Chapter 4-Tortious’s Defense
I appeared in only a tattered rag covering my privates. Several large scars covered my body from the previous fights. Beside me, Sekke appeared. “You look… Unsightly. Cover yourself.”
I covered my privates with my hands. In one of them, I noticed the dark, black rock that was supposed to be my Resurrection Stone.
I took a look around. We spawned in the center of the city. Ruined apartment buildings littered the surrounding landscapes, like dunes in a desert. I turned towards what I knew to be the “rich sector”, those places would probably be less likely to be wrecked. I took my first step, and… I plummeted face first downwards. I tried lifting myself up but failed. “What the hell is dragging me down so much?!” I screamed.
“Richard, it seems your inventory is overweighing you. I suggest you empty it a bit. I can help you carry some things. I got access to this ‘inventory’ as well. “Oh yeah, my inventory! Let me see.” I accessed my inventory.
Before you access the Inventory, you should know:
-Inventory capacity depends on how much you can physically carry
-When an item is placed in your inventory, its weight is halved
-The weight is divided equally over your whole body
I read the message. That’s neat. So if I level up my Strength enough, I can practically carry an entire house? Speaking of which, what are Sekke’s stats?
A “Familiar Status” notification popped up immediately.
Sekke, Richard’s Familiar - Wandering Raid Boss
Lv. 5
XP: 0/500
Race: Reptile
HP: 200/200
MP: 40/40
Stamina: 100/100
HP Regen Rate: 10/Min
MP Regen Rate: 12/Min
Stamina Regen Rate: 10/Min
Stats:
Constitution: 20
Strength: 24
Intelligence: 20
Perception: 25
Dexterity: 30
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 10
Luck: 5
Special Skills:
Viper Strike Lv. 5
I had managed to sit up, but now I fell back again. I opened my own status page and compared both of our stats. He was superior to me in every way.
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Richard Petrov, Menace Of The Strong
Level 11
XP: 1000/1100
Race: Human
HP: 140/140
MP: 24
Stamina: 70/70
HP Regen Rate: 7.5/Min
MP Regen Rate: 5/Min
Stamina Regen Rate: 7.5/Min
Stats:
Constitution: 15
Strength: 18
Intelligence: 12
Perception: 4
Dexterity: 20
Wisdom: 5
Charisma: 8
Luck: 6
Status Points Available: 15
Skill Points Remaining: 7
Skills:
Non-Combat Skills
Running Lv. 5
Leaping Lv. 2
Inspect Lv. 6
Combat Skills
Unarmed Combat Lv. 5
Blunt Weapons Lv. 8
Dodging Lv. 5
Blind Combat Lv. 4
Techniques:
Viper Strike Lv. 4
-- He had much higher stats, and even his non-battle stat Charisma was greater. You know we can hear each other’s thoughts now, right? Sekke's voice whispered in the back of my mind. I chose to be your familiar for a reason. Alesha had asked me whether I wished to become your Familiar or not. If you were weak I would have discarded the idea. However, if we fought right now I have no doubt in my mind you would win, not because of your high level but because of your will to survive and your combat skills.
I sighed. “Thanks for the encouragement buddy, but I think you would have won." “We’ll sssse. If you wissssh to fight again, I’ll gladly accept a contesssst of ssstrength.” Sekke once again went back to hissing.
Inventory:
Common Items:
-Nothing-
Uncommon Items:
* Snake Liver x1
* Snake Brain x1
* Snake Meat x10 Kg
* Turtle Meat x15 Kg
* Turtle Genitals x1
* Turtle Eye x1
Rare items:
* Snake Teeth x2
* Oogway’s Massive Shell x1
* Oogway’s Heart x1
* Technique Book of Tortoise Defense x1
Without paying attention to any other loot, I immediately took out the technique book and ‘consumed’ it.
The scenery changed. I stood in a swamp. All around me, a mire spread as far as the eye could see. I turned and was immediately sucked into the body of a man. He looked to be an Indian. In his hand, he held a machete made of some giant animal’s bone. The man looked around. He was standing on the only spot of solid ground that he could see for hundreds of meters.
