Vina sighed inwardly as the daylight began to fade. While she had a full stomach from grazing all day, her stamina was running low and her feet and ankles were aching. The universe was kind enough to let her keep her sneakers, but they were not built for hiking. She had virtually zero ankle support and the constant flexing was wearing on her. She rounded a corner at the river and saw it was leading out and around from the quest marker. In the distance she could see it turning back in the right direction. The marker now displayed 56 miles. She had pushed herself hard. Perhaps too hard.
She felt a day was longer here, but she couldn’t prove it. “How long is the night going to be?” She wondered. She looked around, realizing she was not prepared for an evening out in the wild. She turned on her Observe skill and began to look for shelter. The world got darker, but with a more vivid color. She suddenly noticed a perfectly rectangular stone. She moved closer and examined it.
Object: Brick Common This is a brick.
Vina squinted her eyes as she tried to understand what she was seeing. What was a random brick doing by the river? She looked up the hill using Observe and saw another brick. She went up the hill and discovered brick after brick. She turned off the Observe skill and walked further away from the river. It didn’t take her long to find the source of the bricks. In front of her stood a crumbling tower. She used her Examine skill on the tower.
Building: Six Eyed Guard Tower Common No further information. Map Marker Added: The Six Eyed Guard Tower
“Six eyed again?” Vina thought to herself. “What are they…” she said softly to herself. Vina didn’t wait long and walked up to the tower. It wasn’t too large, but it was quite tall. She considered it for a moment and guessed maybe 60 feet or so. She moved around the tower and eventually found a rotted wooden door. She pressed against the door, and nothing happened. She pulled on the door and once again nothing happened. She thought for a moment before raising a leg and kicking with all her strength. There was a snap as a part of the door broke off. She continued her efforts until the door gave up and fell to the ground in a heap.
You have learned a skill on the first try. New Skill Learned: Kick. Progress to next skill level 92%. You have learned how to kick. Quest updated: Learn Skills 2 8/25
Skill Level Up: Kick has reached level 2. Your kicks inflict up 105% of your strength in damage. You have gained 35 experience from leveling a skill.
Inside, the tower was dark and she had some trouble until her eyes adjusted. The bottom level consisted of broken furniture and debris from falling stones. Above her was a wooden ceiling and likely another level to the tower. Along the side she saw a stone staircase circling the side of the tower. She hesitantly moved upward. Along the sides of the tower existed vertical and narrow window slits. These windows provided the only light, but since the sun was going down fast, the tower was getting dark fast.
On the second floor Vina discovered a dining area. The tables were still lined up in an orderly manner. The whole area looked to have been abandoned without much fuss. Even the chairs still looked good enough to sit in. “Oh my gosh! A Fireplace!” she said. Vina rushed over and found dry logs nestled under an alcove. She pulled the logs out and placed them into the fireplace. Then she paused. How was she going to start a fire? Vina searched the room using Observe. Only some bits of stone about the size of her hand highlighted in her vision. She used Examine on the stones.
Mineral: Flint Common This is a common mineral named Flint.
Vina sighed in relief. She scooped up the flint and hunted around for some tinder. It didn’t take her long to find some and soon she was striking the flint with her knife to make sparks. A spark suddenly ignited the tinder and she celebrated her success. However, a skill window did not pop up. She was expecting a new skill to appear from all her effort. Was it because she used a tool to create the fire? Vina was unsure, but she was not in a position to start rubbing two sticks together to test out the theory.
Vina ate a few snacks while warming herself by the fire. She tried to look back on her entire day and organize her thoughts and feelings. This was the first time since she arrived that she had time to consider her situation. She felt sad that she had been pulled from Earth, but part of her also felt relief. This world already seemed to make obtaining food and fresh water easier. There were no fresh plants to eat in the city of Seattle for the homeless, and clean water could be hit and miss as well. Here on Palitern there were edible plants everywhere and she could drink right out of the river.
Vina snuggled into her blanket by the fire and tried to calm her mind. Having skills and levels felt really weird though. The feelings she experienced by using attribute points were incredibly intoxicating. The way skill levels actually made a meaningful impact on her life was also very motivating. She realized she didn’t have much to lose by being taken from Earth. Here, she had endless opportunities. She had an actual family if Priya was to be believed. She wondered what her sisters would be like and if they would accept her. Could she have a family? Vina drifted off to sleep full of hope.
She was sleeping deeply, when a sound disturbed her. Vina jolted awake at the sound of light skittering. Vina shot to her feet and looked around. The fire behind her was still burning with hot embers and flames. It illuminated the room for easy view. Vina activated her Observe skill and looked around wildly. Her eyes focused on a red outline on the ceiling. She disabled her Observe skill and used Examine.
Creature: Six Eyed Spinerling Level: 1 Common This is a Spinerling being controlled by the shadow.
