mine some iron ore, I¡¯ll give you this stone. Would that make it worth your time?¡±
¡°That¡¯s more than a fair deal. I¡¯ll even split the profits with you for anything we find down there.¡± Alan had thought that was part of any deal anyway, it was a good lesson in assumptions.
Thadrick and Alan went over to the desk and told Eile their plan. Eile was a secretary for the miners guild. As a safety precaution all the miners in the camp were supposed to let the guild know where they were planning on traveling in the tunnels in case anyone went missing. They were going to a relatively nearby shaft so Thadrick assured him there shouldn¡¯t be any trouble.
¡°This is one of the older shafts so it doesn¡¯t have a lot of ore left in it. But since we are going out more for the experience it should suit our needs well.¡± He explained to his temporary apprentice.
Their next stop was his house. Thadrick had one of the hide buildings near the edge of the village. Alan found the inside to be a little claustrophobic. He was a short guy, but compared to Thadrick he was a giant and the house showed it. He couldn¡¯t quite stand up straight or his head would be rubbing against the ceiling. The house was only one room with a bed and chest on one side and a small kitchen on the other. There was a short table with two chairs in the middle.
Going over to the bed the dwarf reached underneath and pulled out a pickaxe. He reached down to his belt and another pickaxe appeared in his hand. So storage devices were a thing, that was good. He handed Alan the one from under the bed and showed him how to grip the axe and then told him that he should carry it to get used to the feel of it. He also had him try on an old jacket but it wouldn¡¯t fit.
¡°When you mine for ore you get a lot of rock chips flying around. Those torn up clothes or yours won¡¯t provide much protection but I don¡¯t have anything that¡¯ll fit you.¡±
Alan was kinda in a hurry to finish this. He wasn¡¯t a min-maxer who was trying to do everything as fast and efficiently as possible, but this quest wasn¡¯t that interesting to him. ¡°That¡¯s ok, I¡¯m pretty tough, I think I can handle it.¡±
He looked up at him as if to say ¡®you¡¯re funeral¡¯, but shrugged and led the way out of the village. On the way Alan got an earful about the camp. It was useless at the moment, but if the camp was still here when the dungeon upgraded it might be nice to know how it worked. They went through a different gate than the one he came in. He took the opportunity to ask about the walls and his trainer told him it was just a standard precaution. There weren¡¯t any real dangers nearby but it made people feel more secure.
They located the tunnel they wanted and headed down into the shaft. There wasn¡¯t any light here and it quickly grew dark. He commented on it to Thadrick who smacked his head.
¡°I forgot you humans can¡¯t see in the dark. I don¡¯t think that stone of yours is bright enough to do much. Do you have a torch?¡±
He didn¡¯t, but he did have a spell he hadn¡¯t really used yet. Alan tried to cast it but something told him he wasn¡¯t doing it right. Somehow he needed to designate a target for the spell. He looked up toward the ceiling and tried again. This time a ball of light about fifteen centimeters across burst into being at the roof. It did a good job of illuminating this section of the tunnel.
The problem was that he couldn¡¯t figure out how to get it to move. He soon figured out how to make it go out, but try as he might he couldn¡¯t get it to budge. Then he thought of targeting an item instead of a location. Suddenly his whole belt was glowing. As he moved around the belt stayed lit up. Alan could feel that it was using his mana to stay lit, but it was recovering faster than he was spending it so he could keep it going indefinitely.
¡°That¡¯s a nice trick. You some kind of mage I guess?¡± the dwarf asked, impressed.
¡°Yeah, you could say that. Would it be rude of me to ask if you have a class?¡±
Apparently it would be, but Thadrick didn¡¯t mind since Alan had shared about himself. He did have a class, he was a quartz fighter. They chatted about how he got his class and how it worked. He had indentured himself to the mining guild for eight years in order to get his class stone. It was a common practice and he had finished his time almost ten years ago. Apparently even though he looked to be a similar age to Alan, he was over a hundred years old.
While it was true that he was a volunteer playing a role in the dungeon and everything could be a lie, he seemed very authentic. It would make sense for the Network to choose people to play roles similar to their true selves. He learned a good amount from him about life in a dwarven mountain as they made their way through the tunnel. It was almost eerie how similar it was to how dwarves were represented in Earth fantasy stories.
Alan also got his first real lesson on how stats work. He hadn¡¯t thought to ask Tamee about them again when she was in her more charitable faze. Strength does control how strong you are, but also the density of your muscles and overall hardiness of your body. This is why an increase in strength causes an increase in your health points.
Thadrick was currently saving towards being able to buy an opal class stone. ¡°I have always wanted to be part of the city guard. It is a respected profession and offers opportunities for future leveling. However, they will only take someone with an opal class or higher.¡±
There were only the same eight quartz classes for everyone. But after that classes could grow in a myriad of ways. ¡°I have always hoped to be an axeman, or even a berserker, but I would even take a plain opal fighter stone.¡± He confided in Alan. Apparently the different classes were somewhat similar in power, but gave access to different talents. Some of the rarer classes did provide advantages though. Also, later class possibilities would be influenced by these earlier ones.
¡°Is it better to get another quartz class or an opal class?¡± Alan asked his new walking encyclopedia.
¡°Oh, another quartz class would be much better. Once you go opal there is no adding another class. However, quartz stones are very rare and therefore very expensive to buy. Your best shot of earning a quartz stone is from volunteering for a dungeon. While opal stones give you a more powerful class, they are much more common and so they are much easier to purchase.¡±
Around this time they found the first of the iron ore. They were located in a large hollowed out area. There were occasional pillars of rock connecting the floor and ceiling to prevent a collapse. The tunnel they had traveled was where explorers had mined the stone looking for signs of minerals. Once they found them miners would come in and dig out along the veins forming these larger areas. The explorers were well compensated for finding new veins, but it was a hard job and there was no guarantee you would find anything. Most of the dwarves preferred to show up after and work the newly discovered veins.
Thadrick showed him what to look for. Most iron he would find would be found in stripes running through the rock. It could be gray, red, or even yellow. For now he was better off looking for the red iron since it would be easier for his novice eyes to find.
He was able to locate a few small sections of ore that were accessible. It seemed like no one had been working on them in a while. Using the grip his mentor had shown him earlier he then tried hitting the rock as instructed. He almost dropped it on his first strike and Thadrick was reduced to tears.
¡°Ah, it¡¯s almost worth the trip just to see an amateur fumble around. I once saw a lass who managed to put the pick right into her mate¡¯s boot. I think he had been sweet on her before, but not so much after.¡± He then showed Alan how to adjust his stance, fixed his grip again, and then demonstrated the correct form for striking.
They had been at it for a good hour before he had managed to get anything worth keeping. Thadrick put it in his bag as Alan checked himself over. He did indeed have some small cuts on his arms and legs, but nothing that needed worrying about. He spent another hour before that small vein had been worked as far as he could.
¡°You can see the vein continues on, but we would have to carve out more of the stone around it to be able to access it. For now let''s see if we can find some more closer to the surface of the rock.¡±
Thadrick had told him that the stone around it was mostly a worthless type called chert. It was a silica based rock and Thadrick had left it sitting on the ground. Apparently there were lower level miners who were charged with gathering the debris left behind. The guild would pay them for helping keep the shafts clean, but it was a very small amount. Alan had been collecting some of it in his pouch as he mined. If he crushed it using his mortar it would turn into sand. That plus lime and water would get him mortar to build a stone house.
As they walked Thadrick shared more of his exploits underground. Alan enjoyed talking to this garrulous dwarf. The rugged miner was quite a bit older than he was, but he had a youth to his spirit that Alan envied. In looking for another worthwhile vein they first came to another tunnel. These were sometimes made in these older rooms to look for new angles on the vein where the mineral was more abundant.
They followed it down a little before Thadrick noticed a whole wall that was covered in iron ore. Alan¡¯s light was still going on his belt so he could see that it extended down the tunnel for a ways. The experienced miner figured that some explorer must have recently carved this tunnel exposing a previously protected side of the ore. He was surprised he hadn¡¯t heard anything about it yet. Thadrick felt Alan was skilled enough that he didn¡¯t have to loom over him like a mother hen anymore, so he took out his own pickaxe and they both started mining the ore.
They were making good progress, although Alan had gotten far less than his mentor in the same amount of time. That was to be expected since his mining skill had barely reached three. It had given him a warm fuzzy feeling when he discovered he had gained the new skill. During a break to gloat over their good fortune they heard a strange noise coming from farther down the tunnel. He pointed it out to Thadrick, but Alan¡¯s perception must have been much higher than his because the dwarf couldn¡¯t hear it.
Storing what they had mined so far, they cautiously made their way down the tunnel. He found that he could dim his light spell so that it was only a third as bright as before. It still was obvious in the dark tunnels but unfortunately Alan needed light or he would be blind.
¡°Tis probably the explorers who cut this tunnel and are on their way back to the camp. That is why no one else was here to mine this, they haven¡¯t gotten back to report yet.¡± Thadrick said, trying to reassure him.
When they spotted what was making the noise it was clear these were no dwarven explorers. There were four of them and they had small almost draconic heads with a humanoid body that ended in clawed feet. Their skin was also a dark red and looked very leathery.
Creature: Kobold (common) level 6, threat medium.
Chapter 15
The water hedgehog had only been level five, so these would be the highest level creatures he fought so far. Giving them a closer look Alan could see strong muscles under their tough leathery skin. Their clawed feet looked a little bulky and outsized for the rest of their body so they were probably not very agile. Each of them had a scimitar in one hand, but two of them also had something in their left hands. It was difficult to make out at first, it looked like a ball of some raggedy fiber.
One of the kobolds moved to the front and it let go of part of it. As it dropped down he could now tell it was made of some kind of rope. The strands were woven from a type of greenish-brown plant and then it hit him. That was a net! These things were trying to capture them.
¡°I think they are trying to take us captive. Watch out for those nets. If they get them over us we¡¯ll have a hard time fighting back,¡± he whispered to Thadrick.
¡°Don¡¯t you worry laddy. These beasties don¡¯t know who they''re messing with.¡± Activating his storage device the dwarf stored his pick and pulled out a magnificent looking axe that was almost as big as he was. The shaft was made of iron but the two large crescent blades on either side were made of some silvery metal. There were some decorative seeming etchings carved into them as well. The blades appeared incredibly sharp and the way he held it proved he and it had been together a long time.
Thadrick looked like a powerful fighter holding his axe in both hands and gazing cooly at his foes. However, Alan was worried about his mobility. If they threw the net at his new friend the axe could easily get tangled up in it and he would have a hard time getting it free. He chose to use his two daggers so that he would be able to use both of his hands at once.
¡°I can tell by the way you hold those things you are more than just a mage, but you aren¡¯t wearing any armor, so watch yourself. Those things could cut you in half with one blow,¡± Thadrick whispered back to him.
While they were readying themselves the kobolds had been chattering away as well. Finally they seemed to work up the nerve and the one in front threw his net at Thadrick. Just as he was about to release Alan fired a light bolt at its chest. Once again it didn¡¯t do much damage but it served its purpose by startling it.
Instead of spreading from its hands like a web and ensnaring his mentor, the net came out as more of a misshapen blob and he easily sidestepped it. With a roar Thadrick charged and, using his weapon like a spear, he thrust forward with the top of his axe which left two wicked wounds from the tips of the crescent blades. Either their skin wasn¡¯t as tough as it looked or those blades were incredibly sharp. Alan¡¯s money was on the beautiful axe. That kobold collapsed in a rapidly expanding pool of blood.
There wasn¡¯t much room for teamwork in this tunnel. It was just over two meters high and had a similar width. You could walk down it side by side, but wielding weapons in such a small area meant you would probably gut your friend. Thadrick was currently dominating the passageway so Alan stood about a meter behind him and resigned himself to ranged support. His only offensive spell couldn¡¯t hurt them much it seemed, but it could distract them at key moments.
He was soon proven wrong about teamwork. These kobolds must have long experience working in cramped spaces because two of them stepped up to take on Thadrick. He didn¡¯t seem daunted by his numerical disadvantage and used short controlled movements with his large axe to keep them at bay. The one with the remaining net was in the back waiting for an opportunity, but the tight confines at least meant he couldn¡¯t throw while his buddies were in front of him.
A scimitar grated against his new friend¡¯s chainmail and he scolded himself for getting distracted. Alan refocused as the other kobold slashed forward to hit Thadrick in his unprotected side. Two light bolts, one to its arm and one to its head, were enough to cause it to break off its attack. The dazed look on its reptilian face told Alan that maybe those light bolts were doing some damage after all. He sent another bolt at its head and it collapsed. It wasn¡¯t dead, but it was definitely injured.
The kobold in the back took that opening and threw his net at Thadrick. He tried to fend it off with his axe, but as Alan feared, it just got tangled up. The ropes wrapped around the blade and down the handle. The dwarf was ineffectually trying to shake the net off when the other kobold slashed down at his head.
In desperation Alan threw a light bolt at the kobold¡¯s face but momentum alone would cause the blade to split Thadricks skull open. So at the same time he was casting he shouldered his companion aside and parried with his seax. He was off balance from pushing his partner aside so he was unable to follow up with an attack of his own.
Alan had to be careful of his footing with two live combatants and a dead one on the ground now, but Thadrick had realized his axe was out of the fight and rolled behind Alan to grab the pickaxe his trainee had dropped at the start of the fight. There was still the kobold on the ground who he had injured earlier. With a savage kick to the prone creature¡¯s head, Alan squared up against the opponent that was still standing. The now unconscious kobold was partially blocking the tunnel and at least preventing the net thrower from joining the fray.
The kobold was fast, he had to give it that, but Alan was faster still. The monster''s muscles were no joke, however, and it was at least as strong as he was. Its scimitar had the advantage of size and weight over his smaller daggers, so he was forced to deflect its blows rather than trying to block them. Having watched Thadrick and the other kobolds fight earlier it seemed like they were very comfortable with their weapons. Alan wondered if maybe this universe relied on them a little too much.
The next time it slashed at him he deflected the sword to the side and then dropped both of his daggers. Alan turned his back into it like he was the little spoon and used both hands to grab the wrist holding the scimitar. He then brought his knee up at the same time he yanked its wrist down and broke something in its forearm. The scimitar clattered to the ground and Alan let go with his right arm and whipped his elbow around and into its head. It staggered back and he punched forward with his left hoping to catch it in the throat but was thrown off by its draconic anatomy. Where a human had a flat face this creature had a long one like a horse, with a mouth full of sharp teeth. The elbow had caused its head to drop down so he ended up punching it on the snout.
That was apparently a soft spot because it let out an angry hiss of pain and then went silent as Thadrick stepped up next to Alan and planted the pickaxe in its chest. The last kobold standing decided discretion was the better part of valor and it took off down the tunnels. The two tired miners might have been able to catch up to it, but neither of them had a weapon ready at that point. Instead they collected up their stuff and Alan turned to the unconscious kobold.
¡°Should we try and take this one back with us? Someone could try and question it.¡± Thadrick agreed, but when Alan bent down to try and wrap it in one of the nets he found it was dead. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d kicked it that hard, but his new body must be stronger than he thought.
¡°Thank you for the help there, I owe ya one. We should get back to the camp as soon as possible. There¡¯s no telling how many more of them there are and people need to be warned about the danger.¡±
Alan agreed with him and they hurriedly made their way back to the mining encampment. They told the guards at the gate on their way in what had happened and one rushed off to alert the people in charge. Once they returned to the mining tower they also let the guild know. There was already some concern as several miners were overdue.
All that was left was for them to turn in the ore they had gotten and Thadrick passed him the eight silver they received in return. ¡°You earned this, I would have been in a lot of trouble if you weren¡¯t there to save me.¡±
Alan thanked him for it and handed over his white quartz stone. The rumpled dwarf had earned that too for the time he took instructing him.
Quest Completed: Dwarven Mine
[You have journeyed into the dark and come back with precious minerals. You also discovered a threat that the other miners were ignorant of. Reward: Guardian talent stone and 10 dungeon points.]
Sensing that the dungeon had run its course Alan made his way back to the entrance. He felt guilty leaving them in this uncertain state, but on the other hand, this wasn¡¯t real. Yes, miners were missing and a new force seemed to be vying for control of the region, but he had to remind himself this was a staged environment and Thadrick and the others weren¡¯t really in danger. While it was easy to convince his brain of this, his heart was another matter. Never leave a man behind.
¡°Tamee, remind me again that this isn¡¯t real.¡±
¡°It is very real. However, for those who are a part of the dungeon this is all just a storyline they must follow. While outsiders who enter a dungeon can influence the events inside, you will find that the dungeon will attempt to keep you on the correct path. This can be from physical obstacles, overpowering monsters, or irrational decisions by the dungeon characters. If it makes you feel better, this is an upgradable dungeon. You will have an opportunity to return.¡±
That did make him feel better, but then he had a thought. ¡°Wait, is that why the kobold I thought was unconscious was dead when I thought of bringing it back for questioning?¡±
¡°It is possible, but there is no way of knowing. Blows to the head can be unpredictable,¡± She added.
It wasn¡¯t really leaving a man behind. This was more of an ¡®I¡¯ll be back¡¯ situation. Realizing it didn¡¯t really make a difference in the end he turned his attention to the loot.
Item: Guardian talent stone. Usable by anyone who has at one time had a guardian class. Will grant one of six guardian class talents. Not usable if they have already unlocked all six.
¡°Tamee, can you tell me anything about talent stones? Should I save it, use it, what do you think?¡±
¡°First, you should understand that talent stones are tied to classes. You are lucky that you have all of the basic classes so all early talent stones will be usable by you. Later on you will encounter talent stones that may require you to have followed a different Path then the one you are on. You currently have one guardian talent, gaining another would probably allow you to grow the class faster.¡±
¡°So I¡¯m guessing if I¡¯m going to use this, I should do it now, but is there any reason not to?¡±
¡°Almost everyone is very excited when they get talent stones. Even if they can¡¯t use them, they are often more valuable than spells and class stones, other than the quartz ones.¡±
He parsed that for a second and then realized the qualifier. ¡°Why did you say almost anyone?¡±
¡°There are some who feel that our Path is defined not just by our own thoughts and actions, but that we are also influenced by our talents. Some try to control the talents they gain so as to prevent an unexpected divergence from their chosen destiny. What you gained is a general class talent stone. There are also talent stones that unlock one randomly from any of your classes. Much rarer are specific talent stones. These guarantee which talent you unlock. They only use those stones so that they can guide their growth.¡±
¡°If they are so rare, wouldn¡¯t that be hard to do?¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Not with enough money and resources. You might remember me mentioning core worlds. These are places with unimaginable wealth for those of us living on a rim world. Such a thing is easily possible for them.¡± There was a note of both disgust at the waste and jealousy at the resources in her tone.
¡°Well, I don¡¯t have a specific path I¡¯m aiming for. Should I just use it?¡±
¡°Definitely. Every talent you gain makes you stronger and allows you to grow faster. You are not some core scion who has the luxury of choices. You need to become a monster if you want to make it to the top.¡±
Alan wasn¡¯t happy with her choice to use the word monster, but he got her point. He held the talent stone in his hand. It was made of quartz and was slightly smaller than the class stones from before. It had a shield symbol on it, the kind of giant tower shield people imagine when they think of a shield wall. He paused for a moment, but Tamee was right, he needed to grow.
He wasn¡¯t turning into a monster, even if he was killing things left and right. This was a moral dilemma he had already faced in the army. The fact that he was doing more killing now than ever before was just a product of the environment. Without growth he would be weak, and without strength this world and any chance he had of helping the rest of humanity would pass him by.
Absorbing the talent stone he felt a strange rush of energy. It was almost like the spike of pain he got from a class stone, or the lesser one from a spell, but instead of all of that knowledge being pumped into his brain giving him a headache it felt like a pleasant feeling of fullness. Was he becoming inured to it, or turning into some kind of a masochist after repeated trauma?
Checking over his status Alan noted the new talent was Taunt. It made sense that a guardian would have that, but it was unclear how it would work. If it had been an ability, something he could do, then it made some sense. The actual specifics on how you could force someone to attack only you were not clear outside of a video game, but he had been told before that these talents were not actions to take, but improvements to how he performed. Maybe Alan would be really good at insulting people now? Your father reeks of elderberry!
He also noticed something that made him call up Tamee again. ¡°Hey, why did my scholar class just advance a bunch after absorbing that stone?¡±
¡°Let me ask you this, did you notice any difference in how it felt to absorb the stone compared to other stones you absorbed?¡± She asked coyly.
¡°Well, yes. It almost felt like I enjoyed the pain. I was honestly worried I was starting to like it.¡±
¡°Now I want you to think about your scholar talent.¡± She sounded like one of his old math teachers who was always trying to lead him to the answer instead of just telling him. Alan may have eventually learned more that way, but it was incredibly frustrating in the moment. He didn''t know if this was just how she did things, or if asking questions was less risky than giving straight answers. She was back under observation now that the Network was no longer in charge.
His scholar talent was understanding, and the irony had been driving him nuts since he didn¡¯t know what it did. But then it clicked into place, at least partially. When he absorbed a class, or even a talent stone he was gaining information, or understanding something new. Maybe his talent helped with that?
¡°Ok, so it must be related to my understanding talent, but it seems weird if all it does is make the learning a pleasant experience. It must do something else, right?¡± he asked.
¡°I can¡¯t answer that question, that would be too much like instruction. Let me just say that Understanding is one of the most sought after scholar talents. A specific talent stone for Understanding could sell for enough to buy you the entire set of fighter talents.¡±
Well now he felt like he was cheating. Not only did Alan have all the classes, but he had some pretty good talents too apparently. He wasn¡¯t going to complain too much though, anything that helped him would eventually help his fellow humans.
Alan was still standing just inside the dungeon. He had made his way to the entrance a while ago, but had wanted to finish his conversation with Tamee before he went outside. With the talk over he was about to leave when something occurred to him. He raced back to the mining encampment. It wasn¡¯t that far, so for fun he tested out his new body and his boots that improved his stability. He didn¡¯t have a radar gun, but he must have reached over 40 kilometers an hour.
In hindsight this might have been a mistake. When he exited the tunnel and sprinted for the gate, the guards called out an alarm. They weren¡¯t worried about Alan, they recognized him from when he had left a short time ago. However, they must have thought something was after him. A man sprinting like he was being chased by a dragon right after the town discovered they had a new enemy would panic anyone. He tried his best to calm them down. Several more guards rushed to the gate before Alan could explain that he was just running to test himself. There were quite a few scowls before they let him inside. Luckily Urpo was not one of the guards, that would have made the whole situation much worse.
Alan made his way through the streets back to the main square. There were just as many people as the first time he came through town but their shoulders were more hunched and there was a hurry in their step. This was a camp on edge.
When he made it to the main square he turned not toward the miner¡¯s guild but to the store. It was a two story building with a few windows in the front. There was even glass in them with large wooden shutters to seal them at night. Like the other stone buildings it showed age, but care as well. While this was a camp and not a true village it looked to have been around a long time. Dwarves, unsurprisingly, were a people who knew solid work.
Entering the store he found all manner of items. There were not as many weapons or pieces of armor as you might expect, but they were not what truly interested Alan anyway. Instead his eyes were drawn to the collection of smaller items and food supplies. He made his way to the counter and was greeted by Folca, an older dwarf with much gray in his beard. He still looked like he could crush a rock with his bare hands, but he wore a simple, if sturdy, tunic and trousers instead of armor.
¡°Good day to you young sir. How may I help you?¡± Alan took an instant liking to him. Something about him shouted integrity and honor. It took him a moment to realize that what he had taken for instinct was in fact a reflection of his growing aura reading skill. It was almost like he could get a sense of the storekeeper¡¯s soul. It was still only the barest of readings, but this could prove useful when dealing with new people.
¡°I have been doing a lot of cooking by campfire recently and I was wondering if you had a grill I could place over the fire to cook on.¡± He wasn¡¯t ruled by his stomach as much since joining the tutorial, but when he did eat he wanted something better than what he had managed on his own so far.
¡°I do indeed have a few items that should work for you. What size are you thinking?¡±
They discussed Alan¡¯s needs and he ended up buying a grill, a small pot, a bowl, a metal spoon, and a fork. All together it was only four silver.
¡°You will also be wanting a ladle if you are going to be making soup or a nice stew. Can I also interest you in some spices?¡±
¡°Folca, you are the finest storekeep I¡¯ve ever met. While I am thinking about it, do you happen to have a bedroll?¡±
At the end of the trip he had spent all eight of the silver he had earned from the mining expedition, but he was feeling great. Alan also had thought to get some new clothes while he was there but the only ones the store had made up already were sized for a dwarf and that was just a little too small for him. Folca offered to have something crafted special, but Alan figured that wouldn¡¯t help since the dungeon would reset when he left and he wasn¡¯t going to wait around till it was done.
Alan had also picked up an old shovel and a battered pickaxe. These were much more pricey than the rest and he would never have been able to afford it without the tip he had learned from Thadrick. Mana infused quartz stones were apparently very valuable. During down time while mining he had been surreptitiously pouring mana into one of his smaller quartz stones. He had only been able to charge it for maybe twenty minutes all together, but it was enough to impart a noticeable glow. With these stones being so valuable he wanted to keep his ability to create them a secret.
He had worried about trying to sell one, but after realizing this dungeon was about to reset he felt he could take the risk. He had been able to trade that stone for the two hand-me-down tools. It was also a humbling exchange. While Alan had thought these stones valuable, it was less valuable than a new pick or shovel. They would not be the bottomless source of wealth he had first thought them to be.
It wasn¡¯t until he was walking out of the town and back to the entrance that he had a horrible thought. ¡°Tamee, if I buy stuff in a dungeon, can I take it out of the dungeon with me?¡±
There was an audible snicker and then, ¡°I was wondering if you had thought about that. No, you can¡¯t. It will all disappear, only looted items and rewards persist.¡±
¡°What?! Why didn¡¯t you tell me before I bought all this stuff?¡± He felt like an idiot, and after getting so excited to try out his new supplies he was devastated.
¡°Just kidding, as long as you complete the dungeon you can get anything you found or bought.¡± Her laughter was like a physical blow.
¡°You are not a nice person.
¡°Don¡¯t be like that Alan, it ruins all the fun. Besides, your face was hilarious. Totally worth it.¡± Internally he agreed it was probably funny from her perspective, but he wasn¡¯t going to give her the satisfaction of saying so.
All in all he had spent just under six hours in this dungeon which made it about two hours outside. The sun hadn¡¯t set yet when he came out, not even the false sunset behind the mountains. For him, though, it had been a little more than two days since he had last slept. He decided to make an early night of it and would look for a good place to make camp.
Alan had to figure something out first, ¡°you never mentioned if wild animals are still a thing. Do I need to find a secure place to camp?¡±
¡°So, the last valley will still be full of beasts. They should continue growing till they hit level five like the boss and max out there. But those are just the dungeon-created beasts. This tier will not have any dungeon-created beasts, but there are naturally occurring ones.¡±
¡°That went over my head. What is the difference between a naturally occuring one and a dungeon created one? Aren¡¯t they all created by a dungeon since we are, you know, in a dungeon?¡±
¡°This dungeon is so large that its core releases a ton of mana. That mana saturates the environment.¡±
Alan interrupted her, ¡°Is that the energy I feel the leaves of the trees absorbing?¡±
¡°Yes, it is also that mana that started changing the trees. I¡¯m sure you noticed it. Occasionally enough mana gathers in a certain area and it can condense to cause something to appear. This is most often some kind of plant, we call them mana fruits, or a resource. However, it can also be a beast or sometimes an item.¡±
¡°So when you say naturally occurring ones, are you talking about beasts that condense into being from the increased mana?¡±
¡°Right again. It is more common in the outside world for already existing plants and beasts to absorb the mana and evolve, but in here there are no animals to absorb that energy so it is more likely to just condense into something.¡±
Well, that was a fun thought. He was suddenly worried about beasts condensing all around him and being torn to shreds, but Tamee assured him that these were relatively rare events. There were also usually signs that it was about to happen. What it meant for Alan was that tonight he was probably safe since the tier had just opened up, but tomorrow he needed to have something more secure for his campsite.
In preparation for that he checked the mountain face behind the dungeon. While geology was not something he had ever studied, his identify skill was wonderful. After some searching and rock gazing he finally found what he was looking for. He took out his pick and attacked the cliff face. He soon had collected a nice pile of limestone shards. Together with the chert rocks he had gathered earlier he was two thirds of the way to making mortar. With access to a water source he would be able to build a house with rocks. Why use wood when you could have a stone fortress. That would be for another time though. Tonight it was going to be camping under the stars.
He took out his last set of rocks and made a fire pit. His habit of leaving the fire pits behind so that he didn¡¯t have to wait for the rocks to cool had depleted his store of stones. The area he was in now did not have a lot of trees or bushes that he could try to burn, but he had the trimmings from all of his crafting at the end of tier one. This made for nice kindling and fuel. Alan soon had a fire going and cooked a slab of boar on the grill. He had even added a little salt to it. He was really excited to try out both the boar meat and the cooking tools he had just bought. While that was roasting he worked on sharpening his daggers. He only had one done by the time the food was finished so he set that aside for now.
Using the knife he hadn¡¯t sharpened yet, he cut up the boar steak into smaller chunks right there on the grill and put it in his new bowl. His ability to deal with the heat of the fire had improved a lot with his growing constitution. The first bite was heaven. It was cooked all the way through but was still juicy. It was a little tough, but that was expected from a wild animal. The salt acted as a flavor booster and it was worth the hefty price he had paid for the small amount he got.
His campsite by the lake had spoiled him and he didn¡¯t have anywhere to wash his bowl in water nearby, so instead he used the sandy dirt here by the dungeon to scrub it and then brushed the dirt out the best he could. It would have to work for now. He went back to sharpening the pugio. Alan had already fixed his own aura while sharpening the seax. He hadn¡¯t spent any time that night trying to make his aura stronger, which was the second part of cultivating, because he had decided that would be part of his morning routine.
Instead, he was putting more mana into his sharpening stone while restoring the edge to his dagger. The energy grid inside the rock was already considerably stronger than when he first managed to reinforce it, but he wanted to see how far it could go. Would it be possible to infinitely improve its hardness?
With his evening chores done he laid out the bedroll and luxuriated in the pliant surface. The fabric wasn¡¯t as soft as the coyote fur, but the cushion on the roll more than made up for it. He had only a moment to say goodnight to Tamme before he was once more lost in a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 16
Alan woke later than usual the next morning. Judging by the light peeking over the eastern range the sun had already risen, but it wasn¡¯t yet over the mountains so it was probably only an hour or two after dawn. That was still highly unusual for him. All that dungeon diving must have taken its toll. Today¡¯s morning workout was yoga again. The entire time he was also focused on the second half of his cultivation, trying to make his aura stronger.
The process of cultivating was both interesting and complicated. It wasn¡¯t worth getting into the details because it was far too mystical and dealt with concepts that had to be experienced to understand. The general idea was to force extra energy out of your soul. This is apparently where all of the energy flowing through your aura comes from. You also had to attempt to move that energy out of your aura and into your body as well. Theoretically it would be possible to make your entire aura explode leaving you to die a bloody and painful death if you just kept pouring energy in without allowing it out, however, at the low level Alan was currently at it would be very difficult to do because his soul didn¡¯t have much juice to squeeze. While death was not likely it was still painful to have an overloaded aura. This energy flowing out of your aura and into your physical body was actually what empowered their abilities.
Trying to find things like someone¡¯s soul, or where their aura connected with their body would have been far beyond Alan¡¯s aura reading skill in another person, but because it was his own soul it was much easier. It was still the work of almost five minutes just to get started. It is understandable that the Network, through the TAMs, didn¡¯t even try to get the recruits working on cultivation until they had some experience in the tutorial.
After he finally got it going he had temporarily increased the energy moving from his soul, through his aura, and into his body by a good thirty percent. Alan¡¯s body felt stronger and his mind was working faster than ever. He could see colors more clearly and smell the stink on his own body like never before. He could also pick out the scent of the few wildflowers growing in the field grass that was off to the west.
This was not a sustainable state outside of meditation. Also, Tamee had warned that if one strained like this for too long they risked causing damage to their aura. However, if you could maintain it for an hour or so a day it would encourage your aura to strengthen itself so that it would be better able to endure an increased flow in the future. Not only would it stretch the pathways causing them to expand, but they would also harden somehow so that they could withstand more pressure as well. After finishing cultivation and yoga, he pulled out some blueberries. The process of cultivating was draining and food helped him to recover. That reminded Alan of something.
¡°Ok, I have been thinking about something for a while, but I wasn¡¯t sure how to start this conversation. I don¡¯t really need to eat, but it still seems to help restore me when I feel drained.¡±
¡°Yes, Alan, that is what I told you,¡± Tamee reminded him.
¡°I know, hush, I wasn¡¯t done yet. But, at least on Earth, when you eat food you eventually have to¡get rid of the waste. I haven¡¯t had to use the bathroom since I came here. Why not?¡± he finished lamely.
He could almost hear the tears leaking from her eyes as she laughed. ¡°Oh my, I forgot you were unaware. Your body does not really have physical waste products anymore. What you think of as waste actually becomes a kind of spiritual gunk that clogs up your aura. Part of what you are doing in the cultivation process is blasting that gunk apart into usable energy. Long story short,¡± too late, ¡°you won¡¯t ever go to the bathroom again.¡±
This was perhaps the single greatest thing he had learned since getting embroiled in this whole mess. If offered the tradeoff of potentially having either all of humanity obliterated or becoming slaves just to avoid pooping, the answer would have been easy, but it would have at least been worth a discussion.
¡°Ok, I love you for that Tamee, but you could have told me sooner.¡±
There was a long pause, ¡°Um, Alan, my feelings¡I do not¡really think of you like that¡¡±
It was Alan¡¯s turn to laugh, ¡°That¡¯s just an expression Tamee. Besides, you¡¯re not really my type. I prefer my girls to have an actual body, not just be a voice in my head.¡±
¡°Haha, so what is your plan for today?¡±
¡°Well, when the dungeon says it will upgrade daily, does that mean overnight or after a full twenty hours?¡±
¡°Twenty hours.¡±
¡°Ok, then my next priority is to get some kind of shelter set up for tonight. I was thinking of using stone for the walls but I need something for the roof. I don¡¯t really have access to lumber. I could try chopping up some trees but that would take a long time. Let me ask you, if I went into a dungeon and cut down a tree, could I bring it out with me?¡±
¡°That is a great question, I¡¯m surprised by you. And the answer is yes. That is actually one of the uses people have for dungeons. As long as you complete the dungeon you can take things out with you, including random parts of the landscape. However, when you take things out you are removing energy from the dungeon core. As long as you keep it reasonable they don¡¯t mind since you bring in far more energy by being there. That is actually why dungeons give rewards, to encourage people to enter.
¡°However, if you went in and clear cut the forest the dungeon would try and stop you from leaving. Mining a bunch of ore, cutting down ten or twenty trees, no problem. Get greedy though and you might find an ogre waiting for you at the exit.¡±
¡°Ok, then here''s the plan, I am gonna try to find a good location for my new home and put up some stone walls. Then I will see if I can run some dungeons and find one with a good time dilation and some trees so that I might see about getting myself some wood.¡±
It was time to find a good spot to set up. Being next to the lake was great for his last shelter because it meant both access to water for various tasks, and the ability to wash off the filth he managed to accumulate everyday. It would also be good if there was some open land around his shelter because he had plans for growing some of the seeds he had collected. Calling it a shelter seemed disrespectful to the vision he now had.
He was pretty sure he was well down in the southern portion of the valley, with the exit located at the northern tip. So something farther toward the center would be good. The valley still wasn¡¯t too wide so it didn¡¯t matter much where it was located laterally. There was lots of time before the dwarven dungeon reset, but he wanted to have a shelter already built by then.
On his journey north Alan spotted two things he would need to check out later. Soon after setting off he spotted the start of a forest to the west. Then as he neared the center of the valley he saw what looked like a stone tower. He would guess its height to be around thirty meters which was no small feat given the level of technology he had seen so far.
Finally arriving at what he took to be the center, he was disappointed to find nothing special. It looked like more grass filled plains. As he looked around, though, he did notice what looked like runoff coming down from the mountains to the east. His northern meandering had led him away from the eastern border, but he now found himself heading back in that direction and soon could confirm there was a stream coming out of the mountains. After reaching the scraggly brushland at the mountain''s base it flowed north to where it soon joined a slightly larger stream. After joining, the water was around fifteen meters wide and looked to be just under a meter deep at the edge.
Alan followed it downstream for a bit, which just so happened to lead back toward the center of the valley, until he found a section of beach. Here the water was relatively calm and he could easily wade in. The middle of the stream was deep enough that he couldn¡¯t stand, but if he dived down he soon touched the bottom, so maybe two, two and a half, meters deep. There was a current, but this section was slightly wider than the sections above and below it, so the water didn¡¯t pull at him too strongly. The land around the stream was also very fertile looking.
He was once again in the grassy plains, but here the grass was longer and had a deeper green color to it. There were also more of the small trees he had occasionally seen scattered throughout the land, even the occasional small copse. These followed the path of the stream but were not packed closely enough to form a screen that would block off sight of the water.
This would be his new home, at least until the end of this tier. It was day one and the tier was supposed to last an entire month. He started taking out his materials from the storage pouch and laying them on the ground. First out was the shovel. He would dig a shallow foundation for the house so that the walls would be better supported. He was envisioning a small single room dwelling that was about four meters on a side.
Next came the pile of chert and lime that he would need to grind up to make the mortar to bind the rocks together. His arm was already aching just looking at them. The stream would supply the water, and it was even possible he could get more sand from there too. The bottom seemed sandy rather than dirt like.
The next thirty minutes was spent digging. He had originally envisioned going down two thirds of a meter for his foundation, but he soon realised something. Digging was hard. Even with his empowered body it was a lot of work. His shovel was also not in the best shape so he had to be careful with it. In the end he dug a trench all the way around that was anywhere from thirty to fifty centimeters deep. The dirt he had excavated ended up in a small wall running around the house like you get when building a sand castle at the beach.
Next up it was time to get rocks. His supply was almost gone. He had recycled his last fire pit, but that was about it. He figured the stream would have a nice collection. An hour later he had managed to lay a single row of stones in the bottom of his project. Once again he discovered this would not be as easy as he thought. Alan was starting to second guess his confidence about a great deal of things. Why had he thought it would be simple to build a stone house? He was committed at this point so he spent another hour gathering a second row of stones. These he laid outside the trench because he needed to make some mortar first.
Using his shovel again he dug a small pit in the ground and started grinding up his chert and limestone. The resulting powder was tossed directly in the pit. When he had filled the hole maybe two thirds of the way up he started pouring in water. He used his empty healing potion to move the water from the stream to the pit he had dug beside it. Then with a stick from his storage he mixed it all up until it seemed to be a good consistency. The first batch ended up being too soupy so he had to dump in a lot more of the powdered stones. The second effort went much better, and he was soon slathering it over the first run of rocks before setting the second on top. He also filled in the bottom section with dirt to help keep the mortar from running.
The next set of rocks ended up being a lot easier to find. Looking for large rocks in the stream, and also in the banks, led him to discovering a section of the shore that was very rocky. It was only the work of moments to collapse the wall into the stream exposing enough stones to complete several rows.
After three more hours the sun was high in the sky and the house¡¯s wall was just about half a meter above the ground. It was time for Alan to take a break for two reasons. One, he had exhausted his lucky find of readily available stones. Two, he had decided this wasn¡¯t going to work. He was just about out of chert and lime, and while he knew of where he could get more lime, it just wasn¡¯t worth it. Between finding more stones for the wall and making more mortar, there just had to be an easier way. It was time to switch to a wooden dwelling.
The plan had always been to find a dungeon where he could cut down some trees and make himself boards for the roof, but he would have to expand that to boards for the walls as well. At least his domicile would have a nice secure foundation. He also took this chance to unload his magical pouch. The animal carcasses would have to stay, otherwise they would begin to rot, but the quartz rocks and the rich soil could come out. He also took out the goat horns and the remainder of his chert and limestone. He kept the shovel and the pick. You never knew when they would come in handy. Now it was time to find his resource dungeon.
While dungeons could be anything, it hadn¡¯t escaped his notice that the dungeon by the mountains had ended up underground and the one in a small cluster of trees had ended up in a forest. It seemed like there were hints to the theme of the dungeon based on its surroundings. He decided to head for that forest he had seen earlier to the south. In addition to the wood issue he also was hoping to get the last sixty dungeon points so he could get some pants. He had noticed that dwarf girl Eile kept sneaking glances at his downstairs region. A little more cover would be appreciated.
Today Alan was paying more attention to the environment and noticed that there were actually butterflies flying from flower to flower. There were also other small bugs and a couple of swift birds flying around. This valley was closer to something you would expect to see in the real world. This was either a result of the new dungeon core¡¯s higher abilities, or simply a result of having been exposed to mana for a longer time.
He spotted some kind of rocky protrusion farther to the west so he headed that way. He was hoping for something in a forest, but he thought the rocks might signal some kind of dungeon entrance which he could explore later.
As he got closer Alan noticed it was a pile of boulders surrounding what would have been the biggest fox den he had ever seen. It was well over two meters across and judging by the ramp leading down to it, the entrance would continue at a shallow angle into the earth. Actually, what was he supposed to call the ground now? It wasn¡¯t earth anymore since Earth was gone, so¡dirt? Ground? Lame. He couldn¡¯t actually see if it extended into the ground because the opening had the telltale shadowy entrance of a dungeon.
When he tried to enter he got a message that the time dilation was 1:2. That actually meant that time was moving slower inside. Tamee told him that often these dungeons had great rewards, but it wasn¡¯t a guarantee. Sometimes it was just the Network messing with you. Alan wasn¡¯t going to futz around with it now when he had a mission so he headed out again. He set out toward the south, hoping to locate that forest he had seen again.
Alan continued jogging along and taking in the sites. While it was mostly fields around him, there were also the occasional trees. Some were solitary majestic oaks, others were small shrubs with bushes underneath, and still others were fruit trees. He made sure to visit each of the fruit ones. There was an apple tree that only had a few half rotten apples on the ground and a peach tree that had some peaches growing from it. He collected what he could from both of them. Not only could it provide food, but with the impressive growth speed in the dungeon it was possible he could even plant seeds to get his own crop. He maybe should have planted something back at his hopefully soon-to-be home, but it was probably more important to get it built first.
The next curiosity was a large tree in the distance. It had to be almost two kilometers away but it was so big he could still use identify on it, even from here. It was a redwood tree and he estimated it to be at least two hundred meters tall. This was promising. Making his way over he found that it was also at least twenty meters across. Alan had never made a visit to the california redwoods, but he imagined that seeing one in a forest would be nothing like seeing one in the middle of a wide open plain. A normal redwood could have dominated the surrounding plains, but this monstrosity was at a whole nother level. The lowest branch was at least sixty meters in the air with nothing but reddish bark all the way up to it.
Nothing except at the base. Here was another dungeon entrance built directly into the trunk. It looked like a natural cavity had formed at the base except it was filled with shadows. The message he got when he stepped up gave a time dilation of 2:1. It wasn¡¯t as high as he was hoping for, but this was too cool to pass up. Also, if he was looking for wood, what better place than a giant tree?
New Quest: Hunt the Bogerrel (40)
[The nearby community has been attacked by a Bogerrel. Join a hunting team and kill the menace.]
Alan found himself on a narrow foot path in a forest of redwood trees. It looked crowded but that was just due to the size of the trunks around him. While the trees were immense, they were regular redwood immense and not the gargantuan of the entrance tree immense. There was plenty of room between the trunks but there was a profusion of plants growing around them. This is what a forest should look like. He even found a blackberry bush groaning under the weight of a full load of plump fruits. He harvested all the berries he could find and put them in his storage pouch. There was no sense in keeping some on the bush since this was a dungeon. He needed to find another magical storage space, preferably something bigger. He was turning into a bit of a packrat and at this rate would soon be out of space, even after unloading a bunch of stuff at his partially constructed house.
With nothing else to do he followed the narrow footpath, smelling the deep rich scent of nature around him. There was something about this place that made you feel like throwing away all your worldly possessions and living in a small house by a pond. Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t that kinda what he was doing? His first indication that he had reached the community the quest had mentioned was not buildings, but instead the mushrooms growing all over the ground.
These were giant mushrooms, at least thirty centimeters high with crowns that were over fifty wide. The base was a dark brown color that faded to a light tan crown. The underside of the mushrooms was a sickly yellow. Alan was not a fungus guy himself, but that yellow was bound to be off putting to anyone.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
He looked around upon finding this large patch and found his gaze drawn upwards. Stretching from tree to tree were walkways made of thick ropes and sturdy wooden boards. The walkways didn¡¯t actually connect to the trees themselves, but to large platforms that were built around them. The lowest of these platforms were well over ten meters off the ground and were large enough that he could make out wooden structures built on them. The platforms had to stick out at least ten meters from the trunk.
Looking farther up Alan could see stairs running up the trunks of some of the trees that connected to still higher platforms. Some platforms had to be 50 meters in the air or higher. These were smaller platforms and each seemed to be a single enclosed building. Maybe they were the living quarters? Walking along the wooden bridges and around the platforms was a tall slender race of people. It was hard to judge from here but they were probably close to two meters tall and willowy. Unlike the dwarven encampment there were no other races present here.
This was obviously where he was supposed to find a hunting team but there didn¡¯t seem to be a way up. He started circling the mushroom patch looking for a ladder or set of stairs to climb. Instead he soon came upon a section of mushrooms that had been torn up. The damaged area was probably six by ten meters and there were mushrooms ripped from the ground or torn to pieces, and some had even been partially eaten.
Here at last he finally found a community member. It was actually a group of three of them. Up close he could see that they were actually closer to his own height, their slenderness made them seem taller than they were from a distance. Their ears were pointed, and combined with their treebound homes it was a safe guess that they were elves, or maybe nature loving vulcans.
Each was wearing a supple looking type of leather armor that covered their torso and hips. It left their arms and legs free to maneuver, but they also had leather bracers and shin guards for added protection. Each had a bow strapped to their back and a slender longsword on the hip.
They had spotted Alan before he noticed them. That was sloppy of him, but this was their home turf so he gave himself a pass this time. He did set a mental reminder to stay vigilant, though. The one Alan took for their leader approached. All three were some of the most beautiful people, even if they weren¡¯t human, that he had ever seen. Did people only mean human. There hadn¡¯t ever really been another option, should he use a different word for non-humans? Was that racist, speciesist? Whatever, he was going to stick with people. They all had an effeminate form to their features, but he realized the leader was actually a woman as she spoke.
¡°Welcome, my name is Annalee. What brings you to Elhnor?¡± She asked in a pleasant but authoritative voice. He assumed Elhnor was the name of the village or town above them. Alan decided to play dumb. Tamee would have said he was playing to his strengths.
¡°Greetings, I¡¯m Alan. I was just passing through your lovely forest when I noticed the damage to this patch of mushrooms. What happened?¡±
¡°Greetings Alan. These are folger mushrooms, a staple of my people. We use them to craft a powerful ale. Unfortunately they are also a favorite of some of the local wildlife. We always lose some to their foraging, but recently a larger and more dangerous creature has entered our home. Something about the taste of these mushrooms is highly desirable to the beast but it also drives it into a frenzy and causes it to become incredibly destructive.¡±
¡°What kind of animal is it?¡± He was pretty sure it was the quest target, but he would let this play out naturally.
She thought for a moment before answering, ¡°It is a bogerrel. It¡¯s the size of a bear but stands upright on two legs and has four arms. My brothers and I have been tasked with tracking it down and either driving it away or killing it.¡±
Alan wouldn¡¯t normally force himself into the group, he was more of an introvert, but clearly the quest wanted him to join them. Interacting with people who are not necessarily your allies and at best are neutral was a frequent mission in the special forces, so he had a blueprint to follow.
¡°I realize you don¡¯t know me, but I could be useful if you would like some help. I wouldn¡¯t be looking for much, maybe room and board for a night or two?¡± No one trusts free help, so make sure to ask for something in return. Also, make sure what you ask for is reasonable.
One of the others opened his mouth to speak but Annalee raised her hand and he stayed silent. ¡°We appreciate the offer, but you are correct, we don¡¯t know you. It would perhaps be better if you continue on your way.¡±
If at first you don¡¯t succeed, sweeten the pot. Alan tried to think of what would make him the most attractive to a party of hunters and thought back to the days when he did online gaming. ¡°I understand your concern. I myself am a healer and I would feel dishonorable if I didn¡¯t at least offer my services for such a dangerous endeavor.¡±
At this revelation Annalee¡¯s eyes widened. Perhaps he had found his hook. Taking out a small knife from a sheath at her belt she made a shallow cut on her upper arm. ¡°I hate to seem untrusting, but if you could please help me heal this cut I seem to have gotten¡¡±
He found their way of talking a little formal and stilted, but he was trying to make a good impression. Try to match your mannerisms to the local customs. He didn¡¯t mind her asking for proof either, as it suggested she might actually be interested in allowing him to join them. He cast minor healing and her cut closed up. It did nothing to clean up the blood that had trickled down her arm but she seemed unconcerned by it.
¡°Thank you for your assistance. If you would wait here for a moment, please let me discuss this with my brothers.¡± When the target seems hooked don¡¯t force the issue, let them come to you.
Alan stepped back and they went off to talk. He studied them as they did so. Their movements were that of warriors, it was obvious they had some training. Now that he was looking for it the resemblance between them was easy to see. They all had the same button nose and their eyes were the same shade of green. Thinking of green eyes had him recalling Cassidy, the woman he had saved to get his guardian stone. While Annalee might be seen as more classically beautiful, her¡¯s was a slender, elegant, almost severe beauty. Cassidy¡¯s features were more welcoming and her curves were anything but slender.
It appeared that Annalee and the brother who had almost spoken earlier were in favor of a healer¡¯s inclusion, but the third brother was not. He was making sharp dismissive motions with his hands. Alan could almost hear his arguments, that he was a liability and would be another person they had to look out for when they found the creature.
Deciding to sweeten the deal once more, Alan called over, ¡°by the way, in case you were worried about having to babysit me,¡± the scowl from the dissenting brother proved he was correct, ¡°I also have a guardian class.¡± He pulled the large club from his storage space and held it over his shoulder. Their willowy grace suggested that they were fast agile fighters and did not have a traditional tank.
This did indeed sway them and the other two quickly overruled the third. Now it was time for introductions. The younger brother, who was not a fan of Alan, was named Kesselee and the older of the brothers was Devanlee. I was told to call them Anna, Devan, and Kess.
Anna was the oldest so she was in charge. She was the best with a blade and her brother Devan was their tracker. He apparently was the friendliest as well, because he offered to show Alan some tips when he mentioned he had been trying his hand at tracking. As friendly as Devan was, Kess was not. He did not like Alan and he couldn¡¯t tell if it was a racial thing or simply a young warrior''s pride. This was apparently his first mission with his older siblings. He was their best shot, which also put him in the unfortunate position of being behind Alan with a loaded weapon when they fought this thing. He had no choice but to trust the kid, but he made a mental note to not piss him off anymore on the trip.
It was nice being part of a team again. Alan continued to pay attention to his surroundings but he didn¡¯t do so with the same intensity since there were other eyes watching as well. This gave him time to really take in his environment. For the most part this could have been any forest back home in America, other than the massive trunks. Ferns were a popular form of vegetation, but there were bushes and even small trees all around.
Devan took time to point out a keil berry plant. This was the first definitively non-native plant that Alan had encountered. The mushrooms may have been new as well, but he was not well versed in his fungi so he couldn¡¯t say for sure if they were non-native. He pocketed some of the berries after Devan told him they were edible. They were sweet like a blueberry but also had a little tart to them like a blackberry.
Devan was very good as a tracker. After his prior training and his recent experiences, he would have been able to follow the trail as well, but it would have taken him twice as long. Devan spotted signs that were too faint or subtle for Alan. Not only did he point them out but he explained how to easily scan for them in the future. By the end of the hunt Alan¡¯s tracking skill had gone up eight points.
It took them almost an hour to find the bogerrel. They had seen signs of it eating other mushrooms but without any of the devastation it had caused back at Elhnor. His first sight of it was while it had its back turned.
It stood about two and a half meters tall on top of thick legs. The two solid appendages looked a little short for its size. It also had two pairs of arms. The upper pair looked long and powerful. The middle pair appeared shorter and almost as thick as the legs. The whole thing was covered in a short coat of tawny fur. Each of its limbs ended in a four fingered paw. The feet and upper pair of arms had thick claws, but the middle pair ended in surprisingly slender fingers.
Beast: Bogerrel (rare) level 9, threat: high.
With a few hand gestures Anna directed Devan and Kess to the flanks to provide ranged support. She drew her sword. It was thinner than what he would expect from a long sword. It would make it faster to swing but it wouldn¡¯t have the power of a heavier blade. It probably fit well with her style.
Alan had his thonking club. To differentiate between the two clubs he had made, he had given them names. The smaller one was called the beating stick. She and Alan approached at the same time. She was just out of line with Kess and the bogerrel and he was in a similar position for Devan. This would allow the brothers an unobstructed line of sight on the large beast. The thought was that the archers would try and get the first shots off, but he and Anna would be in position to protect them if the bogerrel went for either one. Alan was just happy it meant Kess wasn¡¯t behind him.
