(Max)
Slimies! Everywhere! Max happy! No, no, no! Me happy! Me happy! Boss tell Max 'kill Slimies, no hold back', so Max be free to kill lots and lots of Slimies! First, though, me need find Gold-rival, want make a competition between us!
See who get more kills! Loser buy winner food! Yes! Max like that idea! Got from Boss, me did!
Now, me be waiting at Dark Temple for Gold-rival. No be able enter, since not Dark Knight. Not yet. Feel tail wagging at excitement of Max one day be Dark Knight like Boss and Gold-rival! Need stop tail. Adult wolfies no wag tails. Me be kid, so it be okay, me know. Not that me care much. Me think it be why Luca-friend sometimes try touch it.
Me be sad Luca-friend no touch more. Me like when he does. One day, Max will get Luca-friend to wash Max's tail! One day. One day for sure! Me know it!
"Max!" Boss exclaims. Me look at him. He on sigil. "What are you doing here?"
"Training!" Me answer.
Tail waggy-waggy again. Bad tail!
"You're training at the Dark Temple?" Boss ask.
"No!" Max shake head. "Me gonna challenge Gold-rival! He take long time show up, though. Me be calling for few minutes, he not show up."
"Gold's not home," Boss snorts. "He's doing errands in town. He has a job, Max. One that pays him for doing it. Remember?"
"Riiiight!" Max now remember. "Me ask Gold later if he want challenge! Bye, Boss!"
Me then leave and make way to fields, where lots and lots of Slimies are! Time to fight!
"Fire-!" Max stop self. Almost cast all Fireballs possible again.
No good. Not training like that! Max need be lots more serious if me wants gold from Boss! Deep breaths, Max! Only enough Fireballs kill Slimes! Hm. How much Health Slimy have?
Copper Slime Level 2 Health: 193 Mana: 51
Hm. Max no be able kill that. Not yet. Fireball only take out 13 Health if no Willpower. Slimies have Willpower. Max-Fireball do maybe 5 Health away? Hm. What be what Boss say here?
"Find something weaker, you dolt!"
Yes! Max find something weaker! Look around, find Level 1 Copper Slime!
Copper Slime Level 1 Health: 82 Mana: 23
That be weaker! Max think Max do 9 Health away. Max be able cast eight Fireballs! Real proud of that! Max not know math, though. What be Boss say there?
"You would take out around 70-75 Health from it."
Right! That be why Max always use knife kill Copper Slimies! Knife need replace lots, though. Slimies do lots damage to knife. Max have money! Maybe Max get better knife, come back? Last longer? Max need Mana, too. How long be it take cast Fireball if no Mana?
What be what Boss say?
"It would take you two minutes and five seconds to generate the full amount of Mana needed to cast a single Fireball."
Yes, that be right. Two minute sound right. Boss very smart. Max need only one more kill of special Slimies to reach Level 2, me think. Then, Max have 17 Wisdom, so 170 Mana! Only ten more. Hm. Then it be take one minute and fifty-eight seconds? Yes, that be what Boss would say, and Boss always be right, so it definitely be right.
+1 Intellect!
Ooh! Max gain more magic power! Me be happy! Now me need figure out what me will do. Yeah, Max do that, now.
Slimy decides first. It attack. Jump at Max. Me swat it away and scold it, then hit with Fireball and staff.
"Bad Slimy!" Me say. "Max not gonna kill you yet, but now will! Bad!"
Me smack with staff again, then attack with more Fireballs. Kill Slimy! Yay! Max also got 1 copper from it. Now have four silver and twenty-two copper. Not enough for more than four Mana Potions, but that not restore much Mana, no it don't.
Since Max now need rest and recover Mana, me sit in tree and wait. Am now Level 2 Novice Elementalist! Woo!
Oooh! Me just thought up game! Slimy get close, then me attack with Fireball! Need wait until Mana back up and Slimy get close. Both need be together, or game will no work. What be what Boss say?
"Patience is a virtue, Max. Learn to wait and stalk your target. Then, at the last moment, pounce and kill. If it dies too easily, in too few hits, it's too weak to earn you Experience."
Boss be very wise. That be good advice. Hm. Max just notice, but Boss use 'to' a lot. Where that go in sentence? I dunno. Will figure out later. For now, stare at Slimy and hope it get close enough kill.
Oooh! To kill! That be what Boss would say, right?
"Wait until the opponent is close enough to kill, then do so, so long as you know you can kill it and not die in the process."
Yes! That be how it used! That be right! Okay. So now wait for Slimy get close enough to kill. Now Max wait. Not very patient, but need wait. To wait. Need to wait.
As soon Slimy close by, Max hold up hands.
"Fireball fury!" Max unleash all Fireballs possible, one after other, and they all hit Slimy.
Or it be the Slimy? Which be it? What be what Boss say?
"All of the Fireballs hit the Slime, Max, but you didn't kill it. Now, it's running away. If you want the Experience and the loot, you need to go and finish it off."
