ALL NOVEL Chapter 7
I believe the only correct expression when floating in space without a spacesuit and not suffocating is “Yeeeeeehaaaaw”. Sadly the floating didn't last long and after floating came the long way down. Well, make a wish, cause I'm a shooting star today! Ok, my personal wish is 'Safe landing'. On the way down I was able to look a bit at the continents and they looked rather familiar, looks like they simply took earth, moved Africa further into the Atlantic so Tunisia was across the straight of Gibraltar and crooked Central-America so that Cape Horn pretty much points to Australia. Seeing that, I figured I was somewhere above the Atlantic and coming in hot, against the planets rotation, playing meteor. Then, after hitting some clouds, I was more or less on course to hit somewhere in what would be Russia, far to the north so yay for Siberia. I can't wait to witness the 'In Mother Russia, mobs grind you.'-Memes. Oh, well, after closely missing a rather large pine tree, don't ask me what kind, I was now safely on Mundus, not that I wouldn't have laughed my ass of if I managed to hit a tree on the way down. Or better, a dragon and getting the kill-exp credited to me. But no, no cheats for me.
Ok, first rule of survival, inventory your supplies. Not that I have much, some sturdy clothes, a water-skin, some jerky, some berries, a large dagger or short sword, a tinderbox with flint and steel, three small stones with runes on them and two similar looking stones without them. Now, Identify! Analyse! Inspect!
Skill gained
You gained a skill: Inspect [1/100]
Inspect is used to gain basic information about items in your possession. Higher levels allow you to Inspect the possessions of others. Inspect is a basic Divination-Skill.
Simple Short Sword
Rarity Basic
Type Short Sword / Dagger
Base Damage 5 Damage Piercing
Base Damage 3 Damage Slashing
Strength Modifier Low
A simple Short Sword, can be wielded like a sword in a regular grip or like a dagger in a reverse grip. Due to the short blade length, little leverage can be applied making it's performance stable, regardless of personal strength.
Damn, that's not a lot. There gotta be a way to drastically increase the damage or if I'd try to commit suicide I'd have to slash my wrists about 25 times.
A low growl rips me from my happy thoughts on suicide, barely 5 minutes into the game. Whirling around, I'm confronted with my first enemy, a young but to me gigantic looking, wolf and suddenly time freezes.
Tutorial engaged
Welcome to Road to Purgatory. You just encountered your first enemy. You should try to find more about them by using the Observe skill, if you are able to. Draw your weapon and if you are able to use a combat-stance you should take it.
Oh, I have no combat-stance, no combat-skills and a short sword, against a wolf. Bob, Old Friend, I'm on my way. But not without a fight!
Just like before with Inspect, I focused on the wolf and the thought “Observe!”
Skill gained.
You gained a skill: Observe, [1/100]
Observe is used to gain basic information about other Creatures. Higher levels allow you to observe them without detection and grant more information. Being detected while observing counts as an challenging act for most non-sapients and an incredibly rude act for sapients. Observe is a basic Divination-Skill.
Young Wolf, Level 3, 91/91 HP
Yay, the growl got louder, I challenged it, I think I'm challenged, that beastie got more health than me and is probably a lot better at fighting. Ah, well, you know that feeling when you think you hit rock bottom and then you manage a breakthrough? No crying about spilled milk or pissed off wolves. I moved into a combat stance, ready to dodge and use the dagger if possible.
The wolf jumped at me and suddenly the time stopped again.
Tutorial engaged
You are being attacked. Now, you can either move out of the way, dodging, use a weapon to immediately counter-attack or parry or if you have a shield, you can use it to block the attack.
Depending on your attributes, there is a chance that system assist will help with your action. Over time, the system assist will recognise your own fighting style and rhythm to make the assisted actions seamless.
Time went on and I used my left arm as a decoy, spinning counter-clockwise, letting the wolf pass me on my left side. I still got hit in the side by it's shoulder but it didn't hurt that much. My spin-assisted slash hit it in the hind-flank, causing some damage.
Young Wolf hits you. Glancing Blow. You take 2 Damage. You hit Young Wolf. Young Wolf takes 2 Damage.
Skill gained.
You gained a skill: Dagger Mastery [1/100]
Increases your skill to wield Daggers. Higher Skill-Level allows better help from the auto-correct system and let's you learn auto-corrected system skills.
After a short moment, the blue window disappeared. Sadly, the only thing I know now is how screwed I truly am. Even striking true, my dagger was just too weak to deal enough damage to kill the wolf. My thoughts were cut short when my opponent turned and tried another pass. This time I was slow and the wolf got my left arm, pulling me with it and off balance. I was lucky and landed on the wolf, dagger in hand and I somehow managed to trigger my Bullet Time, just to realize something bad about it. When you have a couple of seconds moving in perceived glacial speed, that's a couple of seconds you can contemplate the feeling of sharp wolf teeth, shredding your arm. Still, I managed to bring the dagger to bear on the wolfs throat, stabbing in through the tendons to the side and using my weight to cut through the front, causing the wolf to spasm and let my left arm go. I jumped off and back, looking at the results.
Young Wolf hits you. You take 8 Damage.
You hit Young Wolf. Critical Hit!Young Wolf takes 30 Damage. Young Wolf is afflicted with heavy bleeding, -10 HP/s.
Skill increased
You increased your skill: Dagger Mastery [2/100]
Ok, ouch. The wolf didn't get up again and six seconds later I got the message:
Young Wolf died.
You gain 10 EXP
For killing an opponent 2 levels above you you gain 2 Bonus EXP
For killing an opponent without a Traveller in your party, you gain 1 Bonus EXP
A quick check on my EXP-Gauge told me that I needed 100 EXP to reach level two so I'd have to kill seven more wolves. Not without some kind of plan, I was aware that killing the wolf just now was a combination of a bit of skill and a boatload of sheer blind luck. No way in hell would I be able to kill 7 more like that.
First things first, I used a bit of water out of my water-skin to wash out the bite-marks on my arm and then climbed a nearby tree to finish what I had started before I was so rudely interrupted. It didn't take me long, one of the firs, I guess it was fitting as I was a Firn-Elf. No, don't hit me for the pun, please I'm wounded!
After I managed to make my way up, I inspected my clothing.
Simple Leather Jacket
Rarity Basic
Type Light Upper-Body Armour
Base Protection 1 against Piercing Damage
Base Protection 2 against Slashing Damage
Base Protection 1 against Blunt Damage
A simple Jacket, made from coarse leather, it offers a little protection against attack..
Simple Cloth Pants
Rarity Basic
Type Light Lower-Body Armour
Base Protection 0 against Piercing Damage
Base Protection 1 against Slashing Damage
Base Protection 1 against Blunt Damage
A simple pair of Pants, made from coarse linen, they offer little protection against attack..
Simple Leather Boots
Rarity Basic
Type Light Boots
Base Protection 1 against Piercing Damage
Base Protection 2 against Slashing Damage
Base Protection 1 against Blunt Damage
A simple pair of boots, made from coarse leather, they offer a little protection against attack..
Simple Fur Cloak
Rarity Basic
Type Cloak
Base Protection 0 against Piercing Damage
Base Protection 1 against Slashing Damage
Base Protection 1 against Blunt Damage
A simple fur cloak. It offers little protection from attack but it will keep you warm in even the coldest night.
Skill increased
You increased your skill: Inspect [2/100]
Glorious, I'm sitting in a tree in the middle of Siberia with a dagger and some peasant garb. What could go wrong?