Cold muck clung to Darian’s boots, the bog ahead stretching into the darkness. He’d traveled south for about three hours before he found the swamp. On the way he’d drank the blood of a rabbit, a small snake, and a crow. The rabbit didn’t net him any new XP, but it did with the crow and snake. This brought his total race XP to (13/40). He was hopeful that the stinking bog ahead would provide something useful.
A path twisted its way through shallow pools of black water and rotting logs. Trees were scattered about, their thick trunks and branches covered in a bright green moss that flowed in the wind. Fireflies flashed their probing lights along the way, the air filled with the hissing of insects and the croaking of frogs. Darian had to move slowly, the muddy path anything but stable. More than once he lost his footing and nearly tumbled into the murky waters. Here and there the dark waves lapped against the path’s edge, slithering creatures parting as Darian approached.
His iron longsword was out and ready. There was no telling what strange creatures could be inhabiting this swamp. The night sky was a blotch of grey clouds, any light from above choked by their presence. Darian’s enhanced night vision helped some, but this was the first time he was struggling to see in the dark.
Ahead, the path forked. On one side, it snaked along the edge of some trees before it disappeared in their midst. The other path went deeper into the bogs, moss hanging down in thick clumps from the branches above. Darian decided to take the path that went into the trees, hopeful to find something tucked away behind them. Rounding a bend, he made out the shape of a wall. Small planks started to take up the center of the path, creating ground that was a little more stable. Closer now, the ruined home came into full view. It was relatively small, comprised of a single floor and a slanted roof that looked ready to give at a moment’s notice. The walls were covered in the same moss that coated the nearby trees, and the two windows at the home’s front stared out like the dead eyes of a long-forgotten corpse.
Darian prodded the door and it fell back with a clatter, the thin piece of wood long ago rotting off its hinges. The inside was dark, almost too dark for Darian to make anything out. His foot caught on something, and he jumped back, blade at the ready. Just a moldy rug. He inched forward, being sure to stay light on his feet. There was a clatter, then two sets of clawed feet were scampering at him from the corners. His blade slashed out and met flesh. The creature he struck retreated, but he could smell its blood. He rushed forward and brought his blade down from over his head. There was a crunch, a quick spasm, then the creature lay still.
Teeth sank into Darian’s leg from behind and he spun, sword slashing down. He made out the shape out of a giant rat, its grey furred body tensing for another attack. Darian lowered his stance and cast [Shard]. As the hunk of ice collided with the rat, Darian lunged and impaled the monster. Blood oozed from its mouth, its claws scratching at the blade buried deep in its gut. Darian freed his sword with a twist and ended the rat with his next swing.
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Enemies Defeated
[Giant Rat Lv. 1]
[Giant Rat Lv. 2]
Class XP Gained: 5
Progress to Class Lv. 3 (13/50)
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Darian knelt down and forced himself to drink some of the dead creature’s blood.
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Giant Rat Blood
* +1 Temporary Dexterity
* +1 Temporary Strength
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Drinking blood when he wasn’t hungry for it made his stomach turn, but the slight healing it provided was worth it. One step closer to leveling up. He looked around, eyes slowly adjusting to the near pitch-black darkness.
He searched the house, but it seemed to have been cleaned out of nearly everything. Only a rug and an overturned table remained. The rats’ nest in the corner proved a little more lucrative. The creatures had burrowed into the floor and lined their hole with material from the swamp. Amidst the refuse was a silver chain that gave off a faint glow. As soon as Darian picked it up, a screen appeared.
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Item Obtained: Chain of mist
[Equipment]
* Effect: + 2 Perception
* Effect: Allows the user to cast the spell [Veil of Mist] Two times per day.
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Veil of Mist
* This spell creates a wall of thick mist in front of the caster. The wall will continue to grow in size for the duration of the spell. This spell lasts for (3) minutes.
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Darian slipped the chain around his neck, his body tingling in response. The extra perception was only slightly noticeable. His eyes seemed to focus a bit better in the dark, and he could now more accurately make out the sound of rustling branches outside. Instinctually, he knew he could cast his new spell by holding out his palm and willing the power forth. Could come in handy, but I’ll need to try it out first.
He cast [Detect Magic] to be sure nothing out of the ordinary was going on. When all seemed clear, he wiped the blood from his blade with a rag made from his old shirt and then set back down the path. The air outside was cool, cold enough to chill even Darian’s cold resistant skin. A harsh wind was blowing through, bringing with it the faint scent of decay. When Darian arrived back at the fork in the path, a few rain droplets were steadily falling from above.
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Continue exploring, or head back? This was the farthest he’d been from his cave since he arrived in the new world, and that set an excited but fear tinged jolt through his body. He would continue, but if the weather turned too sour, he would have to turn back. At least with the use of his map he didn’t have to worry about getting lost.
This path was covered in moss that hung down from low arching branches. It swayed violently in the wind, the wet plants getting stuck on Darian’s face more than once. A few other avenues through the swamp jutted off as he went, but they could be explored later. This path was wider than the others, and Darian didn’t fancy the idea of needing to rush back on a narrow trail.
