Explaining the concept of a bad nut to Riffy was surprisingly easier than I expected. He already had a concept of bad food and happily agreed to never touch the Choma Choma nut again.
An hour or so later, his cravings kicked in.
Luckily, I had foreseen this and convinced him to get inside the cage. Once again, it was easier than I expected. I was starting wonder if my Charisma was playing a part, but there was no way to confirm it.
One of the side effects of the Ether Blend mushroom was that I was suffering Lethargy. It was a struggle to move and I had a constant, numbing urge to sleep. The fact that Riffy seemed unaltered by these effects was a testament to how much of a grip the Choma Choma had on him.
After a few hours of hearing his endless tirade of excuses for why Choma Choma nut would be the perfect thing for him, his Addiction Grade dropped to a 4 and he slowed down, just the tiniest bit and began sweating buckets.
I tried to stay awake. I really tried. But sleep just feels so good right now… wait!
A thought popped into my head. “Hey Riffy,” I said.
He spun to face me and his eyes were looking pretty dangerous. For the first time, I was grateful for the cage and I started to question whether it would really be able to contain him.
Riffy stared into my eyes and didn’t say a word. It must have been the longest I had seen him go without talking, even when we couldn't communicate, I would still hear him nattering away with his clicks and squeaks.
“Hello Riffy?” I asked. “Are you in there?”
He shook himself and his eyes regained some of their usual mirth. “NULL, I don’t feel so good. I feel yuck… yuck… yuck…”
“I’m sorry little guy, but it’s for your own good, I swear. You’ll feel much better when this is over. But I need you to concentrate for a minute,” I said.
He nodded jerkily.
“We can only speak the same language when we’ve both eaten an Ether mushroom. You understand that right?” I asked.
“Ether Blend. Blends it together. Makes us the same even if we’re different,” he said.
“That’s right. But what I’m wondering is, what language do you usually speak? Because apparently my Basic Speech skill translates Common. It would be useful to learn how to translate other languages too.”
“Squirrel’s speak Feral. All know that. Even the stupid grey’s know that. All creatures speak Feral. That’s how we can talk. Everything talks to each other, except the big lumps.”
“Feral? Interesting. And you say other creatures speak the same language, except the Standard Common races. That makes sense actually.”
Riffy twitched and started gnawing on the fur of his bushy tail.
I found myself yawning and had to force my eyes open.
“Next question, Riffy,” I said.
Riffy’s ears twitched, but otherwise he showed no sign of hearing me.
“I was looking at your stash of nuts earlier,” I began. He perked up at the mention of nuts and squirmed around inside the cage. “And I saw a special reward nut, a gold one. You wouldn’t happen to know about that would you, Riffy?”
“Oh, yes!” he gasped. “Big nut. Very good nut. Shiny. Given to Riffy by the Up Voice. Shiny shiny shiny.”
“Yes, it was gifted to you, wasn’t it? But you haven’t eaten it yet. Why is that?”
“Very good nut,” said Riffy.
“You think it’s too valuable to eat it?”
Riffy nodded fiercely.
“You know, the real power of that nut is what happens after you eat it. It’s important, Riffy. It should be eaten, not just hoarded away.”
“No no no. Shiny!” said Riffy. He seemed to be getting upset again and I was feeling too tired to speak anymore.
I rolled the golden Reward nut into his cage, then collapsed back onto the patch of ground I had been laying on and closed my eyes.
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I awoke around dawn and my first thought was of Riffy. He was still in his cage, but he wasn’t moving. He appeared to be sleeping, but I couldn’t tell if his chest was moving.
“Riffy?”
He didn’t move.
I squeezed my arm into the cage —one of the few benefits of being child-sized— and touched his fur. It was still warm. I inhaled and sighed with relief. Then, I cast Basic Identify.
Name: Riffy. Race: Red Squirrel. Class: Nutter. Lvl 4.
Mundane Creature. Herbivore. Highly Social. Comatose.
Red Squirrels are engaged in an eternal war with their bitter rivals, the Grey Squirrels. Nutter is a unique variation of The Collector Class.
“Comatose?” Shit.
When his addiction downgraded, I thought that was it, but it seemed he must have dropped all the way to zero, only to fall into a coma. This could be bad. This could be really bad.
