Chapter 2
22 Hours In
I was exhausted. No, actually I was exhausted when I first got the new Skill: Second Wind. This of course was after I got the new skill Analyze once my Intelligence Attribute got to 5. I was twenty-two hours into this marathon workout slash torture session, and I was still nowhere near my goal of tens in every major category. In fact, other than my Mental Attributes, everything else was way lower than it should be.
Well, no correction they were all where they should be. The only problem was they were not where I wanted them to be.
Grummbllee.
My stomach was rumbling its displeasure. Of course, I knew this was just a phantom pain. While there were a lot of downsides to being a minor, there was one thing no one wanted and that was a child dying of neglect. That made for bad ratings, and ratings was the number one product that all of these worlds went for. We were Anytime viewing, but people complained about seeing their parents and friends slowly die from dehydration or worse. As such rules were put into place. Thanks to those who first came to the server no child below the age of 13, would be allowed to die of thirst or hunger. That said, I still got the warnings letting me know I should eat, but I didn’t get any nasty debuffs related to failure to properly maintain myself.
This lack of need of food and water was likely why I was able to last as long as I did. Right now, my attributes are pitiful, but far better than I had started with. Also, two hours was my absolute cut off time. I did not want to waste my one chance for an amazing start on my lack of ability to improve my attributes, so what I had at the moment would have to suffice.
Physical
Social
Mental
Strength
6
Personality
3
Perception
15
Dexterity
8
Sociability
1
Intelligence
15
Endurance
8
Attractiveness
5
Willpower
13
Yeah I was surprised that I got a few points in Personality as well. Apparently Juggling was to blame for that, as Juggling I guess implies that you are going to be a clown and likely need to perform in front of others.
Taking a moment to collect myself, I look at the breakdown of my Skills. Originally I had been doing this in my head, but apparently there was a function for this in the system. So since my initial fast start, I managed to gain five new skills, most of which I previously mentioned.
New Skills:
Analyze (Perception and Intelligence)
Second Wind (Endurance and Willpower)
Weightlifting (Strength and Endurance)
Juggling (Dexterity, Personality, and Perception)
Calisthenics (Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance)
My overall skills gained were quite impressive, if still lacking from what I wanted, or rather what I needed.
Skill Key
Total
Alertness: (Perception)
25
Magical Awareness: (Perception and Intelligence)
25
Daggers (Dexterity)
7
Athletics (Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance)
10
Teleportation (Personal): (Perception, Intelligence, and Willpower)
20
Telekinesis (Intelligence and Willpower)
20
Multitasking (Intelligence and Willpower)
17
Dual Casting (Perception, Intelligence, and Willpower)
17
Dual Wielding (Dexterity, Endurance, Perception, Intelligence and Willpower)
5
Analyze (Perception and Intelligence)
12
Second Wind (Endurance and Willpower)
7
Weightlifting (Strength and Endurance)
7
Juggling (Dexterity, Personality, and Perception)
4
Calisthenics (Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance)
5
And the breakdown of what all my skills got me.
Strength
17
Personality
4
Perception
108
Dexterity
26
Sociability
0
Intelligence
116
Endurance
34
Attractiveness
0
Willpower
86
I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised at the lopsided gains, especially considering the fact that I have been standing in place for the last twenty-two hours. If anything, I am just lucky that I managed to improve my physical Attributes at all.
Still, it was time to move.
Ping.
I feel a radar like pulse go out from me and can see all of the different lower level monsters that all glow red to me. I have read that once I am more powerful than these creatures they will no longer be seen as giant red blobs in my mind. It is still odd to think that this sonar like view is my new eyesight, but I have to admit that it is more encompassing. For instance, I know that there is an underground lair below my feet. Well below my feet. The idea is that if I got my skill Teleportation (Personal) up high enough, I would be able to jump into that space. Unfortunately, I can see a lot further than I can jump, at least for the moment. Which is another reason to begin my first movement.
Sheathing my dagger, I clutch both the blade and my sheath in the same hand. Then taking a deep breath, I focus my mind on the furthest spot I can find and jump.
Whoosh.
The world around me blurs for a second, suddenly I am met with a new flood of senses as my Angel’s Sight picks up everything around me and I suddenly feel nauseous.
