Fiona was upset; she hadn’t seen Pierce this entire trip and hoped he hadn’t holed himself up in his room, given how upset he might be. She agreed that they were dicks. Given what she had heard, Grace and Pierce's relationship had been on a downward spiral for the past couple of months. But it seemed like Pierce hadn’t known about any of that. So then the cheating had come to light, and Pierce had been devastated.
Fiona knew it was not her battle nor her business, but she had to stick up for him in her head, if nowhere else. She felt terrible for Pierce; he had a good heart but let people walk all over him. Grace just took advantage of that. She did what she wanted and then ended things as shittily as possible, and Pierce got his heart broken, so she was more to blame. Then, there was the partner she chose, who happened to be Pierce's best friend. All of this culminated in her feeling shitty for Pierce, given how nice this place was. She sighed as she walked through the hotel.
Well, at least not everything was terrible in Fiona’s world; the spa was fantastic, and she had done the survival classes a couple of times now, and they’d been fascinating. She was having a good time. She decided she would hit the trail today. The pictures on the brochure made them seem gorgeous, and she could always be up for a hike. She headed down the elevator and came across Dean and Grace. They wore simple athletic clothes, and Grace was hanging off her new trophy.
Grace looked up as Fiona approached and said, “Hey Fiona, how's it going?”
“Oh, I’m doing alright,” Fiona said with a smile. “How about you? How are you two doing?”
“Good, we just got done doing a little workout in the gym they have here and were thinking about going to the spa section. We heard that they do this awesome mud bath.”
Grace used an airy, indifferent tone as she said it, which made Fiona's cheeks heat up, but she calmed herself down.
“Aw, that sounds like a blast; well, have a good day.”
“Yeah, you too, Fiona; see you around.”
Grace waved a farewell as Fiona turned, strode off towards the front desk, and waited for her turn to talk to the hotel worker. Those two did seem happy; the dumbasses were made for each other. The line had moved forward, and she was facing the desk. She asked the girl behind the desk, whose name tag read April, where the trails were, and she pointed towards a set of stairs leading down.
“Oh, by the way, a man came through asking about the trails but didn’t come back through the lobby. Have you seen him? I saw you talking when you arrived, so I thought you might know.”
“Oh yeah, was he about 6 '0” with Black hair? I haven’t seen him at all since we arrived. He's probably fine, though.”
----------------------------------------
Pierce was not okay. He was currently dealing with a giant mushroom monster. So picture this: Pierce was tramping along minding his own business when he found a giant mushroom with a classic fairytale look: red with a white polka-dotted cap and all-white stem. Then the mushroom plopped out of the ground and started running at him with legs. Mushroom legs. The thing had a mouth and started lolling its tongue as it chased him. Pierce was sprinting as fast as he could away from the thing. Then it had spit what looked like a spore projectile at his head.
He assumed this was not good for his health. Having played The Last of Us, he knew mushroom spores were terrible for humans. He rounded a tree and hid behind it, hoping he had put enough distance between him and the mushroom. Looking over his shoulder around the pale bark of the tree, he spied the mushroom standing about 20 ft away, stalk still. What was it doing? The ground around its stem was slowly covering back up its legs, and it seemed like it was rooting itself.
Pierce was lost and unsure what to do when a cloud started coming off the mushroom. It spread in every direction and rapidly closed the distance to where Pierce hid. Cursing, he got up again and began to move when the mushroom’s spores caught up. A weird feeling came over his body as the mushroom’s spores entered his nose. It felt like he was trying to move in slow motion as whatever it was hindered his motor functions.
He turned his head to see what the mushroom was doing. He was horrified that it had popped out of the ground again and was sprinting full tilt at him. His mind screamed at his body to move, but all he could manage was to hide behind one of the pale trees and hope for the best. He felt a cataclysmic shake as the tree groaned under the force of the impact of the mushroom.
He felt his body loosen up after the mushroom collided with the tree, so he grabbed his mandible and charged the thing. The mushroom seemed to have lodged itself on the gems protruding out of the tree, which was perfect for Pierce as he rammed the mandible repeatedly into the mushroom’s side. Purple gunk spurted out of the wounds left by him, and Pierce gagged at the smell. Finally, a notification on his vision appeared.
You have killed Mushroom (Child) Lv. 8. Because this creature was five levels above your own. You gain double experience and loot. You have gone up two levels.
Would you like to loot the corpse?
Y/N
Pierce mentally selected yes, and a pair of red and white overalls and a small pile of mana crystals appeared. He picked up the overalls and was surprised by how soft they felt, and then a prompt appeared.
You have gained Mushroom overalls (uncommon). These overalls are made from mushroom fibers and are incredibly light and sturdy.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Special effect: When these overalls are cut, they release a small cloud of spores on whoever inflicted damage on the wearer. These spores will have a stunning effect when inhaled.
