After a few hours of constant walking with not much conversation to be had, Neia stopped and held up a hand—Lee, who had been scanning his surroundings constantly since the battle, tensed out of fear and worry. He had seen this exact scenario before. Neia slowly began to creep through the thick underbrush, and Lee trepidatiously followed after her. After five minutes or so, she finally slowed to a standstill.
Neia sent a glance at Ruven as he was creeping forward, then pointed in the distance toward a small clearing. Ruven followed the finger with his eyes and, after a moment, his eyes widened ever so slightly. He carefully reached over his shoulder, grabbed his bow, then knocked an arrow. Lee watched as he drew the bow to full and calmly took aim at something off in the distance. Lee heard a nearly silent Wump as the string released all of its tension, launching the arrow through the woods.
Lee strained his hearing, listening for any cries of pain, but the only thing he managed to hear besides the blood rushing into his head was a soft thump. Neia rose from her crouch, smiled, and started walking with Ruven in the direction the arrow was fired. Lee was still tense, wondering if another battle was near, followed after. Afraid to be left behind.
Soon, Lee found out exactly what their quarry was. It was a deer of some sort, but instead of the typical brown fur he normally associated with a deer, it had vibrant mossy purple fur with white tufts spreading out from its chest and tail—a small set of antlers atop its crown and tiny, round, marble-like eyes.
Gallam Deer - Level 3 - (Corpse) - With excellent camouflage, these rare deer are hard to spot. Known for their mana rich bodies. Found rarely in mana rich forests. Very perceptive.
Now understanding that no fight for his life was upon him, Lee relaxed. Neia was very excited, she was smiling and sending looks of appreciation toward Ruven. “When was the last time you’ve seen a Gallam?”
Ruven also had a smile as he shook his head. “It’s been months. It looks like we're lucky.”
He turned to face Lee he continued. “Gallam deer materials are very expensive, with their mana rich meat they taste fantastic and may provide a temporary bonus to stats if prepared by a skilled chef, their organs, fur, and bones, can be used in alchemy and other professions.”
Neia knelt next to the deer and slowly rubbed her hand over its fur. “Lee, I will loot this because my luck is higher than yours and Ruvens. Normally we wouldn’t care too much when it comes to whoever loots a creature, but for rare animals, monsters, and treasure chests. A group may reveal their luck to gain more resources.” Neia stopped her caressing of its fur and looted it.
It shimmered away underneath her palm and left in its place were an antler, a nice purple pelt, a pearly white pile of long bones, and one full large leg of meat. Neia let out a breath and grinned. “We are lucky!” she grabbed a small pouch at her waist, opened it, and began to put the loot inside.
Before she could store anything, Lee quickly used Identify.
Gallam Antler (Uncommon): A single antler of a Gallam Deer, strong and durable, may be useful in crafting.
Gallam Fur (Uncommon): The Fur pelt of a Gallam Deer, purple because of its location, soft and durable because of the mana within. May be useful in crafting.
Bones of Gallam (Rare): Pearlescent white bones of a Gallam Deer, strong, durable, and also slightly flexible. Excellent material for crafting, and good for storing mana.
Haunch of Gallam Deer (Rare): Rich with mana, this haunch of meat from a Gallam Deer is sought after by many. Excellent material for cooking.
As Lee finished with his Identify spree, he watched in amazement as the items seemed to shrink and fall into the small pouch that Neia had. He shuffled over, trying to view inside the pouch, but all he saw was a void. Neia noticed his interest and explained. “It’s called a Bag of Holding. Even the smallest ones are expensive. You didn’t think we came out here days away from Neldam with no bags to carry things, did you?” Neia shot him a look of mock exasperation.
Lee, realized that he never thought twice about them having bags or not. Luckily for him, even though he never played fantasy games, he at least knew of the famous Bag of Holding—a classic magical item. After thinking about the two elves some more, he didn’t even know why they were out here in the first place. “Why are you two out here in the forest to begin with?”
Ruven gave him a wry smile. “So you finally ask, I have been wondering how long it would take you to.”
Neia started to lead them back on their journey as Ruven continued to explain. “Neia and I are monster hunters, we go out and search for rare monsters to loot. While also making the area around Neldam safer.”
Now interested, Lee asked, “So you’re like adventurers?” He glanced back and forth between Ruven and Neia he started to see their posture tighten.
“No, we are not adventurers.” Ruven replied, slightly strained.
Lee, confused, had to ask for clarification. “Is there a difference between the two?”
Neia jumped into the conversation and simply stated. “Adventurers travel from city to city, country to country, seeking monsters, dungeons, and treasure. We just hunt monsters.”
Lee was beginning to sense some awkwardness with this line of questioning and changed topics. “The fight with the four goblins only gave me 50XP. It will take a lot of danger to reach level five.”
