[Ball Bearings] = 50 Pig Iron (Ball, 0.1-0.12kg) + [Hammer] (Copper) + [Workbench] (Any)
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Jay rubbed his bleeding head with a moan.
Foam-crested water disappeared into another aquifer, but he’d managed to get to the stony shore before getting swept beneath. His lone torch kept him company as he fashioned tourniquets to stem the bleeding from his Wounds, made from upscaled hemp to work at his vitality level.
What a disaster this had become. After reaching for that silver ore, Jay had fallen hundreds of feet before landing in a small river. The jagged rocks tore against him as the current forced through an underwater cave, and only by pure luck did he manage to catch hold of the side and climb back up. His losses had been minimal since most of his gear was tied on hand, but he’d nearly lost the Guide again from its newly crafted leather pouch, and he’d spent over half an hour tracking down his cutlass. His shield remained missing entirely.
But everything was still fine. So long as Jay had his Bag ‘a Mats, he could spring up an entire workshop on the fly.
Not that he needed to. Jay just had to find his way back up…
With his Wounds cleaned and Stats leveling out, Jay marched into the dark, a torch and pickaxe in hand.
It was slow going. Jay couldn’t brave the waters without risking being swept away again, but this deep beneath the surface, the walls were porous and space open enough. So long as he kept the sound of the river nearby, he could follow it back the way he came. His copper pickaxe smashed through loose stone and stalagmites as he weaved his way forth. Where the path opened, he simply marched on, though that was even difficult with the added moisture that made the cavern floor slick.
One torch eventually whisked out, only to be replaced by his last. He could always craft more, but Jay would reach the waterfall by then.
Hopefully, anyway.
One minute after the next, Jay followed the sound of the aquifer. Monsters skittered in the darkness, but he moved slowly enough to not attract their wrath. That would have to do until he found his way back home.
Hmm, that’s weird. Though he’d been following the sound of water all the way up, the roaring river that sucked him below ended in a small creek before disappearing again into the rocks, with not even enough space to fit his head inside.
How could that have happened? Jay had definitely fallen into a giant river that sent him on his way, and this path was the only one in sight. Why wasn’t there a waterfall here!?
The hair rose on his neck as he considered the answer. In a flash, he trudged down the creek and picked another direction. The crackle of water against stone grew louder as he floundered through another bend.
His heart sank at what lay in front.
A heavy mist lay at this junction. While the creek he’d left poured slowly, water surged together into a more powerful cyclone of force, and droplets exploded out where it funneled into a smaller tunnel, large enough to swallow a man whole. There were three… No, four distinct rivers… All colliding into this one spot before launching deeper into the cavernous depths.
And with that fact unearthed and the epiphany that many more forks might exist between where he fell and where he escaped, Jay had to reconcile with a gravely unfortunate truth.
He had no idea where he was.
* * *
How much further could it be!?
Jay scraped against the wall in vain.
Another dead end. No matter which waterway he followed or tunnel he traversed, they all ended in the same granite slabs with a trickle of water dribbling through. Nothing like the hole he’d fallen down.
I must’ve missed one, Jay told himself. There had to have been a different river, or fork, or aquifer stuck under the caves he’d slipped by. But he still knew the way back, so all he’d need to do was work to where he’d started and go from there.
And yet… Even that was proving a challenge now. Jay had made the mistake of not marking his path on the assumption that he’d find his way back, and with so many splits and turns in this unending pit, he could hardly keep track of the ups and downs anymore. His head was throbbing, trying to fight the disorientation, but he couldn’t sit down and rest. Not with time slowly ticking down.
It wasn’t long before the monsters closed in again.
As if they could sense him weak, giant beetles and poison bats began to swoop in from the shadows. Even down a shield, Jay could still beat them with ease, but the combat and poison only further slowed him down. His pace became quick and thoughts erratic as he struggled to find the way home.
If only he could call for help. His radio had been broken during the fall, though he’d managed to keep his flares and smoke grenade he’d looted from the last cairn. It didn’t matter, anyway. Even if he still had it, no one would be on the other end. Only Desmond remained from Naomi’s group. The others had gotten stranded on the other island after the D-Rank leviathan entered the channel.
No… Jay would have to see this crisis through while along.
He froze in place, the very air suddenly trapped in his lungs.
Some fears were instinctive. Whether it was peering over a cliff and trembling at fall beneath, or looking a predator in the eyes and knowing what they could inflict, every human had an innate sense of what may come their way. A primordial code had been fused into the base of their DNA so that every person, no matter how large or small, could always detect an untimely death before it came. This was as much a foundation of the human condition as anything else.
That was happening to Jay at this moment. He didn’t need a watch, nor see the sun in the sky, nor look at grains of sand slipping through an hourglass. His biological clock had been overwhelmed by this sense after so many weeks combating it, and he knew exactly the time of day.
Night had come.
And with it, slowly, almost imperceptibly, the shadows became ever thicker around. As Jay stumbled through these damp, rocky tunnels, his almighty enemy once again prepared for another mortal bout.
