By the time it was lunchtime, I had gotten into a pretty good rhythm for dealing with the forest animals. My initial approach with the fox was mostly correct, I just had to remember to step further backwards after countering their charges with my Bolts.
The pheasants could just be repeatedly shot with Bolts until they flopped over and were Stabbed. In stark contrast, their beaks were probably the most horrifying thing I had encountered so far. Out of pure curiosity, I intentionally let one Peck me and instantly lost my leg for it, along with half of my health bar.
To put it one way, I was no longer taking any chances with the foul fowls.
~~~
Training Forest Giant Pheasant
At some point in the distant past, this species of poultry evolved to triple in size. The expansion in mass changed its diet, making it incredibly carnivorous when compared to its smaller cousins. No matter where you start, there are terrified whispers amongst the village folk about the inevitable invasion of the giant pheasants.
Skills: The Giant Pheasant Peck +III: While it won’t move fast, the explosive power of its beak is nothing to scoff at – if it ever lands… It is rumored to be the most powerful force in these beginning areas – even more deadly than the Bandit Leader’s trademark skill.
Visible Health Bar: ??? (Defeat 39 more to unlock)
Drops: ??? (Defeat 89 more to unlock)
~~~
The deer were pretty normal, except for their blood red eyes which indicated how aggressive they were. Since they had a barrier skill, my Bolt spam wasn’t nearly as effective, but it wasn’t anything that repeated Pummels to their thin legs couldn’t fix.
~~~
Training Forest Mad Deer
The deer that roam the forest are normally quite docile. However, occasional bouts of madness (the acorns have some chemicals, blame the devs) inflict these animals, causing them to run berserk and charge any nearby players.
Skills: Deor Barrier -V: These species of deer can conjure barriers in order to protect itself and its young from the forest predators.
(Defeat 170 more to learn) Mad Eyes -X [RAGE]: Is there power in the crimson hue of these eyes?
Visible Health Bar: ??? (Defeat 20 more to unlock)
Drops: ??? (Defeat 70 more to unlock)
~~~
Surprisingly, the mooses weren’t just deer with gigantic antlers. Their builds were much stockier than the deer, which meant my Bolts barely made them flinch — valuable information for the efficacy of the skill for bigger and bulkier monsters in the future. I struggled with them at first because my spear Stabs were constantly being parried by the antlers on their head. Then I realized that their slower speed meant that they couldn’t easily react to feints that lead to immediate close combat with my dagger. Without their antlers and no defensive abilities, even basic slashes steadily tore through their sturdy vitality.
~~~
Training Forest Moose
Considered the king of the herbivores in the Training Forest, the mooses are built big and sturdy. Their beautiful antlers are incredibly valuable, considered by some traders to be the Crown of Herbivores. Due to the constant hunting, they will immediately attack anything they don’t view as a friend – which happens to be most adventurers.
Skills: Reinforced Antlers -V: If mooses could be interviewed, they would constantly brag about their size and quality of their antlers. This level of vanity has given them the ability to empower their prize possessions.
(Defeat 170 more to learn) Crown of the Herbivores [MANA]: Despite being a skill purely meant for vanity, the moose values their antlers more than their life. All of their latent Mana is channeled into these impressive bone structures, giving them even more flair.
Visible Health Bar: ??? (Defeat 20 more to unlock)
Drops: ??? (Defeat 70 more to unlock)
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
~~~
The pair of wolves ended up being the hardest to optimize. One would constantly circle behind me, making it impossible to accurately track its exact moves. It wasn’t a problem if I found them first, since I could just rush one down and immediately drop it down to a one on one fight. But if they got the drop on me, I would always take unnecessary damage whenever I attempted a proactive move.
The solution I eventually found was simple and almost completely effective. I would drop a Block directly behind me before attacking the wolf in front of me. Most of the time, the Block stalled long enough for me to finish the isolated target. In the instances that it didn’t, the fight was still significantly easier than dealing with a pair of goblin warriors.
~~~
Training Forest Wolf
These canines will never be caught without at least one partner. While this particular species are significantly weaker than their more feral counterparts, the teamwork they exhibit is no less impressive. Some village folk have attempted to adopt some wolves as pets, to varying success.