The beginning of the plan went off without a hitch. Devan and Kess fired at the same time and both shots punched into its neck. Unfortunately it had some type of natural armor or resistance because the arrows only punched in a few centimeters. That much penetration meant they hadn¡¯t gotten past the fat layer, or possibly the outer layer of muscles. In other words, nothing serious. And unless they could pull the arrows out to open up the wounds they wouldn¡¯t even bleed much.
For some reason it chose Devan to focus on after the arrows hit. This meant Alan got to see its front as it turned to charge. It had two large yellow eyes the size of baseballs. Its face was devoid of fur and its flat nose was covered in wrinkly skin. It had a wide mouth that opened to needle point teeth. These would be very effective in tearing apart the soft flesh of a mushroom. The effect on soft human flesh was still to be determined. Or hopefully, not. It had surprisingly human-like ears on the side of its head.
As planned he stepped between Devan and the bogerrel as it started running towards the elf. The beast began to divert around him as if it was only interested in the source of its pain. The animal must have some kind of intelligence to recognize the bow as the cause of its injury. Alan yelled to get its attention and swung out with his club as it went by. It only struck a glancing blow as one of its strange middle arms partially deflected it.
While the strike didn¡¯t really do much damage, it did manage to draw its attention. The fierce beast stopped its charge and turned to swipe at him. You would think a large creature like this would be slow and awkward but those long upper arms were surprisingly nimble. It was all Alan could do to occupy its attention without getting his head ripped off or being disemboweled. He never even had a chance to go on the offensive. This was an example of why going solo in the dungeons could be a problem.
Luckily that wasn¡¯t an issue here, he was part of a team. Kess and Devan were trying to get shots off, mostly aiming at its head since that was well above the two frontline warriors, and they would be less likely to hit them by accident. Unfortunately Devan was not up to hitting a smaller moving target and Kess¡¯s shots glanced off the back of its head. As his second shot bounced off, Anna arrived. She had been looking for her opportunity as she came in and lunged forward with her sword and buried it halfway to the hilt in its back. She could only reach partway up so it probably didn¡¯t hit the lungs or heart. That didn¡¯t make it any less painful, just possibly less lethal.
The bogerrel let out an agonized roar and whirled, lashing out with its left arms. The top arm flew well over her head but the middle one caught her squarely on the shoulder. It sent her into a nearby tree trunk and she collapsed, hopefully only unconscious. It started to advance on her until Alan hit it in the right shoulder with a two-handed overhead blow. He was barely able to reach high enough, but fortunately his thonking club was nothing if not big. He could feel something break in the joint and its right shoulder hung uselessly from the shattered bones.
Once more he had its attention and was again hard pressed. It had slowed noticeably from the sword still sticking out of its back, so he was barely able to hold it off. It helped that it had one fewer arm to menace him with as well thanks to its shattered shoulder. He still wasn¡¯t sure he would be able to finish it off by himself and Anna might need urgent attention. There wasn¡¯t time for him to whittle it down. He decided Kess was his best chance of putting it down quickly, but the archer was still forced to shoot at the back of its head which seemed to be armored.
With some fancy footwork he could hopefully fix that. He managed to circle around the bogerrel until it was now facing Kess. The young warrior showed good instincts because Kess had held his shot for just this moment. The arrow was away, aimed straight at one of its eyes. Alan was both impressed and dismayed by the bogerrel¡¯s reaction, it sensed the danger and was able to turn its head enough to prevent it from being a lethal strike. The angle now caused the arrow to slice across its eye, partially blinding it, but it caused it to deflect away when it hit the orbital bone.
If he would have said the beast was angry before, then now it had reached a whole new level of rage. It was no longer looking at Alan, its pupils narrowed as it found Kess in the distance. With another scream of pure hatred It flexed its knees and leaped at Kess. He tried to redirect it again with another hit from the thonker but the hurried blow had no real strength behind it and was ignored by the rampaging monster. That one leap took it halfway to Kess and then it was tearing after him through the brush and ferns.
Seeing his death approaching Kess dropped his bow and took off running. Whether it was instinct, luck, or good training, he didn¡¯t run directly away from it. That would have also taken him away from any help Devan and Alan could have given. Instead he took off on a perpendicular path. Alan was already using his improved body to sprint towards him. Seeing the youngster¡¯s path he aimed for the spot just before he thought the bogerrel would catch him and then his sprinting found another gear.
The creature had also found more speed and it was almost in range to grab Kess and shred him like a mushroom. Alan took one more step and leaped forwards, the club held over his head again and he brought it down with all of his momentum and considerable strength. The improved dexterity also allowed him to jump higher as well, so the blow landed on the top of its head. It split open like a watermelon at a comedy show.
The headless, or might as well be headless, corpse fell forward and knocked Kess over. He let out a rather undignified scream, not realizing the beast was dead. Alan gave him only a moment to compose himself before pulling him out from under it and to his feet. Then he dashed back to see to Annalee. He found Devan helping her up. She was swaying slightly and had the glassy eyed look of a concussion so Alan cast minor healing. It had helped him with head wounds before, and it fixed her concussion as well as the damage to her shoulder. She was soon back to her imperial self.
Kess had made his way back by now as well. He hung his head as he approached. ¡°Thank you Alan, you saved my life. I have treated you poorly and I am shamed by it.¡± That admission must have cost him dearly.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we got the job done, that¡¯s what matters. If you feel that badly about it maybe you could give me your share of the reward,¡± Alan joked. Having completed the mission he was feeling less constrained by their formal mannerisms and decided to mess with the kid a little.
¡°Ah yes, of course, that would only be fair,¡± he replied. Alan had meant it as a joke, but he wasn¡¯t really at a place where he could say no to free stuff. Plus he did work hard for that kill. At least sixty percent of that moster¡¯s death was thanks to Alan. He finally took a moment to check the notification he had gotten when he killed the bogerrel.
Quest Completed: Hunt the Bogerrel
[You have slain the bogerrel and prevented it from devastating the mushroom patch. Reward: Two Fruits of Strength and 40 points.]
He placed the pouch that had appeared into his storage bag while they weren¡¯t looking. The brothers were both checking Annalee over to make sure she was fine. They invited him back to the town and he initially tried to beg off. He had some lumbering to do.
¡°But how will I give you your share of the reward?¡± Kess asked. Alan felt bad, he really seemed to have come around towards him after their shared adversity so he agreed to follow them. Plus he could really use the extra coin. The entire way back Devan regaled his siblings with Alan¡¯s perceived bravery and skill. He was the only one of them who had been able to observe the entire fight and he was eager to describe the way Alan drew the beast¡¯s attention or the dramatic conclusion to the fight.
It soon grew uncomfortable for Alan, he was never one to shine in the spotlight. He said a silent thanks when he noticed the mushroom patch ahead. Upon reaching the town he was shown to a tree that had a series of steps winding up to the first platform. The steps were solid but also well worn. Once they were up on the platform he got his first good look at the buildings.
They were well crafted wooden structures built right up against the tree. They were not grown from the tree itself but made from boards. All of the buildings had different colored banners hanging from them. Apparently the different colors denoted what family they were associated with. The siblings all had a dark green cloth tied around their upper arms to declare their family affiliation. Alan had noticed them earlier, but had just assumed it was part of their outfits.
They traveled over several bridges and up one set of stairs before coming to a large building with at least twenty different colored banners hanging around it. This was apparently the town center and the siblings went inside to turn in the bounty. Anna had a ring that served as a storage device, which was good since they had brought back the bogerrel¡¯s head as proof of completion. He would not have appreciated having to carry that grisly trophy back, especially since its head was in several mangled pieces.
They had told him to stay outside while they went in. Another might have worried they were trying to hold out on him, but Alan trusted in Annalee¡¯s integrity. Also, he was fine with not going inside. On the trip through Elhnor he had received looks from most of those they had passed. Not all were angry or offended, but it didn¡¯t take long to get the sense that outsiders were not welcome here.
When the siblings came out Kess handed over a pouch. ¡°Here is my share, thank you for forgiving my rudeness and for saving my life. My sister thanks you as well.¡± Where before the warrior had been cold and distant, there was now an almost eager attachment. It was possible the kid was coming to idolize him. Good thing Alan was going to be leaving soon, that seemed like a hassle.
The pouch was heavy and glancing inside he counted at least twenty gold coins. His eyes widened at the unexpected fortune inside. Now he really felt bad about messing with him, but it was just a dungeon and not real, right? Kess wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep those coins anyway.
Devan then stepped forward, ¡°My family would be honored if you joined us for dinner tonight. You have done this town, and us, a great service today. Let us repay you with our hospitality.¡±
It was true he was hungry after that fight, and who passes up free food? It would also give him a chance to see how a different race operated. He had seen a glimpse of it in the dwarven camp, but he hadn¡¯t really engaged in any domestic activities there. ¡°If you are sure it''s not a hassle then I¡¯m in.¡±
¡°It would be our honor.¡± Annalee responded. For just a moment Alan could have sworn that she was blushing a little when she said this. Hmm, maybe he was going to like this hero thing after all.
Chapter 17
It was a surreal experience to sit and have dinner with these people. There was a giant star devouring Network, and inside of that was a huge dungeon which contained a disc where millions of people were battling for possibly the existence of their race. On that disc were many smaller dungeons and there he was inside of one of those having a meal with a bunch of elves who were here as volunteers to earn resources for their community.
Alan didn¡¯t know what to expect when they arrived at the sibling¡¯s home, but was still amazed by what he found. It was a dwelling located above the largest platforms at the bottom, but below what turned out to be the smaller, poorer, houses at the top. The family house took up an entire platform and extended at least two stories up. The wooden boards looked bright and new but were also covered with a clear lacquer. None of the buildings he had seen in the town had windows, and this was no exception. A large dark green banner hung next to the main entrance. It was a rich looking fabric that was further embellished with a picture of a tree with an axe across it in the center of the banner.
He waited a little ways from the door while Anna and her brothers were greeted by her parents. A family servant had seen them approaching so they were already at the door when the hunters arrived. There was a definite warmth in the family¡¯s words to each other, but no hugs or other physical greetings were offered. This could have been a cultural thing, or possibly it was due to the blood and gore on Anna and Kess. Devan had managed to stay out of any direct conflict and therefore kept himself relatively clean.
Soon it was Alan¡¯s turn to be introduced and the parents had polite words of greeting for him. They were all invited inside and a servant showed him to a room where he could use a shower to wash up. To his surprise there was running water in what otherwise had seemed like a primitive setting.
Alan hurriedly stripped off his clothes and stepped into the stall. It was a luxurious feeling washing off not just the remains of the battle, but the filth he had been acquiring in his adventures. He had taken several baths in the lake, and one more recently in his new stream, but he had never felt truly cleansed. Here there was even a flower scented soap that was used to scrub himself clean twice. For the first time since he had gone to the space station he felt truly restored, refreshed, and pristine. Soap was another item to try and pick up if he found another store to shop at.
Partway through scrubbing himself off there was a knock at the door. Alan turned the water off and called out ¡°yes, do you need something?¡±
It was Annalee¡¯s voice he heard through the door. ¡°I was wondering if you needed some assistance in figuring out how the shower worked. I could come in and show you if you wanted.¡±
Her offer seemed simple but Alan could hear much more in her question than her words might have suggested. For a moment he was sorely tempted to take her up on it. There hadn¡¯t been a woman in his life since he broke up with Jessica, not even for a short time. The idea of scrubbing each other in the shower, and maybe a whole lot more, was a fantasy he would keep for the many lonely nights to come in this trial. However, ultimately he couldn¡¯t go through with it. He was still unclear on how much these dungeon dwellers controlled their decisions and it would feel too much like taking advantage of her while she was under the sway of the dungeon core.
¡°I appreciate the offer but I was able to figure it out. Do you know how much longer ¡®til dinner?¡± Rational thoughts aside, it was still an effort to turn her down.
¡°That is good. It will still be about another half an hour. My brother Kess is known for his long showers.¡± It was hard to miss the disappointment in her voice. Eighteen year old Alan would have had some choice words for the adult version.
The water went back on and he finished getting clean without any more interruptions. He spent a few more minutes enjoying the cold water running down his body before he stepped out and toweled off. The material was a little scratchy but soaked up the water with ease. Alan suddenly felt less pristine as he stared at his filthy and tattered garments before making another trip into the shower to wash them the best he could. The sooner he procured those new pants from the Dungeon Exchange the better.
While washing his clothes he remembered to check in with Tamee and to ask about some of the concerns he had. While it was possible for Tamee to initiate conversations, she generally waited for him to talk. He was getting used to having her evaluate his performance after completing the various quests. After hearing about what he did well and the surprisingly few criticisms it was time to learn more about how these dungeons worked.
¡°How much control of their actions do dungeon dwellers have?¡± That seemed to be the term to designate those who volunteered to be part of the dungeons.
¡°More and less than you think. The dungeon does not overtly control their actions and responses, but it does have some low level ways of affecting them. The first is that it is capable of causing the dwellers to forget that they are in a dungeon. The people you interact with usually think they are really living in the wider universe. Second, it is capable of giving them initial feelings or directives. This gets the storyline moving and gives them a basis for how they should act. The core can also affect their aura slightly, this would be perceived by them as instincts or gut feelings. This allows the dungeon core to sometimes have dwellers respond to situations in ways they might not otherwise.¡±
¡°So if I find one person to be friendly and another person to be a jerk, it¡¯s probably their original personalities and not something the dungeon is forcing on them?¡±
¡°Most likely. Also, larger dungeons will often make things easier for themselves and use entire communities to help populate their story. This town is probably made up of an Elven community on some world somewhere. The bonus rewards for an entire community willing to join up are much more significant than for an individual.¡±
¡°So when Annalee offered to help me with the shower that was just her being attracted to me and not the dungeon forcing an encounter?¡± Eighteen year old Alan was back to kick his butt.
¡°I couldn¡¯t believe you passed that up. I would have been tempted and I don¡¯t normally have those proclivities. But to answer your question, that is again hard to say. It could have been a natural attraction, or the dungeon could have been giving her nudges in that direction and she took that as her own feelings.¡±
The conversation left him more conflicted now than before. After climbing out of the shower for the third time, Alan wrung out his clothes the best he could, but despite his efforts they were still damp when it was time to head down for dinner. His wardrobe was limited, so he figured it was better to be wet than be naked. He passed Anna in the hall and she gave his outfit an appraising look, her eyes lingering in a few places perhaps a moment longer than at others. Perhaps one person might regret his refusal to go naked.
The dining room was truly a grand ordeal. It wasn¡¯t the kind of huge room that could hold a giant feast and a dance floor, but it was big enough to seat twenty people at once if they squeezed together. Currently Anna¡¯s father and mother were sitting at the far end of the highly ornamented table. They both wore thin and long flowing garments in shades of green. Anna was wearing a similar outfit. Alan felt it was an interesting choice as the clothes made the already thin people look like they would blow away in a stiff breeze. But they did look like they were very comfortable.
Her father gave Alan¡¯s outfit a measuring look and a frown crossed the older man¡¯s face. He soon covered it up but it wasn¡¯t hard to tell that he didn¡¯t approve. When the parents first saw him they must have assumed that his clothes were damaged in the fight. The homeless chic look didn¡¯t faze her mother at all, though, and she had a wide grin on her face.
¡°Thank you so much for bringing my children home to me. Devan told us what a near thing it was.¡±
Devan was seated across from his mother and had a sheepish look on his face. ¡°Sorry, you guys took forever and I had to tell them something.¡± It didn¡¯t escape Alan¡¯s notice that the formal way of speaking they had used previously was relaxed now that they were in a more familial setting.
¡°I¡¯m sure that they would have been fine without me. They just would have come up with a different plan if I wasn¡¯t there. Anna truly has a fine head on her shoulders¡± As terrible as Alan usually was with women, he had found that parents always loved him. Anna blushed slightly and demurred at the praise.
As this exchange finished the group was finally joined by Kess. He really had taken the longest in the shower, even with Alan going back to wash his clothes. Dinner was a pleasant enough affair. There was a salad course made up of mushrooms. He mostly pushed those around on his plate, pretending to eat so as not to offend. The main course was a collection of birds. Apparently the townsfolk spread large nets around the forest like spiders to catch birds in. These were in high demand and were a treat for the success of their mission.
Their mother ran most of the conversation and her concern for her children was obvious. Anna and Kess both minimized the danger they had been in with the bogerrel. He also got to hear about some of the gossip around the town and some stories of the siblings misadventures. Their father rarely contributed, but when he did it was usually in an attempt to get information from Alan about his past or what he was doing here.
It probably wouldn¡¯t have mattered if he told the truth, but he was still not sure if telling them they were in a dungeon would have consequences. Instead he stuck to a vague background that implied he was just a traveler passing through. It was during a more entertaining portion of the conversation that he found the explanation for how they had running water.
¡°So you installed these large collectors at the top of the trees?¡± he asked.
Devan was the one explaining. ¡°Yes, they fill up from all the rain water and then there is a special type of vine that when dried we can use as a pipe to bring the water down to us. Not everyone can afford to have it sent directly to their house, but there are communal facilities as well.¡±
Another interesting topic of conversation came during dessert. They had just passed out some kind of rich custard dish with a caramelized sauce and their mother was explaining the expensive dish.
¡°We knew this was a favorite of Kess¡¯ and a good way to celebrate his first independent adventure. We could certainly afford it after the most recent harvest.¡±
While their family seemed well off, he realized he didn¡¯t know how they got their money. ¡°Do you help with the mushroom patch I saw down below?¡±
It was their father who responded ¡°We are not farmers, grubbing about. We deal in wood. Most of the buildings you see in Elhnor were built with lumber that our family harvested and cut.¡± Alan by now was convinced that he was a gruff man by nature and that his demeanor at dinner was normal and not because of any negative feelings he had toward Alan. He was also obviously proud of their accomplishments and if his statement was true he very well should be. This entire town was made of wood, and he didn¡¯t mean the tree trunks. It was then he recalled his original purpose for entering dungeons today and saw his chance.
Alan inquired about the possibility of buying some lumber himself. The father seemed to come alive when talking about wood and he asked for more information. His storage space would limit the size of things he could bring with him. He had been hoping for boards that were at least three meters long to build his small shack with. He figured he would be able to lay them sideways inside the stone foundation, but he didn''t think a board that large could fit. Instead they settled on boards that were just under two meters long that had some special cuts at the ends so that he could easily nail them together.
They also sold him a bag of nails which would be incredibly useful. He only purchased a few of the boards with the special ends and would use them as horizontal supports. The rest of the boards would be installed vertically to form the walls, so they had square ends. The price ended up being four gold for the wood and another gold for the bag of nails.
At last it was time for him to leave and Alan thanked the parents for their hospitality and their help with the purchase. He also thanked Devan for all his guidance with his growing tracking skill. Kess thanked him again for saving his life. Alan tried to minimize what he had done and build up the growing warrior¡¯s confidence.
Anna would be the last to say goodbye. The family didn¡¯t have the wood here at their house so she would escort him to their warehouse and make sure he got the goods he had purchased. It was a thankfully short trip as most of it was spent in awkward silence. Alan could tell that there were things she wanted to say, words to express the feelings she thought she had. He would be just as glad to avoid the whole thing. It was probably not an admirable response, but he knew how bad he was with women.
Finally after he had gathered his items from the warehouse they turned to say goodbye. She started by thanking him for his assistance and he thanked her for playing guide. Then he could see her hesitate before leaning in and giving him a hug. He was uncomfortably aware of the thin fabric of her dress and the threadbare nature of his tunic.
¡°I am sorry to see you go. I shall always remember you.¡± She whispered in his ear.
He knew he had to give her something more than trite words, but what he managed was ¡°I will always remember you as well, believe me. Thank you for allowing me to join your party.¡± He was about to pull away when he came to another decision. ¡°Your brother was too generous with his reward money, please find a way to give this back to him for me.¡±
Now Alan did break away, but as he did so he passed her the pouch containing the remaining gold that Kess had given him. Even knowing that the money wasn¡¯t really being taken from Kess he still felt uncomfortable keeping it. The wood and nails were reward enough, and that didn¡¯t even count the still mysterious fruits he had been given. In Tamee¡¯s debriefing earlier he had forgotten to ask about them.
Anna pocketed the money and gave him a sad smile. In another act of stunningly unimpressive rizz he quickly made his escape. In his previous life Alan had been with several women, but not an impressive number of them. He was a rather fit and well educated man who was good with his money, so most women wouldn¡¯t say no to a free drink from him. It was once he started talking to them that most found an excuse to leave. Now that he was in the tutorial he felt like the same buffon as before, but all of the ladies around him suddenly found him charming. Perhaps there was some kind of hidden charisma stat?
Alan soon found himself back on the footpath that led out of the dungeon. He had spent more time on this adventure than he had needed to, but he felt it was worth it. For the rewards, the shower, and the social experience. Leaving aside the awkward tension with Anna, just being able to sit and eat and share a conversation with others was welcome.
Exiting the dungeon he once again found himself in the open plain with the lone tree towering above him. The forty dungeon points earned was sadly not quite enough to buy the much needed pants, but he now had quite a few things to help with his soon to be dwelling. The sun was already well on its way down from its zenith so Alan didn¡¯t want to waste any time.
He made it back to the location of his new house very quickly. He had always had a pretty good sense of directions, but whether it was a reaction to the pressure of his new situation or a result of one of his new stats he found it incredibly easy to navigate. Not only was his memory of his surroundings better, allowing him to easily retrace his steps, but he also had an almost instinctual ability to triangulate his position.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Upon returning to his depressing foundation he found a surprise. As he neared the short stone wall he had previously managed to build he noticed a small furry form in the far corner. Somehow sensing his scrutiny the creature suddenly raised its head and looked right at Alan. It looked like a small white dog.
Beast: Wolf Pup (uncommon) level 1, threat: none
So it wasn¡¯t a dog, it was a wolf. However, unlike the ones from tier one this was clearly not full grown and the threat indicator confirmed that he had nothing to fear. The feeling was apparently not mutual. After looking at him for a moment it scampered over to a low section in the wall and managed to climb its way over before running away. He found himself rather bemused by the encounter, but it confirmed that he should get some walls built up to keep him safe at night.
The special boards he had gotten had a cutout on one end that went in about fifteen centimeters. These were designed to overlap with another board so that they formed one long section. It was actually longer than the width of the stone walls so they would stick out some. He needed another support structure to be able to fasten a few rows of these boards in place.
Now that he could unload all of the wood in his storage space he set out for one of the small collections of trees near his house. He didn¡¯t go to the nearest as he wanted to keep the immediate surroundings more scenic. It was the work of only about thirty minutes to cut down several trees and then turn them into logs that were about two and a half meters long. Each log was also at least twenty centimeters in diameter.
There was definitely something going on with how time and work interacted under the Network. Cutting down even one of these trees and cutting it into logs with his small axe would have been the work of at least half an hour normally. Whatever the cause, it made his job much easier and he was soon on his way back with his storage once again full of wood. On the way he spotted a furry head poking out of the tall grass, spying on him from across the stream.
After returning to his construction site he dumped out the logs and then had a session of eyeballing measurements. These logs would need to be put in the ground at least sixty centimeters to make sure they were solid. They probably should have gone in even deeper, but they wouldn¡¯t be supporting too much weight, nor would they be tasked with withstanding an attack. And as he had discovered previously, digging sucked.
He had enough logs to put one at each corner and then one more on each side. Because the logs were of different diameters he wasn¡¯t even going to try and find exact placements. He just used his shovel to dig eight large holes against the inside of the stone walls. He could worry about trying to fit the posts correctly when it was time to fill around them.
This digging was making him hungry so he took a break to set up his fire pit. This was more than a simple ring of stones. As a teenager he had helped one of his neighbors around the farm for a summer job. This guy was into all things DIY and one of the projects had been making an oven for firing clay figures his wife made. It was there he learned about how to make mortar that was more resistant to heat than normal.
The mortar he had used to build the foundation of his house could withstand heat up to two hundred and sixty degrees celsius without much issue. A campfire can easily reach temperatures over five hundred degrees. By adding some clay to the composition it would improve its heat resistance, allowing it to endure heat up to a thousand degrees. He had located a patch of exposed clay by the stream while looking for stones earlier in the day and soon had made a couple of batches of the fire resistant mortar.
The setup for his new cooking station was more of a rectangle with a chimney in the back. This would allow for a nice flow of air into the fire and reduce the amount of smoke and ash that would rise into the cooking meat. He also made a rim around the inside of the pit that he could put the grill on. He stepped back to admire his work. It wouldn¡¯t be dry for a while, exactly how long was anyone¡¯s guess in this place, but he would not be lighting a fire in it any time soon.
He sat in the grass with his back to the foundation of his house as he admired his work and snacked on blueberries. He had saved a cooked boar steak from the other night in his storage, but he was saving that for when he was done. Since his pouch kept things in stasis the steak would come out as hot as when he placed it in there. It seemed like cheating, but it was too useful to complain.
All of this work had been finished in two hours. He had tried to feel the passage of time as he worked and there was just no way to tell how he was doing things so fast. He had asked Tamee but she had just told him to enjoy how much more productive he could be. Apparently it was a feature of the Network. For much of the time he had been taking his break he had also been watching the small wolf pup.
He wasn¡¯t sure where it had come from, whether it was separated from a pack or if it had spawned into existence like this. However it got here, it was somehow fixated on his house. It seemed to know that it posed no threat to Alan, but it was making sure to watch his every action. If the thing continued to grow he might have to do something about it, but as long as it stayed small it was nice having an audience.
¡°Time to get back to work,¡± he called out to the pup. That was apparently against the rules because it ran off and hid by some nearby trees.
Now for the hard part. It was time to place the posts. After setting them in their holes they would be just over two meters high and he needed them to be as vertical as possible. That was going to be difficult since he had to both hold them, and fill in around them, while also checking if they were straight. That was too much for one person and he kinda wished the little wolf could help him with the alignment. In the end it was a dirty and sweaty affair that came down to a lot of guess and check.
Once each post was in place he poured in about six centimeters worth of regular mortar near the top to provide a little more strength. He wouldn¡¯t be able to fill in the rest of the hole until it had dried, but it should make the supports at least a little more stable. He could have used more, but it was time consuming to make and he wasn¡¯t sure how well it would work as filler compared to actual concrete.
He was working on the second to last post when he noticed his audience was back. Instead of watching him, though, he found it licking the grill. He hadn¡¯t been able to properly clean it last time and it must have had some yumming drippings coating the bars. He didn¡¯t begrudge the little thing its treat and finished with the last post.
Now it was time for the much easier task of putting up the boards. First up were the long horizontal supports that were made of two special boards each. For most of the walls the join was placed right against the support post in the middle and the nail was hammered through the join and into the post. He also hammered two nails into the board at each log on the corners. He had thought his stone axe was especially crude, but trying to pound in iron nails with his quartz hammer stone was especially challenging.
The last wall faced the stream and it is the one that would contain the door. Rather than putting in a second post on this side for the doorway he instead just put the support post off center. The good news was that because of the size of everything he was able to simply use one board to cross this space without any overhang. He now had three horizontal boards one each side of the house. One near the bottom, one near the top, and one near the center. Now was the rewarding part where he simply hammered the rest of the planks vertically to the supports.
Because of the thickness of his materials in the end he was left with a wooden wall that stuck out from the logs and over half of the width of the stone foundation. The door was a little more difficult but luckily he had told Anna what his project was on their way to the warehouse. She had managed to get him two iron hinges to include with his order. They alone would have probably gone for several silver, but she had pressed them into his hand and told him it was for saving her brother¡¯s life, and her own.
As he finished hanging the door he peeked out through the opening and saw the little wolf sitting next to the fire pit watching with what Alan hoped was approval. The door swung closed and with another board he secured the door using special braces he had nailed to the back of it. It looked like a miniature version of the bar on a castle gate. When closing it from the outside he would use a string he had appropriated from one of his normal pouches and a nail to keep it closed.
From the inside it looked much better than the outside. He had used the few leftover boards to make some wooden shelves on the short wall. This would be a nice bit of storage for him in the future. Opening the door again he came face to face with the wolf pup. The little thing must have been sniffing at the doorway trying to figure out what it was. It immediately turned and ran, passing across the stream, it was a dog paddle champion, and then disappearing into the grass on the far side. He felt a little bad for startling it, but what could you do?
He set about gathering the tall grass near the cooking pit and layed it in the corner of his house. He then placed several of the wolf furs on top of the grass to make snuggly bed mark two. The coyote fur had made for a great mattress, but the wolf fur should be even better. This was starting to feel downright luxurious.
The entire time he had been working today, Tamee was chatting in his head. She had become a real talker now that she considered Alan a friend and not just an assignment. For his part he mostly grunted yes and no answers to her comments. He had found that he was really enjoying building with his hands. It was something he had been occasionally called on to do as an adult, but it brought back memories of working with his father when he was just a kid. It was nice to occasionally think back on simpler times..
It was now decision time again. Checking the sun, it had almost been a day since he had come out of the dwarven dungeon. The sun was just about to set. He could make his way back there and start it tonight, or he could enjoy today¡¯s efforts and go back after a solid night of rest. No one who knew him would describe him as a lazy person, but he chose to meet the new challenge well rested and ready to go.
That meant he still had more time to improve his home before his nightly rituals. He had been collecting lots of fruit in his travels in the hopes that he could grow some of his own. Blueberries were nice, but a little variety would be good. He still had a small mound of the rich soil he had previously collected, but this land also seemed very fertile. Alan took a break to eat his previously roasted boar meat and plan out his future garden.
If he had all the necessary tools and he was going to do this properly he would plow the whole area to remove the grass and bring up freshly turned soil. But he didn¡¯t have the tools and he wasn¡¯t that dedicated to the endeavor. This would be his home for a month but then he would be moving on. It was more proof of concept than a true dedication to the craft. So instead of plowing the whole field he dug a line about thirty meters long. He took off the top layer of grass and soil and then turned over the first ten to thirteen centimeters of dirt with his shovel. Then it was time to plant.
He started with a couple of peach pits and then planted a few clumps of blueberries, followed by another couple of peach pits. He seemed to remember something about fruit trees needing others of the same kind to actually produce fruit. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was for all trees, or even if it was still true with the Network, but it didn¡¯t hurt to be safe. Next were some of the blackberries followed by some apple seeds from the rotten ones he had picked up. To finish it up he planted a few clumps of the new keil berries and then some more apple seeds. He had no idea if the spacing was appropriate, but again this was more a proof of concept.
The trees were probably a waste of time, but if a blueberry planted in the ground could become a bush with ripe blueberries four days later it was worth a try. Having a variety of fruits on hand would make a nice addition to his meat heavy diet. Maybe at some point he should get some veggies to go with all the fruit. Thinking of the fruits made him remember his last reward.
Item: Fruit of Strength (rare), this fruit can be consumed to improve your strength stat by one.
Ok, that sounded awesome, and it reminded Alan of the fruits he had gotten from the tree in the mage dungeon.
Item: Fruit of Knowledge (rare), this fruit can be consumed to improve your intelligence stat by one.
¡°Tamee, are you seeing these fruits?¡±
¡°Yes, Alan, I am watching as always.¡±
¡°You could do less of that while I¡¯m bathing, you know. I haven¡¯t forgotten you were watching while I took that shower. Are these things as awesome as they seem?¡± he asked.
¡°I don¡¯t have a lot to do here. Leave me to my guilty pleasures. About the fruit, not really. For most anyone else they would be great, but not for you. They are useful but they do have some side effects. The good news is you don¡¯t have to worry about that. The bad news is that you shouldn¡¯t use them at all. Because you have a strength class these fruits would interfere with the natural development of your strength pathways. The same for the intelligence fruits and your mage class. While they could provide you with more strength now, they would lead to a loss of attributes later.¡±
She had used a term he was unfamiliar with, ¡°What are strength pathways, are they different from the regular pathways I have been cultivating?¡±
¡°Pathways for strength you say? Never heard of them, no idea.¡± Alan thought they had moved past this, but she did have some of her old boundaries restored and she had to respect them when it came to giving out information. ¡°Anyway, you should still hang on to them, they are quite valuable. And before you ask, no you cannot plant these and grow more. These are fruits that have evolved from absorbing certain types of mana. That process renders them sterile for purposes of replanting.¡±
She had indeed anticipated his question. Gone was the vision of a grove of trees producing hundreds of these things. They probably wouldn¡¯t be that valuable if that was possible. ¡°I¡¯m going to clean up again so feel free to do something else.¡±
He just managed to catch her blowing him a raspberry as their chat cut off. True to his word Alan took a bath in the stream to wash off. His clothes weren¡¯t that dirty for a change, but he still rinsed them and hung them off a few extra nails he had hammered into the outside of the house for that purpose. A clothesline would have been more effective, but he didn¡¯t have anything he could use. Before taking care of his daggers he ate some blackberries and blueberries as he thought of the attribute fruits.
He supposed it would make sense that if his classes naturally improved his attributes that using these special fruits might not be a good idea. They were kinda like steroids. He could also see the value in them for someone else. If you didn¡¯t have a strength class then you would find your combat effectiveness handicapped when you could no longer hit hard enough to affect higher leveled foes. These fruits would provide a way for those people to increase their strength without the class.
His blades hadn¡¯t actually seen much work today, mostly just carving up his dinner. He only had to make a few cursory passes with his whetstone before he felt comfortable putting them away. He had grown a decent amount in the tree dungeon so he had some smoothing out to do with his aura. He actually finished working on his daggers before he finished his cultivation so he remained seated while working on the pathways.
Alan could smooth the flow rather quickly if he wanted, just like he had in the beginning. However, taking more time and perfecting the new pathways led to a more efficient flow which he assumed was going to pay dividends in ways he didn¡¯t yet understand. With that task finally completed he checked his status before bed. It had been a while since he really gave it his full attention.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (56%) Quartz
Guardian (50%) Quartz
Healer (58%) Quartz
Hunter (47%) Quartz
Mage (45%) Quartz
Rogue (60%) Quartz
Scholar (54%) Quartz
Seeker (43%) Quartz
Health: 182 (18/hour)
Stamina: 164 (33/minute)
Mana: 136 (14/minute)
Dungeon Points: 180
Stats:
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 15
Perception: 12
Focus: 12
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 15
Constitution: 13
Spirit: 8
Skills:
Aura Reading: 18, Blunt Weapons: 25, Cooking: 6, Daggers: 33, Dodging: 13, First Aid: 11, Harvesting: 10, Herbology: 10, Identify: 15, Mana Drawing: 3, Mana Enhancement: 4, Mining: 3, Running: 13, Sneak: 9, Tracking: 20, Two Weapon Fighting: 23, Unarmed Combat: 13
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Parry
Guardian: Hammer Blow, Taunt
Healer: Mend
Hunter: Charm Animal
Mage: Light Spinner
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Scholar: Understanding
Seeker: Sensitivity
Spells: Minor Healing (common), Light Bolt (common), Light (common)
There were gains in all classes and in many of his skills. The biggest increases had been in blunt weapons, tracking, and his scholar and guardian classes. That made sense after the fight with the bogerrel. Alan was pleased with the progress he was making. His aura reading was especially nice to see growing since he had learned it was a potential advantage no one else in the tutorial should have.
Not only were his skills improving, but he had accomplished a lot in the building of his house. It was still missing a roof though. He could have bought more wood, but he didn¡¯t really have the room in his storage for it. He figured it should be ok for now, even if something could get over the walls it would hopefully make enough noise to wake him. Unless it was something crawly like a snake or a spider. That happy thought kept him awake for quite a while before the incredibly soft furs lulled him into oblivion.
Chapter 18
Sleeping on a soft bed in a mostly completed house built with his own hands was a nice experience. It wasn¡¯t all that secure since there was no roof, but it was still comforting to have walls around you and furs to snuggle into. Alan checked in on his plants in the morning and found some small sprouts for some of the berries, but none of the trees had shown anything yet.
Today the workout would be tai chi again. The daggers remained in their sheaths as he was already feeling much more comfortable with them. Instead he wanted to experience the traditional movements once again. This also seemed to make cultivating easier as well. Something about the connection between his movements and the energy in his body was more helpful than yoga. Maybe the mystical mumbo jumbo the experts had espoused was not so worthless after all.
With the workout finished it was time to put the rest of his clothes on. Then he was finally ready to set out for the dwarven dungeon. It was kind of exciting trying to imagine what it would be like now that it had upgraded. To get there he followed the stream back east for a ways before breaking off and heading south east to the mountains and then down through the scraggly borderlands until he found it again.
On the way he saw that stone tower again. It was much closer this time and he could see it even had glass windows in various places. It would definitely need checking out soon. The dwarven dungeon was just where he remembered it and when he checked, the time dilation had increased to 5:1. That was nice on its own, but it was with anticipation for the new challenge that he stepped inside.
New Quest: Dwarven Encampment
[Make your way to the dwarven mining camp.]
Well that was a let down. ¡°Tamee, this quest seems lame.¡±
¡°Patience, this is just a way of getting you to go where it needs you. I¡¯m sure you will get a quest update when you reach the camp. If a quest told you everything you needed to know at the beginning it would take all the suspense out of it. Dummy.¡±
Ok, that one he deserved. Setting out for the camp he was eager once more to see what the dungeon had in store. Again his expectations were shattered. When he emerged from out of the tunnel and looked to the camp, Alan found chaos.
Quest Update: Attack on the Dwarven Encampment (50)
[The camp is under attack by kobolds. Drive them off and help resecure the camp.] [Upgradeable: Daily]
The gate closest to him was secure, but there was another entrance to the camp, one by the mine shafts, and it was under assault. There was a group of around fifteen kobolds by the gate. At the same time another group of kobolds that were carrying something was headed back into the tunnels. There were a few dwarves trying to fight off the ones at the gate but it was clear they were losing that battle. Small columns of white and black smoke were signs of attackers throughout the camp. As Alan watched, taking in the scene, one of the dwarves was cut down.
Without even thinking his feet were moving and he drew his daggers. As fast as he was, the four light bolts he cast out were even faster. From this distance there was no way to achieve the kind of accuracy that would allow those attacks to be damaging. Instead they were meant to distract them enough to help the embattled defenders hold on just a little longer. Long enough for him to get there. The attack was more successful than he could have imagined because a group of five broke off and headed towards him. They might slow him down, but it also cut the attackers numbers by a third. That still left ten kobolds for the four remaining dwarves, but their odds were dramatically improved compared to just a moment ago.
Last time Alan had faced these things it was four on two and he had felt some pressure in that fight. There hadn¡¯t been much damage done, but the fight could have easily gone against him if a few things had gone differently. This time there was no doubt. As the distance closed he almost entered a trance. Alan had a mission to accomplish. He had to save his, if not friends, then allies. Thadrick wasn¡¯t a guard, but he was in that camp somewhere and so were more attackers. Until he got through these five and the others at the gate he couldn¡¯t get inside to make sure his one time mentor was safe. The kobolds seemed like they were expecting him to charge into them recklessly, but just before contact Alan used his heightened dexterity to come to a complete stop.
This allowed their momentum to bring them to him. They all tried to slow so that they could face him together but it was too late for that. As the first stumbled past it swung awkwardly to cut Alan¡¯s head off. Kneeling down, he allowed the scimitar to pass just over his head and then his left hand shot up and drove the pugio through its jaw and into its brain. Rather than pulling the dagger out he pushed hard with it as he stood, forcing the dead kobold to slide back off the blade and allowed that momentum to move him out of line of a thrust from another kobold. Ignoring that one as its attack was already spent, he sliced with his seax and disembowelled a third.
The one who thrust at him was now moving past and sticking out his foot, Alan tripped it. Within three seconds he had killed two and knocked another out of the fight, but he still lamented the time wasted. As the startled creature went tumbling the last two managed to slow their rush and moved on him together.
He had to give it to them, they knew how to coordinate their attacks. When fighting two opponents, if he had a larger weapon like the dwarfs favored, he could have tried to block both with one move if they attacked at the same time from similar directions. Instead they slightly staggered their attacks so that one would get through no matter what. Unfortunately for them he didn¡¯t have a larger weapon, and he also had two of them.
It was simplicity itself after his many skirmishes to use both blades to deflect the attacks away from him. By staggering their assault all it did was allow him to focus on each hand for the necessary time to deal with their attack since he was still not totally confident in his dual wielding. He should have been.
It turned out it was fairly easy to split his focus now, more so than he could remember from his time in combat on Earth. Situational awareness was a thing, and something about his current state gave him a preternatural understanding of the space around him. After blunting their attacks he kicked one in the stomach causing it to drop its weapon and clutch its guts to keep from vomiting.
The one that had been tripped was still on the ground so he focused on the last one standing and armed. With two quick moves his seax sliced it across the neck. A shower of blood coated him but he didn¡¯t let that distract him as he stabbed the vomiting kobold in its head. Turning to the fallen one it was just starting to get back on its feet. A foot to its backside sent the kobold tumbling again. Two stabs in its back and he turned toward the contested gate again. That brief slaughter had cost him ten seconds.
While he was distracted the dwarves had killed two more of the kobolds but one of the dwarves took a nasty slice to its leg and collapsed. He was only about twenty meters away now and closed the distance in two more seconds. As he neared he cast minor healing on the dwarf who had just fallen and the blood stopped pumping from his leg, potentially saving his life. Then it was time to deal with the remaining attackers. Safe in the knowledge that their now deceased companions could deal with Alan they foolishly had their backs to him.
Slashing and stabbing his way through the enemy, his first attack left two corpses and several deep lacerations. Between Alan¡¯s reckless assault and the staunch defense of three remaining dwarves the kobolds were shattered. Together they finished off the other eight in less than a minute. All of the defenders were wounded but he had exhausted his mana with that last healing spell and it would be a while before he could use his magic to help them.
As they stood assessing the situation, screaming from inside the camp alerted them to a new problem. Ten more kobolds were running toward them carrying three unconscious or dead people in their arms. Spotting the defenders, four raced ahead while the remaining six continued on with their burdens.
Turning to his three allies he gave them a plan, ¡°I¡¯ll take these guys, you get the captives.¡±
There was no argument as he stepped out to meet the oncoming blockers. The dwarves flowed around them as the four kobolds were forced to focus on Alan. He was a little surprised that they didn¡¯t even try to stop the others, but they seemed drawn to him like a magnet. Two of them moved to flank him while the remaining two moved together to keep his attention. They needn''t have bothered, he was totally focused. The state of awareness he had entered earlier hadn¡¯t faded and he could read their intentions in the shift of their weapons or the strain of their muscles.
Of the two kobolds before him, the one on his left swung its sword before the one on the right was in position. He punched out at its wrist, connecting with his fist rather than his dagger. It numbed the creature¡¯s hand and it dropped the sword. At the same time Alan punched forward with his pugio aiming for its heart. His aim must have been true because it collapsed instantly. The second was now enraged and seemed to forget it was carrying a scimitar. Instead it tried to slice Alan¡¯s face open with its claws. Easily dodging its clumsy attack, he punched both of his daggers into its head.
Now for the two on the flanks. The improvement to his peripheral vision and his newfound situational awareness made it easy to watch both of them at the same time. Studying their movements he waited to see how they were going to attack. He was reluctant to give up the initiative but his blitz had hit his stamina and he needed a moment to recover some. The creatures finally committed, the one on the left was going to thrust and the one on the right was going to try and cut him in half at the waist.
When the moment came a step forward placed him in front of the thrust. At the same time he brought both of his daggers around to block the other''s vicious slice. Using the momentum from the strike he performed a spinning kick to the head of the left kobold. This sent him reeling, and then a short combination of strikes overwhelmed the one on the right. It collapsed with two large puncture wounds in its torso.
The left kobold had recovered its balance by now, but it was obviously a little disoriented. It was clear these things didn¡¯t stand a chance against him by themselves, and certainly not without its full capabilities. After dropping that one as well Alan looked to see how the others had fared. Hampered by their burdens, the six kobolds had not done well and the last was being dispatched as he watched.
With a moment to breathe he checked in with the defenders and learned that the raiding party they killed was the last in the camp. Several groups had already left and there were at least fifteen people missing. It turned out that the dwarf he had healed on his way in was Urpo. When he checked on him the surly guard was still not friendly with Alan, but it could be because one of the dwarves who had fallen at the gate was his partner Groundim.
Two of the captives they had saved turned out to be people he knew as well. Both Thadrick and Eile, in addition to another secretary from the guild, had been captured by the kobolds at the mining tower. From what he could gather, about half an hour before Alan arrived, a large group of the little dragon looking humanoids had stormed the gate. The guards were already on alert because of his and Thadrick¡¯s earlier warning, but they were not ready for such an intense attack. They were quickly overwhelmed and raiding parties poured out of the mining tunnels and through the gate to spread throughout the town grabbing anyone they could find.
Including the missing miners they already knew about and after doing a quick head count of those remaining, over forty people were missing. Another fifteen were killed in the raid. That left only ninety-eight people in the camp, and many of those had no class. Only a few were healers and their mana pools were soon exhausted treating those injured in the raid.
Alan was also out of mana but this was what he had trained for in his old life. He didn¡¯t have the medical bag he would have relied on in the field, but some things could still be managed. Runners were sent to fetch anything they could use for bandages. Splints and tourniquets were made from the wreckage of some of the smashed houses. The worst of the untreated injuries were at least stabilized until the healers recovered.
The villagers who were lucky enough to escape serious injury were put in charge of putting out fires and cleaning up the dead. The kobolds were thrown in a pile outside of town to be dealt with later. The dead villagers were laid out in rows outside of town as well, but far away from the kobolds. They would have buried them, but being in a cavern inside a mountain made that difficult. Eventually they would be placed in rock cairns, but unfortunately the living took precedence and there were many things that still needed doing.
Several people were sent to scout the tunnels to see if they could find where the kobolds went with their prisoners. Their family and neighbors were envisioning cook pots filled with their loved ones and wanted to rescue them. It hadn¡¯t taken him too long to help those he could so he had volunteered to go with the scouts. However, lacking darkvision or a knowledge of the tunnels he was assigned to help with repairs instead.
They had just finished repairing the gate that had been destroyed when several of the scouts returned at once. One had already come back with news that they had located the trail, but this group was sprinting and the fact that it was a lot at once did not bode well. All of those who were working on the gate gathered to listen when they made their report to the head guard, a dwarf named Kespar.
¡°We located their trail easily and started to follow it. We didn¡¯t get far though before we encountered another attack. They killed Gusly before we realized what was happening and we rushed back as fast as we could. There must be at least a hundred of them and it looked as if they were headed this way.¡±
Kespar looked shaken but he announced in a loud, clear voice ¡°Another attack is incoming. Let every person take up a weapon and help man the wall. Warriors, I want you spread out on the side facing the tunnels. Our walls aren¡¯t high enough to keep them from climbing over, so if they try to go around we will have to spread ourselves out. Those of you without a class. Form into groups of six and I¡¯ll assign you a dwarf to follow. Go where they tell you to go, and if you see a warrior fall, try and hold the gap long enough to drag him back and get a healer to help them up.¡±
Alan was assigned a section of the wall near the gate he had helped protect and then repair earlier. There were fifty warriors left in the camp, so they were looking at two to one odds at best. The walls, while not high enough to block the kobolds from attacking, should provide an advantage that would even the odds. A friendly face had been assigned the spot next to him.
To try and distract his partner from what was coming he decided to strike up a conversation. The dwarf looked tense. ¡°How are you feeling Thadrick, did the healers get you good as new.¡±
¡°Aye, they did a fine job, but I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ll ever be ok. Too many people I know were taken from me today. I just hope I get the chance to give some back to those filthy beasts.¡±
His words were almost prophetic as he soon got his chance. Pouring out of not one, but three of the mine shafts came the kobold swarm. There were at least a hundred coming out of each tunnel and the horde didn¡¯t even pause as they charged the walls. Alan was now weiding one of the fallen kobolds¡¯ scimitars in his right hand with his pugio in his left. It wasn¡¯t the most well maintained blade, but it had a much greater reach than the seax. That would be important when fighting over the wall. He had debated switching the seax to his left hand since it was longer than the pugio, but he wanted to keep a stabbing weapon, and honestly it felt more comfortable using the familiar weapon for his off hand.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
The kobolds charged directly at the wall, with the largest concentration near the gate he was defending. They probably hadn¡¯t planned on it being repaired already and were hoping for an easy breech. At around one hundred and twenty centimeters tall they would be unable to attack directly over the two meter wall. However, in the least sexy chicken fight ever, many of them were climbing on the backs of each other and then charging the wall.
Turns out these were the distractions as a second group ran up while the defenders engaged the stacked attackers and knelt down just before the walls. Then the last group of kobolds which had been hanging back ran forward and stepping upon their kneeling brethren, launched themselves over the wall.
Most of the warriors on the wall were busy fighting the piggyback attackers and could do nothing to stop them from landing behind them inside the camp. Luckily these creatures were not acrobats and many had bad landings. They would need a moment to get back up and enter the fight.
Lots of these were killed by those citizens who had been held back in preparation for filling gaps. They might not be warriors, but they were quick to seize an opening and almost fearless in the face of the destruction of their town. That still left about twenty kobolds who were inside of the wall and they started to move together to make a concentrated force. They couldn¡¯t allow that to happen.
¡°Thadrick, I¡¯m gonna go help out inside, you hold our spot here.¡± And with that Alan blasted the two attackers in front of him with a pair of light bolts each before stabbing out with both of his weapons and then hopping down from the wall.
¡°Give ''em hell Alan!¡± Thadrick called out to the younger man as Alan moved to prevent the kobolds from joining forces.
There was a group of four near him so he ran over and attacked. He led with the scimitar. It wasn¡¯t really designed for stabbing so he swung it at the first kobold hoping to cut it open. It blocked with its own blade and so he sliced its arm with his pugio. The other three stepped around their injured comrade as it stumbled back and he took the fight to them. There wasn¡¯t time to mess around, he had to stop the intruders from becoming a threat in their rear, and then get back on the wall.
Two more quick light bolts to the heads of the middle and left kobold almost bottomed out his mana pool. The right one sliced down at him with its sword and Alan stepped right while deflecting it away with his pugio. A follow up lateral swing with his scimitar cut deep into its side. He tried to pull the blade back out but it must have become lodged in the things spine. That kobold was dead or dying anyway so Alan let go of the sword and drew his seax. He wasn¡¯t on the wall anymore so reach wasn¡¯t as much of an issue. By now the other two had recovered but they were set upon by one of the groups of defenders. They had already taken care of the one he had disarmed earlier, and seeing that they were handling the others, he turned to find the rest of the kobolds who had gotten inside.
There were fifteen of them facing off against an equal number of defenders. Alan would give the heavy advantage to the dwarven warriors in an equal fight. Unfortunately, the people here were not warriors, and they were not faring well. Many had some martial training, but their classless bodies didn¡¯t have the speed or especially the power that the kobolds did. He started towards them but it would take him several precious seconds, and every second could cost another villager their life. Hoping to draw some of the kobolds¡¯ attention he shouted out ¡°Come get some you pathetic lizard spawn!¡± It wasn¡¯t very clever, but trash talking had never been Alan¡¯s strong suit.
In anycase, it proved fairly effective. No fewer than seven of the kobolds broke off and came at him. He wondered if this was his taunt talent showing its worth? He was no longer worried about facing these things. Alan had taken their measure and found them wanting. Even at seven to one odds he was confident he could deal with them.
Twin daggers flashed and formed a cage of iron. The kobolds tried their best but slices were deflected, thrusts were avoided, and gaps in their defense were exploited. It took less than three minutes to finish them off. The regular villagers were doing well and had killed half of their opponents without any serious injuries. That left four, which shouldn¡¯t take long. Alan took a step to help but his leg collapsed on him and he stumbled to his knees.
Panicking, he checked his status and found his stamina had been emptied again. It was something he kept forgetting to pay attention to. He had gone from one furious attack into another and hadn¡¯t given himself time to recharge. Stamina came back quickly, but he had to give it a chance to recover. It was crushing to watch while others fought and there was nothing he could do. As quickly as it rose compared to his other pools, it was still almost two minutes before his stamina was up to a third full and he felt he could reenter the fray. He had to be more conscientious about how much energy he spent on his attacks.
Instead of rushing in, he walked quickly to save stamina and stabbed one in the back. This was enough of a distraction that the others were able to team up and kill the last three. Now it was time for Alan to get back on the wall. As he turned he noticed one of the people there had a large bloodstain on the side of their shirt and was covering a wound in their side. They were trying to hide it but he could see the blood welling out through their fingers. He had just enough mana to cast minor heal on them and then it was back to the wall. By the time he hopped back up, not worrying about finding the stairs, his stamina was over half and he took stock of the situation.
¡°Nice of you ta join us. Just in time for the final push,¡± drawled his neighbor.
It was easy to see that Thadrick was right. Most of the kobolds outside had been killed, but their bodies left a macabre ramp that the remaining attackers could use to climb up and fight from. The problem for the kobolds was that there were only around thirty left so it was almost a cooldown for the remaining warriors to finish them off. The fact that they had fought to the last creature was telling. It could be the dungeon messing with their minds, or that there was something they would rather die than report their failure to back where they had come from.
A notification was trying to get his attention, but it went ignored while he dealt with the aftermath of the fight. The first stop was helping the healers. Magically he wasn¡¯t able to do much, but Alan could cast his healing every three to four minutes which was at least a little bit of a help. Also, using more mundane methods he was able to keep most serious cases alive until they could be fully healed.