"Yes, Boss!" Max salute, then hop out of tree and attack Slimy with staff, kill Slimy. "Woo!"
Max jump back into tree, wait until Mana back full. Back to full. To! To full! Bad Max! Back to full! There me go! Back to full!
Back Max's Mana be back to full, me fight another Slimy! Me keep doing so, until lunch. Last kill before lunch, Fireball go up a Level! Yay! But time eat. To eat. Time to eat. Yes, it be time to eat, so me no know how much damage it do. What be what Boss say?
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"It does twenty percent of your Intellect as damage per Level of the Skill, so it would do eighty percent. You have 24 Intellect, so it will take out 19 Health before factoring in their Willpower resistance."
Oooh! Boss so smart! Yes, that be what happen, then, if Boss say it be! So Max take out 19 Health if they be have no Willpower! Max also able to cast eight Fireballs, and…
Oh. Max not very efficient. Max always cast all Fireballs at once. Me think… that maybe wrong? Slimy need only five, maybe six, to die? Level 1 Copper Slimy, anyway.
Me think over that as me eat sandwiches. Boss made them for Max! Me no like Boss work for Max, but think maybe Boss be Boss, not Master, and Boss just be Boss. Yeah. That make lots of sense. He always say we be team. Maybe teams make food for each other, even if they be the team Boss?
That makes more sense, now Max think about it! Okay! Max no longer upset Boss try cook! Boss be part of team, too, even if he be team Boss!
When me finish eating, me look at Slimy on ground. Silver Slime!
Silver Slime Level 1 Health: 221 Mana: 43
Those be a little harder to kill than Copper Slimies. Level 2… Max no fight one before. Only Level 1 Silver Slimies. Level 1 Silver Slimies resist 10 Damage from Fireballs! Max not be able to kill Silver Slimies yet. Must wait for it to be gone, then go back kill Copper Slimies!
So me wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. It takes forever for the Silver Slimy to leave. Twenty minutes! Me not like that. Not at all. But it be gone, now, so me need wait more for another Slimy to arrive.
It be a few more minutes before a Level 1 Copper Slime be in range. It be having 86 Health. If me Fireballs take 15 Health each, then that be six attacks! That be leave Max with two more Fireballs, so me able to recover faster. That be good!
"Fireball fury!" Max exclaim, shooting Fireballs.
Oops. Shot all. Nooo! Need wait again. No be excited, Max! Bad! Bad! Bad! Now need wait until Mana full again! No, that not be right! Now need wait until… how much Mana be six attacks? What be what Boss say?
"It costs 20 Mana per Fireball, and you can kill it with six as long as its Health is less than 90, you get a direct hit, and its willpower doesn't negate more than four damage. It takes 120 Mana to cast six Fireballs, so it would take you twelve and a half minutes to recover enough Mana from empty to the required a mount. It would be best to have an additional Fireball just in case you didn't hit it well enough, so that would be 140 Mana. It would take you fourteen minutes and thirty-five seconds to recover that much Mana."
"Okay, Boss!" Max say, then look at Mana bar. "Oh! Me think Boss wrongly! Sorry, Boss! Max have 170 Mana, not 160!"
What be what Boss say how long it takes?
"At 170 Mana as your max, that means you would recover zero-point-one-seven Mana per second instead of zero-point-one-six. Instead of fourteen minutes and thirty-five seconds, it would take you approximately thirteen minutes and forty-four to recover enough Mana from empty to enough to cast seven Fireballs. Since you have 10 Mana leftover from your Fireball fury that depleted you entirely, it will take you approximately twelve minutes and forty-five seconds from when you finished casting."
"Okay, Boss!"
Me continue to wait, only jump out of tree after Mana high enough. No want wait too long, and if me wait in tree for Slimies to come, then it be take much longer. That be for sure. So now hunt Level 1 Copper Slimies!
When Mana empty, me decide to kill rats with knife, that way, me get Ruffian Experience, too! Plus, rats are yummy! Me hope Gavin get no scared of them soon! Then, we eat rat feast! Hunt rats together! Me like that idea.
Hm. Did Boss hunt rats in old life? Before he die and come to Boundary? To the Boundary? That be question to ask. Yes, definitely ask. Maybe not? He not talk about old life, only new.
Me shake me head, then stalk towards rocks. Me sense prey! Oh, but me maybe get blood on tunic! Boss not happy when Max do that with the rat me chased Gavin with. Boss made Max scrub blood out of tunic. It took forever to do! Me no like that!
So me stand and pull off tunic, then send into Inventory. There! No tunic on, just chest! Me get blood on chest, easy scrub in bath! Now that tunic no get blood on it if me kill rats, me return to stalking toward rocks.
No use Skills require Mana, or won't be able use against Slimies soon. That leaves… what be left? Hm. Intimidate and taunt both work. Ooh! And howl!