Deeper and more guttural growls rolled down the tunnel as he stood in awe, that familiar, heart-wrenching intonation still buried beneath. Stone brushed against stone as his enemies took form.
Jay couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He could barely even think. Not with this fight fast closing in.
Pale green lights flickered in the opaque wall of black, the manifestations coming to life. Some drew near, the light of the torch licking the distant tunnels, their silhouettes slowly taking shape. But while identifying most had become second nature at this point, these monsters were as alien as they were diverse. Jay watched the approaching tsunami without the slightest reference in mind.
What the hell were these things!?
The first sprinted forth, eight stone-like spindles clattering against the cave floor. Wisps of hoarfrost clung to the base of its obsidian mandibles, and a mix of lichen and limestone held the rest of its thorax together. A dozen green torches flickered on top, honing in on its prey.
Jay dodged this stone-like spider and [Slashed] in counter, instinct compensating for all else. His pig iron blade rocked against its armored carapace. The spider wheezed in shock. A follow-up [Power Attack] finished what Jay had started. Blackened oil gushed from a wound along its chest where the blade tore through. The Natura-powered magic dimmed.
But not before two more were there to replace, sinking their claws into Jay’s arm and leg. He shoved them off with a [Leap], only to smack his head into the low roof above. His ears rang, and more monsters closed in.
These ones were all similar, with limbs made of stones and minerals, and their forms shaped like bugs instead of animals. Termites, moths, scorpions, beetles, ants… They varied in shape and size, but all were bound by the same verdant force that powered them. They watched him again with nothing but loathe.
And the wires Jay’s mind snapped free, seeing these monstrosities mutated under this new, fell power. His eyes twitched, and he grit his teeth.
They weren’t going to defeat him! Not with his unbeatable build and pro gamer moves.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Jay shouted his battle cry before launching back into the fight, unleashing a devastating combo of a [Slash] paired with a [Rend] to eviscerate the nearest pair of ants. They exploded in another fountain of oil and pebbles. What a fucking rush!
More insect monsters closed in, but Jay was in the zone now. He didn’t need a shield. Hell, he didn’t even need to stay within the boundaries of the torch. Natura was practically lighting the way for him! When each enemy drew near, he shattered through them without breaking a sweat.
The combat dragged on as Jay demolished his foes. They were so weak. So puny. So pathetic compared to him. And with the tight corridors surrounding him, only so many could attack at once. Jay used this to his advantage most, launching a well-placed [Rend] before [Leaping] between some boulders, only to [Recover] all the energy lost.
It was a clean sweep. Because of the confined nature of the battle, Jay would sometimes bob his head into the wall or trip against the floor. But that didn’t matter! Not when his armor was this legit.
The battle continued to rage. Jay grit his teeth as he felled enemies a beat too slow, only for more to be there to replace. Before they could land their hit, he retreated another few steps.
His legs tumbled between some rocks. He fell, his cutlass tumbling away.
A scorpion’s stinger swiped down, only to get caught by his armored wrist. He winced as the onyx point cut through the leather binding, but the reinforced copper held firm enough to not break. His other arm slowly reached for his cutlass, still several feet away.
Even more manifestations clattered forth wherever he looked, their eyes burning with that sustained hate.
Jay’s heart sank as he recognized the truth. Where the surface-bound manifestations were stronger but less numerous, a night underground summoned a seemingly endless horde of rock-like insects. Each one might have been a piece of cake to beat, but there just kept being more and more.
Worse than that, these manifestations could use the terrain to their advantage. Some moved down the tunnels conventionally, but others skittered along the walls and roof. Unlike him, they had been built from this environment, and suffered no handicaps when bearing down on their prey. Such a bullshit cheat!
The stinger slipped ever closer, his biceps caving under the strain. His eye narrowed onto the sharpened spike mere inches from his face. Another couple inches, and it would be over.
Jay gasped. This was unfair. A loaded deck stacked against him. He’d done everything right and learned the mechanics of this game, only for the world to throw a curveball at the last moment.
Yeah, this must have been prepared from the start. Natura spawned in a silver vein, knowing he couldn’t resist, and then threw him into this hole while he went to grind. Maybe Kevin was in on it too. Could he have been working for the enemy this whole time!?
Not that it mattered. Jay refused to lose. He couldn’t! Not with his pride as a streamer on the line. So many people were watching!
His calves tightened as Jay activated another [Leap], using the power of his skill to fly sideways instead of straight up. The scorpion hissed as its body collided with a stalactite. It wasn’t alone. Jay grunted as his shoulder snapped between more stones. A pop rendered it limp.
But the moment could not be lost. His vision was narrowed and his arm couldn’t move, but Jay brushed off each with a grin. He could see the faintest glitter of Natura’s magical energy reflected on his cutlass.
He [Leaped] to the spot, scooped the blade up, and [Slashed] with all his might. Oil ruptured where green eyes had once been.
“That’s right!” Jay screamed. “Daddy’s back in the game, and it’s time to take this up a notch!”