¡°Tamee, why aren¡¯t there more healers? It''s not just here, it was in the elven town as well. I have found it to be incredibly helpful myself, so why wouldn¡¯t more have it?¡±
¡°You have to remember that most people in our universe do not get the opportunity you have had. They have to earn their class stones somehow and usually they can only get their hands on a common stone. This means they only have one class, at least to start. Healers, while incredibly useful and highly rewarded, do not get much chance to use their abilities in combat since they would be so vulnerable.¡±
¡°I get that, but wouldn¡¯t they still be able to grow their class from healing outside of combat?¡±
¡°Yes, but the strain of combat helps you grow faster. Also, life is peaceful for most towns and cities so even outside of combat they don¡¯t see many chances to use their abilities. One or two good healers are usually enough for a decent sized town. The martial classes are by far the most popular.¡±
It made a kind of sense, but if Alan was ruling a community he would make sure more people could become healers. It would also be a good idea to include some mages. He had only seen one other person using magic to attack the enemy and they were very effective with an area attack that blasted groups of kobolds at a time.
After the last of the major injuries were healed, Thadrick suggested that he go lay down at his place for a little while. It took Alan some time to find it again as the camp had been drastically altered in the earlier raids. When he finally found it he sat in one of the chairs not wanting to get blood on the dwarfs only bed. He finally checked his notification.
Quest Completed: Attack on the Dwarven Encampment
[You helped the camp to fight off an overwhelming attack. You also went above and beyond and saved the lives of many who would otherwise have been killed. Reward: Fighter talent stone, random talent stone, and 50 dungeon points.]
¡°I assume the random talent stone is the type you were talking about where it could be for any of my classes?¡±
¡°Yes. How are you feeling? That was pretty intense. Many people get overwhelmed by their first large battle.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine. A little wired still, and sorry that I couldn¡¯t save more, but that wasn¡¯t my first battle. It was the most I have ever killed with melee weapons, but I long ago popped my cherry when it comes to pitched battles.¡± He had to admit, the weariness in his voice had him a little worried. Maybe this style of combat took more out of you than he thought. Most of the people he had killed in his old life had not been up close and personal. Well, it always felt at least a little personal.
¡°I finally have enough for those pants. It will be nice not to have my junk hanging out.¡±
¡°You should not call it junk, I am sure someone will appreciate it even if it is so small.¡±
¡°Ha ha.¡± First the fighter stone was absorbed and he got the talent Fury. Tamee was excited, but once again couldn¡¯t share why. So far it seemed like these stones were giving him talents related to what he had done to earn them. It would be accurate to say Alan was furious during the battle.
Tamee explained when he asked about it. ¡°You are right, it does seem like your rewards are personalized and based on your Path to earning them. This is why so many strive to be adventurers and not just buy the stones they need. Often the ones they find themselves resonate more with them than the ones they can find to purchase.¡±
¡°What defines an adventurer? Is it someone who just goes out and fights, because then couldn¡¯t everyone do it?¡±
¡°Most cultures do not consider you an adventurer unless you have at least three quartz classes. Anything less and you are not well rounded enough to deal with the challenges you might find in dungeons and in wild zones.¡±
The random stone was next and he received a talent for his hunter class called sixth sense. Alan wasn¡¯t sure if this meant he would one day be able to read minds or if he had some kind of spidey sense. He was kinda hoping for the tingle, but time would tell. While sitting he ate some more of the boar that he had cooked previously and then stored in his pouch. It was still as hot as when he put it in there. You had to love spatial storage. He really needed to get more.
An hour or so later Thadrick found him and shared the bad news. Another ten warriors and eight regular villagers had been killed in the fighting. It wasn¡¯t as bad as it could have been, but every death felt like defeat. The older dwarf thanked him for helping, but it felt hollow. With a sense of failure, Alan told him he had to be going and Thadrick just nodded and placed his hand on the younger man¡¯s shoulder.
¡°I know I wouldn¡¯t be here if you hadn¡¯t a¡¯come, so thank you. I wish you well in your travels. May your pick always find ore.¡±
While the villagers had lost a lot and Alan felt like he should have done more, perhaps he had gained a friend. On the way out he checked his status to see what he had gained from that mess.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (78%) Quartz
Guardian (60%) Quartz
Healer (71%) Quartz
Hunter (53%) Quartz
Mage (60%) Quartz
Rogue (92%) Quartz
Scholar (62%) Quartz
Seeker (46%) Quartz
Health: 194 (19/hour)
Stamina: 178 (36/minute)
Mana: 156 (16/minute)
Dungeon Points: 230
Stats:
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 18
Perception: 13
Focus: 13
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 17
Constitution: 14
Spirit: 8
Skills:
Aura Reading: 18, Blunt Weapons: 25, Cooking: 6, Daggers: 45, Dodging: 21, First Aid: 20, Harvesting: 10, Herbology: 10, Identify: 16, Mana Drawing: 3, Mana Enhancement: 4, Mining: 3, Running: 13, Sneak: 9, Swords: 3, Tracking: 20, Two Weapon Fighting: 38, Unarmed Combat: 18
Titles: [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Fury, Parry
Guardian: Hammer Blow, Taunt
Healer: Mend
Hunter: 6th Sense, Charm Animal
Mage: Light Spinner
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Scholar: Understanding
Seeker: Sensitivity
Spells: Minor Healing (common), Light Bolt (common), Light (common)
Wow, it turns out pitched battle really is good for the soul. His classes and stats had all made huge improvements, except for seeker. Rogue was by far the winner going up almost thirty points. Many skills had also made insane progress and he even picked up a new one, swords. That was good since he had gone back and grabbed a couple of the kobolds¡¯ scimitars before leaving. He still preferred fighting with his daggers, but it was nice to have options.
It was great to see his stamina had increased, but it hadn¡¯t gone up by much. Maybe he should try and work on his guardian class to increase constitution more. All of this was great, and all of the improvements would help when he finally had to deal with the other races in the next zone, but the thing that helped get him over some of the trauma from the battle was the number two hundred and thirty. Alan finally had the dungeon points to get some frickin¡¯ pants.
Stepping out into the ¡®real world¡¯ again he expected to find sunshine on his face. Instead he was greeted by clouds. It was the first time he had seen clouds in the sky since being placed on this disk. Perhaps this new zone meant that weather would be a thing? Enough stalling, there were pants to be had! He couldn¡¯t do this before because the exchange only worked outside of the dungeons. He had been in there for half a day, and combined with the travel to get here it was almost evening.
Opening up the dungeon exchange gave him a little shock. It had changed! At first he panicked when he thought the pants were gone, but then he found them near the bottom of the list. In fact everything that was there before was still there, but a bunch of new things had been added.
¡°Tamee, what is going on? There¡¯s a bunch of stuff on the exchange that wasn¡¯t there before.¡±
¡°Every few days the system will add more items to the list. They tend to get better as time goes on.¡± Alan shared the new options with her and she shared her thoughts.
¡°I know you were loving the idea of pants, but I think you should work on getting some of these other items. I see several spell scrolls that could be useful, the stat fruits are useless to you, but the talent stones are also great.¡±
There were four spells in the exchange, fire bolt, stone spear, shield, and light bolt. He already had the last one, but the other three would be new additions if he could afford them. At a cost of two hundred points each, though, they weren¡¯t cheap. Honestly, firebolt wasn¡¯t that interesting as it sounded like a slightly different version of light bolt. Stone spear might be interesting but shield sounded like the best of the bunch. From the wiki he had learned that shielding was one of the things healers could do. It would be easier to protect people if he could literally put a shield around them.
There were also two random talent stones for three hundred points each. He hated to admit it, but Tamee was right. ¡°Looks like you get to enjoy the view a little longer,¡± he told her. He was going to have to skip the pants. Since there was not really anyone to judge his declining wardrobe Alan would just focus on getting stronger. The dungeon dwellers might give him strange looks, but they probably wouldn¡¯t remember it anyway. And even if they did, they were living on a planet he would probably never even hear of, let alone visit. The talent stones were more dungeon points than he had yet, but he could get a spell. He deliberated briefly, but decided to wait for a talent stone since he also didn¡¯t have anyone to shield yet, unless of course you could shield yourself. Tamee wouldn¡¯t tell him and the wiki had been vague on the specifics.
There was still some daylight left so he made his way to the tower he had passed twice now. It had to be a dungeon and like the towering redwood, it seemed too cool of an entrance to ignore. Once he was closer he could pick out some details. The stones appeared to be rather raggedly assembled, with many sticking part way out, but that there were no gaps between them. It was made of gray stone and had a conical roof made from some kind of dark wood. There were a couple of windows scattered around its circumference, but they were well out of reach and impossible to see through.
If this wasn¡¯t a wizards tower he would eat his non-existent hat. The tower was at least ten meters across, so it was big for one person, but small for a large group. On the west side was a door. This was different, all of the other dungeons had just been a shadowy opening, but this was an actual door. When he grabbed the handle he got a message that only one person could use this dungeon. That wasn¡¯t a problem for him so he pulled the door open. There was the traditional dungeon entrance. The time dilation on this thing was 100:1! Every 100 days inside would be like one on the outside. Alan was definitely doing this dungeon.
With the door opened wide he stepped into the portal of shadow. Alan could have sworn he heard a quiet but excited ¡°yes¡± as his world shifted into his newest adventure.
Interlude V
Returning to the surface Pierto took a deep breath of fresh air. This most recent dungeon had provided some good loot but it stank. His normally sleek fur was covered in slime and muck up to his waist. Looking at the rest of the party he saw the others were equally excited to be out of that mudhole. But one of them was glad for a very different reason.
¡°Report!¡± Afilada called out and a rabbit person who had been standing to the side rushed over.
¡°Congratulations mam,¡± he began but quickly changed tracks as he noticed her eyebrows lower. ¡°Um, we have located three new dungeons. The first has a time dilation of 5:1 and seems to be optimal for magical classes. They have to gather ingredients in a dark forest filled with level five and six monsters. The second has a time dilation of 2:1 and requires you to kill a single beast of level 9. The third has a dilation of 3:1 and places the party in the middle of a large battle. Their mission is to seek out some of the enemy elites and eliminate them.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Pierto watched his captain think for a moment. Even covered in muck she was a picture of strength and beauty. Her muscles were powerful yet sleek and her fur had a shine to it that set his heart racing. But what really made Afilada special was her ambition and her drive. She was going to conquer the world no matter what it took and he would be there to back her up.
¡°We¡¯ll take the third one. This dungeon should reset shortly, make sure another group is ready to go. The rewards are worth the risk,¡± she finished while gazing at the ring on her right hand.
¡°How about a bath first?¡± Forto asked.
She answered him with a glare and took off running with the rabbit leading the way.
¡°I guess not,¡± He said forlornly, his thick filthy legs started churning as he followed, spraying mud on his companions.
Pierto snorted and took his spot in the rear. Like he said, she was driven, but maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad if she was a little less driven
Chapter 19
New Quest: Becoming an apprentice (50)
[You have come to compete to be the apprentice of a powerful wizard. Prove yourself more deserving than the other contestants to earn one of the coveted spots as his student.]
At the same time the quest message came in, Alan also received another notification.
Party chat has been disabled
He didn¡¯t know that was even possible. It looked like he would be left to his own devices for this dungeon. Not that it would be that much different than normal. Since Tamee wasn¡¯t allowed to help him much when chat was active, he would be on his own like always. Well, not exactly alone. Looking around he was standing before an even larger version of the tower that had served as the entrance. This one was at least fifty meters across and stretched upwards for over a hundred meters as well.
The land surrounding it was green with short grass, similar to what he had found when he first arrived in the tutorial. Around the base of the tower was a ring of bushes. He didn¡¯t notice anything growing on them. About five hundred meters away he could see a forest. Scanning around, it appeared the forest surrounded the tower on all sides. Standing before the stone edifice with him were nineteen other people.
A quick check showed that they were human like him, or at least they appeared human. Most of them were wearing robes or holding short pointy sticks in their hands. Other than himself, two looked decidedly different. One was a woman holding a large axe and wearing some kind of armor made of small overlapping pieces of metal. The other was a large bare chested man who was wearing thick hide pants. He was at least two hundred and twenty centimeters tall. He also had a club resting against his shoulder. It made even Alan¡¯s thonking club feel inadequate. They were all standing there in a slightly curved line casting glances at each other. One of the people, a middle aged man wearing a robe, started to speak but was interrupted by a flash of light. A loud voice boomed out.
¡°Silence!¡±
When his eyesight cleared there was a thirty year old man wearing a fine blue shirt and well tailored black pants standing before us. He was tall, taller even than the bare chested brute, and had shoulder length bright blond hair. On his feet were highly tooled leather boots. He had a wide black belt at his waist with a large emerald on the buckle. He made for an impressive spectacle, which he was probably going for. That entrance had been timed rather well to make sure they didn¡¯t talk to each other and stayed focused on him. Speaking of focus, for some reason his identify skill wasn¡¯t giving him any information even though he was downright staring.
They all shifted nervously as the fancy looking man looked them over without even turning his head. Alan was at the far end of the line so he got to see him inspect the others first. His face showed almost nothing, but Alan could see a slight smile when he looked at the woman with the axe and a frown when he got to the bare chested man. When the appraising eyes got to him, Alan saw them briefly look down at his tattered outfit and a spark of disgust was in those eyes. Strike one for him.
¡°You are not yet worthy of knowing my name. You have all come here in the hope that I would choose you to be my apprentice. One of you will earn that spot, and after today only five of you can remain to compete for it. The others will be sent home in shame.¡±
There wasn¡¯t anything about apprentices in the wiki so he wasn¡¯t sure what it would mean for him, but at the very least it would be worth fifty dungeon points. His initial guess that this was a wizard tower was still in play, even if the guy wasn¡¯t exactly dressed for it. Almost all of the others certainly were. That made him wonder why the two obvious warriors were here. Then again Alan was technically a mage and didn¡¯t look the part either.
¡°Now you will demonstrate that you have the basic aptitude to be considered for this position. A mage without power will never be able to defend his achievements. Use a spell to hit the target. If you cannot control your power enough to hit it, or don¡¯t even have a spell capable of damaging it, you will be dismissed.¡±
As he finished saying this he snapped his fingers and a large bullseye target appeared maybe twenty meters away. This confirmed that he was a wizard, or mage, or whatever. One at a time the other hopefuls stepped up and set a spell zooming down toward the target. First up was an older woman, probably in her forties, who had one of the pointy sticks that were probably wands. She summoned a large bolt of flames that shot down and hit the target and left a big soot stain near the center.
Their future mentor nodded and motioned for her to step back. The next was wearing robes and sent another bolt of fire at the target. This one was smaller than the first lady, but it still left a scorch mark on the target. He was followed by another woman who caused the ground in front of the target to thrust up and hit the target. That must be what stone spear looked like.
One after another the others stepped up. The first failure was a young man, around twenty-two with a wand who shot a light bolt at the target. Alan was initially excited to see someone else with the same spell, but he missed the target by a wide margin.
¡°Can I try again? I was nervous.¡± He meekly asked.
¡°No¡± and with another snap of his fingers the young man was suddenly gone.
The next failure was the lady with the axe. When it was her turn she stored the axe in some kind of spatial storage and then pulled out a bow. She drew the bow back and carefully sighted on the target. When she fired she hit just next to the bullseye, which Alan thought was impressive.
¡°No magic at all? Dismissed.¡± With another snap of his fingers she was gone.
Two more failed this first test, but surprisingly the man with the club was not one of them. When it was his turn he used a stone spear to strike the target. At last it was almost Alan¡¯s turn, a young boy, maybe 18 years old, was the penultimate competitor.
He was wearing a thick dark robe with the hood up so Alan couldn¡¯t see much other than his face. The robe wasn¡¯t black, but it was a shade of gray that might as well have been black. The young man held his hand palm up and summoned a ball of shadows. He stared at it for a moment before throwing it at the target. Alan couldn¡¯t tell if the hand gesture was really necessary because it formed into a bolt the same as the fire or light version had. It seemed more like part of the goth edgelord image he seemed to be cultivating.
He struck the center of the target with what was probably called a shadow bolt or dark bolt, the opposite of Alan¡¯s light bolt. Their observer seemed impressed and motioned for him to join the rest. Now it was Alan¡¯s turn. Last but hopefully not least.
It was a little nerve racking because he hadn¡¯t practiced much with his spell. He had used it many times but always in the heat of battle. And usually the target was right in front of him so the thought of hitting a target so far away was a little worrying. Being the center of attention was also not helping. Turns out he was right to be worried as the bolt barely clipped the edge of the target. With a condescending look, their future mentor motioned for him to join the others.
¡°If all you have is a bolt of power you might as well be a fool with a bow,¡± there was a sneer on his lips as he said this, ¡°a real mage must also understand his power or he will never have a chance to improve his spells.¡± That was news to Alan since he didn¡¯t know spells could improve. He thought you just had to find better spells.
Raising his hand in front of his mouth the wizard whispered something into it. A small ball of light formed above his palm. Then, like he was casting out confetti he flung the ball up. Six glowing glyphs formed in the air.
¡°These glyphs represent the six elements that a quartz mage might have access to. Identify as many of these as you can. If you can¡¯t identify at least one, you will be dismissed.¡±
The process for completing this one wasn¡¯t clear. If they took turns like last time then they would be able to see the answers of those who went before. Apparently he should have given their future master more credit. With another flourish of his arms and some whispered words a tan piece of parchment formed in each of their hands.
On the paper were the six glyphs shining in the air. Below that were six pictures. There was a boulder, a drop of water, a flame, what looked like a gust of wind, a white sun, and a black sun. The pictures were fairly simple to figure out, even the black sun was obvious next to the white one.
Passing this test was going to be easy for Alan. He already knew what two of the glyphs represented from the mage dungeon. But the competitor in him didn¡¯t want to just pass, he wanted to be the best. He was still a little fuzzy on how to indicate on the paper which glyph went to which picture, but when he brought his finger towards the parchment to touch the glyph for water the page started glowing beneath his fingertip. When he touched the glyph for water and then dragged his finger toward the picture of the water drop, a black line was burned into the page.
At first he was sure he also knew the glyph for light, the one that had matched up with the skylight in the cave. But then it occurred to him that it could have been air instead. He studied the glowing glyph in the clearing for a moment before cursing himself as an idiot. That seemed to be happening a lot recently.
Focusing on the glyph itself Alan attempted to read its energy. After all the time he spent studying the aura of everything, he hadn¡¯t tried it once in here. The energy of the glyph seemed almost identical to the energy he had been channeling into his items to reinforce them.
Now that he was thinking about it, he summoned a light bolt into his hand and let it sit there. He had seen the young mage hold his dark bolt so he knew it was possible. Studying its energy he felt that it was the same as what was in the glyph. Alan attempted to reabsorb the energy from the bolt and the orb dissipated. Some, but not all, of the mana he had spent to summon it flowed back into him.
Confident now that the glyph was light he traced the connection on the parchment. That left four. Two more were easy to recognize from the circle around the tree. They were the two that had no connection to any feature in the room. He figured they would be earth and air, two components that are necessary for plants to grow.
Without anything else to decide between them he again studied the energy contained in the glyphs. The first glyph contained a hard, rigid kind of energy. It would be difficult to force it to do what you wanted, you would instead have to coax and cajole it to do something. The other glyph¡¯s energy had the opposite problem. It had almost no structure to it, the lines were constantly shifting around, and it would be a struggle to get it to maintain its form.
The first was most likely earth and the second air. That left two more that he didn¡¯t recognize. There were similarities in one of the glyphs to the fifth and final one he had encountered in the magic circle. That glyph was attached to the glowing crystal which made him think it was somehow related to fire. Fire obviously wouldn¡¯t be good for plants, but heat maybe? The other glyph was totally new, but just based on the process of elimination it was a simple matter to determine its meaning.
Since it seemed time was not an issue he decided to make sure. Alan focused on both of the remaining glyphs. One contained an abundance of energy. It was almost eager to be released, straining at its form. The other was difficult to sense. It didn¡¯t seem to have a pattern to it, instead it was omnipresent. Something about what he was sensing disturbed him. That pretty much confirmed his choices, unless of course he was hallucinating the whole thing. He assigned the last two glyphs to fire and darkness respectively.
Now that his own task was completed he took the chance to look around to see how the others were doing. There were still a few looking between their papers and the glyphs but Alan was one of the last to finish.
When the final hopeful made their selection, all of the papers disappeared from their hands. ¡°Congratulations to those who passed. Goodbye to those who did not.¡±
With another wave of his hand, two more people disappeared. The club guy was still here. He didn¡¯t look like a mage, but he must have a good head to go with that big club. Or he got lucky. Just guessing randomly you had a good chance of getting at least one right. While he was considering his fellow competitor something formed in Alan¡¯s hand. Looking down he saw another paper, this time with a drawing of a magic circle.
¡°Each of you will now demonstrate your ability to follow directions. On this page is a simple magic circle that protects those inside from being teleported. Two hours from now I will teleport you all away. Only those who have successfully completed their circle shall remain. This is the final test, if more than five of you remain I will pick based on the sum of your trials.¡±
Another snap of his fingers and they were sent to locations spread out around the tower. Before Alan was a seven meter square section of ground without any grass growing on it. The dirt was smooth and loose, like a sand box. Next to the bare patch of ground was a sack containing crushed quartz.
Feeling somewhat confident, he studied the diagram in his hands. It was thankfully much simpler than the one from the mage dungeon. There were only two circles for this diagram, instead of three. An inner and an outer. Between them was a series of zigzagging lines connecting them. He was about to start drawing the larger circle when he realized he didn¡¯t know how big to make it.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Flipping the paper he looked on both sides and couldn¡¯t see any kind of scale. With nothing else to go on, he sent his senses into the paper and there was a spot where the energy seemed locked up somehow. It was almost like what he felt when cultivating after his body added new pathways. He sent his will towards the snarl and suddenly it smoothed out like it was never there. He was getting pretty good at this aura stuff, if he did say so himself.
Refocusing his eyes on the page he noticed that there were now words at the bottom. The outer circle should be five meters across and the inner one should be three point three meters across. Hopefully there was some leniency in those measurements since Alan didn¡¯t have a tape measure. He paced it off as best he could and used the powdered quartz to draw the two circles.
It was slow going because he wanted them to be as perfect a circle as possible and he knew how hard it was to undo mistakes. Almost half of his time was used up now and he still had to do all the lines connecting them. With his aura senses active he could already feel energy moving through the two circles. As he carefully drew the first few lines the energy between the circles started to interact with each other. He had gotten about halfway through the connecting lines when their testor shouted ¡®ten minutes¡¯. He was taking too long.
Alan was never going to finish in time if he had to keep consulting the diagram. While he had been drawing, a growing sense of understanding of how the energy was forming had been taking shape in his mind. For the previous line he drew, Alan had known where it needed to go before consulting the diagram. Convincing the persnickety part of his brain to trust in himself, he set the paper aside and followed his instincts. His mind and sense told him where the line would need to start on the outer circle and then connect to the inner circle.
Pouring the quartz sand out of the bag, he quickly drew the lines and his vision actually made it easier to keep the line straight. He set the bag down as he finished with less than a minute left, happy with what he had accomplished. In the distance he saw the mage begin to move his arms in a spell when Alan realized he was standing outside of the circle. He hurriedly hopped into the interior as the teleportation spell was completed. Tamee would have never let him hear the end of it if he failed for such a stupid reason. Flashes lit up all around the clearing and afterwards there were six of the humans left in their circles. Another flash and they were suddenly standing before the tower again.
¡°I know I said those circles would prevent you from being teleported, but did you really think anything you could do would stop me if I really wanted to?¡± He paused to smirk. This guy was really laying it on thick. Alan couldn¡¯t tell if it was an act or if he was just that full of himself.
¡°We seem to have more of you than we need. I will now pick the five who will remain. When I point to you, walk into the tower and wait for me there.¡±
The first he pointed to was the young boy who used the shadow bolt. The second was the older woman who had gone first in the target practice. Third was the club guy. At the start Alan would have bet money against him making it, but clearly there was more to him than meets the eye. There were now three of them left for two spots.
There was Alan, a woman about his age holding a wand, and a much older gentleman in a brown robe with the hood down so his grey hair shone in the sun. He matched the image of a distinguished wizard quite well. The eyes of their possible mentor paused on each of them before he pointed at the woman. She looked back at the other two before hurriedly skipping inside. The last two looked at each other.
Alan had seen their examiner¡¯s look of disgust when he first saw him so he had no hope in being chosen. But then he saw that perfectly manicured finger pointing straight at him. With another flourish the Mage made the older man disappear. Before Alan could walk into the tower his new mentor held up his hand.
¡°I was impressed that you could identify all of the glyphs. However, I have a certain image to maintain.¡± With that he reached toward his belt and pulled out a fresh clean set of trainee tunic and pants and tossed them at his feet. ¡°Try not to ruin these.¡± And with that he was gone.
Quest Update: Becoming an apprentice (100)
[You have passed the first series of tests. Survive the next culling. Reward: this opportunity is its own reward and 50 dungeon points.]
Standing there in the open Alan quickly stripped out of his filthy rags, not caring who might see, and changed into the new clothes. Even if he left now this dungeon had been worth it, fifty dungeon points and clean whole clothes! Worried that he would be punished for delaying, he then ran inside. He needn¡¯t have worried.
After passing through the door he entered a large open room that was over six meters tall. Tapestries hung from the walls showing scenes of battle or magical forces swirling and combining. One tapestry showed what looked like a dragon flying through space with people riding on its back. They all seemed to be of high quality, not that he was an expert on tapestries, and they gave the space an elegant feel.
The other chosen were walking around the room taking in the sights. There were no windows or other doors here, and no stairs leading up or down. When Alan came through the front door it disappeared leaving them trapped in this large stone room.
¡°Welcome to my home.¡± the man from outside¡¯s voice called out. Looking around he saw an opening form in the ceiling near the far wall. A pair of feet appeared, stepping down from the hole, and with each step a stair formed beneath them. He spoke to them as a staircase formed under his feet all the way down.
¡°By coming this far you have earned the right to refer to me as ¡®Master¡¯. However, while I am your Master, you are not my apprentices, not yet. Only one of you will earn that title. Over the next year I will slowly winnow you down to one. That one will then earn the title apprentice.¡±
That was a bit of a shock. This was going to take a year? Even with the time dilation, just earning the spot would take three days of real time. Although, Alan wasn¡¯t actually sure how long a year was in the Network, and he couldn¡¯t ask Tamee with his chat blocked off. He wasn¡¯t sure if this was going to be worth it, but he figured he should at least give it a try. Anything with this rigorous an entrance test should have some good stuff for rewards.
The Master continued, ¡°on the floor above us you will find five rooms. These will be your sleeping quarters. Each of you should choose a room and leave all of your stuff there. Don¡¯t worry, your rooms are secure from theft. Then make your way up to the next floor where you will find the dining and common area. I will explain what comes next while we eat.¡±
Some of the others were in a rush to go upstairs and get first pick of the rooms. The boy with the dark magic was the first up the stairs, his gangly legs pumping as he sprinted up. The two ladies followed at a more reasonable pace. Alan wasn¡¯t worried about it, he would approach this with his eyes open, so he took his time. The last candidate must have been of a like mind because Alan found himself walking up the stone steps next to the bare chested man. Being so close to him he could tell that the guy was easily two meters tall. He decided to introduce himself so that he could finally get a name for at least one of the others.
¡°Hello, my name¡¯s Alan. What¡¯s yours?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what to expect from him, but the man¡¯s deep voice was full of energy. His words came like an avalanche rushing down a mountain.
¡°My name is Simon. Welcome Alan. This is not what I expected when I came here.¡±
It was nice to know he wasn¡¯t the only one in the dark about the dungeon when coming here. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to expect either, so I guess we¡¯re in the same boat.¡±
Alan wasn¡¯t sure how much he should share about himself. He wasn¡¯t sure if this was a dungeon dweller next to him, or possibly another recruit from a different zone. No one had said anything, but the fact that his chat cut off and something about the way the others had held themselves made Alan think they were not just NPCs. The staircase wasn''t long and they arrived at the dormitories while he was still trying to come up with something to say.
There was a small open area by the staircase and then a hallway with doors leading off of it. There weren¡¯t any other stairs, but something about the empty space near the stairs down suggested there should be some going farther up. He said goodbye to Simon and picked the first open room he came to. It ended up being the one right by the stairs. It would probably be the loudest room, with people going past, but it would also make his trips a little shorter. He didn¡¯t mind, focus, even before it became a stat, wasn¡¯t something he struggled with.
The Master had said to leave everything in the room, but he wasn¡¯t sure what that meant. He wasn¡¯t carrying anything or wearing a backpack. Was he supposed to take off his weapons, his pouches, all his clothes? Probably not the clothes. He stood there for a moment before there was a whisper in his ear.
¡°Just leave it all here. The only things you will need are your clothes and yourself.¡±
Spinning quickly he was surprised to find there was no one there. It was the Master¡¯s voice, but apparently he didn¡¯t need to be physically present for them to hear, or for him to see. That was an unsettling thought, although if he was a wizard who knew what his powers were. Alan took off all of his pouches and his daggers and turned to go. It was a little hard to leave the spatial storage pouch, but there honestly wasn¡¯t much in there anymore other than some animal carcusses.
Stepping out of the door and back into the hallway he found everyone else standing in front of their doors. They glanced at each other, none of them seeming to want to make the first move. Shrugging, Alan turned and led the procession up to the next floor. Sure enough, there was now a stairway up, right where he had expected one to be.
The next floor was another large open space, similar to the first floor, but this ceiling was only two hundred and forty centimeters high. There was a long table on one side of the room with a bench on either side and one large wooden chair at the far end. Alan figured it was some kind of dining area. The other side of the room had a couple of smaller tables with a few chairs scattered around them. There was also a pair of couches with a coffee table between them. The couches were some kind of wicker construction with fabric cushions to sit on. This side looked more like a lounge.
Back on the dining side there were five place settings around the table. Each one had a ring on top of the plate. As the students made their way closer Alan could tell that they all had a polished quartz stone set in a band of wood. Each ring was made with a wood of a different color. His eyes immediately were drawn to the ring that was a pale but luminescent color. The plates on either side of that one held a ring with a rich red color and another that was a dark brown.
On the opposite side of the table was a lighter brown ring and another that was made of ebony or some other dark wood. Each of them was drawn to a different ring and they all took their place in front of them. Once more they looked around at each other, unsure whether they should sit or wait for the Master but that decision was suddenly taken away from them.
One moment the head seat was empty and the next the Master was sitting in the fine chair. ¡°Please take your seats.¡± All of the students crawled their way onto the benches. Simon had some trouble getting his legs to fit under the table and over the bench. One of the drawbacks of being tall apparently. Once they were settled, the Master gestured at the rings.
¡°Please put those on. They each have a small storage area. Inside are the materials you will need for the next month. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the contents before we begin dinner.¡±
Alan picked up the ring and slid it onto his left pinky. It was too small to fit on any of his other fingers. He was about to try and access the storage when all of the students simultaneously gasped in pain. Looking down Alan found a large splinter in his finger that must have broken off from the ring. Pulling it out a spot of blood welled up, pushing against his new item. He wiped it off with his other hand and surreptitiously licked it off so that he didn¡¯t wipe it on his new clean clothes.
Finally getting to check out the ring he received a nice surprise. The ¡®small¡¯ storage space was larger than the one inside his pouch. It could easily fit up to fifty cubic meters. Once again he was incredibly thankful that he had entered this dungeon. The clothes were already a fine prize and this ring was a precious reward that was probably worth the three days he might lose. And the ring wasn¡¯t empty either. Inside were a few books and a sheaf of parchment. There were also pouches that contained various flowers and plants and a pouch containing crushed quartz.
¡°I realize none of you actually know why you are here. You are all inside of a dungeon you found on your tutorial disk.¡± There were startled looks from the others, but this just confirmed Alan¡¯s earlier guess. ¡°Yes, you are all recruits from your planet. This is a very special dungeon that links some of those zones together. You might be worried about the time you will lose here, but trust me, if you put your effort into learning what I have to teach you, it will be more than worth it.¡±
Knowing for sure that these were not dungeon dwellers, but instead other contestants presented him with a golden opportunity. Being alone had provided him advantages, but also some serious drawbacks. Here was a chance to network with others from Earth. He could find out how some of the different zones were doing and maybe they could come up with strategies to help them all out. It would also allow him to compare notes on some of the things Tamee had been unwilling to discuss.
¡°Before you get too excited, you are not allowed to talk about your experiences inside the tutorial, other than your classes and talents. You may discuss your lives before coming to the tutorial, but that''s it. I want you focused on magic while you are here, not the upcoming trials. For now, let us enjoy some food in silence.¡±
On their plates appeared a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and gravy. It was nice to enjoy a meal with others from Earth, but it would have been nicer if they could talk to each other. Maybe there would be a way to find some unsupervised time where they could get around the Master¡¯s restrictions.
¡°Now that we have finished our main course I will share my expectations of you before we have dessert. In your rings you will find four books. One is a spellbook. These are incredibly valuable because they have the ability to teach someone spells without being consumed. The drawback is that you have to work for it. Unlike a scroll where the knowledge is imprinted directly into your brain you will have to learn how to cast the spell yourself.¡± Alan didn¡¯t know enough yet to understand what he meant by learning how to cast it, but he figured he would find out once they had a chance to look the book over.
¡°Being new recruits you probably don¡¯t have a good understanding of magic. That is what the other books are for. One is a book containing one hundred glyphs for you to memorize. The second is a book of translation. This book translates between galactic standard and the magical symbols.¡± He must have seen their looks of confusion because he paused his speech.
¡°Galactic standard is the language we are all speaking right now. You may think you were speaking your native language, but you will find that your brain is actually interpreting what you want to say in your language and then sends the galactic standard to your vocal cords. The same happens in reverse with your ears. You can think of it as a kind of universal translator.¡±
This was both mind blowing, and obvious with hindsight. The complex difficulty inherent in what he was describing was incredible. However, Alan had interacted with two completely different races in dungeons and was expected to compete directly with three more in the tutorial. It would be weird if they all spoke English, and it would make things difficult if they couldn¡¯t understand each other.
¡°The magical symbols are the graphical representation of magical concepts. It is through these symbols that we can cast spells and impart magical knowledge to others. This is what scrolls and spellbooks are written in. Glyphs are a complicated form of magical symbols.¡±
He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I hope that clears up some of the confusion. The last book is a kind of magical primer. This will help you to decipher the concepts that the spellbook explains. At the end of this month you will all be tested again on your knowledge of the one hundred glyphs and your ability to cast the spells in the spellbook.¡± With that he tapped his glass and a piece of chocolate cake formed on everyone¡¯s plate. They all dug in except for the teenager. He sat with his hands on his lap staring at the cake.
¡°I hope you all enjoyed dinner. Shortly after sunrise tomorrow I expect you all back up here for breakfast. After that I will show you to your workspaces so that you can begin your studying. I suggest for tonight that you all return to your rooms and get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±
He gestured for them to stand and they all got up from the table. With nowhere else to go they made their way back downstairs and without saying a word to each other, ducked into their rooms. The Master wanted them to sleep, but there was no way Alan was going to be able to until he checked out some of those books.
Chapter 20
He decided to start with the spellbook. The Master had said it was different from a scroll and he wanted to see what that actually looked like. The first thing Alan noticed was that it was written in the same symbols that he had seen on the scrolls, but this time there was no automatic translation as he tried to read it. The second thing that was different is that it seemed like each spell took up multiple pages in the book.
It didn¡¯t look like he was going to get much from it until he started translating. Next up was the primer on magic. This too was written in the language of symbols. To say he was disappointed was an understatement. The amount of time he would have to spend learning the symbols was daunting. Alan had learned a couple of foreign languages back in the army and he knew how much effort it took to become fluent in something. And those were with languages that shared an alphabet. However, if he could get to that stage it would be much better than simply using it for translation.
Third up was the translation book. It was not like the bilingual dictionaries you would use in school. Those had two sections, one for translating language A into language B and another section for B to A. This book only went one way, symbols into English. He now knew that it wasn¡¯t actually English, but decided to just call it that in his head. It would be easier that way.
The last thing he looked at was the glyph book. This had a page for each of the hundred glyphs. There was a large drawing of it at the top of the page, an English description of the glyph, and then at the bottom a large paragraph written using the magical symbols. Alan was starting to realize just how much work this was going to be. A month no longer seemed like plenty of time, and the Master¡¯s insistence that they focus on their studies made more sense.
The sun was just setting, something he could tell because of a small window high up in his room. It was enough to let light in but he would be unable to see much out of it, even if he could get up there. Making a decision, he took out his whetstone. It wasn¡¯t to sharpen his daggers, at least not yet, it was to use it as a nightlight.
Over the many hours he had spent sharpening his blades he had invested a lot of mana into the stone. It now glowed enough to provide light to read by. He could have cast his light spell instead, but that requires some concentration to maintain. Alan was going to need all of his brain to study these books. The stone was also more likely to be overlooked by their magical overseer than a spell.
He had lots of parchment in his ring on which he could write translations, but there wasn¡¯t a pen for writing. Instead Alan elected to just go through the motions of translating. It would help him get used to the process again and hopefully let him start working tomorrow with a better idea of what they was dealing with. Having the symbols be one of the last things in his brain before bed would also help him start to comprehend them.
For tonight he decided to translate some of the spell titles in the book. The first spell, he quickly learned, was fire bolt. Alan found that it was fairly simple to translate. Maybe something in his stats was making it easier to do. If he was a betting man his money would be on intelligence.
That first title only took five minutes to get what seemed like a correct translation so he decided to try all of the spell titles. There were six in total, one for each of the glyphs they were shown earlier. There was the aforementioned fire bolt and also stone spear, light bolt, shadow bolt, conjure water, and gust.
It was only after translating the last title that Alan realized he had a slight headache. It must have been more work than he thought while in the flow. The translation was not as simple as certain symbols being used in place of traditional English letters. That would have been childsplay to deal with. And it wasn¡¯t symbols being used in place of words like in some eastern languages. That would have been more work, but eventually it would have been a simple matter to translate. The reality was far more complicated.
The symbols used in this arcane language expressed magical concepts that the dictionary tried to explain in english. You then had to put those concepts together to understand the meaning. An example was light bolt. It wasn¡¯t two symbols, one meaning light and another meaning bolt. Instead it was a series of eight symbols that expressed the concept of focused energy that shed visible light and could be directed with your mind at an object to disrupt its energy flows.
That was not too bad to figure out using context clues since he already knew of the spell beforehand, and actually knew how to cast it. All of the other spells listed were not something he had much experience with, and for the spells conjure water and gust, he hadn¡¯t even seen anyone else cast them. However, as he used the translation guide more, he was finding that it was getting a little easier to understand, at least a little bit, how the whole concept would come together for a name. While he thought he knew what the titles were, he wouldn¡¯t know until he could check with the Master. Maybe tomorrow there would be an opportunity to see if he had translated them correctly.
The headache and the thought of more translation tomorrow was enough to convince him that he should be done for now. Alan picked up his daggers from where he had left them on the bed and set about sharpening them. They had seen a lot of use fighting the kobolds today so it took a long time to hone them to his satisfaction.
Not only his weapons had seen a lot of use. His classes had seen a lot of growth as well. So much that it took all of the time he spent sharpening to fix his aura. That even included the limited time he spent sharpening one of the kobold scimitars. While the blade was a little banged up and the hilt could use a new wrapping, the edge had already been incredibly sharp. Say what you want about those monsters, they knew how to keep their weapons keen.
While he was working on fixing his pathways he also was inspecting them. After Tamee had let the strength pathway comment slip, Alan had also been trying to see if he could tell the difference between the pathways. So far they all seemed the same.
He raided his ever dwindling fruit stash in his pouch as a treat before bed. Hopefully his small garden would be a success so that he could restore his snacks. He had stalled long enough, it was time to go to sleep so he could see what tomorrow would bring. With a sigh he placed the daggers into his pouch. Alan didn¡¯t think he was going to be using them while he was in the tower, and if they were left in the magical pouch he wouldn¡¯t have to sharpen them everyday. The whetstone went in his ring, it would be handy as a reading light and as a mana-infused item he could study. Laying down on the bed he luxuriated in the soft support. He had to admit, the idea of sleeping in a real bed for the next year was appealing. Although, the blanket wasn¡¯t as soft as his wolf furs.
* * *
He rose early the next morning as usual. Alan chose yoga for today''s morning routine since there wasn''t a lot of space in the room to move around. After finishing a routine that left him limbered up, he had to spend a little more time on cultivation. After all that it still wasn¡¯t sunrise, so he decided to explore a little.
Opening the door to the hallway, he peeked out and saw everyone else¡¯s were still closed. The lounge area might be a nice place to set up, but his feet were itching and so he chose to head down to see if they were still stuck in here. Sure enough there was still no door, but there was something new. Apparently Alan wasn¡¯t the only one eager to start the day.
Simon was down there working out, still without a shirt. He must have brought some large rocks in his storage space because he was doing a form of kettlebell swings with a boulder. He saw Alan but didn¡¯t stop until he finished his set.
¡°Good morning, I hope I didn¡¯t wake you,¡± The giant rumbled out
¡°Morning Simon. No, you¡¯re good. I have been up and active for a while now. Are you an early riser too?¡±
¡°There is much to do in a day and I never have enough time.¡±
He offered Alan a rock from his ring. It wasn¡¯t quite as large as his, but it was still around four hundred pounds. Pre-System this would have been difficult to do anything with, especially since it was an awkward shape for lifting. That would be the kind of rock they try to lift at a world¡¯s strongest man challenge. Now Alan was using it to do a squat. He found that it was a slight challenge, but he could easily do sets of ten. In between, the two chatted.
¡°So Alan, you do not look like the others with their robes and flimsy wands. What is your main class?¡±
Alan had tried to identify his housemates but found that his skill was somehow being blocked. Simon¡¯s question suggested this was true for the others as well. He wasn¡¯t about to share all of his secrets, but his original outfit and weapons had given hints anyway.
¡°The first class I picked up was rogue, how about you?¡±
¡°My first class was mage, but then my second was fighter. It was a much more comfortable fit.¡±
¡°Did you check out the books last night?¡±
Simon set down the two rocks he was using for bicep curls before answering. ¡°I admit that I tried, but found no success. I tried to translate some of the first spell but I couldn¡¯t understand what it was trying to tell me. You?¡±
Alan wasn¡¯t much for bragging and he wasn¡¯t sure how much to share with someone he was in fact competing against. ¡°I was able to get through a little bit. I found that you had to try and think of the symbols all together to get the meaning.¡±
He grunted at this and took out an even larger rock and started to do overhead presses. Alan thought he might be trying to impress him with his strength to make up for the smaller man¡¯s success with the books. It wasn¡¯t much longer before the sun was rising and it was time to go to breakfast. Simon stored his rocks and they headed up together. When they arrived at the dining area, the rest of the group, except for the woman who was his age, were already there. Sensing another opportunity to get names, Alan dove right in.
¡°Good morning everyone, my name is Alan and this is Simon! How¡¯s everyone doing?¡±
There was a groan from the stairs and he looked back to see that the last contestant had finally made her way up. ¡°Ughh, you¡¯re one of those annoying morning people aren¡¯t you?¡± Her hair was disheveled and there might have been some dried drool in the corner of her mouth. Even so, she was still very attractive.
He gave her a big grin but toned the energy down a little. ¡°Yes I am, sorry. Good morning! Mind sharing your name?¡±
¡°The name''s Harper. Has anyone seen the coffee?¡± She asked as she slid onto the bench at the table. They didn¡¯t see any food yet, but after Harper had gotten the ball rolling the others introduced themselves. The older woman was Valori and the young kid was Ezra.
It turned out that none of them had gone to sleep right away and they had all tried reading the various books. Harper and Valori hadn¡¯t had much luck either, like Simon, but Ezra was another story.
¡°I got through the titles of several of the spells, but didn¡¯t get very far when I tried to translate the descriptions.¡± He finally admitted. He seemed shy, but he obviously knew his stuff. He and Alan compared notes on their translations of the titles. They matched except the spell Alan translated as ¡®gust¡¯, he translated as ¡®wind¡¯.
¡°You guys are a bunch of nerds.¡± That was Harper who was making fun of them for having taken out their books and comparing their translations. She may have thought them silly, but someone, at least, appreciated their rabid curiosity.
¡°What a studious group we have here. Maybe there is hope for you after all.¡± Once again the Master was just suddenly there. None of them had seen him walk in from anywhere. ¡°If you two will put your books away we can have breakfast. You will have plenty of time later to work.¡±
Ezra had jumped when the Master started talking and knocked one of his books to the floor. Bending down he picked it up and gathered the rest of his books into his ring. Alan also stored the couple he had taken out. With the table now cleared, the Master summoned in their breakfast. Unlike dinner, their plates stayed empty, but there were now platters and bowls full of food in front of them. The meal would be served family style apparently.
For protein there was a large platter of bacon, a dish of scrambled eggs, and another of fried eggs. There were several different types of pancakes and a large bowl of porridge. There was also a platter of different fruits. Alan grabbed a couple of bananas and a handful of strawberries when no one was looking and stuffed them in his ring. He was starting to think that he might have a hoarding problem when it came to fruits.
There was mostly silence while they ate until Alan worked up the courage to ask their host a question. ¡°So, which of us was right? Is it gust or wind?¡±
Everyone paused their eating to see how he would react. ¡°Trying to convert magical concepts into standard can oftentimes lead to different translations. Neither of those would be incorrect, however, the accepted name for that spell is gust.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Ezra had a scowl but Alan wasn¡¯t going to let one correct translation go to his head. You would have thought that the Master answering rather than yelling at him would have opened the floodgates and they would have been asking questions all morning. Unfortunately, the newly inducted contestants really didn¡¯t know enough to ask questions yet. The rest of breakfast passed quickly and then they were following their mentor upstairs. Using a staircase that wasn''t there before breakfast.
¡°The next three floors contain workshops. Each floor has two identical spaces for you to work in. You might wonder why there are six workshops when there are only five of you. I just couldn¡¯t stand the thought of the lost symmetry if I tried to do an odd number. At the moment these rooms contain a couple of tables, a few chairs, and some pens and ink. Your only job between now and when I test you at the end of the month is to learn as many of the spells as you can, and to memorize those glyphs. Whoever performs the worst at the end of that time will be dismissed.¡±
Alan was given the left hand workshop on the fifth floor. Valori was in the workspace next to his. Simon and Harper were below them and Ezra got one of the spaces above. He seemed happy to have the whole floor to himself. That kid was pouring out definite loner vibes.
The next two weeks passed in a blur. Simon and Alan continued to work out together in the mornings. Some days they would lift and others Alan would get him to do yoga. The big man was willing to do that, but very resistant to tai chi for some reason. They would also occasionally spar. The two didn¡¯t use weapons since they didn¡¯t want to damage anything, especially themselves, but it was still nice to have someone to practice with.
Simon was not only bigger than him, but also significantly stronger. However, when it came to speed it wasn¡¯t even close. Alan sometimes felt like a hummingbird flitting around the larger man. He found that he was a little tougher than him too, which was a surprise. Even though Simon was punching much harder, their hits seemed to have the same effect on the other due to Alan¡¯s higher endurance.
Every morning and evening the whole group would eat together. It felt rather decadent after the little food he had been consuming previously, however Alan wasn¡¯t going to turn it down. He even managed to score some watermelon slices and a cantaloupe to add to his fruit stash. He was going to need a bigger garden.
The days were spent mostly in study. The first week they each left from breakfast and spent almost the entire time in their own workspace ignoring everyone else. It wasn¡¯t till some of them started getting frustrated in the second week that they began to discuss their studies with each other.
They were all making progress on translating the symbols. Alan found that learning the symbols was very easy, he assumed it was one of his stats that was helping with this. The hard part was combining them into a concept that he could relate to. It was especially tricky if there were more than three or four symbols together.
To make it worse, the things they were trying to translate were often not ideas they already had experience with. Many of them touched on concepts of magic that didn¡¯t make sense coming from a society of science. That''s where the primer came in. It was a rather arduous process of flipping between the spellbook, the dictionary, and the primer over and over.
Translations aside, nobody had made any progress on casting a new spell. It was Harper who had the idea to come together and share what it was like casting their own spells. Between the five of them they could cast four different spells from the book. Harper approached them with the plan after breakfast at the end of that first week and instead of going to their workspaces the group moved over to the sitting area on the dining floor.
¡°So I was thinking,¡± Harper began. ¡°If we could each share what it feels like to cast our own spells, it might help us figure out what we are missing.¡±
Ezra was reluctant but Valori managed to convince him to stay. Alan thought that he looked at her as a kind of mother figure. She was the only one of them who he willingly talked to. They didn¡¯t make any progress that day, but it did give Alan an idea to try later.Even without any evidence of its usefulness so far, everyone agreed to meet each day around lunch time to share any insights they had gained.
The problem they were all having was the very first part of casting the spells. Each spell in the book began by saying they needed to ¡®grab¡¯ a certain type of mana. Alan was working mostly on fire bolt because it seemed the closest to what he was used to. So the spell said to grab a strand of fire mana, and the first time he read it he didn¡¯t know what that meant.
That led him to the primer which described how your energy, or mana, comes from your soul in a pure form. Each person¡¯s aura ends up making changes to it as it moves into their pathways, but the energy in their mana pool stays mostly pure. That term, pure, hadn¡¯t meant anything to Alan in the context so it meant another trip through the primer to understand that concept.
It said to think of mana like light. There was an entire spectrum of different energies. Your soul, like sunlight, contains the entire spectrum. In order to grab a certain type of mana, you were supposed to create a metaphysical prism that would split the light, in this case your ¡®pure¡¯ energy, up and then you could select the type you wanted. At the moment the students¡¯ prisms were only capable of splitting that energy up into the six types they were studying.
The primer was not very good at explaining how to do this, or possibly they were just particularly dense students. By talking about how to cast their own spells they were trying to learn how to grasp these other types of mana.
Alan¡¯s idea was that maybe he should forget the other spells for now and just focus only on what he could cast. Really feel what it means to grab light mana. In listening to the others explaining what their own spells felt like he had realized that they had, at best, a surface level understanding of what was happening with their energy.
He spent the rest of that day summoning a light bolt into his hand and then letting it dissipate. The problem the students had is that when they cast their spell they somehow split up the mana to find the correct type, but because they had learned the spell through a scroll they didn¡¯t really know how they were doing it. The scroll inserted the knowledge of how to cast into their brain, but they didn¡¯t really have a good way to access that information. Instead it was like they had a button they could press when they needed to cast the spell, but they had no idea of what the process was that the button began.
What Alan needed to do was to try and study what happens when he pushes that button. There must be a way to actually access the ball of knowledge that was his spell. What made it incredibly difficult was that the process was happening in an instant, but his growing aura reading ability turned out to be very helpful.
It took him two days of intense scrutiny until he could see what happened. Instead of a prism splitting up light it was more like finding the end of a braid or weaving. If you look at the middle of a blanket you see a pattern and not the individual threads, but if you can find the edges you can find each string that went into it.
It was on the fourth day of that second week that Alan finally managed to replicate this himself. There in the palm of his hand was a strand of light mana. He was excited, but this was only the first step in the spell. Luckily the rest wasn¡¯t so bad. Once he could find the strand of light mana he had to form it into a specific pattern. What made this a trippy process is you shaped it not just with your mind, but with your hands and your words. This is where the verbal and somatic components came from. Light bolt was so simple that it didn¡¯t even require specific gestures, almost any kinetic energy would form the spell.
Finally, as he lay on his bed twelve days since first stepping foot in the tower, Alan managed to cast light bolt on his own. It sat there in his palm and he marveled at the ball of light that he had brought into existence. He already had known how to cast light bolt, but now he had cast it without pushing the button. Instead every step of the process had been done intentionally and without any assistance from the Network.
With great excitement Alan shared his insights with the group the next day. He could have kept it to himself, but in addition to wanting to help humanity move forward, he was also a very competitive person. That is a big part of how he ended up being a Green Beret. His type of competitiveness, however, wasn¡¯t about winning at all costs. It¡¯s about winning by beating his opponents, by being better than they are. And the better his competitor the more it would force him to push himself.
The rest of that afternoon was spent with Alan explaining what he had done. Not just what he had done, but also how he had done it. If he was going to get insight into their spells they too needed to dig into how they actually did what they did. None of them really got it before dinner, but he saw Ezra head up to his workspace instead of his dorm room. Out of all of them, the goth kid was probably the next most driven besides him.
The last day of the second week saw Alan trying to replicate the process with gathering fire mana. By dinner time he could grasp it perhaps one time out of four. During the next week, when he wasn¡¯t trying to explain how to sense their own mana, he made great progress and by the end could cast both fire bolt and stone spear. Meal times were also more exciting for the students now that they had learned some things. The Master would not answer questions on procedure, he said each had to figure it out for themselves, but he loved to talk theory.
¡°There are a hundred glyphs in our book, and each represents a different type of mana. So why is it we can only sense six?¡± Alan asked one day.
