Elias had no prior training with this weapon; he had only killed the Formorain with it before, yet it felt surprisingly comfortable in his hands.
Moving quickly toward the tangled mass of goblins, he thrust the spear forward. Keeping the shaft level, the tip easily pierced into the standing goblin. Unsure of the damage he had inflicted, Elias pulled back and thrust again. This time, the goblin fell backward. He then stored the spear and summoned a Billhook Machete. This peculiar-looking tool was an old English forestry implement, measuring 30 inches long with a beak-like hook at the end, giving it a savage appearance.
As Elias summoned the Billhook, the two downed goblins struggled to free themselves from the netting. It seemed that the more they pulled and slashed at the thin ropes, the more they hurt each other in the process.
Wasting no time, Elias kicked out at one of the goblins, sending it crashing to the ground. Maintaining a safe distance, he paused for a moment before launching his attack. After several powerful swings, the goblins lay still.
Quickly scanning the area, Elias contacted Rusty. "Are we still clear?"
With a playful chirp, Rusty replied, "All clear."
Hearing that, Elias let out a breath as he noticed his blood-stained hands were shaking from the adrenaline rush. A peculiar sensation stirred within his mind, reminiscent of when he learned the Flame spell; the feeling of knowledge being imprinted washed over him.
"Spear Thrust (Basic)"
Taking out the Elite Guardian Spear again, he moved away from the scene of carnage and practiced a few thrusts. After a few minutes, Elias called Rusty back.
“How do the notifications work?” he asked, having chosen notifications but unsure of what to expect.
Rusty flew down and settled on Elias’ left shoulder. “Let’s clean up here, and I’ll explain as we walk… Are you okay to continue?”
Elias nodded, and Rusty took to the skies once more.
Assessing the area, Elias returned to the three corpses and, spear in hand, skewered each one a couple of times.
Bending down, he stored the netting, now torn and covered in blood. Just as he was about to leave the scene, Rusty spoke up. “Take everything. It won’t do us any harm to clear the area.” Rusty then explained that the blood would attract other monsters and carrion beasts.
Mentally accessing his storage space, he created a “Trash Folder” to place the corpses and rusty weapons. Moving back to the other bodies, Elias inspected his shots. The fleeing smaller goblin had a bolt pierced through its back and out of its chest. Touching the bolt, he stored it away and sent the goblin to the Trash Folder.
Stepping through the brush, Elias stood over the Goblin Brave, with the bolt still protruding from its chest. He felt pleased with the shot. After storing the bolt like he had with the previous one, he took a moment to inspect the goblin.
Leaning in closer, he brushed his fingers against the skin. Standing roughly 1.5 meters tall, the creature had a humanoid shape with thin, wiry limbs that suggested a fragile appearance. However, Elias suspected that beneath this exterior lay a hidden strength. These goblins were agile and quick, having charged at him with surprising speed, though thankfully, they weren’t particularly clever.
As he straightened up, he pulled out his notebook and began jotting down a description. Their skin was a mottled shade of vibrant green, tough and leathery. Sharp, pointed ears jutted from their heads, and their yellow eyes had a slight glow when alive.
Just as Elias was about to place the Brave into the trash folder, he noticed a rough-looking leather pouch attached to the crude loincloth the Brave was wearing. He carefully removed it, stored the Brave, and examined the pouch.
Upon opening it, he used appraisal on the contents:
* Gold: 0.55g Nugget, 20k
* Mana Core x2: Small, Unknown Origin
* Mana Core x1: Medium, Unknown Origin
“Gold, nice!” Elias exclaimed with a smile as he stored the items and prepared to continue his trek.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Spear or Viper? he pondered. Summoning the Viper, he noticed it was uncocked. After a moment of contemplation, he stored the weapon again and checked his inventory. With a focused thought, he imagined taking a bolt and loading it while still in storage. To his surprise, it worked effortlessly.
Summoning items took less than a second, and loading them was instantaneous—storing them was just as quick. If he could practice this technique, he could easily shoot multiple targets in the time it would normally take to reload the Viper. “This is good,” he thought.
With one last glance around, Elias set off in the same direction as before, grateful that the spring water flowed along his path. He followed the water, staying a few meters away from the riverbed.
