Tinker killed monsters for a few more days around the city. It was night time and he was at the warrior’s guild when orders came in. Their party, along with more seasoned warriors were to escort a mage op the mountain top and protect him. He remembered Lan telling him about his fail quest in the mountain not so long ago. He was just shy of lvl 38. His skills were slowly levelling up as well. His swordsman skill went up 1 level. His fighting spirit gained a few stats.

Instructor Canobi told them they would most likely face trolls, snow wolves and yeti’s on their way to the mountain top. According to information the Kobolds no longer live in that specific peak anymore. Thus there are more of the other monsters. He was given a thick yeti leather coat to keep him warm and raise his frost resistance. They were to pack enough food for one week. The trip would not take any longer than that. Tinker was a bit nervous and was scared he might fail. They would leave in the morning.

That night he went looking for Lan to ask his advice. Lan was not at the inn and so Tinker went looking for him at the Crypt behind the council meeting hall. Lan was glad to see him. ‘’Fine evening for a walk, would you not say?’’

‘’Sure, I am not really one for walking late at night.”

“Hahaha indeed, what can I do for you on a fine evening as this?”

Lan was more cheer full then usual but Tinker had to ask questions so he did not play along. “I am going on a mission tomorrow to the cave at the top of the mountain. I remembered you once told me that you went there. What more can you tell me?’’

“That I did, mostly have bad memories of that place. I will tell you from the start. When you leave here it should be clear all the way to the mountain. At the base there should be trolls to fight and when you start to journey up the mountain there will be more and maybe a roaming snow wolf pack or two. Near the top you will only find yeti’s.’’

‘’Alright, do yeti’s have special attack or what? What makes them so tuff?’’

“It is their ability to blend in with the snow that makes them so sneaky. It is truly magnificent how such a large creature can hide and move with stealth in the snow. Also their pelts are thick over most of its body, they have a soft part around the neck and under the arm. When you fight I suggest aim for one of those areas.’’

“OK, knowing this I feel more confident. Did you not also mention a cave at the top?”

‘’Yes, I did. After Johnny Q died I entered it in the hope to force the yeti’s to attack from only my front and not sneak up on me from behind. You can imagine my surprise when I entered and they did not press the attack. I tended to my wounds and set out to explore this cave.’’

“As you can imagine I have seen and been into many caves since I grew up here in Avelon. This cave however seemed different, almost like it was made into the mountain, it was not as dark as a cave should be. It was almost like a magic of some kind gave minor visibility. Moving slowly it took me a few minutes to get to the main hall.’’

‘’At the time I knew very little about the cave, only that Frost Mages that are well trained in their art, went there once in a life time. In addition I learned that only one may go every few years.’’

“I saw a figure in there. I readied my sword and was about to attack when it spoke to me. After a brief talk I deduced it was not harmful and would not attack me. Normally I would leap on any enemy or foe that I encounter, but I was certain that whatever creature kept the yeti’s from coming into the cave is not someone you want to mess with.’’

‘’Really, what creature was it and what did it say?’’

“I am not supposed to tell anyone about it, but since I trust you I will. It was ancient and blue. It told me its story and taught me a skill. A skilled called Frostmourne. I waited till I was well rested and left. Once back in town I informed every one of the situation that unfolded and was shamed further.’’

Tinker left it at that. He could have pressured Lan for more information but it did not feel right. He already had Lan’s trust and decided that if Lan wanted to tell more he would have. He spent another hour talking to Lan and just sitting around, but it was time to rest before their journey starts.

The party assembled right before sunrise in front of the warrior’s guild. In their group he only knew Aragon and the two shield men. There were also two veteran warriors with big swords in their shiny plate armour. Last was the middle aged man in the typical mage robe and wearing a staff. The veteran warrior with the most scars took point and announced himself as the leader of the group.

“Morning, We will escort this mage to the cave at the top of the mountain.’’ He was short and to the point, Tinker liked him already.

Ting*

Escort a mage to the Mysterious cave at the peak of the mountain

Journey will take a week, with untold difficulties and rewards

Difficulty level: D

Quest requirements: Must be part of the warrior’s guild in Avelon. Must have proven oneself cable of battle

Failing the quest will result in a decrease of fame and hostility from the Mage guild towards you

WARNING. You cannot decline this quest.