¡°Think of mana like a beam of light,¡± he began. There was a collective groan around the table because he used this analogy so often. ¡°Those six types of mana are like visible light. As your powers grow you will develop new, and more powerful, ways of analyzing the light. However, at the moment all you have are your eyes, so all you can see are those six.¡±
Ezra spoke up then ¡°How many types of mana can you see, Master?¡±
¡°By the time you reach a diamond class you should be able to detect most of the hundred glyphs in your book. When you get to be my level you can see over a thousand.¡±
The idea that there could even be a thousand different types of mana would have seemed incredible before coming here, but some of the glyphs in their book were for things like wood mana, gravity mana, and even iron mana. It seemed like there was a type of mana for almost everything.
Another day Simon asked ¡°how is it we can cast a spell learned from a scroll without knowing any of this stuff?
¡°I have seen you and Alan spar some mornings. When you throw a punch do you think about all the different muscles you must engage and in what order? How to shift your weight and how to turn your body?¡±
¡°In the beginning we focus on some of that, but now we just know how to do it.¡± Alan chimed in with.
¡°The scroll gives you the final skill, if you tried to think about each step of casting your spell you would find it very difficult.¡± his eyes darted toward Alan when he said that. ¡°If instead you allow the process to proceed from ¡®memory¡¯ it is easy. What you are doing with the spellbook is learning the entire process and not skipping to the end. It is the forming of the process in your brain that consumes the scroll. Since a spellbook doesn¡¯t do that, it isn''t consumed.¡±
¡°How many spells are there?¡± was Valeri¡¯s question at dinner one night.
¡°That is a question without an answer. There are thousands of spells that are publicly known, and many more that have been discovered but are not shared. New spells are also being created as we speak.¡±
That was a thrilling thought and it kept him up late that night. How well would you have to understand these concepts to create your own spell? Understanding the interplay of the symbolic language for a known spell was hard enough, how much harder would it be to create it yourself? Alan had explored the idea of just tweaking a spell he already knew, but so far it was far beyond his ability.
Now it was only two days until their test. He had long ago memorized the glyphs, but was still working on the last spell. Casting fire bolt and stone spear was as easy as light bolt by now. Conjure water and gust he could cast most of the time. Shadow bolt, however, continued to elude him.
It had reached the point where he could sense the dark mana, but trying to grab it was the hard part. He could see it there at the edge of the tapestry but try as he might he couldn¡¯t grasp hold of it to extract it. Each mana had to be controlled differently. Light mana was something you could hold in your mental grasp and bend and shape. Fire mana had to be restrained somewhat but mostly just given a direction, eager as it was to grow and consume. Earth mana was gently pushed into form, slowly kneaded and shaped. Water was actually closest to fire mana, but it had to be restrained more and pushed less. Air mana was also pushed, but more like funneled. You couldn¡¯t restrain it, but you could direct its flow.
Nothing Alan did with dark mana seemed to work. He couldn¡¯t grab it, push it, or shape it. It wasn¡¯t until he noticed how the opposite manas had a similarity in how you controlled them that he started to make progress. He had tried to ask Ezra about it, but the moody kid was avoiding Alan for some reason.
As a matter of fact, Harper was the only one who would still freely talk magic with him. Simon would work out with Alan, but he wouldn¡¯t discuss magic. Valori and Ezra said as little to him as possible. Maybe they were jealous because he was moving through the primer so quickly. He didn¡¯t think it was because he was smarter than they were, he was now convinced it was another effect of his understanding talent.
They could all translate the symbols at this point, but it was understanding the complicated concepts being conveyed where people struggled. It would be frustrating to see yourself work just as hard as another but to get only half the result. No one wants their face rubbed in how easy someone else had it. Harper on the other hand was desperate. She was still only able to cast her original spell. Alan spent almost the entire two days before the test trying to help her to see the different threads of mana.
¡°You can feel the earth mana when you cast your spear. Do you feel how you have to push and guide the mana rather than forming it directly?¡± It was the last day and he was trying to help her get at least one other spell.
¡°Yes, but I can barely detect the other mana types and when I do I can¡¯t make it do anything.¡± She was understandably frustrated and worried that she would be going home in the morning.
Tamee had been right that none of them had aura reading. He had found that the others couldn¡¯t sense the mana as well as he could. Well, not mana per se, that energy in their spells they could see. What they couldn¡¯t see was how the mana was affected by their aura. Alan was able to see how the two interacted which made it much simpler to replicate it.
The others could only watch how the mana itself changed, without being able to see the force that was changing it. The others occasionally caught a glimpse of the interplay, but it was rare. Instead they had to guess at what actions caused the changes and then try to duplicate them. It was a little like the superstitious pigeon experiment from the 1940¡¯s. Alan tried his best to remove some of their weirdest false actions, but it was hard to explain when they couldn¡¯t see it themselves.
¡°Each mana has its own method to control it. Let¡¯s try water. Like earth mana you have to guide it, but pushing on water doesn¡¯t do anything. Did you ever make sand castles at the beach? You have to direct the flow by restraining it.¡± He held her hands and tried to demonstrate.
She was getting better and by that night she was finally able to grasp water in addition to earth. Harper was so happy that she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss. Harper and Alan were about the same age and she was only a couple inches shorter than him. She was also very striking with a vivacious personality.
There was definitely some attraction on his end, and he had been getting similar vibes from her for a while. However, Alan wasn¡¯t really looking to get into anything. Still, when her soft, warm lips touched his, he felt a stirring. He let the kiss linger, letting himself get lost in the sensation, but when her tongue started to prod at his mouth he knew it was time to pull back.
¡°Harper, I know you¡¯re excited about your accomplishment, and I am thrilled for you too, but this isn¡¯t the time for this. We are in a race against other species to determine our destiny. We can¡¯t become distracted.¡±
Her mouth turned down in a pretty pout and she asked ¡°aren¡¯t you afraid of burning out? I saw people like you in my zone who were always pushing, always striving to be better. At some point won¡¯t you break, won¡¯t the stress cause you to lose it? This is just tonight and just for fun, think of it as a way to let off some steam.¡±
Her hands were gently moving up and down Alan¡¯s arms as she said this, leaving trails of electric pleasure coursing through his veins. She leaned in again for a kiss and this time pressed her whole body up against his. He could feel her heart beating in her chest and the fullness of her breasts. Alan didn¡¯t have the same concerns that he had had with Anna. Harper wasn¡¯t a dungeon dweller, she was fully capable of making her own decisions. If she was ok with this, then why couldn¡¯t he be as well? To hell with it.
Alan pressed back against her and returned the kiss while one hand made its way to the small of her back. The other got tangled in her hair as he pulled her closer. Tomorrow they would be tested, but they could at least have fun tonight. He had one last thought before she pulled her tunic over her head and he was lost to rational thought. Was he just trying to justify what he knew to be a bad decision?
Chapter 21
The following morning Alan woke alone in his bed. The lingering memories of a sweaty night brought a cheshire grin to his face. Harper and Alan hadn¡¯t spent any more time on mana that night, but he certainly felt like they had made some magic. She was right, he felt better this morning than he had in months. He hoped she felt the same way, but she must have snuck out in the middle of the night so he couldn¡¯t ask her.
Alan could tell by the light coming through his tiny window that he had slept in later than normal, but that the sun had yet to truly rise. He made his way downstairs and was greeted with the sight of Simon still doing some stretches, so he couldn¡¯t be too late.
¡°Slept in today did you? What were you up to last night?¡± He asked with a smirk.
¡°Oh, you know. Stuff. And things.¡± Alan had never been good when it came to talking about intimate affairs. He found it difficult to keep another smile from spreading across his face.
¡°Smooth bro. What would you like to do this morning?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s do weights, I don¡¯t really want to spar.¡± After wrestling with the beautiful brunette he didn¡¯t want to do the same with the sweaty giant.
Simon took out several of his rock weights and they worked through a series of exercises. Neither of them knew if this was actually beneficial since they had an actual stat for strength and it hadn¡¯t increased despite their many workouts. It only seemed to increase with their class, but they both felt better after one of their workouts so they did it anyway. Alan also could have sworn that the weight was getting easier, suggesting his strength was growing.
A half hour later they were both glistening in a layer of funky sweat. They hurried upstairs to the washroom to get cleaned up before the morning meal. One day during breakfast the Master had complained about their body odor and told them they needed to take regular baths. Then he was surprised when the group told him that no one had found the baths.
¡°They are on the floor above the workrooms. Have none of you been exploring?¡±
Ezra had a furtive look but the rest of the group just felt foolish. In the washroom there were four tubs spread out around the open space with curtains on rods that could be drawn around them for privacy. Each tub was a grand porcelain masterpiece that was easily capable of allowing even the massive Simon to stretch out.
Filling the tubs was an exercise in energy control. You would have to channel your mana into a red stone on the rim. The others had initially struggled with it, but Alan had demonstrated how to push their mana out of their hands and into the control gem. The excitement they demonstrated after getting it to work made their recent disregard of his teaching efforts sting all the more.
Ever since he had mastered his conjure water spell a few days ago Alan had used that exclusively to fill his tub. He didn¡¯t seem to be getting any experience or leveling in his spell, but he was definitely feeling more comfortable with its nuances. The water he created was unfortunately cold, unlike the luxurious hot water that came from using the built in stone. However, just yesterday he had finally found a way to fix that. His first attempt to heat the water was by using a fire bolt. Alan summoned the ball of fire in his hand and lowered it into the water. It turned out it was very effective at heating some of the water, but it also caused an explosion of steam.
Simon had laughed at him as Alan fell back onto his backside. It was less funny after his training partner saw the state of Alan¡¯s hand. It was burned and blistered with cracks in his skin exposing the fat and muscle underneath. Alan grimaced in pain and cast minor healing. He felt a soothing energy flow through his cooked and broken epidermis. The relief was almost instantaneous. Simon had given an inquisitive look at his ability to heal himself but made no comment.
Alan¡¯s second attempt had ended in another glorious failure. This time he tried to cast an actual bolt of fire into the bath water while standing a few meters away. This resulted in even more steam and most of the water ended up blasted out of the tub. Simon wasn¡¯t as amused that time since the steam soaked the clean clothes he had set out for himself. The large man had managed to acquire a second set of clothes he could wear in addition to those he trained in.
Yesterday Alan tried yet again.. Instead of using a spell to create fire, he tried to use the mana itself. He placed his hand into the water and then channeled pure mana into it. He didn¡¯t notice any change in the temperature, but he could tell that the water had absorbed the energy somehow. Next he tried separating the mana. Instead of sending a solid stream of combined energy he grabbed for just the fire mana. He gave it a path into the water and felt it rush out of him and into the tub.
It took a few moments before Alan noticed any more heat in the water. His mana pool was plummeting as the temperature slowly rose. By the time he ran out of mana the water was at room temperature. It wasn¡¯t hot, but it was better than the cold baths he had taken the last few days. The process was expensive and much of the energy was wasted as water still steamed around his hand, but it wasn¡¯t a danger to him this time and the experience was helping with his control.
Today he filled the tub again with conjure water and then waited a minute to recover the mana spent. While he did he was inspecting the fire mana inside himself. The more he studied it the more Alan could almost sense smaller strands woven together to make the fire mana. There was a sense of all devouring hunger, another feeling of freedom and growth, and also an element of heat.
To warm his water he didn¡¯t need the consumptive nature of fire, he just needed the heat. As he channeled in his fire mana he tried to suppress the other elements and just let the feeling of heat flow through. That wasn¡¯t how to control fire though, it just burned through his resistance.
Thinking of how he normally controlled his fire mana he instead encouraged the heat. Alan didn¡¯t try blocking the other elements, he just provided an easier path for the one he wanted. His mana pool plummeted as before but by the end the water felt like a hot tub. Simon arched his eyebrow and Alan shrugged an offer. Their relationship had reached the man level of non-verbal. Simon stuck his hand in and pulled it out quickly.
¡°That is hot! What did you do this time? I didn¡¯t even see any fire or steam.¡±
¡°It was something I did by channeling mana,¡± Alan explained.
When Simon expressed his curiosity with the process, Alan was eager to go into details. This was the first time in over a week that anyone other than Harper was willing to talk magic with him. Unfortunately Simon had yet to learn how to separate and control his fire mana so he was unable to replicate the feat. Even with the lack of results for his companion, Alan had an extra spring in his step as he made his way down for breakfast. Not only had he had a wonderful night but he was again able to talk to Simon about more than working out.
For once Harper was not the last to arrive for breakfast. It was Ezra who came slinking up the stairs with dark circles under his eyes. He must have been up late trying to get ready for today¡¯s testing. Ezra wasn¡¯t the one who concerned him though. All through breakfast Alan could sense Harper¡¯s eyes lingering on him. He occasionally met her stare, but he was growing uncomfortable.
Last night had been wonderful and if they were both still here tonight he would gladly do it again. However, it was still not anything serious for him. Like she had said, it was just for fun. It seemed that she may have not been entirely honest about her feelings. If he was being honest with himself, he had a suspicion that would be the case last night but had ignored it.
Breakfast today was an oddity because the Master did not join them. One moment they were looking around and waiting for him to arrive and the next there was food on the table but no Master. Simon was the first to reach for something to eat and then all of them dug in.
As the last of the group was finishing up, Valori was a real bacon hog and refused to allow that platter to be anything but empty, the Master¡¯s voice summoned their attention.
¡°Today will be the last that one of you spends with us. Everyone join me on the observation level and I will explain how this will work.¡±
After they had been given the green light to explore they had all spent time seeing what else the tower contained. Above the workspace and the washroom levels was a library. There were hundreds of books contained on the many shelves, but the group was prevented from accessing them by a glass door. This was the first locked door they had found, but it was not the last.
They had all pressed their faces to the door looking in at the treasure contained within, but the see through door provided no entry. There was not even a lock to try and pick. When they tried turning the handle it refused to budge. The floor above that was where they were all headed now.
It was a floor with no walls, only windows. From floor to ceiling, 360 degrees around was an unobstructed view of the land surrounding the tower. The strange thing was that there was no glass. It simply appeared as if there was nothing there, but if you pressed your hand to where the wall should be there was a firm substance preventing you from falling out.
When the group tromped their way up the stairs they found the master standing in the middle of the room. He didn¡¯t move as they assembled behind him. None of them wanted to disrupt his view. Alan found it interesting how quickly all of them had become subservient to this man. He wasn¡¯t shocked by his own behavior because he was used to a chain of command, but none of the others had any military experience, and at times during their training discussions, Simon sounded downright hostile towards authority. There was just something about the Master that made you obey.
When Ezra finally found his place at the end of the line, their master turned and spoke.
¡°Today you will demonstrate how much you¡¯ve learned. If you look outside you will see wooden signs with the glyphs written on them. You will be provided with a list of the names of all 100 glyphs in galactic standard. You must visit each of these glyphs in order. You will find a stone on each board, channel your mana into it and then continue on.¡±
Alan thought this was an interesting way of testing their memorization. Using his high perception he was still having trouble seeing the signs clearly from here, but he could just barely make out the glyphs drawn on them. But memorization wasn¡¯t the end of the challenge. Alan could tell that there was something different at a few of the signs.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
¡°At the glyphs for Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Light, and Dark you will find an additional test. At each of these you will demonstrate that you have learned the appropriate spell. The one of you with the worst performance will be sent away. In addition, the one who completes the course in the shortest amount of time will receive a reward. There will be a penalty for any spells you fail to demonstrate or glyphs you misidentify.¡±
It was nice to know there would be a carrot to go along with the stick. Alan and the others shared glances trying to determine which of them was nervous and who was excited. They all looked nervous to Alan. His was the only face with clear excitement on it as he thrived on competition.
The Master gave the final instructions. ¡°When I call your name you will descend to the bottom floor and exit the tower. You will find a poster hanging by the door with the list of glyphs in order. Your time will start as soon as your name is called.¡±
After a brief pause he called out ¡°Holli!¡±
There was a moment of confusion as the group looked around. Finally Simon spoke up, ¡°who?¡±
The master pointed at Valori. ¡°Isn¡¯t your name Holli? No? I could have sworn it was¡oh well. You, your time is going!¡±
Valori gave the Master a sharp look and then sprinted down the stairs. Alan and the others who were left behind moved to the window but were unable to see her until she started moving away from the tower. She must not have spent much time looking at the poster because she was on her way not three minutes later. Valori ran a good distance before touching her first sign.
She then spent almost a minute scanning around before she found her second sign. She took even longer looking for the third before she ran to the opposite side of the tower. She must have paused at the poster again on the way because they lost sight of her briefly.
It seemed like Valori¡¯s strategy was to memorize four or five glyphs and then return to the tower to get the next set. It wasn¡¯t until her twelfth glyph that she found one of the six special ones. There was a target and she cast a fire bolt and hit it. Soon after she found another one of the six and there was another target. She spent a minute there but finally left without seeming to do anything.
Alan heard Harper breathe a sigh of relief. She could only cast two of the spells, but maybe the others were in the same boat. Back on the course, there were a few times where Valorie had to pause her run. She seemed to be searching for the next sign but couldn¡¯t find it. It took Alan a moment to realize that with the signs all facing the tower, you might have a hard time seeing them all when you were out in the field.
In the end Alan estimated that it took her about 4 hours. She was able to cast fire bolt, shadow bolt, and light bolt.
¡°Shamus!¡± The Master called out.
¡°Me?¡± Simon pointed to himself.
¡°Of course!¡±
Simon didn¡¯t bother to correct him and took off. He spent much longer at the tower than Valori did. He was obviously trying to memorize more of the glyphs at once. Alan noticed that the first sign he ran to was not the same one as Valori¡¯s. Either one of them had made a mistake, or the order was changing. He decided it could be either one, not enough data to say yet.
Simon failed his first spell. It was one with a target so it could have been fire bolt, or one of several others. Simon made it through twenty glyphs before he came back to study the poster again. While he was sheltered from their viewing, Alan made his way over to the Master.
¡°His name is Simon,¡± Alan whispered.
¡°What was that?¡± Asked the Master, also in a quiet voice.
¡°You called him Shamus, his name is Simon.¡±
The Master didn¡¯t respond so Alan made his way back to the window. Simon was at another spell glyph. This time it was stone spear and Simon hit the bullseye. The only other spell he completed was light bolt. He also hit the bullseye on that one. His time came in at just over three hours to Alan¡¯s reckoning. He had saved a lot of time by not having to run back to the tower over and over. He also looked like he was running faster than Valori.
¡°Happily!¡±
¡°Do you mean Harper?¡± she asked shyly.
¡°That¡¯s what I said. Get going!¡±
She had been standing next to Alan for a while now and he whispered good luck as she took off. Harper took a middle track between Simon and Valori. Simon had only had to return to the tower three times to memorize glyphs and Valori had returned too many times to count. Harper had to come back ten times. She also only managed to cast stone spear and conjure water. For the water test she had to fill a barrel. It took her three casts of the spell to fill it completely.
While she was running Alan noticed that neither Simon nor Valori had come back up. He and Ezra were alone up here with the master now. Ezra wasn¡¯t paying much attention to Harper¡¯s run and was instead casting surreptitious looks over at Alan. Curious, he finally made his way over to the kid.
¡°What¡¯s up Ezra?¡±
¡°Nothing, I¡¯m not doing anything.¡± Ezra stated guiltily and then shuffled away, not being suspicious at all.
Alan let it drop and returned to viewing Harper¡¯s test. She managed to finish in maybe three and a half hours. She had the same number of spells as Simon so it would come down to who got the most glyphs correct between those two. Either way it seemed like one of his friends was in trouble.
¡°Next up, Dezzi?¡± The Master seemed much less sure of himself this time. He also pointed to Ezra to make sure.
¡°It¡¯s Ezra,¡± Alan called over after Ezra had run down the stairs.
¡°Whatever. He looks like a Dezzi.¡± Alan thought Dezzi seemed too upbeat of a name for the brooding teenager.
Ezra only had to return to the glyph poster twice during his run. Alan guessed that Ezra was the most focused on his mage class out of the five of them. If his intelligence was also the highest it would make memorizing the glyphs much easier.
Ezra had no problem with the fire bolt spell but he failed at stone spear. He also managed to conjure water. It only took him two casts to fill the barrel. The gust test was fairly simple as well. You had to blow a blanket off of a line it was hanging on. Ezra managed this one too and he of course managed the shadow bolt.
He was not the fastest runner so it took him about the same amount of time as Harper even though he didn¡¯t have to come back as often as she did to memorize glyphs. They had all had to return to the tower occasionally to spot some of the glyphs. Alan hoped his perception would give him an advantage there.
¡°And finally¡it¡¯s you!¡±
Alan called back ¡°It¡¯s Alan!¡± as he took the stairs three at a time. The poster at the bottom was as advertised. He took about three minutes to memorize as many of the glyphs as possible. The tests he had to take to become a doctor involved a lot of memorization so he knew lots of tricks to help. He had almost half of them memorized before he turned to look for the first.
Alan spotted it near the edge of the clearing to the north and took off running. Once there it was only the work of an instant to touch the stone, quartz he noticed, and send a channel of mana into it. These days Alan was almost always using his aura reading skill. As he was developing a better sense of his mana he was also trying to develop those perceptions on energy external to his body. There was nothing interesting about the sign itself, but there was something off with the stone he had channeled his mana into.
When his energy had entered the stone he could see an imbalance in the aura of it. It was stronger in the direction of the sign he had spotted as his next target. That whole process only took him ten seconds and he was away again. Each time he touched a stone he would check its aura to tell him which way to go. Even when he couldn¡¯t spot the glyph from his location he would follow the direction until he got closer and could finally pick it out.
In the end it wasn¡¯t even close. Alan finished in just under two hours. Between his high dexterity allowing him to run fast and being able to instantly get a direction on the next glyph he had a huge advantage to begin with. And then after completing the gust challenge Alan had picked up another advantage when the sight of the blanket blowing away gave him an idea. As he ran he would cast gust on himself. It pushed him along from behind and increased his speed by at least ten percent.
He was also able to cast all six of the spells, unlike his competitors. He had to spend an extra minute struggling with his shadow bolt but in the end he sent one soaring at the target. His accuracy wasn¡¯t great, but it was good enough to count as a hit. Alan was still having trouble grasping the dark mana, something about the process left him feeling unclean.
After activating the hundredth glyph sign he didn¡¯t get any kind of signal so he returned to the tower. When he walked into the front door there was a flash and he found himself in the washroom. Three of the curtains were drawn and one tub stood empty. Making his way over he conjured water and then focused on applying heat before he climbed in. After only a few minutes of washing he could hear the Master¡¯s voice coming from the stairwell.
¡°When you are all finished come down to the dining table and we will eat dinner.¡±
Alan quickly rinsed off and dressed himself. When he opened the curtain there was Simon, Valori, and Ezra also peeking out. His heart sank as he knew who had lost. Alan had to admit he wasn¡¯t surprised after watching the test. Harper and Simon had both cast the fewest spells, but he was faster by a large margin.
He was going to miss her. Amorous activities aside, she had been the only one who was willing to hang out with him, other than Simon in the mornings. Alan noticed the others didn¡¯t look surprised to see him peeking out of the final curtain, they must have felt that she was the weakest too.
They made their way downstairs in silence. There were four places set around the table other than the one before the Master. Unlike last time they gathered after a challenge, there was nothing on the plates to greet them.
¡°Congratulations on reaching this stage! I must admit I was a little underwhelmed with some of your performances today. Only one of you was able to cast all six spells. That person also had the fastest time so the clear winner is Ezra!¡±
The others were confused, especially Ezra, but Alan just shook his head. ¡°I appreciate that you have learned at least one of our names, but could you at least figure out which of us it goes to?¡±
The other¡¯s mouths gaped in shock. No one ever spoke so disrespectfully to the Master. To compare his power to ours would be a joke and he also controlled who would win the final spot, so deference had been the default setting for all of them. Tempting his anger just seemed stupid.
¡°Your name isn¡¯t Ezra?¡±
¡°My name is Alan, his name is Ezra, the only girl left is Valori, and the big guy is Simon.¡± Alan had seen his share of CO¡¯s who were idiots or jerks, especially when he switched over to the Space Force project. Not to say that the Space Force was full of idiots, just the project he was assigned to. When your CO was an ass, sometimes you had to call them out on their shit and deal with the consequences. This time it seemed he would get away with it.
¡°Um, yes¡so as I was saying. The winner is Alan!¡±
Quest Update: Becoming an apprentice (200)
[You demonstrated the most sensitivity to mana and completed the course in the fastest time. You now must survive the next winnowing. Reward: One Mage talent stone and 100 dungeon points.]
Alan assumed they were all getting a notification because everyone was staring into space. He stored the talent stone away for later and took a seat at the table.
¡°Master, how is it that Ezra and I got to complete the challenge before sundown. Shouldn¡¯t it have set during Harper¡¯s run?¡± Alan asked.
¡°Please, call me Master Mazus. Master seems so formal. I have some control of the dungeon here so I was able to prolong the day so that you could all finish while it was light out. Now dig in. We will talk of your next test after dinner.¡±
And with that they all had full plates again and Alan stuffed his face with enthusiasm. Even though he ended up getting first easily, it still took a lot of effort. His new body was fast, but it also seemed to burn through his soul energy fast as well. This left him with a kind of aura fatigue which food seemed to help. He put thoughts of his asshole master aside, but his mind kept flashing between three things as he filled his cheeks to bursting. Harper¡¯s golden brown hair running between his fingers, the talent stone in his ring, and a pair of piercing green eyes.
Chapter 22
Simon and Alan were running through the forest the next morning. After they had passed this most recent test the front door of the tower still remained. Rather than working out inside they felt the call of the sun and sky.
Simon wasn¡¯t as fast as him, so while Simon was doing his best just to run through the dense forest, Alan was turning the trees into obstacles. He would weave his way through the trunks, leap over clumps of bushes, and occasionally jump onto a low branch and run through the treetops for a little while.
¡°You¡¯re a showoff. How can you be so ridiculously fast?¡± Simon huffed out halfway through their run.
¡°I¡¯m not that fast, you¡¯re just too big and heavy to run properly. I¡¯m surprised you can even squeeze your bulky butt through the trees,¡± Alan called down as he was swinging from branch to branch. He launched himself from the last one and landed next to Simon and exploded ahead, leaving him in the dust.
By the end of the run they both were sweaty but feeling the glow of a good exercise. They still had no evidence that this did anything for them, none of their stats had increased, but habit and faith kept them at it. They headed up to the washroom and got cleaned up.
Alan conjured water and was able to summon enough to fill two tubs. His prize from the test had given him the Water Weaver talent and he could already see its effects. Next he placed a hand in Simon¡¯s tub and using about a third of his remaining mana was able to heat it up a pleasant amount. It was somewhere between body temperature and eyebrow melting. He then repeated the process on his own.
¡°This is the life, Alan. You should forget being an adventurer and become a bathroom attendant.¡±
¡°What are you scared I¡¯ll whoop you in this challenge too?¡±
Simon paused before answering, ¡°Yes.¡±
That certainly put a lull in their conversation. Their newest test was to upgrade one of their spells. All of them had common spells. By the end of the month they would have to upgrade at least one of their spells to uncommon or higher. Whoever improved the least would of course be out.
¡°I already know you will be able to do this task. Master Mazus spoke of having to increase the flow of mana moving through our spells. You have been speaking of this flow for weeks. I, on the other hand, have only seen it on rare occasions.¡± Simon finally broke the silence.
¡°He also said we could upgrade our spells by making the form the mana takes more efficient. Even if you have trouble seeing the flow, you have still been able to see the form.¡± he tried to encourage Simon. ¡°I would be willing to work with you on improving our spells.¡±
Simon demurred and they made their way down for breakfast. Valori and Ezra were already there having a heated discussion. They quieted down when they noticed the other two coming.
¡°Well, well, well, if it isn¡¯t wonder boy. What talent did you pick up from that stone?¡± Valori asked him as he sat down.
¡°Water weaver. I can already tell it makes a huge difference when I cast a water spell.¡±
Ezra started to say something but Master Mazus¡¯ sudden appearance interrupted him.
¡°Good morning, has everyone been thinking about what spell they will upgrade? I am excited to see what you can accomplish.¡± He seemed to be in a better mood this morning than any of them had seen so far.
¡°I¡¯m going to upgrade my fire bolt. I know I can improve the heat of it.¡± Valori was the first to chime in.
Ezra and Simon shared which spells they were going to work on, shadow bolt and stone spear, but Alan wasn¡¯t sure yet. Light bolt made sense since it was his first spell, but something about conjure water was calling to him as well. He told them he hadn¡¯t decided yet.
¡°You should decide soon. The process can take quite a while, but if you finish one you can always try improving a second!¡± Master Mazus encouraged.
After breakfast Alan made his way up to his workshop. With Harper gone he had the whole floor to himself. He decided to work on light bolt. The others had chosen their starter spells for a reason. It was the one they were most familiar with. Sitting in his chair he held his palm up and summoned a light bolt into his hand.
Staring at the glowing ball he now had to try and decide how he was going to improve it. Did he want something that could travel farther, fly faster, hit harder, cost less mana? The possibilities were numerous. He thought of what he used them for. Without a precision strike to a vital, they weren¡¯t very powerful. Alan mostly used them as a distraction during a fight. At twenty mana a pop that was an expensive distraction, although his growing mana pool made them slightly more useful. If the casting cost was lower they could become a real part of his strategy.
On the other hand, if he could somehow make them more powerful then they could be used as more than just a distraction. His spells were really his only ranged weapons at this point. Being able to pick off a few opponents before closing to melee range could have a big impact in fights.
In the end what decided it for him was the challenge of it. Making it more powerful meant stuffing more energy into it, probably a trivial task. Decreasing the mana cost meant making it more efficient, which meant more time studying the energy flows. This was where he had a huge advantage over the others.
He let the bolt he had been holding dissipate and then cast it again. This time he watched his mana flow through his body and form the magical symbol for light bolt. Symbol is a misleading term, it was a three dimensional diagram of light mana twisting and twirling a few centimeters above his palm. He felt the mana move through his body before gathering under his skin.
Then the light mana was pulled out and condensed into one braid of pure light. His will bent and twisted it until it matched the diagram he had seen before. He gave it a push and as the mana started to spin the bolt began to form, a ball of light pulsing and growing. Finally a stable light bolt sat in his palm and he cast it out at the wall.
When the ball formed, the diagram had been consumed and all that was left was the light energy, but there was still a connection between his internal mana and the glowing ball in his hand. As he mentally directed it away from himself there was a pulse that ran through his body and down the umbilical connection to the bolt. That small strand of mana was suddenly severed and the bolt went streaking away before harmlessly splashing against the hardened stone of the walls.
The entire process had taken less than a second but with his growing ability to read auras and energy flows it felt like time had slowed down allowing him to see the potential waste throughout the process. When the mana was separated into just light mana there was a release of the unwanted energy. It was like buying a scarf, pulling the one strand of red yarn out, and then throwing the rest away. Wasteful didn¡¯t even begin to describe it.
Braiding the light together was a brute force process that required a not insignificant amount of his energy as well. Then there was the process of forming the diagram and getting it spinning. If he could find a more efficient, or even faster, way of forming the diagram it could save energy there. Also, that final pulse to send it streaking away seemed like it could be improved upon as well. Where should he begin?
Thinking about it logically, where else do you start but at the beginning. By pulling all of that mana out of his pathways and to his palm before separating it there was a tremendous loss from the mana that was left behind. It wasn¡¯t reabsorbed, it simply melted away into the ambient mana in the air. Instead he would begin his casting by separating the mana where it sat in his mana pool.
The hardest part of that process was discovering where his mana pool was. It wasn¡¯t like an organ that had a place on his body, or even somewhere in his energy pathways, like a giant lake at the end of one line. It was located somewhere between where his pathways and body connected. It was like a filter that skimmed off a small amount of the energy flowing through him and diverted it somewhere else. Instead of a pool it was like a layer of energy sitting over the deeper ocean that was his pathways.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
This realization took him over an hour. Now that the mana pool was identified he needed to try and modify the mana there before it was pushed out to his body. It was much harder to modify the mana while it was still in this layer compared to when it was in his hand. Because of the way it was spread out the mana felt like thin strings rather than the thick yarn he was used to. Perhaps with a larger mana pool the mana wouldn¡¯t be stretched so, but at the moment it felt like he was trying to thread a needle with thick gloves on.
Maybe this was why the mana was sent out to the body before separating it. That way there was a condensed pool to work with and finding strands to pull apart was easier. Just because something was hard, though, didn¡¯t mean it was impossible. He spent the rest of the day, even skipping dinner, and most of the night working on his fine control. By the time his body forced him down to his bed he still couldn¡¯t quite grasp those frustrating strings, but at least it felt like he wasn¡¯t wearing thick gloves anymore. He had also picked up a new skill, Mana Handling. It took him three more days to level the skill to twenty-five.
His mornings were spent running through the forest or sparring with Simon, and he didn¡¯t skip any more meals since Valori seemed so concerned about him missing that first dinner. However, every other moment was spent trying to grasp those tiny threads. He also sometimes would gather a pool of mana and squish it flatter so he could work with strands that were somewhere between the miniscule strings of his pool and the fat yarn he normally dealt with.
Twenty-five in mana handling was like a threshold. Finally he could grasp hold of the mana in his pool before it was pushed out to his body layer. The next challenge was to actually break it up into its component strands. Just because he could hold the mana didn¡¯t mean he had enough control to unravel it. Luckily that was an easier hill to climb and he was holding his first strand of light mana inside his mana pool by the end of the next day.
Now he fed that strand into his body. One strand was not enough, but he found it difficult to work with multiple strands in his mana pool at the same time. Over and over he collected a strand of mana and then pushed it through until he had a small pool of it gathered in his hand. All of the leftover mana stayed in his pool, this was going to save a lot of energy.
Now he braided it, and with his new mana handling skill it was a trivial matter to collect the glowing strands and weave them together. As it condensed into a thick tube of light he bent and shaped it and set it moving. A ball of light sat in his hand and he sent the pulse that cast the ball into the wall again.
It wasn¡¯t moving any faster and it didn¡¯t seem to hit any harder, but there were two major changes. The first was that it did cost less mana, the second, though, was that it was a much slower process. Where he could fire a normal light bolt in less than a second, this took at least two seconds to gather all the strands of mana. However, it did lead to an upgrade in the spell.
Spell: Light Bolt (Uncommon). Summons a bolt of light which can hit a target up to 30 meters away. Deals a small amount of damage which scales with your intelligence. Mana cost: 10
This was a huge improvement in cost, but it came with an unacceptable penalty in time. He felt that he could further lower the cost by making improvements in the diagram formation, but first he wanted to find a way to fix the casting time. Then it came to him, what if the mana was separated ahead of time? With this next goal in mind he made his way down to bed.
Ezra had asked Master Mazus about why they were sleeping so much lately at a recent dinner. They had all noticed before coming here that they didn¡¯t require as much rest as pre-Network. Alan had gone several days, while working through dungeons, without sleep and hadn¡¯t suffered any ill effects, but here he felt the need to sleep every night.
¡°It is a matter of mental strain. Think of yourself as a race car. Before the Network you had a gas tank and would have to occasionally make pit stops to fill it up. One way of doing that was sleeping. Now with the system your gas tank has become much bigger. Your pathways now provide you with a ton of energy. Do you think you could now finish an entire race without stopping?¡± Master Mazus asked.
Alan had an idea of where he was going with this, but Simon seemed to latch onto the car metaphor.
¡°No, you would still need to stop and change tires. Also, the driver himself would need a break at a certain point.¡±
¡°Exactly. No matter how big the tank or even how good the tires, eventually the driver himself will need a break. Think of the driver as your mind. What you are doing here is straining your mind in ways it is not used to, so it will need more rest than it otherwise would.¡±
The next day Simon made a confession as they sparred in the forest. Now that they didn¡¯t need to worry about damaging the tower they were using their weapons. They were only going at about sixty percent because a minor slip-up could cause serious damage or even instant death. Alan had already needed to heal both of them several times for small cuts and bruises.
Once he had failed to angle his seax properly and took a hard blow from Simon¡¯s club to his upper arm. It had caused a nasty compound fracture with several pointy white pieces of bone pushing through his skin. He had tried to heal it but found the spell strangely ineffective, like it didn¡¯t have enough power. Simon had helped him push the bone back into something like proper alignment and then he tried again. This time it healed the puncture wounds in his skin and even caused the bone to fully align itself before mending. It seemed there were limits to what could be healed, at least for now.
Today he was focusing on using the terrain to slow Simon down. His daggers were much easier to maneuver around the trees and bushes. After one exchange where he managed to score a line of red down Simon¡¯s chest they paused so he could heal it.
It was during this lull that Simon made his confession. ¡°I am not making any progress on my spell. I can sense the diagram, but I do not know how I can change it.¡± Alan knew this was a huge confession for the big man so he took the time to listen as he vented his frustration.
¡°Every time I cast the spell I see what I am doing, and I even have seen ways I could improve the form of the diagram, but I don¡¯t know how to actually do it. I am on autopilot and I cannot find the switch to take over.¡±
¡°Today, after breakfast, why don¡¯t you come to my workspace and we can see what we can figure out.¡±
¡°I do not want to slow you down. You have your own work to do.¡±
¡°Actually, I already upgraded my spell. It isn¡¯t exactly what I hoped for, but it is something. And maybe working with you will give me more ideas.¡±
Simon was astounded at his progress and grateful for the offer. They decided that was enough sparring and instead switched to lifting weights. Alan summoned and heated their bathwater afterward and then they were shoveling down their breakfast.
¡°Oh ho! I like this enthusiasm. Eager to get working today?¡± Master Mazus asked.
¡°Yeah, Simon, I don¡¯t think I have seen you this excited recently. You and Alan finally succumb to the sexual tension of your bromance this morning?¡±
Alan¡¯s fork dropped and he glared at Valori. He couldn¡¯t tell if she was trying to be funny or cruel.
¡°No, he does not interest me. I like my men to be bigger, not so puny.¡± Simon shot back.
Alan wasn¡¯t interested in men at all, but found himself giving Simon a hurt look.
¡°Sorry, not puny, um¡adorably pocket sized?¡±
Even Ezra snickered at that comment and Alan blushed as he finished his pancakes. Then he and Simon both headed upstairs to his workspace and Valori gave a suggestive wink as they entered his room.
The next two hours were spent helping Simon learn the mana handling skill. Alan had the hardest time getting him to develop a kind of mental hands. For himself he had found it natural to apply his will to manipulating the energy, but Simon hadn¡¯t made that leap yet. It was only after repeated castings of stone spear where he watched himself shape the mana that he finally got how he was doing it.
It was then many more attempts before he developed the mana handling skill.
¡°Blin! This is amazing. Thank you Alan.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not done yet, you need to keep working on that skill, the higher it goes the better you can control your mana. Why don¡¯t you try changing the spellform and we can see what happens.¡±
He wasn¡¯t just helping Simon out. By watching how he shaped the mana it gave him insights into how he could improve his own diagrams. He also noticed how easily Simon was able to separate the earth mana from the rest. It was much quicker than Alan could do it.
During a pause where Simon was going to take a break, Alan asked him if he would cast a light bolt for him. It was the only other spell Simon had learned so far, but it was also one that Alan had a talent for. As he suspected, Simon was not nearly as good at separating the light mana. It seemed at least part of the mage talents had to do with handling the mana.
The rest of the day he scrutinized the way Simon handled earth mana. By the time they were ready to break for dinner they had both made a breakthrough. The damage Simon dealt with his stone spear had increased by a few points, and while it wasn¡¯t enough yet to count as an official upgrade it did give him a path forward.
Alan meanwhile thought he finally understood the difference in how Simon handled the mana and how he did. He told Simon to go on ahead and he would be down in a moment. Once Simon left Alan started casting stone spear himself. Each time he focused on adjusting his handling of the mana. After his third cast he got a surprise.
New Mage Talent unlocked: Earth Mover
He hadn¡¯t even thought this was possible, but he had unlocked a talent without using a talent stone. Alan had only been working to make his mana handling more efficient, but this was a potential game changer. If he continued to work at it, he could gain all of the mage talents without using another stone. Was this possible with other classes and talents as well?
Interlude VI
Another one of their scouts, this time a dog person, was filling Afilada in on the details of the large structure in front of them. It looked like a keep from their world. The walls were made from wide, thick wooden planks and extended twenty meters into the air. At each of the four corners there was a rectangular tower that extended at least another five meters higher than the walls and had a roof over it. A moat of brackish green water ran completely around the walls and the only way to cross was the drawbridge in front of her.
¡°The time dilation is 20:1 which is the highest we have seen so far. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside because the first group that tried to enter got a warning. Only one party member was allowed inside and it said it was a one time only dungeon. Not wanting to waste a possible great opportunity they chose to save it for you,¡± the dog finished.
¡°Thank you, Lieno, I appreciate the consideration. See that the group who reported it is appropriately rewarded.¡± The dog quickly bowed and backed away to give her space.
Afilada turned to the rest of her group. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long this will last. If I don¡¯t return in an hour go check out another battle dungeon. Can¡¯t have you guys getting fat and happy on me.¡±
They chuckled as she stepped forward. What new opportunity would she find on the other side? Striding across the bridge she was focused entirely on the shadowy entrance in front of her.
New Quest: Becoming a squire (50)
[You have come to compete to be the squire of a powerful warrior. Beat the other contestants to earn one of the coveted spots as his student.]
She found herself standing in a line with nineteen other corellians. Before them was a larger version of the keep and she could see several buildings through the open drawbridge. The ground around them was beaten dirt. It had clearly seen a lot of use as inside there was not even a trace of the lush grass that grew around it.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Scanning her competitors she was not impressed. She was by far the largest of the group and the best equipped. Most had common iron weapons and some were even wearing mage and healing gear. The only one who looked close to her size was an elephant person carrying a wooden club.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen a sorrier looking bunch of maggots in my life,¡± bellowed a large lion person who strode out from the keep. ¡°This is a disgrace, not a one of you looks like they could ever be worthy of being my squire.¡±
Here was a worthy foe. He was even bigger than Afilada, at least two hundred and thirty centimeters tall. He was the largest beast person she had ever seen. His mane was bushy and brown, shooting out from his head like fireworks. His body was covered in a gleaming metal chest piece that seemed tightly fitted to him and yet it didn¡¯t impede his movements.
His arms were as big as tree trunks and his hands looked like they could crush the head of most of those around her. Over his shoulder was a giant sword. The blade was at least twenty centimeters wide at the base and even though it stuck up well above his shoulder, the tip was almost dragging in the dirt.
The large lion man ran his golden brown eyes across the other beast people. There was a clear look of disgust that only faded when he looked over Afilada. ¡°Well, maybe one of you has what it takes. Here¡¯s the deal. There are twenty of you and only one can be my squire. Today we¡¯ll get that number down to ten. Look at the person next to you. That¡¯s who you¡¯ll be fighting. Winner stays, loser leaves. Now don¡¯t worry about pulling your punches. Here are some protection amulets.¡± He tossed out a couple of necklaces in front of him.
¡°Each fighter will wear one of these. It will only activate if you are about to take critical or even lethal damage. If it activates, you lose. If you surrender, you lose. Now, who¡¯s first?¡±
Afilada smiled. She wasn¡¯t sure about being someone¡¯s squire, but the man in front of her was clearly on another level compared to her. If she could learn from him, why not? And the fact that she was also being given the opportunity to beat up on her fellow beastkin was just an added bonus.
Chapter 23
¡°Ok, now that you¡¯ve successfully increased the damage, let¡¯s see if we can make it even better,¡± Alan said to Simon.
It was two days later and Simon had finally managed to upgrade his stone spear spell to uncommon. The damage descriptor had gone from ¡°small¡± amount of damage to ¡°modest.¡± It was frustrating that the terms weren¡¯t well defined, but the fact that it went from common to uncommon must mean it was a noticeable improvement.
¡°I don¡¯t know in what direction to go next. Improving the damage any more without being able to see the mana in my body would be difficult.¡± Simon complained.
The next few minutes were the two of them trying to figure out how he could further upgrade his spell. They both were experimenting with the form of the stone spear diagram to see how changes would affect it. They were making a little progress when Alan heard a noise from the hall. Holding up a hand to keep Simon silent he dashed to the door.
Yanking on the handle he pulled it open and found nothing but the stairwell. Looking around he also kept listening but didn¡¯t hear anything else. Deciding it was nothing he returned to the room and closed the door.
¡°What was it?¡± Simon asked.
¡°It sounded like someone was chanting something outside our door. I¡¯ve heard something a few times now and I can¡¯t figure out what it is.¡±
¡°I think maybe you are working too hard. Come let us sit and talk of our past.¡±
Taking a seat Alan pulled out two glasses and used conjure water to fill them both up. There was way more water than he needed and the extra went down the small sink in the workshop. The water was clear and cold. Raising it to his lips it tasted like a mountain spring.
¡°Ah, this reminds me of growing up with my parents,¡± Simon said as he leaned back with his drink.
¡°I know you¡¯re Russian, but where did you grow up?¡±
¡°My parents lived in a small village on the outskirts of Yakutsk. It is in eastern Siberia. When I was fourteen I was sent away to a boarding school. My parents were sad to see me go, but they wanted a better life for me.¡±
¡°What happened to them?¡±
¡°They were still living there when this whole thing happened. I used to go visit them when I could, but I do not know what has happened to them now.¡±
It seemed like he didn¡¯t know about the absorbing everyone and saving their information thing that the Network had done, and Alan didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him. It wouldn¡¯t serve any purpose now and could only upset him. He could hear in Simon¡¯s voice that he cared for his parents.
¡°What about you, where is your family?¡± he asked Alan.
¡°Not much to tell. My parents died a couple of years ago during covid. My girlfriend dumped me six months before all this and my best friend got brain cancer. I hadn¡¯t talked to him in a while before this whole thing started.¡±
¡°I am sorry to hear you are alone, but have you made friends or found a party here in the system?¡±
Alan opened his mouth to respond but found he couldn¡¯t get the words out. He tried explaining how he was alone in his zone but it was like his vocal cords were frozen in place. This was more of Master Mazus¡¯ prohibition on talking about the tutorial. Whenever one of them tried to talk about their time in the tutorial they found themselves physically unable to.
¡°Sorry, I should not have asked. Just know that you can call me friend if you wish.¡±
¡°Thank you Simon. If we run into each other in a later tier you can count on me,¡± Alan responded.
At dinner that night Alan paid close attention to Ezra and Valori, trying to figure out who might have been listening to them outside the door. Ezra looked shifty, but he always did, and Valori was her usual chatty self.
¡°Master Mazus, what happens if a spell is upgraded to legendary, is that as strong as it can get?¡± she asked.
¡°You¡¯re setting your sights high if you are hoping to upgrade to legendary already. But no. When you upgrade your body to the next level of power, the rarity of your spells will be adjusted downward to represent the new room they have for improvement. The most powerful fire bolt ever cast by a quartz mage would be nothing but a candle next to a common version at the orange level. It is possible to upgrade a spell throughout your Path in the Network.¡±
That night as Alan lay on his comfy bed he thought of what he wanted. The idea of growing his light bolt spell was interesting. Having an incredibly powerful and low cost ranged option would be helpful, but for some reason it just wasn¡¯t something he could get overly excited about. Instead he was more interested in conjure water. It was one of the two starting spells that didn¡¯t seem to have combat applications.
The challenge of making that spell something useful had been digging its way through his brain ever since Master Mazus challenged them to upgrade a spell. Could he increase the amount of water summoned? Would it be possible to make it more of a spray like a fire hose rather than a blob that collapsed from gravity?
During their workout the next morning Simon and Alan agreed to spend a few days working by themselves. Simon was appreciative of his help, but he also understood that Alan had his own stuff to work on. At breakfast Alan asked Master Mazus for a couple of barrels. He would need something to conjure water into.
The master waved his hand and three barrels appeared. Once breakfast was over he carried them up to his room, a feat that was made much easier with his incredible strength. It wasn¡¯t till he got the second one up that he realized he had a spatial storage device on his ring. This is why Tamee had such a low opinion of his intelligence.
He started off his session by summoning as much water as he could into the first barrel. He was able to fill it up to just over halfway with one cast. Carrying the barrel over to the small sink was much harder now that it had water in it, but his strength still made it possible. He dumped the water down the drain and put the barrel back.
To modify this spell he first tried pumping it full of mana, increasing the amount that flowed into the diagram. After dumping out the barrel three more times he ended up with an uncommon version of the spell that cost double the mana and let him fill a barrel all the way to the top. Feeling that he had achieved as much as possible by brute forcing it, he then looked for other places where the process could be modified.
The cost of the spell was not a concern since it wasn¡¯t designed for combat, at least not yet. The volume was plenty for most normal uses, but maybe there was a way to make the amount of water variable. If you wanted to fill up a cup you didn¡¯t need a barrel of water, but if you wanted to fill a tub you needed a lot.
Now that there was a direction to go he decided to start with the diagram. By moving the pieces around and stretching them out he discovered the section that governed the volume. By increasing or decreasing the thickness of the mana there, the water conjured could be modified anywhere from a cup to enough for two barrels. This earned him another upgrade to the spell.
Spell: Conjure Water (Rare). Conjures a globe of water. The volume of the water varies from a minimal amount to a large amount. Mana cost: Variable 5 to 80 depending on volume of water created.
Dinner time was still a couple of hours away and he wasn¡¯t ready for a break yet. Now that he had increased the versatility of the spell he wanted to see if he could make it a potential weapon. When the water was conjured it was always in a globe. He could then direct the globe somewhat, but not like with a light bolt. Something in the diagram must be different about the two spells.
The rest of the time before dinner was spent with him inspecting the diagrams of the two spells. There were too many differences for him to figure out which was the one that allowed the ball of light to become a bolt. He had a couple more ideas that might help him figure this out, but it was a good stopping point since it was time for food.
Packing up his stuff he opened the door and stepped out to head downstairs. When his foot hit the stone right outside his workspace there was a flash of energy and then he was enveloped in a shroud of darkness. He couldn¡¯t see the tower around him anymore but he could still feel the stone beneath his feet.
Then the darkness contracted around his body and it felt like he was burning. Not the burning of a hot flame, but more the melting of acid. He immediately cast minor healing and felt the two energies fighting over his body. The healing energy was rushing to his skin but the energy from the dark shroud kept pushing it back. The pain was immense and he couldn¡¯t force his mind to deal with anything other than pushing more healing energy to fight the melting darkness. Every time he cast the spell he would get a momentary reprieve, but then that terrible darkness would melt away all of that restorative energy and begin burning him again. Over and over he cast healing, burning through his mana pool.
After what seemed like an eternity the burning pain faded and the tower once more came into view but his vision was blurry. Everything in the tower seemed normal but a quick check showed that his health had dropped below halfway. Even with the healing spells he had cast, whatever that was had done a number on him. If he didn¡¯t have the healer class, Alan definitely would have died. Even now his skin was saggy and scarred and large patches were missing completely, exposing the partially melted muscle underneath. Something was also wrong with his eyes as he still couldn¡¯t focus clearly on anything.
As the adrenaline stopped coursing through his body his nerves could finally get their signals through to his brain. A new pain, even more powerful than the magical one from before racked his system. Most of his surface layer nerves would have been melted in the attack but the underlying ones were screaming in agony. His muscle control locked up and he fell back onto the floor of his workshop. After a couple of minutes he had regained enough mana to cast his healing spell again. Luckily it only needed him to say a few words which he was able to force out.
Again a cooling rush of energy started to spread through his body. Without the magical attack draining it, he would actually be able to use it for repairs. This time he took control of it and sent it all to his head. The limited muscle tissues in his face repaired themselves and the skin reformed. The hair on his head hadn¡¯t been affected and he didn¡¯t want to waste any energy on it anyway. His vision also cleared, meaning whatever was wrong with his eyes was also fixed. There was still some leftover energy which he sent to his torso. It seemed like most of the damage done was to his extremities, but he wanted to make sure his core was healthy in case he needed to move quickly. Whoever had done this might be coming by to see if their trap had killed him. If they planned on finishing him off he wanted to be able to do something about it.
Another few minutes passed as he lay there with the smooth, healed skin of his face resting against the cold stone. The rest of his mutilated flesh was being tormented by contact with the same floor. It felt like he was constantly being stabbed by thousands of knives and needles. Thankfully the next time he cast his healing spell he was able to repair most of his outer flesh. One more break and another casting later and he was able to sit up. He wasn¡¯t fully healed, but enough of the damage was repaired that he was able to function again.
Warily he got to his knees and looked outside his workspace. Nothing looked any different than when he had come up this morning. Switching over to his aura senses he could just barely detect a lingering energy in the stones in front of his door. Too much time had passed for him to get any more information other than the fact that something had been there. If he had to guess, based on his limited gaming experience, some kind of trap or rune had been placed outside his door.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Thinking back to the previous day he remembered thinking someone was chanting outside his door. He thought they were trying to spy on him, but they must have been trying to place a magical trap outside his room. Yesterday they had been caught out, but somehow today they must have been successful. Simon had been in the room with him yesterday so he discarded the Russian as a suspect.
The energy he had felt pressing around him was based in darkness. That brought one person to the top of the list of suspects. Unfortunately there was no way to prove that Ezra was the one who had tried to kill him. It would be best to act like nothing had happened as he gathered more evidence. He was already late for dinner but his body wasn¡¯t yet ready for a pace faster than a sloth¡¯s, so he slowly made his way down the stairs.
