Chapter 3
The Sky Is Falling
Sometimes you find yourself realizing that today is a terrible day. It started off so great; being chased by monsters, hours upon hours of exercises: deep knee bends, swinging about a dagger that could end me if it so much as touched my skin, thousands of squats, moving things with my mind for hours. Okay, that last one was pretty cool, not going to lie, magic in any world is amazing.
Unfortunately my time here in Biprism is coming to an end. Why might you ask? Simple, I am finding myself hurtling at hundreds of miles an hour towards the ground, all thanks to my accidentally slaying the world boss of the skies or some such nonsense.
Honestly, I just wanted to take my legendary dagger, slay a few level 70 monsters and be done, of course that didn’t happen.
First there were more level 70 monsters than I could have legitimately handled. Secondly, the random world boss awoke after I rolled a boulder down on some unsuspecting monsters. I then got to use said legendary dagger on the monster. Of course, I didn’t do much to the creature, I mainly used Telekinesis to hold the dagger in place, while the monster used its ridiculous tongue to impale itself on the dagger. Honestly that was the only way such an event could have happened. Fortunately for me, I managed to Teleport away.
I of course am still stunned for the next oh… 29 minutes and change.
Fortunately I believe stun only lasts until you take damage, meaning that once we crash and I break a few bones I will be fine to move about.
Unfortunately I will break a few bones. At least I hope that breaking bones is the least that will happen.
I mentally try to do all types of cheats. I try to teleport away, only to find that I am still falling just as fast as before. I can tell as the ground is the same distance away as when I entered. It is a whole spatial moving thing, kind of hard to explain. But my Personal Teleportation trait doesn’t work.
Nor does my attempt to pull a Chuck Norris and do a Telekinetic push up, one where I push the ground away. I find that even doing so just causes me to be further away from the falling sky island, though my mind is telling me that I am still falling at the same exact rate of descent.
Maybe if I can time a push right when we impact the ground beneath us, I can try to push myself up, but the only problem is I can’t see that far. My vision is still limited by the 360-degree zone of surveillance I have around me. But that means simple things like visual clues on where land masses are, if we are over an ocean, or hundreds of little things are all missing.
I am here wobbling in place with my arms out wide. Logically I should offer some type of resistance, fall a little slower than a rock falling straight down, but apparently I can still reach terminal velocity relatively quickly. Almost as if on cue, I am given a new skill.
New Skill Gained: Free Falling has risen to level 1. Free Falling is a Dexterity based skill. Attribute Dexterity has increased to 8.
Oh nice, my falling in a forced superwoman pose is paying off. Hooray being stunned while falling to my death.
After this, the Free Falling skill begins to climb rapidly at about a level per two seconds. Math tells me that this is somewhere around 58 meters a second once I reach terminal velocity
New Skill Gained: Applied Physics has risen to level 1. Applied Physics is an Intelligence based skill.
Yeah, thanks system. Telling me that I know math, of course I do. I have a degree in it, well I did, back before I discarded my body for this newer digital version.
Skill Free Falling: has risen: 1-> 16. Attribute Dexterity has increased to 9.
I am contemplating the prolonged benefits of Free Falling, when I am met with a system message somewhere near the 28-and-a-half-minute mark remaining on my stunned timer.
New Feat Recorded: Fly Before You can walk (50). You flew for over a mile before you took your first step.
You know, I am not certain that this counts as flying, but I’ll take the badge. At the very least it is verification of a good story to tell someone if I survive this.
Sploink!
There is a giant sloshing sound, and once again my mind slows down the world around me. I find myself falling closer to the ground, which then forces me to reach out with my Telekinesis and try to push myself away. I am only partially successful in this, as I push myself back by a few feet slowing myself from terminal velocity, to a speed that will only mostly kill me. Worse I am now slightly slanted with my left arm high and my right arm down.
CRUNCH!
Thud!
BLINDINGLY BRIGHT LIGHTS!
I am stunned as a blurring light of pain fills my mind for a second, before I crash.
You are critically injured. Your right arm is crippled. You have punctured your right lung. Your right leg is broken. You are suffering from internal bleeding.
Regeneration is taking effect due to being out of combat.
