"JohnWillStab: Well... at least we can get the apple quest done..."

"Bonifacius: Indeed, it is regrettable that we were not able to claim the experience for that quest!"

Bonifacius used the /sigh emote

Bonifacius sighs

The group was making their way towards the town of Duskvill, the only big town in the zone they were in, it served as a quest-hub for most of the levelling journey.

Soon they reached the large wooden palisades which served as the town's wall.

"JohnWillStab: Right, I'll wait for you outside of the town..."

John said playing the /sit emote near the walls, he would still be a target for the guard’s if he followed Bonifacius inside.

"Bonifacius: Alright, I shall return soon!"

Bonifacius walked into the town leaving JohnWillStab standing around bored, he started looking around, careful not to get too close to the guards guarding the gate.

He was surprised by an NPC he didn't see before, it was a dark blue, almost black cat, with white paws and a white tip of the tail.

JohnWillStab approached the cat, only for it to flee into the bushes and out of sight.

"JohnWillStab: Hey, are there usually cats in this zone? "

John sent the message to Bonifacius through private chat.

"Bonifacius: No, there aren't, have thous spotted one?"

“JohnWillStab: Yeah, it's dark blue, like almost black with white paws. It just ran off when I walked up to it...”

"Bonifacius: Follow it! Perhaps it's a secret enemy!"

"JohnWillStab: I think I'd rather wait for you to come back..."

"Bonifacius: Fear not friend, I shall track you down in no time, I'm having trouble finding the quest giver..."

"JohnWillStab: Isn't he where you got the quest from him in the first place?"

"Bonifacius: You see, there is a bit of a problem... gaze upon the local chat..."

JohnWillStab looked at the local chat, only to see a person screaming in all caps about "Taking over this f@!king inn" and killing every quest NPC unless you accept his rule and the independence of the nation of Boopnsnootopia, while three others worked as his bodyguards.

"Boopnsnootn: YOU MOTHER F!@#ERS WILL ACKNOWLEDGE ME AS YOUR KING!"

"Rootn': ...k"

"Tootin': ...right"

"Shootin': ...kk"

"Bonifacius: I shall try and solve this peacefully..."

“What kind of game let’s player do that!?” John questioned.

"JohnWillStab: Right well, good luck with that... guess I'll go chase the cat..."

JohnWillStab headed towards the bush where the cat ran off to, a "meow" was heard as the cat ran off further before turning back and facing John.

"JohnWillStab: Are you leading me somewhere, cat?"

Surprisingly, the NPC cat didn't reply, in fact it’s quite common for most cats to communicate exclusively through chaotic acts of destruction, like knocking stuff over, stepping in your food and kicking it everywhere as they walk, or make sure your house is a cold as possible by jumping on the door handle to open the door and leaving it open as they go for a midnight stroll to their daily satanic meet-ups.

When John approached the cat it ran off again, but this time he was knocked back, from above a massive spider dropped onto him, instantly is started casting Web Spin stopping JohnWillStab from moving, he looked through his skill bar seeing that he had no ranged abilities, luckily for him the spider was dumb enough to try and approach him.

As soon as it approached close enough to attack the spider's fangs turned green as it started casting Paralysis Posion.

Quickly John cast Gut Punch breaking the spell-casting and allowing him to continue with his attack - Kick Kick Slash Slash routine.

With surprisingly little health lost on John's part, the spider died dropping a Duskvenom Dagger, the weapon inflicted damage every one second which is equivalent to your level, this effect lasts thirty seconds,

Stolen novel; please report.

The weapons themselves looked like solid white daggers with veiny, green tendrils coiled around the blade.

John equipped the dagger, he couldn't wait to tell Bonifacius about his newly acquired weapon.

The spider also dropped Weak Antivenom the flavour text reading it will cure common paralysis.

John proceeded to approach the cat.

"JohnWillStab: Thanks for the help, cat!"

As expected the cat ran off as another spider fell down from the tree...

About twenty minutes later...

"JohnWillStab: Ok... that was worse than expected... thank god undead are resistant to poisons..."

Thanks to the fact you can't poison an undead JohnWillStab saved up about twenty or so weak antivenoms...

The cat made a different "meow" noise as into view came an NPC, it was a child passed out on the ground, seemingly tied up with web, John would assume it's dead if not for the fact it had a breathing animation. 

The cat walked up to the boy and sat down staring at JohnWillStab.

"JohnWillStab: Damn, the devs really wanted to pull on our heartstrings... cats, kids what's next...."

JohnWillStab walked up to the kid and right-clicked them which removed the web, the moment the kid was released he stood up.

"Lost Child: Where am I?"

John was placed into a dialogue tree where he had to choose one of a few replies to what the NPC said.

"JohnWillStab: You are in Grimwood, you were attacked by spiders..."

Lost Child looks around.

"Lost Child: Did you see my cat?"

"JohnWillStab: Yes, it led me to you."

Lost Child: Can you help me find her?

"JohnWillStab: Go f!@k yourself, kid."

he clicked the wrong dialogue option by accident...

"Lost Child: Oh, alright... I'll go look by myself... thanks for the help anyway..."

