The first order of business was to figure out how to close these screens he had in his vision as they obscured almost everything else. It only took a few moments before he found that he could think at them to minimize, and they would sit in the very bottom periphery of his vision without being too distracting. With that solved, he looked at his surroundings. Nothing looked any different than before the agonizing pain he had felt during the tutorial transfer process. He looked at Bixby, “I think we’re still in Big Basin, buddy.” Getting to his feet, he retrieved his dropped knife and added, “How about we go find the car?”
Standing next to Bixby was a bit shocking as the dog was significantly larger than he used to be. Joe estimated that Bixby had grown about fifty percent larger, and he looked more like a wolf than a German Shephard. The glowing blue eyes were also new and a bit unnerving, but Bixby happily began walking next to him as if nothing was any different than before.
Moving through the forest, Joe began to notice that something was off. The game trails he had followed to get to his camp site were gone. He pulled out his compass and was astonished to find that the needle kept spinning in place. He checked his watch, but the digital face was dark. This is not good, he thought to himself. Joe stopped and decided to check a theory. He pulled his flashlight out of his backpack and switched it on. Nothing. He checked the batteries and tried again. Still nothing. No light. Next, he pulled out his heavy-duty butane lighter. He pressed the button to activate it, and nothing happened. So electrical devices and possibly a number of chemical reactions no longer worked. Or at least the ones in his possession didn’t.
As the two walked and Joe mulled over the odd change to his equipment and the possibility that physics itself has been changed, Bixby being the most obvious proof, the forest around them seemed to get thicker. The canopy seemed denser and the flora on the ground looked heartier. It took Joe a moment to realize that the forest looked like it would normally look in the spring with new growth and more lush vegetation. However, it was December, and everything should be sparser and in winter hibernation. The redwood forest around him just looked different. Primeval was the word that sprang to Joe’s mind.
Joe held his hand up to the sun and tried to determine what time it was. He knew it had been just past seven am when the first scroll appeared. Using an old survivalist trick, he held his palm out to the sun and stacked his other hand on top and guessed that it was about nine am. That means he was out for almost two hours. This whole thing was insane and impossible, but here he was living it.
As they walked, Joe thought more about his time playing Dungeons and Dragons. There had been a character sheet that was a record of all his character’s skills and abilities and, oh what was the word? Statistics! Joe thought to himself. At that thought, a scroll unfurled before him.
Status Screen
Name: Joseph Sherman
Race: Human
Class: None
Titles: First Soulbound
Achievements: First Soulbound
Level: 0 (25,000 EXP banked)
Health: 250
Stamina: 250
Mana: 250
Status Effects: None
Statistics
Strength 11
Constitution 16
Agility 11
Perception 15
Intelligence 12
Willpower 15
Charisma 12
Luck 11
Skills: None
Abilities: Soulbound Companion
Spells: None
“Whoa.” Joe said aloud. That earned him a quizzical glance from Bixby, but Joe was too engrossed with the status screen. Speaking out loud, Joe continued, “So it looks like the Soulbound achievement and title gave me more points in my Constitution, Willpower and Perception. Huh. I do feel really good. Better, maybe than I have in forever, so that can be explained by the Constitution increase, but I don’t really feel any effects from the other two.” Looking down at Bixby, he closed his Status screen and addressed his companion, “What about you? You definitely look different. Do you feel any different?” Joe stopped walking and knelt down to regard Bixby. “Can I see your status screen?” Joe fixed his gaze on Bixby’s face which earned him a lick on the forehead. “Thanks buddy.” Joe smiled and something in his mind clicked, and a new scroll appeared before him.