I haven’t moved my legs. I still hope that I can use my cheat of standing still long enough to at least orient myself, when…
SKREECH!
Monsters that have been lumbering past me in a docile like nature suddenly spring to life and begin to pounce at me. My Analyze skill all but confirms this assumption as I see the lists of animals around me increase in level.
Level 34 Sauropod. Level 35 Sauropod.
Ping.
I know I can’t outrun the creatures. Instead, I just Teleport, again.
Whoosh!
Skill Teleportation (Personal) has increased to level 21.
There is a way to view your stamina, health, and mental energies. I can view the stat, but I find that such trivial things are unwarranted. Either I can do something and live, or not and die. No reason to have my last thoughts being, oh man I was so close to not dying. Instead I go for the real life view, which coincidentally gets me a 25% increase speed to my skill increases.
It should also be noted that Traits are broken in another way. Not only do they let you have a magical safeguard that is not bound to your class. But Traits run on their own mental energy field which is independent of Mana. Mana of course is the source of life for all magicians, as it is what is needed to cast all magic spells, while stamina is used to perform physical tasks.
All this is my way of saying, that as soon as I land again, I need to do a ping and prepare to cast.
Off in the distance, I can sense the ground changing. Oh, wow, that is intense.
I can feel the earth slowly giving way from loosely packed dirt, with deep rocks well below the surface, to more and more rocks.
I decide to follow the rocks, figuring that these monsters are likely stuck in the woods.
My Analyze skill lets me know that there are dozens of new monsters all around.
Level 42 Constrictor. Level 45 Falactopod.
Skill Analyze: has risen to level 13.
I see the shapes of the monsters that are somehow instantly aware of my presence. I am assuming my teleportation has a splash effect? That or maybe these monsters have such heightened senses that they can smell a child like me as soon as they appear in the same area? Either way, I am toast if they find me. Of course, I know I could kill three of these monsters with my OP First Kill dagger, but I want to save that. For I know this is a Tier VII zone, meaning the top monsters should be around level 70.
That is the other thing, zones are set up to warn you about the level requirements of said zone. So a Tier I zone will have at most monsters up to level 10 to worry about. These are generally the starter cities and most of those monsters only exist in sewers and the like, but monsters are still there. So just as there are level 10 sewer rats in a starter city, so too are there level 70 monsters on a Tier VII zone. Meaning I likely have to deal with dragons, giant gryphons, or maybe even demons. Actually, demons might be preferable, as they almost always get you a title. Not that I won’t get a title from killing a level 70 anything, but killing a demon is particularly effective as you generally get a Blessed by the Light type of title that will help you get into most major cities with a heavy paladin population.
I chose the second class citizen, which means that unless I have an in, I will not be able to enter a city. At least not without doing a lot of outer town quests for a particular region. Anyways that is getting well ahead of myself. First things first, I need to move.
Feeling around the area, I realize that I am at the base of a steep and densely packed mountain. Then with a quick trust in my new senses, I find what I believe to be the perfect spot and Teleport.
Poof.
I am on a relatively flat boulder that is inside a little nook, on the steep side of a hill. This is perfect as most of the monsters that have been chasing me have all congregated below. Each tries to climb up the sheer rock wall, but are stopped by gravity.
Letting out a sigh of relief I take a moment to think. My head is a little fuzzy. I just made three jumps in a row, and that was a lot. Still, I see all the monsters below with my Angel’s Sight. Then I notice the moment the different monsters all realize who is whom.
Herbivores chased me off, as I was likely the equivalent of a small rodent trying to get at their children. Carnivores chased me, because well they are carnivores. I ended up creating what is referred to as a train. One where monsters of all different shapes and sizes chase after you, each adding themselves one by one, until they are all running in a line that resembles an old fashioned train car. Now that the monsters have all stopped and there is nowhere for the monsters to go, the train resembles a trainwreck more than a train. In this trainwreck multiple monsters are all gathered around, climbing over the backs of monsters that arrived first, all trying to get to little old me.
The sight might almost be comical, if it wasn’t a sign of what sadistic creatures awaited my demise. Counting at least ten monsters of different types and levels all appeared to my senses.