When he got to the next floor he found Master Mazus laughing so hard that pieces of food were flying from his mouth. Simon also was laughing uproariously. Ezra¡¯s head started to whip towards Alan as he made his way down, but it paused partway before slowly turning back to face the table. Valori was finishing her story.
¡°And that was the last time that boy ever tried to peek in my window!¡± she concluded.
¡°Nice of you to join us Alan, I hope you have been making progress?¡± the Master asked after he stopped laughing.
¡°Sorry, I fell asleep while working and am a little stiff.¡± he lied.
Valori looked at Simon before calling ¡°Phrasing!¡± and they both erupted in laughter. Ezra cracked a smile but the Master seemed confused.
¡°What is the significance of this ¡®phrasing¡¯?¡±
¡°It¡¯s an Earth thing, but only for those with low humor.¡± Alan explained since the others were still cackling. The rest of dinner was uneventful and everyone else rose to leave, but Alan remained seated.
¡°You ok there Alan?¡± asked Valori.
¡°Yeah, just working up the energy to go downstairs. I¡¯m just really tired tonight.¡±
Shrugging, she followed the others down to their rooms. His body¡¯s natural healing during dinner had helped some, but it took a final minor healing spell to get him all the way to full health. All throughout the dinner he had surveyed the other people at the table. Simon was out as a suspect. The Master was out too. He just couldn¡¯t see him needing to bother. That left Ezra and Valori. Ezra was the obvious suspect and his behavior wasn¡¯t helping his cause. Valori could have been the one to do it, but if so she was one smooth operator.
Alan¡¯s dreams that night were filled with darkness and pain and he awoke in the morning wrapped up tight in his sheets. For a moment he thought he was back inside that trap outside his door, feeling his very body melting away from him. Frantically he tore at the sheets before finally he managed to untangle himself and took several deep breaths. He was covered in sweat.
Alan was no stranger to pain, even excluding recent events, but that feeling of being enveloped in an essence that was trying to leech away his life was terrifying.From here on out he would be scouring everything in the tower with his aura senses. The cursory glance he usually gave things these days hadn¡¯t warned him of the danger.
His door was clear and so was the area in front of it as he left to go meet up with Simon. Alan had thought last night to keep the information to himself until he had proof, but upon further thought this morning he decided that Simon had a right to know. He could be in danger as well.
¡°It was some kind of trap that must have triggered when I stepped on it. It was a nasty piece of work. I think I can detect the energy of it now that I know to look, but you should watch yourself.¡± Alan told him while they were doing yoga. Simon had originally balked at the ¡®girly¡¯ exercise routine, but after trying it one day he had found it helped loosen his body up.
¡°I won¡¯t be able to detect it that way. Maybe I can poke around with a stick?¡±
Their discussion of who it was mimicked Alan¡¯s own thoughts. It was almost certainly Ezra, but there was no way to be sure. They both agreed it was an attempt to eliminate the competition. Alan got a chance to show off his new conjure water spell when they took a bath. He summoned a small ball of water in one of the tubs and then caused it to grow until it filled the whole tub.
¡°It is too bad you can¡¯t conjure the water already warm. That would save time and mana.¡± Simon commented.
After breakfast Alan now had two things to work on. He wanted to figure out how to direct the water like a bolt, and he wanted to see if there was a way to change the temperature. The idea he had thought up the night before to address directing the water was really straightforward. Rather than comparing it to light bolt, he would compare all of his bolt spells and see what they had in common.
He started with light bolt again and was still dissatisfied with the casting time. He wanted to do something to bring that down but now was not the time. If he lept off onto every tangent he would never get anywhere. He would get all he could out of this spell before working on another. Depth first, not breadth.
Once he had the three bolt spells to compare, it was a simple matter to identify what parts were in common. It was another hour of tinkering before he was able to incorporate the correct component into conjure water. While he did get an upgrade, the results were not what he was hoping for.
Spell: Conjure Water (Epic). Conjures a globe of water. The volume of the water varies from a minimal amount to a large amount. The shape of the water can be modified and it can even be moved slightly in a direction. Mana cost: Variable 10 to 90 depending on volume of water created.
Rather than being able to shoot a jet of water like he had hoped, it was more like tossing a bucket. It could have uses in terms of directing water flow, but it was still not an offensive tool. Getting it up to epic was a worthwhile improvement though. He didn¡¯t think anyone else in his group would make this kind of progress. At first he was surprised that he could make an epic spell, but then he remembered this was only epic for a quartz mage. The Master had mentioned that the rarity would go down as he ranked up. Now it was time to focus on changing the temperature.
This was going to be a very difficult change. He wouldn¡¯t be able to copy a component of another spell''s diagram since none of his spells allowed him to modify temperature. Fire bolts were the same insane temperature every time, and only his light spell and water spell had any other effect that could be adjusted. Studying these two diagrams gave him some ideas, but he was stuck on the fact that his conjure water spell already had that scalable structure in it. How would he make it modify a different aspect?
Two days later there had also been no other attempts at sabotage, but he had made no progress on his heated water spell either. This wasn¡¯t to say that the time was uneventful. In an attempt to modify heat he ended up upgrading his fire bolt spell.
Spell: Fire Bolt (Rare). Summons a bolt of fire which can hit a target up to 30 meters away. Deals a variable amount of damage from miniscule to medium depending on the mana used. Mana cost: Variable 10 to 50 depending on size of fire bolt.
Again, this was a worthy gain, but not what he was going for. He also figured he could add this to his light bolt spell, but that would be for another time. Today was going to be different. He decided that he would get creative. If he couldn¡¯t get the necessary heat built into the water spell form, what if he added fire mana to the diagram.
The magic primer he was reading was not helpful when it came to telling you how to do things, but it would offer hints of things that could be possible. He had come across a section that discussed that using different mana in a spell was possible, and even part of more complicated spells when he upgraded his class. The challenge was that it is impossible to combine the mana, you had to create separate intertwining diagrams. This would require a lot of concentration and adept manipulation.
He started by taking the simple conjure water diagram he had originally learned and the basic fire bolt as well and trying to combine them. The first struggle was attempting to create a pool of fire mana at the same time he had a pool of water mana. This took most of the morning. By the end he had increased his mana handling skill to fifty.
Working on two diagrams was not difficult now that he had learned to work with two manas at the same time. The problem was trying to get the diagrams to intertwine without overlapping. The first time he touched a water mana strand to a fire mana strand he had been blasted across the room. Luckily a chair broke his fall so he only cracked his tailbone instead of smashing his head open on the floor like a watermelon. He was looking forward to growing some watermelons back at his house.
After a quick healing spell he was back at it again. At no point could the manas touch. This had just been shown to be a bad thing. If this was a two dimensional diagram that would have been impossible, but they were interacting in three dimensions. This meant there were ways to move the mana around each other, but it also made the diagrams themselves so much harder to visualize. By the time he laid down for bed he had been unable to get the diagrams to meld, but he did see a path forward.
It was just before dinner the next day when he finally managed to intertwine the two diagrams. They were not actually the original diagrams, but all of his experimenting had let him understand which parts could be moved around or changed while still keeping the overall spell the same.
He watched with his senses as the two strands of mana maneuvered around each other. As the diagram finished he sensed the energy growing in his palm. Instead of getting a ball of water he got another explosion. Similar to his first attempts at heating water in a tub there was an explosion of steam that not only blew him off his feet, but it also drenched his body and clothes.
Everyone laughed at his appearance when he made his way to dinner a few minutes later. Strangely, Master Mazus seemed happy to see him looking so out of sorts. The following day he attempted the spell over and over with the same result. It was not a problem with his handling of the energy, it was a deficiency with the concept.
Combining that much fire with the water was causing it to instantly boil away into steam creating an explosion. He needed less fire and heat. He spent a little while trying to break fire mana into heat mana, similar to how he solved the problem of heating up the tubs. However, while he was able to subtly modify how much heat mana was in fire mana, he was not yet at a level where he could break it off to use in a diagram.
Next he tried manipulating how strong the fire bolt was. If the amount of fire was less, the heat should be lower as well. He again had to struggle with modifying the diagram for his upgraded fire bolt so that he could fit it in with the conjure water one. With his earlier struggles he had gained a better understanding of the entire process and it was not long before he had figured out how to merge the two together.
This time he tried to build the fire bolt part of the diagram with the smallest pool of fire mana possible. Once he had the two pools he started assembling the spell. One significant issue was that the fire bolt spell was more complicated than the water one, which made it take longer to build. The problem was that they had to be finished at the same time or both would fizzle out. The solution was to slow the speed at which he created the water spell while building the fire one as fast as possible. Easier said than done.
Finally, he had success. Both diagrams completed at the same time and began writhing around each other. The energy built and he could tell immediately that something was different. Instead of an explosion of steam he instead got a ball of steam that he quickly directed away from himself. He ended up blasting the wall with a spray of hot steam. He noticed a notification and checked.
Spell: Cone of Steam (Rare). Sprays a cone of hot steam ten meters long and five meters across. Deals a minimal amount of damage to all creatures within the cone which scales with your intelligence. Mana cost: 30
A new spell! This was not just an upgrade of the previous spell, this was something totally new. He wasn¡¯t sure how effective it would be, though. Minimal was the smallest amount of damage he had seen so far, but it also seemed to be an area of effect spell. He cast it a few more times just to get a feel of the size of the cone.
The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to increase the damage of the spell. Unfortunately, simply increasing the energy flowing into it didn¡¯t work because the increase in thickness of the strands of mana caused interference in the diagram. The diagram was also so complex that he had no success in modifying it to get any new effects.
He was still excited about his achievement when he had dinner with the rest. While eating, he noticed that Valori was not her usual energetic self. After dinner he went to her room to talk to her and see what the problem was. When he knocked on her door there was no response. Shrugging he turned and started to go back to his room. At the last moment he changed his mind and instead returned to his workshop, he was excited to keep working on his new spell.
Opening the door he was greeted with a dark room. There was a flame lamp he could use but past experience had shown that it only provided a dim light outside of the table it was over. Instead he cast his light spell on the lamp and it produced a bright steady light.
He started this session off by casting the cone of steam again. He just took in the whole process to see if he got any inspiration. Nothing about the mana gathering process or spell diagram caught his attention. However, when the spell itself manifested and the steam shot across the room he noticed something new. The light from the enchanted lamp passing through the steam made small rainbows scattered throughout the cone.
This gave him an idea. It was stupid and probably a waste of time, but he needed something to enjoy after all the work he had put in. This wouldn¡¯t be easy, though. As a matter of fact it would inevitably be harder than anything he had done so far and would most likely result in something worthless. On the other hand, what is life without a little whimsy every now and then?
He decided to try and combine a third mana into his spell. The magic primer did not even talk about combining more than two types of mana. This was probably well beyond what he was meant to be able to accomplish, but he felt confident passing the next testing with his epic spell already. That meant that the rest of the month could be his to play with.
In order to combine three types of mana he would have to increase his mana handling to the point where he could even hold three types at the same time. That was only the first challenge as that would simply enable him to begin trying to weave three diagrams into the space that was already crowded with two. It was not something he could do tonight, or even in a few days so he unsummoned the light and headed down to bed. Better to face this mountain with a good night''s rest and a full day ahead of him.
Chapter 24
The next test was only a few days away. Yesterday Alan had finally managed to combine all three types of mana. It had taken many mentally and physically taxing hours just to reach the point where he could handle three mana pools at once. Trying to get all three to then work together as he wove three diagrams at once was another challenge. It was what he imagined wrestling three anacondas that hated each other and wanted to eat you felt like. It had blown up in his face, literally, on numerous occasions. Much of the furniture in the room had been reduced to kindling from his efforts.
The breakthrough moment came when he realized that he could change his perspective on the diagrams. When he looked at them it was like being a third party hovering nearby like an invasive drone. He found he was able to change his perspective, similar to flying the drone closer or around it. This allowed him a much greater degree of control.
This morning he was getting ready to test out the new spell as he sparred with Simon. They had already been at it for a few moments and sweat was pouring down Alan¡¯s face. While Simon was not as fast as Alan, he made up for it with superior strength and a lot of kinetic energy. He hit with the force of a bull elephant.
Trying to block his massive club was a dodgy proposition at best. Not only was there a chance of breaking the much smaller blades but the force generated by the weight of the club would drive his daggers back at himself. Instead Alan was trying to deflect and dodge the blows. Channeling the momentum away from himself was much easier than trying to stop it. If he could avoid the attacks, using two weapons was a slight advantage against the large two handed weapon since it meant he could easily threaten Simon after the attack passed.
Throughout their many sessions the big Russian had learned to control his attacks more. In the beginning he would use wild swings that were easy to deflect toward the ground or duck under and would then leave him out of position. Now he had found a rhythm and motion to his swings that kept the momentum in front of him, and didn¡¯t over commit and allow Alan to get inside his guard.
Their most recent sessions often ended in a draw with both combatants managing only a few hits. Partly that was because they were leery of going all out and causing a serious injury or death. Simon now knew that Alan could heal minor injuries, but a shattered spine or severed limb was more than they wanted to test.
In the last week they had sparred almost every day and had begun to incorporate magic into their duels. Stone spear and fire bolt were off limits, they were again worried about serious injuries, but after Alan had shown Simon how light bolts could be used to distract opponents he had wanted to incorporate it into his own style.
Currently Simon and Alan were facing each other in a clearing that was about ten meters across. The trees around them were some type of pine tree, Alan¡¯s identify and herbology could probably tell him more, but he wasn¡¯t focused on them at the moment. Instead he was splitting his attention between Simon¡¯s club and the larger man¡¯s eyes.
This round began when Simon shot off a series of light bolts toward his chest. Alan ducked to the side, but had already noticed Simon sprinting behind his distraction. The huge club came whistling toward his head and he spun with it, narrowly avoiding getting brained. The club head performed a spin and started to come back around before Alan could bring his daggers in to score a strike.
Luckily he wasn¡¯t planning on doing that anyway. Instead he aimed his fist toward the larger warrior and cast his new spell. He hadn¡¯t been sure what he was going to get when he combined the cone of steam and his light bolt, but he had been pleased with the outcome. He didn¡¯t think Simon would be so thrilled.
A ball of water shining through with sparkles shot toward Simon. It burst mere centimeters from his face in a dazzling display of light and colors. His whole body jerked and he retreated a few steps as he shook his head side to side. The intense burst of rainbows had temporarily blinded him.
Alan used those seconds to hook his leg around the back of Simon¡¯s and push him hard. The already disoriented giant fell over with a crash and his club rolled away from him.
¡°That¡¯s one for me I think,¡± Alan said after Simon¡¯s eyesight recovered.
¡°What the hell was that?¡±
Spell: Prismatic Orb (Epic). Create a watery ball of lights that explodes in front of the target creating a burst of rainbows up to thirty meters away. Temporarily dazzles or blinds the target, effectiveness scales with intelligence. Mana cost: 20
Alan reached down and helped pull Simon to his feet. ¡°It¡¯s a new spell I created. It costs the same as a light bolt but is much more effective as a distraction, don¡¯t you think?¡±
¡°Bozhe moi, that thing was intense. I still feel like my eyes are getting cooked,¡± Simon responded as he picked up his club. ¡°Wait, did you say you created it?¡±
Laughing, Alan told him about his accomplishments. His friend was shocked to discover how Alan had been able to incorporate multiple types of mana. As they made their way back to the bathtubs he expressed his dismay. ¡°I knew you were hard at work on something, but this is incredible. At this point there is no way I will win this apprenticeship. I already had few hopes with how well you are able to manipulate mana, but this is a whole new level.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know why I got so lucky with my skills, but it does seem to be an unfair advantage.¡±
Simon placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°This new world we live in will not be fair. But we humans must look out for each other. Do not feel bad about any advantages you get, use it to lift us all. Now, let me run into my room quickly, I left my towel hanging to dry.¡±
Alan watched him walk to his room but suddenly called out. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t move.¡±
Simon froze and looked around to try and spot what was wrong. He could tell from Alan¡¯s tone that this was not a joke. Alan cautiously approached him while scanning with his aura senses. There in front of Simon¡¯s door was an accumulation of mana. From the stairwell he had been unable to notice anything other than a bundle of energy that didn¡¯t belong.
Now that he was closer he could see that it was a spell diagram. It was made from dark mana and had no resemblance to the only dark spell he knew, shadow bolt. It was also much more complex than that spell, the many twists and turns were almost too complicated for him to even pick out.
¡°If I had to guess, this is the same thing that got me when I left my workspace weeks ago. It is a dark spell of some kind and if you step on it, that could be the end of you.¡±
¡°Do you think Ezra is trying to eliminate the competition?¡± Simon asked.
¡°It could be, maybe he gave up on me after I survived his first attempt. Let me try something.¡±
Alan slowly reached out his hand toward the mana infused stone. As it got closer he could almost feel the mana begin to flow faster through the diagram, there was an eagerness to it like it wanted to be released. As he moved his hand back away from the trap the energy slowed down again. Next he took his beating stick out and extended the tip toward the stone. He sensed no change in the mana even when he touched it to the stone.
¡°It somehow can tell when a living thing touches it versus an item,¡± he told Simon.
¡°Should we tell the Master?¡±
¡°Maybe, but let me try to diffuse it first. We won¡¯t always have a Master there to help us. This is a good learning opportunity. See if you can watch what I do.¡±
This might be a foolish risk, he had almost died last time, but this new life would be full of dangers and he needed to take every opportunity to grow stronger. He also felt that he would be better able to deal with it after his many advances and knowing what was coming ahead of time. He bent down and again pushed his hand closer to the trapped stone. He could see the mana spinning faster and faster. Just as he reached the point where it seemed like the diagram would activate he paused. This next part would be tricky.
He would need to form some kind of connection with the trap. He had learned the danger of mixing mana so he would have to match the energy. Sending out his own tiny tendril of dark mana he noticed no reaction from the spell. He pushed it forward until it was almost touching the thick vein that made up the diagram. Getting ready to start casting his healing spells in case this all went wrong, he pushed it that little bit further and it suddenly fused with the larger strand. Still there was no reaction from the trap.
¡°I think I can see something,¡± Simon whispered.
Alan didn¡¯t even bother to respond, he was too focused on what he was doing. Now that he had a connection to the diagram he started pulling energy from the spell through his tiny strand, and then into himself. At first he was worried the foreign mana would have some effect on him, but it quickly diffused into his mana pool without any kind of reaction. The spell form, however, was noticeably thinner than before.
He kept draining until suddenly the spell must have passed below some threshold and was no longer able to hold itself together. With a flash of energy the entire diagram collapsed and the mana dissipated. Luckily the sudden end of the spell didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on Alan.
Simon whistled, ¡°would you look at that.¡±
There was a black splotch on the dark stone. Tapping it with his small club he didn¡¯t notice a difference so he ran his hand over it as well. Even to his aura senses there was nothing different about the stone.
¡°I think it¡¯s ok, it seems to be cosmetic. You said you could see something while I was working, what was it?¡±
¡°There was some kind of glowing construct. I only noticed it because I sensed a string of energy from you connecting with it. It looked a little like the spell forms we have been working with.¡±
¡°That¡¯s incredible Simon. It sounds like you are learning to see the mana outside of yourself.¡±
¡°You think?¡± He stared off at nothing for a moment, a sure sign he was checking a Network screen. But then the Russian shook his head. ¡°No new skill yet.¡±
¡°It¡¯s still a start. Maybe soon you will be able to sense those auras. I have heard that it is very rare to achieve that this early.¡±
¡°Who did you hear this from?¡±
Alan tried to explain Tamee, but once again the Master¡¯s decree against talking about their tutorial experiences kicked in. After a few seconds with his mouth open he closed it and shook his head.
¡°Sorry, can¡¯t talk about it. But now that it¡¯s safe, you can go get your towel.¡±
Both Simon and Alan were very quiet during breakfast. They had agreed not to tell Master Mazus about it since they still didn¡¯t know who was doing it. Alan offered to help Simon again, but the big man passed since he was excited to practice more to see if he could develop an aura reading skill.
That suited Alan just fine since he had one more goal before the test. The long casting time of his new light bolt spell was still bothering him. He probably wouldn¡¯t use it during melee fights anymore as his new prismatic orb spell would be much more effective, but he couldn¡¯t leave a job half finished.
The solution he came up with was that he needed to have light mana already created and ready to use for the spell. It was the process of breaking off the light mana one strand at a time that was the problem. With his increased mana control he was actually able to work on several strands at a time now, but it still seemed inefficient.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The problem was that if he just released the light mana back into his mana pool it would swirl around in place for a short time, but eventually it would get lost among the larger strands of pure mana. He needed a separate place to store the light mana.
By now he had spent entire days working with his mana pool, exploring its connections to both his soul and his body. What was needed was a small patch that would hold only the light mana. It would occur not between his pool and his body, but more to the side, like a separate pipe that could supply the appropriate mana.
His first real success came the day before the next test. At first he only managed to segregate a miniscule number of strands of light mana, but they were definitely separated and were prevented from returning back into the larger pool. As the hours wore on he managed to increase the pool until it held enough to count as twenty light mana. This was more than ten percent of his total mana pool.
The rest of the afternoon was spent testing. He tried casting with the new pool and seeing how his system handled it. The casting was simple, whenever he drew light mana he simply took it directly from the pool. The replacement mana was then created automatically as individual strands were pulled from his mana pool and drawn into the separate area. This renewal process was not fast and the special light mana seemed to refill at approximately half of the rate that the rest of his mana did. He could, however, improve this almost up to normal by focusing his mental energy on separating the mana himself, rather than letting his body''s natural processes take care of it.
He was pleased to find that the casting time for his light bolt spell had decreased to where it took only a fraction of a second again. Because of the size of his pool he could only cast two small light bolts before he would have to wait for it to fill again, but he could get both of those off in under a second total. The results left him feeling like the cat that got the cream as he sat during what would be their last dinner before someone else went home.
¡°Tomorrow you will be tested with how well you have improved your spells. You will each cast any spell you have improved in front of us all. Whoever I feel has made the least progress will be sent home, but know that making it this far is an incredible accomplishment given your backgrounds. If you do go home tomorrow, know that you are still worthy, just not enough to be my apprentice¡± That last the Master said with a smile. They all chuckled.
¡°Is there a reward for the person who made the most improvement?¡± Valori asked.
¡°The power your spells have gained is reward itself. Also, the ability to improve your spells as you grow is a must for anyone following the path of the mage,¡± Master Mazus responded.
This could give Alan an opportunity to see who had left the traps for Simon and himself. The spell outside of Simon¡¯s room had felt more powerful than the one he had had to suffer through weeks ago. It was not one of the six spells they had access to through the Master¡¯s books, so whoever cast it to demonstrate their growth tomorrow would give themselves away.
The next morning Simon and Alan were greeted downstairs by Master Mazus before they had a chance to go exercise.
¡°Today I would like you to return to your rooms until it is time for breakfast. The trial will start immediately after and I have some things to set up in the field before then.¡±
Shrugging they both returned to their rooms. Simon lifted weights while Alan did Tai Chi. It was cramped, but he did what moves he could. With his much improved aura reading he was able to see how the energy moving through his pathways pulsed and swirled as he completed the different moves. The entire process felt like additional cultivation, helping to grow the capacity of his mana pathways but also allowing him to become more intimately familiar with them as well.
After breakfast the group made their way downstairs. The others seemed a little nervous, but honestly Alan couldn¡¯t imagine being sent home at this point. He felt that his accomplishments had to be greater than at least one of the others. Simon, on the other hand, looked resigned to his fate. Walking through the door it took their eyes a moment to adjust to the outside brightness compared to the much dimmer tower.
The first thing Alan noticed were the cages. Each cage was in the shape of a cube and was less than two meters on a side. They were made of some kind of bamboo and rope lashing the pieces together. There were at least fifteen cages set up with what looked like goblins in them. The creatures were no more than a hundred and twenty centimeters tall and had a greenish hue to their pebbly skin. Each also had a pair of long pointy ears stuffed full of hair and their mouths were filled with sharp pointed teeth. A simple loincloth covering their unmentionables was the only clothing they wore. Taking a second look, their clothes looked better than his did when he first came to the tower.
Looking around more he noticed an empty pool that was at least ten meters long and six meters wide. There were a few targets set up at a variety of ranges and some other contraptions to test things Alan couldn¡¯t even imagine. He was a little wary of the goblins, were they going to be using live targets?
¡°Welcome everyone. Now that you have learned enough to start upgrading your spells they can begin to change in many ways. I have tried to accommodate as many things as you can think of. Before performing each spell I would like you to tell me how you have improved it and I will set out an appropriate task. Simon, you will be going first.¡±
At least he had learned their names by now. Simon went over and discussed his first spell with Master Mazus. When the Master told him his task there was a brief argument. Alan was surprised because the others had been nothing but differential to Master Mazus before.
¡°Simon tells me that you all may have some misgivings about using these goblins as targets?¡± Master Mazus seemed surprised when he asked this.
¡°Nope¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Valori and Alan gave contradictory answers at the same time. Ezra just looked pale. Valori glanced over at Alan before looking back and reaffirming her previous answer.
¡°I have no problem with it, these things are loathsome monsters.¡±
¡°I do have a problem with it. What have these goblins done to deserve this? Were they raised in a cage to be used as fodder?¡± Alan argued.
¡°These goblins are prisoners that were captured after they raided a village. They are not innocent and are not considered true sapients as they do not have a soul. Think of them as ugly boars.¡±
This did not make Alan feel any better, but he also reminded himself that he was in a dungeon and this was not necessarily the same as reality. It still left a bad taste in his mouth, and at least Simon seemed to feel the same way. He stepped up to demonstrate his spell but had a look of disgust on his face.
Two of the cages had their doors spring open and the goblins inside immediately scrambled out and took off running. They weren¡¯t running shoulder to shoulder, but they were heading in the same direction. Alan felt Simon begin to gather his mana and tried to focus on what he was doing.
This was clearly his earth spell as he felt the mana begin to pool. The spell form was created too quickly for him to get a good look at it but he could clearly see the two large stone spears that jutted out of the ground. Whereas previously the spears were about the size of their namesakes, simply made of stone, these were at least forty centimeters across at their base and extended out for several meters before coming to a point.
One spike of stone appeared in front of each goblin and quickly shot up, impaling them in their chests. A good meter of stone was sticking out the back of each and they both thrashed for only a second before falling still.
¡°Well done! A rare version of the spell I would imagine and the separation between the spears origins was almost ten meters. Have you anything else?¡± Master Mazus called out.
Simon went over and explained another spell before two more goblins were released. These were each struck by a light bolt. The power of the bolts was nothing impressive. Only one of the goblins even fell over when struck and he quickly got back up. With a snap of the Master¡¯s fingers the goblins were once again back in their cages.
The Master didn¡¯t seem as impressed as with the first spell. ¡°Hmmm¡that can barely be an uncommon version. I see you have duplicated the same improvement on both spells. Well, that is something I guess. Multiple attacks for each spell is useful at least. Ezra, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±
This time Alan tried to get closer to watch him cast. Ezra clearly had some kind of dark magic talent and he wanted to see if he could copy his mana handling like he had with Simon¡¯s earth mover talent.
For his first task no goblins were released. Instead he was aiming at a target sixty meters away. As he felt the dark magic gathering Alan¡¯s senses were exploring the nuances of how he controlled it. He couldn¡¯t try to duplicate it at the moment because Master Mazus had forbidden them from interfering with each others¡¯ trial, including distracting them with their own practice.
Suddenly a shadow bolt went streaking away and struck the target. The range was impressive, and Alan could also feel that it was more powerful than what he himself could do.
¡°Very nice, the improved range allows you to stay safe while bombarding your enemies. What else?¡±
His next spell was fire bolt. A goblin was released and suddenly five fire bolts were racing out. The first one blew a chunk out of its chest and a second set one of its arms on fire. Another bolt hit it in a leg, melting some of the flesh and causing it to stumble. The last two bolts met at its head causing it to explode sending little pieces of goblin skull across the grass. Those remaining in the cages started to scream and yell. Several grabbed the bars and tried to pull them apart. A whisper from the Master and a flash of something left a bloody streak on their backs, silencing them.
He turned back to regard Ezra.¡°Now that was impressive. Five bolts created for barely more than the cost of two. And that was a nice spread while hitting one target, it would make blocking all of the blasts difficult. There seemed to be some improvement in their effectiveness as well. A high rare or even possibly epic grade I would imagine.¡±
Ezra¡¯s third spell was an upgraded version of gust. The Master had some kind of flying contraption and the gust Ezra caused sent it flying through the air for over thirty seconds, a definite improvement over the base spell¡¯s duration.
¡°I appreciate the difficulty in modifying three different spells, and all in different ways. Although you might see if you can use the modifications in one spell to help you modify a different one like Simon did.¡±
Alan was surprised that Ezra didn¡¯t have a fourth spell. He figured that after that last comment he might feel nervous about being the low man and would demonstrate his trap spell if he had it. Instead he stepped back and the Master called Valori forward. Alan once again tried to focus on her mana gathering when she used her fire spell, figuring that she must have a fire talent.
Her first spell, however, was shadow bolt and she hit three different goblins at the same time. Like Simon, her bolts were not powerful enough to kill them, but all three were knocked down. Her second spell was fire bolt and he immediately noticed how much better she was at handling the fire mana compared to his own control. Now that he was thinking about it, her dark mana control had also been better than his.
Her fire bolt was more like a fireball. She sent it out at the target sixty meters away and instead of leaving a scorch mark, the entire thing erupted in flames. The master quickly waved his hand and the flames were extinguished, but the target was blackened and you could no longer see the individual rings. There was also a large crater where the bolt had hit it.
¡°Most impressive! That was an epic level fire bolt if I have ever seen one. You improved both the range and the power, very nice.¡±
That was the last spell she demonstrated so now it was Alan¡¯s turn. His first spell was a light bolt that he cast at a nearby target. The others didn¡¯t notice anything different but the master was mildly impressed.
¡°Oh, you increased the mana efficiency and even improved the casting time. Very tricky, although nothing else seems to have changed.¡±
Alan wasn¡¯t sure what to do next. His fire bolt had been greatly improved, but he was worried he would have to target one of the goblins. Instead he chose conjure water. He wasn¡¯t able to completely fill the pool, but there were several centimeters of water at the bottom which was orders of magnitude more than the previous maximum amount anyone had summoned. He also caused it to fill with a waterfall that poured the water out over a few seconds rather than as one large globe that simply dumped the water in.
¡°Hmmm¡This is an interesting improvement. It is not easy to accomplish some of what you have done here. Anything else?¡±
Alan went over to tell him about his newest spell.
¡°I have another spell, but it isn¡¯t really an improvement, it¡¯s more a spell I created. But it is at epic grade.¡±
¡°What, you crafted a new spell, what is it called?¡± The Master was so surprised he forgot to keep his voice low.
¡°Um, prismatic orb, it sends an orb that temporarily disables an opponent.¡±
¡°Impossible, I know of this spell and you should not be able to learn it from a scroll, let alone cast it at your level. Show me,¡± he finished his speech with a snap and a goblin was released.
Alan quickly gathered the required mana and sent the orb spinning out. His reluctance to use the goblins was easily overcome since the spell was non-damaging. This was the farthest he had tried to cast it, and at a moving target as well. However, he soon found his control was up to the task and the orb burst in front of the goblin who started stumbling around waving its arms in front of it, clearly blinded. Everyone¡¯s jaws had dropped, including the Master¡¯s, and they watched as it took the goblin at least six seconds to regain its sight.
Master Mazus was so distracted that the goblin managed to reach the treeline and disappear before he reacted. A small bolt of light then appeared in front of him before streaking away into the trees. The students heard a high pitched scream from the woods and figured that the goblin was now dead.
¡°To think you could weave at least three types of mana while still a quartz mage¡¡± here he paused while he looked intensely at Alan. ¡°Yes, still at the quartz level.¡±
He trailed off again and everyone was left looking around. Valori looked dumbstruck while Ezra seemed to be replaying the moment in his head. Simon seemed excited for Alan, while Alan himself was looking at his feet, not sure how to deal with the attention.
¡°Well, this changes things. If you can do this already then I have no more need of tests,¡± and with a snap of his fingers the others disappeared leaving the Master and Alan alone with the goblins. ¡°You had already shown yourself to be a skilled mage, but this proves you are the best of the bunch.¡± He waved his hand and all of the goblins, the targets, and the other testing equipment in the field disappeared.
¡°Follow me inside. We will have a snack and we will have a talk.¡±
Quest Complete: Becoming an apprentice
[Congratulations, you have demonstrated that you are the greatest talent in this group of possible elites. Reward: Title {Apprentice} and 600 dungeon points.]
Chapter 25
¡°Enough of all this Master stuff, you can call me Dracon,¡± Master Mazus told Alan as they sat at the dining table. It currently contained a wealth of snacks. There was a charcuterie board, a cheese platter, a tray of various fruits, and a couple of pitchers of liquids. He noticed the Master¡¯s, or Dracon¡¯s, voice had changed somehow. It wasn¡¯t less arrogant, but maybe it was no longer as condescending.
¡°I know you were expecting to be here much longer, going through various tests and such, but after today there was really no need. To meld two different mana types together at your level would be quite an accomplishment, a one in a million talent, but three is unheard of. You may not realize how impressive that is, but as someone who has been doing this for hundreds of years, believe me it is.¡±
Alan was nibbling on the various snacks while also pocketing several types of fruit. He really was turning into a hoarder when it came to delicious fruit and their precious seeds. The whole time though he was keeping his eyes on Dracon. Wait, did he say hundreds of years?
¡°I am sure you got an announcement from the Network that you are now my apprentice. You should know that is not a temporary arrangement. As long as the both of us live you will be my apprentice unless, of course, you manage to pass my class level,¡± he snorted at that. ¡°We will have some time together here in this dungeon for me to teach you various skills. This opportunity will last for several months. In order to help you decide on what we should explore, I need you to share your status screen.¡±
¡°Uhhhh¡¡± was all Alan managed.
Dracon chuckled. ¡°You are right to be wary of such a request, but you should check out your new title if you haven¡¯t yet.¡±
Alan took a moment to access the title [Apprentice] and another one to read it over.
You have become the apprentice of Dracon Mazus, a skilled practitioner of the magical arts. While he is your master your souls will be connected. This allows the achievements of each to affect the other. A betrayal by either will cause significant damage to their soul.
¡°What does it mean that our achievements affect each other?¡± he asked.
¡°This is a big reason why people take on apprentices. As you grow on your Path you will find that it becomes harder to advance your classes through practice or combat. You will need to accomplish great deeds or achievements. By taking on an apprentice I can earn credit for some of your achievements. The idea being that making you better will make it easier for me to grow.¡±
¡°It says that your achievements also affect me?¡±
¡°That is a more complicated topic that we will have to get into later, but suffice it to say the apprentice gets benefits beyond the teaching. You also might have noticed that our souls are actually linked now. Betraying you would be like betraying a part of myself. And since I gain more the greater you become, it is safe for you to share your status screen without fear of treachery.¡±
Alan still wasn¡¯t sure, but on the other hand, this man was so much more powerful than him that it wouldn¡¯t really matter either way if he wanted to cause him harm. It also seemed that Dracon had some ability to read at least part of his status anyway. Alan hadn¡¯t seriously checked his own status in a while, he had mostly focused on his skills, so he also took a moment to look it over as he shared the screen with his new mentor.
Alan Taylor
Race: Human [W]
Class:
Fighter (78%) Quartz
Guardian (60%) Quartz
Healer (85%) Quartz
Hunter (53%) Quartz
Mage (91%) Quartz
Rogue (92%) Quartz
Scholar (71%) Quartz
Seeker (70%) Quartz
Health: 194 (19/hour)
Stamina: 178 (36/minute)
Mana: 182 (18/minute)
Dungeon Points: 980
Stats:
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 18
Perception: 13
Focus: 14
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 18
Constitution: 14
Spirit: 11
Skills:
Aura Reading: 60, Blunt Weapons: 25, Cooking: 6, Daggers: 45, Dodging: 21, First Aid: 20, Harvesting: 10, Herbology: 10, Identify: 16, Mana Drawing: 15, Mana Enhancement: 6, Mana Handling: 90, Mining: 3, Running: 26, Sneak: 11, Swords: 3, Tracking: 20, Two Weapon Fighting: 38, Unarmed Combat: 18
Titles: [Apprentice], [Top Recruit]
Talents:
Fighter: Fury, Parry
Guardian: Hammer Blow, Taunt
Healer: Mend
Hunter: 6th Sense, Charm Animal
Mage: Earth Mover, Light Spinner, Water Weaver
Rogue: Quick Hands, Stealth
Scholar: Understanding
Seeker: Sensitivity
Spells: Cone of Steam (Uncommon), Conjure Water (Epic), Fire Bolt (Rare), Gust (common), Minor Healing (common), Light Bolt (Uncommon), Light (common), Prismatic Orb (Epic), Stone Spear (Uncommon)
He had made gains in several of his classes, mage being an obvious one. In fact it was now his second highest class. Seeker and scholar had also improved a lot. Several of his skills had gone up, aura reading and mana handling being the two biggest. However, mana drawing and enhancement had also increased as well as his running and sneaking skills. Perhaps that training with Simon had helped after all.
They sat in silence for several minutes while Dracon perused the information. Alan took the opportunity to stash some more fruit and to have a drink of something that smelled like orange juice. It tasted similar but had a tartness that he didn¡¯t expect.
¡°You must have had some interesting opportunities to gain all of those skills and classes. I am not surprised to see aura reading and mana handling since you managed to create your own spells, but I am impressed to see mana enhancement. That makes for some interesting possibilities in your future.¡±
¡°Is it rare to have eight classes?¡± Alan already had an idea of what the answer was, but it was a way of testing his new mentor.
¡°Rare is a relative term. I have met others over the years who have also obtained all eight starting classes, and they were usually also from recently integrated worlds like you. However, even in that smaller group I would say fewer than one in a billion have managed it.¡±
¡°That sounds pretty rare to me,¡± he responded.
¡°The universe we live in contains millions of worlds, many of which have trillions of individuals. However, combine that with your mana skills and you are truly a once in a generation talent. I expect great things from you, and not just because it will help me break through to Jade. Now, I have seen the results of your experiences, but I would like to hear more about those events themselves. Please, tell me about your past and your time here in the tutorial before coming to me.¡±
It took several hours for Alan to get through everything. Dracon kept interrupting with clarifying questions as he went. He didn¡¯t seem too interested in his time as a Green Beret, but he was fascinated by his work as a doctor.
¡°I think this explains some things about how you achieved what you have. Since you grew up outside of the Network, it uses your early experiences to develop the basis of your Path. Please continue.¡±
His time with the Space Security Force was also not of great interest to his mentor, other than the fact that their planet had reached the stars before being integrated. Apparently this was well past the norm. Most planets were somewhere between a medieval and early industrial age when they were integrated.
¡°Tell me more about the beast you fought as a test to get into the tutorial.¡±
¡°It was called an octospatium. It looked like what we call an octopus. It had many tentacles and a large bulbous body. The thing ended up blowing itself up when it tore apart the station''s engine module,¡± Alan paused before he thought to ask. ¡°Why was it so powerful? It was only listed as a level 1 creature. Since then I have fought and beaten creatures at higher levels that were nowhere near as tough. If it hadn¡¯t blown itself up I would never have been able to kill it.¡±
¡°You were very lucky there. You have to understand that there are several ways to measure the strength of a creature, and by that I mean a being without a soul. The level is simply one of them, and often the least important. The biggest thing is the evolution of its race. You might¡¯ve noticed your race is listed as W for white. That is the lowest level possible. My race is G for green, which is a not insignificant achievement if I do say so myself.¡±
Alan already knew some of this about race evolutions, but he was getting a lot of details that he hadn¡¯t.
¡°The creatures you have fought in the tutorial were almost definitely white as well. An Octospatium, however, is a red beast. It is only one step above white, but that is a huge difference for someone just starting out. I am surprised the Network would give you such a challenge as there should have been no way for you to beat it. However, it provides another clue to your talent with aura reading. Octospatium live in space and travel between worlds looking for prey. They hunt by tracking energy traces back to their source. That is probably why it went after the engine of your station. Getting credit for that kill added some of its achievements to your own, which might have improved your potential when it came to energy sensitivity.¡±
He paused here to have a drink himself and snack on some grapes. It was several seconds before he spoke up again.
¡°I won¡¯t mind returning to my own world where the food is a little more impressive. Those pancakes in the morning are pretty tasty though. Anyway, please continue with your story.¡±
The fact that Alan was alone in his tutorial was a source of amusement for his mentor. On the other hand he was hanging on every word when Alan described his first experiences with sensing his own aura and then smoothing out the flows.
¡°As you grow you will start to be able to tell the difference in the parts of your aura. Those main pathways you described are common to all humans, but the smaller pathways correspond to different attributes. They provide a connection between your aura¡¯s increased energy flow and the body¡¯s ability to turn that energy into action. By having all eight classes you have a huge leg up since others will have to use treasures to improve some of their stats to keep their aura balanced. The treasures are not as effective as natural growth and they usually end up with at least a ten percent loss of attributes per point. This means not only will they probably have somewhat fewer points in many stats, each of those points will be less effective as well. Some may have achievements like the one you described to improve them so it will vary greatly by person. However, few will be able to match your pure stats as you grow.¡±
He shared the rest of his tale and Dracon finally sat back to ponder all he had heard. Taking a cue from his mentor, Alan also leaned back and sipped some more of his juice to wet his parched throat. Finally Dracon shook himself and then spoke up.
¡°I think I know which way our training should go, but of course we will have to discuss what you want as well. Before we can get to that though, there is one more trial for you to complete.¡±
Alan was surprised that he was still shocked by the bait and switch routine. ¡°I thought I completed your tests.¡±
¡°Oh, you did. This is not my trial, this is an opportunity for you provided by the tutorial dungeon. Mine was not the only special dungeon spread throughout the disk. There were several for each race. Before you can benefit more from my teachings you must now measure yourself against others who have gained the title apprentice.¡±
¡°How is that supposed to work?¡±
¡°Shortly you will receive a new quest and be teleported away from here. You will then face them in battle. This is your first chance to earn an achievement for me. I¡¯m counting on you to do well.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
¡°Are these others also going to be mages?¡±
Dracon laughed. ¡°Goodness no. Some may be, but these special dungeons can focus on any of the classes. There are no restrictions on what you can use, so go all out.¡±
¡°And when it¡¯s over, what happens then?¡±
¡°After you complete it you will be teleported back here and then we can work on making you better. This trial will also give you a chance to see what you need to work on. Our time is just about up. You should go gather your things from your room and prepare yourself. Remember, don¡¯t embarrass me, I¡¯ve got an image to maintain.¡±
¡°Of course, I¡¯ll try to die in an inspiring manner.¡± Alan replied sarcastically.
¡°That¡¯s all I ask.¡± Dracon smiled as Alan made his way downstairs. Alan¡¯s improved hearing just caught him whispering ¡°This will be fun to watch.¡± as he made his way to his room.
He attached his various pouches to his belt and put his daggers back on. Most of his items had been moved to the larger storage in his ring by now, but he kept the corpses of the beasts he still had in his pouch. Unsure of how long he had until the trial started he tried meditating while sitting on his bed. Except for sparring he hadn¡¯t really had to fight in months.
He didn¡¯t know what the trial would look like, but based on his experiences so far he figured it would not be pleasant. He knew it would be a battle, but what would that look like? Was it to first blood or worse yet, to the death?
New Quest: There can be only one
[Now that you have become an apprentice you must demonstrate your worthiness. Best the other humans in combat to advance.]
After reading the message Alan found himself sitting in an underground room. There weren¡¯t any windows of course, but there was just a sense you got from being underground. It was a coolness to the air and an impression of weight all around you. He was perched on a wooden bench against a wall in an octagonal room.
The walls were some kind of fitted stonework, each block was massive though, at least two meters long. They each probably weighed several thousand kilograms. There were a few torches burning around the walls and several wooden support pillars arranged in a circle in the middle of the room. The only exit seemed to be a large wooden door on one wall. It was currently closed so he couldn¡¯t see what was on the other side.
The other walls had benches on them as well. Scanning them he saw four other people. They all looked human and three of them were women with one of them being male. They all had different kinds of equipment on them and he tried to identify them to see if it would work finally. His entire time at the mage tower he had been unable to identify a single thing. To his surprise, it actually gave him information now.
Jason: Human, Rogue, Threat level: medium
The other man was wearing a cloak and had several daggers located around his body. His skin was naturally tanned. He was handsome enough but he had an unusually sharp chin. If he had to guess he would say he was of asian descent. As a rogue he was a dexterity build, but that was Alan¡¯s highest class as well so he felt confident in besting him. He would still have to be careful though because he probably had other classes too. At his level, identify would only list their highest class.
Cassandra: Human, Guardian, Threat level: medium
The first woman he inspected was taller than he was and well muscled. Her hair was shoulder length and a lustrous black color. Her face was rather plain but her eyes spoke of a sharp intelligence. He thought he was probably stronger than she was, but her class would make her tough to hit. She had no armor but did carry a large round shield. It was made of thick wooden boards and banded with a metal rim that was at least ten centimeters wide. It also had a nasty looking metal spike in the center. On her back was a large hammer. The shaft was over a meter long and the head at the end was one large solid piece of iron with two blunt ends.
Lydia: Human, Hunter, Threat level: high
Lydia was holding a wooden bow. It would probably best be described as a shortbow since it was just over a meter in length. She had a quiver of arrows on her hip. She also had a sword located on her back so she probably would also be capable up close. It was hard to tell what kind of sword it was since she was leaning against the wall and his view was blocked. All he could see was the leather wrapped hilt peeking out from behind her almost glowing blonde hair. She also had blue eyes but there was no joy in them, instead it was like looking into the cold eyes of death. She was also the only one who seemed to have any real armor as she was wearing a sleek looking leather chest piece.
Brighid: Human, Healer, Threat level: low
The last woman was wearing what he would describe as a monk¡¯s robe. It was made from what looked like a type of brown hemp with a large cloth belt. She was holding a staff in her hand that was taller than she was. Her hair was ginger red and her skin was pale and freckled. Just like Lydia her eyes were blue, but her¡¯s sparkled with humor and life. As a healer he didn¡¯t think she would bring much offense to the competition, but again she could have another class that made her a danger. The low threat level was reassuring.
He took a moment to see himself from their eyes. He was wearing the same tunic and pants that his mentor had given him months ago, but at least they were clean and only showed slight signs of wear. The same leather belt was around his waist that they were all given at the start but he had several pouches and his two daggers attached to it. His body was well muscled but he was probably shorter than everyone but Brighid. He didn¡¯t know what their threat levels said about him, but visually they may be discounting him.
It was less than a minute before their mutual study was interrupted. The door to the room opened and they could see a dirt and gravel ramp extending upwards. There was also bright light coming from that direction suggesting it led to the surface. Standing in the door was an unremarkable human man with tousled hair and dirt on much of his exposed skin. His shirt was loose on his body and the white color showed several stains. His eyes briefly took them in before he started reading from a paper in his hands.
¡°Welcome to the Warrior¡¯s Arena. Today you will be participating in a battle royal fight to the death.¡± There was a gasp from Cassandra and some of the others shifted uncomfortably in their seats. ¡°The winner will be healed up and will then have the opportunity to compete in a four way fight with the champions from the other three races. Whoever is standing at the end will win the grand prize and a glorious title. Any questions?¡±
Everyone¡¯s hand but Lydia¡¯s shot into the air. She looked eager for the first time since Alan had seen her.
Their visitor continued without even looking up at them, ¡°No questions, great. You¡¯re up in two minutes, no fighting till you are announced in the arena. Oh, if anyone chooses not to fight, the guards will kill you where you stand.¡±
Well that was just great. Not that Alan had really expected anything different, but these were his fellow humans. It didn¡¯t make sense to kill them, they would be needed in the competition in later tiers. He was a little excited at the prospect of seeing what the other races looked like, though. If he made it past this round.
Cassandra tried to ask a question ¡°Can someone surrender if¡¡±
¡°No talking either, your fight is almost up,¡± the attendant interrupted.
Alan was glad he wasn¡¯t on the receiving end of that glare from Cassandra. He was pretty sure that if that guy was up there she would crush his head without a second thought. Moments later he signaled them to stand and head up the ramp. As soon as Alan stepped out of the door he was inundated with the scent of unwashed bodies and blood.
At the top of the ramp they were greeted with a huge arena. The floor of the stadium was in the shape of an oval and over a hundred meters long and maybe fifty wide. The floor was the same dirt and gravel mixture as the ramp, but it also had been stained by massive quantities of blood and other bodily fluids. Surrounding the fighting area of the arena was a brown stone wall that was at least four meters high. Above that were rows upon rows of long benches. It looked like a soccer stadium. There were some nicer sections where there was a special platform containing seats, almost like luxury boxes, scattered around.
His high perception allowed him to pick out his mentor in one of the boxes. When Alan saw him he scowled, but Dracon smiled and waved his hand. This was apparently a great time for him while Alan was facing possible death. That thought made him refocus on his opponents.
There was no chance of them all refusing to fight. Not only had they been told they would be killed if they did, but Lydia had looked way too eager when they were told it was to the death for her to just give up. She was also the one whose threat level was the highest. Between the toughness he received from his guardian class and his high strength and dexterity from his fighter and rogue classes he felt that he could probably take her at close range. However, he didn¡¯t have a great way of defending against her bow. His movements during the upcoming fight would need to be constant and erratic. It would be much harder to hit him if he didn¡¯t move in predictable lines.
Cassandra seemed like a more physically dangerous foe than Jason, but he had been training against Simon who also used strength and a heavy weapon against him. The shield would make this interesting, though. He wondered how well she could really use that hammer with one hand.
Other than Lydia, Jason was his next biggest concern. In a one on one duel he thought that he could beat Jason nine times out of ten, but in a larger melee he would have to watch out for him. As a rogue he probably excelled at quick and lethal strikes, especially if you had your back to him.
They found themselves standing in a circle facing each other. They were about six meters apart so there would be no sudden strikes when the fight began, other than maybe Lydia. Now that he thought about it, Jason had multiple small daggers on him so he may be able to throw them accurately. His planning was interrupted by a voice booming out over the stadium.
¡°Ladies and Menfolk, today you are in for a treat. We have representatives from a newly integrated planet whose warriors are still in the early stages of their tutorial disk!¡± This was greeted with loud cheers.
¡°First up we have five humans who were each deemed worthy by their mentors.¡± More cheers and then five people, including his own mentor, stood up on their platforms which were scattered around the stadium and moved forward raising their hands in the air.
¡°Now is the time to find out who we think is the most worthy. The rules are simple: fight, and don¡¯t die. If you die, you lose!¡± This was a bloodthirsty crowd and the thunderous cheers rolled over them on the arena floor. A chant of ¡°fight, fight, fight¡± started up until the voice called out again.
¡°And now, without any further ado, warriors, let your battle begin!¡±
Alan¡¯s first move was a quick dash to his left. At the same time he raised his hand toward Lydia and sent a prismatic orb her way. It exploded in her face and she yelled in fright as she was temporarily blinded. However, at the same time she had knocked an arrow and shot it at Alan. Luckily she had shot where Alan had been standing, and not where he was now. She hadn¡¯t expected him to react faster than her. The arrow went skittering across the ground.
There was a shout from the other side of the circle. Jason, the rogue, had chosen to begin by throwing a dagger at Brighid who was next to him. Luckily for her she had started moving so instead of hitting her in the heart it instead cut into her lung. It could still end up being a fatal injury, but as a healer she could treat it once she got the knife out.
Unfortunately Jason wasn¡¯t going to give her that opportunity as he followed up his throw by dashing over and throwing another knife at her. This one she managed to deflect with her staff so she must have some talent with it. Not to be put off he took a larger dagger out and began slashing at her.
Meanwhile Cassandra used Lydia¡¯s momentary blindness to move in on her. However, Lydia¡¯s disablement only lasted about two seconds. Her perception was high enough to overcome the blinding effect rather quickly. She tried to shoot another arrow, this time at Cassandra, but she took it on her shield. Cassandra was indeed holding her hammer in one hand and her shield in the other. It remained to be seen how well she could wield the heavy weapon.
Alan was left alone at the moment. He wasn¡¯t sure what he should do. He could back away and let them pick each other off and then descend on the victors, or he could try and help the weaker fighters take out the stronger. He made his decision when Jason managed to get another hit on the healer. She was obviously struggling with the knife still embedded in her chest as she tried to spin her staff and keep him off of her. This time he snuck past her parry and sliced her right forearm.
Brighid released her staff with the wounded hand and started to backpedal. Jason made to advance and finish her off but a prismatic orb burst in front of him as he stepped forward and he fell flat on his face in his disorientation. Brighid used the breathing room to pull the knife out of her chest and cast some kind of healing spell.
He probably should have let Jason finish her off, but something about the pointy chinned rogue gave Alan an uneasy feeling and he didn¡¯t want to have to worry about him later. He still held back from getting into the two fights letting the others do the dirty work. Lydia had taken out her sword. It was a scimitar but much nicer than the one he had picked up from the kobolds, it gleamed in the sunlight and the edge looked free of any notches. She was fast and so far was able to avoid the devastating swings of Cassandra¡¯s hammer. The guardian¡¯s strength was truly impressive as she twirled that thing around. Maybe she was stronger than him after all.