Pain, unbelievable pain. It hurst just to breath. Fortunately I am no longer held under the pangs of being frozen in place, thanks to falling and taking a lot of damage. But unfortunately, I am stuck here fighting for each breath.
Again I don’t have all the fancy heads up displays going that list my life and vitals in the terms of numbers. All I know is that I am bleeding, and it is extremely painful. Fortunately, I had the wherewithal to buy Regeneration, as I knew this was going to be a long shot. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything else I could do, other than focus on breathing.
Skill Second Wind: Has increased to level 8. Endurance has increased to 9.
Well, there was my silver lining, my Attributes were now one step closer to becoming that of an average player. At least physically speaking. I was now just one point away for the normal child max for Dexterity and Endurance.
Splash!
There is the sound of water washing over the ground. I feel a splash of salty flavored pain wash over my face and soak into the bones that are exposed out of my skin.
This is pain.
Somehow, I manage to stay awake during it all. I know that healing tends to go at half its rate while sleeping. Normally this is enough to go over most major aches and pains, but when you are fighting for your life, you need to stay conscious.
In my sphere of vision, I see tons of creatures getting washed out to shore, whole even more oceanic creatures are being pulled up on the banks of our island.
Somehow, I am able to see that I am still on top of the cave that housed the four level 70+ dragons, but they are all doing as poor if not worse than me. The reason for their condition is simple, they clearly have stalagmites protruding from their chests.
In a moment of clarity, I am able to recreate the crime scene that happened to them. They were in the cave, then once the island began falling, rather than floating in the air like me at first, they found themselves pinned to the ceiling. Only to be slammed back to the ground, when we crashed. Additionally giant stalagmites fell from the ceiling and struck down at the injured creatures.
Skill Alertness: has increased to level 28. Skill Magical Awareness: has increased to level 28.
Seeing them in this state, I can’t help but feel this is a perfect time to strike. Unfortunately, I am only now just able to breath without too much discomfort. It seems my Regeneration is focusing on my internal bleeding first, at least that is what I gather from the oddly intense cooling sensation that is going on within my body. Unless of course I am just bleeding to death, which could also explain the same cold feeling.
Still, I focus on the world around me. I can still use my mind, even while my body can do little more than convulse and shiver in pain.
Skill Mental Resistance: has increased to level 33.
In a way, I should be impressed by these rapid skill gains, but I have read multiple accounts that there does seem to be a skill bonus multiplier to people in this state. People that use these last few minutes of life to kill off enemies. With that bonus in mind, I decide to give it a test.
Normally I would never try such a feat, but I figure I’ve already challenged death once today. Also, these creatures were my original goal for this starting location.
Focusing on the few remaining large stalagmites, I Telekinetically wiggle the piece free, and guide it to one of the prone monsters.
Tremor.
The ground shakes slightly, even form my distance away as I feel the sharp pointed weapon slice into and through the heavily injured creature.
You have slain Level 79 Stone Dragon Patriarch. Experience gained. Experience transferred to Skills used due to lack of class.
At that, I nod to myself glad that my idea worked. Of course, no sooner do I get the notice and notification, than I am met with another message.
Level 79 Stone Dragon Matriarch has become enraged.
Tremble.
The monster who had been down on the ground a moment ago was now rising to her feet. Seeing this, I of course begin Telekinetically grabbing the next pillar and pull it down.
Wham!
Nothing.
The stalagmite is clearly impaled into the side of the great beast, but nothing.
“Fuck.” I say, as I grab another spike and another spike, each impales the Matriarch to differing degrees. But they don’t do much if anything.
“SKRAA.” The Matriarch calls out.
Instantly I feel a surge of energy coat the other two downed monsters. Then with horror I see them both beginning to heal and rise from their injured states as well.
“Gah!” I let out an annoyed sigh, fortunately I don’t believe they know where I am exactly. Especially as I am outside the cave and still able to attack them. Again, I designed myself to be unstoppable, once I got going. Also, I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by. They were all injured, with a clear weapon nearby. Once again, I found myself wishing that I had my dagger still. Its three charges, well technically two after one was used on the Gardogazon, would be more than enough to ensure my safety.