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Level 51 Rock Lizard. Level 50 Sand Scorpion. Level 53 Rock Eater.
Well the increase in levels told me one thing, I was going in the exact wrong direction to leave the zone. Fortunately, I didn’t want to leave the zone. Instead, I took the level increases as a sign that I was on the correct path.
I almost thought about Teleporting out of the area, but I realized that for the moment I was safe. Then just as I had the thought of waiting, I saw the monsters all begin fighting each other. Rock Eaters, which were apparently just giant basilisk type creatures, bit into Sand Scorpions. Sand Scorpios used their dual tails, yes two because one was not scarry enough, to stab at Rock Lizards. The Rock Lizards of course bit at the rock eaters. It was complete and utter chaos.
Which was exactly what I needed.
Normally I would have to look around, to see my environment. Fortunately, I had grown used to my Angel’s Sight, while I didn’t have eyes, I didn’t need them. Not when I could instinctively understand the world around me in a full 360-degree circle.
Skill Alertness: has increased to level 26. Skill Magical Awareness: has increased to level 26. Skill Analyze: has increased to level 14. Intelligence has increased to 16.
So many notifications going off all at once. But they only served as distractions to my real goal at the moment. Like so many who came before me, I realized that I would likely need to waste my first kill on a monster far below my goal. My goal in this case was a level 70 zone boss. Logically I could just drop my dagger and instantly kill at least one of these creatures. Just being touched by the blade should be enough to kill at least one of the creatures. And with my level of Telekinesis, I could easily direct the blade to strike at least one monster, if not three.
But I had a different plan in mind. I would lose my first kill to these creatures, but not with my dagger. At least not if I could help it.
Mentally scanning the area, I finally found what I was looking for in the form of a perched boulder right overhead. Feeling above me, I realized that I had teleported into the perfect little nook of a ledge, as there was just enough of a cover overhead to avoid getting crushed, when I did something stupid. At least I hoped it wasn’t too stupid, though I wouldn’t be the first adventurer to die by their own folly. I might be the first seven-year-old to die by a Telekinetically self-induced crushing caused by a cave in.
Taking a deep breath, I feel the boulder and then I Telekinetically push.
Rumble.
The boulder begins to rock a bit, which I wait. I let the boulder slide back, then once the boulder begins to slide forward again, I push the boulder. Then when it again doesn’t fully drop, I let it roll back once more, then push.
RUMBBBLLLLLEEE!
The ground shakes, as I am nearly thrown from my feet. Fortunately, I manage to balance myself by throwing out my arms at the last second.
Skill Athletics: has increased to level 11.
I am looking at the first skill increase, when I got notifications. I got a lot of notifications.
You have slain level 54 Rock Lizard. Experience gained. Experience transferred to Skills used due to lack of class.
New Feat Recorded: First Kill. You managed to kill your first monster. New Feat Recorded: Legendary First Kill (50). Your first monster killed was a monster 50 levels above your own. New Feat Recorded: Monster Slayer (50). You managed to kill a monster 50 levels above your own.
Those were bragging badges. They did nothing, other than helping you gain honor and renown the first time you turned them in to join a guild, or to improve your status with a particular kingdom. You could of course turn in the same feats at different places, but they would only be worth half as much each additional time used. This was described as the first time you tell a story of your exploits it is amazing, then the second time it is still interesting, just not as much. Then finally by the third and fourth times telling the story, everyone is annoyed by it. Re-using badges does the same thing, thus spending them wisely the first time is very important.
As for me, I intended to use these to enter the Mage Institute. 100 points was just enough for a full magical scholarship. With my Magic Tier VII, I was going to have the ability to be one hell of a mage. That is of course if I lived long enough to awaken my magic potential. My awakening my potential of course would happen when I reached 13 years old and was able to starve to death. The idea was that, magic should help me be able to earn a living. Of course I would still be poor for that first year, but that would be a small price to pay. I did intend to be a student, after all, and being a poor student was a rite of passage in any world.
In all, I was happy with the 100 points from my first kill. Of course, if I had slain the level 70 boss monster first, I would have had 40 spare points for books and the like. But 100 was almost too much of a good deal to pass up, so I took it. Also, it wasn’t like I couldn’t still kill the level 70 boss monster, this just meant that I would forever be limited by those missing 20 points on my first kill badge.