After walking for a few minutes, Darian stopped. He could swear some of the hanging moss had been following him. He moved slower, glancing back after every other step. Maybe I’m starting to lose my mind? But then he heard a faint, wet squelch at his back. He turned just in time for a wave of purple fog to envelope him.
A slimy, tentacle covered creature hung from the branches above, most of its body wrapped in the same moss that swayed from the trees. Each tentacle ended in a sharp barb, and a cluster of a hundred tiny eyes blinked at him. What Darian figured was the creature’s mouth was open, purple fog still blowing from the hole.
Darian expected to start hacking, or for his skin to start peeling. Purple fog in video games nearly always meant poison. But then he remembered. I’m immune to poison. And I don’t breathe. He hacked at the limb the creature dangled from, sending both the wood and the monster crashing to the ground. A [Flare] followed by a [Determined Strike] saw the creature shed half its tentacles, dark blood oozing out of the stumps.
A shrill squeal erupted from the creature as its barbed tentacles lashed out. It was incredibly fast, but Darian managed to jump just out of reach. Then the moss behind him jerked and another of the monsters emerged, hanging upside down from the branches above. Purple fog exploded from its mouth, but it again had no effect. Darian sliced the tentacle it was using to grip the branch and the creature plummeted to the ground in a writhing mass.
Stuck between the two, Darian vaulted over his new opponent, catching a slash across the back of his legs as he did so. But the wound was shallow. These don’t seem to hit very hard. He drove his blade down and hacked at the monster, purple fog still spewing from its mouth. After a series of stabs followed by a blast from [Shard], the creature finally lay still.
The remaining monster crawled on the ground, tentacles whipping and lashing in a crazed frenzy. But the beast was slow on the ground, and so Darian backed away firing off alternating blasts from his spells until it died.
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Enemies Defeated
[Minor Horror Lv. 5]
[Minor Horror Lv. 6]
Class XP Gained: 26
Progress to Class Lv. 3 (39/50)
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He blinked at the XP gains, half expecting this to be some kind of glitch. To be sure, he checked his character sheet and saw he only needed eleven more XP to reach level four. But…they were so weak? He picked up one of the bodies, the stench wafting from it nearly unbearable. A little more of that purple fog leaked out as he inspected its corpse. Ah, the poison. These seemed to be some kind of ambush predator, and judging by their weak combat ability, their poison was probably how they ended fights. Due to his immunity, Darian had no way of knowing just how potent this poison was, but he figured it had to be pretty strong to justify the XP. As he stared at the mass of dark tentacles dangling from his hand, a smile spread across his face.
These monsters were worth at least thirteen or fourteen XP each, and their main method of attack was useless against Darian. I think I may have just discovered a farming location. He dropped the creature onto the ground and then wiped his slimy hand along his cloak. The wind had started to die down, but the rain was picking up. But I can’t leave yet. I’m so close! Darian looked down at the monster’s body. Dark blood was still leaking from its severed tentacles. He could tell by the smell that the blood was edible, but the thought of his mouth getting anywhere near the stinking creature made him want to throw up. But drinking its blood should give me race XP. Ugh...
He cut the creature open with his sword and then hauled its body over his head. Squeezing with both hands, he opened his mouth and let the blood fall onto his tongue.
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Minor Horror Blood
* Contact with your skin has a small chance to inflict (minor) poison on the enemy for a duration of (5) minutes. This ability is temporary.
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Huh. I guess I can get stuff stronger than some minor stat boosts from the blood I drink. He tossed the monster’s body into the murky swamp water. His Race XP had increased by five for drinking the blood of a new category of creature, bringing his total to (18/40). Since he was so close to reaching class level four, he decided to press on. Even just one more of the little freaks would see him gain a level.
The thick, hanging moss eventually relented, giving way to open skies and a wide area ringed by tall pines. The ground here was spongy, but clumps of thin grass kept it tethered. The rotting carcass of a wolf lay in the center of the field ahead. Darian approached cautiously, eyes glancing into the trees for more tentacle wreathed monstrosities. The wolf’s body had been there a while, flies and maggots already feasting on the tattered remains. But something large writhed in its chest. Are those…giant larva?
A sound prickled Darian’s ear. It was faint, but he heard a buzzing somewhere off in the trees. He stepped back, the sound growing louder. A pink shape emerged from the distant branches, hovering in the air. Its abdomen pulsated and a long, needle-like appendage stuck out from its narrow face.
Upon spotting Darian, the insect’s wings began to flap frantically, filling the air with a horrid buzzing. Then more buzzing escaped the surrounding trees and Darian’s foot edged back. The first creature dove at him with blinding speed, the needle on its face nearly catching him in the chest. He blasted it with [Flare], killing it in a single blow.
But more were streaming out of the trees. Darian turned and then slipped, just barely stopping himself from falling. A sharp pain screamed from his shoulder, and he felt his blood being sucked out. His sword severed the creature’s head, but another buried its spear like appendage in his arm. [Shard] killed it and he ducked under a swooping strike. He dashed for the path, but his vision blurred. It was like he had become suddenly exhausted. Another needle point punched him in the hip right before he reached the trees, and he fell face first into the mud.