Kaden jogged into the forest at a moderate pace, neither too fast nor too slow. In the beginning, the trees were sparse, and there were only harmless chickens and rabbits loitering around here and there freely. Soon these would be farmed like there was no tomorrow by the starting players, but for now, they were happily roaming about.
Kaden ignored the bunch of cute animals and went further ahead for more formidable foes. The verdant surroundings encroached upon him with every step. One literally couldn't take a step without snapping a twig or two, which made it hard to maneuver inconspicuously through the forest. This was also the reason why the area was nick-named as a 'newbie death zone'. Anyone who came in here without increasing their levels inevitably ended up announcing their arrival in one way or the other and, as a result, became prey to the dangers lurking behind the greens. However, Kaden right now was not exactly hiding. Rather he was looking for these very same 'dangers' to test out his new form. Luckily, he did not have to wait for long. As he took his next step, a rustling in the bushes ahead caught his attention. Two wolves emerged, their eyes gleaming with hunger.
Ding!
[Dire Wolf, Level 9]
[Dire Wolf, Level 8]
The real inhabitants of the forest had arrived! To confront two high-level beasts, that too with a difference of eight and nine levels, would have meant certain death for a Level 0 player, but Kaden was presently beaming with joy. "I missed you guys!" He lunged toward the two savage beasts as if he were going to hug them, his gaze glistening with love and affection. And… Pa! The first punch landed. Kaden's left fist connected with the face of the dire wolf, making the creature yelp in pain.
-335
A ridiculous damage number popped out. Blood trickled from the wolf's nostrils, and the beast fell to the ground lifelessly. Kaden's grin widened. As he watched the first beast fall, the dagger in his other hand effortlessly connected with the second wolf, sinking deep into its flesh.
-560
Another big damage number popped out. The second one was no different than the first as it gasped out loud and fell down. The two wolves were finished off in less than a minute.
[Ding! Dire Wolf defeated]
[Ding! You have gained experience points]
[Ding! Dire Wolf defeated]
[Ding! You have gained experience points]
[Ding! Level up!]
[Ding! Level up!]
[Ding! Level up!]
[Ding! You are now Level 3]
[Ding! All your attributes are increased by 3 points (one per level)]
Kaden saw the familiar golden aura of the 'Level up' envelop him, and his entire body tingled in excitement. He gained three levels in a couple of minutes, that too in barely an hour after the game had started. If he had watched some gamer stream this same thing, he still would have had difficulty in believing his eyes. This kind of progress was simply too astounding!
As he stood there basking in the afterglow of his victory, Kaden remembered something else he had heard about this forest. A couple of players had mentioned finding a treasure chest in the thick of this forest. It was a detour from the original path he needed to take in order to reach the city, and also, its location was close to a watering hole frequented by many beasts. The two players who had tried getting the treasure chest died a bunch of times thanks to these beasts, and when they finally joined a party to tackle the situation, the treasure chest was long gone.
In 'Apocalypse Online', treasure chests were a one time use only item, so no one ever managed to find the treasure chest again or verify this information. Some players even called these two liars, and the whole thing had become a huge commotion. This was why Kaden remembered this particular titbit. Of course, the whole thing could still be a ruse, and he might be walking into unnecessary danger, but as far as this newbie forest was concerned he was practically overpowered.
What could go wrong in checking this out? He had a solid start so he had to take some risks and test his luck. In fact, the more beasts he ran into, the better. It would only help him level faster! This was not being arrogant or over-confident in himself. He knew his limits but he also had confidence in his Fine Grade gear. As long as he did not end up being terribly unlucky and stumble upon something ridiculous, he should be fine even if he ran into a field boss. Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. So Kaden decided to do it.
He resumed his jog and opened up the system map, which revealed the entire region, but only those areas that he had personally traversed were identified. The remaining uncharted territories were shaded gray and would remain so until he ventured into them. Nevertheless, there was a silver lining. The narrow border between his explored and unexplored zones was faintly delineated, and topographical features like hills and water bodies were highlighted to some extent.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Thanks to this, Kaden swiftly tracked down the small watering hole, the precise whereabouts of which had long escaped his memory. On his way, he encountered a few more of the dire wolves, but these poor animals all ended up with the same fate as the first ones. Kaden essentially rampaged through the newbie forest, leaving behind a string of corpses in his wake. When he finally arrived at the watering hole, he was already at level 7!
Player Name: Kaden Wright
Level: 7
Class: None
Race: Human
Attributes:
Strength: 17
Agility: 17
Intelligence: 17
Stamina: 17
Free Stat Points: 20
Free Skill Points: 5
Skills: None
Equipment: Troll Hide Chestpiece, Troll Hide Spaulders, White Fang Dagger
Quests: None
Kaden scrutinized his status screen, crouching and hiding in a nearby bush. Just ahead of him lay the legendary watering hole. The game had barely begun, yet here he was, already at level 7. This was a godly leveling speed. And to top it off, there were only two measly wolves in the vicinity of the watering hole. So far so good. But what really caught Kaden's attention was the glimmering sparkle in the middle of the watering hole. That had to be the treasure he was after. So it was in fact real and now all he had to do was take care of those two wolves?