Still, I had to at least take care of the two remaining monsters. Quickly while the two regular guards are getting to their feet, I focus on the stalagmites and yank them down with ruthless force and efficiency. At this point I barely do more than pull and direct in a general direction.
Splat.
You have slain level 75 Stone Dragon. Experience gained. Experience transferred to Skills used due to lack of class.
Of course, the first one to fall was the weakest of the remaining guards, but that is fine. One step closer to surviving this whole thing. Also with each kill, I feel my power to use Telekinesis improving. I know I already have the bonuses for killing the Stone Dragon Patriarch flowing through me. I just need to stop and see what the final gains are.
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Still with this new death, I feel even more strength fill my mental commands as I begin focusing on taking down the second guard.
Wham, wham, splat.
The third monster drops to the ground as a miraculous shot pierces its neck.
You have slain Level 78 Stone Dragon. Experience gained. Experience transferred to Skills used due to lack of class.
Breathing.
I can feel my breaths becoming easier to take. I pause at this, trying to figure out why. Only to realize that my skill Second Wind is also apparently increasing with each kill. I take half a second to puzzle this out, when I realize the prompt lets me know what happened, then I see the last description. Experience transferred to Skills used. That has to be it, why I can breathe easier, as I know my Second Wind skill has been in near constant use at this time.
I try to hurl more and more javelin type stalagmites at the Matriarch, but she either brushes them aside like they are nothing, or completely ignores them, even when they end up impaling her.
Finally, realizing that whatever is attacking her is not there, she sniffs, then I can almost feel her look up at me through the rocks. I can feel its gaze settle on my location for a moment, then I can only look on in fear as it leaves the cavern that all of the dragons had been resting in, back before the island we were on fell from the sky.
However, with the Matriarch leaving, I am greeted by a flurry of system messages.
Skill Second Wind: has increased: 8 -> 29. Skill Multitasking: has increased: 48 -> 69. Skill Telekinesis: has increased: 71 -> 92.
Attribute Endurance has increased: 9 -> 11. Attribute Intelligence has increased: 23 -> 25. Attribute Willpower has increased: 23 -> 26.
Three skills were what I was credited with using, while killing all three monsters. I guess I lucked into Multitasking as I was doing a really good job of trying not to die. At least, I thought I was doing a great job of trying not to die, that is of course before I enraged the Matriarch.
Rumble, rumble.
The ground began to shake all around me as I knew the Matriarch was coming towards me. Well she was coming in my direction and given that I was directly overlooking a cliff, I doubted this was a random place where she wanted to crow in lament about the loss of her loved one. No, she had used some type of magical tracking power, likely smell based, if the way she was acting before she left was any indication.
Being faced with the giant monster barreling down on me, I could do one of two things. I could either try to outrun the creature. Which in this case would mean my using Personal Teleportation to get away as quickly as possible, or I could do something incredibly stupid.
The only problem with problem one was I didn’t know where I could go. I didn’t even know how far out to sea we were, were we in the middle of the ocean? I tasted salt water, which should imply the ocean of some kind. But which ocean? There were many sets of flying islands around the world.
Ping.
With that ping, I once again saw the inside of the dragon Matriarch’s chamber, then teleported.
Poof.
Skill Teleportation (Personal): has increased to level 53.
I found myself inside the dank and musty cavern. Fortunately, there was air here, even if it was stale and smelled like old dragon farts, which is to say it smells of sulfur and waste.
Rumble, rumble.
The mighty dragon came back, sniffed once. Then shook its head in disappointment. I could tell the monster was on its last legs, as blood was still pouring out from its wounds, but somehow the monster still kept moving in stubborn determination. Idly I wondered how high its Second Wind skill was to be able to take so many wounds and still move about freely.
Tremor, thump, thud.
The dragon made a quick twirl around the corpse of is life partner, the previously slain patriarch, then cuddled up to its corpse.
I was a monster. I randomly killed this dragon’s mate. I…
I trailed off as I noticed the glowing red mist that surrounded the Matriarch slowly fade away.
Level 79 Stone Dragon Matriarch is no longer enraged. Level 79 Stone Dragon Matriarch has passed away from her wounds.