“Master, I am ready to challenge you once more.” My body said with a deep, mature voice. Out of the swampy waters, a giant, old, and magnificent turtle surfaced. The Imperial Tortoise. Once belonging to a tyrant emperor, he destroyed half the city and fled, since the king was testing all sorts of experiments on him. My body of the man thought to itself.
“I see you are still not ready. Yet you still wish to try?” It questioned. “I shall learn from my mistakes!” The turtle harrumphed. “You haven’t learned from your countless previous failures. Very well. Ready yourself!”Out of the water, dozens of boggy roots emerged. They all lunged in the man’s direction. He withstood the first several attacks, however the marshy grass he stood upon made him slip. All the roots pierced his back and immediately receded. I was at 10% HP. “Try harder. Train more.” Said the Imperial Tortoise, receding into the murky waters. And so I did.
In this body, I trained countless times. I hardened my body to such an extent that when I entered the murky depths, the leeches inhabiting the swamp sucked on me by the dozens and could not penetrate my skin.
Finally, after more than a year of practice, I was finally confident enough to win.
“Teacher, I have come again. Today, I am confident in my victory.” The turtle surfaced once more. He looked over me with interest and remarkably made the first compliment I had ever heard from him. “You have grown strong, little one. Very well, Prepare yourself.” As soon as he said that, dozens of roots appeared. Just like all those other times. Except this time, hundreds more appeared in mere seconds. However, I did not falter.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
I was continuously pummeled from all directions. The marshy soil threatened to give away, but I held still. All the movement training this body had spent was for this moment. We would prevail.
Soon, the attacks stopped. Practically every single bone in this body was broken. However, a sudden flower bloomed right beneath my feet. In seconds, it grew to tower above me. But it didn’t look menacing. Instead of attacking, it merely opened its petals and released a wonderful, calming drop of dew. Once it connected with my skin, all signs of injuries vanished. It was one of many abilities the tortoise had gained over its thousand-year life span.
“My student, you have done well coming this far. I’m sure you will become a wonderful, powerful warrior. Go, travel, conquer, place our imprint on this land. We shall be known in history. Live your life to the fullest. That is the most you can do for me, for I am stuck here, in this miserable state. Not as magnificent as I once was. Go.” The scenery changed.
The technique book disappeared from my Inventory. “Ssso you finally usssed that book?” Sekke asked. “Yeah. Also, can you drop the whole ssssss thing? It’s really annoying." I responded. “As you wish.” He said normally. “By the way, you were out for a few minutes.”
I mentally entered my Inventory and decided to discard Oogway’s shell for a minute. It was supposed to be massive, yet I doubted that the whole shell was given to me as loot. And…
Kaboom. The shell collapsed on the ground next to me, completely disintegrating the broken concrete laying underneath. My whole body immediately felt ten times lighter. I sprang to my feet.
“That’s quite the boss you defeated, Richard. What was it?” Asked Sekke. “Oh, its name was Oogway, and it was a land tortoise. It was at level 6.” I said cheerfully. I was already imagining some crafter buying this shell off of me and creating a masterful shield from this large ingredient before me. “See Richard, and you said that I would win in a fight against you. This beast was level 6 and undoubtedly stronger than me. Have some confidence in yourself. We are both stuck together now, as partners. So don’t go off doting and being a pussy.” The last sentence was extremely painful. I was yelled at by an overgrown snake. “I can still read your thoughts, you know.”
I sighed. “Well partner, let’s go find our first prey!” I held out my fist and Sekke brought over the tip of his tail. A small, sharp bony knife-like protrusion was beginning to form. There was no doubt that this small protrusion would become a deadly weapon in the future.
Sekke slithered over to the shell and took it into his inventory. It was much easier for him than for me. I looked at my status page. I had 15 stat points and 7 skill points to distribute. I carefully chose what to upgrade. Dexterity was a must. It made me more agile and enabled me to dodge much better. I placed 7 points into it. Perception was a must as well, I had only noticed the stone projectiles by pure chance. I was sure Perception would help me sense obstacles in the future. I placed 4 points into it, bringing it up to 8. I distributed the rest between Strength and Constitution, bringing each up by 2 points. I would upgrade my Intelligence and Wisdom with my next few levels. I was sure I was going to need more Mana and Mana Regeneration in the future.
