After finishing their lunch, Kit neatly packed up the empty basket and placed it back in his pouch. Turning to Mars with an eager expression, he exclaimed, "Let's go hunt for some MEAT!"
Kit couldn't sit still; he was filled with excitement at the thought of collecting ingredients for tonight's dinner. "First, we need to decide how far we're willing to venture today," Kit said as he started planning their journey. Mars shifted his gaze from Kit to something in front of him, most likely pulling up a menu to help them plan their route.
"We're not in a hurry, so I'm fine with taking a few extra days to reach Flower Field town," Kit replied.
Mars casually traced an imaginary line in the air with his finger. "If we take five days instead of three, we'll have plenty of time to hunt for animals. According to the map, there should be good spots to camp along the way. Our first stop will only be about two hours from here." Mars looked back at Kit after finishing his thought.
"Alright, let's go find some monsters. Any idea where to start?" queried Kit.
"There's a river about an hour from here on the map. That could be a good place to start our hunt," replied Mars.
"Great, let's go get some MEAT!" Kit’s eyes sparkled in anticipation.
"You're such a weirdo, Kit. Most people would say 'let's hunt some monsters'," Mars chuckled at Kit's enthusiasm.
"I'm just excited to level up, gain more skills, and create a new dish." Kit explained.
After an hour of walking along the road, they could hear a faint but continuous roar in the distance. Kit scanned the area for the source of the noise and finally spotted a river. "Mars, do you think that roar is coming from a monster in the river?"
"I'm not sure, but I think it's just the sound of the rushing water. Let's get closer and check it out."
As they approached the river, Kit was surprised by its size. He had imagined a gentle and calm stream, but what lay before him was a raging torrent. Large rocks peeked through the surface as foam formed on top of the rippling water.
The closer they got, the louder the roar became until it was almost deafening. The river was about 50 meters wide, and Kit hoped they wouldn't need to cross it or that there was a sturdy bridge available. One wrong step near the edge and they could easily be swept away by the ferocious current.
Ding!
[CAL]
[Map Found: Fornax Tenacious River]
Rewards: 50 EXP
"This is bigger than I expected!" Kit raised his voice to be heard over the loud rush of the river. The longer he stared at the water, the more uneasy he became. A sense of fear began to creep up on him, causing his heart rate to increase and his palms to sweat.
He wasn't even that close to the river, but it still made him feel anxious and unsettled. Negative emotions swirled inside him, and a tightness formed in his chest. He didn't like this river at all.
"To be honest, I didn't expect it to be this loud either. Luckily, there's a bridge further down that we can cross tomorrow. But I think we'll have to change our camping spot. We won’t be able to sleep otherwise," Mars said absentmindedly, staring off into space once again.
As he waited for Mars to find a new camping spot, Kit looked around and noticed an increase in the density of trees. It wasn't quite a forest, but enough to provide cover from any potential predators. The change must have been gradual since he only just noticed it now.
The longer they stayed near the river, the more anxious Kit became. Sweat formed on his forehead and he felt himself getting dizzy. The memories he tried so hard to keep hidden were resurfacing with every raging surge of the river. His scar throbbed and flashes of the day his mother gave it to him flickered in front of his eyes.
He struggled to breathe as if someone was squeezing all the air out of his lungs. Snowball, sensing Kit's distress, whined softly, and pawed at his leg. As Kit's legs gave out from under him, Snowball climbed onto his chest and nuzzled against his cheek.
The memories faded away with Snowball's comforting touch, but Kit's anxiousness remained. He was grateful for Snowball's distraction from his painful memories.
"Kit, what happened? Are you alright?" Mars asked with concern.
"There's something in the water or maybe the river itself that's causing me to panic. Can we please leave now, Mars? I don't like this river at all." Kit managed to squeeze out the words through trembling lips.
Mars could see that Kit wasn’t doing well. "No problem, let's go."
