I try to continue meditating but my stomach growling breaks my concentration. So I get up, have a drink of water, grab my dagger, and set off to explore and look for some food. I get to the center area fairly quickly but unfortunately there are no rats around this time.
So, after carefully looking around I make my way along the right hand wall towards the next passageway. I make my way carefully down the hallway which goes on for about forty feet before opening into another room. Again I can hear the sound of water before I can see anything.
When I get to the end of the passage and can see into the room, I am fairly surprised to see a small stream cutting the room in half. On the other side of the stream I can see mounds of dirt and what looks like mushrooms. Not seeing anything moving I slowly and cautiously enter the room.
As I move towards the stream I notice a small bridge over it leading to a path between the piles of dirt. I stop at the edge of the stream to take a look, the stream enters through the right wall and flows to the left meaning it runs away from my room. I wonder if this is the source of the water in my room. Looking at the walls and the stone arches where the water flows it is obvious this stream was here when the room was built and whoever built this place built the stream into the design.
Looking at the piles of dirt I doubt those were here originally but from here I can see a lot of mushrooms growing on the piles so I step across the stream, ignoring the bridge, to take a closer look. I spot five different types of mushrooms so I decide to pick two of each type and try them back in my room.
*DING*
Congratulations! You have acquired the craft skill Herb Gathering!
Herb Gathering
Level 1
Int +1
You can gather common herbs and plants.
I take the mushrooms and carefully return to my room. Then I sit down and place the mushrooms in pairs in front of me, I then pick up one mushroom from the first pair and eat it.
*DING*
You have been poisoned! 10 Damage received! HP: 85/146
*DING*
Congratulations! You have acquired the passive skill Poison Resist!
Poison Resist
Level 1
End +1
You take 5% less damage from poison.
Huh? I took damage but I don't feel sick or anything from it? Then I eat one from the next type of mushroom. Um, not a bad taste, and no poison, good! Then I set the other mushroom of that type off to the side. Then I eat one from the third type.
*DING*
You have been poisoned! 20 Damage received! HP: 65/146
"Ugh Blergh!!!"
I have to wait awhile for my stomach to settle down before I can try the next type of mushroom.
*DING*
You have been poisoned! 5 Damage received! HP: 60/146
*DING*
Congratulations! Skill Poison Resist has progressed to level 2!
Poison Resist
Level 2
End +2
You take 10% less damage from poison.
Okay that one wasn't so bad. Now for the last one. I eat the last type of mushroom and find it not only isn't poisonous but it is really delicious. So I pick up the two types that aren't poisonous and memorize what they look like before eating them. Then I meditate for the next two hours until my stomach grumbling again stops me.
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HP: 80/147
Then I carefully return to the mushroom room to gather more edible mushrooms. Because I remember hearing that if you only gather half of something it will grow back faster I only pick half of the edible mushrooms.
*DING*
Congratulations! Skill Herb Gathering has progressed to level 2!
Herb Gathering
Level 2
Int +2
You can gather common herbs and plants.
As I am trying to figure out how to carry the pile of mushrooms I hear footsteps in the passageway. I quickly dart over to the wall next to the opening and get ready.
'Activate Stealth!'
MP: 30/50
I wait patiently as the footsteps grow louder, from what I can hear there is only one set of footsteps so I pull my dagger and get ready to attack. As soon as I see the goblin step into the room.
'Sneak Attack!'
MP: 25/50
I activate the skill and stab the goblin in the throat, killing it instantly.
Kill Goblins
Objective: Kill Goblins 2/20
Even though I kill the goblin silently, as the goblin falls there is quite a bit of noise because the goblin has on a pot helm and is carrying a bucket. I freeze and wait to see if any more come to investigate the noise. A few minutes later I relax and pick up the bucket, I then fill it with all the mushrooms I picked.
Returning to the goblin I loot the helm, another sheathed dagger, and another rope belt. Then carrying everything in one arm I reach down with the other and grab the goblin's ankle. Then I drag the goblin back to the well room and toss it's corpse over next to what is left of the first goblin. Then I take a last look around before I return to my room with my prizes.
The helm is poor quality and too small for me but I figure I can use it as a pot for the time being. The dagger when I draw it out of the sheath is rusty and dull as I expected but I can fix that. So I set about polishing off the rust and using the brick to sharpen it.
*DING*
Congratulations! Skill Repair has progressed to level 2!
Repair
Level 2
Str +2 Int +2
You can repair common items somewhat.
Now that a bit of time has passed I decide to go check for more rats to eat.
'Stealth!'
MP: 5/50
When I return to the well room I find six rats eating the goblin I left there, so I grip a dagger in each hand and carefully sneak closer to them. I then do a sneak attack on one rat with my right hand while at the same time I throw the dagger in my left hand at a second rat.
MP: 0/50
*DING*
Congratulations! You have acquired the active skill Dagger Throw!
Dagger Throw
Level 1
MP Cost 5
You can throw a dagger with speed and accuracy. Hit +1 Damage +2
*DING*
Congratulations! Skill Sneak Attack has progressed to level 2!
Sneak Attack
Level 2
MP Cost 5
Attacking from Stealth deals 10% more damage.
Ugh, why do I suddenly feel light headed? Is it because my MP hit zero? I collect the two rat corpses and slowly stumble back to my room where I immediately sit down and meditate for an hour.
HP: 90/147
MP: 10/50
I feel a lot better. Okay so MP hitting zero is bad, got it! I want to try making soup instead of just eating the meat but I can't figure out how to keep the helm above the fire with what I have.
Then I remember the bones in the well room and while it is kind of morbid I figure I can use them and learn the scrimshaw skill while I am at it. I'm really glad I was obsessed with fantasy movies, anime, and manga otherwise I wouldn't have a clue how all this worked!
I go back to the well room and after checking the coast is clear I proceed to gather up some leg bones and a skull before returning to my room. First I use the three leg bones to make a simple tripod to hold the helm.
*DING*
Congratulations! You have acquired the craft skill Scrimshaw!
Scrimshaw
Level 1
Agi +1
You can carve normal bones into basic items.
Then I fill the helm half way with water and set it on the tripod and start a small fire under it. I cut up about half of the mushrooms and add them to the water. Then while I am waiting for it to boil I carefully skin the two rats and scrape and stretch the pelts.
*DING*
Congratulations! Skill Skinning has progressed to level 3!
Skinning
Level 3
Agi +3
You can skin small to large normal animals.
Then I proceed to strip the meat off the rats and sear it before adding it to the pot. Then while the pot is boiling I carefully carve myself a bone spoon. Unfortunately by the time the soup is cooked I have used up the last of my wood.
*DING*
Congratulations! Skill Cooking has progressed to level 2!
Cooking
Level 2
Int +2
You can cook basic food items.
I eat about a quarter of the soup before I am full. Then I go out to the collapse and dig a pit behind the wall and take all the leftover waste from the rats and bury it. I have got to keep things clean, I don't want to smell rotting stuff or catch a disease. I return to the room and sit down to meditate for the next eight hours instead of sleeping.
HP: 147/147
MP: 50/50
*DING*
Congratulations! Skill Meditation has progressed to level 4!
Meditation
Level 4
Wis +4
A skill for recovery. HP 10/hour MP 15/hour