Seemed a bit too easy. There was probably something else lurking in the water. Otherwise, the players from his past life wouldn't have encountered any difficulties. Well, whatever it was, he was going to have to test the waters. His hands itched to open that treasure chest. In his previous life, all he could do was hear stories and fantasize about opening a treasure chest. But now, with one right in front of him, there was no way he was letting this opportunity slip through his fingers. Preparing himself, he lunged toward the unsuspecting wolves. The two wolves didn't stand a chance. With a couple of swift moves, they were down for the count before they even had time to blink.
[Ding! You have gained experience points]
[Ding! You have gained experience points]
Without missing a beat, Kaden turned his attention to the pond, waiting for whatever was there inside. Nothing popped out so he picked up a stone nearby and tossed it in. Sure enough, the next second ripples disrupted the serene surface, and a green head emerged. A wave of unease washed over him as the creature revealed itself.
[Ding! Man-Eating Serpent, Level 25]
[Rank: Elite]
Kaden was utterly shocked. "Level 25 Elite?" The massive serpent's emerald gaze fixed upon him with a predator's hunger. Its scales glinted ominously under the sunlight, radiating a sense of foreboding. Kaden's heart raced. An elite level 25 beast! There was an 18-level gap between him and the serpent! Even if there was a field boss in this region, it would have only been level 15 at max. What was a level 25 elite even doing here in the first place?
Kaden clicked his tongue. Time was of the essence. If he didn't act fast, he'd be sent back to the village graveyard in the blink of an eye. He quickly retreated as the serpent lunged towards him, its jaws gaping wide to reveal a row of gleaming teeth. A mere second of hesitation and Kaden would have been snake food. At the place where the serpent hit the ground, a small crater was formed. Its strength was impressive. However, Kaden did not plan to back down.
The serpent was a formidable foe, but this only made the treasure it guarded all the more valuable. He was willing to take the risk, to face this beast head-on and seize the treasure, no matter what. Sure, he could retreat and come back later, but who knew if the treasure would still be there? While it took common players like him a whole week just to venture beyond the newbie village, not everyone shared the same fate. There were seasoned gamers and renowned guilds from other games. Underestimating them would be foolish, even with his near-perfect start.
Licking his lips, Kaden tightened his grip on his weapon, preparing himself for the imminent battle. He knew he had to defeat the serpent right here, right now, to claim the treasure. He also had his backup stats that he could use in the worst case, but first, he wanted to gauge the situation. He had not thought of it before but seeing how the area around the watering hole was densely packed with trees, a certain strategy came to his mind. The first attack of the serpent reminded him of this strategy. In the blink of an eye, the serpent lunged once again, its jaws snapping shut with a bone-chilling sound.
Kaden's reflexes kicked into high gear as he evaded the attack, narrowly avoiding a certain death. Speed-wise, he seemed to do okay and was able to barely match the serpent. The adrenaline surged through his veins, and he observed the serpent's sinuous movements, searching for any patterns or weaknesses he could exploit. The colossal creature coiled and swayed, its venomous gaze locked onto Kaden. It kept coming at him, relentless and unyielding. Thanks to the stat boost from the Troll Hide items, Kaden managed to dodge each attack by running around. His stamina was holding on. Without that extra edge, he'd be nothing more than a chew toy by now.
But playing defense alone wouldn't get him anywhere. He needed to go on the offensive. So, when the serpent lunged at him again, Kaden attacked. He slashed his dagger at its scales while dodging the strike. Screee! A god-awful metallic screech filled the air as the dagger barely made a dent.
-1
"Damn it!" No wonder the players from his previous life had wiped countless times and dragged in reinforcements, even if it meant splitting the loot. This damn snake was downright unbeatable at his current level. Even with his trusty White Fang dagger, he couldn't land a single blow. The snake's scales were like freaking steel armor, offering it one heck of a defense. Sure, he could dodge the snake's attacks all day long, but what good was it if he couldn't deal any damage? Continuing this pointless battle was a lost cause. Or was it?
It was time to test his strategy. Kaden's mind raced as he surveyed the small pond. Trees! Towering, sturdy trees surrounded him. He nearly crashed into a couple of them while evading that slimy snake. And now he had to flip the table! Since his dagger wasn't cutting it against this particular monster, he decided to turn its own power against it. Swiftly, Kaden positioned himself in front of a nearby tree just as the snake launched itself toward him.
And at the very last moment, he leaped to the side, leaving the green demon crashing headfirst into the unsuspecting tree. Kaden did not even have to plan this, as his speed only allowed him to dodge at the last minute. All he had to do was stand in front of a tree. The snake struggled to halt its attack and ended up smashing into the tree with a resounding thud. Both the tree and the snake bore some scratches from the collision and, a larger damage number popped up.
-100
Finally, this fight was going somewhere.