October 22nd, 2023
7:04 AM EST
Alastar
You don’t have to pick the lock. Just use your skill.
“I don’t think dark vision will help here buddy.” Alastar said, waving at the door which they could clearly both see.
No your weapon skill. Your tutorial should have tried to get you a weapon skill. That’s one of the standard parts.
“Oh… I uh… never took the book out?”
I can’t believe it. I’m stuck with an idiot master. Fine. Just… hit the lock. It can’t be too strong with that look. Besides, whatever's inside might come out.
“I’m not an idiot.” Alastar said, frowning at the fox. “I’m trying to do what I can to complete quests quickly. I don’t think training will help that much.” He picked a rock up and hit the lock with it, not wanting to harm the knife that he’d technically stolen from the museum's collection. The rock made a loud noise but held steady.
When we get done with this quest I am going to force you to work on your combat skill for the next few days. I can’t have you dying on me. I’m not fully corporeal, and that also means I won’t stick around if you go to a divine realm. There was some scratching coming from the other side of the door.
“Divine realm? What’s that?” Alastar asked, staring at his fox companion. “Do you know what happens to souls when you die?” Alastar completely ignored the frantic bangs coming from the door
Sometimes. But maybe this isn’t the best time to talk about it. The fox was quickly proven right as the door was flung open. Behind the door was a new creature, along with Alastar’s last small rat. There, the new rat was large, about the size of a tarrier. It wasn’t as impressive as in some games, but it was a size larger than animals bred to hunt them so that was certainly something
“We are not done talking about this.” Alastar said, running forward and driving his knife into the rat’s side. The knife dug into the rat, a gash coming along the rat’s side. It was clearly not enough to disable the large creature, but it was enough to really piss it off.
Well shut up for now you stupid… Vajra projected, interrupted by the Rat trying to attack Alastar. I’ll take out the small one!
The large rat dug its teeth into Alastar’s leg, ripping his jeans and digging into them. A small notification popped up, telling him it dealt 5 damage. It was the first rat to manage to hit him, thanks to Vajra’s help, and it was not looking great. Alastar wildly tried to hit it back, just barely missing as he tried to swing and his knife skittered down the rat’s back leaving only the smallest of cuts.
Alastar couldn’t even attempt to speak to Vajra anymore, the chaos of battle overwhelming him as the rat tried to bite him again and missed, grabbing just the edges of his pants. “Get out of my goddamn jeans you monster.” Alastar said, slamming his hand down. His strike was true, landing on the rat’s skull. The knife somehow was blocked, however, by the rat’s incredibly tough skull. “What the hell kind of drugs are you on you monster thing!”
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Not a monster. Vajra chided. Alastar flipped the fox the bird, managing to completely dodge the rat’s next strike and backing up for better leverage. With a wordless cry Alastar just managed to shove his knife into the Rat’s side, digging into the rat’s flesh and dragging the cut down. Still, the rat struggled and fought, trying in vain to snap at him as he held it down with the japanese knife.
With a savage grin, Alastar shoved his knee into the rat to hold it down, a little bit of formless bloodlust really building in him as he let out a battle cry and stabbed the knife into the creature’s spine. “Goddamn noob trash mob!” He yelled as he severed the rat’s nerve and killed the creature, leaving it’s large corpse and getting off it.
We need to work on your battle cry and insults. Vajra said, licking his paw. Alastar just ignored him, and the blinking blue notification, as he started to drag the rat corpse back to the station. Forgetting something?
“No. I want this body, you ate the little ones, and besides mana should make the bones at least mildly useful.” Alastar said, unperturbed by the gamer mindset. Sure, he was unused to being wrist deep in blood and gore but it didn’t affect him all that much.
No you idjit, your damn quest notification.Vajra said, somehow projecting the sense of exasperation through the mental link.
“I’ll check it when I get back with this… pitiful loot.” Alastar said, shrugging. “It’s not like I’m just gonna get a “loot the body” quest or anything.
Your quest reward. It was a freaking spatial ring, You don’t need to drag perfectly good meat through the filthiest place I’ve seen in my life!
“You’ve been alive less than a day.” Alastar said, half heartedly as he pulled up the notification. Of course he forgot about something so important the moment he started home.
> Quest Completed!
>
> Reward: Phaethon’s Folly
>
> Type: Storage Ring
>
> Rank: F
>
> Rarity: Exotic
>
> Description: This ring holds the magic of a Nymph’s tear, which has become the basis for it’s powerful storage magic. The ring can hold up to 100 pounds of items.
The ring was made of what seemed to be wood, twisted into a ring shape. It somehow resized as he put it on, fitting his finger perfectly. The ring was set with a gemstone, a curiously shaped piece of amber exactly like a perfect cartoon teardrop. With the ring, Alastar was able to collect the giant rat corpse and walk back quickly nopw that he wasn’t try to be quiet or searching for anything. Only as he stepped onto the platform of his own stop did he thing that perhaps the giant rat had been guarding something like in a game.
“Hay, Vajra, what’s the chance the rat had something stashed away in that room?”
Pretty good.
“Ah. Shit, I should go grab that then.” Alastar said, starting to turn around.
I grabbed it. Vajra said, clearly somewhat smug. With a small movement he dropped something that was in his mouth. It was an odd mushroom. It glowed slightly blue.
“Drop that!” Alastar said, frowning. He had a kneejerk reaction due to something he’d read.
What, why? Vajra asked, doing as he was told.
“It might be poison.” Alastar said, scooping up the mushroom.
You have identify, you could just…
Alastar ignored the spirit fox as he walked back into the museum and locked the gate behind him once more.