Jake stared at the brilliant blue sky, wispy clouds floating across it slowly. It was beautiful, the sight only ruined by the blinking notification symbol in the corner of his vision. Sighing, Jake pulled them up, immediately being inundated with screens.
Achievement: World Breaker
You have defeated a World Boss solo.
Rewards:
Title: [World Breaker]
1 Fate Point
100% Item Drop Rate (For defeated World Boss only)
You have gained a large amount of experience.
Experience modifier detected.
Calculating…
You have gained a huge amount of experience.
You have levelled up!
You have levelled up to level 12!
Allocating Stat Points…
Stat Points Allocated.
Achievement: Touched by Corruption
You have been touched by Corruption and have broken free of its control.
Rewards:
Title: [Touched by Corruption]
1 Fate Point
Skill
You have lost Skill [Corruption Magic]
You have learned [Shadow Magic]
Jake stared at the screens for a moment, before dismissing them all, groaning as he sat up and looked around, his body aching. He saw the corpse of the Shadow Wolf Alpha, still lying just beside him, before his gaze fell on the female wolf, lying at the edge of the clearing. Instinctively, he used [Observe] on her.
Shadow Wolf
Beast
Level: ??
Corrupted (Weakened)
He didn't know exactly what the 'weakened' addition to the status meant, but he could only hope that it would help him cure the wolf. Jake staggered to his feet, stumbling over to the wolf as he pulled the bottle of Purification Potion from his inventory, collapsing to his knees beside her. He uncorked the bottle with his teeth, opening the wolf’s mouth and pouring the purple liquid into it, gently massaging her throat to get her to swallow. A moment passed, and nothing happened, Jake swallowing nervously as he stared at the wolf in front of him.
Suddenly, she convulsed, coughing a up a stream of thick black sludge, much like what the Alpha had done, except this did not have the chemical smell of the Death Bringer Poison. Instead, it was an entirely different, and disturbingly familiar, smell to Jake, almost exactly what he’s experienced in the strange dream. Shaking his head, Jake used [Observe] again.
Shadow Wolf
Beast
Level: ??
Greater Corruption (Weakened)
“It worked,” he muttered, pouring more of the Purifying Potion into the wolf’s mouth, making her swallow it again.
Again she convulsed, more of the foul black substance pouring from her throat as Jake checked her once again.
Shadow Wolf
Beast
Level: ??
Partial Corruption (Weakened)
Jake continued to pour the liquid down the wolf’s throat, patiently waiting as she convulsed each time, coughing up more and more of the black sludge, until finally, he saw the Status vanish from her screen.
Shadow Wolf
Beast
Level: ??
“It really worked,” he sighed, letting his body relax slightly as he smiled at the wolf before him. He waited a moment, watching her as she breathed slowly, far too slowly in fact. Something was wrong.
Panicking, Jake looked around for anything that could help, before shaking his head and cursing himself for being so forgetful. He grabbed his remaining Health Potion bottle from his belt, pouring the vivid crimson liquid into the wolf’s mouth, getting her to swallow it once again. He watched as the wolf’s breathing became erratic for a moment, before levelling out, far stronger than it had been before. Looking at the bottle, Jake saw that he only had one charge of potion left, biting his lip, before pouring it down the wolf’s throat as well.
A moment passed, Jake staring at the wolf as she began to stir, before opening her eyes, the pupils free of the swirling shadows that had been there before. Blinking, the wolf rose to her feet, looking at Jake for a moment in confusion, before her gaze went past him, to the body of the Alpha. Jake remained silent as the wolf walked slowly over to the body, simply watching as she nosed him a couple of times.
The wolf let out a huff, before sitting down and letting out a mournful howl, the sound bringing tears to the edges of Jake’s eyes. Looking back at him, the wolf just nodded her head slowly, before walking away, heading into the woods. Sighing, Jake stood slowly, moving over to the body of the Alpha as well, laying his hand against it. A screen appeared, asking him if he wanted to loot the body, Jake just grunting as he begrudgingly accepted, staring at the screen that appeared in confusion.
Achievement Bonus Detected
Items Gained:
Alpha’s Fang
Cowl of the Shadow Wolf
Chest of the Shadow Wolf
Legs of the Shadow Wolf
Boots of the Shadow Wolf
Gloves of the Shadow Wolf
Alpha’s Will
Shadow Wolf Alpha Pelt
Sharp Fang x24
“What?” he muttered, “Is this…is this normal?”
Jake shook his head as he watched the last of the light that the Alpha had turned into rush into his Guardian Deer Hide Satchel, opening his inventory and looking at the items that now filled it. Most were armour, though one was a weapon, and one was a belt. He also had the Alpha’s pelt and a large number of Sharp Fangs. Inquisitive, Jake selected one of the pieces of armour.