Next, I looked at my techniques. I placed 2/7 points into Viper Strike and the rest of the five into Tortoise Defense.
Congratulations! You have successfully learned the Tortoise Defense technique!
Tortoise Defense Lv. 6:
Cost: 10 Stamina, 6 Mana Per 10 Seconds
* 60% increased Body Defense
* 6% Chance to reflect attack damage
(Skill Level can only be increased with Skill Points)
I was satisfied. I looked over at the upgrade that Viper Strike received.
Viper Strike Lv. 6
Cost: 9 Stamina, 4 Mana
* 30% Increased Defense penetration
* Deals 200% Increased attack damage
(Skill Level can only be increased with Skill Points)
I was satisfied with this as well. If things kept looking up, maybe I could become a total badass and be able to kill all bosses in a simple few hits? And of course, my rotten luck activated.
Be weary, mortal!
The supreme divine being, Alesha, has laid a curse upon you!
Divine Misfortune
Effect:
Every day, your luck will keep worsening. To remove this curse, survive for 100 days without dying. Each day, your misfortune will grow by 5%. Try not to die, for if you do, you shall be reborn and the curse will be cast upon you anew.
Alesha has sworn to keep his promise and asks you to swear as well.
I smiled. Or, as much as a cursed man can smile. “I swear it.”
Swear it three times to take effect.
“I swear it, I swear it, I swear it.”
THRICE SAID, THRICE HEARD. THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
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We decided to stay close to the buildings in case we needed to hide. From what Sekke had said, the first thought he had when he gained sentience was to gain levels. If the Area Raid Bosses had been doing that all this time, they would be at least at my level. And that was not good. Plus, I was naked.
After the first few minutes of trudging, we finally saw our first prey. A giant rat scuttled across the shattered pavement. Sekke suddenly slithered so soundlessly that I had trouble believing he was there. He instantly blended in with the color of the pavement. The rat didn’t even know what was heading its way. It simply uttered a small squeak as it perished.
Sekke has dealt 50 Damage and killed a Level 6 Large Rat
You gain 25 XP
And so, we continued. But five seconds into our journey, we stopped. Sekke made a vomiting noise, and a minuscule murky crystal plopped on the concrete.
“That stone was pretty hard for me to digest. I’m pretty sure it came from the big bulge on the monster’s head.” I picked it up. It was covered in Sekke’s viscous spit. I turned it over. It seemed to have the shape of a transparent rock with small specks of something black in them. A series of webs intertwined between the cracks. It was like seeing an ant’s nest all the way through the soil. Maybe if I use my Inspection skill on it I’ll know what it is?
Common Monster Core Lv. 6
Can be used as an ingredient in crafting, alchemy, smithing, enchanting, and other crafts.
“Oh, it’s a monster core.” I told Sekke. I placed it on his outstretched tail and he observed it from several angles. “Meh, looks like garbage.” Despite his words, he placed it in his inventory. “It seems that I can also use some of your skills such as Inspect, since I am now your familiar.” He stated. I was rather surprised. I thought that beasts such as him couldn’t use those types of skills.
“However, I need to make one thing clear.” His voice turned serious. I looked over. “I am not inferior to you. Do not treat me as your inferior, understand?” I nodded. “We’re comrades now, aren’t we?”
After this, we silently departed to our destination. We noticed dozens of other creatures either scuttling around or hiding. Some were staying in the ruins of houses, waiting to ambush us as we passed by. But due to Sekke’s high Perception, we avoided all trouble.
Finally, we reached our destination. The first sign of the rich sector were the gardens. The grass was trimmed neatly, and instead of single-floor buildings there were now two. As we headed farther in, we scouted for a house that would be easy to defend. Finally, we found something that suited us. At first sight, we couldn’t tell the exact state of our future base. It’s high brick walls guarded off its insides from curious passersbies.
I carefully looked around. No one seemed to be watching us, not even the large ants at the other end of the street which were quietly ripping chunks of meat off of a group of street dogs they had killed. One by one, the ants left. I looked around again. Nothing. Just in case, I stood still for several more minutes, crouched in the bushes. Nothing.
