This was bad. While I knew in a detached way that I’d be fine from this hit—scratch that, I’d be crushed into a pulped, then reconstituted by the system into a form that resembled fine—it was what came after that worried me. I only had two shots left with my stun wands until they went on cooldown, and I wasn’t sure that would be enough to take the golem down.
If it wasn’t, I’d just have to retreat again. Frustrating, but not the end of the world. More irritating was wasting my second chance so early into this fight. Nothing I could do about it though, not with my back against the literal wall. Nowhere to retreat, no time to run.
I stared upward, helpless. The golem’s fists swung down—and miraculously missed me.
At the last second the monster shifted so that it was a good five feet or so away from me. Broken cement floor blasted into the air where the monster hit, showering me in shrapnel, but I remained perfectly fine.
The sudden change in fate caught me so off-guard I let a surprised bark slip out. Another bark answered it, this one higher pitched, excited. I glanced around.
[Hi there, other dog!] Zapper said, zipping by to nip at the monster’s legs. The attack did nothing, but got the golem to turn away from me as it roared after the short-legged terror.
[Zapper? What are you—never mind.] I could figure out the why later. Taking advantage of the sudden advantage, I let loose with my stun wands. The golem froze, back bent over in the act of raising its fists over its head.
With the most immediate threat immobilized, I pulled open my inventory and started chewing my way through cores. It took six before I felt like none of my internal organs were bleeding anymore, and even then I wasn’t back to 100%. Was it taking more cores to heal, or was I just that damaged?
A question for later. Already the golem was stirring again. It smashed its fists down into the floor, then stood there, appearing confused as to where Zapper had gone. I took the opportunity to hit it with my final stun.
Then I launched onto its back. This one didn’t have as many places for my paws to find purchase as the first had, but I made the best of it. Clambering ever higher, I found the gray gem in nearly the exact same spot. My Claw Slash had come off cooldown, so it was a simple matter to loosen the skin a little and give my teeth better purchase.
I bit down and pulled. The gem stubbornly stayed put. I dug in my forepaws and tried to find purchase. It was the goo-zombies all over again, only this time a single bite wouldn’t solve the problem. I needed that gem!
As I tugged and tugged, I felt the golem stir beneath me. No! I need. Just. Another. Moment! My teeth were clamped on the gem like a vise, but it wouldn’t pull loose.
With a roar, the golem snatched me by the tail and hurled me away. As it did so, the gem ripped from its back like a loose tooth, and the force of the monster’s throw evaporated as it fell to pieces. I tumbled through the air, the gem still lodged between my teeth, landing in an unceremonious pile about five feet away.
At least I avoided any falling shrapnel this time.
Letting the gem drop, I panted in relief. Another victory message scrolled across my vision.
You have defeated: Rubble Golem (Advanced) — Level 8
300 XP, 1 Common Core, and one Yellow Quality Loot Box awarded.
Hey, a bit better this time. It almost made up for the pain and suffering the monster had caused me. At least Zapper had escaped unharmed.
Speaking of, where had that dog gotten to?
As the dust cleared, Zapper came prancing up, his tail wagging furiously. [I got experience, other dog! Four hundred points! Is that good?]
[Yes, Zapper, that’s good.] I sat on my haunches, applied a final core to heal my wounds, and scanned for further threats. Another golem was roaring about a few rows away, but it had yet to make visual contact with us. I watched the yellow dot move further towards the back of the store.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
That was interesting about the difference in experience we each gained. I’d started to get a feel for how this system worked, and this battle finally confirmed it: experience seemed dependent on the level difference between the user and the monster. Higher level monsters meant more experience, and lower level monsters meant no experience. Each level seemed to be separated by an even hundred XP.
Honestly, it didn’t seem fair that a monster five levels above me meant a comparatively small gain in experience earned. Perhaps it was the system’s way of keeping us from punching above our collar.
Ultimately, it didn’t matter, other than if I could find a large group of relatively weak monsters, they were worth more of my time than a single bigger monster. At least where experience was concerned.