I had no idea how long this was going to last. How long could his little body sustain itself without eating? I had made a huge mistake. I should never have interfered.
He was perfectly happy with his life on the zoom and sure, one day a tree might have exploded from his body, if his little heart hadn’t given out in the meantime, but at least he would have been happy and living freely until then. I’ve killed him. I locked him in a cage and forced him to endure torture for the last few hours of his life and now it’s over.
I didn’t have the skill to heal him yet. I was sure such a skill existed, but so far I had only learned how to heal myself.
“Damn it, Riffy. Wake up!” I shouted at him. “Please?”
I loosened the cage and lifted him into my arms, he flopped like a dead thing.
“Oh, man. Oh, jeez. What have I done?”
Some kind of glowing red rock flew out of nowhere and smacked me in the forehead.
Stat Increase: Constitution +1.
Your Defence reduced damage from a Mundane attack.
New Skill unlocked: Basic Defence.
Your were the target of a ranged Skill.
New Hex Applied: Tick Targeted.
New Skill unlocked: Basic Protection.
My health dropped down to somewhere in the 80% region. I didn’t have time to look precisely because a second rock flew at me from the treeline. I’m under attack.
I didn’t have time to make sense of my Stat or Skill increases. They seemed almost contradictory from what little I registered. I had enough time to make a single decision as the second rock flew towards my face. I stuck out my tongue and sniffed as hard as I possibly could.
The glowing red stone hit my tongue and… didn’t hurt at all… what?
Stat Increase: Constitution +1.
Your Defence negated damage from a Mundane attack.
Hex Stacked: Tick Targeted.
Criteria fulfilled. Basic Identify!
Race: Object Class: Stone
Magical. Inanimate. Temporary. Vidari.
This is a common pebble imbued with Ranger Vidari’s Tick Target Skill.
Grants Hex: Tick Targeted.
Stat Increase: Perception +1.
You identified a hybrid attack from an unknown attacker.
New Skill Unlocked: Basic Detect.
Everything was happening so fast, I couldn't keep track of all the updates. I had successfully detected the incoming attack and what’s more, I had taken no damage. I still held the comatose Riffy in my arms, and was expecting another attack any second. I scampered behind the nearest tree… it took an embarrassingly long time. Surprisingly, no further attack came while I was crawling. I need to get a look at the Hex details.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Tick Targetted.
Efficiency: Max Duration: 29 seconds remaining.
This Hex is Stackable. Each Tick provides: +10% Incoming accuracy from caster, +50% Incoming damage from caster, +20 Duration.
Current Stack: Incoming accuracy: +20%, Incoming damage: +100%.
It said the damage should increase by 100%, but I had taken less damage for the second attack. My defence skill must have risen by more than the incoming attack. If true, that was good news, but the damage negation wouldn’t last for long if that stack kept increasing.
I needed to avoid getting hit for another 29 seconds.
I had unlocked some new skills, but I didn’t have time to select them… let alone read and make sense of them. Why does everything happen all at once?
I placed the sleeping Riffy on the soft ground between two gnarled roots. He looked so small and vulnerable. I tried to cast Basic Identify on him, but the criteria had elapsed. It must have been too long since I last heard him speak. I couldn’t believe it, but I actually missed hearing him talk. His gentle patter of nonsense was surprisingly soothing compared to everything else I had encountered in this impossible place.
I really needed to focus on the approaching threats, but I couldn’t just leave Riffy without doing something to help him. I should at least cover him with something… he looks so vulnerable.
I glanced around and a shimmering reflection caught my eye. The golden reward nut. Riffy must have tried to bury it inside his cage. It was barely visible under a pile of loosely scattered dirt. Wow, he must have been really out of it, if that’s the best job he could do to hide it.
I jumped for it. My movement speed was still terrible, but by stretching myself out flat on the ground, I was able to cover more distance.
With this I can protect you, Riffy. This will help me grow in power. Power was what I needed. I had to be stronger. I had to improve and level up. It was the only way.
I raised the nut to my lips. The image of Riffy’s excited eyes appeared in my mind’s eye. Damn it. He really loves this stupid nut. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to eat it.
“For fuck sake, Riffy,” I snapped. “You can’t just hold onto things because they’re shiny. This is meant to be eaten and if I can’t have it, you damn well will!”