Her mind was torn between horror and fascination as she looked at the spinerling. It had four red eyes spread out on its back, and shoulders and two more black eyes on its head. The head had a snout like a dog, but no nose was evident. When it squealed again, needle-like teeth became visible in the firelight. Its six segmented legs skittered it across the wooden beams of the ceiling. Vina jumped backwards as it raced past her and landed in front of the fireplace. Vina wanted to run, but she felt she couldn’t leave her belongings behind. Vina was frozen in a state of fear as the Spinerling’s eyes all turned toward her. Then it turned its head away and walked directly into the fireplace.
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The spinerling squealed in pain but remained in the fire until it was completely aflame. It finally drunkenly walked out of the fire and toward one of the windows on the floor. It collapsed as the fire on its body slowly burned itself out. Vina stood there flabbergasted. Had the Spinerling just killed itself?
You have slain a level 1 Six Eyed Spinerling. You have earned 5 (100 X 5%) experience points. Experience points reduced for not being active in combat.
Vina stood still without moving. She was beyond confused and scared, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She had never encountered a wild animal, much less one that looked like it belonged in a horror movie. Vina had just about decided to approach the creature, when the body suddenly moved. The Spinerling’s back suddenly split like the opening of a coin purse. Vina screamed at the horrible sound it made. Without any further movement, countless black specks, almost like a gray cloud, flew out of its gaping back and out the window.
Vina remained motionless for a long time. When she finally gained enough courage to move again, she used Examine on the spinerling body.
Creature: Six Eyed Spinerling (Dead) Common This spinerling is dead.
Not trusting her skill, Vina grabbed a nearby log and threw it at the body. She hit it square on the body, but the spinerling didn’t make a movement. Vina sighed in relief. “What was the cloud that erupted from its back?” She felt uneasy trying to sleep with this thing in the room with her. “What do I do with it now?”, she growled to herself.
Vina grabbed a wooden plank from a chair and levered the body out of the same window the gray cloud exited. The smell of the body was horrible to her senses and she gagged more than once. Once it was done, she didn’t feel much better. Vina laid a few more logs onto the fire while she contemplated what to do.
New Skill Learned: Firetending. Progress to next skill level 1%. You know how to tend to a fire. Quest updated: Learn Skills 2 9/25
Vina remained awake for some time, considering her situation and how she could make herself safe at night. She watched her firetending skill increase over time as she continued feeding it logs and moving them to maximize their burn time.
Skill Level Up: Firetending has reached level 3. Fires you light and maintain are 6% less likely to go out suddenly and burn 10% longer. You have gained 70 experience from leveling a skill.
She realized she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep until she could feel safe again. She looked above her. “Are there more spinerlings up there?”, she wondered out loud. She wouldn’t feel safe until she knew for sure. Either there would be spinerlings upstairs or she would flee the tower tonight. She packed her gear and bedding back into her backpack and opened her attribute screen.
Strength: 10 You can lift 45% of your body weight and weapons do 0% more damage Endurance: 12 Your stamina is increased by 10, and your stamina recovery is increased by 1.1 per minute Dexterity: 13 Your body is 3% more likely to do exactly what you intend, you are 9% more likely to hit your target Agility: 12 Your movement is 6% faster, and you are 8% more elusive, you can react 4% sooner Vitality: 10 Your health is increased by 0, you clear poisons 0% faster, you are 0% more resistant to disease Charisma: 10 People like you 0% more and you are 0% more likely to persuade someone Mastery: 13 You learn skills 12% faster. You are 3% more likely to learn a skill on your first try Divinity: 0 Locked.
Attribute points remaining: 5
If Vina needed to flee, she wanted to be as fast as she could be, but if she was attacked, she wanted to make sure she had enough health to survive. She chose to increase her agility by three more points.
Agility: 15 Your movement is 15% faster, you are 20% more elusive, you can react 10% sooner.
You have 2 attribute points remaining.
Vina once again felt amazing changes in her body. Her limbs responded faster than she remembered. That spring in her step was back again, but even more pronounced. She even felt her eyes were feeding her information faster than before. “Is my brain being affected by these changes as well?”, she wondered to herself. Vina next increased her Vitality using her last two points.
Vitality: 12 Your health is increased by 20, you clear poisons 10% faster, you are 6% more resistant to disease
You have 0 attribute points remaining.
Vina had not yet increased this attribute and the changes were shocking to her. Her senses seemed enhanced. Her nose seemed to be able to pick out scents she couldn’t smell before. Her ears seemed to be picking up on more details around her. She looked down at herself and noticed her skin seemed changed. Her bruises from a day of hiking were suddenly smaller. She tried to look at her hair and could have sworn she had less split ends. “That really doesn’t make any sense.” she muttered.
With a new pep in her step and a strong feeling of life within her body, she carefully walked upstairs with her backpack, knife in hand.