Caleb’s POV
THIS MAN IS INSANE! Caleb was watching the wolf man jump into a group of six wolves that were levels thirteen, fourteen, and nineteen. Four thirteen’s and then one fourteen with a level nineteen alpha wolf. The man jumped in from a tree and just started to punch the wolves with his bare hands. He obviously wasn’t putting anything into Fortitude as his punches didn’t completely destroy the wolves, but he obviously had a few good offensive passives as the punches were doing a good deal damage.
Caleb was crouching up in the trees. He hadn’t been able to get there on his own, but had to have the strange barbarian tie a rope to him and haul him up. Caleb had his bow in his hand and was gripping it so tightly the bow was creaking and his knuckles were white. The man had told him in no uncertain terms to “shoot when you have a shot.” I don’t want to be here. I want to be back in the guild. But no… I have to be here. He might kill me. In fact he probably will. He just TORE those poor wolves eyes out. Just right out of their heads. Oh god… he just got bit in the leg. HE’S UNFAZED!!
Poor Caleb’s eyes almost rolled back in his head when he saw blood spurt from the leg wound that the wolf man had just suffered. Not wanting to die Caleb took his bow and shakily lifted it looking at one of the wounded level thirteen wolves. He took an arrow from the quiver. Then all the world faded away.
He wasn’t Caleb. Caleb didn’t exist in this space. There was no place for a coward in the hunt. No place for a sniveling fool. The hunt was Braedon’s place.
Braedon narrowed his eyes at the prey. His dull brown eyes seemed to darken until they were black as he took the arrow and placed it on the bow, nocking it between his fingers. As Braedon pulled it to his cheek he took aim at the creature and then he breathed. He felt the fresh air of nature well inside of him… then he expelled it. Just like Caleb, the fresh aspect of nature wasn’t welcome here. Braedon was the rot, the decay, the death. The stillness in the world when a creature’s flame was extinguished.
Braedon let the arrow fly and felt satisfied as he watched it sink into the prey’s already wounded chest and lodge itself in its heart. I admit that this quarry couldn’t have been acquired without the savage's help. Braedon looked at the man with runic skin. Thank you good hunter. Braedon lifted his bow again and nocked an arrow. Aiming not at a wolf this time, but the savage. Yet all hunts must come to an end. May you find pride in being my prey. Then Braedon felt his own rot; his own death. He lowered the bow and unnocked the arrow accepting that his time was up. For a time at least.
Caleb was back.
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Caleb drew back an arrow and then shot it hitting the wolf in the eye and penetrating straight to its brain killing it on the spot. Then as quick as a snap he drew and fired another arrow into a second wolf’s eye killing that one as well. This was the fifth wolf pack the two had hunted that day. The sun was setting and Caleb was getting more comfortable around the barbarian. Braedon hasn’t come out in a while. That’s good. He tends to cause trouble. Caleb slowly shimmied down the tree he was in to join up with the barbarian who was gutting and skinning the wolves while collecting their hearts. Why does he take hearts? Is it like Braedon and the teeth of the things he kills. Trophies? I want to ask… b-but maybe the man won’t like that… I shouldn’t. I’ll stay quiet. Caleb being his usual quiet and submissive self decided to not ask anything and to just stand by.
“Why haven’t you used the skill you shot me in the foot with? You’ve used skills that made the arrows fly faster and catch fire and that’s about it.” The barbarian was talking hurriedly and with some frustration. When he talks fast his accent really comes out. He also seems to know very little about active skills. Seeing that I’ve used five since we’ve been together.
“I-I’ve used more than th-that sir,” Caleb began. Oh no… it’s happening again. I’m too nervous. Calm down calm down. “I h-have used f-fi-five sir. Po-power Shot, D-disengaging Shot, Flaming Shot, Quick Draw, and Rush of Sta-stamina.” Caleb stuttered to the barbarian. The man fiddled with his coat, caressing and stroking it. Then to Caleb’s absolute horror he reached into the only piece of normal clothing he had, a leather pouch at his side, and brought out a heart to eat. He didn’t eat it ravenously to Caleb’s appreciation, but seeing the act of eating a raw heart shocked Caleb.
“Alright well. How’s your stamina?” The man asked, still munching on the heart. Caleb checked his status.
