The temporary party browsed the woods, their eyes solidly locked onto the mists-filled gray forest below.
“Why is there only you here? Where are the others?” Donald spoke as he scanned the forest, confused, “Where we came from, there were at least 20 of us.”
“What do you mean, twenty?” Theron asked, equally as puzzled, “I got here alone. The only time I noticed the presence of others was when I heard the screams, otherwise… it’s just me.”
“Really? Strange…” He grumbled, turning his head away. “Maybe you’re spawned a little too far from the others? Well, anyway, anything beats being near that guy.”
“I could’ve missed them, but that seemed incredibly unlikely.” Theron said after rethinking their conversation once more, he’d heard screams and cries of help before, but seeing them was a different story, “Well, some were undoubtedly killed by the giant ass bear roaming about. Have you seen it? The system warned me to get the hell away when I met it.”
The three friends shared a curious glance, “A giant bear?” Donald spoke, pointing at Borys, “-like yours?”
“No, Bigger.” Theron shot a glance at Borys, “Way, way bigger.”
“With armor and a spiked back, too. I don’t think that monster is just an elite, either. I’ve met the bear elites, and it’s nothing like that monstrosity.” His description roused a short gasp from the party.
Theron glanced toward the massive cliff leading to the valley underneath, “-I lost my initial aspect, the wolf, so I wish to go down there and see if I can do anything about it. I’m thinking-”
“-Wait,” Selena’s eyes snapped to him, “Are you asking us to come with you?”
She caught on quickly. “Yes… I’ve met a few of the monsters down there, and they aren’t exactly welcoming.” He grinned, tapping his shield, “But I’ve gotten stronger since, and I want to try at it again.”
Donald shook his head, groaning, “I’ll run the hell away if I am you. This place isn’t that far away from Kraven’s and Hubert’s group, and with their growing numbers, they’ll overrun this place sooner or later.”
“Is that so...” Theron sighed, to deal with human conflicts so early caused nothing but a headache, “Well… my offer still stands.”
“We’ll just be a burden, I fear,” Richard said from the back, his sentiment mirrored by the others. “And Selena’s right. We just want to get the hell away… no offense, but I don’t believe you can deal with Kraven’s entire group on your own, Theron.”
Their eyes, despite their languor, were unwavering. This stance, he couldn’t persuade otherwise. “Alright. I respect your decision.” He rose and turned toward the misty valley, “Be careful on your way out. Take the essence from those bears if you want. Think of it as a parting gift.”
Selena’s eyes popped open, “Wait-“
Theron gave her a nod, stretching his arms. “Good luck, you all. Feel free to visit the checkpoint if you change your mind. Well, hopefully, we’re all still alive by then.”
###
Now, Theron could act selfishly and hoard everything to himself, which he had to confess, a part of him yearned to. However, unless he had plans to tackle everything by himself, that plan would backfire in the long run. He raised his head, glowering at the towering summit. Whatever that trial is, it’s not supposed to be handled alone. There are 10 000 of us for a reason.
The news about the troublesome group did stir his heart astray for a little. If they weren’t as… amiable as he wished, and doubtless they were the only disquieting group around, what would happen once the whole population met at the center? Would there be peace… or… most likely, war? He shook his head as he descended the cliffs, which was a lesser chore once he got around to it. Borys trailed close behind him, each step cracking the withering rocks now that it was bigger—and heavier.
Once under, he traced his way back to the checkpoint, then followed the line of blue smoke leading them to the key. He found the same misty spot where the treant used to lay. Surprise colored his eyes when the thing disappeared, presumably hiding somewhere else. Scouring the surrounding mist, he eyed for irregularities as he trekked below the pointer, stopping when one of the trees moved. There it is. He motioned Borys forward and raised his shield. Slowly, He commanded, perusing through the thin, sturdy barks and greeting the jerking figure of the treant. It welcomed them with a slap.
Despite lurking behind his companion, he still felt the rush of air from each whipping of its vines. Of course, Borys took the hits way, way better now, with its increased stats, and no longer were they snatched of their progress; every step forward felt firm and certain. Their gap shrank as the clock ticked, and once the treant was within arm’s reach, Theron willed Borys to use its abilities as it proceeded to rampage over the walking bark. Swings after swings clawed away at its exterior, splinting its shuddering figure, yet unable to deal much significant damage. It’s tough, Theron grimaced when he regarded its absolute defenses, then pushed further with his necrotic touch. Green splotches marred where Borys’ claws savaged the poor thing, and that proved effective; the treant laid limp soon after with a whimper.
[You gained 80 experience points!]
No different messages. We get the same amount, I think. He remarked with a sigh, then peeked at his companion. It looked healthy; no battered claws this time, only a slight swelling on the tips of its fingers. He extended an arm over the treant, then extracted its aspect.
[Rank 2: Ghostwood treant. learned. Progress: 20%]
A rank 2… makes sense it’s a lot stronger than I expected.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
[Note: Rank 2 creatures require 2 aspect cores to be materialized.]
Of course, it needs more… Theron groaned. He watched the trail of the azure stream in the air, directing him deeper into the encroaching mist. The sight didn’t instill much hope for him to breach into it, at least, not until The bear’s ability went off cooldown. And so he waited, refusing to proceed every 10 or so minutes from every single encounter against the treant, which, thankfully, happened only twice.
[You gained 80 experience points!]