But suddenly… from a tree across the road. A figure flashed through the leafage, just fast enough for me to notice.
Sekke, you saw that? I asked. No. What is it? He was watching the other end of the street. In that tree right there, next to the house we’re about to go to. See it? Something's in it.
You have learned the Stealth skill
Effect:
* You blend in 5% better with your surroundings.
(+50 XP)
Sekke slithered forwards. He glided along the grass, blending perfectly. Suddenly, he lunged forwards. All that I heard was the crackle of a few leaves from his landing. The figure in the trees shifted towards the sound and froze. A minute passed. Two minutes. Three. The figure shifted its attention… And all hell broke loose. Sekke lunged. The figure in the trees reacted instantaneously, leaping into the air even before the snake’s body left the earth. It flew into the sky. The blinding sun only showed a giant four-legged figure. But even from the silhouette I saw, I already knew what it was. A large, green cat.
Patch The Agile Lv. 10 - Area Raid Boss.
HP: 400/400
MP: 50/50
Shit, we’re so dead. Sekke and I practically had no chance against this type of foe. Not only was he level 10, but he had evaded Sekke’s sneak attack. I looked into my hands. I held my one and only Resurrection Stone. I picked it up and placed it inside a bush behind me. I looked back.
Patch had reached the apex of his leap. I rushed forwards. My enhanced speed turned me into a flash as I sped across the pavement. Somehow, my naked feet found more footing amongst the stony floor than when I had shoes.
The cat started falling. Exactly at that moment, I appeared underneath it. My muscles strained as I placed every bit of strength I could into this jump. Tortoise Defense. I activated it as soon as my feet left the ground. I leapt, sailing through the air.
My first retracted as I readied my punch. The silhouette approached at a rapid rate. I could see it now. Its eyes were enormous, its pupils dominating its face. Its ears were twice as large as its head. It probably heard us even before we went into hiding. I guessed. Every part of it was dark green, the color of leaves.
Now! My fist shot out, aiming for its underbelly. Somehow, it bent and twisted its torso midair, evading my attack and striking my back.
What?! I could practically feel the claws mere seconds away from wracking my back. Suddenly, reflexes kicked in. The years of training that I had experienced from already two technique books had taught me to not back down. If I had stopped to rest for even a nanosecond back when I was learning the Viper Strike technique, I would be impaled instantly. If I had relaxed any part of my body for at least a moment when I was facing off against the Imperial Tortoise, I would be demolished with the next attack. And so, my reaction was instantaneous.
“Tortoise Defense!” The claws scraped across my body, yet the twice stacked technique provided an even greater defense than normal. It was my first time using the skill in this body. It felt as if I had flexed my body to such an extent that cramps had formed, locking away any of my movements but also protecting me at the same time.
Its claws left jagged wounds the size half an inch deep even though I had activated the technique. What the hell? Don’t I have at least a 60% Body Defense increase? Or is it using a skill?
I forced myself to ignore the pain. I could barely move as the technique started its ten-second cooldown. I looked under me. Time seemed to slow. The giant cat was twice my size, its paw shoving me down to the ground with it like a barreling truck.
And then, it struck me. I… Might die.
My brain had still not adapted to the fact that I would be reborn at my Resurrection Stone. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that this fight could be my last. Unless I killed this creature.
A hysteria entered my muscles when I realized I had placed the Resurrection Stone not even ten feet away from me. My body was clamped in a struggle for defense and movement. I tried moving the best I could, but all that I did was twitch.
Move! My left foot felt like it would shatter. I applied so much force I could practically hear my own bones grinding together.
Viper… Strike! My foot glowed. Muscles were ripped apart as I forcefully pushed them to move. My fierce lowkick headed straight for the Raid Bosses head. SMASH.
My toes encased in Mana plunged into its eye socket. It felt disgusting, as if I had just popped a bubble of oil. A weird, rubbery substance settled onto my toes, probably the eye fluid.
I put even more power into the kick. Its head snapped back and its paw immediately lost most of its strength. Finally, I let go. The weight of its attack pushed me downwards. Pain enveloped my consciousness. I let go of everything and let the sweet, soothing darkness envelop me. The pain left.
You got this Sekke.
And all went black.