Jason was up again, but now that the redhead could use both her hands and move without slicing up her lungs she was showing why staff wielders should not be taken lightly. She parried a thrust and then brought one of the tips of her staff down on Jason¡¯s knife hand and he cried out in agony, dropping his weapon. A second blow tapped him on the head and he collapsed unconscious.
Alan waited to see what she would do next, but she seemed content staying where she was and continuing to heal. She had not finished off Jason, but he wouldn¡¯t be getting up any time soon. Alan decided it was time to move into the fight between the other two women.
Lydia was having no luck getting a blow through Cassandra¡¯s defense. Even with her flashing scimitar the shield and hammer were keeping her back, and she was getting frustrated by her failure to draw blood. She either had to break off her own attack to defend against the hammer or the larger woman just took it on her shield. Alan decided to try and get behind Cassandra, figuring he could step into her place against Lydia after he took her down without having to deal with the hunter¡¯s bow. It wasn¡¯t very chivalrous, but only one of them was going to make it out of here alive. The excuse sounded lame even as he thought it.
However, it wasn¡¯t to be anyway, as Cassandra must have sensed him approaching and she took her eyes off of Lydia to assess the new threat. It only caused her hammer to drift slightly off line but that was enough for the bloodthirsty blonde. She brought her scimitar up and struck down at Cassandra¡¯s arm. He could hear it scrape across the bone from meters away.
The heavy hammer fell out of her grip and she turned back to bring her shield up in defense. It was too late as Lydia spun like a whirlwind and sliced through her neck. Cassandra¡¯s head went flying across the arena and rolled for several meters before coming to a stop. Her collapsing body was between Alan and Lydia and she used that barrier to quickly move away from him and take out her bow.
He could try and chase her down but all the while she would be shooting back at him. Instead he used his best offensive spell. Pooling the largest amount of mana he could he sent a raging ball of fire after her. It wasn¡¯t as big as the one Valori had created, but when it struck Lydia¡¯s back the flames erupted and set her shirt on fire where it was sticking out from under her armor. It also set her hair on fire and screaming she dove to the ground and tried to roll around to put the flames out.
Alan drew both of his daggers and made his way over to finish her off. He never made it. Instead he felt a piercing agony as a knife blade cut into one of his kidneys. His vision went white and he almost fell to the ground but managed through sheer will to keep his feet. Spinning around he found Jason holding a bloody knife.
Apparently he hadn¡¯t been unconscious for that long and had actually managed to surprise Brighid while she was watching the others and slit her throat. He then ran and backstabbed Alan while he was focused on the burning blonde.
Somehow Alan had managed to hold onto both of his blades through the unexpected attack and lowered himself into a fighting stance. He cast minor heal as Jason suddenly seemed unsure of himself. This was where Alan had all of the advantages. His years of military and martial arts training had prepared him for this exact scenario. One on one, hand to hand against a person, not a stupid goat. Finally he could do his thing.
Knife fights can drag out or be over in a moment. There are many schools of thought on how to win in close like this. They can mostly be broken down into two groups. One group is the exsanguinators, who bleed you out with a thousand cuts. The other is the brawlers. They get in quick and try to deal more damage than they take and end the fight quickly. Alan was of the latter type.
Both of Alan¡¯s knives were bigger than the small throwing knife that Jason was using. He simply charged at him, keeping both blades in front of his chest. Jason tried to force him to back off by thrusting forward but Alan simply cut downwards with his seax slicing into his attacker¡¯s arm. His mind made the connection that Jason was using his non broken hand to attack at the same time he drove the pugio, held in his own off hand, into Jason¡¯s heart.
Alan¡¯s torso was still showing yellow so he cast another healing spell before turning to see how Lydia was doing. She had managed to put the fire out but her hair was gone and the skin on her head was burned and patches of it were melted. She would have been considered a beauty before but now she looked like a female version of the merc with a mouth.
¡°You bastard, you¡¯ll die for this,¡± she yelled as she advanced on him with her scimitar raised above her head. He could see her bow on the ground. His fire bolt must have singed the string enough that it broke.
He had faith that he could take her in a close fight but didn¡¯t want to deal with any surprises she might have. The short fight with Jason had reminded him of why killing up close was harder to deal with emotionally. Instead he sent another fully charged fire bolt her way. The flames engulfed her and the heat on her already burned face must have been agonizing. Thankfully she only screamed for a few seconds before she collapsed and lay motionless.
Achievement earned: Are you not entertained?
[You have killed a fellow competitor in an Arena match. It may not have felt good, but it didn¡¯t feel bad, did it? Critical hits are slightly more effective]
Quest Update: There can be only one
[You have emerged as the last survivor of the human champions. Your next step is to eliminate the survivors for the other races. Reward: Title {Gladiator} and an opal Dimachaerus class stone.]
As Alan stood there surveying the people who had died he suddenly could hear the audience again. When the fight started his mind had pushed the crowd noise into the background so he could focus on the combat. Now that it was over he could hear the screaming and stomping of their feet. Once again the announcer¡¯s voice cut over the din.
¡°May I present to you our champion, Alan Taylor!¡±
He was in a daze as he allowed himself to be guided down the ramp and back into his waiting area. There was a healer there but they found he had already taken care of his own wound. He didn¡¯t even notice when they left, he just sat slumped against the wall, not even using a bench, just sitting on the floor.
This was not the first time he had killed someone. It wasn¡¯t even the first time he killed someone face to face. But those had been missions. There had been a purpose, a legitimate reason or goal. What was the purpose here? These people could have been his allies, but because the Network said so he had killed two of his fellow humans himself.
The worst part was, he knew he would do it again. He hadn¡¯t really had a choice, the only thing he could have done was give up and let the others kill him. That wasn¡¯t an option for Alan. Not only did he like living, but he knew that he could be a major part in helping his whole world overcome this hellish ¡®tutorial.¡¯
He knew all of this. His brain realized why it was necessary. His heart understood that he had no choice. But some part of him, maybe it was his soul, took comfort in the twin tracks of tears that were running down his face.
Interlude VII
Afilada was pacing in the stone room beneath the arena. Gods, combat made her feel alive. She could vividly recall each of her fellow corellians that she had butchered upstairs. Just like the other contenders for Sir Cabbel¡¯s squireship they had been weak and lacking in proper bloodlust.
There were warriors on her world, but they were only there to fight off the many dangerous predators that existed on Corell. There hadn¡¯t been a war anywhere on her planet in the last two hundred years and the population had grown soft. Anyone like her who showed a trace of bloodlust was banished from civilization and usually did not last long without walls around them at night.
The feeling of her sword slicing through flesh and bone as they cowered before her was thrilling. She took pleasure in thinking of how they probably looked down on her savageness even as she ended their pathetic lives. As fun as it had been, it couldn¡¯t compare to a true fight. One of the fighters, a jaguar person, had shown surprising skill with a pair of short swords. It only lasted thirty seconds before she overwhelmed him and drove her sword through his heart, but it had been one of the best thirty seconds of her life.
Killing wild beasts was fine, and the triumph she felt over killing the jilipold boss was enormous, but to see the other person slowly lose all hope and then the agony in their eyes as you drove your blade through their body? That was an almost orgasmic experience.
It wasn¡¯t long before the attendant returned. It was a shaggy goat man who barely came up to her shoulders. He was wearing pants for some reason but they were clearly not well maintained.
¡°Your fight was the last of the preliminary rounds. You will now face the survivors from the other three fights. The winner here will get a truly special reward before returning back to their mentor. Follow me please.¡±
As she returned to the arena floor she once again checked her new title.
Gladiator: you have won at least one fight in a Warrior¡¯s Arena. +1 to all attributes and 25% off the entry fee for all future fights.
She had also gained an opal stone to upgrade her fighter class. It was an uncommon stone, which was decent, but she had already upgraded her fighter class using a rare stone. Her new class, Gale Blade was one that excelled at quick slicing attacks. She was no match for her mentor still, but Afilada knew that no one back in her zone would be able to face her. It also synergized well with her rogue class since it required a high dexterity.
She finally had an opportunity to see what the other races in the tutorial looked like. This was the first time she wished she had used her identify skill more because all she got on them was their name and race.
Horus: Bodarian
He was the biggest of her competitors, even slightly taller than she was. Where she had sleek muscles covered in fur, he was simply muscles on top of muscles barely concealed by thick leathery skin. That skin was a dark brown color with no hair on it. Its head looked similar to a rhino person except instead of a single horn it had a ridge of small horns running around its jaws. He was holding a sword that Sir Cabbel would have been proud of in one hand and a large tower shield in the other.
Ixteria: Nivex
Afilada wasn¡¯t sure whether to call this one he or she. It was some kind of insect creature. It had four legs holding up a long abdomen. It also had a torso coming up out of the abdomen that extended another meter in the air. It had two arms that ended in three fingered hands. The head was similar to some mantis creatures she had seen in the wilds of Corell. It was carrying a staff in one hand and some kind of ball in the other.
Alan: Human
The last fighter looked the most similar to her own beast people. He had two arms and two legs, but no claws. He also had some hair on his body, but other than on his head it was very thin. He also was by far the shortest competitor in the arena. The only weapons she saw were two long daggers on his hip. He looked the least intimidating of the group, but he must have some skills if he got here. That, or his species was truly worthless.
The announcer''s voice once more cut through the sounds of the crowd. ¡°Here we have our final match of the morning. Each of these competitors has managed to defeat four elites from their own world. Now we will see who truly is the greatest warrior on their new planet.¡± There was a brief pause before ¡°Warriors, let the battle begin!¡±
She had expected a little more time to develop her strategy but the announcer seemed to be in a rush. She noticed that the insect thing was turning toward the small human so she directed her attention toward the bulky Horus.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
He had also turned toward the small human, but seeing Afilada approach, he let out a bellow and advanced on her instead. He took a few practice swings as they closed the distance. He was clearly strong as just lifting that giant sword in one hand would have been a challenge for her. However, it was also obvious that he wasn¡¯t quite strong enough for it either as his swings were slightly sloppy and out of control.
Drawing her own bluesilver longsword she started energy moving through her body. With her upgraded class came an increase in her energy pathways. Her mentor had shown her some rudimentary methods for using that to empower her attributes, it was kind of like a boosting skill. Unfortunately she was currently only able to enhance her strength, as that was her only opal class, but it should help against this mountain of a foe.
He took a giant swing at her and she felt an intense sense of danger from the blow. She didn¡¯t try to block it, instead, using her swiftness, she dodged to the side and then with her sword she pushed her opponent¡¯s larger blade faster along its path. Horus was clearly not ready for this as it added momentum to his swing and prevented him from bringing it back to guard himself.
She took the opening to slice into his side but it was like trying to cut through stone. His hide was almost as tough as the jilipold boss¡¯, and the muscle underneath was even more dense. Her slight boost to strength was not going to get it done.
She stepped back as he finally brought his sword around again. This time she allowed her sword to meet the gargantuan blade. She wanted to test the strength behind those swings. Not wanting to risk her sword being damaged she didn¡¯t try and block it completely, simply using her blade to direct his away from her body. The force was still tremendous and she gauged his strength to be at least thirty percent higher than hers.
His tower shield was also a problem as it completely blocked her from attacking his left side, which happened to be the same side her sword style favored attacking. Luckily this large brute was not particularly nimble, and while the shield protected his whole left side on the front, it offered no protection on the back.
She allowed her sword to make contact with his next massive swing and used the momentum it generated to move her to the side. She took the opening to dash around the shield and get behind him. While he wasn¡¯t spritely he wasn¡¯t actually a rock either and he was already starting to turn to get his shield between them again.
With only seconds before he could block her once more, she increased the energy flowing into her strength above what she managed before. A surge of power filled her muscles as she sliced low at the back of his knees. If it worked on the jilipold it could work here too.
Her sword bit deep in first one leg and then the other as she brought it across almost faster than the eye could see. Horus let out a groan as both of his legs failed beneath him. He used his shield to keep himself from collapsing completely to the ground, but this just lowered his neck to a convenient height. With another swirl of energy through her muscles she sent his huge head tumbling from his body.
All of her attention had been on her opponent and she took a chance to see how the other fight was going. Her battle had lasted less than a minute and in that time the other two had been going at each other. The insect seemed to be some kind of guardian mage hybrid. It was sending beams of fire from the ball in its left hand while warding itself with the staff in its right. The human was doing his best to dodge the fire lances but she could see several spots on his torso that had been singed. One large section of his tunic had been burned away completely but the flesh underneath seemed undamaged. Perhaps he had some kind of healing class or was resistant to fire?
The damage was not all one sided as the bug was missing one of its legs below the knee. It only seemed to impair its movements slightly. Suddenly a torrent of water appeared near one side of the Nivex and rumbled across the ground knocking it off its feet. The human used the collapse of his foe''s legs as an opportunity and thrust one blade into its thorax. He brought the second blade across the bug''s face in a brutal slice that ended up taking its mandibles clean off.
Afilada was already moving quickly toward their fight but couldn¡¯t get there in time to finish the bug off herself. In a scissoring motion the human used both blades to cut through the neck and send the creature¡¯s head flying. She approved of the theatrical finish.
She saw the human turn toward her, but he was far too late. While she wasn¡¯t fast enough to get there in time to strike the killing blow herself, she had already closed the distance between them and was now in striking range of the insect¡¯s killer. Her sword was flashing toward the human¡¯s neck. In an impressively quick motion he thrust one hand toward her and a glowing blue ball exploded in front of her face. She found herself in a world of rainbow sparkles, unable to see. This didn¡¯t deter her in the slightest, though. She had trained with her mentor in fighting under various disabilities. Her sword was already committed to its swing and she simply continued with the motion. She might not be able to see her opponent anymore, but he simply couldn¡¯t be fast enough to get out of the way of her blade. There was a slight resistance as it cut through something and she stood there sword at the ready while she waited for the colors to die down.
Finally they dissipated and she smiled at the sight before her. Her aim was slightly off, or possibly he was faster than she thought and had almost managed to get out of the way. Instead of cleanly popping his head off she had actually sliced right through the middle of it. The top half of his head with his dirty blond hair was lying several meters away. The rest of him was crumpled before her with his brain slowly sliding out.
She bent down and scooped it up before it hit the filthy floor of the arena. She raised that quivering bloody gray mass over her head to the cheers of the crowd. She squeezed and the remains of his brain turned into pulp. It was absolute mayhem in the stands when she brought her hand down and licked her fingers clean. Delicious, the taste of victory was absolutely delicious!
Chapter 26
Once again the crowd was silent in his head while Alan focused on his opponent. He had already cut one of the insectoid¡¯s legs off, but was having trouble scoring another hit. Its skill with a staff was impressive and those fire lances just kept coming. At least the power behind them wasn¡¯t much to talk about.
Suddenly an idea occurred to him. All he needed was a distraction and since the strange bug creature had already shown itself resistant to his prismatic orb he needed to find something else. Using conjure water he summoned a huge flow that created a muddy mess when it mixed with the arena¡¯s dirt floor as it swept the Nivex¡¯s feet out from under it and left it vulnerable. A couple of blows from his daggers and then a quick scissor attack and he had taken its head off.
He suddenly got a feeling like death was lurking over his shoulder and quickly spun around bringing his hand up. It was the large cat person, Afilada. Her strange blue sword was already slicing toward his neck so he sent a prismatic orb into her face and tried to dodge to the side.
The orb exploded but it seemed to have no effect on her and his eyes locked on to the edge of her sword as it finished its arc at the side of his head. He could feel it cut into his skin and then there was a moment of pressure when it hit his skull but that blade must have been sharp. The pressure disappeared as he felt the top of his head peeled away and then the sword was cutting through his brain. There was a brief moment where he actually saw the blade slicing through one of his eyes before everything went dark.
The next moment he found himself sitting back on his bed as if nothing had happened. Standing in the door to his room in the tower was his mentor.
¡°Welcome back. Take a moment, I¡¯m sure that was jarring,¡± he said to Alan.
¡°What the actual fuck!¡±
Dracon sighed, ¡°Or sure, we can do this now.¡±
¡°Was that a dream, what the hell?¡±
¡°So, no, that was not a dream. This was a limited opportunity by the Network and it resurrected all of the competitors back with their mentors after they were killed.¡±
¡°So wait, I didn¡¯t actually kill anyone?¡± He asked hopefully.
¡°That¡¯s the part you focus on? Technically, yes you did kill them, but they were resurrected by the Network after, so I guess the real answer would be no.¡±
¡°That was very messed up. Have you come to complain that I didn''t win?¡±
Dracon broke out in a big smile. ¡°Are you kidding? You did better than expected. Mage¡¯s usually do not do very well this early in their Path. Their spells usually kinda suck and without anyone to support them the first fighter to get close ends them. The fact that you won your first group and managed to kill someone in round two is a great achievement.¡±
¡°Well I¡¯m glad that worked out for you. Me, I just felt a sword slice my brain in half.¡±
¡°Yeah, I get that, it¡¯s why I said you should take a moment.¡±
¡°Yeah, sorry¡no, screw that, I¡¯m not sorry. That was a shit show. What was even the point if we all lived anyway.¡± Alan was pissed, no two ways about it.
¡°You did get a nice title out of it and a class stone.¡±
¡°They also gave me a nice sword.¡± he mumbled lamely after checking his notifications and setting his reward next to himself on the bed. His identify seemed to be working in the tower again.
Steel Gladius (Uncommon): A steel short sword designed as a thrusting weapon but also capable of cutting. The blade is about 75 centimeters long and double edged.
¡°Ooo, very shiny. About that class stone. You haven¡¯t used it yet, have you?¡± Dracon asked.
¡°No, my fighter class isn¡¯t high enough. Neither is my rogue class. My mage class is at 100% though if you wanna give me a class stone for it.¡±
¡°I actually do have a class stone to reward you with, but I strongly suggest that you don¡¯t use it right now.¡± He held out his hand and in it was an opal stone with a cloaked figure surrounded by the different glyphs representing the six basic mana types.
Item: Opal Sorcerer Class Stone, rarity Rare. This stone can be used to upgrade the mage class to the opal class Sorcerer, an intelligence based class that specializes in harnessing the mana flowing throughout their own body. Requirements: at least three mage mana talents
Alan felt a little better about all he had gone through after getting this. He now had three opal class stones and two were rare. While it had been an ordeal, the rewards were also impressive. He was unsure of something though.
¡°Why would you not want me to upgrade my class?¡±
Dracon flicked his hand and an ornate padded chair appeared in the room. He sat down on it and took a deep breath. ¡°This part is gonna get kinda mystical, so bear with me. Some people will tell you to get as strong as possible as fast as possible. At the early stages it pays off with huge dividends. That Afilada who was such a monster in the arena had already upgraded her warrior class.¡±
¡°Seems like a good idea to me. I can tell you how her sword feels inside your body.¡±
¡°Hush, the grown-ups are talking.¡± Alan stuck up his middle finger. Dracon couldn¡¯t help smiling as he continued. ¡°The thing is, it isn¡¯t as good in the long run. Remember how I said that your time as a doctor helped explain your aura skill? Most people in our universe cannot take a class until their mid teens, however, their Path begins from birth. Things you do before getting your class help pave your way forward.
¡°A child who trains everyday with a sword will never gain the skill for swords. But as soon as they get old enough that their body is ready to form its pathways they will find that not only do they quickly gain that skill but its growth is off the charts. Think of the early work they did as digging a new path for a river. The Network leaves a dam of dirt at the mouth of the river as you dig out the future path. Then once your pathways form the Network removes that dam and the water pours forth, filling all that you have dug.¡±
¡°You¡¯re saying that when their body starts to use energy that¡¯s like the water being released?¡± Alan asked.
¡°Exactly. It works in a similar manner with attributes, and not just for the young. I noticed you and Simon lifting weights in the morning. No matter how much you lift, your strength stat will never go up. But what you are doing is digging a trench for future growth. You will find that your strength classes will increase at a faster rate after such exercise. You have prepared your body so that it can better use the energy it gains from your achievements as a fighter. It is not a huge increase, but it is noticeable.¡±
¡°So what does this have to do with me being a doctor?¡±
¡°When you described being a doctor to me it sounded an awful lot like you were trying to peer inside of people and see how their bodies were working, or not working. There are parallels between that and how aura sensing works. All those years as a doctor would have helped prepare your body for the aura reading skill.¡±
¡°If that¡¯s true, then why don¡¯t more people end up with it. On earth alone there have to be thousands of doctors.¡±
¡°You will find that planets in the Network do not have doctors as you think of them, we use magical healing. And many worlds that are integrated are not at a level where true doctors really exist. But even if they did, that alone is not enough. Going back to our river analogy, some skills are easy to unlock, like swords. You don¡¯t even need a class to gain skill levels in such a thing.
¡°Other skills are much harder to learn, like aura reading. Few can unlock that skill before reaching the opal level, and many who unlock it don¡¯t do so until they reach a red level. In order to break the dam at the river it is much harder. Instead of a dirt dam, think of it as being made of stone or metal depending on how difficult it is to learn the skill. As your power increases it will be easier to unlock them as your ¡®shovel¡¯ gets stronger.¡±
¡°Ok, so my being a doctor helped prepare my body to learn the aura reading skill, but at my level I shouldn¡¯t have been able to unlock it. So how did I?¡±
¡°I think another major reason was the fact you killed the octospatium. As I told you earlier, they hunt using a version of aura reading. When you kill something you become linked with their achievements and absorb some of their energy. That''s a big reason why combat is a great way of leveling up. When you ¡®killed¡¯ it, some of that energy was linked to your aura reading skill and so you ended up partially breaking through that dam. Your practice of Tai Chi, which is tied to your bodies energy, and the experience you had when creating your whetstone were, I think, the final elements that unlocked it.¡±
Alan thought for a moment. ¡°Ok, I can kinda see what you mean. But what does this have to do with upgrading my class to opal?¡±
¡°I¡¯m really abusing this river analogy, but every time you increase your level you are improving your shovel, but also making the dirt stronger, making it harder to dig new pathways. This is where the metaphor breaks down. It takes two things to unlock a new skill. Preparing pathways for the skill to link to you and then unlocking those pathways. At a higher level it is harder to prepare the pathways, but easier to unlock them. By working at lower levels you can prepare many skills that can then be easily unlocked at a higher level. And sometimes you manage to unlock those higher skills early, like your mana enhancement. Luckily for you the difference between someone with a quartz class and no class is almost nothing when it comes to creating new skills. However, there is a significant difference between quartz and opal. It doesn¡¯t mean you can''t develop new skills, but it makes it much harder. This is all relative of course, as an opal class is still early and would have a much easier time than my emerald level. All that being said, I would recommend waiting until just before this tier ends to upgrade your classes if possible.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure I really understand why this matters. Why would I need so many new skills?¡±
¡°Right now I see you are very comfortable with those daggers, but you just got a shiny new sword. What if you decided to switch to that as your new main weapon. If you don¡¯t already have the sword skill, being at a higher level would make it harder to get. That¡¯s not a great example because of how easy it is to learn swords, but that¡¯s only part of the issue. The other part is that by waiting to upgrade you can dig pathways you don¡¯t even know about until you unlock them when you evolve later, just like you ended up getting aura reading at a much earlier level than you should have. There¡¯s no way to know what experiences will cause this, but the effect is lessened the higher your level. It¡¯s partly because as you level, your soul begins to lock in your Path.¡±
¡°So you are saying that by waiting to upgrade I could gain access to some really cool skills later on. I presume that will also make it easier for you to teach me stuff now.¡±
Dracon clapped his hands in delight. ¡°See, I knew you weren¡¯t as dumb as you looked. And speaking of teaching you, it¡¯s time we figured out what to focus on.¡±
The next half an hour was spent with them going back and forth over things Alan could learn. After his fight today he was hoping for some more impressive offensive spells, or cool buffing spells like levitation or invisibility. Dracon felt that his time would be better spent working on something no one else in his tutorial would be able to do.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
¡°Look, you managed to create a pretty cool spell all on your own. If you want better spells you know how to make them. Sure, I could save you a lot of time with that, but wouldn¡¯t you rather learn something that you probably couldn¡¯t do by yourself?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Your advantages over others here were your aura sensing and your mana handling. You also have mana enhancement. The fact that you unlocked this boggles my mind. This is a skill unheard of for a white level person. I don¡¯t know what they are, but I am sure that there is some incredible series of events in your past that helped you unlock this. With the skill mana enhancement you unlock two future paths that no one else will be able to match for a long time. Engraving and Enchantment.¡±
¡°You¡¯re talking about making magic items?¡± Alan asked.
¡°Exactly. These two fields are very different in their details, so you will probably find yourself choosing one over the other eventually, but I would like to start you off with some knowledge of both. I won¡¯t be able to take you that far in your learning unfortunately. Our time is limited, you can only stay for a couple of months before we both have to return to our own worlds. That means once I have shown you the basics of both, I will only have a little time to give you more advanced instruction. Because of that you will have to pick one to work on.¡±
¡°Why so little time?¡±
¡°You should be thankful it¡¯s that long. Because of the huge deficit most integrated worlds have in magical knowledge I am given more time to work with you than others. A fighter would only have a few weeks with their mentor since they are assumed to start with a similar level of understanding as someone raised in the Network.¡±
Alan quickly agreed with his mentor¡¯s plans. The thought of making magic items was pretty awesome. The reality turned out to be less interesting. Apparently a large part of both methods of improving items were tied to mana drawing. Before he could learn how to engrave an item or add an enchantment he would have to spend a couple of weeks working with various magic circles.
The upside was that having a better understanding of how magic circles worked would also help him when it came to creating and modifying diagrams for spells. Whereas ¡®the Master¡¯ had been very hands off when it came to instruction, Dracon was an involved teacher. Not only did he provide the tasks to be completed but he offered tips and suggestions throughout. He still tended to avoid just telling Alan how to do it, something about how figuring it out yourself made the achievement greater.
Every time his mentor said achievement Alan felt like he could hear a capital A. These were the opportunities to dig new trenches that he had been talking about before. By determining his own way of doing things it would help him expand his repertoire later in his evolution.
Alan also found the magical circles to be fascinating. The way that subtle changes in the design could have drastic effects on the result was incredible. If he was put in the mage¡¯s dungeon again he would be able to do so much better. By the end of the two weeks he had only learned about thirty different circles, but he had learned how he could modify them to change their effects, and he was confident he could at least attempt to create his own circles to do things he didn¡¯t know were possible yet.
With just over a quarter of their time together already spent, he dove into the next part of his instruction. Before he could engrave something or enhance it he needed to sense its aura. This is why he was able to make some items stronger by modifying their energy flows, but had been unable to do anything to his daggers. He had never been able to sense their flows so he couldn¡¯t modify them.
It turned out that the more natural something was, the easier it was to sense their aura. Also, the more dense a material the harder it was to see the energy inside. This is why Alan could easily see the aura inside of the grass or a tree, but had to work to see the aura of a stone. Metal was denser than many types of stone as well. To make it worse, his daggers had been worked on by smiths. That processing locked the aura away making it even harder to see.
Part of each day was spent with Alan trying to sense the aura of increasingly difficult materials. The rest was spent actually enhancing stones and branches, items he had no trouble sensing. He soon learned that when he was imparting his mana into items previously he was instinctually using the easiest source he had, light mana since he was a light spinner. Now he was working on imparting them with different types of mana. He hadn¡¯t started engraving yet since it was a little more complicated than enchantment, which was basically a fancy word for mana enhancement.
He now had a series of stones that were hot to hold, were incredibly light, glowed, were extra hard, and even one that just always felt damp. This was the idea of enchantment. Adding mana to an object to give it special properties. Eventually he would add that mana in a special pattern to give better effects. What Alan had accomplished so far was enough for Dracon to feel that he had the basics of enchantment figured out.
It wasn¡¯t until the start of the second month that he started working on engraving. In concept it was similar to enchantment. You would add a symbol to the item giving it a power. In practice there were some differences in what could be done. Alan still wasn¡¯t exactly sure what all the differences were, but a major one was that you had to channel energy into an engraving whenever you wanted to activate it.
The first engraving he managed was a simple fire diagram on the top of a stone. If you channeled energy into the engraving it would briefly become surrounded in flames. It may not sound that impressive, a flaming rock would maybe make starting fires easier, but a flaming sword could be a great weapon. Unfortunately, just because he could draw the engraving on a rock didn¡¯t mean he could draw it on one of his daggers. The diagram would have to change subtly depending on the energy flows inside the item. That was why it was so important he improved his aura skill to where he could sense them in worked iron or even steel.
One day after they had made some good progress on his aura reading Dracon sat him down for a talk.
¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to have this discussion for a while, but I keep getting distracted by your progress. I don¡¯t want to wait any longer though because it is important we talk about this before we become separated.¡±
Alan could tell that he was serious about whatever this was, so he gave him his full attention.
¡°I have noticed how much faster you can access your light mana compared with anything else. I know this isn¡¯t simply your talent since you have talents in multiple mana types. Did you create a separate mana pool for your light mana?¡±
¡°I did, why is that good?¡±
A wry smile appeared on his mentor¡¯s face, ¡°It¡¯s your favorite answer again¡it¡¯s complicated. It is actually something that most mages do, and the fact that you managed already is a testament to your abilities.¡±
¡°But¡¡±
With a more serious look his mentor continued. ¡°But, it is too early for you to do this. Unfortunately the process is irreversible, so there is nothing you can do about it. But I wanted to warn you about the issue before you tried it with your other mana. You probably noticed that your general mana pool has gotten smaller since you created your special pool.¡±
¡°Yes, but it still refills at the normal rate.¡±
¡°Indeed it does. The problem is that if you were to create separate pools for all your mana types you would have almost no general mana left. This isn¡¯t a problem for higher level mages since their mana pool is so much bigger to begin with.¡±
¡°Is it a problem to have less general mana? Couldn¡¯t I just merge the other types of mana together to reform it if needed?¡± Alan was not sure what his mentor was trying to tell him.
¡°No, actually, you can¡¯t do that. That is why it¡¯s a problem. Mana can be split into an almost infinite number of strands as your level grows. For example a fire mana can be split into further concepts like heat and ignition which can then be further broken down. The issue is that no matter how high a level you get, or how you improve your mana handling, it is impossible to merge mana together. You might have noticed while creating your new spells that you cannot allow the different mana strands to touch.
¡°It is one of the major limiters in magic that mana can be split but never combined. The only way to get general mana is from a source. The only sources we have ever encountered are stars, dungeons, and your soul.¡±
This was getting a little too mystical for Alan, but his takeaway was that he shouldn¡¯t create other special mana pools until he had gotten a much larger general pool. The other thing it made him consider is that he had never tried to replicate Valori and Ezra¡¯s talent with fire and dark mana.
That night as he sat in his room he tried to remember what they had done. It was hard because his brain had been crammed with a lot of knowledge since then. It wasn¡¯t until the sun was rising that he had finally unlocked both talents.
New Mage Talent unlocked: Fire Starter
New Mage Talent unlocked: Dark Spreader
He was so exhausted that day that he made no progress in any of his tasks. Dracon thought he was being lazy, but when he explained what had kept him up late his mentor took the time to show him how to properly handle air mana. Apparently even he hadn¡¯t known that mage talents could be learned. It was nice, but also a little worrying, to know that the man wasn¡¯t infallible.
New Mage Talent unlocked: Air Bender
With two weeks before he would have to return he had finally reached the point where he could see the aura on his iron weapons. He didn¡¯t want to experiment on his daggers as mistakes could ruin the weapon and at the very least would prevent him from trying to engrave them again. Instead his first try was on the kobold scimitar he was still carrying around.
Its energy flow was all snarled up from the poor state of the weapon. There wasn¡¯t much he could do to fix that, so he would have to do the best he could. For his first engraving he would try to add a light effect to it. It wasn¡¯t necessarily the most useful engraving he knew, but it was low risk to him if he messed it up.
It turned out that the fluctuating energy field of the poorly maintained scimitar was too difficult to work with. Just when he thought he had figured it out the field would change and he would have to start all over again. Luckily he had a mentor who had plenty of resources compared to him. He wouldn¡¯t be allowed to take any of these pieces with him, but he could take the knowledge he gained.
Over the next week he engraved piece after piece. Daggers, swords, shields, helmets, grieves, plates, spoons, decorative balls. If it was made of iron he put his mark on it, literally. He had figured out engravings to provide effects like the flaming rock or one to make an item bright with light. He also made one that blasted wind from the tip of the sword it was engraved on.
Alan had also been working on engravings that simply enhanced the weapon. It made it heavier, sharper, or more durable so that it was less likely to break. His latest attempts involved putting two engravings on the same weapon. This was only possible on uncommon or higher rarity items. The rarer the item the more energy was contained in its make-up and this made it better able to handle engravings. That meant he could only try this out a few times as his mentor didn¡¯t have too many of these lying around.
It was at this point that Alan had to make his choice. He had the basics of both enchantment and engraving figured out. Enough so that he could add low level versions to items. With the little time he had left he would have to choose one to focus on. Both had their pros and cons, but Alan felt that he would have an easier time figuring out enchantments on his own. In the end he and Dracon focused on his engravings.
His mentor had another book for him. A primer on engravings. Much of it would be worthless until Alan learned to separate mana into more types, but there was still a lot he could work with. He spent a few days working on engravings that combined two types of mana. This greatly increased what they could accomplish, but also was exponentially more difficult. And not the early part of exponential where the increase was small, this was the part of exponential where the increases were staggering. He had some limited success and Dracon was able to guide him past some of the common mistakes.
With only three days left before they both were sent home, Dracon enforced a rest period. His stated reason was that there wasn¡¯t much else he could teach him in that time and he would be better off being fresh when he left the dungeon. In reality, it was because he wanted to spend some time just seeing what kind of person his apprentice was. Also, he had a few last nuggets of information to impart to him.
¡°Remember that when we leave here, I will still be your mentor and you will be my apprentice. It won¡¯t mean much while you are locked in the tutorial. Other than that I will get to share in the gains of your successes, so don¡¯t screw up. However, after the tutorial is over I will try and find you so that I can help you on your journey some more.¡±
Alan thanked his mentor. ¡°I appreciate everything you¡¯ve done so far. I have learned a lot, but I do worry how effective this will be for me as I move forward in the tiers. A lot of these items will make my life easier, but I can¡¯t make powerful enough enhancements to make a significant difference in my combat ability yet.¡±
¡°That¡¯s another thing I wanted to share with you. Each tutorial is slightly different, so I don¡¯t know the details of yours, but I can tell you in general what to expect. Once you start competing with the other races you will be trying to control increasingly large areas. First is usually some kind of small village or town. Each tier will require you to end up controlling a larger and larger space until eventually you rule over the entire disk.
¡°A common theme in these challenges is to either conquer the area or somehow outperform against the other towns or cities. Your enhancements can help with both. A magical item, even a weak one, can sell for a tremendous amount of money giving you a valuable commodity to leverage. If you choose the conquest route they can make a big difference in your armies as well. While a minor enhancement might not make a huge difference for one powerhouse, a thousand low level soldiers with better equipment than their opponent can make a big difference. And remember, the more you work on these, the more powerful your enhancements will become.¡±
What he was saying made a lot of sense. And the tip on what was coming up was incredible as well. He was sure that Tamee would make an announcement about how tier three would work before tier two was over, but the mental headstart he had just been given would do a lot to ease his worries. And also allow him to plan.
As they hung out more, Alan and Dracon found that they fit together well. They were not the same person, Dracon had a flair for the dramatic that Alan found off putting, and Alan¡¯s reliance on melee weapons was something Dracon would never understand, but they had similar ideals.
Dracon was very impressed when he learned how upset Alan was when he thought he had actually killed his fellow humans. He also admired how driven Alan was to grow stronger so he could help save his race. Dracon did warn him to harden his heart some as there would be a lot of killing in the time to come. The Network was not a peaceful society.
Finally it was time to go and they were ready. The last two months had been a great time for both of them, but they were each eager to continue on their own journeys. No exit portal appeared, instead one moment Alan was looking out from the observation floor at another beautiful sunset over the surrounding forest, and the next he found himself back in front of the smaller version of the tower that had been the entrance. He walked over and tried to open the door but found it locked. No amount of pulling would open it. With a sigh he got his bearings again. Time to work.
Chapter 27
Alan had thoughts of returning to his makeshift home. He had planted some fruits there and wanted to check in on them. He had been in that dungeon for over one hundred days. With the time dilation that meant he had only been gone for just over a day here. That would normally not be a problem to ignore plants for that short a time, but with their accelerated growth rates he couldn¡¯t be sure.
The other option was to get going on collecting more dungeon points and rewards. He had collected a phenomenal amount of points so far, just under a thousand, but if the Network was going to keep adding to the list there was bound to be some very good and very expensive choices in his future. Before deciding, he took a look at his skills to see what he had gained in the time he got to spend with his mentor.
Skills:
Aura Reading: 102, Blunt Weapons: 25, Cooking: 6, Daggers: 49, Dodging: 25, First Aid: 12, Harvesting: 10, Herbology: 10, Identify: 21, Mana Drawing: 52, Mana Enhancement: 23, Mana Handling: 95, Mining: 3, Running: 26, Sneak: 11, Swords: 3, Tracking: 20, Two Weapon Fighting: 41, Unarmed Combat: 18
His aura reading was by far his best skill at over one hundred, followed by mana handling. However, his mana drawing had also made a big improvement. It was that skill that decided him, as he wanted to try out some circles to help boost his plants¡¯ growth. It wouldn¡¯t be anything as impressive as the magic circle he had worked on around the tree, but it was an interesting field that he wanted to explore. It had nothing to do with the literal pile of fruits and seeds he had contained in his storage ring.
Honestly, the fact that in his progress forward he may end up controlling a city was kind of thrilling. He had spent a lot of time training locals over the years, mostly in combat, but also in ways of upgrading their living conditions. It had always been his favorite part to see how much his trainees¡¯ lives improved by the time the mission was over. The idea that he could take an even more hands on role was both exciting and intimidating. Food production had always been a limiting factor for villages so if he could find better ways to grow things that could make a huge difference.
Not only that, but if he got better with his mana drawing and enhancement he might finally feel confident enough to work on his daggers. He could still feel the sharpness of the blue sword as it almost effortlessly cut through his skull. His daggers had nowhere near that level of power. A lot of that was probably the craftsmanship and materials used to create the items, as hers was clearly a special weapon, but if he could boost them magically it would make a huge difference.
With a plan in mind he set out south. The first thing he would need to create some magic circles was lots of quartz rocks. He had a nice collection himself, but he would need a lot and he had gone through a decent amount working on his skills in the tower. The only place he knew where he could find them was the lake separating the two tiers. If he happened to pass some dungeons on the way, he would check them out. He was planning for his long term future, but he also needed to work on his short term growth.
As he traveled through the plains of tier two he noticed that they weren¡¯t as empty as before. Not only did he see small birds and insects flying around, but there were now small animals running around as well. Rabbits eating clover, squirrels running through the branches of the occasional tree, and a few groundhogs standing in the grass. He was a little worried about what these varmints might do to his unprotected plants, but the true scare was a snake that he almost stepped on. That one he quickly cut the head off of with his seax.
His heart was still racing from seeing that brown and tan snake rear up as he almost planted his foot on it. While many might consider Alan a tough guy, snakes were icky. It was therefore a welcome distraction when he noticed a dungeon entrance up ahead. There was a small rise in the ground and set into the face of it was a shadowy opening. It kinda looked like an evil hobbit¡¯s home. The dilation was 3:1 which wasn¡¯t bad, so he stepped inside.
[Warning, once you enter this dungeon you cannot exit unless you complete the quest. Threat level: medium. Do you still wish to enter?]
This was different so he chose no and backed off. All of the dungeons, except for the last one, that he had entered had given him the option of leaving at any time. It meant giving up any gains he had made, but it was a safety net. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do until he realized he had forgotten something.
He had been cut off from his party chat ever since he had entered Dracon¡¯s tower. Now that he was out he should be able to talk to Tamee again. He sent a party invite over and it was accepted almost instantly. That was followed immediately by Tamee¡¯s voice in his head.
¡°Oh, now you remember me. You could not be bothered to say hi when you got back.¡± She sounded pissed.
¡°Sorry, it had been so long I honestly forgot that this was a thing.¡± It was a lame excuse and it reminded him of all the lame excuses he had used on the women in his life. It went over just as well.
Alan could hear the hurt in her voice as she replied. ¡°You forgot, after all I have done for you, you just forgot?¡±
¡°It¡¯s been over four months for me and I didn¡¯t realize our party wouldn¡¯t automatically reconnect when I got back.¡±
¡°Pssh, you really are not very bright are you.¡± He had a thick skin and insults didn¡¯t do much, but the repeated assault on his intelligence was getting old. He decided to forgive her anyway as it was a good way for her to work out her understandable frustration. Alan was honestly embarrassed that he had forgotten to try and contact Tamee.
¡°What did you think of Dracon? He was a bit of a twat in the beginning, but it turned out he was a nice guy,¡± he asked her.
¡°I could not observe you in that tower. There are special dungeons scattered all over the zones in tier two. They provide unique experiences and opportunities, but because they connect to other zones I am not allowed to observe.¡±
¡°Wow, then we have a lot to catch up on. And while I would love to do that now¡¡±
¡°Let me guess, you need something?¡± she finished for him.
¡°Yeah, sorry. I¡¯ll tell you all about the tower when I have some time, but it¡¯s a lot to go through. This dungeon gave me a warning about entering. It says I won¡¯t be able to exit until I complete it and it has a threat level of medium.¡±
¡°I have not heard a question yet.¡±
Alan grinded his teeth a little, ¡°so should I enter it or not? What kind of risk is this?¡±
He wasn¡¯t sure how it worked but he could actually hear her facepalm. ¡°It¡¯s a medium risk, duh. I suggest you go for it. Medium would mean that you might have a life or death moment but should be able to handle it if you keep your wits about you. These one way dungeons usually give better rewards too.¡±
¡°You seem pretty cavalier about my life.¡±
¡°Alan, you will never grow strong enough to defeat the other zones if you play it safe. It is not like the danger was extreme or deadly.¡±
¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Stepping forward, this time he accepted and was transported into a dimly lit hallway. The walls were built with small black bricks. Whatever mortar they had used had long since been replaced with some type of moss or mold. The walls also appeared damp. Looking up and down he noticed the same type of construction for the floor and ceiling. Here and there he saw the moisture gather on the ceiling and drip down to the floor below. The drops were clearly not water, they were far too oily and viscous.
¡°Well this looks cheery.¡± Tamee commented.
Alan had to agree, this looked like a classic dungeon described in every rpg. The hallway he was in ended a few meters in front of him and he could see an intersection. Behind him was simply a wall. There was no portal out so he truly was trapped until he finished whatever the dungeon had in store for him. He was a little surprised he hadn¡¯t gotten a quest yet so he decided to press on and see what happened.
Standing at the end of the hallway he saw that he could continue left or right. The dim light only allowed him to see for maybe ten meters before the shadows were too thick to penetrate. He sent a low powered light bolt in each direction and quickly realized where he was.
New Quest: Toderack¡¯s Maze (75)
[To escape Toderack¡¯s Maze you will have to find your way to the center. You¡¯d better hurry because it sounds like something¡¯s coming.]
Both hallways extended farther than he could see, but they had multiple openings on each side. Alan wasn¡¯t too worried because there is a trick to mazes. If you aren¡¯t worried about being fast, and just want to make sure you get to the end, just follow the right hand rule. If you keep a hand on the right wall and keep walking you will eventually find the exit.
He wasn¡¯t going to actually put his hand on these walls, that seemed like a good way to catch some horrific disease, but all he had to do was make all right turns. Turning to his right for the first time he started walking. He also took out his whetstone. It glowed brightly from all the mana he had infused into it over his mana sharpening sessions. He was now able to see twice as far.
He started his exploration at a jog, but after slipping on the wet floors and almost crashing into the wall he decided to take it easy. Instead he moved through the halls at a brisk walk. He had been traveling for five minutes before he found his first deadend. He saw it from a ways off but decided to check it out just in case. Sure enough, it was simply a dead end.
Turning around to head back for another right turn he was confronted with a terrifying sight. A white skeleton was charging towards him holding a cutlass in its bony hand. It was about the same size he was but there was not a shred of tissue on its body. Its skull was slightly cracked on the side and the lower jaw was missing. Instead of eyes it just had two empty holes. He wasn¡¯t sure where it came from, he had just been down that hallway himself, but it didn¡¯t really matter at the moment.
He sent a normal sized fireball into its chest. It exploded inside its rib cage but didn¡¯t seem to have much of an effect. Alan drew his two daggers and prepared to meet it. The skeleton¡¯s blows were clumsy and slow, clearly it wasn¡¯t a skilled fighter, and it wasn¡¯t much of an issue for him to block or dodge them. However, he wasn¡¯t able to do much in return either.
Every time he managed to slash it with his seax it only took a small chip out of whatever bone he hit. His pugio was totally ineffective since there wasn¡¯t really anything to stab. He tried putting it through the skeleton¡¯s eyehole once but it just bounced off the back of its skull. The only thing he could think of was to hit it repeatedly on the crack in the side of the skull.
It took about four solid blows before the crack split open and the head exploded. The whole skeleton, cutlass included, briefly flared into light before forming a kind of mini tornado that ended up coalescing into a copper coin. Bemused, Alan reached down and stuffed it in his storage ring.
Once again Tamee had a comment on his performance. ¡°Sometimes I think I judge you too harshly, but other times you prove you¡¯re an idiot.¡±
¡°What did I do wrong that time?¡±
¡°Did you just kill that thing by bashing its head open with a dagger?¡±
¡°Yes¡±
¡°And is that the tool most people use to bash things?¡±
¡°No. Oh.¡± She was right, he was an idiot. He put his daggers back in their sheaths and took out his thonking club. It looked a little different since the last time he had used it. It had a band of runes running just above the handle area. Alan hadn¡¯t wanted to risk ruining his daggers since he had no way to replace them, but the club was something he crafted himself so he could always make another. Once he had mastered some of the basic engravings he had added one for heaviness.
When activated it made the club weigh almost three times what it did now. He could have used an enchantment to get the same effect, but that would have been an ongoing effect. Even with his higher strength he would have been unable to use it properly, even with two hands. However, since it was an engraving he could swing the club with its normal weight, but then activate the runes just before impact. If he also deactivated the runes just after, he could hit with a devastating amount of force, but still wield it normally. It would require skill and timing to pull off, but he had faith in his own abilities.
He set off again and soon found himself facing another deadend. Before he could turn back he heard a scraping, shuffling sound coming from the hall behind him. Spinning around he was faced with a rotting corpse. It clearly used to be human, and probably not that long ago it was a living human, but the rot was beginning to show.
The skin was pale and there were patches of hair missing from his head. It was also clearly a he because for some reason it didn¡¯t have any pants on. Was it him, or did this zone seem to enjoy exposing people¡¯s nether regions. The legs had some chunks of flesh missing and Alan was pretty sure he saw a maggot crawling around down there. Its stumbling gate was nothing impressive and if they were in a field he could have simply walked around the thing without any worries. Unfortunately the hallways were only a little over two meters wide so it would be tricky to sneak by. After a quick identify he felt that avoiding the fight was pointless.
Undead: Zombie (common) level 3, threat: low
Alan hefted his club and prepared to clobber it. He was still waiting ten seconds later, gods this thing was slow. Getting impatient he chose to advance. The zombie started to moan and its hands thrashed in front of it. Alan waited for his moment and brought the club down in an overhead smash right on its head. At the last instant he sent energy into the runes to increase the impact.
In hindsight it might have been a little bit of overkill. The head was simply liquified from the contact and the club continued into the torso which exploded disgusting zombie bits all over the hall and Alan. After wiping rotting viscera from his eyes he saw that all that was left of the zombie was its two legs still sitting upright in the hall. They only went up to mid thigh, but the boots helped hold them steady.
One again light glowed from all the zombie bits and formed a whirling tornado that ended with a copper piece on the floor. He picked it up but was horrified to find that only the loose zombie guts had disappeared. The stuff all over him was still there.
Four deadends and a series of encounters later and Alan had figured some stuff out. Every time he came to a deadend he was attacked by some form of undead. He had met two more skeletons, another zombie, and some kind of vampire cat. He also learned that he could use his seax to behead the zombie instead of smashing it to smithereens. It died both ways, but if he used his seax he didn¡¯t end up looking like a gore painting.
All of the monsters also turned into loot after they were killed. The cat had actually left behind a silver coin instead of a copper. It seemed fair since he had come out of that fight covered in scratches. If you have ever tried to give a cat a bath, you understand how he felt.
The next deadend was a little different. There was something sitting on the ground. After getting closer he could tell it was some kind of wooden chest. Was this a treasure chest or loot crate? He was about to check it out when he was very rudely interrupted by an ear shattering roar from behind. Turning he was confronted by a towering mass of brown fur. The ceilings were just under three meters tall and this thing used all of that space. There was a large gash across its abdomen and its intestines were hanging out.
Undead: Zombie Bear (Rare) level 8, threat: high
¡°Shit.¡±
Not only was this some kind of undead bear but it was huge. One of the claws on its paws was broken off and of course its guts were leaking out, but otherwise it was a freaking bear. Looking up at its face he could see the bright red eyes of a zombie, but most of his attention was on the still gaping mouth showing its huge incisors.
Normally a zombie would call for his daggers to prevent a mess, but they would be like toothpicks against this monstrosity. He took out his club and braced himself. As the bear fell forward to return to all fours it stuck out with one of its paws. Alan met it with his club. Even with the runes increasing the force it felt like an even match. His shoulder ended up absorbing all of that energy and it felt like it wanted to explode.
The bear must have felt something too because when it tried to put the paw on the ground it started to tip over. Maybe the blow had broken some of the bones in it. Taking the initiative Alan tried another overhead smash like with the first zombie. Too bad for him this one wasn¡¯t as slow as the others. It struck out with the same wounded arm and smashed Alan into the wall. The advantage of the undead was they didn¡¯t feel pain so a broken bone wasn¡¯t a big problem.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Unfortunately for Alan, pain was all he was feeling right now. He slid back away from the bear while leaning on the wall. It wasn¡¯t doing anything to improve the state of his wardrobe, but it was keeping him from falling over.
¡°I hate to interrupt Alan, but I need your help.¡± Tamee¡¯s voice broke his focus and he missed the bear taking a swing at him. Fortunately, while it was faster than a normal zombie it still wasn¡¯t as quick as a real bear. When it reached out for him he had time to overcome the initial distraction. Still not trusting his legs he pushed off the wall and just missed getting vivisected before landing against the opposite wall.
¡°Seriously, I¡¯m a little busy here.¡± Alan shouted back.
¡°Right, right. It¡¯s just I am doing a crossword and it¡¯s four letters, Frankenstein''s hated element?¡±
¡°What the hell?¡± was his only response. But as he thought about it he realized that she was giving him a clue. Sliding back even farther from the bear he launched his largest fire bolt straight at its face. There was a nice explosion of fire that quickly spread to the rest of its body. It was clearly doing some damage as he could see flesh melting, but the flames soon burned out. The spell just didn¡¯t have enough mana behind it to do anything more.
Unfortunately as mentioned earlier, the undead don¡¯t feel pain, and before the flames had extinguished themselves it was once more advancing on him. It was back on two legs and looked like it wanted to crush him.
Alan tried to continue sliding away but he ran up against the wall at the end of the hall. With no more room to retreat he cast out another large fire bolt, this time into the cords of intestines spilling out of it. Not only did the bear¡¯s flesh go up again but the flames found their way inside it as well. Heat and smoke poured from the gash and then some threshold must have been reached because he could see the red light fade from its eyes. Sadly it was still a three meter mass of melted, burning flesh that was on its way to crush him, it didn¡¯t matter that it had died.
He collapsed to the ground covering his head and the beast fell on top of him. The impact itself was enough to break whatever ribs he had that were still intact and he started screaming from the flames beginning to burn him. It was longer than he would like to admit before he realized that while he could feel some heat from the flames, they weren¡¯t actually doing anything to him. Apparently your own spell couldn¡¯t hurt you?
He was still trapped underneath almost seven hundred kilograms of melted, rotted, bear carcass. His constitution was high enough that being crushed from the dead weight was not an issue, but his broken ribs let him know that they would appreciate it if he got that weight off of him. One of his pesky bones had even gone so far as to puncture a lung in protest, which he noticed when he started coughing up blood.
He had the strength to move the carcass, but everytime he strained it was like his chest hosted a reenactment of Steven Seagal in Under Siege using his organs as the bad guys. Never mess with the cook! He didn¡¯t want to risk casting his healing spell with the bear compressing his ribs because he was afraid they would heal in the wrong position. Normally they would adjust but he wasn¡¯t sure the magic would be able to overcome the pressure. Through sheer determination he finally managed to shift the bear enough that it slid off of him and onto the floor. As a final FU, as soon as its weight was off of him the zombie turned into light and formed into a lootnado. It couldn¡¯t have done that earlier?
Instead of leaving something on the floor it was sucked into the wooden chest. Alan lay there for several minutes as he healed his body. He hadn¡¯t tried it yet, but maybe there was a way to upgrade healing spells, similar to how he upgraded his mage spells? It would be nice if he could heal up from battles a little faster. He was getting better at directing the healing energy though, which made fixing the most critical damage easier. Finally when his ribs had all shifted back to their proper positions he got up on his knees and inspected the chest.