Status Screen
Name: Bixby [Soulbound Companion]
Race: Evolved Canine
Class: None
Titles: First Soulbound
Achievements: First Soulbound
Level: 0 (15,000 EXP banked)
Health: 270
Stamina: 280
Mana: 150
Status Effects: None
Statistics
Strength 11
Constitution 16
Agility 12
Perception 16
Intelligence 4
Willpower 11
Charisma 13
Luck 11
Skills: Bite, Stealth
Abilities: Keen Senses, Darkvision
Spells: None
“Well, dang boy! You’ve got the same kinds of statistics as I do. Evolved Canine?” Joe stood and closed the screen. “So, it said that you can level like I can level. Does that mean your intelligence will go up? Shit! Will you eventually be able to talk?” Joe looked down at Bixby. “Are we going to have a Scooby Doo situation? This just gets weirder and weirder.” Joe opened his own status screen for a moment and then closed it once more. How do I gain levels? I have twenty-five thousand banked experience, how do I spend it? How do I get a class? The questions just kept coming but there were no answers forthcoming, so Joe asked out loud, “Um, Gamemaster how do I gain levels?” He was met with only the sounds of the forest. “Well, Bix, it was worth a try.”
By this time, the duo had been walking for quite some time, stopping every now and then for Joe to gauge their direction, however, even though he had been watching the terrain closely, it came as a bit of a surprise when he found them walking into an old growth oak forest. Confused, Joe stopped. He looked back at the way they had come and there was clearly a demarcation between the redwood and oak forests. No way, he thought. Big basin doesn’t have an oak forest in the middle of it. Am I lost?
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As Joe stood pondering, Bixby emitted a low growl. Joe looked down to see the dog lower his head staring into the undergrowth in the oak forest. Instantly alert, Joe began scanning the area. He crouched down a bit and whispered, “What is it? What’s out there?” Bixby continued to growl softly and stare.
A moment later, something exploded out of the bushes and came barreling towards them. Joe had no idea what he was looking at, but he thought it was a child. He barely had time to register the person before it was upon him. Bixby sprang into action and tried to bite whomever it was that had leaped upon Joe, but he was just a tad too slow. What impacted Joe’s chest was definitely not a child. It was about the size of a five-year-old, maybe three and a half feet tall and that’s where the resemblance ended. The only thing other than size that Joe could grasp at that time was the person or thing had dusky grey skin and it had just stabbed him in the shoulder.
The impact knocked Joe back and his assailant rode his chest as they crashed to the forest floor. Instantly the thing began chittering and babbling at him as it pulled it’s knife out of Joe’s shoulder and made to stab him again. Shocked and not quite registering the pain just yet, Joe managed an awkward punch and landed it on the thing’s ribs. The punch was enough to throw off its attack and the dagger in its hand impacted the dirt next to Joe’s face.
This thing was ugly and grimy, covered in dirt and it smelled like a latrine. Joe struggled with it and managed to grab its arm with his left hand. The action of which caused his shoulder to scream in agony. His hand spasmed and he let go. This creature had a mouth full of sharp teeth and sparse tufts of hair on its mostly bald head. Its ears were overly large, and it reminded Joe slightly of the character Gollum he remembered from the Lord of the Rings movie his friends made him watch, although its arms and legs were stubbier. It also moved and bounced on his chest like it was full of energizer batteries. The thing flailed and screamed in his face as it raised its dagger again to try and stab Joe in the face.
As the dagger came down, Joe brought his arm across to intercept the thing’s hand, but Joe miscalculated, and the dagger plunged into Joe’s forearm. This caused a roar of pain from Joe as he thrashed his arm to the side causing the thing to lose its grip on the dagger. It grabbed Joe’s head in its small, clawed hands and was prepared to take a bite out of Joe’s face when it was suddenly ripped away from him.
Joe sat up painfully to see that Bixby had one of the things legs in his mouth and was savagely whipping it side to side. Blackish blood flew everywhere. Bixby let go and the thing flew through the air and landed with a plop right next to Joe. He could see that Bixby actually hadn’t let go, the things leg had been torn off. Blood was pumping out of the shattered thing but amazingly it was still alive. Joe rolled over towards it, grabbed the handle of the dagger still sticking out of his own arm and slammed his forearm down on the thing’s chest. Joe drove the dagger in and pressed all of the weight he could manage. The pain from his wounds was tremendous, but he knew this thing needed to die. He pressed and pressed until the thing gave a small gurgle and went limp.