He helped Kit up and turned him away from the river. Kit stood on shaky legs, and they began to make their way into the trees with Mars' assistance. The further they got from the river, the calmer Kit felt.
Once they were a safe distance away, Kit took deep breaths to calm himself down. "Mars, did you notice anything strange while we were by the river?"
"No, maybe it only affected you. I felt fine. How do you feel now?" Mars ran a worried gaze over Kit.
"I'm better now. Let's just find some monsters to hunt so I can forget about those terrible feelings." A distraction would be welcomed right now.
Mars didn't press any further and went back to staring off into space. "Okay, I found a new spot. Let's head towards our new camping spot and hopefully we'll come across some prey on the way."
Mars fed Pint a beer and they set off once again, both keeping an eye out for any sign of potential targets.
Kit noticed Snowball had begun to sniff around, occasionally letting out a soft snort. Kit wondered if the little dog could help us find some monsters. Dogs have a great sense of smell after all. It couldn't hurt to ask him, right?
Kit bent down and addressed Snowball directly, "Could you find Mars and I a monster to hunt?" Snowball tilted his head to the side, studying Kit for a moment before lifting his nose in the air and sniffing. He proceeded to walk around, sniffing the ground as he went, cute butt stuck in the air.
Eventually, he wandered over to the edge of the dirt path and dug his nose into the dirt. After a soft growl and a yip, Snowball headed off towards the area opposite the river. Kit pulled out his sword just in case Snowball truly understood him and was leading them to a monster.
As they walked, Kit suddenly stopped and turned to Mars, "Um, what should we do with Pint? We can't bring him along, he'll make too much noise." They both pondered this dilemma while staring at the large horse.
Finally, Mars made a suggestion. “Let’s led him over to a tree, I don’t want to tie him to it in case a predator comes along. Honestly, I don’t think he will go anywhere without beer, so it should be safe to leave him without tying him up. What do you think?”
“Well, we can try it,” he also thought Pint would not go far.
With their plan in place, Mars led Pint over to a tree at the edge of the road and gave him some instructions before leaving him behind. The two continued following Snowball further away from the road and the sound of the nearby river slowly faded into the distance.
As they ventured deeper into the field, Snowball began to slow his pace and sniff more frequently. Suddenly, he came to a halt and let out a low growl while looking up at a large tree. Following his gaze, Kit and Mars spotted a massive creature resembling an ape perched among the branches.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
It had a human-like body covered in red-brown fur, a leathery face similar to an ape, and six limbs instead of four. The creature eyed them with curiosity as Snowball continued to growl. Suddenly, the creature roared loudly, startling Kit and Mars.
Its intimidating mouth was filled with rows of sharp white teeth dripping with saliva, and long black spikes protruded from its back. "How should we handle this?" Kit asked, just as a large nut was hurled at his head. He quickly dodged out of the way, barely avoiding being hit.
Ding!
[Skill learnt: sloppy dodge]
The player has the ability to manoeuvre themselves away from incoming hazards. This action could hardly be considered a dodge, more akin to an uncomfortable sidestep.
Agility + 10
"I can't believe it! I finally unlocked the dodge skill!" Kit exclaimed, beaming at the ape-like creature. He gratefully accepted the nut that was tossed to him.
"Thanks for helping me practice," Kit teased, eager to test out his new ability. "These descriptions are starting to get to me though. I hope one day I can find a really good one."
As Kit turned to look at Mars, he noticed a gleam of excitement in his friend's eyes. Confused, he saw Mars pull out five small knives.
"What are you planning?" Kit asked, already knowing the answer.
"We're going to see if we can knock this creature out of the tree," Mars answered with a grin, before throwing the knives one after the other at the creature's hands. Four of them hit their mark, causing the creature to lose its grip on four of its branches.
To Kit's surprise, the creature didn't fall as expected. It held on with its remaining two hands and let out a deafening roar. In response, it pulled out one of the injured hands that had been hit by a knife and brought it to its mouth.
But Mars wasn't deterred. Without hesitation, he ran towards the tree. "Come on down and play!" Mars taunted, determined to bring the creature down.