Chest of the Shadow Wolf
Crafted from Shadow Wolf leather. Extremely Sturdy.
Medium Armour
Soulbound
Quality: Epic
Equip Armour?
Y/N?
Jake rejected the prompt, looking down at his battered Leatherwood Bark of the Wilds Set, the sleeves torn and most the bones he’s sewn into it broken. The sleeve where the Alpha had bit his was almost entirely ruined, but Jake didn’t particularly care, reckoning he could still fix it. Even though he’d only had the armour for a day at most, he had grown quite attached to it.
Rolling his stiff shoulders, Jake blinked as he noticed the new notification symbol blinking in the corner of his vision, sighing as he called it up.
Quest Complete: Purge the Corruption
Gaia, Primal of the Wilds, has tasked you with finding and slaying the Agents of Corruption that dwell within the Dark Woods.
Objectives:
Locate the Agents of Corruption 1/1
Slay the Agents of Corruption 6/6
Slay the Shadow Wolf Alpha 1/1
Bonus Objective:
Cure a Corrupted Wolf 1/1
Return to the Shrine of the Wilds to receive your rewards.
Rewards:
Class Change
Epic Equipment
Epic Weapon
Magic Skill
+Unknown
Blinking, Jake just groaned as he forced his tired body to begin the journey to the Shrine, first heading towards the Safe Zone and his camp.
------
“Okay, the broken ribs were totally worth it!” Shadow said happily as the party of four stood in the small alleyway Miri called her workshop, the tall woman hammering away enthusiastically at the piece of iron.
“I’d say,” Andy chuckled as he hefted the one-handed mace, its surface now shiny as he practiced slipping it in and out of the leather loop on his belt, “And with what Miri is making right now, I bet I’m the first player on the server to have an Iron weapon and shield.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Sophie chuckled, “Rub it in, why don’t you?”
“Weren’t you the one insisting that we gave those pieces to Goldy in the first place?” Holi asked, the Mage just looking away as she blushed, “Anyway, what are we going to do now? We have a lot of money from the Goblin Lord Quest, and nothing to really spend it on.”
“Food and booze!” Shadow shouted, thrusting his arm into the air, “We don’t have to worry about equipment thanks to Miri, so let’s go get something delicious to eat and drink!”
“Can you even legally drink?” Andy laughed at the Rogue’s antics.
“I’m twenty-two,” the tanned man replied flatly as Miri stopped hammering on the metal, dunking it into the trough of water beside her, “I’ve been drinking for years.”
“Says you,” Sophie laughed, “And anyway, it’s probably just that nasty synthetic stuff.”
“Hey, it gets the job done,” Shadow shrugged, “Anyway, are we going or what? I want to try out that steak I saw on the Tavern menu the other day!”
“That does sound good,” Holi hummed, looking at the rest of the party, “Shall we go?”
“Hold on,” Miri said softly, catching their attention as she held the iron item out to Andy, “It’s done. Bring me more when you can, and I’ll make you a full set of armour as well.”
“Awesome!” the Defender grinned, grabbing the shield, and slipping it on his arm before looking at the rest of the party, "So, time to celebrate?"
------
“Gaia?” Jake called out as he walked into the small clearing surrounding the Shrine, sighing as he approached the altar, the statue of the goddess nowhere in sight.
“You called?” Jake managed to not jump as the voice spoke from behind him, instead simply turning to look at the skull-headed statue with annoyance, “What?”
“Do you always need to do that?” he sighed, sitting on the steps around the altar, “It’s kind of annoying.”
“Yes,” Gaia chimed mischievously, “It adds to my mystique.”
“And is annoying,” Jake added, making the goddess huff.
“Well, maybe I won’t give you your rewards if you’re going to be so rude about it,” Gaia said, Jake just chuckling as she crossed her arms like an annoyed teenager.
“I’m sorry,” he replied, “Just…the fight was hard. I’m just tired.”
“Of course you are,” Gaia nodded, “Not only did you manage to defeat the Alpha, but you also had to fight off Kalagash’s influence right after. I must say, I’m impressed that you did it all alone.”
“Thanks?” Jake smirked as he watched the goddess inspect him, “I got an achievement for doing it as well.”
“Of course you did,” Gaia nodded, “It’s not often one can resist the will of a Devil. It’s a great feat and proves that you truly are worthy of my gifts.”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Your gifts?” Jake hummed, “And what are those?”
“Your Quest rewards, of course,” the goddess hummed, “And speaking of which.”
