[Scaled Roundshield] = Scalehide (Level 10+, 0.8-0.95m) + Wood (Hard, 0.8-0.95m) + 16 Bone (Level 6+, 0.03-0.05kg) + 4 Twine (Hemp, 0.15-0.2m) + [Knife] (Any) + [Workbench] (Any)
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The ghoul hissed in front, arms raised to swipe.
[Brace]. The ghoul’s fist clattered helplessly against the roundshield’s strength. Even without a core infused, the hardwood held firm.
Jay studied his enemy. Though this monster was in the shape of a man, all its features had been lost to rot. The skin sagged where it hadn’t peeled off, and the pupils were lost under a milky white sheet. Greasy hair fell in waves to the sides of its ruined cheeks, and a blackened tongue slobbered mindlessly for its prey in front.
Jay pointed his spear and [Thrust]. The +4 flint tip cleaved through the soft flesh of the ghoul’s with ease, splattering out a fountain of viscera where its skull shattered.
But it did not die. The ghoul instead went in for another attack. Its fist drove into the roundshield, and Jay recoiled a foot. He [Thrust] in counter, ripping off the ghoul’s arm this time. His hardwood stock shuddered from the impact, but his enemy continued hobbling onward, undeterred.
Desperate, Jay dropped his shield and yanked the torch where he’d left it on the ground. Before the ghoul could attack again, he pressed it against its flesh.
The monster winced as its body caught on fire. Jay went on the retreat, falling back as the fire grew in force. Though the ghoul continued to shamble after him, enough of its body was flammable. Its moans turned into a shriek as the flames consumed it.
With one final set of attacks, Jay drove his spear through his enemy’s burning form and shattered it the pieces. The ghoul’s movements ceased.
He exhaled. Though he hadn’t suffered any damage, that fight went went far longer than he thought it would.
The corpse burned down quickly from there. Whatever materials could have been gained were lost as the flames consumed them, leaving only charred bones in a pile on the cairn’s floor.
Some light still pulsated within, however. Jay dug through the ashes and grinned. The monster core remained intact and cool to the touch. He quickly brought out his Guide to confirm.
[Ghoul Monster Core (level 7)] – The core of a ghoul that once prowled the dark recesses of an F-Rank cairn.
That guy was level 7? That would net him another +2 upgrade for whatever weapon or piece of armor he placed it in.
More importantly, the fight was a far cry easier than it could have been. Compared to that silverback gorilla he’d fought for his first +2 core, defeating this monster was a cakewalk.
He pocketed the fresh core and kept moving, spear raised while he gripped his torch awkwardly behind his shield in his offhand.
This wasn’t like his first cairn raid. Jay no longer hid from whatever lay in the shadows, but cleaved right through. He did not have time to play this slowly, and he only used enough caution to avoid picking a fight he could not win. While it was impossible to identify a monster’s strength without consulting the Guide, Jay had come to realize that there was a certain rhythm to how these creatures worked. So long as he read the context cues logically to avoid the biggest, baddest monsters, he would only be destroying creatures that were level 10 or lower. That was his main reason for coming here. The more cores he gained, the better prepared he’d be for tonight’s battle.
A blob of slime bounced about in front. As Jay drew near, it hopped his way, vibrating aggressively.
Where do slimes sit on the totem pole? He considered the different ways this could go down based on his knowledge of fantasy gaming, and decided to engage.
He dropped his torch and [Thrust] his spear forth. The slime shook as the spear’s tip drove through, but it otherwise remained undeterred. His shield clattered with a [Brace], and the monster bounced back. Before the moment could be lost, he [Swept]. The slime bisected into the ground without motion as the spear’s tip slashed through, only for each half to congeal back together seconds later. Two equally sized slimes now plopped about, each pushing forth.
Jay sighed. He shouldn’t have been surprised by that one.
He quickly ditched the spear and grabbed the torch again. His armor creaked as a slime bounced into it, but the torch’s flame burned deep. Viscous liquid sloshed off the slime’s form before dousing the stone floor, with no more regeneration of note.