You have slain level 51 Rock Lizard. Experience gained. Experience transferred to Skills used due to lack of class. You have slain level 50 Sand Scorpion. Experience gained. Experience transferred to Skills used due to lack of class. You have slain level 51 Sand Scorpion. Experience gained. Experience transferred to Skills used due to lack of class.
Skill Telekinesis: has increased to level 21. … Skill Telekinesis: has increased to level 40.
Attribute Intelligence has increased to 17. Attribute Willpower has increased to 14. Attribute Willpower has increased to 15.
Looking at my gains, I was surprised to say the least. That was a lot of increases. I doubled my Telekinesis skill rating, gaining three Attribute increases in the process. But that seemed like a small increase compared to the monsters I managed to kill. Maybe, I received less due to most being injured? Or less due to using a rock? Afterall, I didn’t actually kill them with my Telekinesis directly, but rather indirectly. Still, it was a good run.
RUMMMBLLLEEE.
Better still the boulder was still rolling, causing the ground to shake and vibrate wildly. Of course, the boulder was well outside of my visual range of Angel’s Sight. But I could still hear and feel the impact of the boulder rolling. I didn’t know if any more monsters were caught up in the rolling boulder. There was also the question of whether I would get credit for kills made by the boulder now that it was well outside my zone of influence. That was what the visual radius was called, their zone of influence. It was noted that people who watched an bullet strike their target leveled far more quickly than people who fired, then ducked behind cover. I also didn’t know if there was a sort of cap on the number of skill gains from one feat, was 20 the most I could gain from one feat? Or was doubling the most I could gain?
I was in the middle of contemplating this, when I noticed the Rock Eaters get up in a spring like movement and begin to rumble angrily.
I didn’t need the notification, but I was warned of it anyways.
Level 53 Rock Eater has become enraged. Level 51 Rock Eater has become enraged. Level 55 Rock Eater has become enraged.
Skill Analyze: has increased to level 15.
And just like that, I realize this whole thing just went sideways.
Ping.
Mentally I scanned the area, looking for my next place to jump. There was one spot, on the inside of the mountain I was on. I could tell it was the start of a cave system of some sort. But the only problem was, it was at the edge of my Teleportation radius, but I needed to try something.
I debated moving for only a second, before I realized the Rock Eaters could surprisingly climb rocks. Apparently they hadn’t come after me at first, due to their wanting to kill the other lizards and scorpions that had invaded their nesting area. Now that the invaders were taken care of, they now felt free to come after me.
I was just about to blindly jump, when I felt the world tremble.
RRRROOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!
Legendary Monster Awoken. You have awoken a slumbering behemoth of legend and are now paralyzed by its mighty roar.
Stunned timer: 29 Minutes, 59 Seconds…
Thirty minutes? Thirty freaking minutes? What the heck was this. I tried to take my first step but felt my body tense up in uncontrolled fear.
You are stunned and cannot move.
Grr, this was some bullshit.
STOMP!
So many things were happening all at once. The Rock Eaters that had been enraged a moment ago and trying to chase after me, suddenly decided they could build a new nest somewhere else.
The giant monster was so far away that I could not even see them in my sphere of detection, but I could feel their ever present movements.
Mentally I imagined their movements. Step, count to three…
STOMP!
Rumble.
The monster was so close that, I felt my body shaking and rattling with every step it took. Of course, I was stunned into a standing position, so all I could do was wait.
ARRRAAGGHHHAAA!
The monster was close, so close.
You are now paralyzed by the mighty roar of a Gardogazon. Stunned timer: 29 Minutes, 59 Seconds…
Oh, come on. This isn’t even fair; I am being stun locked for thirty minutes? The last timer didn’t even go down by more than a minute.
Rumble.
By now the monster was so close that I swore I could all but feel their warm breath coming at me, causing a warm breeze to cover me. All right, I will admit it. This time I did not need the assistance of the system, I was well and truly frightened by the beast. Especially when I saw its long alligator like snout come in and easily begin devouring the slain Rock Lizard, and Sand Scorpion corpses in quick single bites.