Jake watched as Gaia seemed to pull several items from thin air, making him wonder if that’s what it looked like when he used his inventory. The first was a cloak, made of familiar material, the leather seeming to suck in the light around it as it moved. The next was a bow, carved from beautiful wood that seemed to shimmer in the light. The last was a plain looking ring, also made of wood, but Jake could swear he felt almost unfathomable power radiating from it.
“So, what?” he asked, “Do I have to choose?”
“Oh, goodness no,” Gaia laughed, “These are all yours, as well as two other things, the first being this!”
You have learned [Nature Magic]
“What?” Jake blinked at the notification, “You can just…teach Skills?”
“No,” Gaia shook her head, “But I can gift specific ones, should the recipient be worthy. And you are certainly worthy.”
“Okay…” Jake said as he took the three items, putting each in his inventory, “You said two more gifts, or rewards, or whatever. What’s the last one?”
“Follow me,” Gaia simply said, walking up the stairs to the altar, looking back at Jake as he stood and followed after her, “Now, kneel before me.”
Jake complied, not entirely sure of what was about to happen, but feeling like he could trust the goddess as she placed her hand on his bowed head.
“You, who have come to our world seeking nothing when others come for greed and wrath,” she said softly, the words reverberating with power as Jake felt a tingle run up his spine, “You, who has lived in our world, wanting for nothing but survival while others seek lust and pride. You, who has looked upon our world with nothing but joy while others do so with envy and gluttony. You, who has acted for our world while others wallow in sloth. You, who has earned the right to this Title, to this Class, to this responsibility. You, who has earned the chance to be my Champion. Do you accept?”
Jake gasped as he felt the tingling in his spine grow stronger, spreading to his entire body until it was almost unbearable. An unseen weight pressed down on his shoulders, making Jake feel like he was about to be crushed, his mind going fuzzy as he struggled to stay upright. Emotions rushed through his mind, pain and sorrow, joy and happiness, the feelings of the forest and its inhabitants pouring into him as he swayed on his knees. It was almost too overwhelming for him. And suddenly, everything snapped into perfect clarity, Jake feeling like he was the Dark Woods, and that the Dark Woods were him.
“Yes,” he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, yet it shook the trees and earth.
Gaia lifted her hand, Jake slowly standing to face her, his body feeling refreshed and strong as he stared at the screens that had appeared.
You have gained the Class: Champion
Title gained: Champion of the Wilds
Skills at Level 10 detected.
Ascend Skills?
Y/N?
“What just happened?” Jake asked, Gaia tilting her head to the side almost cutely as she laughed.
“You just gained a Class,” she explained, “A very special Class, one that can only be given by a god, or in your case, a Primal. You are now my representative and hand in this world, so I hope you will act accordingly.”
“I…I will,” Jake nodded, slightly taken aback by the words, “But…what does ‘Ascend Skill’ mean?”
“Ah, yes,” Gaia nodded, “That is to be expected. When a Skill reaches level ten, you gain the opportunity to Ascend it, both making it more powerful, but also specialising it. Most Classes have restrictions on what kind of Skills they can Ascend, and what Ascended Skills they have available, but your Class is special. The Champion Class is not bound by the limits of other Classes, and can Ascend any Skill to any other Skill, though you will only be able to choose from three.”
“But why couldn’t I Ascend my Skills earlier?” Jake asked, “I’ve had several of them at level ten for a while.”
“Because you need a Class to be able to Ascend your Skills,” Gaia hummed, “Simple as that.”
“Oh, okay,” Jake nodded, “So…should I Ascend my Skills now?”
“Of course!” Gaia laughed, “You will need to be as powerful as possible in the coming days, my Champion, so you should start specialising now.”
“Okay,” Jake nodded, accepting the prompt, blinking as several screens appeared in front of him at once.
Skill [Armour] at level 10.
Please choose Skill Ascension:
[Light Armour]
[Medium Armour]
[Heavy Armour]
Cost: 1 Fate Point
Skill [Bows] at level 10.
Please choose Skill Ascension:
[Short Bow]
[Hunting Bow]
[Long Bow]
Cost: 1 Fate Point
Skill [Dodge] at level 10.
Ascend to [Evasion]?
Cost: 1 Fate Point
Skill [Small Blades] at level 10.
Please choose Skill Ascension:
[Knives]
[Daggers]
[Short Swords]
Cost: 1 Fate Point
“It costs Fate Points?” Jake muttered, “I guess that makes sense.”
Curious as to how many Fate Points he had, Jake opened his Character Screen.