But the second slime used the advantage to plop into his offhand, knocking the torch to the ground. With another stomp, the flame was reduced to cinders.
Drowning the room in shadow.
Jay blinked through sudden blindness, and his enemies pressed on without mercy. Even with the strength of his lizardscale armor, his body rocked against their aggressive shoves. And now without sight, he couldn’t find his spear to protect himself further. The slimes continued their attack, confident in defeating their prey.
Unfortunately for them, Jay had prepared for this risk.
He glanced behind, where his last torch still twinkled further down the hall. A [Push] from his armor was all he needed to escape the slimes’ wrath, and only a short sprint separated him from his source of light. By the time his enemies were halfway there, he’d already lit another pair of torches, with one as his main weapon, and the other as a backup.
It did not take long from there. Though torches lacked the capacity for skills, their scorching heat was more than enough against a slime’s gelatinous form. The duo wore down into harmless liquid within moments of engaging. The final chunk of fluid curled into a monster core on death.
Jay checked the Guide and smirked. Another +2 core added to the arsenal.
On and on, Jay moved through the cairn, killing whatever came in his path. Spiders, skeletal dogs, imps. Between his vitality and the upgrades to his gear, creatures of this strength were getting more pitiful by the day. He could beat a level 6-10 monster with relative ease now, and 1-5s weren’t the least bit of a challenge anymore. To think that little more than a week back, Jay had struggled against boars and snakes. Now? Anything that low was just a free core, and this cairn was overflowing with them.
More than that, with his stronger knife and axe, he could quickly hack his dead enemies to pieces to collect their prized materials. The spiders gave him chitin and silk, the dogs were replete with bones, and the imps had a hide that was warm to the touch. He stuffed all he could into his leather backpack. The more torches he expended down here, the more space he had available.
Every so often, the shadows shifted around him unnaturally, and his mind feverishly considered imagined threats, but after filling his waterskin with lifeberry tea, he could easily counteract the drop in sanity. No more random paranoia for me. He wasn’t about to lose his cool down here.
Fatigue did become a problem before long, however. Despite the power of the cocoa tea in his veins, there was only so much it could do when his fatigue dropped to this low point. Jay had now been forced to endure this sense when he got too close to death more than he’d like, and once it hit its final point, he knew it was time to go.
But then he found the cache.
Matching the theme of this cairn’s design, the treasure sat in a room that looked reminiscent of a bunker’s command center. Cracked computer screens sat dormant in a room shaped like an amphitheater, with terminals scattered throughout. Some magical light flowed through the cables that crisscrossed on the floor and roof, but it otherwise remained empty of life.
Like a cooler at the beach, the cache sat at the center, its blue plastic frame reflecting against the firelight, even with the magical darkness pressing deep. A pleasant abnormality inside this otherwise grim place.
Jay knew that he should leave. The last time he’d taken from a cache, a minotaur had kicked his teeth in. Had Naomi not been there at the time, he would not have survived.
As he studied the treasure chest inside an open chamber, he could not help but ponder what wonders might have been stashed inside. He peered down the hallway he had come and the room in front, and saw no Guardian to threaten him.
Maybe it would be worth the risk. He still didn’t fully understand how cairns worked. There was still a chance that he could loot the cache and get out without facing the boss.
And more than everything else, Jay needed every advantage he could get. This next fight had to be won, no matter what. Even if he turned around now and slept the day away, he would not make it. There weren’t enough hours before the sunset.
With all the care Jay could afford, he approached the cache and opened the lid. His heart skipped a beat as he took in fresh loot.
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There was more distilled water, canned food, batteries, bandages, sewing equipment. Jay rifled through the amenities and tossed them into his backpack, digging ever deeper. He did not see the same golden core that represented a “Boon,” but before he reached the bottom, he found something even more exhilarating.
Is that a fucking handgun!? At the base of a dungeon, in a game-like world dominated by fantasy monsters and magical tree creatures, a modern firearm sat.