General Information
Class: Archer
Species: Human
Favor: NA
Experience: 8452 / 10600
Level: 15
Titles: None
Stats
Fortitude:
10
140 / 140 hp
Vitality:
22
11 hp / hour
Endurance:
10
120 / 200 sp
Vigor:
22
11 sp / hour
Focus:
40
855 / 1200 mp
Willpower
31
62 mp / hour
Charisma:
10
10 bf
Luck:
10
5% | .5%
Stat Points Available: 0
Skills and Talents
Active:
Offense:
* T1 {Power Shot [IX] (340 / 7400), Quick Draw [X]}
* T2 {Disengaging Shot [VI] (2550 / 6400), Flaming Shot [IV] (2224 / 2800)}
* T3 {Sky Shot [III] (1450 / 3200)}
Defense:
Utility:
* T1 {Rush of Stamina [VII] (255 / 4400), Rush of Mana [VII] (1369 / 4400), Eyes of Analyzation [X]}
Passive:
Offense:
* T1 {Archer’s Precision [VII] (4300 / 4400), Fire Affinity I [VI] (2320 / 3200)}
* T2 {Bowmanship I [IV] (2344 / 2800)}
Defense:
Utility:
* T1 {Overflowing Stamina [X], Overflowing Mana [X], Overflowing Health [IV] (400 / 1400)}
* T2 {Hunter’s Sense [I] (230 / 400)
Talents: Touch of an Archer, Mark of the Hunter
Skill Points Available: 0
“I-I should be o-o-ok for another two hours.” The barbarian just nodded and collected the skins and bags that he had brought. Then he started in a direction and walked. Caleb hurried after him, tripping a few times but keeping up just fine. Eventually they came upon a strange house that looked like it had been eaten by acid. The barbarian walked inside like it was his own house.
“I’ve brought the food and herbs.” His voice was surprisingly light and carefree. It even sounded just a tad bit weary. Maybe this is the actual man. All I’ve ever seen is him killing and the brief time when I had shot him in the foot. If I was shot in the foot I’d be angry. Actually I’d probably cry. Of course you would you coward. Caleb shook his head still standing outside the house. Oh shut up Braedon you antisocial jerk. I see that still the only place you exhibit any bravery is in the confines of our own mind. No Braedon it’s MY mind. That’s what you believe. Fool. Then as the voice of Braedon faded from his mind Caleb walked inside the house.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
He turned and saw all the furniture and the weird suit hanging in front of the dresser that he almost used Eyes of Analyzation on instinctively. Then he looked and saw the owner of the house. It was a small devil child. The elven ears signified that she was elvish but the skin betrayed her true heritage. The black splotches and pockmarks all across her body showed signs that she was a descendent of an abyssal creature. Looking around her house and seeing all the poison helped solidify this belief in Caleb.
Most abyssal creatures dealt with the domains of fire, darkness, and death but the most prolific ones were those who were attributed to poison. The domain of poison is a close relative of the domain of life and growth just twisted somewhat, similar to the domain of rot. This meant that those levels of the abyss that were covered in poison and swamps were home to the creatures with the highest fertility of all abyssal creatures. They were commonly known to go to the middle realms and breed with those who desired power at any cost.
Caleb started hyperventilating, his natural anxiety mixing with the terror he felt looking at an abyssal creature. The creature in question looked at him with curiosity in her eyes. Curious to see my insides no doubt. This wi-wi-witch! She’s insane. She has to be. All abyssal creatures are. Oh god those eyes. Oh oh oh god oh godohgodohgodgodgodoh. Then he fainted.
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Jason’s POV
Hearing a thunk Jason turned around and saw that Caleb had collapsed on the floor of the hut right in the doorway. He said he’d be fine for another two hours. Look at him there collapsed from stamina depletion. Jason was still completely unaware of his own discrepancy between appearance and mentality and the witch’s true origins.
Jason was a pretty friendly dude. He was chill and all around laid back, but he looked like an absolute barbaric and cruel individual mainly due to his wolf skin and scraggly beard that he hadn’t deemed bad enough to deal with. As for his ignorance about the true abyssal origins of the witch that’s simply because he has no knowledge of the world at all. Someone could tell him that dragons were actually the friendliest and most lovable creatures in the world and he’d nod and go ‘sounds a bit weird but ok then’. Jason is a baby in a cruel world and a gullible one at that.
Jason picked Caleb up and tossed him on the bed like a sack of potatoes. Then he saw the witch grab a nasty looking green vile and pour it all over Caleb’s face.
“It’s to help him wake up.” Jason frowned and looked at her curiously recalling what his Eyes of Inspection told him when he looked at the vile.
“My Eyes of Inspection can’t see a lot, but that potion was labeled ‘Potion of Forgetfulness’.” Jason didn’t say it accusingly, he just wanted to know how that would help him wake up. The witch froze for a second and then turned and answered Jason. Jason, bless his soul, didn’t notice the pause.
“He obviously was horrified by my appearance and fainted. He has such a weak heart… maybe I should give him a potion for that.” The witch started mumbling and digging through her potion collection. Jason didn’t seem to find anything wrong and just shrugged and kept on talking.