Character Profile
Name
Jake Grey
Class
Champion
Level
12
Reputation
Unknown
Health Points
210
Mana Points
200
Stamina Points
270
Fate Points
11
Power
21 {+3}
Intellect
20
Agility
24 {+3}
Wit
22
Vitality
20 {+1}
Charisma
19
Skills (17/20)
Titles
Alchemy [5]
Armour [10]
Bows [10]
Butcher [1]
Cooking [2]
Crafting [6]
Dodge [10
Gathering [6]
Hide [5]
Inspect [6]
Nature Magic [1]
Observe [4]
Skinning [1]
Shadow Magic [1]
Sharp Eyes [9]
Small Blades [10]
Sprint [8]
Owner of the Dark Woods (Conditional)
Frontrunner
Giant Slayer V
Pioneer
World Breaker
Touched by Corruption
Champion of the Wilds
“Huh, I have a lot of Fate Points,” he hummed, opening his inventory next as he checked the items he had gained, “But how do I want to specialise?”
Going through the items, Jake found that his new weapons were a short sword and hunting bow respectively, and he already knew that the armour he’d gotten was medium armour. That made the decision for him, selecting the appropriate choices before looking at his Character Screen again.
Character Profile
Name
Jake Grey
Class
Champion
Level
12
Reputation
Unknown
Health Points
210
Mana Points
200
Stamina Points
270
Fate Points
6
Power
21 {+3}
Intellect
20
Agility
24 {+3}
Wit
22
Vitality
20 {+1}
Charisma
19
Skills (17/20)
Titles
Alchemy [5]
Butcher [1]
Cooking [2]
Crafting [6]
Evasion [1]
Gathering [6]
Hide [5]
Hunting Bows [1]
Inspect [6]
Medium Armour [1]
Nature Magic [1]
Observe [4]
Skinning [1]
Sharp Eyes [9]
Short Swords [1]
Sprint [8]
Owner of the Dark Woods (Conditional)
Frontrunner
Giant Slayer V
Pioneer
World Breaker
Touched by Corruption
Champion of the Wilds
“They returned to level one,” Jake sighed as he felt the slight tingle up his spine, reading over the screen, “But it’s hard to read the Skills like this. Is there a way to reorganise the list?”
A bit of poking around confirmed Jake’s question, the man quickly finding a list that made more sense to him.
Character Profile
Name
Jake Grey
Class
Champion
Level
12
Reputation
Unknown
Health Points
210
Mana Points
200
Stamina Points
270
Fate Points
7
Power
21 {+3}
Intellect
20
Agility
24 {+3}
Wit
22
Vitality
20 {+1}
Charisma
19
Skills (17/20)
Titles
Combat
Evasion [1]
Hunting Bows [1]
Medium Armour [1]
Short Swords [1]
Utility
Inspect [6]
Hide [5]
Observe [4]
Sharp Eyes [9]
Sprint [8]
Creation
Alchemy [5]
Butcher [1]
Cooking [2]
Crafting [6]
Gathering [6]
Skinning [1]
Magic
Nature Magic [1]
Shadow Magic [1]
Owner of the Dark Woods (Conditional)
Frontrunner
Giant Slayer V
Pioneer
World Breaker
Touched by Corruption
Champion of the Wilds
Nodding to himself, Jake looked back at Gaia, who was watching him expectantly, as if waiting for something.
“What?” he asked, “Do you have another Quest for me?”
“Are you done? We have much to cover before you can go gallivanting around the woods some more,” she asked, shaking her head, “Namely, Magic.”
“Magic?” Jake parroted, the goddess nodding as she pointed at him.
“Just open you Spell List for now, I’ll explain as we go.”
“Spell List?” Jake muttered, staring at the screen that appeared in surprise.
Spell List:
Nature Magic:
Nature Bolt
Creates a bolt of Nature energy that deals damage upon contact.
Cost: 20 Mana
Nature’s Boon
Heals the target for a small amount of HP/second for 30 seconds.
Cost: 50 Mana
Nature’s Hand
Allows for the temporary Taming of a willing or defeated monster.
Cost: 200 Mana
Shadow Magic:
Shadow Bolt
Creates a bolt of Shadow energy that deals damage upon contact.
Cost: 20 Mana
Shadow Mantle
Covers self in Shadow energy to increase stealth.
Cost: 5 Mana/second
Shadow Strike
Covers weapon in Shadow energy to increase critical hit chance.
Cost: 50 Mana
“Huh,” Jake said as he read over the Spells, “That’s…I have no idea, honestly.”
“It’s good!” Gaia huffed, shaking her head once more, “All [Nature Magic] Spells are good! You should have one to harm your enemies, one to help your allies, and one that allows you to affect the world in some way.”
“I guess?” Jake shrugged, chuckling at the goddess’ strange antics, “I just don’t know how to use any of them.”
“That’s why I wanted you to see them,” Gaia nodded, her eyes flashing slightly, “So I can teach you how to cast magic.”
“Oh, okay,” Jake nodded back, “Go ahead.”