"Arwoooo!" Me howl, then hear rats scampering.
Four big rats climb out of rocks, run in different directions. A chase! Max love this game! Max pull out knife, chase after closest rat. It squeals as me attack, cutting into its back. Woo! Dead rat! Now chase after another! Where be-there!
Chaaaarge!
Me chase after second rat, jumping into air and landing over it, knife in back of neck! This one be dead, too! Yay! Sneak attack! After me kill other two rats, me go back to hunting for more! Rats love play chase with Max! Always die, they not good at chase.
When Mana restored to 140 Mana, Max look for nearest Level 1 Copper Slimy. 83 Health. Perfect!
"Fireball fu-" me start, but stop and shake head. No do that. Be calm. Boss want me be calm, me sure. "Fireball!"
Yeah, be careful when casting. First Fireball hits Slimy.
"Fireball!" Me cast second Fireball, and it be hit Slimy, too. "Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!"
All six Fireballs hit Slimy, which tried running. Max need adjust aim. Not as fun as shooting all Fireballs at once. No way, fey! Time return hunting rats until able cast Fireball seven times again!
Two hour and half after lunch, Max reach Novice Level 3! Super happy! Boss say it probably slow down more, even with Max be kill special Slimies. Maybe only reach Level 4 before Boss return. But Max want hit Level 5, just so me can say 'look, Boss! Did more!' and maybe earn ear-scratches for being better than goal!
Think of goal, Max need learn others, too. Boss say Level 2, Max aim for Level 3! Max need beat Boss goal. He said Level 4 Novice Elementalist, Level 4 Fireball, and Level 2 Waterball, Stone Spike, and Wind Spike. If Max manage beat that, Boss maybe pat head and give ear scratches!
By time that me stop for dinner, Max hungry. Really hungry. So me return to Maelnor, but at gates, me think. No one like bloody Max, me think. Max know many adventurer come into Cities covered in blood of the monsters they be kill before and need clean and polishing. But maybe that only works for non-beastborn? Maybe beastborn better not come in bloody?
So Max pull on tunic, so that me not look as bloody as Max be. There! Still bloody, but-nooo! Max got blood on tunic! Bad Max! Oh, well. Me need scrub clean tonight, then.
With big sigh, Max enter Maelnor, walk home. Not see much on way. This part of Maelnor be abandoned, most be live in center or be live near the south gate. Oh. Max need not put tunic on to hide blood.
Max so stupid. Max need do best to get smarter. Yes, Max do.
When Max get home, Max go straight to laundry room and pull off clothes, then start scrubbing with soap Boss put here. Boss said it be for everyone to use, not just him, so it be okay. He said it be the team's soap, not his.
After lots of scrubbing, no more blood be on clothes, so Max hang clothes to dry, then go to bath and scrub self clean. After me clean, Max sit in bath and relax. It be no fun without Luca or Boss here. Luca always be trying touch Max tail, though he seem to forget that he be trying. That make Max sad. Boss like talk with Max during bath, too.
Bath be boring without Boss and Luca, so Max climb out after forever, dry off, and dress in clean, dry clothes. Not clothes drying, but clothes in Inventory. Well, they used be in Inventory, not they be on Max!
Now that Max be clean and dry, me go to kitchen and make dinner. No big meal, since it just be me. Aurum be across street, but he be by self. Boss said Great Normar left for additional training, too. Even he need train at times!
After thinking long and hard, Max make burgers! Me like burgers, so make them! Max make two burgers, both for Max! Buns, big patties, and cheese! Boss also like eat onion and pickles on his burgers, but Max no be rabbit! Vegetables are blech! Only eat when Boss put on plate!
Me eat dinner, then clean dishes. After dinner, time to initiate Secret Mission! Very easy to tell it be time, since Max smell the pies! So me sneak across the street, use Stealth so not be seen by Aurum. The pies be sitting on counter in kitchen. Aurum's back be turned to it, he be cleaning dishes over by well pump.
So Max sneak into Great Normar's property. Boss say Great Normar want me do this, so it be okay.
Aurum looks over, but Max using Stealth and hiding in room as soon as he be looking. Max be fast, because of System! Faster than Aurum! Even if not by much! It be enough, yes it be!
As soon as Max know Aurum back to cleaning dishes, me sneak rest of the way into kitchen, swipe pie, then quickly leave. Return home across street and hide in room upstairs.
Yes! Pie stolen, Aurum no see me! Mission completed, Boss! Wait, no, only part! Boss said so!
Secret mission be steal one pie every time Aurum make pies, no get caught. Then, eat whole pie! After that, clean pie bowl, dry, and return to Aurum, but no get caught that, either! Make it seem like pies be eat self, maybe? No sure why Boss want Max do that, but Max do it because Boss said he and Great Normar both want Max to!
Hm. How to return pie dish without be caught? Max need ponder more. Must do by midnight, Boss said. Max definitely need ponder more on this.