I pulled open his sleeping mouth and slammed the golden reward inside. It vanished in a pop and Riffy’s coat shimmered slightly. I wondered if I shimmered like that every time I got a Stat increase.
Then, I turned as something that sounded like an earthquake came charging towards me. Some kind of giant… Oh wait, I forgot I’m really small. I guess that’s what an adult looks like. He was wielding a big stick and he was roaring. Oh shit.
I wish I could say I dodged. I wish I could say I blocked his attack. I wish I could say I braced for impact.
I screamed.
He swung.
Everything went black. Except my Health bar… that plummeted way down. That single attack took away more than half of my remaining health. Barely more than a third of my health remained. If he hits me again, I’m dead.
I could cast Basic Restoration, but I only had enough Mana to cast it the once, then I would be defenceless. If he strikes again, I will have to cast it the moment before he hits in order to survive. But for now, I should consider my options.
I opened my eyes and found myself laying several meters from where I had just been. I hadn’t even noticed myself fly through the air.
My body was killing me.
I groaned as I sat up. The big guy was no longer charging at me, he was panting. Probably regaining stamina. Now that I had a good view of him, I recognised the typical brute look of this idiot. He had short cropped black hair, some crappy leather armour, and he was toting that big stick of his like I was supposed to be impressed. Criteria fulfilled… interesting.
“Who the fuck are you?” I asked. Delaying tactic.
I definitely wanted to Basic Identify this guy, but I needed to reserve my Mana in case he attacked. Besides, there was something more urgent right now.
I opened my Pocket Book and quickly switched to the Skills page. I had one empty Skill slot and I immediately selected the first available Skill: Basic Detect. No idea what it does yet. I would be stupid to cast it.
The big guy spoke, “Watch your mouth, runt.” He sounded as dumb as he looked.
Fuck it. I cast it anyway.
I felt five small vibrations. That’s the closest I can come to describe it. There were five vibrating blobs. They must be other entities. One of the vibrating blobs was clearly the big guy. I could see him, but now I could also feel him. I knew exactly where he was. Near him was another, smaller vibrating blob. That had to be Riffy. Riffy’s still alive!
There were three others. One was coming from the same directions as those red stone attacks that had hit me. The remaining two were huddled together in the other direction. They had split into three groups and formed a triangle around me. Not bad.
“Who’s out there?” I yelled in the direction of the two huddled vibrating blobs.
No answer.
“You’re going to watch an innocent child die without ever showing your face?”
All of the blobs vanished, the Skill Duration had ended. My Mana was more than halfway depleted. I had enough to cast Basic Restoration for two seconds…
A woman’s voice replied from the opposite direction. “This doesn’t look like the beast I was expecting. Are you sure this is right, Cleric?”
The woman who stepped out from behind the tree was dressed in what I would describe as paladin armour, thin white metal garments decorated with blue streaks and crosses with a capital F on her breastplate. She didn’t seem to be carrying the usual Paladin weapon or shield, instead she bounced a few stones in her palm.
From the opposite direction, two figures approached. They were clerics alright… robes and all. One was a dwarf or gnome by the look of it. I wish I knew what levels these guys were. Screw it.
I turned back to the big guy and cast Basic Identify.
Name: Imber. Race: Human. Class: Warrior. Lvl 5.
Standard Common. Omnivore. Violent. Sociable. Intelligent.
Junior Combatant turned Warrior.
I need to improve my identify skill. This isn’t enough information to work with. Level 5… I’m way out of my depth here.
“Do not be deceived by the beast,” said the taller of the two clerics. “Have faith in the All Mother’s guidance.”
All Mother? Great, I’m about to be murdered by holy role-players.
It hurt to move, but I forced myself to my feet.
“So that’s it, huh?” I said. “I’m about to be sacrificed to your god?”
I needed to meet the requirements for Basic Identify on the rest of these guys, but they were too far away to smell or touch. Come to think of it, how did I meet the requirements to identify the big guy, Imber?
I didn’t smell or taste him, that’s for sure. I didn’t think we’d touched either… oh, his stick. He was holding his weapon when it hit me so that must have counted.