Neia took a deep breath. “You got experience for one goblin, not four. You only dealt damage to the one you killed. If you had done some damage to the other goblins you may have gotten some more, but if I held down one and it stood no chance against you, you would have gotten nothing. The only reason you got 50XP from the goblin is because it was mortally wounded by the time I finished it, if it was still healthy you would have received a lot less.”
He filed that information away. “So what is Neldam like?”
Neia smiled. “It’s the city of dark elves. It’s located at the base of one of the largest Garbola trees. It’s very impressive. We have lived there for almost a thousand years.”
Lee tried to imagine an elven city. What he imagined were buildings shaped like trees with clean, river-like, wide streets winding across the city, with lots of fruits and vegetables being sold by the side. Suddenly, he remembered something important he needed to ask. “Didn’t you mention living underground?”
Neia winked and turned back to find a path. “You will see.”
Ruven jumped in. “You will be surprised, I think we will be there in about two days.”
----------------------------------------
They continued on their journey and went on trekking through the forest for hours. they only stopped once night began to fall. Neia stopped to find a small area to make camp. Making camp was much like the same as before, the gathering of logs and kindling.
Lee, now hungry and thirsty, began to wonder if he would make it to Neldam without water. His last real drink was back at the river the day before. More than 24 hours ago. The meat he ate with the elves was fine, so he was good for food. He had survived in the hospital not being able to eat much, but water was a different story. “Do you have any water, or something else to drink?”
Ruven looked over at him “We have some water do you need some?” After unhooking a waterskin from his side. He tossed it over.
Lee caught it mid-air and drank deeply. After a few moments, he handed it back. Ruven stared at him the whole time. “When was the last time you had something to drink?”
“Over a day ago.” Lee says while positioning his various furs to get warm next to the fire.
“That’s not too long, you drank like it had been a week.” Ruven laughed and started to check on his bow and arrows, maintaining them if it was needed.
Lee just awkwardly chuckled. “If I didn’t drink for a week I would be dead.”
Ruven then looked over to Lee in confusion and saw that he was not joking. “Really?”
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Neia joined the conversation and spoke to Ruven. “He is a human, he has different needs. I did not anticipate this... the only thing I knew of was sleep. We only need two or three hours of sleep. They need eight hours.” She turned to Lee. “If you need something just say so, we will accommodate you. We only drink once a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. Ask for water when you need it. What about food? How often do you eat?”
I wish I could get rested within two or three hours. Lee mulled. “We can survive long without food, a few weeks without any, but we usually eat three meals a day, two is fine.”
They both blankly looked at him. Neia was the first to speak. “We usually eat in the morning and at night. Occasionally we will skip the night meal like today, if we don't find anything we can eat during the journey.”
They had found something today, but it was too valuable to just eat in camp.
Lee, not wanting to hold the elves back, grabbed his warm furs and began to lay down his sleeping arrangement. “I will go to sleep early so we can leave earlier in the morning.” He says while laying the tail fur of the squaller down as his pillow, the other squaller fur down as bedding, and the Jackalope fur as a blanket.
“We will wake you in the morning, we will go find breakfast again together.” Ruven looked unsure for a moment, then also said. “You do not need to reach level five to live comfortably. Many make this mistake when they are young.”
Lee didn’t have to think much about it, he had seen the monsters and animals here. This wasn’t Earth, today showed him that. He wasn’t going to sit around in this new life and have people protect him and take care of him like before. He was going to be the protector, and he was going to heal people. After a lot of tossing and turning, trying to get all of today's events out of his head, he fell asleep.
He slept and began to dream. He was in a small village helping heal anybody who needed it. He walked into a small cabin and asked who needed healing. After being led toward the back of the small cabin, a door opened. Walking in, there was a bed in the corner with what he assumed to be a child underneath heavy covers. He strolled up to the bed with a smile and pulled back the covers. Only to discover a dead female goblin with its head missing.
He woke up startled. His eyes were wide, and cold sweat was running down his back. Looking around, he saw Neia staring at him. The piercing, faintly glowing eyes almost seemed to be gazing into his soul. She gave a half smile and said, “It happens to everyone. Go back to sleep.” She looked away and began scanning around the forest. Lee looked for Ruven and saw him sleeping, leaning up against a tree.
Trying to go back to sleep was difficult, but as soon as he did, it felt like no time passed. He opened his eyes and felt Neia nudge him. “It’s morning, we will go search for breakfast.”
Getting up, Lee looked down at his hospital gown; it was in terrible shape. Scrapes and holes all throughout it. He was beginning to wonder if it would even make it to Neldam. Storing his furs, he began to follow Neia once more, Ruven following from behind as always.
After half an hour of searching, Neia found some tracks and began to lead them at a much smoother pace in a different direction. Just a few moments later, she slowed and hurriedly waved Lee and Ruven over. Coming to her side, he spotted what she had found: a Jackalope. It looked nearly identical to the one from the past, so he at least knew what he was dealing with for once.