You have slain Level 79 Stone Dragon Matriarch. Experience gained. Experience transferred to skills used due to lack of class.
You have slain a nest of Stone Dragons, forever reducing the danger level posed by this zone. Danger rating dropped from 7 to 6.
Skill Alertness: has increased: 28 -> 40. Skill Magical Awareness: has increased: 28 -> 40. Skill Teleportation (Personal): has increased: 53 -> 65 Skill Second Wind: has increased: 29 -> 41.
Attribute Endurance has increased to 12. Attribute Intelligence has increased to 27. Attribute Willpower has increased to 27.
New Feat Recorded: Starting Zone Cleanser (25). You single handedly lowered the danger rating of a maximum tier Starter Zone by one level.
Seeing the message, I realized that a lot of this was extreme luck. While I had planned on almost this exact scenario, I felt my execution was more than a little lacking.
Collapsing to my good side, I took in deep breaths and continued focusing on letting my body get healed.
Startle.
I jerked awake, which for a blind person with Angel’s Sight is quite the feat. One second complete darkness, then the next I have a full glowing 360 degree view of the world around me. During the interim two things did not happen. First, the four monsters did not come back to life. Second, and probably most important, no other monsters made their way into this den to take over as the new Tier six bosses of this region.
I knew it was likely only a matter of time before something happened, but figured this would be it for a while.
Moving, I was relieved to find that my Regeneration seemed to have taken care of the damage my body suffered from the fall. Realizing everything I had gone through to get to this point, I made a mental note that I was done after this. Ruthless killing, even of monsters was not something I particularly enjoyed. Even now I could see the two corpses of the patriarch and matriarch snuggled together in death.
Skill Alertness: has increased to level 41. Skill Magical Awareness: has increased to level 41.
Yeah, just what I needed, further proof of my misdeeds. I know it is stupid, but something called to me about the dragons and their death. I could only imagine having a bond that deep. Only when Jelly, my beloved beagle died did I feel that way. Curling up next to them as they passed away. Not when my husband left me for someone better, not when my own parents finally succumbed to their own follies in this game.
I use my Teleportation Personal Trait to teleport right next to the two dragons. Touching the dragons, I can’t help but feel a deep connection to the creatures.
Tingle.
I felt a slight tingling sensation at the touch. Quickly that tingling sensation turned to burning, as I felt like my hand had randomly caught fire.
“Fuck.” I said, pulling my hand away and shaking it vigorously. Of course my voice sounds more like a squeak given my age and the fact that I haven’t done all that much talking to this point. But that was besides the point, that touch felt evil, like pure malevolence.
I look at the dragon’s spirit and can almost swear that it is there glaring at me angrily. Seeing the spirit, or something similar to it, I decide to avoid the two corpses for now. This game world is not like most, in that you have to look and work for everything. Want to loot dragon meat from these dragons? Great, carve them up. Want to find a horde of dragon treasure, great start looking.
That last thing, the looking for treasure, that was exactly what I intended to do.
This was a secret lair of monsters. Something valuable just had to be here.
Looking around with my senses made this task both easy and extremely difficult. Finding the secret wall safe where the dragons apparently kept their treasures was easy.
Ping.
One quick sonar ping showed me what was inside the walls. It even showed me locations where I could teleport in. However, I also saw glowing red dots all around. I wasn’t quite certain what those dots were exactly, until I got close to one that was on my side of the wall and then was finally met with a new skill.
New Skill Gained: Skill Trap Detection: has risen to level 1. Trap Detection is a Perception and Intelligence based skill.
Okay, so now I am getting thieve class skills. This isn’t bad on its own, as my Angel’s Sight, all but helps me identify each and every one of them. Seeing the traps, I then begin using my Analyze skill to observe them all.
Pressure Plate Trap: Disarm chance (Medium).
Looking at the trap, I realize that by focusing my full attention inside the trap, I can see the inner clockwork workings of the trap. With this identification, I come to a conclusion, this chamber was not a natural cave that the dragons just stumbled upon. Rather, it looked to be parts of some old ruins run by tinkerers.
Looking at the trap, it becomes readily apparent how to disarm it. Most pressure plate traps deal with the idea of connecting a wire, or by setting off a lever system that activates a pully system that releases different components.