The tree didn't pose a challenge for Mars as he climbed it effortlessly. His quick and fluid movements showed that he was no stranger to fighting. With precise strikes, he managed to knock the creature's hand, causing it to fall from the tree.
It was clear that Mars was enjoying himself, almost like a predator stalking its prey before delivering the final blow. As Kit watched him, he finally understood why Mars had seemed so happy earlier - he was looking forward to this fight. Realising that he was just standing idly by, Kit prepared himself to join in on the action.
The monstrous ape let out a deafening screech, furious at the injuries inflicted upon it. In that moment of distraction, Kit seized the chance to strike back. He charged forward, wielding his sword with reckless abandon as he slashed and stabbed at the creature.
Although his movements were clumsy in comparison to Mars', he still managed to inflict some wounds. Kit couldn't help but feel like a newborn chick trying to walk for the first time, while Mars soared effortlessly above him in the sky.
- 40 damage
- 40 damage
- 40 damage
The creature bled profusely with each of Kit's wild swings. He was enthralled by the realism of the game as he landed three successful slashes on the monster, watching streams of blood pour from each wound. But just as Kit was starting to feel confident, the monstrous being struck back and sent him flying with a blow to his shoulder.
-65 health
"Damn, that hurt. I need to remember to dodge. I literally just acquired that skill," Kit thought to himself.
Mars gracefully descended from the tree above them. "Ahh, show off. He makes it look so effortless." Thought Kit.
Kit regained his balance and jumped back into the fray.
"Target different weak points on the monster with your attacks, Kit. I'll keep it distracted while you practice," Mars instructed.
"How do you know its weak points?" Kit questioned.
"Observe where more damage is taken, what causes loss of mobility, how it moves and attacks. Then you can attack with greater precision, inflict more damage, and conserve stamina," Mars replied.
Kit noticed that Mars was merely playing with the monster at this point. "How skilled is he already? Playing sports my foot. It doesn't justify this insane level of expertise," Kit marvelled.
Together, Kit and Mars attacked from opposite sides of the monster, dividing its attention. Kit kept one eye on its arms and another on the sharp spikes on its back, timing his strikes when the creature was focused on Mars. With each hit, Kit could feel his blade slice through the monster's skin.
They were surprised by their seamless teamwork as they chipped away at the creature's health. However, Kit couldn't help but notice that Mars bore the brunt of the monster's attacks while he only had to focus on offence.
After some time, Kit observed that two of the monster's hands were always on the ground, making them vulnerable targets for attack. He focused his strikes on those hands, feeling his control over the blade improve with each hit. Eventually, they were able to immobilise the creature after damaging all six of its limbs.
With their coordinated efforts, they were able to defeat the monster at last.
Ding!
[Six Limbed Apelop Killed]
75 experience.
2 x Six Limbed Apelop meat.
“Yes, MEAT. Hopefully, we'll find more of these creatures to battle and gather resources from.” Kit turned to Snowball, hoping for a positive response from the little fluff ball. Snowball let out an excited bark in agreement.
Kit wiped the sweat off his forehead; the fight had definitely been a workout. He glanced at Mars and couldn't help but feel a bit envious of his seemingly effortless fighting skills. "He's really good at this," Kit thought with a hint of longing. Before leaving, Kit picked up the nut that was thrown at him and used his identification skill on it.
[Monkey brain nut]
"These look like they'll be useful too," Kit showed Mars, holding up a handful of nuts he had gathered from the forest floor.
"I'll climb the tree and see if I can shake some more down," Mars responded, quickly scaling the trunk and violently shaking its branches. A downpour of nuts showered them from above, allowing Kit to collect them and store them in his pouch.
They continued on their journey, alternating between fighting Six Limbed Apelops, gathering nuts, and following Snowball. After their seventh encounter with an Apelop, Kit had mastered the art of killing them efficiently. Satisfied with their progress, it was time to head back to Pint.