“Here’s your food and herbs for the next two or three days witch.” An arm was stuck out from the pile of potions she had created and the hand connected to that arm pointed to her desk. Jason without any more prompting took the sack over there and put it down.
“I can’t bring you anything tomorrow as a friend of mine and his party are leaving for a while. They’re going to try and breakthrough so they… might not make it back. Look through those things and then give me anything that you believe might be useful for them to have.” The elven witch’s head emerged from the conglomeration of poisons and tonics. Her ratty hair and narrowed eyes made for quite the sight.
“I can get you two Poisons of Feebleness, one Poison of Narrow-Mindedness, three Poisons of Fatigue, and just for you I’ll throw in a box or two of contact poisons that they can coat their weapons with.” The witch told Jason. Jason didn’t even consider asking if that was a fair trade or not because of how good it sounded for him. A bit of meat and then some herbs he could easily recognize and collect for all those poisons.
“Sounds good to me.” Jason collected his poisons. They were put in boxes with some type of soft material in between them so that they would be difficult to break. Then he put those in a sack and strapped it to his back like it was a backpack. After picking up the feeble archer in a princess carry Jason thanked the witch and then left. Listening to the music within the trees to find the best path to the city.
As always. Nature is where I belong. The most beautiful music exists there. Then Jason paused in his walking. I still don’t know her name. The witch. He sighed. This is why you don’t get girls Jason. This is why. Jason continued forward in melancholy. Trudging his path home to the beat of the drums.
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New Skills
Offense
Ranged
Archery
Active
Tier 1
* Power Shot [Rank I] (0 / 200)
* Fire an arrow that flies 10% faster and does 5% more damage to target
* Increase speed by 10% and damage by 5% per rank
* Costs 50 stamina
* Quick Draw [Rank I] (0 / 200)
* Pull an arrow out of the quiver as soon as an arrow is fired
* Decrease stamina cost by one per rank
* Cost 15 stamina per arrow
Offense
Ranged
Archery
Active
Tier 2
* Disengaging Shot [Rank I] (0 / 400)
* Perform a rolling dodge or backward leap and let loose an arrow that will stun the opponent for .1 seconds
* Costs 100 stamina
* Increase the stun time by .1 seconds per rank
* Decrease stamina cost by 2 per rank
* Flaming Shot [Rank I] (0 / 400)
* The nocked arrow will catch flame and will deal 10% more damage which is split evenly between physical and elemental (Fire) damage
* Increase damage by 10% per rank
* Costs 25 stamina and 50 mana
Utility
Control
Body
Active
Tier 1
* Rush of Stamina [Rank I] (0 / 200)
* Increases stamina regen by 10% for thirty seconds at the cost of decreasing it by 10% for 60 seconds after the initial boost
* Increases the boost and reduction by 10% per rank
* Rush of Mana [Rank I] (0 / 200)
* Increases mana regen by 10% for thirty seconds at the cost of decreasing it by 10% for 60 seconds after the initial boost
* Increases the boost and reduction by 10% per rank
Utility
Perception
Eyesight
Active
Tier 1
* Eyes of Analyzation [Rank I] (0 / 200)
* Shows the general information and top two stats of any creature 10 or more levels below you
* Reduces the level requirement by one per rank
* One activation costs 20 Mana
Offense
Ranged
Archery
Passive
Tier 1
* Archer’s Precision [Rank I] (0 / 200)
* Arrows do more 5% more damage when hitting vulnerable spots
* Increase in damage by 5% per rank
Offense
Ranged
Magic
Passive
Tier 1
* Fire Affinity I [Rank I] (0 / 200)
* Fire does 10% more damage
* Increase in damage by 10% per rank
Offense
Ranged
Archery
Passive
Tier 2
* Bowmanship I [Rank I] (0 / 400)
* Bows do 10% more damage
* Increase in damage by 10% per rank
Utility
Control
Body
Passive
Tier 1
* Overflowing Stamina [Rank I] (0 / 200)
* Each point of Endurance is worth 10% more in regards to stamina
* Increases worth of Endurance points by 10% per rank
* At 31 Endurance points the effect caps at a 50% increase in worth
* Overflowing Mana [Rank I] (0 / 200)
* Each point of Focus is worth 10% more in regards to mana
* Increases worth of Focus points by 10% per rank
* At 31 Focus points the effect caps at a 50% increase in worth
* Overflowing Health [Rank I] (0 / 200)
* Each point of Fortitude is worth 10% more in regards to health
* Increases worth of Fortitude points by 10% per rank
* At 31 Fortitude points the effect caps at a 50% increase in worth
Utility
Perception
Aura
Passive
Tier 2
* Hunter’s Sense [Rank I] (0 / 400)
* 5% chance to find target’s weak spots
* Increase chance by 5% per rank