This encounter had shown him that this dungeon had a mean streak and he wouldn¡¯t put it past it to trap the chest. Or maybe it was one of those mimics that dungeon masters love to throw into their campaigns. After two minutes of searching he couldn¡¯t find anything, so he cast one more healing spell to top himself off and lifted the lid. Inside was something he was not expecting.
Hand Crossbow (Uncommon): This small crossbow can be fired with one hand. It was made by a talented smith using above average materials.
And lying there beside it was a set of twenty small crossbow bolts. This was his first real ranged weapon and he wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about it. Crossbows were known to be slow to reload but they usually packed a bigger punch than a bow and were easier to learn to shoot. Point and click baby. This thing seemed like the worst of both worlds, small and therefore lacking in power, and it still would require a long reload time.
It was an uncommon weapon though, so he might give it a shot, but it would probably be useless in this dungeon. Undead didn¡¯t care about small pieces of wood sticking out of them. He stored his loot and then went over the recent fights. Skeletons needed to meet his club, small zombies could be decapitated, and any larger zombies should get a series of fire bolts until they fell down. Preferably not on him.
This came in handy when he ran into a zombie panda bear at his next deadend. He felt really bad about that one, because even though half of its fur had rotted off already and large slashes criss crossed its body, it was still so adorable. It was less cute after Alan melted its head like an ice cream cone on a hot day. That one turned into six silver coins. When they formed they were stacked up in a neat pile. It was kinda weird.
Another half an hour and several boring encounters later, he had noticed two things. One, this place was immense. He hoped he had picked the correct first turn because he still hadn¡¯t made it back to the starting hallway, meaning he had more than half of this place to explore still. The other thing he noticed was a tremor.
He only noticed it because when he bent down to pick up the latest coin he had stumbled a little and put his hand down to catch himself. When he did he could feel minor vibrations in the floor. Alan wasn¡¯t some native american tracker used to listening to the ground, and he wasn¡¯t planning on putting his earhole on these filthy stones, but it must have been caused by something very large, or very numerous, or possibly both.
He decided to pick up the pace a little and encountered something odd at his next deadend. There was what looked like a human from the tutorial dead in front of a chest. If he was in a campaign he would have thought up two explanations, one is that the chest was a mimic and it had recently killed a delver and then he came along before it could eat it, or two that the chest was trapped and killed someone trying to open it.
The problem was it couldn¡¯t be either of those explanations here. There were no other people exploring this dungeon. Alan was the only actual person in the entire zone. That meant something fishy was going on, or it was possible simply flavor created by the dungeon. He focused on the dead body to try and identify it. After a moment he felt something click.
Undead: Ghoul (Uncommon) level 8, threat: medium.
Somehow this thing knew the jig was up. Perhaps higher level creatures could detect when identify was used on them, or maybe he had stood there too long. Either way it scrambled up. It didn¡¯t stand on two feet, instead it was on all fours. Now that it was moving around he could tell that its proportions were wrong for a human. The arms were a little too long and its torso was stretched as well. With it facing him he could now see that its teeth were also pointed like a piranha¡¯s.
There was only moments before this thing came at him and he could already tell it would be faster than the zombies, probably the skeletons too. Sizing it up he decided to go with the thonking club and fire bolt. It wasn¡¯t rotted like a zombie, instead its skin was so pale you should just call it white and it looked paper thin. This meant there was little chance of a guts grenade if he hit it with the club. However, it was also covered in flesh so fire should still work well on it.
The ghoul started forward and it was fast. In less than two seconds it had crossed half of the twenty meters between them. Alan shot off his largest fire bolt which streaked forward before erupting in flames. The problem was the ghoul was no longer there. It had leapt onto the wall and was running along it as if gravity was no longer a thing. He shot a slightly smaller fire bolt at it but it dodged away again, this time returning to the floor.
Because it was closer than last time it didn¡¯t get away completely from the flame explosion. A small bit caught his ankle, which did briefly set it on fire and then spread up its leg but those flames were soon extinguished. Alan was also unsure of his choice in weapon as this thing was moving super fast. There was no time to switch, though, as the creature was upon him.
He tried to duplicate Simon¡¯s style and generate force while still keeping the weapon in front to protect himself. The ghoul had other plans. As the club came down towards the undead terror it leapt up at the club rather than at Alan. This almost two meter creature somehow managed to perch itself on the club. By activating the runes to increase the weight it forced the ghoul to misjudge the encounter, however. It ended up being knocked away, but while it briefly was alighted on his weapon it used that opportunity to claw Alan with its nails. Turns out they were also much longer than a humans, about 3 centimeters and they tapered down to a sharp point. They left a series of gouges in his chest, right through his tunic.
The ghoul had been knocked against the wall and with the last of his mana Alan fired off a large fire bolt directly into its face. Unable to dodge, it took the brunt of the attack and when the flames died its movements were noticeably hampered. This time when it leapt at him he was able to shift his attack enough that the ghoul missed its grab and took the full force in its chest. It was so powerful that he could feel ribs shatter through the shaft of the club.
The ghoul got back up again but none of its limbs were functioning properly. Two blows later, one to an arm it flung out in defense and the second to its head, and the quick monster was turning into another lootnado that was sucked into the chest.
Alan had five lines of flaming pain on his torso as he moved to open the loot crate. He would have to wait a little while until he could cast heal on himself. Some armor would be helpful. Once again someone was listening, but they chose to play a joke on him.
Cervelliere (common): A close fitting iron cap that covers the top of the head. There is limited padding underneath for some comfort.
It was armor, but not what he meant. He had been struck in the head a few times, so it wasn¡¯t worthless, but he had been hoping for a chest piece. The irony of this helmet was that even if he had worn it against that crazy cat warrior she still would have cut his head off as it didn¡¯t go low enough. He put it on his head anyway, and then put his hand on the floor. The tremors had increased in intensity. He figured whatever it was probably couldn¡¯t get larger, so it was most likely getting closer.
When he returned from the dead end he looked back the way he came and thought he saw something. Casting his small light bolt that way, he was horrified to see a mass of human zombies. It was the classic zombie apocalypse scenario except he started to pick out a few skeletons amongst the crowd as they all started running, or shambling, toward him.
The quest had made mention of hearing something coming and needing to hurry. Alan hadn¡¯t paid it any attention at the time. Lesson learned. This hoard must be that something. Only catching a quick glimpse as his bolt flew by, it was hard to tell, but it looked like the stream of undead extended quite a ways back. He didn¡¯t want to get stuck in an extended fight where he might get overwhelmed so he took a right turn and started moving. While terrifying in concept, the crowd hadn¡¯t been moving too quickly so he could hopefully outpace it
It sounded like most of the mass slowed down now that he was out of sight, but the few skeletons who had closed the distance faster than the zombies still continued forward and turned the corner to chase him. With a series of rune enhanced swings his club made short work of them.
He didn¡¯t bother to loot the coins they left because he needed to hurry, and they were only coppers anyway. Taking a risk on the slippery floor, he broke out into a jog. He should be able to keep ahead of them, but some of the deadend hallways were rather long. If he got stuck in one and the hoard managed to catch up to him there, it really would be his end.
He found two in quick succession, but now that he was in a hurry, as soon as he saw the far wall signifying a dead end, he turned around and sprinted for the main passage. It was time to decide. Did he continue with the slow and sure method, or just start praying and hope he got lucky. He knew that his aura sensing skills wouldn¡¯t help as he had scanned earlier and the walls had a uniform energy with no hint to the correct path.
He couldn¡¯t see the following army at the moment so he cast light on the wall next to him and then continued down the passage. For now he would stick to the plan. The current hallway ended up being rather long so he was able to check behind him for a while. The zombies entered his light spell¡¯s radius when he was about forty meters away. It cut off soon after as he must have gotten out of range to maintain it. What he saw was encouraging as it meant he was actually increasing his lead. When he had first seen them they were as close as twenty meters.
He saw a passage on his left but the hall continued unbroken on the right. Continuing forward for about thirty meters he got the bad news. The hallway was coming to an end. His next right turn was the left hand passage behind him. The zombies would have almost reached it by now. He turned and sprinted back but it was too late. The leading edge of the shuffling dead was just crossing in front of the passage.
In an act of decisiveness and with nothing to lose he immediately charged forward. If Alan could take out the front group maybe he could push them back enough to make a break down the side hall. Two fire bolts led the way, one to each side of the vanguard. The flames actually spread to a large number of zombies before dying out. A couple at the front collapsed in a blackened mess, but the others were only partially hurt. Man, a fire wall would have been nice right about now.
Alan wasn¡¯t going to be dainty with these guys as he needed to drive them back and fast. He was swinging full force with his big club looking to make some proper zombie paste. He kept swinging high to low, low to high across his body, forming a kind of deadly x. His control with the heaviness rune by now was excellent so every impact was like a boulder falling from a mountain. Slowly he was making way. With his arms burning he finally had enough space to duck down the side passage and make a break for it.
It was just in time too since he saw several large lumbering shapes at the limit of his vision that he could only assume were zombie bears or something even worse. He could not let himself get caught by this group again. Speed was now life so he abandoned his careful strategy. Now it was simply luck, which of course he had been having a good run of recently, right? Every time he came to a new passage, he took it. No pause or hesitation, if there was a turn off the current path, that¡¯s what he went with. At one point he was pretty sure he made four left turns in a row but somehow there was more maze in front of him.
He did hit one dead end, but luckily it was a short one and he had gained a lot of room on his pursuers. For over twenty minutes the chase continued, and it would have gone longer if it wasn¡¯t for his high perception. He had noticed another dead end and started to turn before realizing something was different. It wasn¡¯t a chest or anything like that so he took a risk and ran closer. There on the side of the hall, so it wasn¡¯t as obvious, was a metal door. It looked rather ornate and was the only door he had seen in the place. He ran up and tugged on the handle, it opened with no resistance and he ducked inside.
Closing it behind himself he glanced around the room. On the far side was an archway filled with shadows. That was probably the exit. Along the left side wall was a dais with three steps leading up to it. On the dais was a large stone throne and sitting upon it was a huge skeleton whose body was covered in a tattered black robe. One of its hands was resting on the arm of the throne while the other was holding up a large scythe. The blade on the scythe was burning with an eerie purple flame. It was like a literal vision of death.
Toderack: Undead, guardian, Threat level: deadly
Interestingly, instead of coming up as undead and then listing the type, it showed what he assumed was a name and then a race. Perhaps that meant this was a sentient creature and not a simple monster. The threat level was also very concerning. Even that cat person Afilada had only been extreme.
This dungeon had been rated medium, but he would have to come to this room to escape, so he figured he didn¡¯t have to fight the boss otherwise the rating should have been higher. The exit was thirty meters away and he could probably sprint across and leave before Toderack could get to him. But the loot in this dungeon had been pretty good so far. The zombie bear had given him a new weapon and this thing was much more dangerous. What could he get from fighting it?
Alan hadn¡¯t had too much trouble with the denizens of this dungeon. The bear had done a number on him, but now that he knew its weakness he felt confident in facing one again. The ghoul had also surprised him with its speed, but he still hadn¡¯t taken many injuries. This was a skeleton so he knew to use his club. The scythe was obviously magical, but he thought that he should be able to avoid its blade with his high speed.
What ended up deciding it for him was his stamina. All of that running had left him below 20%. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he could stay here before Toderack would come for him, so he had to decide fast. At the moment he was sitting motionless in his throne but that might not last forever. Trying to fight this thing while almost out of juice would be suicide. Instead Alan sprinted across the floor and dove through the portal. He didn¡¯t even take the time to look back to see if the boss had moved.
Quest Complete: Toderack¡¯s Maze (75)
[You escaped the maze, but you couldn¡¯t bring yourself to face the man himself. Reward: enchanted boxers (rare) and 75 dungeon points.]
¡°I thought you were going to fight him. After your experiences in the arena it feels like you have an even greater drive to grow and improve.¡± Tamee told him as he stood once more in the grass of the plains. During the early parts of the labyrinth when he wasn¡¯t being chased by zombies he had told her many of the details of his time with Dracon.
¡°I do want to grow, but I also don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get another life like last time so I have to be smart. That just wasn¡¯t a fight I thought I could win.¡±
¡°Maybe there is more in that head than meat. For what it is worth I think you made the right choice.¡±
¡°Ha ha. What is up with these boxers?¡± He checked their enchantment and they were both self cleaning and self repairing. That was the same enchantment on the pants he wanted. Maybe the dungeon could read his thoughts and was trying to prove it wasn¡¯t being creepy with all the man junk.
¡°I think pink is a nice color for you,¡± Tamee couldn¡¯t hold back a chuckle as she delivered that line. They were indeed a bright pink and to make it more interesting they had a light green paw print pattern on them. It wasn¡¯t even dog or cat prints, it looked more like a four toed lizard foot.
His current outfit was filthy and tattered again, but luckily he had managed to talk his mentor into giving him another set before he left. He told Tamee to cover her eyes for a while and stripped out of his clothes. He cast conjure water and had a waterfall of cold water pour over him. Alan had never figured out how to safely conjure the water at anything but frigid temperatures. He scrubbed as well as he could but it took three waterfalls of washing before he felt mostly clean.
He put on his new boxers, which did feel nice on his nether parts. It wasn¡¯t a fabric he was familiar with, some kind of mix between cotton and silk. Warm and with some heft to them, but still smooth against his skin. He sent a mental thank you to the Network just in case it could hear. Then he got dressed in his clean set of clothes. He put the other filthy set back into his corpse sack. He didn¡¯t want those touching any of his good stuff, but he figured he might want them later.
It was time to head south again. Near the passage back to tier one he saw a clump of trees. The weird thing was that while he could see the trees on the outside of the small copse, and he could see the tops of the interior trees, he was unable to see anything under them. There were thick shadows that shouldn¡¯t be there on a sunny day filling the space around the trunks. He realized it was another dungeon entrance. The creative appearance was appreciated.
This time he simply warned Tamee he was going to get naked again, he couldn¡¯t tell if she was looking anyway so he decided not to care that much. He had also decided that he would wear his filthy clothes when he explored a dungeon. If he had to deal with people he could always change back, but he didn¡¯t have anymore good clothes and he tended to be hard on his wardrobe.
[Warning, once you enter this dungeon you cannot exit unless you complete the quest. Threat level: high. Do you still wish to enter?]
This was another one-way dungeon and the risk was higher. It also had a better time dilation as well, 5:1. He hadn¡¯t taken a risk and instead avoided the boss in the last dungeon but that was because at the time he wasn¡¯t at his best. Here he was clean, well sorta, and rested, stamina-wise at least. This was the type of chance he should take, even if the danger was higher than the last dungeon. He accepted and found himself inside the small clump of trees, except it wasn¡¯t a small clump anymore, it was a large forest.
New Quest: Spider Queen (100)
[This enchanted forest has become corrupted by an ancient spider queen. Slay at least one hundred of her offspring and the queen herself to restore the forest to its former glory.]
¡°Nope!¡±
Chapter 28
¡°Samuel F Jackson!¡±
Alan flopped on to the sweet soft grass of the plains after emerging from that nightmare forest. His body was covered in numerous scrapes and cuts and his left leg once again had a large gash on his thigh. His previously torn and stained tunic was completely gone at this point and his bare chest was a criss-cross mess of cuts outlined in a literal red flag of infection.
¡°What did you say?¡± Tamee inquired.
He lay there panting some more before he sat up. He checked out his injuries starting with the deep laceration on his leg. It wasn¡¯t bleeding anymore and there were some encouraging signs of mending. He would normally cast his healing spell but was currently tapped out of mana. His stamina wasn¡¯t much better off as only his health was above 25%. He had used the last of his mana to stop the blood loss from that ghastly cut with a healing spell just after his battle with the queen.
¡°It¡¯s something I picked up while my ex was babysitting for a girlfriend. The friend¡¯s mother had gotten really sick so she had to go back to the states to take care of her while her daughter and son stayed behind with the husband. Because of his job my ex ended up watching them a lot. I used to swear all the time so I had to train myself to replace them with other expressions. Samuel F Jackson replaced mom fornicator.¡±
¡°His middle name starts with an ¡®L¡¯, does it not?¡± was her next question.
¡°It does, but it feels more satisfying to have a hard F in there. And how do you know about Samuel J.?¡±
¡°I do have a lot of free time on my hands so I have been checking out some of your Earth movies. They are very entertaining, and that man is in like half of them.¡±
Alan¡¯s stamina was already on the way to being refilled and he had enough mana to cast another healing spell. As the cool sensations spread to his leg he lay down and enjoyed the sun on his face and the gentle breeze across his skin. The forest had been a Stephen King level nightmare. It was so traumatizing that it took him a few moments to realize there was no sun and the gentle breeze was actually a mist coming from the grey clouds overhead. Weather was definitely becoming a thing, but he hadn¡¯t been gone that long in real time so it must also move at an accelerated pace because there hadn¡¯t even been a single cloud when he went in.
That place should have been called the Dark Forest. Maybe before the corruption of the spiders it had been a pleasant place, but his first steps had been into a dark world of large pine trees whose lower limbs almost connected with each other. It meant there was barely any visibility between the branches and he was constantly brushing against their scratchy needles.
At first it had only been annoying, but he soon started to run into spiderwebs. Originally they were rather small, delicate things that he felt catching on his face, arms, and legs. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant sensation and Alan already had a complicated relationship with spiders. It was complicated because he wasn¡¯t sure if he hated or feared them more.
There were probably small, normal sized spiders in those webs, but with the dim light he couldn¡¯t tell. Soon enough as he pushed forward he started to run into larger specimens. These were the size of his palm and almost gave him a panic attack. Their eight legs were powerful rather than spindly, like a tarantula¡¯s. The small bristles all over their body were a mixture of reds and browns. The first time his skin came in contact with those spines he also discovered they delivered a minor shock. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was electrical or some kind of neurotoxin.
He already had out his seax, but he was holding it in his left hand. He had equipped his new gladius in his right. He didn¡¯t have a machete and was using the larger sword to cut through the ever thickening webs in his path. These ¡®smallish¡¯ spiders were easy to dispatch as long as he noticed them first. All too often his first indication they were there was when they landed on him.
After ten minutes he was covered in small bites and had stopped trying to heal himself. He would soon run out of mana if he tried to heal after every attack and needed to wait until the damage stacked up to something significant. The good news was it should be great for his healer class, but it was not great for his mental fortitude. Hoping to reduce the ambushes, as a test he tried to use a fire bolt to kill a group of the small spiders and burn off some of the sticky webs.
The fire worked great on the arachnids as they curled up into crispy multi legged balls, but the webs seemed to shrug off the flames. There must be something about them that was able to resist his fire mana. He would have tried a larger fire bolt to see if he could overcome the resistance, but he had already had a feeling that he should save his energy, this dungeon was going to be a slog.
The quest the dungeon offered included killing off a hundred spider offspring, but these smaller spiders must not have counted. He had killed over fifty of them and his quest tracker still showed [0/100]. The palm sized spiders soon turned into basketball sized monsters. His injuries were mounting and the only thing keeping him from screaming in both agony and psychotic terror was the realization that he didn¡¯t want to call even more monsters down on him.
Moving through the webbing became more and more difficult and he was spending just as much time pushing through the dense strands as he was fighting the creepy crawlers. The first time he encountered the dog sized spiders he couldn¡¯t help letting out a small yelp. To be clear, this was a comparison with a real dog, not one of those yappy pomeranian things.
The only good news was that these spiders finally started counting for his quest. He had already been in the forest for over three hours before his first kill that counted. He was worried about how long it would take to reach one hundred.
The next time he worried, it was that he wouldn¡¯t be able to make it to the queen before his body was completely drained from the hundreds of small wounds he was receiving from all the spiders he killed. He had passed one hundred of the larger spiders after two more hours of intense fighting. His mana was constantly hovering around seventy five as he tried to heal himself to keep from dying. His stamina kept dipping low after each fight as well, but he could only give himself a short time to recover because he could hear the spiders moving around him in the forest.
The only two things that allowed him to keep hope was that these bigger spiders rarely came in groups larger than two and he had a clear destination in mind. A few times he had managed to find a gap in the trees allowing him to see more of the dungeon. In what looked like the center of the forest was a group of trees that mirrored those that formed the entrance of the dungeon except they were almost twice as large as the trees around them, and they were covered in webs almost all the way to their tips. If there was a spider queen living in the forest, that would be where she built her lair.
It was three more hours before he finally made his way to that central stronghold. The webs there were as thick as a tree branch and formed an almost impenetrable wall. There were openings here and there that allowed the large spiders to come and go. It was a boon that Alan was on the short side as it only required a few minutes of cutting to make a hole wide enough for him to fit through. He was also attacked four times while he was doing that, even once from a spider trying to use that opening to come out.
The offspring were rated as rare level five arachnids. The queen on the inside was something altogether different. Each of the large spiders had been relatively simple to overcome. Their only advantages were that they often were able to ambush him in the dim light and that there were so many he never seemed to have time to recover. He had tried to cast light once but the reflection off the webs had been blinding and it had summoned at least ten spiders to him at once. Dim it would have to stay. That fight had left his tunic in tatters and his skin covered in numerous small cuts dribbling blood. He had to use a precious healing spell to deal with the larger slices he had received. The spiders¡¯ legs ended in small barbs that were able to slice into his skin. Luckily his high endurance mostly prevented them from penetrating too far. By the time he found the queen his reserves were low and all of the toxin, poison, or harmful mana that the spiders had infected him with were keeping him from moving as well as normal.
Beast: Arachnid Queen (Epic) level 8, threat: extreme
Her body was the size of a large sedan. And her legs were at least six meters long. It was good that the legs weren¡¯t kept straight or he would have never been able to reach her body. Instead they bent back down from their highest point before connecting to the body and there was just over a meter between her abdomen and the ground.
If he had a choice he would have skipped this fight just like the skeleton boss, but there was no portal here to escape through. His only path was into this icky sticky nightmare. Her bristly mandibles were big enough to easily bite him in half and what were small barbs on the offspring were large daggers on the mother.
In the end it wouldn¡¯t have been that bad of a fight if he was fully recovered. The spider queen was strong and fast, but not nearly as fast as he normally was. The bristles covering her body were a challenge because it felt like getting stabbed every time he brushed against them. Fortunately his gladius was long enough to strike without letting his skin come in contact with the spines.
However, he wasn¡¯t fully recovered and the first time she reached out with her leg he was too slow to dodge. The attack almost looked like a casual brushoff rather than a true strike, but the power behind it was immense. He was sent flying through the air and landed against a particularly sticky section of webbing that showed signs of other creatures being stuck and cocooned there. Freeing himself cost precious seconds and that left the remainder of his tunic behind.
They traded blows for a while, with Alan getting the worst of it every time. The reason he was willing to keep going like this was that he was also recovering mana. He had come into the fight with not even enough for a healing spell, but by now he had almost a hundred mana and was ready to use it.
So far he had been restricting his movement trying to keep himself from bottoming out on stamina. The queen had not been as conservative and her attacks were becoming sluggish. She must have been aware of how many of her babies he had murdered and wanted him dead. Now that it was time to go all out he easily managed to dodge the next attack and found himself only a few meters from her terrifying face.
The bristly mouth was capped off by her tiny spider eyes. To clarify, they were only tiny by comparison to the rest of her. There were eight eyes arranged in roughly two rows. The four on the bottom were smaller than those on the top and the two middle eyes on the top were even larger than the outer two. They all were an evil, soulless, black.
He sent two prismatic blasts out to blind her. He followed that up with a large fire bolt to the face. Just like with the smaller spiders the fire quickly spread over her entire body. However, she was on an entirely different level than the small specimens he had roasted earlier. The fire was causing her pain, and she let out a shrilling scream, but it wasn¡¯t fatal damage. Alan wasn¡¯t sure how spider screams worked, but the flames were already dying down as the mana was expended.
Unfortunately for the queen, his attack wasn¡¯t over. Even as the fire was exploding over her body he took two steps and leapt onto her head. In the strangest crouch walk he had ever done he made his way from the spider¡¯s head all the way to the top of her abdomen in the back. His knees occasionally brushing against the burning bristles made him feel like he was being stabbed with a rusty stake. He, on the other hand, was truly stabbing the queen with every step. He was using his gladius and seax as a pair of ski poles and stabbing as deeply as possible with every step.
By the time he hopped off of her bulbous abdomen he had stabbed into her over fifteen times. She tried to spin around but something vital had been hit and she collapsed before she got even halfway around. Her body still twitched and she tried to strike out at him once more but he simply waited out of range until his mana had recovered enough for another large fire bolt to finish her off.
It wasn¡¯t until the queen was truly dead that he realized his leg was flashing red. He looked down and saw a large slice cutting deep into the exposed muscle of his left leg. His adrenaline had blinded him to the injury but now he could see blood was pouring out. There wasn¡¯t time to wait a couple of minutes for his mana to recover so he tore one of the legs off of his filthy pants. Infection would be a real concern, but he would die from blood loss if he didn¡¯t do something soon. He used one large strip to partially hold the two halves of his thigh together and another strip along with his beating stick as a tourniquet to stop the flow of blood.
The system was flashing at him but he didn¡¯t have time to check messages as he tried to tend to his other injuries. Because of his many encounters he had been unable to fully heal since early in the dungeon. A large number of his small injuries were already showing signs of infection so he used the vial he had filled with water, and another patch torn off of his pants, to try and wash some of them.
Finally his mana reached fifty and he cast minor healing. The mana wanted to spread all over his body but he had long ago become adept at guiding it where he needed it. It all flowed into his left thigh and he carefully removed the tourniquet. Even with the pressure removed there was only a tiny trickle of blood, but he was concerned because it was still a large open wound. He wanted to wait for another round of healing before he tried to put weight on it so he turned to his Network notification.
Before he could call it up he was interrupted by a cacophony of tiny screeches as a hoard of lion sized spiders came flying into the dead queen¡¯s lair. He didn¡¯t know if they were here for revenge on her killer or to fight over who would be the new queen. Was that even a thing with spiders? Either way he was out and dove into the portal that had opened after he roasted the giant queen.
Now that he was safe on the plain and finally healing, he checked out his reward.
Quest Completed: Spider Queen
[You laid waste to the queen and left piles of her slaughtered offspring. Reward: one fighter talent stone, one healer talent stone, and 100 dungeon points.]This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°Samuel F Jackson,¡± he repeated.
¡°What is it now, more spiders?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that,¡± Alan told her as a shudder ran through his body. ¡°No, I got two talent stones from that. It was almost worth it,¡± he told her.
¡°Almost? You wouldn¡¯t want to do it again if you could?¡±
¡°Hell to the no no. If I never saw a spider again that would be amazing. I will probably have nightmares about that place for years. Now that you mention it, though, could I do it again? Can you repeat dungeons?¡±
In the initial tier it had been made clear that you could only earn the reward once. But what were the rules for these new dungeons? If it was up to him he would never step foot in that forest again, but what about some of the others? Luckily he had Tamee to fill him in.
¡°Most dungeons can only be completed once, but there are also many dungeons that can be done repeatedly. They will indicate that they can be repeated when you enter them.¡±
He must not have run into any repeatable dungeons yet, but this was good information to have. Not wanting to waste any more time he absorbed the two talent stones while he was waiting for his mana to recover so he could finish healing up.
New Healer talent unlocked: Cure
New Fighter talent unlocked: Slash
Those two pleasant spikes in his brain also pushed his scholar class up a bunch. It seemed like every talent stone he used his scholar class got a boost. Looking over his classes he saw they had all seen a lot of growth from that dungeon.
Class:
Fighter (100%) Quartz
Guardian (81%) Quartz
Healer (100%) Quartz
Hunter (68%) Quartz
Mage (100%) Quartz
Rogue (100%) Quartz
Scholar (84%) Quartz
Seeker (73%) Quartz
He now had four of his classes at the maximum of 100%. Before he could gain anything else in those classes he would have to evolve them to opal. When Dracon was convincing him to wait for his class evolutions he let him know that it was a common problem that some classes would max out their potential before others. Even if he evolved them to opal they would stay at 0% until all of his classes got to opal.
Luckily something about the process kept it from being a total loss. Any advancement in a class that was maxed out would instead be given to a class that hadn¡¯t maxed out, usually the one with the lowest progress. The sharing wasn¡¯t perfect, however, as the gains were somewhat reduced by the transfer. What this meant was that he could continue to fight with his spells and blades and he would still be progressing his other classes.
The wound in his leg was mostly healed by now but he still had the many cuts spread over his body. He cast healing again as he removed the bandage that was holding his leg together. Only some of the energy went to fully sealing his thigh injury, with much of the rest spread out over the many smaller wounds. He was pleased to see that the infection seemed to heal along with the wounds.
A short while later he was fully healed and on his way to the lake again. He was determined now not to stop at any more dungeons, instead simply making note of the few he passed. The encounter with the eight legged spawns of evil had turned him off of dungeon delving for the moment. He had also lost almost two hours of real time in that last dungeon. The day wasn¡¯t done yet, but it was into the afternoon. If he wanted to get anything done at his homestead he would need to hustle.
Finally he slowed down as he carefully made his way through the pass at the bottom of the plains. Tamee had told him that beasts would keep spawning in tier one and another mana-infused hedgehog might have taken up residence here. His worries turned out to be unwarranted as the pass remained clear. However, as he looked out over the lake he could see the occasional beast roaming across the far clearing or moving through the forest. That much activity wasn¡¯t something he had seen before.
The rocks on this side, under what used to be the waterfall, were too large to work with and he didn¡¯t see any made of quartz anyway. There were some with quartz running through them, but he decided to find smaller, purer specimens.
Checking the depth of the lake he determined it was only a little under two and a half meters here and it seemed to get shallower fairly quickly as he moved away from the falls. Rather than having to deal with any of the beasts on shore he took his chances in the water. Soon it was only up to his mid chest and he was peering down looking for likely stones while still moving toward the shallower areas. The water was incredibly clear and even when he bent over to pick up some stones no dirt or silt was stirred up blocking his vision.
In this manner he spent over two hours collecting stones. By the time he was done he had filled up a large section of his ring with quartz rocks. Most of them were white but he had found the occasional black one as well. While he was here he also took a moment to refill his makeshift water bottle and rinse himself off. It turns out that ground in rotten zombie innards are hard to get out of cloth pants, so after drying himself off he changed back into his now only real set of clothes. Those smooth, soft boxers were really growing on him as despite the hours-long fight through the spider infested forest they were still shockingly pink.
His hopes of getting home and working on his house area before dark went unfulfilled. The sun had been set for over an hour by the time he made his way back. However, his swim in the lake had reinvigorated him, and with his increased endurance he felt no need to sleep that night. Instead he cast a light spell on one of the stones on the back wall of his house to provide some illumination and checked out the place.
The house didn¡¯t look any different, and the grass that was his current floor didn¡¯t seem any more trampled than when he was here last. However, the string that had been holding the door closed was chewed through so it was hanging open when he got there. Outside of the house there were many changes. All of the plants were showing signs of growth, but it was not as impressive as what he had seen in tier one. Using his aura senses he could tell that the plants were all alive, but in need of more water to further spur their development. The apple trees were now doing the best and looking closer he noticed that they had roots going deep into the soil that had hit an underground offshoot of the stream.
After taking out his poor shovel and working for about half an hour he managed to dig an irrigation trench over to help water the plants while he was away in the future. He also now had in his possession quite a few more fruits which he could plant. The rest of the night was spent expanding his small farm. While he worked he also spent time smoothing out his pathways from all of his recent growth, and also strengthening the energy fields of the seeds he was planting and the others that were already growing. While he was digging he noticed his overseer was back. The young wolf pup, looking noticeably larger, was hanging around the perimeter, watching him work.
Beast: Adolescent Wolf (uncommon) level 3, threat: low
By the time the sun came up he had gone from a single line of fruit plants that was about thirty meters long, to a large rectangular patch that was more than fifteen hundred square meters. All of it was irrigated and there were several patches that had been weeded and smoothed till there was a circle of dirt with a seed planted inside. This was where he would try out his magic diagrams.
He had planted many new types of fruit including strawberries, raspberries, and goji berries in addition to the ones he already had. Those were just the ones that grew on bushes, well the strawberries technically grew along the ground. There were also many that would grow on a vine and needed trellises including grapes, cucumbers, cantaloupes, honeydew, and watermelons. He didn¡¯t have a good way of making a trellis yet, but they hopefully wouldn¡¯t need them for a day or so. There were several new trees as well, including orange, fig, plum, lemon, cherry, and banana. Those were more spread out to plan for their future growth. And yes, bananas didn¡¯t really grow on trees, but shut up.
In the special dirt patches there were planted blueberry, raspberry, peach, apple, and orange seeds. He wanted to see the effect it had on a variety of types of fruits and plants. The vines would be too hard to contain in a circle so he skipped them for now. The next step was generating quartz powder so he could draw the diagrams. While putting the finishing touches on smoothing out the circles he had noticed the small wolf push open the door and go inside. That solved the mystery of who chewed the latch.
The tutorial had supplied him with a mortar and pestle in the mage dungeon and he had of course liberated it. Putting his back against the house he sat with a pile of rocks and slowly ground away. The finished powder was added to a section of his corpse sack as each stone was crushed. After about thirty minutes the wolf poked its head out of the house and layed down within five meters of Alan and watched him work. During a short break for a snack he also tossed the cub a chunk of raw boar. They both ate in relative silence. As the morning wore on Alan made plans for the coming days.
The dwarven dungeon would have long been upgraded so that should be his first stop. Depending on how things were going there he might try and get a real shovel from the shop. After the use it saw in upgrading his farm his current one was barely holding together. He now had a few golds worth of currency from his various rewards, and he could also spend some time enhancing some of these quartz stones and sell them for a nice profit. After that he could either explore more of the plains looking for new dungeons, or head back south and hit the ones he had located on his trip yesterday. One was a cave in the mountain walls, another was in what looked like the ruins of a church, and the third was a literal hole in the ground.
The church one looked interesting, if only from his rpg experiences, but he was leaning towards heading north. He still hadn¡¯t seen what the exit to the next tier would look like and he thought he should check it out. It would also get him farther away from that spider forest. He knew that thought was irrational, but not only had it been terrifying, it had truly been an ordeal for his body.
As he was grinding away he found himself dozing off. At one point he blinked and when he opened his eyes again he had slumped over on the ground having knocked over the mortar, spilling the contents. Fortunately there hadn¡¯t been much in there at the time. Unfortunately when his eyes focused he found an intruder in his garden.
Beast: Rabbit (common) level 1, threat: none
So it probably wouldn¡¯t take a hand grenade to take care of this thing, holy or otherwise. It was nibbling at one of the blueberry bushes, he could already see some fruit that had ripened on the bush but the little vermin was eating the leaves. He scrambled to his feet and tried out his new hand crossbow. Turns out it wasn¡¯t quite as point and click as he hoped. The first bolt missed by more than a meter but it did cause it to hop away briefly. Seeing no other threat it returned to its meal. The second bolt was even farther away and it didn¡¯t even twitch this time.
Alan prepared himself to chase after it, not having much hope. Suddenly a white streak appeared from out of nowhere. The rabbit reacted almost immediately and was hopping away as fast as it could go. The young wolf was faster. In the span of fifteen meters it ran the bunny down and snatched it in its jaws. A quick shake and the vermin hung limply. The young wolf then trotted off into the grass and could be seen bending down and coming up with a bloody muzzle. It had definitely earned that meal and Alan was glad to have it around. If rabbits were spawning nearby there would be no way to keep them out without a real fence.
Alan watched it for a minute and then continued grinding away on his stones. He had a nice pile of powder in his pouch by now but it was only enough for a few circles so far. As he continued to grind away he decided not to latch the door when he left this time, and to leave the wolf furs behind. It seemed like the little guy had enjoyed sleeping on them before, maybe they smelled comforting. He also had plans of putting a roof on his house this time so the pelt shouldn¡¯t get ruined if it rained again.
By noon he was finished grinding up enough stones for his plans. His companion hadn¡¯t made another appearance after trotting off with the remains of the dead rabbit. Storing the mortar in his ring he got out some more rocks and just worked on fortifying and infusing them with mana.
This time he tried to make sure there was no attunement to the mana. The last one he had given to Thadrick was light attuned. He wasn¡¯t sure if a craftsman would prefer something with a specific attunement or not, so he was making some to compare prices. Before his trip to the tower this process was mostly instinctual. With his now higher mana control compared to previously, and with a better understanding of the process, it was easy to control. He just took the pure mana from his pool and fed it into the stone in his hand.
Previously he had unconsciously been turning the mana into light mana before sending it into objects since his body was better in tune with it. Getting it to merge with the stone¡¯s energy flow was simple as well. The final product was a stone that just felt intense and durable, he couldn¡¯t think of a better way to describe it.
The young wolf had returned while he was meditating and was staring intently at the stones as mana poured into them. If Alan didn¡¯t know better, he would say that it could see the energy transfer. Come to think of it, he didn¡¯t know better.
¡°So Tamee, is it possible this wolf can see the mana I am moving?¡±
¡°Yes, it is possible. Beasts and other creatures have an instinctual connection to mana as higher concentrations allow them to grow faster and stronger than they would otherwise. That is why an area with higher ambient mana will have stronger creatures.¡±
That made sense, it was probably similar to how the plants reacted to the mana in the air and the ground. Speaking of which, now Alan could see about drawing his growth circles. Seeing as this was the first circle he would draw that had a real purpose he had chosen to start small. Each of the plants would get a circle that should increase their growth rate. They were very similar to the circle he had worked on originally, but without special attuned treasures to boost it they would be much simpler in purpose and easier to draw. Not wanting to be distracted by the cute pup he left it another boar steak to eat while he got to work. That thing¡¯s stomach must be enormous.
Each diagram consisted of two concentric circles with five glyphs between them. The glyphs were water, light, air, dirt, and heat. The last two were special subtypes of earth and fire. He drew a line coming out of each glyph and spiraling towards the inner circle, finally meeting it under the next glyph. It was a simple design that would boost the area inside of the circle with the energy a plant would normally get from the environment around it. Normally that is what the various parts of a plant, like the roots and the leaves, would absorb to help the tree grow. That was similar to how plants had worked on Earth, but here they were absorbing mana more than nutrients. By boosting the energies inside the circle it would allow the plant to absorb more.
As he finished the last of the circles he noticed his furry friend had made its way over to watch him. He was standing close enough that Alan could have reached out and touched him. All of that drawing with the quartz powder had left him hungry again. Remembering the sight of ripe blueberries he made his way over to a clump of bushes. He found a nice bunch and gently pulled them off.
Achievement earned: I Grew a Thing
[You have planted, grown, and harvested a crop. Any seeds you plant will grow at a faster rate than normal.]
That caused him to drop his handful of berries. The wolf quickly bent down and snarfed them up while he told Tamee about it. She was mildly excited for him, but unsurprised. She told him to check his skills and he found a new one, Farming. Apparently all of the work with digging, planting, and growing had been helping him acquire this ability, but it wasn¡¯t until he actually harvested something that he was able to finally acquire it.
He collected a few more blueberries and even some of the strawberries that had ripened. He ate a couple and then thought of something Tamee had said earlier. He sent some mana into the remaining fruits in his hand until they all had that same intense feeling the stones had earlier. It was much faster as their auras seemed to suck up the energy he poured in compared to the inorganic rocks. Two Socks, the name he decided to give the wolf, was almost quivering as it watched the process. The name didn¡¯t really make sense, but it was a nice bit of nostalgia for him. A remnant of the first movie to ever make him cry.
Alan held out his hand. ¡°Go ahead, these are for you.¡±
Socks looked up at him and tilted his head to the side. Alan offered his hand again and it took a tentative step over. When the hand didn¡¯t move the wolf quickly slurped them up. Its tongue was warm and raspy on his hand. It was drier than he would have expected. He figured the wolf deserved a little treat after handling his rabbit problem earlier. If he could help it grow up faster it would also help it take care of any other rodents.
Interlude VIII
¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Afilada said as she stood from her seated position. Her knees protested since she had been sitting there motionless for the last several hours. Previously she had managed to upgrade her fighter, rogue, and guardian classes, and now she had upgraded her seeker class as well.
It turned out that upgrading a class wasn¡¯t as simple as gaining one. Activating the opal class stone imparted knowledge, but then the user had to act on that knowledge. There was some information on what the class itself meant, but most of it was on how the pathways in your body needed to change.
The large pathways that she had long been able to interact with didn¡¯t need to change much. The cultivation which thickened them she had been working on since the latter days of the first tier. That was when their tutorial observer had explained to everyone the basics of the process. As her classes had progressed to one hundred percent she had slowly been able to see smaller paths branching off of the main ones. In order to upgrade a class it was these pathways that she had to work on.
These smaller paths for her body''s energy developed as her class completion grew. Each class added different pathways. In order to access the power of an opal class she needed to make better use of these new pathways. By using the opal class stone she was shown where she needed to link those paths with her physical body. There was already a tenuous link, but it was up to her to strengthen those nascent connections. The good news was that she didn¡¯t really need to understand the method, she just needed to focus her energy toward the indicated areas and some Network function took care of the rest. The bad news was it took a long time.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Luckily for her she had the rest of her team to watch over her while she upgraded, just as she had helped watch over them while they did the same. Her time with her mentor had taught her many things. One of those was that she would not be able to claim the throne of this world without help. It wasn¡¯t enough to be the strongest and to lead through fear. Those around her would need to feel like they were a part of her crusade and not just disposable pieces.
This had affected not only how she interacted with her small party, but also with the rest of her army. It was easier now to call them an army since she had earned an Army Array from her mentor. No longer did she simply take the best of what everyone else had and left them with the scraps. Take her remaining class, hunter. She could have easily taken someone else¡¯s opal hunter stone for herself and made them earn another. That¡¯s what the old her would have done. Now she would instead praise them on their achievement and try to earn one herself.
It felt strange, but she supposed in the long run it wouldn¡¯t cost her much and would make her troops more loyal to her. Not only that, but they had discovered that quest rewards were partially tailored to the one who earned them. While anyone could use an opal class stone, assuming they had the required quartz class, the person who earned it as part of their quest would be more in tune with it. She was better off earning her own stone that would better align with her own style.
¡°Let¡¯s go boys and girls. I got a report of a dungeon that gives out a lot of hunter stones. This will be my last and then we can work on finishing your upgrades, Sabi.¡± Afilada offered her hands to both Pierto and Sabi and helped them to their feet. The party set off at a brisk trot with more purpose in their step then there used to be. Maybe her mentor really knew what he was talking about after all.
Chapter 29
Now that the farm was set up, it was time to take care of his house. When he put it up originally he didn¡¯t have enough wood to put a roof on it. That was still true, but he had enough to put up a frame he could attach a tarp to. When he was in the dwarven dungeon last he had acquired a large hide tarp that was previously the wall of one of the camp houses. The dwelling had been destroyed, but this piece was still in good shape. The owner had offered it to Alan when he saw him eyeing it. It was a reward for helping to save the town, but he had still felt a little guilty. Not enough to prevent him from taking it though.
Using a few boards he was able to create an underlying framework for the roof that would provide a slight slant. This would help make sure water ran off of it when it rained, rather than pooling and possibly rupturing it. He should have used more nails to make sure it was firmly attached, but he didn¡¯t have enough to do it properly. Hopefully the few he had left would be enough to keep it in place. As he climbed down he was greeted by Two Socks and Alan was able to gently rub his furry head. He was then met with a series of Network messages.
Achievement earned: I have an Erection
[You have constructed a building. Crafting speed is slightly increased while inside an appropriate building.]
Grand Achievement earned: Come Together
[You have founded a town. As the first on your world to found a town your achievement has been upgraded to a Grand achievement. The effect of Arrays is slightly improved.]
Congratulations, you have founded a town! Current town is rated a Homestead, tier level zero. Would you like to name the town? [Y/N]
¡°Alan, you ok? You¡¯ve been standing there for a while.¡± Tamee¡¯s voice broke him out of his confusion.
¡°Umm¡I am made of questions right now.¡±
Another Tamee sigh, ¡°what did you do this time?¡±
Alan filled her in on the notifications and she too was speechless for a time. Apparently grand achievements were very rare and very valuable. The reward seemed nice, but Tamee said there were other rewards from it besides the one stated. She still wasn¡¯t allowed to share it with him, but maybe this was the kind of thing his mentor had meant about sharing in Alan¡¯s achievements.
¡°The building achievement is no surprise, but I didn¡¯t even know there was one for founding a town. No one on my planet has founded a new town in living memory. Also, how is that considered a town?¡±
Alan didn¡¯t know, but Tamee explained how he could check his town menu. This was something he now had access to since he was officially part of the town. As the founder he had expanded access. Before he could get in though, he had to name it.
¡°Amthraxia, strong name. Now, look at the town level status.¡± Tamee told him.
His town was rated as a homestead, this was apparently the lowest level of a town and consisted of at least one home and a field for growing food. His house was considered a ¡®crude house¡¯ and counted for the home. Apparently it wasn¡¯t finished until he had put the roof on it. His fruit garden counted as the field. The town could be upgraded a few levels before it became a village, but he had a long way to go. He would need to add several specific buildings, more fields, and the big one was more people. A village needed at least thirty people, and that just wasn¡¯t going to happen. Alan exited the menu to tell Tamee about what he learned, but first he was greeted by a new notification.
Town Dungeon Created
[As a tier zero village your town has spawned a dungeon obelisk. The dungeon will spawn monsters at an increasing rate and power level until the boss is defeated.]
¡°Ok Tamee, this is getting ridiculous, I just put a tarp up! What is a town dungeon? It says that the village caused a dungeon obelisk to spawn.¡±
¡°So that is not that big a deal for you at the moment. Every town has at least one dungeon associated with it. This is a way for the residents of the town to grow, and it is seen as a good thing. Normally a town would have at least a couple of adventurers who would regularly clear the dungeon. They get experience and loot and every time they clear it the clock gets reset. If they fail to clear it the dungeon will start spawning monsters.¡±
¡°This doesn¡¯t sound so good for me because I have other places to be. How often would I have to clear this thing? My house was supposed to protect me from monsters, not cause new ones to show up.¡±
Tamee continued her explanation, ¡°a dungeon obelisk is not even a dungeon really. It contains the smallest dungeon core possible. All it can do is generate monsters and cannot create an actual dungeon. Because of the low level the boss will reset fairly quickly, but it should still be knocked out for at least two or three days each time it is defeated. Also, the monsters coming out of that should be capped around level three or five, with the boss being a level five or six.¡±
That didn¡¯t sound too scary. He was about to explain what he learned about his town when he realized he didn¡¯t know what his grand reward meant. ¡°What is an array?¡±
¡°Do not take this the wrong way, but I would rather you read about it in the wiki. Now that you have unlocked one it should have a section on it. You can ask me questions after your first read through, but it is a lot and I really do not want to get into all of it right now.¡±
¡°Really, isn¡¯t it like your job?¡± Alan asked.
A raspberry was her only response. Hmmm, Alan wondered hong long until the raspberries started producing fruit. With no other choice he sat down and started going through the wiki. At the same time he infused more stones with mana. He was making a few of each type now and had gotten so good at it he could read during the process.
So, Arrays. There were several types of arrays but the two he had a description of at the moment were something called an army array and a town array. Technically there was a building array too, but it was linked to the town array. All forms of arrays were a system that made managing things easier. The army array would allow you to organize an army into groups and give them orders. You could have an army without one, but there were apparently some huge bonuses given by the array that made it ill advised to go up against another army if you didn¡¯t have your own array.
The town array was automatic once an area qualified, which Amthraxia now did. The array was what allowed the use of the town menu and was like a system that allowed the members of the town to organize themselves and interact. It also included something called ¡®blueprints¡¯. These were preprogrammed designs for certain buildings that could be selected through the menu and placed in the real world.
They didn¡¯t magically appear, but if someone from the town went to work on it there was some kind of Network weirdness that would cause them to naturally build it in that place and it made the process of building it go much faster and not require much knowledge of construction. For example, his town came with a blueprint for a crude house, a basic house, a tanning shed, a granary, and a generic shop. You could gain more designs from other people somehow, or you could make your own. The crude house, for example, was a result of his haphazard construction. If you built something and the Network recognized it, it would become a blueprint.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Alan selected a tanning shed and placed it a little distance from his house, near the limit of the array. It was a weird experience as he got a visual overlay of the building in his vision and if he tried to place it in an impossible position it turned red. It also seemed to snap into certain positions. Looking back at the town menu he could see that there was a basic layout with slots for buildings. He could modify it through the town but since this would probably never become a real town he didn¡¯t worry about it. Once he placed the wireframe version of the tannery he walked over to the space he had designated. In order to build it he would need a certain amount of wooden boards, nails, a tub for dipping skins, and access to tannins. He wasn¡¯t sure where tannins came from but it didn¡¯t really matter since he didn¡¯t have any of the other materials either.
If he managed to build the tanning shed, a granary, four basic houses, create three more fields, and increase the population to thirty he would be able to upgrade his homestead into a village. That would unlock further blueprints and benefits for the town. As a tier zero homestead all he got was access to the town menu and the dungeon obelisk. He wouldn¡¯t know what the other benefits of the higher tiers were until his town upgraded.
He asked Tamee some minor questions, but the wiki had done a pretty good job explaining what an array was. The fact that his arrays were slightly improved might show up in various ways. Allowing them to be improved faster, bonuses being greater, or who knew how else. Alan had been eager to go see the dwarves, but he felt it was important to check out the dungeon obelisk first.
It showed up on the town map but was actually located about a kilometer from the edge of his homestead. Two Socks followed him as he made his way over to it. The obelisk was a grey piece of shiny stone about four meters high. Written vertically on the obelisk on all four sides was Amthraxia, designating the town it was attached to. As he stood there he didn¡¯t notice any monsters around.
¡°Put your hand on it,¡± Tamee suggested.
Placing his hand upon the obelisk he received a message that the boss was currently on cool down. There was a timer next to it and after studying it for a moment he realized the timer would reach zero in about ten minutes.
¡°Well Socks, it looks like I¡¯ll have to wait around a little and fight this boss. I would rather not come back here to find my house infested with monsters. No offense.¡±
He cocked his head in what Alan took to be his cute sign for confusion. He tried to teach Socks to play fetch, but he was not into it at all. Instead he sat next to Alan and they waited for the obelisk to count down together. Without his hand on the stone he would just have to guess at the time, but he didn¡¯t want to stand next to it in case the boss suddenly appeared.
When the time came he needn¡¯t have worried. The stone started glowing and smoke swirled around it. When the smoke cleared there was a gorilla standing below it. It was sitting on its legs with its arms resting on the ground in front of it. It was currently about one hundred and fifty centimeters high, but if it stood up it would be around two hundred and twenty. Its arms were thick columns of hairy muscle and its eyes were not friendly. It looked around it for a moment and then caught sight of Alan and the wolf. Two Socks started shivering and when the gorilla bellowed out a challenge and beat its chest the little guy panicked and ran away. It was hard to blame him, if he was still capable of it, Alan might have peed himself a little.
Beast: Silverback (Boss) level 6, threat: Extreme
¡°So, I probably should have asked earlier, but is there a special significance to being a boss?¡±
¡°Two creatures, both of the same type and level, but one being a boss will not be equal. It varies dramatically by boss, but at their weakest a boss should be three times as powerful. You got this, I think.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
The gorilla boss was still pounding away on its chest and baring its fangs. Of the many wild creatures of Earth the gorilla is one of the most deadly. You wouldn¡¯t know it watching them at a zoo, but everything about them can be lethal. They have thick powerful fingers, but thankfully they don¡¯t have claws. However, their teeth are large and sharp and their strength is tremendous. He doubted the boss could be taken down with any of his spells, but entering melee range would be tough. Even with his gladius the beast would still have reach on him.
Alan could use three max power fire bolts but it would leave him almost drained of mana. That wouldn¡¯t leave him with much to heal if he needed it. If he had a choice he would walk away from this fight. He was not a good match for this powerhouse. But he didn¡¯t have a choice. If he didn¡¯t kill it then the next time he returned there could be monsters all around. They would probably be low level but he didn¡¯t know how many there would be. And the boss would still be here.
Time to nut up. The fight would start with a crossbow shot and a medium fire bolt to test its magic defenses. The plan would be to kill it with a thousand cuts. Using both of his knives and his speed he would go purely on the defensive, but leave cuts all over it when the beast attacked. Eventually the blood loss should weaken it enough that he could finish it. His prismatic orbs should provide some openings to deal more significant damage, but he would also have to keep an eye on his stamina. If he lost his mobility he¡¯d be dead in a moment.
Everything was going well, right up until the plan began. His shot with the small crossbow only grazed its arm. He should really practice with it. The firebolt caught the beast in its hairy chest, but the flames lasted only a moment. It must have an incredibly high constitution or a resistance to magic. The third thing to go wrong was that he had underestimated its speed. Alan was still the faster one, but it was not by nearly the margin he had thought.
His only real advantage turned out to be the anger of the beast and its lack of control. If one of its fists connected with him it would crush bones, but the wild swings left the beast off balance and prevented it from chaining its attacks together. Meanwhile Alan would take a quick slice or make a sudden stab. Each time he left a small wound that trickled blood.
The boss¡¯s skin was thick and even if he was truly trying to hurt it he would have had a hard time cutting deeply. Each wound seemed to increase the boss¡¯s anger. Alan made the mistake of trying to block one of the swings with his seax instead of dodging. He was hoping that the added force of the gorilla''s blow would allow his dagger to slice deeply and cause a real wound.