I was going out on a limb here, but I think my Perception must have reach a point that required one less criteria to be fulfilled in order to cast Basic Identify. It was the only possible solution. Sight, Sound, and Touch were the only Senses that had registered Imber.
Senses…
I had seen and heard two of the others now. If I cast Basic Detect again, that might count as a third sense. If my theory was accurate, I could identify them while Basic Detect was active. At best that was a Plan B. It cost more Mana than I currently had and I still wouldn’t be able to use my Plan A: Basic Restoration. I needed to keep delaying them.
“I’m not a beast. I’m a person.”
“The All Mother would not warn us of a mere human. You are accursed,” said the Cleric, she sounded like an older woman. “Vidari, is the Frontier to be relied upon or will you betray your contract?” She aimed this last statement at the paladin.
Vidari looked torn, her face contorted into a sneer. “She’s right, Imber. Kill this thing before it recovers.”
The big man hefted his stupid stick and charged. At the same moment, Vidari hurled one of her glowing red stones at me.
I really didn’t want to do this. Plan C: Gamble.
I spun towards the smaller cleric and activated Ram Slam. My stamina plummeted and I soared towards the small figure. I almost missed, but managed to reach out and catch myself on their shoulder. Using the force of my momentum, I spun onto their back. They were small, but not as small as I.
Stat increase: Dexterity +1.
You dodged an attack.
Skill unlocked: Basic Dodge.
The shock of our sudden collision removed the small cleric’s hood, revealing a long braid of golden hair. She was petite human, a girl. Small for her age, but still unlikely to be in her twenties yet. She looked like a doll. I kinda felt bad for what I did next, but… We’re fighting for survival here.
I bit her neck. Vampiric Bite was ready the moment I tasted blood. My remaining Mana evaporated, but immediately ticked back up by a single bit as I stole it from her. I was gaining 1 Mana, 1 Health, and 1 Stamina from her per second. If I could maintain this bite for 6 seconds, I would almost reach full health and half stamina.
“Katri!” the older cleric yelled. She rushed towards us, but she was slow. The momentum of my charge had carried us away from her and I could tell she wasn’t a runner.
Stat Increase: Brutality +1.
Savage.
Savage? Hate the game, not the player.
My eyes snapped to the biggest threat, Imber. He seemed to be using a similar charge to my Ram Slam, but it was slower and way heavier. He must have low Dexterity because he kept stopping and waiting for his Stamina to recharge. At least, that’s what I assumed.
Vidari had her stones at the ready, but she couldn’t get a clean shot while I was using the young cleric as a shield.
Vidari spat in frustration, at the same moment I breathed a sigh of relief. The Tick Targeted Hex she had applied to me run out. The icon blinked and vanished from my vision.
My health, stamina, and mana continued to climb.
“Get off her!” The old woman shrieked as she finally reached us. She sunk her nails into my arm. Whatever she was attempting had no effect. If it was an attack, it was negated by my defence.
I punched at her and she fell backwards screaming. Huh…
The six seconds had passed, my Vampiric Bite ended and I pulled back from the young cleric. She was frozen in fear.
“Sorry,” I said. Then, I turned and ran as fast I could into the forest. Yeah, it was slow. I’m really fucking slow… but apparently so is everyone else around here.
My Dexterity had increased enough that I was no longer moving at a snail pace. Now, I was moving at sleepy-turtle speed. I reached the edge of Riffy’s small clearing and just before ducking into the trees, something stopped me.
For a moment, I thought I was being held by some kind of grab skill, but then I noticed the shimmering wall that surrounded the entire area.
Unmarked Quest Complete: Save the Squirrel.
Gain: 50xp. Optional Boss Awakened.
Warning: You cannot leave Boss Arena until Boss is defeated or all combatants have been eliminated.
Nut King Riffy. Level 5 Boss. Awakened Monster.
There once lived a happy young squirrel, who carefully minded his zone.
Then one day, along came a meanie, who wanted Riffy’s nuts for his own.
The meanie, he schemed and he plotted, to lock our poor boy in a cage.
But the Nut King, my dear, has awakened. Now, prepare to suffer his rage…
Nut King Riffy - VERSUS - Vidari, Imber, Hesta, Katri, & NULL.
“Uh oh.”
LEVEL UP +1
NULL, Human, Level Two
New Perks Available.
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