Stat Gains: +2 to Dex and +2 to Constitution
He pulled them on and loved the feeling of being in pants again. Pierce was very pleased overall with his new pants. He looked ridiculous with the short-cut and not-long cut, but they fit perfectly and comfortably. The stat gains were also excellent, given that he was almost three times better at everything. He tried thinking of the status sheet he had initially seen, and a screen popped up.
Status Page:
Name: Pierce Adams Race: Human(Basic) Gender: Male
Lvl:5 Profession: N/A
Titles: Forerunner, Hitting Above Your Weight
Skills: Survivalist Doctor, Amateur Stitcher
Stats:
Strength: 16 Dexterity:17 Charisma:15 Constitution:14 Intelligence:17 Wisdom:15
He could feel those stats hitting his body, and he was more potent and faster than ever. He had no words for the feeling; it was like he had drunk a hundred cups of coffee mixed with Red Bull. He felt like he could do anything. Then, a new screen popped into his vision.
New mission: Slay the Mushrooms 1/30 - You have killed one of the many members of a local mushroom village, and now, having felt the death of their newest spore child, they are out for blood. It is kill or be killed. Rewards will be given based on performance.
Pierce gaped at the screen in front of him. A mushroom village? What does that even mean? He supposed the child title now made more sense. How would he kill 29 more things that were, based on the title, potentially stronger than what he just faced? A blinking icon in the corner of his vision brought him from his panic, and he opened it.
You have met the requirements for class selection. You will now be presented with your choices:
1. Rogue (common) - One who strikes from the shadows and takes opportunities presented to you. You may be a Jack of all trades or specialize in one. The path is up to you, hooded one.
2. Druid (common): You embrace the environment around you and utilize its advantages. Nature comes in many forms, and you are there to will them.
3. Nature’s Artificer (uncommon) - you have taken an unorthodox path of survival and have used your knowledge and the nature around you to come out on top regarding survival or practicality. Carve your path with your ingenuity and the boundless earth beyond.
You have gained these choices based on your experiences and the primary options available to all inducted.
Pierce was lost for thought. His first one, though, was that this was badass. He had noticed the class option but hadn’t thought about when he would get it or what that would even look like. He was excited; it felt like back in high school when he got to choose a class for Dungeons and Dragons. He looked over the options again.
He liked the look of the druid and the rogue, but something about nature’s artificer spoke to him. In his eyes, it seemed like a combination of a druid and a crafter, which seemed cool. His dad had always been the person who fixed and created new things around the house. When he was five, his dad made an entire hockey rink for the high school by his house, and they still use it.
Because of that influence, Pierce has always wanted to be that person but had yet to give it a chance or a thought. But now he had it on a golden platter, and he could make his fantasy weapons, vehicles, or whatever else this class had in store. This was going to be his moment and no one else's. On instinct, he selected Nature’s artificer.
You have selected Nature’s artificer. You will now gain the following per level:
Strength: +2 Dexterity:+3 Charisma:+2 Constitution:+2 Intelligence:+4 Wisdom:+3
You have also gained the following abilities:
Nature’s Bounty(uncommon)- Harvesting now has a 10% chance to double the item you are harvesting, and you can find rare plants easier with your senses.
Natural Artificer(uncommon)- Making constructions or tools out of natural materials is more accessible and will last far longer than usual.
You have gained a New Title: First in your class- You have surpassed expectations and gained the level required to grant you a class; since you are the first on your planet to do so, your rewards have been doubled. Your rewards have tripled since you have also been given an uncommon class.
You have gained these two items as your reward.
* Cloak of Nature
* Amaranth’s Toolbelt
Pierce didn’t know what to think for the second time that day. He bent to pick up the two things that had appeared. The first was a mottled green cloak that seemed to shimmer on the ground it was placed on. The belt next to it was very elaborate and had so many pockets and things in it he didn’t even know what half of them were. He first picked up the toolbelt and inspected it.
Toolbelt of Amaranth(uncommon)- This toolbelt belonged to a unique artificer known for his unorthodox approach to almost everything. This belt will allow you to use any number of essential tools that you can find in its pockets. It will also identify what some tools do for you if you need to know their usage. You will gain +4 in intelligence and wisdom when this is equipped.
Pleased, Pierce strapped it on and picked up what looked like a roofing hammer from one of the pockets. Instantly, he knew what it was used for and what uses it could have in any ideas he might have for creations. This was going to be a game-changer. Bob the Builder would have murdered for this so he could stop talking to all those vehicles of his. Pierce worried for Bob, but moving on, he picked up the cloak.
Cloak of Nature(uncommon)- this cloak will shield you from those who wish you harm and provide shelter when you most need it. While wearing it you can move faster when amongst nature and blend in almost perfectly with any natural surroundings. When equipped, you gain +5 to dexterity and +3 constitution.
Pierce draped the cloak around his shoulders and grinned. It was time to fuck up some mushroom creatures.