In these days, of my survival, a couple of troublesome incidents happened to me. I would like to tell you about them.
7 days after the ambush
Eastwards from camp
I was currently on exploration journey to east. This means not mapping, because I have got map of this area from that quest, but searching for animals, useful plants, clay for ceramics, sharpable stones, etc. This journey had already acquired some successes, for example, I found lot of chert and some weird mineral, that I haven't seen yet, I'll do some observation back at camp.
I was heading for a creek, which should be ahead, according to Map. My pace was suddenly disturbed by loud noise of cracking branch directly above me, I frankly jumped forwards just to be followed by the branch.
[Damned Luk stat]
While I was cursing my luck, I heard something, that made my heart stop.
*Bzzzzzz
Fucking hornets, but in size of my penis.
And yeah that means large : )
I immediately started to run while equipping my air gun. I think the 4,5mm (cal .177) should be enough to kill one.
However, it's still more for my confidence, than for killing, cuz there are fucking hundreds of them.
I ran as much as I could. Some of them were following me, not good, not good.
I felt burning pain on my shoulder, as one hornet was fast enough. I slammed it by my buttstock while continuing running.
"Aghhh, fuck it"
It hurt. The pain was absolutely unbearable. Only due to the Toughness, I could have to survive it.
I was running for about minute, then turned around aimed and shot.
The pellet hit the hornet, pierced its exoskeleton and killed it.
I noticed only few were following me, I turned back and started to run again.
I tried to load while running, but I wasn't able to put diabolo inside.
I rather stopped, opened chamber and finally put the pellet in.
*Plock
Next shot, next kill.
There were only three of them remaining.
I took the risk and engaged.
The best weapon would be long tight stick. I quickly found something in Inventory, preparing my stance for combat.
At school, there were lot of time to kill.
One of my friends was practicing larp historical fencing. He dragged some of his swords to the school and taught me basics of swordsmanship. He said I have got some sort of talent, not just by using a sword, but also by thinking about strategy. The hornet was already 2 meters away. I concentrated myself, looked at the stick, looked at the hornet and upper slashed.
*crack
Direct hit, the hornet fell down, lifeless.
Same has been done with the second.
The last one was unfortunately missed.
The hornet sat at me, trying to sting me.
I have flung it off and the hornet fell down. Because of its large size, it took some time to take off, and before it happened, I have stepped on it.
I have turned on notifications
"You have been poisoned by Vespula Retii, -15 hp/hour.
You killed Vespula Retii(x5), 105xp"
I thank [Status].
Name: John Novak
Race: Human (otherworldly)
Level: 5 (remaining 380xp)
Titles: Jackass
Hp:180/160 Mp:0/0 Sta:180/140 Qi:0/0
Str:25 Int:46 Dex:22 Agi:27 Will:34
Per:23 End:40 Luk: 25(+15)
Skills:
Shapeshifting(1)
Abilities:
Gunnery(3)
Chemistry(3)
Survival(4)
Arithmetic(4)
Camouflage(2)
Perks:
Universal language
Toughness (4)
[Shit, shit, shit. This is bad, if the poison don't vanish in fifteen hours, I'll be dead. I hope my End and Toughness will be good for something]
I think the onion help when hornet sting you, but that is not meant for hornet as large as dick. And I don't have any onion.
"Ahhh"
The adrenaline starts vanishing.
I somehow made it to the creek.
I wanted some xp so I named this [Hornet creek]
"New location added, Hornet creek, 10xp gained"
The creek was casual forest creek you'll find everywhere. On the sides was high grass and fern.
There were some trees with fruits and some willows. I went a little bit upstream. I immediately spotted a fucking large tree. As wide as a damned car, this tree must be here for millennia. Fruits of this were beautiful red, in shape reminding PET bottle. They were encouraging me to take a bit. I didn't endure the temptation, grabbed one and took a huge bit. The taste was something like a sweeter cucumber.
"You took a bit of fruit of Forest spirit tree. The ravenous spiritual energy is filling your body. Death imminent."
"Nononono, fuck!"
"The might of your blessing is subjugating spiritual energy +150hp."
I was just standing astonished, mouth wide and didn't know what the fuck is going on. In one second was I dying, in the next was I healed. Screw this world.
Anyway, the poison vanished and my health restored completely.
"Who are you" (?)
Sounded the voice in my head
"Eh?"(John)
"I asked who are you" (?)
"Nobody, and you?" (John)
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"Right, I haven't introduced myself.