Even down an arm, he could still make it work! Especially with all the preparation and theorycrafting he’d put in for moments like these. Those bastards wouldn’t stand a chance against his elite gamer skills!
He ditched the cutlass and yanked his first tool free. With a snap against his waist, one of his last flares exploded in a brilliant display of crimson.
The pause from his enemies’ advance was minuscule, but that wasn’t why he spawned forth this light. He prepped another tool. This one was a small hide pouch the size of his fist, with the perfect contents for this moment within. As he thrust the pouch down the most populated corridor, it split apart, unleashing the dozens of ball bearings kept inside. His enemies rasped as they suddenly lost their footing, with the ones in the back colliding with those in front.
Another well-placed [Rend] bought him a few more seconds as he murdered the ones on the ceiling. That was all he’d need!
He reached for his belt and drew his last waterskin. Though this was his smallest and would not hold much for drinking water, he’d made sure to bring it on every trip, filling its husk with grease instead of fluids. Thank goodness he hadn’t lost this during the fall.
The application was uneven and clumsy in the red glow of the flare, but his fingers were slick with his coating soon enough, and the aroma filled his nostrils. He watched the surface of his pig iron cutlass take on that familiar oily sheen.
Natura’s manifestations were again on the attack, but they were too late. Jay tapped the tip of his blade against the flare with a grin. It ignited at once, the firesap oil pulling its weight as it burst into flame.
And the entire cave went alive again, now under this fresh light.
There were monsters everywhere, with more still closing in by the dozens, if not hundreds.
But despite the insurmountable odds and burning pain where his fingers took fire damage, Jay could only grin. How couldn’t he? Now armed with a kickass flaming sword, this had become a fair fight.
He entered into the fray with renewed urgency. Only a minute remained before the firesap oil burned out, and there was no telling how many charges would be left. Jay only needed a small combination of [Slashes] and [Rends] to knock his enemies back, the flames lighting their internal crude oil blood like the monster ichor of the surface-bound manifestations. At each pause created, he quickly knelt down and [Recovered]. His weapon skills were enhanced through the power of their pig iron affinity base, and the flames gave him enough vision to choose the most optimal spot to maximize kills per combo. Being able to [Recover] let him sustain this pattern as he [Leaped] down the tunnel, killing everything in his path.
As the flame started to whisk out, he quickly doubled back, unloaded more firesap oil, and started the process again. When that charge neared its end, he went back and expended the last of the waterskin.
Somewhere along the way, the manifestations thinned out, perhaps in some pathetic last-stitched attempt to counter his strategy of killing them in groups. But this only doomed them further. His [Power Attacks] were more than enough to destroy these pests individually!
And this was where Natura would always fail. Jay was the gamer! He was the scrappy underdog who’d never lose! Natura might manage these encounters, but it could never beat him in it. No matter what type of bullshit it sent, he’d always find a way through!
The last of manifestations fell, and Jay cackled like a madman, savoring the well-earned victory he had once again gained. This was so fucking funny! Even after dislocating his arm in the middle of the fight, it was not enough to bring him down.
His fist clenched and tears ran down his cheeks in exhilaration as he considered how this would play out. Yes, there was no denying the truth.
He would not lose down here.
Name: Jay Reis (Copper Age)
Vitality – ??/43
Hunger – ??/72
Thirst – ??/24
Fatigue – ??/48
Sanity – ??/100
Main Crafts: Alchemy 1, Armor Crafting 2, Base Building 2, Cooking 1, Medicine 1, Tailoring 1, Tool Crafting 3, Weapon Crafting 2.
Weapon Crafts: Axes 3, Bows 4, Clubs 3, Daggers 3, Spears 5, Swords 7.
Armor Crafts: Heavy Armor 5, Light Armor 2, Medium Armor 6, Shields 6.
Character Skills:
[Forbidden Knowledge]
Armor Skills:
Heavy Armor: [Push], [Stampede]
Medium Armor: [Recover], [Leap], [Waterform]
Light Armor: [Dash]
Shield: [Brace], [Track], [Break]
Weapon Skills:
Axes: [Chop]
Bows: [Sharpshooter], [Longshot]
Clubs: [Bash]
Daggers: [Slice]
Spears: [Thrust], [Sweep]
Swords: [Power Attack], [Slash], [Rend]
Cursed Items:
[Bag ‘a Mats]
Armor:
[Copperplate Hat] (Buttressed+2), (Reinforced)
[Copperplate Coat] (Buttressed+2), (Reinforced)
[Copperplate Leggings] (Buttressed+2), (Reinforced)
[Copperplate Shoes] (Buttressed+2), (Reinforced)
[Copperplate Gloves] (Buttressed+2), (Reinforced)
Weapons:
[Pig Iron Cutlass+1] (Sharpened), (Affinity+1)
[9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol] (Accurate+2), (Quick): Contains 4 [9mm Cartridge] (JHP)
Tools:
[Copper Knife+3]
[Copper Axe+3]
[Copper Pickaxe+3]
Boons:
[Minor (Speed)]