‘’Fine I shall do it”, he did not even have any fame but that did not seem to matter

‘’For our new members there is no need to worry about any monsters till we face yeti’s. As long as we fight as a team we are fine. Let us start walking and ill answer any questions you have along the way”.

They set of at a steady pace. The veteran explained that yeti’s are strong and resilient. That they also intend to fight in groups, but never in fair fights.

When they arrived at the base of the highest peak in the mountain range they encountered Trolls. Not just a pack but close to 30 of them. In Tinkers heart he thought that their journey ends here. Trolls levels differ but they range from anywhere between 50 and 120. Depending on area and how many players kill them over and over. A general rule was that the more ugly and bigger they are, the stronger they are. The veteran did not seem worried at all. He ordered the group to fall back about half a mile.

“We will attack as the sun is about to set. Trolls are average hunters and at night time they become good hunters. But during sun set and rise they don’t tend to hunt because they are slightly blinded. We will use their weakness and crush them. Their numbers will not count that much in their favor. Besides they do not know how to defend. That is why snow wolves sometimes hunt them.”

It was about 2 hours before the fight and they were at stream preparing for the upcoming battle. The veterans sharpened their swords. Shield man polished they armour and shield that they could reflect more light and blind better. The mage seemed to recite some spells. Tinker took this time to make food for the camp. He also double checked his gear. He could not sharpen his swords so he gave it for the veterans to do it. The damage increased a little. He was interested in how this works so he asked more questions about it. He found out that a person needs the blacksmithing skill and if you sharpen your swords or other items to much they start losing maximum durability.

The group was standing just behind a ridge, very close to troll’s location. The reason they did not make camp so close was because they feared trolls might smell them or find them by accident. As the sun was about to set they made ready for the attack.

“Do not yell and move as fast as you can and start the battle. We will form a semi circle and attack from this angle. I will run point with the 2 shield man at my side. Aragon will take the far left with Tinker and our other warrior will be on the right. The mage will be behind us and give us assistance in his own way.’’

They looked over the ridge and saw the camp. Almost all the trolls were just lying about and doing nothing. They had no guards which would help a lot. The Veteran also told them that if the troll number in the 30’s it should be all of them for this clan. Trolls number from a few till about 25. They do not stay in larger groups due to their selfish nature. They started running at the trolls in silence.

Tinker was a bit nervous because he knew he was a lower level then the trolls but he knew the others were right beside him. Or so he thought, he found himself at least 10 paces in front of the others with the gap increasing. In this moment he realized he had the most agility. Even more or equal to that of a veteran warrior. What also helped that his armour was leather and added to his speed. He could have slowed down and wait for the others to catch up but Tinker was no pussy.

The first troll he encountered managed to stand up and look dumfounded at him before he executed a quick attack and ended the beast life. It was not as spectacular as Aragon cleaving a troll in two or lobbing off limbs. He would attack fast. Use both swords and aim for vital parts of the body. His first strike went for the right shoulder to stop or slow down possible counter attacks. The other sword took out an eye of the troll. The troll now realizing what was going on tried to howl and sound the alarm but the he was pierced again, this time in the heart and throat. Tinker removed the swords at started looking for another foe. At this moment the group caught up and started the very one sided battle.

The trolls being blinded and losing a few comrades in the opening moments of the fight did not think to run, but instead just to attack straight on. It was a slaughter. They managed to land a few punches to the Veteran and Tinker, they did not even seemed fazed by the attack. Tinker could have dodged the attack or parried it in a way with a sword. But he took the attacks of low damage directly to boost is Endurance stat. It was not much since he would stop direct attacks from clubs which some trolls used and then pierce them in the shoulder.

With the wounds the enemy were slowed down and did not punch that hard either. Trolls were strong beasts and had a few abilities like burst which gave them momentary increase in movement or attack. The first punch tinker took was one he did not see coming and lost a decent amount of health. After that he implemented his tactics to give him the edge. The other warriors faced off against 2-3 trolls at a time and took more damage, because they could not dodge or parry all the burst attacks. The shield men were doing just fine and the mage was not even attacked.