With four quick swipes of its massive tongue, the monster devoured the corpses of the monsters below.
Then it paused, as it raised its massive snout into the air.
Sniff, sniff.
I could all but feel the monster pulling the air off of me. In a second I knew it could taste my fear, that had to be particularly pungent at this time. I didn’t know, I could barely breath thanks to this stun effect that was in place.
Again, I tried to move, but nothing. Well almost nothing, I did get a message.
You are stunned and cannot move.
I could see the giant monster licking its lips. I couldn’t see anything else of the giant beast, but its large mouth that all but filled my entire viewing radius was more than enough to let me know it not only found me, but also to let me know I was going to be its next meal. Not that I was much in comparison to the large meals it just had, more of an after dinner mint than anything, but still it licked its lips and began moving its snout closer. Then, I saw its long tongue begin to fly forward.
At this moment, the world slowed down to a crawl.
This was it; I was going to die. Another senseless death by a slumbering behemoth class monster of all things. I never even got a chance to use my…
At that thought, I realized that while my body was paralyzed with fear, my mind wasn’t. I could feel and experience the world around me. Which was why, I used my recently increased Telekinesis skill and tried to do the impossible.
Mentally grabbing the hilt of the First Kill dagger with a Telekinetic grip, I sent the blade hurdling forward towards the large tongue of the giant creature.
Normally this wouldn’t even be a thing. Normally, such a small blade against such an overpowered enemy would mean nothing. But I had been assured by the system that there were three charges to the blade, that it could kill any monster it came into contact with.
If it didn’t, well, nothing would really matter as I would be dead.
Honestly I was surprised that I could even use Telekinesis, but it didn’t have anything to do with my physical body.
New Skill Gained: Mental Resistance has risen to level 1. Skill: Mental Resistance is a Willpower based skill.
Oh well the new skill explained how I was able to use my Trait, even while being physically stunned.
I watched in muted horror as the long tongue came flicking forward, rippling wildly in the slow motion that my mind decided to display the world to me. I think the game did this on purpose, trying to do a slow frame motion picture of your death. This helped show the audience that the system didn’t cheat you, and that the death was completely legitimate.
Of course, somehow I seemed to be able to perceive the world normally, despite this apparent delay. I know Mickael made note about something similar with his exploits of Angel’s Sight, saying the world slowed down around him during stressful moments. Still, I didn’t know if he ever had a moment where he was staring down a behemoth, one of the legendary boss monsters of the world. Beings so powerful that they could only be slain by entire nations of players. How a behemoth was set sleeping in this Tier VII realm, I do not know.
Plink.
The blade caressed the tongue. For a moment it looked like there might be some resistance, as if my 40 points in the skill Telekinesis would be worth a darn. Yet, I was sadly mistaken, as the tongue met the blade, and then began pushing it back.
Still, I was not going to be undone. I had but one means to defend myself at the moment, my blade. I could jump to an unknown location, but then I would be without my dagger. I didn’t want to be without my dagger, as that was my lifeline. For at least the next hour and a half or so, that was my only source of feeling safe.
Then I remembered another location, the spot where the boulder stood. Mentally focusing on that spot.
Ping.
I found the spot, then instantly Teleported myself to the spot where a large boulder had once stood. A boulder that was used to crush monsters, only to then somehow awaken a massive slumbering monster that existed in the woods.
Poof.
I teleported, while at the same time struggling to control the dagger. A dagger that while pressed against the tongue of the great beast, could not pierce its thick hide.
Boom.
The ground shook, as I felt the massive tongue impact the mountain wall below me.
I tried to balance myself again, but once again was met with the message.
You are stunned and cannot move.
Then in a moment of fear and panic my small body fell forward.
Oof.
Fortunately, I didn’t fall down the hill as my small frame was still easily able to fit its entirety where the massive boulder once sat. That was about the only good thing, as I received a terrible system message.
Your Legendary Item: First Kill dagger has been shattered.
At that, I could only curse my luck. A seven-point dagger, that I had upgraded to be more potent, one meant to kill any monster it pierced was now useless.
To put it into perspective, for that price I could have had a legendary soul bound blade that leveled up with me. Of course I figured that having that type of weapon only made you a target, as most of the time people thought that if they killed you, they would gain your legendary blade. They would, but it would no longer level, which was why I went for the one day, one hit blunder weapon.