Instead of sending Ruven to the other side of it like with the squaller, she looked at Lee with sincerity and whispered, “It is level one. Do you want to try to kill it yourself?”
Lee looked back towards the Jackalope and sized it up. He couldn’t remember exactly what the Identify had said in the past, so he did so again.
Jackalope - Level 1 - Small and nimble, Jackalopes are commonly found in forests and plains. Do not underestimate a Jackalope, with its speed and its antlers they will charge in self defense. Weak to Fire.
Speaking as quietly as he could, he asked Neia, “Do I only need to worry about the charge?” She nodded back towards him. He looked back and forth between the Jackalope and Neia, and then Lee glanced at Ruven. Ruven gave him a small smile, nodded, and motioned him forward. Knowing that this was a path he couldn't avoid forever, he began taking deep breaths. He locked eyes with Neia and slowly took out the belt knife. With adrenaline now pumping through his veins, he began sprinting for all he was worth directly toward the Jackalope.
The Jackalope, having heard the rustle of bushes and the rapid crushing of leaves, swung its head around to stare in Lee’s direction. While still sprinting straight ahead, he angled the knife outward. The Jackalope lowered its head, and he could see the tension winding in its hind leg muscles. It sprung forth.
Even after knowing from Identify not to underestimate the speed, he still got caught off guard. It closed the gap of more than sixty feet in a second. He threw himself to the side as quickly as he could, but was still grazed by the edge of its antlers, causing a large gash to open along his calf.
-16 HP. 89/105HP
Getting back to his feet as quickly as he could, Lee looked to where the Jackalope had dashed by. The Jackalope was lining itself up to charge again in a line, lowering its head once more. Instead of sprinting at the Jackalope with a slowly healing calf, he decided to walk slowly towards it, waiting for his moment.
The Jackalope, now flustered, began tightening for its second launch forward. As soon as Lee saw the tightening muscles, he dashed to his left and swung out his right arm, which held the knife out in a horizontal slash.
The Jackalope launched into its charge and ran in a straight line directly into the knife's path. The knife, while sharp, was not meant to be used as a weapon. It didn’t sink in nearly as much as needed for a clean kill, but it did damage for sure.
The Jackalope, now faltering in its charge, began to tumble. A large red gash could be seen running down from its neck all the way toward the base of its thigh. Now in immense pain, the Jackalope began to thrash and panic, looking for an escape.
Lee surged forth and jumped on its back, trying his best to avoid the large antler on its head. He began to stab into its neck. In and out, in and out. Eventually, the Jackalope lay still.
You are now level 2! Three stat points available.
Lee identified it once more.
Jackalope - Level 1 - (Corpse) - Small and nimble, Jackalopes are commonly found in forests and plains. Do not underestimate a Jackalope, with its speed and its antlers they will charge in self defense. Weak to Fire.
After collapsing in relief, he heard clapping. Neia appeared from behind a tree, proud and smiling. Ruven jumped down from another, bow still knocked but not drawn, smiling as well. “Congratulations! You did it! I thought for sure one of us would have to help.” Ruven exclaimed. Not as afraid or shocked as he thought he would be, Lee smiled as well.
Neia reached Lee, gave him a pat on the back, and crinkled her glowing green eyes. “Well, how much XP did you get?”
Lee quickly opened his status to check.
Name: Lee Barnes
Titles: None
Level: 2 XP: 10/200
HP: 105/105 MP: 175/175
Stats:
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 7
Wisdom: 11
Intelligence: 13
Luck: 10
Unused Points: 3
Skills: Identify, Mana Sense, Stealth,
Spells: None
Abilities: Language Comprehension, Healer’s Touch, Hidden Cache.
“60 XP? But I only got 50 XP from the level 2 goblin?” Lee asked, confused.
“Well, did you fight that goblin completely by yourself? Remember, I’m the one who technically finished it. Your XP was reduced from that.” Neia said.
Now, with some understanding, Lee asked about his three unused points.
Neia was caught a little off-guard about the question. “Well, that's different from us, we receive two free points and one point in dexterity on even levels, and two free points and one point in wisdom on odd levels. You seem to get them all in free points. You can place them into any of your stats to increase them. You should place them where you feel you need them. I will not tell you what to put them into, these are your stats, not mine.”
Lee walked over to loot the Jackalope. He got another fur pelt and three more meat chunks. He also decided to Identify the fur to see if this one was also mana-infused.
Jackalope Fur (Common): A simple Jackalope fur pelt. Can be used in crafting.
Jackalope Meat (Common): A medium sized chunk of Jackalope Meat. Used in cooking.
He quickly stored them, and then remembered that Hidden Cache and Healer’s Touch both improve with levels.
Walking back to their camp to cook breakfast, Lee viewed his upgrades and thought about which stats he wanted to improve.