After the short lived combat they looked around for loot and found a few clubs that could be worth something and a locked chest. The biggest troll’s corpse had a key and they unlocked the chest. Inside was a surprising amount of gold. 17 gold may not seem like much but when you have none it is a lot. He got his 2 gold coins and put a club into his back pack. Another odd item he found was troll fat. The others never collected it and did not know for what a person uses it. So he diced to keep it for now, a person never knows when he might need it. His back pack was mostly empty. It only contained the items he used for cooking and his leather working. With the odd skins he had collected over the past few weeks.

They set up camp a short distance away, before the last of the sun disappeared. The battle was over so fast Tinker missed that he gained a level. He again maid food, repaired his armour that had minimum damage and gave his swords to the others to sharpen. The food he made for them was stew with the meat they provided with his spices. He saw some of those berries the good and the band kind close to the campfire and harvested the berries and the leaves. His herbalism was still low but better to take the items now and use them later. They went to bed with a one person on guard duty. Tinker was now on holiday and could play for long periods at a time. While the others were sleeping he would log out and go do research and look for food in the real world.

In the kitchen he found leftover food and about a gallon of juice. He took it all back to his room with him. The juice would probably last most of the weekend and the food will be a nice to munch on, while he is browsing online.

First online he checked to find out what was the fastest way to travel from one place to the next. They suggested a horse which was far out of his price range. Second was to travel with a wagon of merchants or third was to walk or jog all the way. He thought about it and decided it would be faster if he jogged and walked for a few days, and if he needs to sleep he can hitch a ride on a wagon that traveled. Finding a wagon that was not most reliable means and sometimes he would have to pay their fee. In the end he decided he would travel on a wagon or coach if he could find a cheap ride. This was a long time before businesses appeared that offered vacation routes and destinations with cheap and fast ways to get back and forth between them.

The other thing he looked up was the uses for troll fat. Troll fat had a few uses. It was used for making candles and a few other production items or in alchemy. Alchemy always interested Scot. If you mix item A and B you get solution A. If you mix item A and C, you get solution B. Mix solution A an B and you get solution C. Really fun and interesting stuff with endless possibilities. The information about the precise effects of the troll fat was mixed and not very reliable. It seemed that no one really knew exactly and each piece of information was different, thus making it very unreliable. He would just later have to discover what the item did for himself.

Scot also searched for ‘How to get accurate and up to date information in Royal Roads’. The results were many. It would appear that the Unicorn company only gave the basics to get you started and so forth, even a map of the whole continent was not released yet. Only the centre of the continent was discussed in their web page. With a very rough drawing of it that only outlined some kingdoms and so forth. In other words if you wanted a decent map a person would have to go and explore every region or gather maps of each region and give it to a master that can make a global map. It will most likely take decades or cheats to get it. It would appear that the company wanted players to discover new places and share information like in the real world. But like the real world a lot of key information would not be shared and big guilds would have a monopoly.

Something else that caught his eye were that of a organization called the Dark gamers union. They were elite and hardcore games that did everything in game from helping you level, to selling items or giving information. For the right price a person could get almost anything you wanted if there was a Dark gamer able to provide it for you. He sent an email to their web address.

Dear Dark Gamers Union.

I am a Royal road player that struggles to find reliable information about almost anything. I live in England and have money. As I understand a person pays you guys then stuff happens. I am not sure do I join you guys or pay a monthly fee to access your information. If I am not pleased with your information I will not pay. At this stage in time I do not need items to better my character. But maybe in time I will most likely need items.

Tinker

With the message sent he could relax a little. It was not time yet to wake up and continue they quest. It was another 2 hours until it was time. He decided to read up about the capitol for 30 min since he planned on going there soon. The city had most of almost everything a person would need. From items to almost every class and type of guild in the game. He logged back in ready for another day up the mountain.

Tinker arrived a few minutes before the others woke up. He wondered what would have happened to his body if they got attacked and he died while he was logged out. Does one body disappear like standard games or does it just stay there and is cable of being attacked? He wondered some more before thinking he would have to look it up on a forum when there is time. He started with the food. With their full bellies they were off and heading up higher into the mountain.