In this trap’s case, the component is a reverse sand trap. Or maybe a money trap should be more accurate. By activating this plate, I would release a lever that would drop the treasure of this place down a shaft that likely was supposed to be gone forever. In my case, now, it would just be at the bottom of the body of water we are in. Still likely gone forever for me, but not as dark of a tale as it could be. Focusing on the cord that the plate is tied to, I mentally grab the cord with my Telekinesis and snap it. The minute I do, I get a new system message.
New Skill Gained: Skill Disarm Trap: has risen to level 1. Disarm Trap is a Dexterity, Perception, and Intelligence based skill.
That was it, I disarmed my first trap, and somehow I felt that this was a better use of my skills. Well maybe not skills yet, but this was definitely a better use of my time. Going into dungeons, scouting ahead for monsters, then disarming traps. That was the stuff legends were made of. I realized that by being in a dungeon meant that I would likely have to kill monsters at one time or another, but I felt that could be avoided for a while, especially if I grouped up with a team. Of course, joining a team would likely also cause problems. As a child I would likely be expected to go to one of the major cities of the world, each race had at least one.
Speaking of which, I never checked my personal page.
Name: (Cassie Cruise) –------ Age (flaw): 7 Race (flaw): Shade Touched Dark Elf
Seeing the race, I could only nod to myself. Also, the name in brackets was my real name. I could either keep it or discard it once I first introduce myself.
No what has me concerned is the Shade Touched portion of Dark Elf. I of course didn’t pay any attention to it, as I figured it could be any race of people on the planet given my starting location would be a terrible zone. But given that I was a Shade Touched dark elf, meant I was double, no make that triple screwed.
The Shade touched aspect would explain my dead eyes to people, along with my unusually high rating of Angel’s Sight. The only problem, Dark Elves live underground in the Underdark realm. Also, they pray to the goddess to have their children touched by the Shade. If I was within the Underdark I would likely be seen as a prophet, the only problem is getting to such a location. Logically I knew where most of the main entrances to the Underdark were, but there was only one problem. I didn’t know where I was currently. Nor did I particularly want to be forced into being a Dark Elf. They will betray you, that much is for certain. Actually now that I think about it, all races will betray you if given enough motivation, it is just that most races let you become something first, before betraying you. To Dark Elves, surviving a betrayal is a rite of passage. Not many players willingly choose to be Dark Elves for that very reason. And those that start out as Dark Elves often find their lives cut far shorter than they would have liked.
Still, all of that was a secondary concern. My first concern right now was getting this loot, most of which I know would somehow get out of my clutches. As such, I needed to choose the best gear that would come to under 100 gold coins, thanks to my other flaw Broke.
Focusing on the different types of traps, I worked my way around, disarming each and every different type of trap. Each trap was both unique and relatively simple to solve, especially as I was granted a full 360 degree view of the inner workings of said trap, including possible dummy switches.
Even the (Hard) and (Extremely Hard) to disarm traps were nothing with my skills. Better still, my flaw Broke, seemed to have a cursing aspect to it, one that caused traps to repair themselves that much faster. This was fine, as I used this moment for what it was, a training exercise.
Focusing on identifying the traps when they randomly reset, and working through them again over and over was the way I spent most of the next few hours. Until finally I met my goals:
Skill Alertness: has increased to level 42. Skill Magical Awareness: has increased to level 42. Skill Telekinesis: has increased to level 93. Skill Analyze: has increased to level 17. Skill Trap Detection: has increased: 1 -> 5. Skill Disarm Trap: has increased: 1 -> 10.
Attribute Dexterity has increased to 10.
With Dexterity now at 10 points I was officially at the starting number for my Physical Attributes for a twelve-year-old child. Well everything but my Strength was at 10 points, meaning I still had to work on that, but I had plans for that. For now I just needed to pop into the vault, grab a few of the magic items that have been going off to my senses and then get out.
Poof.
Click.
The second I teleport behind the wall, there was no door, or latch, I checked. The moment I Teleport back there, I find something that sets my skin crawling, another trap.
Of course, I only recognize the trap after I set it off.
Skill Trap Detection has increased to level 6.