Instantly there was an odd sensation in the back of Joe’s mind and a bunch of scrolls opened up.
Congratulations! You have just defeated your first foe! Exp earned, 2,000 (Banked).
Congratulations! You have defeated a foe three levels higher than your own. Exp earned, 3,000 (Banked).
Achievement Unlocked! First Blood! First kill outside of the Tutorial Zone. Rewards Unlocked! You and your companion gain +2 Constitution, and +2 Agility. Exp earned, 5,000 (Banked). Gold earned 3,000.
Congratulations! You have earned the ability, True Grit. True Grit gives you 5% pain tolerance. You will gain an Extra 5% for every five levels. Maximum tolerance is 50%.
Congratulations! You have earned the ability, Tough as Nails. Tough As Nails gives you 10% damage resistance to physical damage. You will gain an Extra 3% for every five levels. Maximum resistance is 50%.
Warning! You have been Poisoned! You will lose 10 Health per minute until the poison is neutralized or runs its course.
“Shit!” Joe exclaimed, while Bixby came over and sniffed the body. Joe was in tremendous pain, and it took him what seemed like an eternity to shrug off his backpack. His left shoulder was on fire which made it difficult to use it and his right forearm practically screamed with pain. That hand was completely useless. For the right-handed Joe, using his left hand made everything more difficult. While he rooted around for his first aid kit, his wounds seemed to gain an ugly green tinge. Finally, he pulled his med kit out and got it open. The dagger stuck in his arm was his first priority. He applied a rough tourniquet just below his elbow and got several gauze pads ready. He glanced at Bixby, “If this goes badly, I may pass out buddy. You got my back?” Bixby looked at Joe and blinked then went back to licking himself clean. Joe grunted, “Glad I can count on you.”
Joe grabbed the handle of the dagger and mentally counted to three then dragged it out of his arm. The pain was excruciating, and Joe almost passed out, but he rallied his resolve and poured alcohol over his wound which pulled an involuntary yell from Joe and then he packed both the entry and exit wounds with gauze. By the time he was done wrapping it up he was exhausted and dizzy. He managed to swallow a few Ibuprophen and then, through gritted teeth, he used his right hand to clean his shoulder wound and pack gauze in it, but his endurance gave out before he could wrap his shoulder in gauze and his world faded to black.
Joe woke slowly to odd sounds. All he could see was Bixby’s tail and butt. Bixby was straddling him facing towards Joe’s feet and growling. That brought Joe back to alertness. He tried sitting up, but his first attempt failed as his wounds still caused him pain and he felt extremely weak. But he knew that something dangerous was here if Bixby was growling. He forced himself to sit up which caused Bixby to scoot forward a few steps, but the dog never let his attention waver from the threat. Peering around Bixby, Joe saw another of the weird little goblin men standing a few yards away. This one too had a dagger and was sporting a simple leather loin cloth like the other one had. This new goblin thing though was leery of Bixby and was watching both he and Joe.
A scroll unfurled in front of Joe, but he quickly dismissed it. Not a good time stupid scroll, Joe angrily thought at it.
The goblin seemed to make up its mind and it screeched and leapt at Bixby, yelling and cackling like a madman. Bixby tensed and then shot forward like a missile. The goblin’s gibberish turned into a throaty gurgle as Bixby latched onto its throat and whipped his head to the side. The goblin’s head came clean off. Joe looked on with his jaw hanging open. “Holy shit!” he involuntarily yelled out.
But Bixby wasn’t done, he turned ninety degrees and pounced, and Joe saw another goblin at the edge of the bushes get slammed into the dirt and die as Bixby ripped its chest open with a savage bite. This caused Joe to look around wildly and that’s when he saw two more goblins. One had a dagger like the ones before, but the other had a bow and arrow and it was aiming at Bixby.