I felt so small. So worthless at that one moment. Sure, I could call the first kill monsters I got to be great, but they were on my own skill. I didn’t even get to use the dagger once, or so I thought.
RAAHRRRAHHRRRAAAAGGAAAH!
The monster shrieked a high pitch death-wail. As it screamed, I could see magical energies from the brightly glowing broken blade sticking into the monster’s long tongue.
It was a sight that only lasted for a second, but I saw it, right?
Then almost as if answering my mental question, I received a system messages.
Skill Alertness: has increased to level 27. Skill Magical Awareness: has increased to level 27. Skill Analyze: has increased to level 16.
Then there was a staggering rumble, as the ground shook beneath the feet of something truly massive falling to the ground.
THUD!
There was a moment of silence as everything stood still for a second. Then I was hit by a flood of system messages.
You have slain Legendary Gardogazon. Experience gained. Experience transferred to Skills used due to lack of class.
GARDOGAZON TERROR OF THE SKIES HAS BEEN SLAIN! REJOICE!! AS A NEW HERO EMERGES TO THE WORLD!!
Skill Telekinesis: has increased to level 41 … Skill Telekinesis: has increased to level 71.
Skill Teleportation (Personal): has increased to level 22. … Skill Teleportation (Personal: has increased to level 52.
Skill Multitasking: has increased to level 18. … Skill Multitasking: has increased to level 48.
Skill Dual Casting: has increased to level 18. … Skill Dual Casting: has increased to level 48.
Skill Mental Resistance: has increased to level 2. … Skill Mental Resistance: has increased to level 32.
Attribute Perception has risen to 16. … Attribute Perception has risen to 19.
Attribute Intelligence has risen to 18. … Attribute Intelligence has risen to 23.
Attribute Willpower has risen to 16. … Attribute Willpower has risen to 23.
New Feat Recorded: Gardogazon Slayer (500). You managed to kill the legendary Gardogazon. New Feat Recorded: Behemoth Slayer (500). You killed a Behemoth Class monster that was 500 levels above your own. New Feat Recorded: Monster Slayer (500). You managed to kill a monster 500 levels above your own.
I, wow.
I just didn’t know what to say from all of that.
Not that I could actually say anything as I was still paralyzed in the prone position, lying on the ground.
You are stunned and cannot move. Stunned timer: 29 Minutes, 23 Seconds…
Thirty-six seconds. That was how much time had passed from the time I was stunned a second time, to now. Of course, now that I was no longer facing the giant monster, time that had been moving at a crawl began to speed up to normal.
This was fine, as this meant that I would be able to take a moment to think about what would happen next. So much happened all at once. I could now see deep into the cavern below me. That was of course where the real zone bosses existed, not this random behemoth that I had somehow awoken.
While killing the monster took my legendary dagger, I was okay with its sacrifice. I was now well and truly ahead of the curve when it came to people my own age. My Unbound merit and Precocious merit coming in play greatly as I felt my mind burning from the increased flood of information that I was now able to gain.
On the one hand I was glad I did not blindly teleport into the cavern below me, as that would have likely meant my death, even with the legendary op dagger at my disposal, I likely would have been roasted alive by the nest of monsters below. Particularly since there were four in the cave, all of whom seemed to be awake and ready for a fight.
I don’t know if they were always awake, or if they just awoke recently due to the screaming behemoth, but either way they were awake and scanning the area.
Level 75 Stone Dragon. Level 78 Stone Dragon. Level 79 Stone Dragon Patriarch. Level 79 Stone Dragon Matriarch.
Yeah, the developers weren’t just fudging the rules for this zone, they were all but breaking the rules. Monsters that close to level 80, come on.
Still, I no longer had a need to mess with that nest of monsters, particularly with my dagger lying in broken sharded pieces. It died a valiant death, it will long be missed.
I would make the sign of sacrifice, but I alas still cannot move.
Idly I wonder how I can get down, when I am met with another system message.
Warning Zone Collapse immanent, GARDOGAZON terror of the skies has died. With his death so too have the powers that hold these great islands aloft in the air. Zone will collapse in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…