[Your aspect core - Metal-clawed bear reached level 5. Evolution to rank 1 - advanced is now possible. Visit an essence store to evolve your aspect if you possess a rank 1 evolution stone. Further level-ups are not possible, and additional experience points are wasted.]
Max level… Shit, I wasted a few xp on Borys.
[You gained 80 experience points!]
[Aspect requires evolution to gain experience.]
[Rank 2: Ghostwood treant learned. Progress: 60%]
Seeking the cover of a nearby tree, Theron permitted a moment of rest as he opened his own status page. He did his usual, putting his extra points into magic.
Theron Gray | Class: Novice | Rank: Unranked
Class: Novice| Level: 5 | Next 245 xp
Mana: 15 / 15
Summon slots : 2/2
Essence: 1105
-Attributes | Free points: - (+1/level) -
Might: 6 (+1/level)
Speed: 5 (+1/level)
Magic: 9
Toughness: 6 (+1/level)
Resistance: 10
Abilities - Active
Abilities - Passive
Necrotic aura - lvl 1 | Summon Aspect
Extract Aspect | Unsummon Aspect
Necrotic touch - lvl 1
-
1105 essences… That’s a lot, I hope?
A decline leading to a short cliff housed a metallic chest in the middle, orbited by the viscous mists and the usual gaunt, bony trees. Nothing alarming roused his senses—no queer-shaped trees swayed around them, or at least, any stranger than the others—which prompted him to slide to the treasure chest, heart palpitating from blossoming anxiety. His hands buzzed as he gently brushed the cold surface, then, with a silent heave, he pulled it open. A ray of light burst from within, and the overwhelming mists dispersed from the center in a circular formation, eradicating the thick blindness suffocating his eyes the moment he stepped foot in this location. A pallid, almost lifeless forest unveiled itself upon the revelation, unlike any kind of woods Theron had ever set his eyes upon.
Inside, a silvery key, paired with one glowing stone and two red potions.
[Checkpoint #2 key found.]
[You acquired 1x Summon slot gem.]
[You acquired 2x minor restorative potions.]
Whoa… That’s a lot of stuff… His maw gaped from the sudden influx of pure stuff, enough for him to smile wildly. Without a pause, he crushed the gem in his palm, relishing the new message appearing in his sights.
[You gained 1 summon slot.]
With a smirk, he shoved his amusement aside, then turned toward the direction from whence he came, eager to see what awaited him in the checkpoint. Scrabbling his way back, with Borys sticking close from behind, he spotted a ray of light beaming a few meters higher than the trees surrounding it, acting like a beacon. With his vision restored, retracing his steps didn’t take as much effort as before. No treants shambled their way into their path along his way.
A soft, gentle hum reverberated as he approached, the red light blinking, inviting the use of his key toward the dim hole near the base. Here goes nothing, Theron frowned as he inserted the key, anticipating a flash of immeasurable radiance, but all that changed was the gentle red turning azure and the pop-up of another message.
[Checkpoint #2-16 unlocked. Owner, Theron Gray. All drifters are allowed to access this checkpoint unless you deem otherwise. You can transfer ownership willingly, or, the checkpoint will be freed upon your death. You can only control 1 checkpoint at a time.]
Huh… He eyed the message suspiciously, unsure of what to do right away. Not a single ounce of him wished to lock others from using this, but that wasn’t what caused the shiver in his skin. What would happen if he failed to secure another checkpoint in the future? Would he be locked out of access forever? No doubt there were those who’d act with their sole interest in mind, he understood; after all, he’d been on both sides. When food was scarce and water scant, to be selfless/altruistic then was… unviable, to put it lightly.
He shelved that thought aside, keeping it for later.
[Welcome to the essence store, how can we help you?]
[Free checkpoint unlock reward: not taken.]
[Owner: Theron Gray]
[Buy]
[Evolve]
[Revive]
[Crafting]
[Quests]
[Usage rights-current: Public.]
A free reward? Quests? What the fuck? Wait, wait… First… Let’s see what the store has to offer.
[Store: Unlimited]
[Ration: 20 essences.]
[Minor Healing potion: 100 essences.]
[Aspect core-common: 200 essences.]
[Store: Limited]
[Evolution stone-rank 1: 200 essences. Stock: 4]
[Evolution stone-rank 2: 4000 essences. Stock: 1]
[Aspect core-Elite: 3000 essences. Stock: 1]
Good stuff… Also, Elite aspect core? Does that mean there are other aspect cores for other types? Theron could only imagine what sort of aspect core housed the strongest monsters. His mind went to the spiked bear, a beast he couldn’t imagine tackling, not even after he’d grown substantially. Surely, that thing isn’t just another elite?
The finite stock from the limited section nudged him toward the path of locking the checkpoint’s usage to himself, a choice he sorely wished not to make.
Some of the prices bordered the line of ridiculousness. So far, Theron had only managed to acquire a number a touch higher than a thousand essences, lacking to purchase anything he deemed worthy of his essences, and especially not the rank two evolution stone, which would set him back 4000 essences, an amount he would never touch had he stayed at the tutorial zone. Although, with the improved numbers attained here—80 essences per treant—with enough grinding, he’d reach the listed amount soon enough.
I’ll save those for later. He had half a mind to purchase the elite aspect core right away. The panther in his compendium yearned for its usage. Or, perchance, he should wait to attain the other elites waiting in the tutorial zone, the elite bear first coming into mind.