“Hey!” Joe yelled as he tried to get on his feet. He had to distract the bow wielder from shooting Bixby. His shout caught their attention and they both turned towards him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bixby bolt in their direction, just another second and the dog would be too close for the bow to be effective. Just as Bixby collided with the two creatures, Joe watched in horrified fascination as the one with the bow fired its arrow right at him. He used all of his energy to twist aside, but he was too damaged and too slow. The arrow slammed into his right thigh. “Aaagghhh!” Joe yelled, drowning out the sounds of Bixby tearing the two goblins apart. The pain was almost too intense for him to feel the odd sensation again at the back of his mind. Joe reacted without thinking this time and yanked the arrow out of his leg. He was fortunate as the arrow was basically a sharpened stick and did not have a proper arrowhead on it. Although that did nothing to alleviate Joe’s situation. He pawed at his medical kit once more and poured alcohol on the wound. He glanced around for more danger, but Bixby had finished savaging the goblins and came trotting over to him. More notices tried popping up, but Joe forced them closed before he could read them. He pulled Bixby next to him and began frantically looking him over, “Are you hurt buddy?” Other than splashes of black blood and a thoroughly gore soaked muzzle, Joe could find no actual wounds. “Oh, thank God.” Joe sighed in relief.
Joe turned his attention back to his own wounds and after fumbling for a few minutes, he had his leg padded and wrapped in gauze. His med kit was almost depleted. He looked at the arrow and judging by the amount of blood on the tip, he figured that he got lucky. The tip only penetrated an inch or so into the meat of his thigh. He shouldn’t have to worry that a vein got hit. He wouldn’t bleed out. Also fortunate was that it looked like the arrow wasn’t poisoned like the dagger had been. Once he was done, he packed his kit back into the backpack and sat still for a few minutes. He was still woozy and felt feverish. He also knew that he and Bixby needed to get moving. There could be more of these little fuckers, and he needed to find a place to hole up and tend to his wounds better.
It took an agonizingly long time to get to his feet. He hobbled over to the various bodies and collected their weapons. He came away with the original dagger plus three more just like it. They were crudely made with bone handles, possibly some sort of horn. The roughly made, metal blades were about eight inches long and the handles were on the small side for Joe’s larger hands, but he did not want to leave a valuable tool sitting here. He also scooped up the short bow and a small quiver with another ten arrows. He managed to pack the daggers in his backpack and tied the bow and quivers to the outside. He then slung the backpack over his right shoulder and pulled out his machete.
“C’mon Bixby. We need to go.” Joe switched directions and moved away from his original path. He did not want to risk there being more goblin men that way. After about forty-five minutes, the forest floor began to slope downward, and Joe could hear running water. That was a good sign. He needed to clean his wounds again.
Another twenty minutes went by, and Joe found a robust creek at the bottom of the slope. The trees here were thick and Joe couldn’t quite place the types. Just another impossible thing to have to ignore at the moment. Joe scouted out a decently flat area next to a quieter part of the creek where it created a small pool with what looked like bioluminescent moss growing along the shore and set his burdens down. He collected some creek water in his camp pot, and not having the energy and not wanting to risk a fire to boil the water, he dropped a water purification tablet into the pot as well. Once he was satisfied that the water was safe, he drank some and methodically cleaned his wounds. Bixby meanwhile drank his fill from the creek and then explored the small area they were in. Joe noticed that Bixby never went more than fifty feet away from him. Joe checked his wounds and saw that they had all stopped bleeding. That was good, but also puzzling as they were severe enough that they should continue to bleed for some time, especially after hiking through the woods for an hour. But after cleaning them with the creek water and the last of his alcohol, he knew his mind was playing tricks on him as it seemed almost as if he could see the wounds closing on their own. Man, I am beat, he thought. I’m hallucinating.
He eased his tired body down to lean against an old fallen tree trunk. Joe called Bixby over to him and the two of them collapsed against each other. It had been a long morning and they were both exhausted. Joe closed his eyes and fell instantly to sleep.