Its matte black barrel was sleek to the touch, while the grip itself was rough like sandpaper. A red dot attachment had even been fixed onto its top. Jay fumbled with this death machine as he checked for ammo. He’d never used a real gun before, but he’d played enough video games to figure out how to remove the magazine before long. To his glee, there were bullets inside, ready to kill. He pressed them back into place, tucked the pistol in his cargo shorts, and checked his Inventory to confirm.
[9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol] (Accurate+2), (Quick) – A steel-barreled pistol with a polymer grip, designed to shoot [9mm Cartridges] in rapid succession. Can hold up to thirteen rounds by default. This [9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol] has been modified with a red dot attachment for added accuracy, and a hair trigger for extra attack speed. This [9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol] contains 11 [9mm Cartridges] (JHP).
Jay rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Was the Guide serious right now?
The snarl came seconds later. Jay groaned, knowing what was about to come. He turned around and noticed a small side-chamber he must have missed, where his new enemy stood.
Though this monster had hooves for feet and rounded horns on its head, its similarities to the minotaur ended there. Dark fur sprouted below its trousers, with a lighter coat that painted its bare chest above. The biceps were thin and sickly, and the pecs were practically non-existent. Bushy eyebrows tilted as the creature narrowed its gaze onto him. It stroked its pointed goatee. The other gripped a gnarled staff.
Great. A satyr. Jay frowned. Why couldn’t he get a free win for once?
The satyr bellowed out a curse in an ancient tongue, its teeth bared. Jay dropped his torch and raised his shield. The rest of the loot would have to wait. It was go time.
His enemy did not attack at once. Instead, it pointed the gnarled staff and began to bark out more words in its incomprehensible language. Ashen light grew on the tip of its staff.
Jay [Braced] just in time. An incandescent flash of light struck his scaled roundshield, and the force knocked him back a foot. He grit his teeth as a second shockwave struck, but missed the skill. The blow sent him flying into the back wall.
Jay bounded to his feet and charged, but the satyr dashed away before he could [Thrust]. Its hoarse voice adopted a different tone and quickened in pace. Orange light replaced the glow on the gnarled staff tip.
Jay cried out in pain as a sudden wall of fire exploded from the staff, singing his flesh where exposed. He jumped back before getting consumed completely, and his enemy pushed its advantage. The fire continued to spew like a flamethrower.
It was okay. He could deal with a ranged enemy. Jay reached for his bone-dart bag, but his fingers hit nothing but air. It took another second to notice that it had burnt out during the fire, along with all the poisoned-tip darts he kept within. He grimaced, realizing the advantage that had been lost.
There was no respite between its next attack. The satyr withdrew another step and changed its incantation. Purple light formed at the edge of the staff before collecting into a solid form, shaped as arrows.
Jay [Braced] for impact, but the magical arrows simply floated around his shield with ease. He screamed as the magic tore through his chest and legs.
Snap.
His leggings succumbed to the damage and disappeared into dust. Blood exploded out where wounds now formed.
This would not do. Jay needed a ranged weapon to give an advantage. Something. Anything.
His heart skipped a beat as he caught sight of his best hope, sitting right in his cargo shorts where he tucked it. The pistol. Would it be this easy?
He yanked the weapon free and took aim. This was it. Even if the satyr could duck and dodge, there was no way it could outrun the speed of a modern bullet. And Jay had checked the Guide before this fight began. There were more than enough bullets inside to wipe this bastard out.
Jay took aim and grinned wide. He pulled the trigger.
Nothing but a quiet click resonated.
His eyes widened as Jay stared at the non-functional pistol. What had gone wrong? Another shockwave struck before he could figure it out. The gun rocketed one direction, even as Jay hit the wall against the other. He coughed up blood-laced bile.
The satyr advanced, its hooves echoing against the stone floor. His +4 flint spear still laid by its side.
Jay’s mind fell into focus as he devised a backup plan. He charged forth before the moment could get lost.