The group was on guard but did not expect much action, they hiked till midday and stopped to rest for the first time. They did not make camp or a fire and started again. Higher and higher they went, Tinker remembered once they went to Africa and started climbing a mountain and then quit. This felt a lot like that. The feeling of how it would take ages to reach the top. Not to mention how taxing it was on the body, hiking in full battle gear. His body was starting to become conditioned for combat and bursts of energy. Not this enduring marching up the mountain in full armour.

It was an about an hour before sunset and the progress they were making were very good according to the leader. They set up camp at a rock face which had a pool of fresh water. How the pool was not frozen was a mystery, but Tinker did not care at this point. The others started making camp and got a fire started. Tinker started slicing up the meat and other vegetable he would need to make a stew. He decided to make it with pepper, not too much but just enough so that you can taste it. He was stirring the pot with more than a few hungry eyes waiting for him to finish up. A howl sounded close and white blurs where charging towards them and already the warrior on guard duty was fighting a fierce wolf. Tinker’s weapons were lying close by so he could switch fast between his spoon and swords. The moment he had both swords equipped he stood up and a white blur crashed into him.

He saw it was a wolf that bit into his shoulder. His leather armour did well to take the attack but he could feel pain rip through him. He stabbed and tried to distance himself from the now visible snow wolf. He saw the wolf teeth red with blood and dropping a chunk of what mostly seemed like leather, or so he hoped. He did not have time to look at his shoulder. Best not to take one’s eye off the enemy. His health dropped by a quarter but he knew he would be alright. The wolf snapped at him again with near blinding speed but Tinker was prepared this time. Quick blocks and stepping to the side gave him an opening. It helped that the wolf only had claws and a mouth to attack with. He would block with one sword, dodge the other claw and then strike were an opening presented itself. The wolf started to attack slower and Tinker new the end was close. He lost his concentration near the end and got caught by a claw to the injured arm. The wolf did not attack again after that, as his sword entered the wolf for the final time.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Tinker arm was bleeding and his shoulder still hurt like hell. He looked at the others and saw every one fighting. He decided he needs to protect the mage and started running to his side.

The mage on the other had cast a Frost Typhoon that captured 2 wolves in it. They were being carried away by the spell. The mage did not really need his help but other wolves may be lurking nearby. He kept an eye out for more enemies but none approached them. The other party members were fighting well and just about finishing up. They looted what they could and went back to normal. Tinker tried to save the stew from burning before he looked at his injury. He was the most badly injured of the group. He started to patch up his shoulder and arm. Thankfully it was not deep and would sting for a few days but it would not affect his fighting.

The group ate and was pleased as always. They sat around the fire with weapons close and in full body armour. They would reach the cave tomorrow morning. Now they would face yetis and who knows what else. Tinker was prepared for all of this but his armour was not. He had the first guard duty while the others slept, so he took off his armour and started to repair it. It did not take long but it kept him busy.

Guard duty was boring. All the others were asleep and he had to keep the fire going. He finished the repair that took longer than usual. It was the most damage his armour took so his repair skill gained more than usual %. The idea came to him that he did not have to wait for enemies to damage his gear before he repaired it. He could damage it himself and then repair it over and over. The only catch was that he had one pair of armour and that he wore it. He would need a backup set or newbie set he can practise on.

He was so in thought he did not see or hear Aragon approach him. He nearly screamed and tried to keep his cool when he saw Aragon.

“All is good on the watch?”

“Ahh, yes it is. Nothing but cold wind and fire.”

“Good, I cannot really sleep in fear of being attacked again and missing out on all the action. It seemed the wolf took a good bite out of you. I was caught also but plate is just that much better then leather after all.”

“Indeed, but if I had plate I would be to slow. Leather has its advantages over plate and the reverse is also true.” Tinker was not one to really ask and beg others for help but he needed another armour set to practice on. He did not know what items and gear Aragon had in his backpack but he had seen him switch swords a few times during their weeks together.

“Aragon, do you by any chance have an extra set of leather armour here you can sell me?’’

“I carry a spare set of armour and 2 swords. I can give you the leather I suppose. If my plate brakes or gets damaged I have another plate armour as back up.”