Skills: Wolf Claw -V: The claws on these wolves are well-worn for a reason. Despite being dull from overuse, they’re still sharp enough to cut through skin.
(Defeat 160 more to learn) Skills: Wolf Fang -II: Despite being used for mostly eating, the jaws on these wolves are powerful enough to tear flesh from bone.
Visible Health Bar: ??? (Defeat 10 more to unlock)
Drops: ??? (Defeat 60 more to unlock)
~~~
I had to take it upon myself to make the boars an interesting fight. They had a similar attack pattern as the foxes did, rushing straight ahead, but traded speed for pure chonk. With their shorter legs and thick body, it was impossible to knock them over with Bolts. Unfortunately, having a spear gave me an incredible reach advantage, and their undergrown tusks made it easy for me to pierce through them before they were a threat.
That said, the boars were much scarier when I tried to face them with only my dagger. Their tusk length and dagger blade were about equally long, so I couldn’t comfortably attack them from the front. The amount of pure fat and muscle on their bodies muted my Bolts, much like the moose, so I had to rely on Blocks to impede its movement. It was an educational experience, but took a significant amount of time, so I mainly wielded my spear for boar encounters.
~~~
Training Forest Wild Boar
These feral swines roam the forests of Equilibrium, keeping the forest floors clean and tidy. Due to their extremely compact build, their fat levels are incredibly high, making them a delicacy among local village folk.
Skills: Boar Tusk -X: The tusks on these boars are smaller than their larger cousins, but still large enough to be properly used as a tool for self-defense.
(Defeat 175 more to learn) Skills: Boar Charge -V: There is a surprisingly large amount of muscle contained in the legs of the boar. Whether it's a quirk of the System or a lifetime of carrying all of its valuable meat, the resulting charge forward can be a powerful tool for the boar.
Visible Health Bar: ??? (Defeat 25 more to unlock)
Drops: ??? (Defeat 75 more to unlock)
~~~
The bears were a nightmare. I was barely able to scrape out alive the first time I ran into one, instantly dispelling any thoughts I had about potentially optimizing it. Their paws weren’t as strong as the pheasant beaks, but I could feel pieces of my soul breaking off whenever one slammed into me. They were as immovable as the moose and boars, while having a range of motion was only a bit worse than the foxes.
The worst part was that my Bolts barely dazed the bears, except when I landed a solid hit to their small heads. I had not realized that the monsters I was fighting the day before were simply light enough to be affected by my Bolts, and had assumed that the spell’s utility was guaranteed in every scenario. It was a rude awakening on how much I relied on the skill to cover many of my offensive and defensive options.
I didn’t have many ideas. If I had a stronger ranged spell like Liz’s Charged Arrow, it was probably possible to take the bears down in one go. Unfortunately, my best option was Stab, and it was consistently being swatted aside by the bear’s own Rage enhanced skills. The main way I had found that worked was through careful Mana preservation — making sure that my initial Stabs used just enough Mana to prompt the bear to use their own resource to counter.
It was a slow process, but I was certain to maximize any potential mastery from the fights. I parried the non-empowered swipes with Pummel, and made sure to sink excessive amounts of Bolt into every bear, just in case it gave some more progress. I even managed to sprinkle a few layered Blocks whenever the bears rose up on its hind legs, letting them shatter against the more ferocious downwards attacks.
For each bear encounter, I could’ve easily killed around four or five pheasants. However, the bear fights were way more fun and challenging. It was an unfortunate fact that the bears happened to be the least common animals that I came across.
~~~
Training Forest Brown Bear
All brown bears should be avoided on sight by any travelers. These beasts are incredibly territorial and will not let any intruders live. Their undamaged pelts are incredibly valuable – not because they make good fashion, but because of how difficult it is to obtain one.
Skills: (Defeat 5 more to learn) Bear Swipe -III [RAGE]: It is rumored that the power behind the paws of these bears can knock over trees. It has been confirmed that bears are able to dislodge fruit from the tree branches using this skill.
(Defeat 195 more to learn) Skills: Bear Rising -V [RAGE]: By standing on his hind legs, bears can add significantly more power to its attacks. It turns out that adding on hundreds of pounds of pure muscle does make a huge difference.
Visible Health Bar: ??? (Defeat 45 more to unlock)
Drops: ??? (Defeat 95 more to unlock)
~~~