JohnWillStab left the dialogue tree and watched in horror and guilt as the child was limping their way into the forest, clearly walking into a spider which proceeded to bite the child and wrap him up in webs before walking way.

"JohnWillStab: IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! WHO PUT THAT IN A DIALOGUE TREE ANYWAY?!"

JohnWillStab rushed over to the wrapped up child and untied him, the child stood up and initiated another dialogue tree...

"Lost Child: You came back to help me?"

"JohnWillStab: Yes - I'll help you find your cat."

"Lost Child: Alright... I think she was trying to scare the spiders away before I fell unconscious."

JohnWillStab clicked space by accident which triggered the first option...

"JohnWillStab: The cat died because of you, it's all your fault, you are a disappointment to us all, go get eaten by a spider, nevermind - you could make it get infected with the failure."

Lost Child breaks down into tears and runs off...

"JohnWillStab: ... the devs did this on purpose... didn't they?!"

JohnWillStab chased after the kid who was now running into a large ravine which was littered with spider webs and skeletons.

Just before the kid fell into the hole he went limp and fell down, it was the poison from the spiders, however, JohnWillStab was already running towards the kid and didn't stop in time, as a result, both of them fell down into the web.

When they landed JohnWillStab immediately looked to the kid and saw he was still breathing, he walked up to the child and right clicked them, then he used the weak antivenom in his bag, the child gave off some sparks and particles but didn't do anything else.

"JohnWillStab: S#!t, this has got to be the solution to this! I have the weak antivenom, it's got to have a purpose!"

JohnWillStab used another antivenom which had no effect.

"JohnWillStab: Don't tell me the antivenom is too weak! Why make the spiders drop it!?"

The cat appeared by the child's side, looking at John once more.

"JohnWillStab: Cat! Can you lead me to the cure?!" the cat didn't reply, surprisingly, but as soon as John took a step forward the cat walked away, he followed the cat.

The cat led John into a cavern in the side of the ravine, over a bridge of web and bones, he stepped inside carrying the child with the /carry command, or was it /lift?

The cat led the man to a large open chamber, cracks in the walls served as windows in the side of the ravine. 

Inside, amongst the forest of stalagmites and stalagtites, the cloud-like webs and a river of putrid water John saw a large spider, it was about three times the size of the normal spider, which was already the size of a human.

John /dropped the kid and ran in towards the spider, instantly it cast Venomous Spit which released an actual wave of green slime which barely did any damage to JohnWillStab.

He unleashed Slash after Slash and Kick after Kick, the health of the enemy slowly lowering, but even if the poison didn't harm JohnWillStab, the constant biting and the spider smashing its legs into him did, his health now around the halfway mark.

The spider started casting another spell, Consume Flesh the spider rushed past John and towards the kid, Gut Punch John stopped the ability and unleashed another few attacks as the green particles around the kid got thicker.

The spider fell down, a puddle of green slime pooling under its jaw as well as chunks of meat, bones and the mostly decomposed body of a cat with blue fur and white paws.

John turned to the cat which sat beside the kid and hovered over it realising its type was 'Undead'

In his inventory was a single Strong Antivenom which he used on the child causing the green particles to disappear and the child to stand up.

"JohnWillStab: Good... thank f@!k..."

"Lost Child: What's happening? Where are we?!"

The kid rushed over to the body of the cat and began to sob.

JohnWillStab approached the kid and right-clicked him to initiate the conversation - he was thinking which of the three replies was the best to choose...

1: "It's alright - I'll bring you back to the town..."

2: "Stop crying over an animal - let's get going before you get poisoned again..."

3: "//TODO: Steve - add something funny for the third dialogue option."

"JohnWillStab: It's alright - I'll bring you back to the town..."

"Lost Child: ...alright..."

JohnWillStab left the ravine and went back through the forest, he dropped the kid off near the town gates where his character burst into more bright lights as he levelled up to level 3.

Next, he was approached by the cat who sat down beside him, "The cat offers to become your companion, do you accept?", he clicked accept.

"What do you wish to name your companion?" the message was accompanied by an input box with a 40 character limit.

He proceeded to name the cat: "Arachnophobia"

Achivement unlocked! : Can I keep it?

Achivement unlocked! : Name a pet!

John looked down and saw that he had a new spell, Dagger Parry which, when active, gave the user a chance to block melee attacks that use weapons, the parry chance started at 40% and drops down every second of combat to a minimum of 5%, the chance of parrying a user who is 10 or more levels above you is always 1% as oppose to the usual 0.1,

He clicked the icon and it became highlighted, he guessed it was similar to Olivionion's projectile dodge.

"JohnWillStab: I wonder what Bonifacius is up to..."

In a private chat box, JohnWillStab messaged Bonifacius.

"JohnWillStab: Hey, did you manage to quell the inn-rebellion?"

"Bonifacius: Indeed! Twas a long battle, but alas I think I have solved the issue!"

"JohnWillStab: Cool, well I got a pet!"

"Bonifacius: Thou have found a companion?! That's great!"

"JohnWillStab: Yeah, I had to go through this whole quest, what about you?"

"Bonifacius: Well.... thou see..."

Bonifacius started telling the story of what happened in the inn during JohnWillStab’s spider adventure.

[https://i.imgur.com/SUglYpw.png]