As soon as I took a step in the direction of the cries text filled my vision:
Quest:
Into The Woods
You hear a scream in the distance! It sounds distinctly female. You notice the sound is coming from the east, deeper into the forest. A true hero always heeds the call. Will you save the damsel?
Rewards:
1: Health Potion
100xp
Accept? Abandon?
I read over the quest text that filled my vision and took a moment to consider the potential repercussions of accepting or abandoning it.
I could abandon it. I could just walk away.
The boar nearly killed me and who knew what lay deeper in the forest?
On the other hand the receptionist had been very clear: I was on a ‘Hero’s Journey’, and that was the only way to escape Hell.
I sighed.
I had my three trusty spells, my new sword… and my new druid body. I flexed my large hands, feeling the unfamiliar muscles bunching and gathering in my upper arms as I did so. It was a new sensation, to be this powerful… and it was not altogether unpleasant.
Fine. I’ll do this thing. What’s the worst that could happen? I’m already dead…
I mentally clicked ACCEPT.
***
The forest looked less and less pretty as I ran towards the screams, it seemed darker, the branches closing in on me.
The clearing where I’d initially landed now seemed like a beautiful place compared to the oppressive blackness of the thick trees. I felt a cold chill in the air and I noticed tendrils of mist surrounding me as I got closer and closer to the screams.
I checked my minimap and noted that the circle of explored area had expanded northwards, which must be the direction I was running in.
Above the new area on the map were the words:
The Pool of Lost Souls
Really? Couldn’t have picked a less ominous name?
As I was reading the map I came to a sudden break in the treeline.
The mist had rolled back and the trees thinned out to reveal a murky pool of water.
This must be the pool…
Another scream rent the air, so close it sent shivers down my spine:
“AAAAH!”
A young lady with blonde long blonde hair and fair skin lay, partially submerged in the pool. I recognized her immediately as the source of the screams. Here was my damsel.
As I watched, dumbstruck she screamed and thrashed as a large green creature swung wildly at her with a large wooden club. For now she appeared to be able to dodge the attacks, but she seemed frantic, desperate. I knew she wouldn’t last long.
“HEY YOU, GREEN ASSHOLE!” I shouted, puffing up my chest.
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Where the hell did that come from?
The large creature and the pretty maiden both turned to face me in unison, one hopeful and the other grinning with the hungry look of a hunter who had found new prey. I gulped.
What the hell was I thinking?
I wasn’t thinking. I’m a dumbass.
The creature bellowed, showing his fangs and came charging at me in much the same fashion as the Boar had, but this time no cast bar or warning appeared.
Must be an instant cast…
“CREEPING VINES!” I screamed, throwing up both my hands as the vines burst out of the shallow waters of the edge of the pond, trapping it in place.
A helpful reminder! You don’t need to call out your abilit-
“I fucking know that that Help, I know that. It’s instinct, ok?”
There was no response from my AI friend.
I noted that the timer on Creeping Vines was already ticking down.
Shit!
It wouldn’t hold forever, and the creature was still grinning, his club raised. There was a hunger in his eyes.
That thing would hurt. A lot. And this pretty new druid body could get busted up real bad, real quick.
My hand grasped the hilt of the sword at my side. It was a lot bigger than the dagger I had used earlier, and it had more damage… but could I even wield the thing? I took a deep breath.
Don’t panic. Assess the situation. It’s just like any video game you’ve ever played.
I looked at the infographics displayed above the creatures head, they read:
Orc Level 3 - 40/40 Health
LEVEL THREE? And fourty health? How the hell was I going to-
I took another deep breath. In… out…
I looked at the graphic once more:
Orc Level 3 - 37/40 Health
DAMAGE 3 - CREEPING VINES
STATUS INCAPACITATED (8/10)
I did some quick calculations, it appeared Creeping Vines would tick every two seconds, for a total of 30 damage.
That wouldn’t be quite enough to kill the orc.
I mentally brought up the spell to inspect it further:
Creeping Vines - Rank One
Duration: 10 Seconds
Damage Per Second: 3
Cooldown: 20 seconds
Affects: Target is incapacitated for up to 10 seconds.
It had a cooldown of 20 seconds, which meant I couldn’t spam it indefinitely.
Shit, so if I wanted to kill this thing I would need to get up close and personal.
And risk getting hit with that damn club. I should have picked a hunter…
I looked over at the maiden who had struggled to her feet and was looking at me and the Orc with uncertainty, as if she wasn’t clear on who the bad guy was.
I sighed.
Really? Me or the green guy with the axe and the fangs? Take a wild guess lady.
But then something occurred to me, I actually had no idea how I looked other than my brief introduction to myself via the character screen. I thought I had been given the sexy hippie makeover… but I had yet to see a mirror.
I certainly felt bigger, taller, and I saw my big hands when I had raised them earlier to fight. But what if…
The orc roared in a rage, the sound shattering my thoughts of self-image and bringing me back to the here and now:
Orc Level 3 Casts:
2/2
Oh fuck. Two seconds…
I had to think fast. I looked from the enraged Ork, to my new sword, to the maiden who still lay in the murky pool.
I made my mind up. I had a plan..
“Listen! Lady! I’m getting the fuck out of here, you can come or you can stay. But I don’t fancy being orc chow!”
The woman opened her mouth as if to protest but as she did so the Orc finished casting bloodlust and the words escaped her.
He grew to twice his size, a red mist floating upwards from his body. It was a sight to behold, the huge creature roaring, his muscles bulging, veins standing on end.
He began to pull at the vines with his bare hands, ripping and tearing.
I shook off my reverie, I had no time to waste watching the scene unfold.
I ran over to the maiden and took her hand in mine, it was surprisingly soft. Piercing blue eyes looked up at mine, filled with fear and wonder.
“Oh oh..” was all she managed to say. Her voice was soft like silk. I paused, drawn in by the allure of her. And then I heard the Orc roar once more, the sound of vines ripping fully out of the ground
I grasped her hand tighter, pulling her to her feet.
“Let’s fucking go!”