“What the!”
“Status screens?”
Having read multiple books on the idea of being a summoned hero or trapped in a game he immediately knew the implications and tried to put his knowledge to use.
“I wonder how my points were distributed. I received 7-point bonus in each stat for the full body traits, It looks like my average is 8-points all around.”
“I see that all my physical work over the years seams to have gained me an extra point in strength. I’ve always ben slow on my feet and I have terrible reflexes, so my Dex and speed are not the least bit surprising. My Constitution and Endurance would explain my poor health over the years, I’ve missed more school and work than I would like to admit from being sick all the time.”
“I wonder how my hit points are calculated?”
Hit Points are calculated as 10% of previous level increase upon gaining a level. (Hit points are only added after ability point total after each lvl up) Hit points added is additive, and not multiplicative. Increasing Constitution or Endurance at level 5 will only increase the total hit points for that fifth level and not the four previous levels.
Endurance, adds 10 points to health per point. Endurance is the stat for longevity alowing an indivigual to last longer before tiring. Prime health stat for fighters due to limited stack ability of resistance with most armors.
Constitution, adds 5 points to health per point. though it gives less hitpoints that endurance it makes up for it in natural resistances. A person with high resistance takes less damage from physical attacke. at high levels will also provide elemental resistance. (warning max elemental resistance 90% except where specified by race.)
“huh? I guess the system will answer basic questions for me then.”
“System how do you calculate mana.”
Mana total is gained from Intelligence and willpower.
Intelligence, adds 10 points to mana per point. Inteligence is the prime stat for spellcasters alowing them to better remember the patterns which the spells are to be wove. Higher inteligence alows for more acurate and faster weave in spells alowing for more utility.
Willpower, adds 5 points to mana per point. Willpower is the force of the spell. Not to be confused with the power. Willpower is the bridge between what a spellcaster has the inteligence to cast, and what they are physically capable. Willpower alows the spellcaster to bridg the gap between knowlage by flooding it with brute force. Spells cast through willpower will have similar results to one cast from inteligence but with a much higher mana cost. Spells are much easier to cast through willpower. Willpower will also allow an individual to overcharge a spell by forcing more mana into the spell than it is structured to handle. (This is both dangerous, and impractical.)
"lets chech the other stats"
Strength, the power on ones blows. Governing atribute in amount an individual is capable of carrying as well as the force used on an object when in physical contact.
Dexterity, the ability to control ones movements. allows increased flexibility and better controll of fine motor skills.
Speed, the ability to increase movement rate without loss of control. higher speeds alow faster movement, and decreased time taken on completion of physical tasks.
Charisma, Also associated with beauty and charm. Increases apeal to others through actions. Increases the ability to persuade an individual to relate to ones circumstances making an indivigual apear more trustworthy and appealing.
” Huh I guess my low charisma explains why I have a hard time getting a date.”
“Wait a minute. If my average ability was 8-points and I’ve increased all abilities by 7, then I have almost doubled everything I was capable of."
"I wonder what the average strength for this world is at.”
“I need to get out of these caves."
Already carrying the only 2 possessions he had Coal walked down into the dark cave leaving the lights for the darkness.
Keeping his one hand on the wall, and the other holding his revolver he slowly shuffled his bare feet over the rocks, testing each step before committing his weight.
With no way to tell how long he traveled, or where he was going, all he could do was step, listen, and feel the area around him. He searched for any change. All he could hear was the dripping behind him and the pattering small feet in the distance.There was no light to see by not even an ilumination from the ocasional patch of cave moss. All he could smell was the wet decaying ground.
He had other things to worry about at this time. Touch, he could feel the sharp stones against his feet, and the smooth uneven surface on the wall. Continuing on along the wall he walks until interupted by a low hanging ledge hitting him in the face.
“Fuck”
No longer paying attention to all his senses Coal was knocked down. “Dammit if I had a way to take some of the light from around the pool where I arrived I would have. Look at me now, I could be right next to almost anything and not know it.”
Thinking back to his status screen Coal remembered that it said he had mana. He decided to focus and see if he could do anything with it.
Coal sat down and tried to focus only on himself. He began trying to “feel” everything about him and all his memories of people doing just this.
Sitting cross legged he began remembering all the books he read when he was younger. He thought of some of the old wiccan books he read. Coal always believed in the wiccan beliefs throughout his short life. He believed in the idea that if you did enough good for others then it would return to you in some form. He would help when he could and treated everyone fairly. The only reason he was not a practicing wiccan was that there were no local covens in his area, and he had no experience to start his own. But it was still a sound belief system that helped him out many times.
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Remembering what he read Coal pictured a tree form around himself. The tree was massive with branches reaching into the sky above it reached through the cave celing to touch the heavens. It had roots that reached down and embraced the core of the world. Slowly he began to focus on the cycles around him. Heat from deep below, and from the sky above. The ground was everywhere. Water seeping through the soil around him and Wind on the leaves slowly caressing his face. He could feel the world around him through the tree, but because of the sheer size of it the cave system felt like trying to navigate an ants colony.
Coal opened hit eyes to see the aura of a tree in front of him. the aura was but a fraction of the trees true size condencing itself to fit into the room of the cavern he was curently in. He could still feel every bit of the energy surounding the original tree though.
The tree looked like it was made from tiny glowing webs, and strings. as he watched it he could see the roots through the ground pulse and glow an orange red before moving up to the top as if through a vein. The sight of the vein brought him images and thoughts of fire. Memories of sitting around a bonfire with his close friends sharing some beers stolen from their parents house, Memories of reaching in a hot oven to pull out a fresh baked cake. Memory after memory pased through him.