Putting the matter aside for now, I turned to Zapper. [Alright, what are you doing here? Did Crunch send you?]
[You mean the Captain? Why would he send me?] Zapper tilted his head and looked at me curiously.
[I don’t know, maybe because I was insubordinate and then fled into the night?] Huh. Now that I said it out loud, my actions back at the taco shop didn’t exactly look great in hindsight.
Zapper just continued to stare at me. Finally, I sighed. [If not because of Crun... of the Captain, then why are you here?]
[To help!] The little dog jumped a few times and let out an excited bark. I glanced nervously towards the back of the store. [You’re my friend, other dog, and friends help each other!]
[That’s—] I honestly didn’t know how to react to that. [You sure you want to come along? It could be dangerous.]
[Don’t worry, I’ll protect you other dog!]
[I meant... you know what? Thanks, Zapper. Any protection is appreciated.] The other dog’s tail began to wag furiously. [Do you promise to do what I tell you, if we get into a fight?]
After a confirming nod from Zapper, I set about planning our next move. I knew what his abilities were, so I just had to decide the best way to utilize them. He’d already proven his class skill was best saved for a pinch, but what about the rest?
While I’d reviewed all of the pack’s various skills, I’d never paid much attention to the rest of their sheets. Rectifying that now, I pulled up the party screen to study further.
Name: Zapper
Race: Canid (Advanced)
Class: Heeler
Level: 4
XP: 1,800/3,000
-Equipment-
Collar: Ratty Collar (lv 3)
Left Front Leg: *Empty*
Right Front Leg: *Empty*
Left Back Leg: *Empty*
Right Back Leg: *Empty*
-Racial Skills-
Skill 1: Night Vision
Skill 2: Enhanced Smell
Skill 3: Song of the Night
Skill 4: Fast Twitch
-Class Skills-
Skill 1: Guiding Nip 1 (52%)
-Stats-
Power: 3
Speed: 15
Agility: 21 (+6)
Presence: 2
Mind: 3
Points Available: 0
Unfortunately, just like with Prometheus, Zapper wasn’t exactly built for a direct fight. His Power was absolutely abysmal, and he didn’t have any direct offensive capabilities. With his high Agility and that Fast Twitch skill, he was best for keeping enemies distracted, and maybe a few harrying attacks on their flanks.
[If you manage to level tonight, I want you to put all available points into Power, you understand?] I waited for him to nod, then pulled six cores out of my inventory and dropped them at his paws. [Take these and apply them to your collar. Might as well get the maximum benefit out of it.]
[Thanks for the help, friend!] Zapper darted forward and licked my face a few times before I could stop him. The cores disappeared, and a moment later his collar flashed.
[All good!]
With that taken care of, I started in the direction of the next golem, only to stop as my foot crunched onto something. I glanced down and saw the gem from the golem reflecting the distant moonlight between my toes.
No sooner had I looked at it than words filled my vision.
Golem Gem
Quest Item
New quest available!
From Beneath You It Devours — Part 1
This ancient ruin is crawling with golems. The only question is: why? Delve deep beneath the earth and locate the source behind their mysterious appearance. Be wary though, lest you find yourself buried beneath a mound of rubble from which there is no escape.
Task: Collect (5) golem gems
Time limit: 24 Hours
Reward: 250 XP, Yellow Quality Loot Box
[Hey, I got a quest, other dog!] Zapper barked. [What does it mean?]
[Just dismiss it. I got one, too.] I added the gem to my inventory, then hunted around for the one the first golem dropped. After I found it, a new bar appeared in the corner of my vision, showing (2/5 gems).
Alright, it seemed like there was more to this place than just a couple of golems to kill. Though I wasn’t exactly sure where the system got off calling this an ‘ancient ruin’. Must be a similar case to the goblins, with the story not quite matching reality.
But the rewards, those were very much real, and I wanted them.
[Onward, then,] I said, padding towards the next row of shelves. Behind me, Zapper let out an excited bark.
[Okay, other dog!]
[You can just call me... you know what? Never mind.]