Where is James?! Why did he take off like that at the beginning of a fight?
Allan quickly realized that he was no match for the Level 5 Gorepit creature, having only delivered a total of 80/500 Hit Points (HP) in his attacks, so he retreated in search of his friend.
Allan watched from a distance as the NPC villagers mimicked his actions by striking at their foes in their eyes, making them retreat. He smiled. Though overwhelmed by the sheer number of monsters that kept pouring out, they fought on.
Contrary to his original expectation however, the number of NPC villagers that turned out to fight had doubled in number. They had been joined by the survivors who had fled the opposite way. Far in the distance, he sighed in relief to see that James had returned to the fight and waved his sword with much gusto, drawing blood from his enemies.
From behind, a series of high-pitched shrieks sounded. He grunted as he saw the Aracken from the crossroads making a return. Angered, he dove towards the remaining monsters that had stumbled through the village, his shouts alerting the villagers to the dangers that lurked behind them.
Running with his spear, he stabbed a Level 1 Gorepit demon in the face and spilled its green blood.
HeadStab: Easy
Instant Kill
[+30 XP]
The spurt of blood narrowly missed him, but he gave it no thought. As the monster fell down to the ground, he felt empowered when his NR enhanced screen lit up with the large number of low level demons that comprised most of the herd.
That's it! The only way I'm going to win this thing is to leverage my new HeadStab Skill, and hopefully learn some new skills along the way.
Allan moved to the next creature. It was a bit elusive, but after parrying a bit he quickly got him into the perfect position.
HeadStab: Medium
Instant Kill
[+40 XP]
Interesting...
Allan realized in that moment that he’d gain higher Experience Points (XP) based upon the difficulty level of the kill. Even more interesting was the fact that a few hours ago when he was a Level 1 player he could only gain a measly 5 XP for Easy Kills, 10 XP for Medium Kills, and 15 XP for Difficult Kills. It was nice to know that the more he leveled up in Conquest the more XP he'd gain for each kill.
He continued on to the creature on his immediate left.
HeadStab: Easy
Instant Kill
[+30 XP]
And then on his right...
HeadStab: Easy
Instant Kill
[+30 XP]
He smirked as their limp bodies stumbled to the ground. His own arms bled because some of them had managed to claw his skin, but he ignored the pain.
HeadStab: Medium
Instant Kill
[+40 XP]
Suddenly a chime sounded from the sky.
LEVEL UP!
+1 Agility
Allan beamed. He was on a roll, and just achieved Level 6! There were only two more Level 1 Gorepit monsters that stood in his path, as well as the weakened Level 5 that he had retreated from earlier.
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I got this!
He took out the low level monsters quickly, one after the other.
HeadStab: Easy
Instant Kill
[+40 XP]
HeadStab: Easy
Instant Kill
[+40 XP]
He smiled in content at the black blood oozing on the ground. The increase in XP gained from those Easy Kills were a nice pat on the back. His smile faded quickly however when he stood face to face again with his earlier foe.
Threat Detected: Level 5 Gorepit
HP| 440/500
Strengths: Thick legs and arms allow for smashing through solid objects and pulverizing of prey. Gaping mouth allows the ability to swallow prey whole. Red splotches on the beast’s dark hide are poisonous to the touch.
Weaknesses: Lower levels are susceptible to HeadStab Instant Kill attacks, but accuracy decreases with higher level opponents.
Allan gritted his teeth and charged. The Gorepit however was far more intelligent than its weaker comrades, and deftly dodged his attack. He lost his balance and accidentally bounced his shoulder off the beast’s hide. Seconds later, a searing heat burned his flesh, and Allan screamed out in pain. His eyes widened in horror as he saw skin and muscle boiling and sloughing off his avatar’s body. It didn't matter that this was NeuReality. The game sensors were so in-sync with the player's body that it easily confused virtual pain for genuine pain, triggering the same pain receptors in the brain.
Even though the game Conquest was only a few weeks old, thousands of mixed reviews had already been posted. Many wussy noob players had expressed their distaste to the game developer CyberBolt Entertainment regarding how intensely immersive the game was, meanwhile many others raved about it for the same reason. Meanwhile as Allan tried yet failed to convince his brain that the pain wasn't real, he quickly downed a spare healing potion James had given him earlier to help curb the false-pain effect.
Spinning back around to face his foe, he suddenly launched backwards fifty feet in the air as one of the Gorepit's massive fists struck its intended target. The wind had been knocked out of him, at least out of his avatar anyway. Wheezing in reaction to the attack, he knew this was a mind over matter situation. Allan closed his eyes and focused using a method of meditation. Within seconds he was able to clear his mind and resume normal breathing.
Skill Unlocked: Rapid Rebound
Meditation, when properly practiced, allows a player the ability to rebound from the effects of an attack at a rapid rate. Chances of Rapid Rebound during the middle of an attack is 25%. Greater chances for Rapid Rebound increase with higher levels. Requirements: Level > 6, Agility > 4, Stamina > 5, Intelligence > 4
Now that's a neat skill to have!
Allan snapped his head to attention as the Gorepit raced closer with his latest charge. He reacted quickly by burying the end of the spear in the dirt behind him, and crouching a foot behind the tip of the extended spear. He was going to use the beast's momentum against him.
The Gorepit closed the distance in seconds, then bellowed a roar of intense pain as it impaled itself on the spear.
[-350 HP]
CRITICAL HIT!
Lifebar: < 18% >
The beast rolled to a stop several feet away, and Allan followed suit to retrieve his embedded weapon. The spear tip however was stuck in the beast's thick flesh. With a grunt, Allan twisted the spear and dislodged it.
StabTwist: Difficult
Instant Kill
[+60 XP]
Skill Unlocked: StabTwist
Delivers an Instant Kill when you stab your weapon into an opponent's chest, and twist while withdrawing. Chances of Instant Kill are 90%. Greater chances for Instant Kill increase with higher levels. Requirements: Level > 6, Strength > 9, Agility > 4, Stamina > 5, Intelligence > 4, Willpower > 4
Having finally killed off the last of the Gorepit monsters, Allan took a moment to check his stats.
Conquest: Player Stats
Name | @Hellekith
Class | Warrior
Level | 6
Experience | 740
XP to next level | 160
HP | 320/600
Mana | 100/100
Strength |Total: 9 | Original: 1 | Level Ups: 0 | Bonuses: 8
Agility |Total: 4 | Original: 1 | Level Ups: 2 | Bonuses: 1
Stamina |Total: 5 | Original: 1 | Level Ups: 1 | Bonuses: 3
Intelligence |Total: 4 | Original: 1 | Level Ups: 1 | Bonuses: 2
Willpower |Total: 4 | Original: 1 | Level Ups: 2 | Bonuses: 1
Allan frowned at his dwindling Hit Points (HP). He had no more healing potions, so he'd have to be careful while taking down the remaining Arackens in the area. He wasn't very impressed with his overall stats either. Granted, he'd only been playing for a few hours, but yet James had already more than doubled his current Level.
What gives?!
He wanted nothing more than to level up quickly to earn some decent armor. This loincloth nonsense was getting ridiculous. He'd have to have a word with his friend to find out the secret to his rapid success rate.
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