My name is Gade, and I am one of spirits of this forest. Who are you, weird human" (Gade)
"I'm John, just a random passerby"(John)
"Don't lie to me human, I should change my question, who gave you this power, god? spirit? or any other powerful being?" (Gade)
"I dunno, and don't speak with me like this"(John)
"Or you will do what to me? puny human, I am a spirit, being just several step under demigods" (Gade)
"I'll use that very power, you should be grateful I haven't done it yet, haven't you seen what happened to that energy inside me?" (John)
Yes I bluffed a little bit.
"Haha you are clearly bluffing, just some human with anti-spirit affinity thinks he can harm me?" (G)
"What is affinity, I know only the one from geometry" (J)
"Don't play dumb and tell me who are you and what do you want here, I won't tell it twice" (G)
"You actually said it second time"(J)
"What, I'll teach you manners..." (G)
The tree suddenly started to glow and discharged ray of green light directly towards me.
"You are being harmed by spiritual energy, -0 hp"
The light faded after two seconds.
"Hey hey, what was this, it was beautiful" (J)
"W-who the heck are you, human. What are you doing here" (G)
"Hmm?, exploring" (J)
"And would you be so kind and leave my forest?" (G)
"No, not now" (J)
"Why?" (G)
"I am currently completing a quest"(J)
"And then would you leave?"(G)
"Sure, if I find a way out"(J)
"Ok, Ok, let's do a small agreement, I'll help you with the quest and you'll leave. Yes?" (G)
"Sure, why not" (J)
"And what would that quest of your be?"(G)
"I have to destroy the goblin den there"(J)
"I'll help you and you won't destroy my forest and leave when the job's done. Agreed?"(G)
"Agreed. And can I collect some of these fruits here?"(J)
"Ok, take as many as you want, but don't give them to anyone else and when you use them, spread some seeds around"(G)
"Sure, so, bye?"(J)
"Farewell human, and don't dare to do something to my forest!"(G)
I wake up. Or didn't wake up? I don't know, it's really weird. Like some kind of trance, but I dunno. Half of my mind was still here and the second half was there, with that spirit thing. I don't wanna to meddle with such kind of creatures. They are wild, egoistic, inapprehensive and even dangerous. Bad. But if he helps, I won't refuse.
I plant a marker at that point in the Map.
This tree's fruits are like HP potion or something like this, I would like to perform some experiment with it. Maybe even planting it would be great. On the other hand, how many years it could take? I started to collect them.
When I quit this expedition and was coming back to the camp, the result were: 64 pieces of chert shards, 4 kg of weird greenish and blueish mineral, 53 kg of Forest spirit fruit, new 'ally' and bad memories. I was in a good mood because of all this fruits which will be useful.
But it would not be this fucking world, if something didn't happen.
*HOWUUUU
[No, ... no, why? Oh my GOD]
The wolves were howling, close, too close.
[Whatever, I'll just sleep on the tree]
But I didn't know that it won't be true, absolutely not true.
I started to climb on the highest tree in the nearby area. Suddenly, the tremendous force threw me back to the ground. The pain shot in my leg and I almost lost consciousness. I look at it and didn't believe my eyes. There was nothing. However, the pain was too real.
That something dragged me about a meter, when I overcame myself, pulled out knife and stabbed at the place where it was holding me. I felt resistance and the knife disappeared. I desperately pulled it out and it appeared again.
[Dafuck?]
And then I understood. The thing that was chewing me was invisible.
I stabbed it again and again, frankly slashing and doing everything to shake it off.
"You killed Invisible wolf, gained 247xp"
Then this "wolf" started to appear.
It reminded me a Crysis nanosuit.
In this world of magic, who knows what's possible.
This thing didn't look like a wolf, rather more like a wolf with head of bulldog and the ears of cat. Although this aspect hasn't decreased its danger by even the slightest margin.
I felt how the adrenaline is slowly vanishing from my body and the pain is getting on, second time today. I should get used to pain quickly, it bothers me during important situations and that could be the difference between death and life. I decided to eat a fruit.
"Your blessing completely subjugated ravenous spiritual energy in your body, +196. You gained a new stat, Spi: 50/50]"
[What the heck is Spi?]
"Spi: spiritual energy, often called the mana of the Spirits. Its properties are similar to mana, but they are absolutely different and cannot be substituted by each other."
"Yes, yes, that helped me a 'lot' "
The real question is: How can I use it ?
I haven't had a lot of time to wonder about Spi. I need to get into safety, quickly. I haven't had a way how to detect these wolves and I since now, they can be everywhere, laying and waiting for its prey (me), nowhere is safe thanks to them. So, I climbed on a tree, only place where they maybe won't be able to get.
Today, I will be sleeping in treetop.
I used four bedsheets from my Inventory to make simple hammock. I also fastened a rope to branch above and to my vest, just if things are going to go south.
"Good night, my awesome me. Good night, fucking wolves. Good night, this fucking stupid world. And Good night, you motherfucker there somewhere."