Clink, clink, clink, clink.
Coins upon coins can be heard sliding out of the slot and getting dropped below. Moving quickly, I grab for something magical that looks to be a giant cloak of some kind. Then with Telekinesis, I grab a giant oversized shirt of some kind.
I am falling with the treasure. I assume this would normally be a problem, as it would mean plummeting to my death. As for now it is only a mild inconvenience.
At least that is what I thought, until I realize some type of large swimming monsters are coming to inspect what is being dropped from this treasure vault. A vault that was hidden even from greedy dragons. At least I assume they were greedy, as I have seen that most dragons gain sentience they always go for the hoarding of gold. Getting distracted, I quickly grab hold of he cloak and shirt. Idly I look to find a glowing dagger or something, but I only end up finding a few gold coins. Seeing the coins that are about as big as my fist, and no coin purse to hold them in, I realize this is likely a futile gesture.
Mentally taking one last 360 scan of the area, I am about to leave when something shiny catches my eye.
It’s a book.
Not just any book, but a glowing book, meaning it was magical in some way. Skill books I am told often are magical or appear magical. So too are texts related to bestowing traits, though I have never actually seen any video of people actually receiving Traits through tomes. Still, a book.
I am automatically reaching out with my Telekinesis, as my cloak and my shirt are draped over my right arm. This is a book. I don’t even know if I can read yet, but I know I need that book.
Splash.
Money of all kind is dropping down below me. I am performing my best Scrooge McDuck impression and trying to swim against the current of coins. All while pulling the glowing book closer to me.
Drip.
My feet are wet, and just like on the ground I apparently smell really delectable to the creatures in the water, as they all seem to be coming near me. Still, I am reaching out for the book, when.
Rumble.
Something large bumps into the island from underneath.
All I see is red off to the south, as something massive comes up to the island. I really hope it is not another behemoth type monster, I really really hope it is not.
Tingle.
The book begins to tingle the second it makes contact with my skin and that is enough for me to realize I have positive control over the book and jump.
Personal Teleportation.
I can feel a strain on my use as something is attempting to lock me down, something is trying to keep me from using my Trait, but they can’t stop me.
Bump.
The entire island shakes, as I feel cracks and fissures beginning to form in the island.
“Seriously? Is it because this is too much?” I belatedly ask myself. Then thinking about the clothes versus the book, I look first to my left arm the arm now containing the clothes. Then to the right, the one containing the book that all but glows at my touch.
Bump, creak.
With a sigh, I drop my left arm, put both hands around the book then teleport out of the cavern. Below me I can feel the ground breaking apart as the garments I had chosen float on the surface of the water that is now flooding into the chamber. Then I watch as a giant fish comes up and devours the garments whole.
Sigh.
“My clothes.” I say sadly, as I watch the now glowing fish swim away. At this point I wonder if maybe Broke was one too many flaws?
Sighing defeatedly, I collapse back and wait for the rest of the island to get shattered apart and sink into the ocean. Fortunately it manages to stay mostly together, even with a giant hole in the center.
Well that is it, I gave up everything for a book. Granted the book clearly seemed like it was trying to call out to me, but it is still just a book nonetheless.
“Can I read you?” I ask it, as I place my fingers on the pages and feel the all too enchanting feeling of power within the pages. I sadly could not read the book, but fortunately, I didn’t have to as I was met with a system message upon opening the book.
Magic Book Found: A Much Needed Skill Book: This Book grants the bearer one Skill Up to Level 20 of the reader’s request.
“What?” I said sitting up in shock at the book. This was the holy grail of skill books, the make a wish of online gaming. With this skill book I could create, duplicate, or assimilate any skill I could imagine.
Seeing the book, I realized a few things. First I could not read any words or writing on any of the pages. I idly wondered if there was writing on the book, so opening a few pages, I pressed my fingers against the pages, until I found the tell tale signs of quill indentations. Someone had written in this book. At the very least I wondered who had written such a marvel, likely someone lost to time at this point, but someone that should be known all the same.
Realizing I had one chance to do this right, I wished for a skill that I knew I would desperately need in my future. The only problem, is what skill would I be incapable of living without? Then it hit me…