As he focused he was able to pick out images and memories associated with all the elements in the threads making up the tree. The more he looked the more he realised the danger of grabing directly from the tree.
Looking in on himself he could see every pulse of the tree consumen a small amount of his mana. Once each pulse of his mana would spread itself throughout the tree it would release a small cascade of the threads making up its leaves alowing them to float down to within coals reach
Now knowing what the mana felt like he focused more on that sensation.
Threads of it were everywhere. More than he could ever count. More colors than he could name. More feelings than he could describe. There were as many colors as stars in the sky, and he was trying to grab the right one.
Focusing on what he could, Coal slowly reached out and tried to grab whatever he could.
Closing his hand around the threads he squeezed and tried to press his own mana into.
Congratulations you have learned Mana Manipulation.
Mana Manipulation Allows the manipulation of mana threads
By reaching into the beyond and grasping what you could, you not only avoided death but also managed to manipulate the threads of the universe. Every time you reach into the beyond you seed a little more knowledge into yourself and will be better able to grasp what is around you. (understanding is gained from intelligence and study)
“Oh shit.” Coal was almost immediately blinded by the flash of light that appeared to burn in front of him and released his hold on the strands and the mana.
“190 mana already.”
Relaxing for a minute he thought of the cave system around him, and what he was able to make out.
The room he was in was no more than fifteen feet wide and just as tall ot the highest visible point. It sharply got narrower twords the end he was on where it turned into a two foot by two foot hole.
“Let’s try this again.”
Grabbing at the threads again he tried to trickle his mana into it this time.
Again the light flaired up only to go back out as he tried to reduce the amount of mana he put into it.
“And I’m almost out of mana again.”
“looks like I can only use the spell for short bursts”
Feeling exhausted he took another short break before continuing his crawl into the smaller cave system.
After crawling for around a hundred and fifty yards Coal thought he heard something.
“Yargrahl talt more...”
Hearing what sounded like strange speech Coal didn’t know weather to be excited or fearful.
Flaring his light another time he saw that the tunnel he was in came to an opening around twenty feet ahead, so he slowly made his way forward.
The tunnel ended on a ledge twenty feet in the air overlooking a massive cavern close to two-hundred yards wide with ledges peaking through the walls all along its distance. All this was cast in the poor illumination left by what apears to have once ben a large fire. Now mostly embers casting an etheral glow and the occasional flair of light that alowed you to see when some of the remnents were able to catch flame.
Coal saw what apeared to be an upright walking shadow pass infront of the fire. From his vantage the creature looked massive compared to any human he ever seen before.
Coal began to back peddle back into the hole and plan out his meating with this creature, or better yet his avoidance. Only the easy path was not ment to be as he began to feel the rocks under him give way.
He rolled down the ledge shielding his face and other exposed bits to the best of his ability loosing his makeshift cloak as it was pinned under the majority the ledge that fell with him. He finally landed on the bottom. Loosing nearly 40% oh his hp from the fall he immediately found himself in a difficult position.
He could see the shadow of the creature in the cave rushing twords him.
Flaring his mana with the only ability he knew, he was met by what he would describe as a huge humanoid creature standing over eleven feet tall, and easily over a thousand pounds. It was charging at him with what appeared to be an old uprooted tree held above its head. Snarling with mucus and the rotting remnants of its last meal hanging from its mouth it was getting closer.
“ARRRGGGgggg!” the creature raged as it charged at him.
Fear and loathing took controll of Coals emotions as he raised the revolver in his shaking arms and took aim.
When the creature was within thirty feet of him he pulled the trigger.
Three shots center mass and the creature stoped its charge. He watched as the holes began to close themselves back up right infront of him. It raised its club again and began to resume its charge.
Taking a breath Coal lined up his next shot before pulling the trigger.
He watched dumbfounded as the creature shook its head back and forth stoped in its tracks. The .45 caliber rounds were unable to pierce its scull.
Now shaking with terror he took this moment since the creature was stoped and lined up his last shot.
He pulled the trigger ans watched as the bullet took it in the eye spraying grey matter out infront of it. He watched as it fell to the ground five feet infront of him before he started to shake and vomit on the ground infront of him. It took nearly a minute before he noticed the slow rise and fall on the creatures chest.
“Fuck this thing is still alive.”
Coal carefully got up and on his unsteady feet and hobbled over towards the light he saw the creature come over from.
In the middle of the room was the fire pit giving off a faint glow of light. Looking around Coal spotted a few branches and twigs piled next toit and threw some in to get better light.
With the room lit up he was able to make out what was around him. Hanging from the walls were rotting unidentifiable carcasses speared to the stone with hooks.
Over on the side of the cave there was a small pile of tattered armor and weapons. Picking up the largest axe he could find, he quickly went back to the creature.
“I can’t have you waking back up on me.”
Closing his eyes, he says a brief prayer. “Thank you for the experience you have provided me this night. I'm sorry for the need to have this soul part from life. May its next life be more.”
Taking the stance he used for splitting wood at home Coal places one hand at the head of the handle, and the other on the end. Raising the axe above his head he slides his hand down the shaft to meet the other while swinging it down with all the force he could into the back of the creature’s neck.
“Roooohrrr!” everything he had was only brought the axe to around three inches into its foot-thick neck. This made it through its spine but left it very much still alive as it continued to scream.
Upon looking down Coal could see the wound on the back of its neck slowly start to close back op, and small movements and twitches began to affect its body.
Panicking he brought the axe back up and swung again.
And again.
And again.
He continued swinging until the head was disconnected from the body completely.
Congratulations, you have defeated a Cave Troll. Exp gained 110.