Pint was still happily grazing on the grass where they had left him. "At least we know he won't wander off," Kit chuckled.
"Yeah, unless there's a river of beer nearby," added Mars, giving Pint a pat on the head before heading towards the nearby camping ground.
After an hour's walk, they stopped at a small clearing amongst the trees that Mars deemed suitable for camping. "This looks like a good spot," he said, gesturing towards the clearing. "It's far enough away from the river so we don't have to listen to its constant sound."
Kit was relieved that his initial fear of the river had disappeared. Now they had a camping spot it was time to set up the camp. Mars untied Pint's lead rope and let him graze freely while Snowball continued to explore the campsite.
Kit unpacked a large dark green wooden box with a yellow button on top - their tent for the night.
Kit had forgotten to ask Boots for instructions, but he hoped using the tent would be easy. He stared at the yellow button, hoping that pushing it was all he needed to do. Taking a deep breath, Kit reached out and pressed the button, hearing a faint click.
The box hummed and glowed in a soft blue light as Kit stepped back to avoid getting hit by the unfolding tent. As he waited with anticipation, the dark green box split apart and unrolled itself onto the ground, forming a large square covered in thick plastic material. Kit couldn't help but think it resembled regular camping tents he had seen before.
Slowly, the tent began to take shape into a dome with a zipped door and an awning in front. Kit marvelled at his purchase and couldn't resist boasting about his purchase. “Look at this baby. It was definitely worth the money. It is magic, looks great, plus it saves a mountain of time and well!”
“You brought a self-assembled tent? Why didn’t you get a basic one, they are much cheaper.” Queried Mars.
Kit defended his purchase, “Who would want to assemble it yourself when it can be done by magic!”
Mars chuckled “I should have known you wouldn’t go past anything magic. I bet the guy in the store was excited to see you, he would’ve had coins blazing in his eyes.”
Kit decided to ignore Mars, he was too excited to see his next magical purchase. He pulled out a large wooden trunk from his bag containing a magic camping kitchen, knowing Mars would laugh at him for it. But Kit couldn't resist the thrill of unravelling another magical item and felt his heart flutter with excitement.
“Oh, Kit you really can’t pass up magic items.” As Mars laughed uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face, Kit thought to himself that this was just like ripping off a band-aid quickly - get the laughter over with and enjoy the magic afterwards.
Kit ignored Mars once again, focused on setting up the camping kitchen he had brought along. Just like the tent, the wooden trunk also had a bright yellow button on its side. Kit pushed it and heard a soft click, followed by a gentle hum as the trunk started to glow in a soft blue light. Kit stepped back to avoid getting caught in the assembly process, watching as the lid opened and the sides collapsed into a rectangular shape on the ground.
As the rectangle rose and formed into a bench that was Kit's waist height, a bright blue light momentarily blinded him. When his vision returned, he saw that the trunk had transformed into a stone oven with cupboards on either side.
"Hey Mars, look at this!" Kit exclaimed, thrilled with his new discovery. But Mars was too busy laughing at him to respond.
Unable to contain his excitement any longer, Kit ran his hands over the smooth surface of the stove top. It was cool to the touch, with a dull blue-grey colour and flecks of white resembling polished river stones. The stove top had four round circles set into it.
Kit's eyes wandered down to the glass oven door that pulled down to open, and then to the cupboards made from matching wood and stone as the stove. On top of each cupboard were cutting boards that could be used for food preparation.
Kit couldn't believe his luck - he had his very own magic stove and camping kitchen right here in front of him! With a huge grin on his face, he opened one of the cupboards to find pots and pans of various sizes, then another drawer filled with cooking utensils.
Feeling like he was floating with excitement, Kit couldn't resist exploring the opposite cupboards as well. In one he found tableware and in the other, table utensils.
"Oh my gosh," Kit exclaimed in amazement, "magic truly is incredible! It's almost like having a whole kitchen in this compact set." He couldn't wait to start using all the equipment.