As the arm came around he positioned his dagger so that the edge would deflect it above his head. Instead the arm pushed the pommel of his seax into his head. Dropping the blade from his numb fingers he stumbled back, his vision going black. He fought off unconsciousness and was only saved from being crushed by another blow because the gorilla had indeed received a viscous wound to its arm. It was currently cradling it with the other arm.
Regaining his balance he shot a prismatic orb at the gorilla and withdrew his gladius from his ring. Charging forward he punched the longer blade into its side, hoping to hit the kidneys or lungs. The blade entered at least ten centimeters, his panic giving him strength. As he went to withdraw it for another thrust the gorilla¡¯s wounded arm thrashed out in response to the pain.
Alan was again knocked back, but a quick healing spell allowed him to ignore most of the damage. The blow lacked most of the boss¡¯s strength and it was only a glancing hit. Unfortunately he dropped the gladius as he went flying. He scrambled over to his seax while the monster recovered. Its left arm had a gaping wound that was leaking a stream of blood. The hole in its side, however, was gushing a river of thick dark blood. That should be enough to end the fight. Alan backed off to let it bleed to death, but the rage of the gorilla was enough to allow it to follow him.
No amount of anger could save it in the end. Alan only had to dodge a couple of wild swings before it stumbled. Then he jumped on its back and plunged both blades into its heavy neck. It tried to rise but a follow up set of stabs caused it to collapse again. He lay there on top of it for a moment catching his breath. While he ended the fight in relatively good condition he had almost lost it all there, twice. If Tamee said this was considered a weak challenge then he would need to get much stronger if he had any hope of helping humanity survive.
The body underneath him began to shudder. He quickly stabbed it again before he realized it wasn¡¯t the boss recovering. Jumping down from its back he watched as it turned to dust which formed a tornado. This was the same behavior he had seen in the maze dungeon. Tamee had told him it was a standard way for dungeon cores to reward kills. Most dungeons were not entirely based around a quest, especially town dungeons apparently. When the dust settled he was left with a large pouch. Opening it he found his greatest reward so far. Golden coins spilled over his hand. There must be fifty of them in there. Collecting them back up he placed the pouch in his ring. If only his town actually had a store.
Placing his hand on the grey obelisk he got a message that the boss was on cooldown and the timer wouldn¡¯t reach zero for another three days. Time enough for him to grow stronger. He made his way back to his house and found Two Socks cowering on the wolf pelt bed. With a sigh Alan saw that it had peed itself and the bed in terror. Good thing he had more pelts. That could be the wolf¡¯s bed now. He sat down next to it and gently stroked its fur for a while till its heart stopped racing.
¡°It¡¯s okay little one. That creature was not meant for you, that was my fight. You stay here and protect the garden, that¡¯s your job.¡± Alan infused a boar steak with mana and left his furry friend nibbling on it.
With everything at the house ready taken care of and at least three hours until dark it was time he had a go with the dwarves. Last time he had to help defend them from rampaging kobolds. What would they have in store for him this time?
Chapter 30
Once again there was no quest update when Alan stepped into the dwarven dungeon. He also found himself in the entry tunnel so he made his way to the village. Upon emerging into the large cavern holding the mining camp he found it looked almost the same as when he had left. Had no time passed since his last dive into the dungeon?
As he approached the nearest gate he was waved through by one of the guards. His exploits in helping defend the camp had apparently earned him enough good will that he was an accepted visitor. Still without a quest notification it was important to find out what was going on in the camp at the moment so he decided to look for Thadrick. He was the person he knew the best here and since the miner was not an official member of the guard it would hopefully prevent him from dragging Alan into something right away.
The first place he would look was Thadrick¡¯s house. As he made his way through the streets he was struck by the despair and anger he sensed in the citizens. Many stood in front of ruined homes, either from fire or having the wooden supports broken down in a fight. Others sat on the side of the street openly weeping. Not only had the camp been hit hard physically, but many of their family and friends had been abducted by the kobold raiding parties.
That loss, rather than the destruction of their homes and buildings, was why so many were sad, but it was also the source of their anger. As Alan walked among them he heard threats and curses made at the absent enemy. Many talked of finding the kobolds home and taking back their lost ones and making the enemy pay.
He found his friend¡¯s house the same as he left it, except Thadrick was in the kitchen area heating up a pot of soup. His kitchen included a small fireplace with a swinging arm for holding a pot. The chimney was only a little over a meter high and simply directed the smoke out the side of the hide house.
¡°You¡¯re back earlier than I expected, it¡¯s only been a couple hours since you left. Did you run into some trouble?¡± Thadrick asked him when he saw Alan standing in the doorway. This camp was supposed to be in the middle of a mountain, which meant there was nowhere close that Alan could be going to. Something about the dungeon made the dwellers ignore this fact and just accept his absence as normal. He realized that even though several months had passed for him, and even a couple of days in the ¡®real¡¯ world, almost no time had passed in the camp.
¡°Nothings wrong, I just felt bad for what happened to you all and was wondering if there was any way I could help?¡±
¡°Oh there¡¯s plenty of ways to help and lots of people who need it, but you have already done so much. Come sit and have some soup with me, you have earned a rest¡±
He didn¡¯t want to offend his friend''s hospitality so he sat down and shared some of his dinner. It was filling, but not very tasty. Though, compared to those horrid goat strips he once made, it could have been fine cuisine.
Over the many minutes it took them to eat their soup Thadrick filled him in on some of the situation. The camp had already known that around forty villagers had been captured before the large assault. The number had not encapsulated the impact it had on people however. There was no one who wasn¡¯t missing someone they cared about, and many were missing more than one. The anger he had felt in the street was not his imagination. Many villagers were already appealing to Kespar, the head guard, who after the attack was almost equal in power to the mayor.
They wanted him to lead a large attack on the kobold village and take back or avenge their fellows. Kespar was trying his best to fend off this advice. The town had already lost a large chunk of its combat power with the missing miners, all of whom had at least one class. Not only would this attack leave the camp vulnerable, but they didn¡¯t know what they were walking into. What if there were thousands of kobolds back at their own village?
The mayor, whether through jealousy of Kespar¡¯s rise in importance, or because he felt he needed to be doing something, was also pushing an assault. Now that he knew about the town menus it could also have to do with losing the population and possibly causing the camp to be downgraded.
Thadrick had lost many of his friends when the miners were captured so he felt a great anger as well, but he also felt an attack would be a bad idea. He probably wasn¡¯t the equal of some of the guards, who had opal classes, but he was one of the best warriors left. He knew his abilities and did not feel confident in their chances if there were more than a hundred kobolds still down there.
¡°Can you take me to Kespar without anyone else knowing?¡± Alan asked him after they finished their dinner.
¡°What fool thing are ye planning?¡± The dwarf asked grumpily.
¡°I feel like I am a part of this, and I want to hear what Kespar thinks of the situation. But I don¡¯t want him to end up facing even more pressure because of our conversation. This is something best done in private¡±
So it was that the two of them ended up making their way down the streets a few hours later after night had fallen. ¡®Night¡¯ underground just meant the time they all agreed should be for sleeping, and it was indicated by many of the torches set up around the streets being extinguished. The dwarves would have no trouble seeing even if all of the torches were put out and the few that were left still provided enough light for humans and other races to navigate. It also meant that most of the population would be in their houses trying to sleep.
It had been a long and trying day and many were exhausted, however the memories of what they had seen kept them awake. Families huddled together for comfort, and those who were alone, lay in their beds wanting to sleep but dreading the dreams they might find. What it meant for Alan and Thadrick, though, was that while most of the camp was awake, few people were on the street to see their passage.
Their first stop was the main guard house. They figured he would be there getting ready to deal with any further assaults from the kobolds. Instead they found one of his sergeants holding down the fort. Kespar had decided to take a tour of the walls. The sergeant told them his last reported position and they headed out to catch up with him.
¡°I¡¯m not so sure we should be bothering him now, it seems like he¡¯s busy,¡± Thadrick told Alan.
¡°I want to get this discussion over with before he gets pressured anymore.¡±
They missed him at the fist gate they stopped at but found him on the way to the next one. This was perfect because it meant there would be even fewer people to hear what they said.
Thadrick took the lead. ¡°Pardon us, sir, but we were wondering if we could talk to you while you walk?¡±
Kespar looked over at the two, and his eyes lingered on Alan before he grunted in assent. Now that Thadrick had gotten his attention the rest was up to Alan.
¡°I have heard that people are suggesting there should be some kind of counterattack to free the captured members of the camp. We were wondering what your thoughts were on it?¡±
¡°Iron¡¯s Beard! Look, I don¡¯t need any more people telling me what to do. I have a lot of things to take care of and I would appreciate it if you would sod off.¡±
Thadrick¡¯s cheeks turned bright red but Alan wouldn¡¯t be so easily turned away.
¡°Sorry about the misunderstanding, we aren¡¯t suggesting anything. We thought it would be a good idea to hear from someone who knows what the best course of action is.¡±
¡°Yes, Kespar, what is the best course of action?¡± A voice called from behind.
Alan looked back and saw an older dwarf puffing to catch up to them. He was tall for a dwarf, almost as tall as Kespar, but his beard was completely gray. Thadrick leaned over and whispered ¡°the mayor.¡±
¡°Mithral¡¯s Sack! Who else is going to join us tonight? It seems like everyone is taking an evening stroll.¡± Kespar roared.
The mayor responded before Alan could. ¡°Everyone in the village is upset about the people who were taken. After our great victory here they just want our people back.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve told you before that it¡¯s a bad idea. We don¡¯t have enough people to send a real force to recover our people and keep warriors here to protect the rest. Even if we sent everyone down there, we have no idea how many Kobolds there still are. There could be a thousand of them ready to swarm us.¡±
¡°Or there could be fewer than a hundred of them left. Not many ran away from their attack, if that was their whole force then even a quarter of our warriors could crush them. If we don¡¯t try and get our people back then the villagers might try and go down there themselves.¡±
Alan broke in before Kespar could respond. ¡°Has no one tried to scout the kobold¡¯s village?¡±
Kespar was the one who answered. ¡°We only have a handful of scouts left and some of them are injured. We really only have three that could be sent and they are rightfully terrified after what happened last time they tried to go down there,¡±
¡°What if someone else was willing to go check it out?¡±
¡°Who is this and why are we listening to him?¡± The mayor interrupted. He shot Alan a dark look.
¡°This man was crucial in fighting off the last of the raiders and was a key figure in killing the kobolds who managed to get over the walls in the big attack. I will listen to what he has to say. Are you offering yourself to go down there?¡± It was nice to hear Kespar defend him. Apparently his current issues with the mayor were enough to make Alan seem like a comrade.
¡°I have some limited experience in tracking and could at least make an attempt. If I fail you are no worse off than you are now.¡± Alan responded.
¡°Except we¡¯ll have lost time, and that is something our people don¡¯t have,¡± the mayor argued back.
¡°The mayor¡¯s not wrong,¡± Kaspar agreed. ¡°Can you even see in those dark tunnels? I thought humans couldn¡¯t see without a torch and that would make it difficult to scout.¡±
¡°It¡¯s true I can¡¯t see in the dark. But I have some items to help me out,¡± Alan replied as he took out one of his glowing stones.
¡°That¡¯s a nice bauble, and not as obvious as a torch, but in the dark it will still give you away.¡± Kespar told him sadly.
¡°What if I went with someone else, a dwarf who could see in the dark? I could do most of the scouting, but if it seems like we were getting close I could let them lead and follow behind.¡±
Kespar shook his head. ¡°I already told you the scouts are too scared to go back down there.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t going to bring one of the scouts, I was thinking of someone else,¡± Alan replied with a glance at his friend.
¡°Woah, woah. What¡¯s this now? I¡¯m not going down there in that cursed tunnel.¡± Thadrick exclaimed as he backed away.
¡°It would give you some extra power if you ran into a patrol. But there is still the problem of time.¡± Kespar reminded him.
Alan had an answer ready for that too. ¡°There¡¯s not much we can do other than hurry, but if you decide we have been gone too long you could still send an attack behind us. If things don¡¯t go wrong we could still meet up with them on our way back so they know what they will be facing.¡±
¡°Did you all not hear me? I¡¯m not going down there!¡± Thadrick continued to protest.
¡°I like this plan. If you set off now I could assemble a strike force and send them after you in about eight hours. That would give you plenty of time to scout ahead and hopefully make your way back to them with a report. If the two of you mark your way as you go they will be able to follow your path so that there is no risk of missing each other.¡±
The mayor chimed in finally. ¡°I don¡¯t know about trusting this young human, but if it will get you moving to rescue our people then it has my endorsement.¡±
¡°Granite¡¯s balls, I feel like I¡¯m being ignored. I do not agree to this plan.¡± Thadrick harrumphed. Alan was quite enjoying the dwarven version of cursing.
New Quest: Find the lost villagers (100)
[40 villagers and miners were lost to the kobolds. Find them if you can.] [Upgradeable: One week]
Even the Network was ignoring Thadrick¡¯s complaining. He also noticed that the upgrade time had increased dramatically.
¡°Come on Thadrick, let¡¯s get some stuff from your house and then get going,¡± Alan said as he guided his friend with a hand on his back. His protests got quieter as they walked until all Alan could make out was mumbling punctuated by the occasional curse. Once they collected some food and tools they set out for the tunnel.
¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you lad, it¡¯s that I like living more. I saw you in the tunnels last time and your navigation sense did not inspire confidence.¡± Thadrick told him.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
He wasn¡¯t wrong, Alan had let Thadrick do all of the leading when they had gone looking for iron earlier. However, that didn¡¯t mean he was incapable of finding his way. It was also made easier because he only had to follow the tracks of the kobolds who had invaded earlier. He didn¡¯t want to use his whetstone as by now it was a bright beacon in the dark. His chosen stone wasn¡¯t bright enough to turn night into day, but it was enough to provide a dim pool of light to work by.
Alan outlined the plan. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to track these things, but since I don¡¯t want to alert them with bright lights in the tunnel you will have to be my spotter. I¡¯ll be following the tracks close in, you let me know if you see anyone farther away.¡±
The first hour was easy. The beginning part was still in the dwarven carved tunnels, but the turn into the newer kobold connection was clear due to the many clawed hands and feet of the invaders leaving scrapes along the rocky path. There was also a layer of dust, dirt, and debris on the floor of the tunnel that showed footprints fairly well.
Each time they turned Thadrick carved a rune in the wall using a small rock hammer. Alan had never seen a symbol like it before, but Thadrick told him it was the rune for Kespar¡¯s name in the dwarven language. In this manner they quickly made their way deep into the rock. Alan was surprised that they hadn¡¯t encountered any enemies yet. Maybe the mayor had been correct about their diminished numbers.
The second hour was much more difficult because these tunnels¡¯ floors had been cleaned. The previous section was obviously newly excavated, as evidenced by all of the stone debris. This area must have been in use for far longer. There were also more branching pathways making it even harder to determine the proper path. All of the tunnels were marked by scrapes showing that they were used by the kobolds. The only thing that he had to go by was the quantity of scrapes and how fresh they were.
Older scrapes were almost smooth if you rubbed your hand over them and they were a darker color. The newer scrapes were still rough and often had small pieces of rock dust around them still. The other tunnels sometimes had newer scrapes on them as well, but nowhere near the quantity of the path of the retreating raiding force.
As they went deeper and deeper they both became more worried about the lack of life. Even if the kobolds population had been decimated, they must still have some out scouting, fearful of a reprisal. Finally they entered a long stretch of tunnel without any visible branches. Alan put his stone in his storage pouch and let Thadrick lead the way as he followed with his hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. Perhaps the light from the stone was giving them away and the enemy had been retreating before them, setting up an ambush.
Instead they both noticed that the tunnel was starting to get brighter ahead of them. It was a strange red glow that Alan thought he was imagining at first. After another thirty meters it was clear that there was a light source somewhere ahead. Alan tapped his friend¡¯s shoulder and used hand signals to indicate that he would scout in front of them a little. Now that there was light he didn¡¯t have to give away his location with the stone.
Hugging the wall he placed his feet silently as he made his way forward in a crouch. The light increased significantly just around a bend. He took off his helmet and knives and stowed them in his pouch, he didn¡¯t want any metal on him to clang off the rock as he lay down on the floor. He then commando crawled up to the turn being careful not to scrape anything along the uneven floor. Finally he could poke his head around and lay eyes on what was causing the light.
There was a crystal in a crude iron wall sconce. It was glowing with a dull red light. Just past the crystal the tunnel opened into a larger area. There was a kind of dilapidated wall made up of rocks of all sizes simply placed next to each other. In places a few smaller rocks were placed on top of the first layer, but it was more of a line of demarcation than a true wall. It looked like he had found the village. From his quick look he didn¡¯t see any signs of movement, but he didn¡¯t want to linger with his head exposed for too long.
Retreating back to Thadrick he quickly whispered what he had found. He told him that he was going to try and check it out more but that Thadrick should wait a little closer. If Alan got into any trouble he would run back past him so that he could ambush any pursuers.
¡°And if there are a thousand of those mangy lizards following you?¡±
¡°In that case the slower one gets eaten,¡± he suggested with a wink.
Once again Alan crawled his way up to the bend and stuck his head out. Still no signs of movement. He pulled his head back and got up into a crouch. No point crawling slowly while under the light of the crystal in clear view of the village. Speed would be his friend.
¡°Slow is smooth and smooth is fast¡± he whispered to himself.
Setting out he purposefully stepped along the edge of the passage, eyes scanning in all directions. He still couldn¡¯t see anyone. Rather than stopping at the end of the tunnel and leaving himself silhouetted for all to see, he quickly moved to the side and hugged the wall of the cavern. A few paces away he found a small depression in the rock that provided a shadow for him to hide in.
The cavern was large, almost as big as the one the mining camp was located in. The rock outline of the kobold village pressed up close to the wall of the cave, with only about a few meters of open ground outside. Every twenty meters or so there was a wooden post with a crystal mounted to the top providing red light.
Inside of the rock wall was chaos. There were more posts with crystals scattered around the interior, but there were scraps of leather, torn tents, and small campfires everywhere. It looked more like a campsite than a village, but one that had been ransacked. His vision was partially blocked by some of the tents but he couldn¡¯t see any kobolds. There was a ring of standing logs on the far side of the camp, each was a couple of meters high. This was probably a corral to store prisoners.
Scanning the area one last time he decided that the Kobolds must have really left. He abandoned his concealment and picked his way through the camp. As he passed by one of the dilapidated tents he noticed a rustle before something burst out of the entrance. He only had a moment to notice scales and teeth before it was on him.
A long gaping mouth full of teeth was coming for his face. He fell on his backside as the jaws closed on where his head had just been. The large lizard collapsed on top of Alan as he got his first chance to really see what he was dealing with.
Beast: Listocampus (Uncommon) lvl 9, threat: medium
The entire thing was covered in scales and it looked like what would happen if a crocodile had evolved to only live on land. It was at least three meters long and had four powerful but short legs. The last meter of the beast was its thick, ridged tail. The head was narrower and longer than a crocodiles, but its teeth were just as deadly looking. Alan reached for his knives, only to remember he had stored them in his pouch which was currently trapped under the beast¡¯s body.
Pushing up with all his might Alan was unable to get the beast off of his chest. Fortunately for him the head of the monster was not in a position where it could bite. Instead it was raking him with its back claws, which was doing a number on both his pants and his legs. Since he couldn¡¯t get his daggers he instead took his beating stick out of his ring storage. It would be easier to use in the cramped quarters he was forced to fight in than the bigger thonking club.
Using all of his strength, and the little leverage he had, he repeatedly whacked the beast¡¯s back leg. Finally he heard a crack and the leg snapped under the creature¡¯s weight. The other leg was still clawing at his left leg so he switched to magic. He realized he probably should have done this earlier, but he was still learning to incorporate it into his fighting style. His trainers at Fort Liberty had never imagined that spells would be part of his repertoire. His mentor Dracon on the other hand would have been disappointed.
Two stone spears shot out from Alan¡¯s left side and pierced the Listocampus¡¯ hide. It also had the added effect of pushing it off of him. He quickly scrambled out from underneath but now he also had to deal with those savage jaws. It had managed to snap the stone spears off so it wasn¡¯t pinned in place, but it was bleeding from the jagged spikes still sticking out from it.
He switched out weapons for his larger club and brought it down on the creature¡¯s head as it lunged forward to try and bite him. It briefly stunned the creature but it soon shrugged the blow off and spun around tripping him up with its tail. It was an awkward attack because of its broken leg so rather than falling over, Alan was simply knocked off balance.
It allowed the beast another chance to bite him but a quick prismatic orb blinded it. Alan brought his club down on its head again, this time willing every ounce of strength in his body into the blow. It must have felt like the mountain had collapsed on it as its skull was smashed open. The head didn¡¯t explode, but the bones were shattered into pieces. He stood there panting for a moment before he regained his composure. That hit had been intense.
Alan had felt energy flood from his pathways into his arms as he had swung. The energy had then flowed down his arms and into the club as it made contact with the large reptile. From there it was transferred into the beast which all led to the skull being shattered. It was an interesting use of his pathways and not something he had consciously done. Perhaps this was partly due to his hammer blow talent.
After searching the tent the listocampus had emerged from, it seemed that it had been searching through some left behind objects, possibly looking for food. It appeared that this camp or small village had been recently abandoned and this creature was the first scavenger on the scene. He tried to toss the body into his pouch but nothing happened. He tried the ring too until Tamee explained it.
¡°While you can take many things from a dungeon, you can¡¯t take the bodies of people or monsters unless you carry them out by hand. There must have been some kind of abuse in the past and so now you can¡¯t put them in spatial storage items.¡± With a sigh Alan dropped the body and made his way over to the wooden posts of the prisoners¡¯ pen.
They were not fit tightly together with gaps of a few centimeters between the logs. Peeking through he could tell that the pen was empty. He made his way around until he found a crude entrance. A couple of the logs were shorter than the others and a ramp on the outside allowed him to walk right up to their tops. It was still just over a meter drop from here, anyone trying to exit would have a difficult time getting over the logs quickly which would prevent the prisoners from storming the exit.
Alan crouched down and inspected the interior. It was a rough circle around ten meters across. Forty prisoners could be placed in there but it would be cramped. There were signs of stains on the ground, both blood and bodily fluids. He made his way back out of the cavern and found Thadrick.
¡°I think I found where the prisoners were kept but the whole place has been abandoned. Let me show you,¡± he explained as he led the dwarf inside.
Standing, looking over the pen, Thadrick could only shake his head. ¡°Are they dead?¡±
Alan shook his head before explaining. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many were kept here and I can¡¯t say if any died while in the pen. However, it looks to me like this was a place they stored prisoners as they collected them from the tunnel. Once they raided your camp they packed up and took whoever was in there with them.¡±
¡°Then where are they now?¡±
¡°Give me a bit to look around some more. Why don¡¯t you check out the camp and see if you can find anything that might help us. Watch out though, I was attacked by something called a listocampus, some kind of scavenger I think.¡±
They split up with Thadrick checking the debris inside the rock ring and Alan checking the tracks on the outside. After ten minutes he had conclusively determined the tunnel they had passed through. Most of the tunnels exiting the cavern had scratches on the rocks but once again the passage of a large number at one time was obvious. Also there were filthy foot and boot prints on the rocky floor that must be from the prisoners.
¡°Do we push on or report back to Kespar? We¡¯ve only been gone for a few hours so the attack force probably hasn¡¯t left yet,¡± Thadrick asked him.
¡°By the time we get back they will be getting ready to leave anyway. I say we push forward and see what we can find.¡±
Thadrick agreed and after leaving a large rune on the correct passage they continued following the path of the prisoners. Alan had stuffed a few of the red crystals in his ring and was using one of the smaller ones to light their path. Not only would the kobolds hopefully find it less suspicious to see the red glow rather than the white of his stone, but it also didn¡¯t affect Thadrick¡¯s darkvision as much, allowing him to see farther.
The tunnels went longer without branching the deeper they went. Occasionally they encountered small caverns or grottos on their journey. Some contained pools of water, some were empty other than small plants or moss, and others had actual trees growing in them. Thadrick explained that some trees didn¡¯t need light to grow, they used the ambient energy in the air and rocks to make up for it. These trees were the source of much of their wood. It turned out that the camp was fairly far from the surface and it was difficult to bring supplies from there. And still they never questioned where Alan came from. The dungeons must fiddle with their thinking.
One large clear pool showed signs of the kobolds having camped there. The plants growing near the water¡¯s edge were disturbed and there was even a large patch of blood in one section. Alan felt a calling when he looked at the water. It seemed like his body wanted him to stop for a drink and his brain wanted him to swim down and explore what could be found in the depths. He ignored them both and pressed on with the mission. Maybe there was something good there, or maybe it was some monster with mind powers trying to lure them into a trap. He had a couple of thermoses full of water thanks to Thadrick and he didn¡¯t need to stop.
After six hours Alan was starting to think they had made a mistake by pushing on. There was no telling how far the enemy was going and they had already run into a few wandering beasts. Most were not an issue for the two of them, but there was one rock golem that caused them some trouble.
They had been stopped to check an intersection and Thadrick had sat on a small boulder. They had been walking for quite some time and his feet were killing him. Unfortunately as he sat his plump rump on the mound he found that it was in fact a type of living rock creature.
Golem: Young Rockoid (Uncommon) lvl 7, threat: medium
When it unfurled its height was about halfway between Thadrick¡¯s and Alan¡¯s. Its body was one round rock with limbs extending away from it. The legs and arms were made from smaller rocks linked together. Looking closer Alan could actually make out small gaps in between the different stones. It didn¡¯t seem like they actually were touching, some type of magic force must keep them together. He almost felt like he could see an energy pathway joining them.
Getting hit by one of its stony fists wasn¡¯t pleasant, but the creature wasn¡¯t really that dangerous either. It was on the slower side and Alan could easily dodge its blows. Thadrick had more trouble avoiding its attacks but his armor let him absorb them much better. Their problem was in dealing any damage.
Every time Thadrick hit it with his massive axe, chips would fly but little damage was done. Alan had been using his knives originally but they only made sparks so he switched to his thonking club. Each time he hit it, his hands felt like they would shatter and no damage was left on the golem¡¯s body. He even managed to land a powered up strike against it, but where the listocampus¡¯ skull had broken open, the rocky monster¡¯s had only displayed a small crack.
Alan encouraged Thadrick to take over and he stepped back to try and figure something out. Studying the golem he finally came up with an idea. If the various rocks that made up its body were only attached by energy, then he simply needed to disrupt that energy. He tested out his theory by sending a series of small light bolts at the place where its left arm connected to the body. After three bolts in quick succession the flow must have been broken because the stones in its arm tumbled to the ground.
With a proof of concept it took him only a few seconds to separate the rest of its limbs from its body. The creature didn¡¯t have a head to cut off, but Alan figured that if it wasn¡¯t dead it at least was no longer a problem since it couldn¡¯t move. He bent down closer to the torso and tried to sense if there was any energy left inside.
His eyes and his senses both said it was just a big rock, but when he laid his hand on it he could suddenly see weak flows of energy moving away from a spot on the boulder toward where the limbs would have been. Pressing down on the section the energy was coming from he felt that the rock was a little softer.
He took out his pugio and found that he could press it into the softer rock. Working the blade around the energy zone he was able to separate a palm sized chunk out of the golem¡¯s body. It was filled with energy and as he stared at it he got a message from identify.
Item: Rock Golem Core (Uncommon), this core was the center of a rock golem. Can be used in crafting.
When he showed it to Thadrick he let him know that he had never run across one before. He had heard of golems, but he didn¡¯t know they had a core or how it could be used. Golems were originally created by people, but after reaching a certain level of power they could actually create a kind of child. They shaped the child out of the appropriate materials and somehow gave them life. These ¡®naturally¡¯ occurring golems could actually grow in size and strength before creating children of their own. So Alan had killed a child, that didn¡¯t make him feel great.
It was almost a relief as they made their way through the tunnels when they started to see signs of kobolds. Several times they were alerted by the chittering noises they used to communicate, or by their weapons clanging against a wall, that there were enemies ahead. They always managed to backtrack to a different tunnel or hide in an alcove to avoid them.
These small groups of two to four seemed like scouting parties or sentries. This is what Alan would expect to find around an encampment. However, after having avoided the fourth such party he was worried by the numbers. If there were this many scouts out, how many kobolds were in their main group?
Chapter 31
It took another hour for them to navigate their way past all of the sentries and spot the kobold encampment. After finally setting their eyes on it, it would be better to describe it as a town or small city. He wasn¡¯t sure what the threshold was. Alan had been able to put his crystal away long ago as the tunnels here were lit with their own. The cavern they finally found themselves standing in was enormous.
The ceiling in the cavern was so high that they couldn¡¯t see it beyond the glow of the many large crystals providing light to the sprawling town. That meant it was at least fifty meters in the air. The cavern was rectangular in shape and the side they were on stretched almost a kilometer. The shorter walls were at least five hundred meters. The town itself didn¡¯t take up nearly this much room which is why they were able to observe it from inside the cavern. Plenty of dark nooks could be found along the jagged sides.
The town had a rock wall around it, but this one was much better built than the one around the smaller camp. It was almost two meters high and was made up of large stones stacked together with smaller stones filling in the gaps. There were no kobolds patrolling the walls or manning the few gates they spotted. The town was about five hundred meters long and two hundred meters wide. This place could house a thousand of the creatures easily, and possibly as many as three or four thousand.
¡°How could there be a settlement like this and we haven¡¯t seen them before?¡± Thadrick asked in a whisper.
¡°If they hadn¡¯t attacked the mining camp you might have never known they were here. We¡¯ve traveled for over half a day and it was only recently that we encountered any of them.¡±
Thadrick couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the many kobolds running around both inside and outside the wall. ¡°Still, there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll be able to attack this place. Even if every warrior we had fought like you.¡±
The compliment embarrassed Alan. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can tell if the captured villagers are even here. Maybe they¡¯ve been transferred somewhere else,¡± he suggested.
Half an hour later they could confirm that the prisoners were still here. There was an area near the wall that contained over a hundred cages. More than half of them were empty, but the others held the missing villagers and some other creatures that he did not remember seeing in their mining camp.
¡°Gnomes,¡± said Thadrick. ¡°But their skin is darker than I am used to seeing. They look just as bad off as our people.¡±
Alan told him to stay at the edge of the cavern as he made his way closer. There wasn¡¯t much cover in the two hundred meters to the wall, but there also weren¡¯t any guards scanning the area. Occasional sentries walked around the town, but he had timed his passage to avoid them. He finally found himself crouching below the wall. His clothes were covered in rock dust by now so they blended in well with the stones, however if a sentry passed nearby he would be easily seen. That meant he only had about three minutes before he had to start back. He had already marked a collection of small boulders he would try to hide in if he didn¡¯t have time to make it all the way back.
This was the riskiest part of the endeavor. The rocks of the wall, while not a fine specimen of stone masonry, were too well fitted to peer through. He would have to climb up and look over the top. His head would be exposed but there was nothing for it. He had to hope that any guards would be watching the prisoners or the town and not the wall. He found a handhold and two footholds that should let him boost himself high enough and went for it.
After a minimum of scrambling he had his head above the wall and did a quick check to see if he had been exposed. The cage area had two levels and was in the shape of a semicircle with the center facing the town. The cages on the bottom seemed to be made from heavier materials like stone with ropes providing the walls. The upper section was made from wood, large bones, and possibly some type of bamboo. Ropes were also heavily relied on. These cages were not particularly well made, but with the deplorable state the prisoners were in, there was probably little they could do to take advantage of it on their own.
There were several kobolds in the area. A group of three was standing by what passed for a street that ran along the prison front. Two more were walking back and forth in front of the prisoners. Thankfully none of them seemed invested in their job and their eyes never looked to the wall. He spent another minute counting prisoners and seeing if anything in the area changed.
There were thirty-four villagers and twelve of the dark gnomes. With so many of the missing villagers here it meant that there shouldn¡¯t be any kept somewhere else and those that were missing were most likely dead. There was no change in the guards but he had also only been observing for a couple of minutes. He did notice that the area around the prison was somewhat devoid of kobolds. The only ones he saw were across the street working on building some kind of stone stage.
Alan carefully dropped down and hurriedly made his way to the space between the boulders, he was out of time. He didn¡¯t dare peek out but he could hear the claws of the sentries scrape against the rocky floor as they walked by. He wouldn¡¯t call it marching as they did not seem to possess the discipline of real troops. From all he had seen they were more like barely trained dogs. He was beginning to wonder how they had managed this entire operation.
Counting to sixty after they passed he finally poked his head out and scanned for observers. Finding none he scurried back to Thadrick and explained the situation. He was relieved to hear that so many of his people were still alive, but the older warrior despaired of helping them.
¡°If we waited for the others coming behind us, do you think we could make a sudden assault and carry our people away?¡± he asked.
Alan thought for only a moment before replying. ¡°If we could get them here there might be a chance, but remember all of those kobolds we had to avoid in the tunnels. That¡¯s possible for two people to circumvent, but not forty or fifty, or however many are following us. The town would be alerted and there would be no chance of a rescue attempt.¡±
Thandrick¡¯s eyes turned dark with hopelessness. ¡°Even if we could, I suppose at best it would mean a long march back carrying wounded while under constant assault.¡±
Alan felt for his friend. Not only could this spell the end of his own Network quest, but it meant Thadrick would have to walk away empty handed after coming so close and actually seeing his friends and fellow villagers. He placed his hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder and squeezed it to offer comfort. As Alan stood there a crazy idea started to form in his mind.
¡°Maybe there is a way we could do this. How far behind us do you think our fellows will be?¡±
Thadrick thought about it for a while. ¡°They probably can¡¯t move as fast as us being in such a large group, but they won¡¯t have to spend as long trying to read tracks through the tunnels. I would guess they have made slightly better time than us unless they ran into some kind of large-scale attack. I would say they are anywhere from four to six hours behind us.¡±
¡°You have a better understanding of how tunnel systems work down here. Let¡¯s say the kobolds were chasing us, how likely is it that they could use the various tunnel branches we saw to get around us?¡± Alan asked.
¡°Understand I have no more knowledge of these specific tunnels than you do, but they are usually not like paths in the woods. Tunnels tend to be long and are not usually redundant. It is possible that some paths go in the same direction as the one we would take, but it would probably be a very convoluted path. If we kept moving at a decent pace it should be very hard for them to get ahead of us through a connecting tunnel.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I was hoping to hear.¡± Alan said with rising excitement.
¡°You sound like you have a plan. Knowing you, I would guess it''s something crazy?¡±
Over the next several minutes he explained his plan. Thadrick offered some suggestions to make it better and they soon got started. The good news was that the plan required them to wait several hours before making their first move so they had plenty of time to prepare. They wanted to rescue the prisoners before the attack force came in range of the scouts around the town, but they also wanted the group close enough that they could get to them relatively quickly to help provide support once they had freed the captives.
Unfortunately the first part of the plan involved collecting a lot of materials. Thadrick was not the stealthiest fellow so this task was left for Alan. The tunnels in the area were lit with the many crystal lights the kobolds used so his lack of darkvision would not be a problem. He smiled as he used Thadrick¡¯s axe to cut down some of the trees they had seen in one of the grottos. The dwarf¡¯s face when he had told him what he would use it for was priceless.
He was less happy as he tore his tunic into strips for bandages and then washed and soaked them in one of the pools they had passed. Thadrick was kind enough to donate a couple of tunics he kept in his storage as well. Alan also had to collect some of the moss he had identified on their way down as having healing properties. That herbology skill had come in handy several times already. All of those went into his storage and he made his way back to the town.
He and Thadrick sat down and prepared for their rescue mission. Thadrick was tasked with making a ladder from the branches and sticks of the tree Alan had cut down. The two rescuers wouldn¡¯t have much trouble crossing the wall, but the prisoners would not be in good shape and would require help to quickly get over it. Alan spent his time grinding the moss into a paste and spreading it on as many of the bandages as he could. He didn¡¯t know what kind of shape they would be in, other than poor, and so he needed medical supplies to patch them up the best he could. Their plan relied on the villagers being able to move under their own power, so he needed them in the best shape he could get. With so many of them, his healing spell would only be able to help a few. He also made some splints with the remains of his old outfit and more of the wood he had gathered. He hadn¡¯t wanted to use those filthy things as bandages since they would lead to infection, but that was less of an issue for a splint.
They finally had everything prepared but still had about twenty minutes before the agreed on start time so they went over the plan again. Alan knew it by heart, but in the special forces you went over your plan time and time again until it was burned into your mind.
¡°Once we get to the wall we should be okay to drop down and make our way to the back of the cages. The kobolds only seem to be looking for obvious things. Even the ones working across the way probably won¡¯t notice anything is wrong unless they actually see us fighting or dead kobolds lying around.¡±
¡°You still think you¡¯ll be able to take out the front group of guards before they can shout a warning?¡± Thadrick worriedly asked.
¡°If I can get close before they see me I shouldn¡¯t have a problem. The hardest part is going to be taking out the two that are walking by the prisoners¡¯ cages. You can get one of them if we time everything right but it still leaves one I¡¯ll have to deal with before he notices the fate of his friends. It also means moving the bodies before anyone else sees anything.¡±
As they went over the rest of their plan it started to seem less and less like a good idea. It would take luck, skill, and probably a bit of divine intervention to pull off, but the idea of leaving the prisoners to die was not something Alan wanted to live with. ¡®No man left behind¡¯ was a great slogan but it couldn¡¯t always be achieved. Leaving a dead or wounded operator had always left a bad taste in his mouth.
Finally it was time for them to go. Without actually making contact with the force following behind them they couldn¡¯t time it exactly. If they went too early they would have a long trek ahead of them before meeting up with their allies, but if they waited too long they would have no chance of pulling it off. Hoping they had guessed right, Alan waited until the nearest sentry group moved past and then they were both sprinting for the wall. Luckily they could just keep the ladder in their storage items and they wouldn¡¯t have to lug it on their backs.
Even though Alan had higher dexterity he was only just ahead of his dwarven friend as the importance of their mission kept his stout legs churning. Alan gave him a boost and Thadrick was quickly over the wall. A quiet whistle sent him climbing over shortly after. That was the easiest part. Now for the difficult part. They didn¡¯t dare get too close to the cages because the prisoners might give them away. Alan wasn¡¯t really worried that someone was a traitor, but an involuntary gasp could ruin everything.
Only a minute was allowed for them to get their bearings. The guard situation looked the same, three out front and one walking on each level by the cages. They had gotten some good fortune because the two roving guards were on almost opposite ends. That would give them the best chance at pulling this off. When the two guards walked back and were almost even with each other Alan sprang into action.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
He had the farthest to go and could only pray that none of the three out front would look back at him. He wasn¡¯t coming directly from behind the cages, he had made his way over to a small stone building that was next to the prison. When Alan was halfway there Thadrick took off for his own assignment. Fate was on their side because the guards were so bored with their dull duty that they were watching the construction on the other side of the street.
Alan arrived like a thunderbolt. He had his gladius in his right hand and his seax in his left. He had been trying to stay low to the ground to give the smallest target for them to notice, but he launched himself forward when he was a few meters out. His first blow sliced the nearest guard¡¯s head off and continuing to turn he sliced deeply into the second guard¡¯s throat with his seax. That kobold could only gurgle as he drowned in his own blood. His momentum carried him past the third guard, who died when Alan¡¯s gladius drove straight through its snout and into its brain, having never realized it was under attack.
At the same time Thandrick took out the nearest wandering guard as it turned at the bottom of the cages, getting ready to head back. His axe sliced the kobold in half right through its lungs. This left the last guard who was on the far end facing away from them. It was just about to complete its trip and head back this way. If it did, their rescue was doomed as it would quickly notice the bloodshed and sound an alarm.
Honestly Alan was surprised it had gone so well so far, but the next part was what made him the most nervous. He crouched down and placed his weapons silently on the ground. It would have been embarrassing to give the game away by letting them clang loudly on the rocky floor alerting the nearby laborers. Next he pulled his hand crossbow out of his ring, already loaded.
He had not had much time to practice with it since he got it from the undead labyrinth, but it was their best chance of taking down the guard without alerting anyone. Alan could have tried using one of his spells, but they were all rather flashy and would draw unwanted attention. Breathing out he lined up the shot. The kobold paused to turn and he let his missile fly. If it had been a larger crossbow he would have felt better about his chances, but it would take a lucky break to take down the kobold with the smaller bolt. Alan was thankful for even the minimal practice he had gotten with the thing while making his way to the dungeon from his house.
In a blink the small metal tipped shaft crossed the distance and buried itself in the neck of the kobold as it turned. It kept it from giving the alarm but didn¡¯t kill it instantly. Instead it fell back against the cage on the end which held one of the gnomish prisoners. In a shocking display of strength and dexterity the gnome pulled the fatally injured creature against the rope bars and yanked the bolt out and stabbed it back into the guard¡¯s eye.
This was two more checks on their list. They hadn¡¯t known ahead of time if the mystery gnomes would work with them or not, and their own people had managed not to give them away yet. Most hadn¡¯t realized anything was happening. The next step was to quickly clear the dead kobolds which they did by dragging them behind the cages. Alan was able to pick up the three he killed with his impressive strength and Thadrick easily pulled his behind the cage. For some reason you couldn¡¯t put dungeon monster bodies in spatial storage. The gnome up top pulled the kobold he finished off into his cage leaving only minimal evidence of the slaughter. There was quite a lot of blood in places, but if someone came close enough to spot that against the rocky floor then they were in trouble anyway.
Thadrick quickly made his way along the back of the cages, reassuring everyone they were there to rescue them. By now word had been passed among the prisoners that something was happening. It was up to Alan to talk to the gnomes. He guessed that they would want to be rescued, but he didn¡¯t know if they would want to go all the way back to the mining camp with them.
¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of time, so I need to know, do you want out of here?¡± Alan asked the one who had helped kill the guard.
¡°Of course human, it is death if we stay,¡± he snapped back.
¡°Ok, but we are taking the rest of these people with us back to their home far from here. Do you want to go with us or make your own way?¡±
¡°If you can get us into the tunnels we can make our own way. We are not scared of these runty dragon wannabes. The only reason they caught us is we were on an expedition away from our kin and they surrounded us with over a hundred of theirs.¡± The gnome in the next cage answered.
¡°Agreed, if you can get us out of here we will go our own way. Maybe some of these kobolds will follow us giving you a better chance,¡± The first gnome added.
Alan then went from cage to cage slicing through the rope bars on the back, but the prisoners didn¡¯t try to climb out. Everyone had to stay in their cages for now or someone might notice that all of the prisoners were gone. Thadrick was doing the same on the bottom level.
At each cage Alan stopped and asked if the prisoner could walk on their own and if they had any major injuries. It took time now but doing this now would hopefully pay it back by improving the rate they could move through the tunnels. Each person would need to be able to move on their own or they would be quickly caught.
Bandage after bandage was used to bind wounds, luckily few of them were serious. The kobolds had seemed to want to keep them alive for now. A few had broken arms that received a splint but one of the dwarves required a splint for her broken leg. She would hopefully not slow them down too much.
After ¡®unlocking¡¯ all of the top cages and dealing with their wounds he moved to the bottom cages while Thadrick shifted to the next phase. He took out the ladder from his storage and placed it against the wall. A second ladder that he had managed to make while waiting for the operation to start was placed next to the first. Alan then signaled to prisoners from different places in the top row to come over to him. They didn¡¯t want a large section of empty cages so they spread out the eight that had been chosen so far.
Alan continued tending to the wounds as fast as possible while Thadrick explained what they were supposed to do. When he gave the signal they would all use the ladders to get over the wall as fast as possible and head to the alcove he and Alan had found near the exit. The exit they had chosen was not the same one they came in at, but Alan had already scouted the route to connect it to their path back home. This exit had the benefit of both being near the prison and it was seemingly little used. There were no gates into the town near here so few kobolds found it convenient.
The first group was given the signal and over they went. This first group was also chosen with several that Alan had identified as being in the best shape. They had been given the dead kobolds¡¯ swords so that they could defend themselves in case of attack. If it came to that the whole thing was probably screwed, but it made the prisoners feel like they had something to do. And who knows, maybe there would only be one or two and they could kill them before they were able to alert anyone else. The scouts¡¯ absence would eventually be noticed, but by that point the prison break would have already been discovered anyway.
Alan had been forced to use his healing spell twice on the bottom row. One was on a dwarf who had received a nasty wound on his arm that was leaking pus and the other was on a gnome whose leg had been mangled. The dwarf¡¯s arm healed and the infection cleared right up. He was shocked by the sudden transformation, but Alan was already working on the gnome. He first had to set the bones properly before he could heal them. His spell could shift bones some, but it used far less energy if the bones were already in place allowing him to almost completely restore the limb with one casting.
Thadrick had already called over the second group of prisoners. They would relieve the first eight who were already in the alcove and send them into the exit tunnel. The new group would then recover in the alcove while waiting for the next. These people had been fed little recently and marched hard, their energy reserves were low and they would unfortunately be called on to use them a lot shortly. The rest they got now, and the little bit of food Thadrick and Alan had to share, would hopefully be enough to hold them over till they were safe. Or safer, maybe. Alan was just finishing up splinting the last prisoner''s arm when Thadrick signaled him to come quickly.
¡°Bad news Alan, there are two more prisoners,¡± He told him.
¡°How is that bad news?¡± Alan asked.
It was the dwarf next to Thadrick who answered. It took Alan a moment to recognize Thadrick¡¯s friend Bodvar from his first trip in the dungeon. ¡°The kobolds took two of the young human women and put them in that building over there.¡±
He pointed at the small stone structure that Alan had used for cover before, and he wasn¡¯t done. ¡°That¡¯s not the worst of it. Kobolds ain''t all ya gotta worry ¡®bout. There was a much taller creature in a hooded cloak who was leading this group. He was waiting in the raiding camp we were first taken to and when the few survivors from their failed raid came back he ordered them to pack up and marched us here. He lives in that building.¡±
¡°We can¡¯t leave anyone behind. Alan, you lead these prisoners here, I¡¯ll go in and free our other people,¡± Thadrick declared in a whisper.
¡°These people know you, not me. They¡¯ll listen to and trust you better. Plus, if you go in there you¡¯ll likely raise a racket that will bring the whole town down on us. You know I have to be the one to go,¡± Alan argued back.
Thadrick reluctantly agreed and Alan made his way over double time. If there was someone in that building now, they could come out at any time and ruin everything. It wasn¡¯t only important to free the last two prisoners but he had to make sure they weren¡¯t discovered until all the prisoners were free and on the move.
He checked the building out quickly but it only seemed to have the entrance in the front and no windows. He checked the progress at the cages, about half of the prisoners had been evacuated already, and then he checked the laborers across the way. Whatever they were building was quite a structure. It was made of a dark type of stone and looked like some kind of altar. There was a large viewing area in front of it, almost fifty meters across, which was the only reason they hadn¡¯t been discovered. When none of the laborers were looking his way, he made his move.
He took five steps around the corner and waited by the side of the doorway. There was no door, only an empty opening. He was exposed waiting here, but only if someone was really paying attention. His dirt covered tunic was long gone, made into bandages, so he was bare chested, but his sweat had caused him to be covered in a gray sludge from moving through the tunnels and crawling over walls. It provided at least a small amount of camouflage. What was more important now was checking out what he was about to jump into.
His head shot out and back as he took in the interior at a glance. It appeared there was a small entry room which was currently empty. He ducked inside and heard some strange noises coming from further in. He repeated the process with the next door. A horrifying sight awaited him. He saw one young woman, her clothes in tatters, chained in the corner. The second was currently lying on her back on a bed with her arms chained to opposite posts. A naked humanoid man was kneeling in front of her. Alan couldn¡¯t exactly see what was going on, but he didn¡¯t really need to. The sick bastard would pay for this. He stared at the back of the figure to see what he was dealing with.
Oshae: Drow, Swordsman, Threat level: extreme
This was bad. He had learned from talking to both Tamee and Dracon that all races started with the same eight classes, and swordsman wasn¡¯t one of them. That meant that this drow, which was some kind of dark elf if he remembered correctly, had at least an opal class. The only saving grace was that he didn¡¯t seem to have any equipment at the moment and he was distracted.
Alan already had both of his daggers out figuring that a sword would be harder to use inside a house. It was lucky he did because somehow the drow realized he was there. He spun off the bed and a sword suddenly appeared in his hand. It looked like some type of katana and he brought his other hand over to grip it properly. This guy must have some kind of spatial storage, maybe the necklace he was wearing. It was the only thing he had on him at the moment.
Now that he was facing him, Alan could better make out what he was dealing with. The drow had shoulder length white hair with long pointy ears sticking out of it. He was taller than Alan by at least ten centimeters and was well muscled. That made sense for what appeared to be a fighter based class.
¡°I don¡¯t know who you are but you¡¯ll pay for ruining my sport.¡± The dark elf¡¯s voice was cold, but also higher pitched than he would have thought.
Alan didn¡¯t waste time with words and instead sent a prismatic orb into his face and moved in. They were inside a building so he didn¡¯t need to worry about observers and could really unleash himself. However, there were two prisoners in the small room so he couldn¡¯t use his more powerful spells for fear of collateral damage.
Unfortunately the orb only disoriented the elf for a second. His higher level quickly overcame the effects. In that time Alan had barely gotten into position, but it did allow him to already have started to stab out at the drow before he even knew where Alan was. He reacted quickly but only managed to twist his torso slightly so that instead of getting stabbed in the kidneys he took a nasty slice to his side.
¡°You dare?¡± the drow roared. Alan needed to end this before he drew any attention. Without any doors blocking the entrances, someone might hear the yelling. First blood had been drawn but it was only slightly worse than a flesh wound and now his opponent was counter attacking.
The drow was fast in addition to being strong, but it didn¡¯t seem like he had an actual dexterity class as Alan could move slightly faster. He was able to deflect the blows but he was being put more and more on the defensive. Prismatic orb would be even less effective a second time with the drow being ready for it, so he tried something different. The elf sliced across with his sword and for the first time Alan fully blocked with both daggers. The drow was stronger, but Alan had countered enough of the momentum that he could now step inside the attack and send an elbow into the swordsman''s midriff. That was just to throw him off balance, Alan¡¯s other hand pointed toward his head and he sent out three small light bolts into the elf¡¯s face.
These small light bolts could only do a tiny amount of damage, but with three at once the drow felt like he was getting punched in the face and he clearly wasn¡¯t expecting it. Alan followed up with his seax which slashed him across the waist. Without any armor or even clothing the blade opened him up and his intestines spilled out. The drow opened his mouth to scream but Alan¡¯s pugio punched up through his jaw and into his brain, shutting him up permanently.
In a hurry, and not really wanting to face what he was seeing, he dove into the rescue tasks. ¡°Don¡¯t worry ladies, we are here to rescue you. More help is on the way. Do you know where he kept the key to your chains?¡±
The girl in the corner answered, pushing through the shock of what had just happened. ¡°He kept it in his necklace.¡±
Alan hadn¡¯t ever taken someone else¡¯s spatial storage item so he wasn¡¯t sure how it would work. He pulled it over the dead drow¡¯s head and noticed it was made of what looked like puka shells. He placed it around his own neck and tried to access its inventory but nothing happened. He tried to link to it with his energy but it rebuffed him.
¡°You have to put a drop of your blood on it,¡± said the girl from the bed in a raggedy voice.
He pricked his finger and rubbed the blood on the necklace. It was somehow sucked into the necklace materials and then he was able to access the space inside. There was a lot of stuff in there, it seemed to be much bigger than his ring even, but he quickly found a key. Taking it out he turned to unlock the girl on the bed. He tried to look anywhere but at her body, hoping to give her some sense of privacy. It was hard to avoid noticing that she was fully naked and now covered in blood from her attacker. He decided to focus on the bindings, but as his eyes drifted over her face he found himself locked onto her eyes, her emerald green eyes.
¡°Cassidy?¡±
Interlude IX
The Nivex were not a proud race. That wasn¡¯t because they despised themselves, but because they didn¡¯t truly have emotions. Everything they did was about perpetuating the species. At 190 centimeters in height they were a large insectoid. There were some minor sub-species on their planet that they had used as servants and most of those were no taller than 120 centimeters. None of them had been inducted, it appeared. The only others Kesteryxx had encountered so far were pure Nivex.
While the race was not proud, they were arrogant. Anything that was not Nivex was lesser, and anything not an insect was simply food. Kesteryxx had led the warriors of his colony for the past forty months, a long tenure that was almost unheard of. Now here he was on this strange new world leading the warriors of his colony again. There were non-warrior Nivex here as well, but they had their own leader.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
While each Nivex had its own duty to perform and no one task was above another, it was not boasting to say that Kesteryxx and his warriors were the most powerful in his zone. Their fighting methods relied on a blend of magic and melee, something they had been doing long before the Network ever came. This gave them an advantage when it came to their spells and cultivation.
This second tier was almost halfway complete and he knew that his party would be the ones moving on. If his anatomy was capable of smiling he would have grinned from ear to ear thinking of the harvest he would have when he met the interlopers from the other worlds. Zone two hundred and fifty-six was his responsibility, and every Nivex knew about responsibility.