Walking with renewed purpose, Elias recalled the notification he had received earlier. While soaring through the canopy of trees, Rusty explained the process.
“When someone performs an action near perfectly, they feel a sensation that indicates they’re on the right track,” Rusty said. “This is a basic skill unlock. Unlike you, the inhabitants of Aethoria lack a clear way to recognize their skill development; they only have a vague sense of gaining insight. However, as a champion, your blessing helps your mind interpret that sensation. To you, it’s akin to a phone notification. Eventually, it will settle into a format you can be comfortable with.”
“How do you know what a phone notification is?” Elias asked.
Rusty flew in front of Elias and zipped straight through a nearby tree. “I’m a visual manifestation of a guide linked to your subconscious. To others, I do not exist. Unless you gain the ability to physically manifest me, I will remain passive,” he replied.
“So, you’re a ghost?” Elias questioned.
“No, more like an invisible friend with knowledge of Aethoria” Rusty chirped once again soaring into the sky.
“ Back on topic, can will my notifications not to distract me in combat?”
“Simply Yes, if you will it you could make it resemble an icon that you will feel is active subconsciously, once you are ready to active it and get your notification”
“The world of Aethroia is governed by what you know,”
Like this, they continued for the next few hours. Nothing major happened. As they progressed Rusty once again chirped down to Elias,
“One monster downstream, this guy is bigger than the others”
Proceeding towards the monster Elias shouldered Viper ready for contact.
This time a huge boar was foraging near the river bank. Standing at 1.2 meters tall from hoof to shoulder. Its massive frame was covered in a bristly, crimson-hued hide that glistened with sweat, giving it a menacing appearance. The boar's most striking feature is its razor-sharp tusks, which look like can easily pierce through armor, which would make it a dangerous adversary for even the most seasoned hunters.
Activating Appraisal.
Red Razorback Boar (Healthy - Aggressive, Tenacious)
“What are your thoughts, Rusty?” Elias asked.
“Well, you have the element of surprise, and you should out-level most animals in this forest,” Rusty replied.
“So, I should kill it? I’ve never hunted anything this size,” Elias pondered. This beast was larger than anything he had faced in either of his worlds. But he knew that experience is the best teacher.
Realizing he might need more than a single shot, Elias mentally prepared himself for a quick reload.
Realizing he might need more than a single shot, Elias mentally braced himself for a quick reload. Taking a steadying breath, he aimed just behind the boar's ear, recalling a memory from a show he had watched that pinpointed the location of a normal boar's brainstem.
As he activated his Hypervision, time seemed to slow down. He pulled the trigger, and the bolt flew straight and true. To Elias's astonishment, he missed.
As he tracked the bolt's trajectory, he noticed the thick bristles along the boar's spine standing on end. With unnerving speed, the boar squatted down, allowing the bolt to merely graze its back while it turned its head towards him.
Then, powering out of its crouch, the beast charged forward.
Without panicking, Elias quickly reloaded the Viper and fired two bolts in rapid succession, hitting the boar in the flank and rear quarter. Unfortunately, the shots did little to slow the creature down, though they did force it to maintain a safer distance.
As he observed the boar, Elias decided to switch to the spear, preparing himself for a close fight. With a tree at his back, he carefully chose his position, gripping the shaft firmly while remaining relaxed. When the boar charged, it moved with a burst of speed, unlike anything he had seen in the animal kingdom on Earth.
Reactivating his Hypervision, Elias focused on the boar, and everything seemed to slow down. WithIn that moment, he noticed the details: the boar leaned to its left, relying more on its right eye. The damage around that eye confirmed it was favoring one side, while the shots to its flank and rear had left the broadheads embedded, causing further damage and blood loss.
All of this information came to him in an instant. As the beast closed the distance, Elias rolled to the left. Unable to track Elias or slow down in time the boar crashed into the tree behind him just as he thrust the spear with all his strength.
The tip pierced deep into the boar's flank. Digging his feet into the ground, Elias forced the creature onto its side. As the boar tipped, he stored the spear and summoned it once again, this time thrusting out with even more power as he called it into his hand.
With this final powerful thrust, the Blade of the spear pierced the boar's heart.