The satyr sent another shockwave, but Jay shrugged it off with a [Brace]. Fire came next as the staff’s light twisted back to orange. Jay winced as the flames flowed over him, but he’d made enough distance. He quickly scooped up the spear and [Swept].
The flint spear’s tip cleaved through open air, aimed specifically at the gap between his enemy’s lips. Blood exploded out as the tongue was sliced apart, and its guttural language grew mangled as it hissed back. The light on the staff dimmed. The satyr recoiled in shock.
And Jay beamed. Just as he figured, the satyr’s magic required vocal components to function. With its tongue severed and mouth filled with blood, it could not complete any of its spells. That made it powerless against his attacks.
Jay tilted his head, cracking the joints in his shoulders and back. It was time to deliver an overdue ass-kicking.
The fight was over within moments. The satyr pouted for air, hands raised in surrender. Not that it could do much else. Not with all the blood flowing from a dozen open wounds, anyway.
As Jay readied for the killing blow, he thought of something else that had been missing. The pistol remained where he’d dropped it, and the safety was quite clearly labeled as on, with a little knob indicating such.
When he tapped it away from “safe,” the satyr recoiled further.
Another interesting truth exposed. Jay had been taking his weapon skills on blind faith until now. Even though he’d never used a spear before, the moment he crafted his first one, swinging it with basic competence became second nature. Supplementing that strength with skills only made this effect stronger. Not only did crafting give him the weapons he needed, but it basically imprinted mental knowledge on how to use them in a fight.
Meanwhile, this pistol was the first weapon he’d gained that had not been crafted. Without that extra knowledge, he was as inept with a gun as he would have been on Earth. Figuring out how to make it work took more steps, limiting its function.
But gear was still gear. So long as he could figure out how it worked, nothing would stop him from using it. He once again aimed at the weakened dungeon boss. Sure, expending the bullet was unnecessary in defeating this monster, but he didn’t really give a shit right now. Getting set on fire had soured his mood more than normal, it seemed.
He was also using the moment to test just how devastating a modern pistol could be in this world. Even with limited ammunition, he wouldn't be able to know when to use it without first seeing its power. That would be the difference between life and death in a closer fight.
No, those were just excuses. Jay really only cared about wiping this guy from existence.
The satyr garbled on its blood, too crippled to do anything else. Pathetic squeals rolled out as the barrel of the pistol pointed between his eyes. It knew where this would go.
Jay pulled the trigger, and the Guardian was no more.
Name: Jay Reis (Primal Age)
Vitality – ??/?? (Wounded+?, Burned+?)
Hunger – 67/72
Thirst – 20/24
Fatigue – 1/8 (Poorly Rested+4, Stimmed)
Sanity – ??/100
Main Crafts: Armor Crafting 1, Base Building 1, Cooking 0, Medicine 0, Tailoring 1, Tool Crafting 1, Weapon Crafting 2.
Weapon Crafts: Axes 0, Bows 3, Spears 5.
Armor Crafts: Heavy Armor 2, Light Armor 2, Medium Armor 0, Shields 2.
Armor Skills:
Heavy Armor: [Push]
Light Armor: [Dash]
Shield: [Brace]
Weapon Skills:
Bows: [Sharpshooter]
Spears: [Thrust], [Sweep]
Armor:
[Lizardscale Helmet] (Hardened+1)
[Lizardscale Chestpiece] (Hardened+1)
[Lizardscale Boots] (Hardened+1)
[Lizardscale Gauntlets] (Hardened+1)
[Scaled Roundshield] (Hardened+1)
Weapons:
[Flint Spear+4] (Reinforced), (Hardened)
[Flint Spear+2]
[Bone Dart Pouch+1]: Contains 15 [Bone Darts] (Poisoned)
[Wooden Bow+2]
[Crude Quiver]: Contains 20 [Flinthead Arrows]
[9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol] (Accurate+2), (Quick): Contains 10 [9mm Cartridge] (JHP)
Tools:
[Flint Knife]
[Stone Axe]
[Stone Hammer]