“Alright how much will it be? Do you also use the leather from wolves we kill?’’

“No I just sell them in town. You can have them for free. We are brothers in arms. Even though you are an outlander you have shown great courage and fight well. I think if we did not have you in our group our progress would have been slower. We might have missed this quest and I would have had to wait for a few years before I could go. My uncle has only been to this cave once as well. You can think of it as another rite of passage for us warriors.”

“Thank you, you are also a good warrior. The way you cleave enemies into pieces and the like. I fear I do not have courage that you talk about. I just do what I do.”

Ting * Familiarity with Aragon increased by 50 points

“No no my friend, what about how you charged first into the kobolds yesterday? It was in that moment I knew you are one of us.”

Aragon handed over 2 wolf hides and his back up leather armour. It was not the strongest or best quality items, but they would work for what Tinker had in mind.

He and Aragon would keep on speaking and Aragon told his life story to Tinker who just listened while tearing and repairing his new item. Over the weeks they spent together Tinker’s opinion changed from negative to positive. Sure Aragon still had a touch of smugness on his face but he was not a bad guy. They talked till late in the night when they were relieved and went to bed. It was during this time he heard that Aragon completed basic training and that is the reason he is so strong, he also had a few levels on Tinker.

The morning was rough. Tinker was not use to sleeping outdoors and with the added cold he could feel his bones and shoulder injury objecting to his movements. He made a simple warm porridge with added honey which the mage provided. They walked for another hour up the mountain until they reached the place where the cave was.

The wind picked up and their visibility started to drop. They formed a circle with the mage in the middle and advanced to the entrance. Out of nowhere big figures surrounded them. The yeti’s had them surrounded. Tinker did now know how it was possible that they moved so fast and unseen but this was how things are. A few seconds passed before the fight broke out. The group tried their best to keep the formation but they could not. Yeti’s wielded big clubs. Tinker could not parry the attack and could only deflect and dodge attacks. Thus the first mistake in their defense line crept up. He ducked and rolled in every which way. He did everything possible not to take a direct attack. He could hear clashing of clubs on metal and curses from the other people. The Mage cursed the worse. Tinker remembers him yelling that his magic had no effect.

The party was getting the pounding of their lives. They could only defend so long before their stamina runs out. The offensive attacks were not going well either. The yeti’s had thick skin and did not allow attacks on their weak spots. The Veteran ordered the retreat after 30 minutes of fighting. They managed to kill 2 yetis but were low on stamina and health was dropping fast. They stuck to the formation and started moving away from the cave. When the cave was no longer in sight the crazy attack from the yeti’s stopped and the party had their first brake since this all started. Yetis fell a small distance back and half of them disappeared into the snow while the others stood very visible for all to see.

Aragon was the first to notice Tinker was not with them. ‘’Tinker is still in there I saw him not 5 minutes ago still fighting. We need to go help him.”

“We need rest first, then we can go.’’

“No, we are going back to Avelon. The Grand Magus was right. The Yeti’s resistance to frost is very high and I am not skilled enough to harm them. I am sure with time you warriors will kill them all but I cannot help.”

“If that is what you wish, we will head back.”

“It pains me to say this but I am not worthy yet to enter the cave, let us go”

“Dam you all, Tinker needs us. We cannot just leave him.”

“Calm down lad, he is agile and cable warrior and knows his way back. We can’t help him now. His fate is in his own hands and those of the Gods.”

With that said Aragon agreed and followed his leader’s orders. On the walk down he could not help but feel sad that he left a brother behind. They were in bad shape and licked their wounds all the way to the city.

Tinker using his agility to the max ducked and did dive rolls over and over. Anything to avoid direct attacks. He found himself getting further away from the group. His stamina was also getting low and he could not dodge a swing aimed for him. His options were to try dodge or block the attack. He tried to block but the yeti had a lot of more strength. His arm went numb and his health dropped. To make matters worse it was the arm attacked by the wolf and his shoulder suddenly started acting up. He dodged another critical attack and pierced one yeti under the arm in its weak spot. The momentary victory was just that. Another attack came at him which he could not dodge so he blocked.

The attack pushed him backwards and he knocked his head. He saw a cave next to him and dove into it and tried to run in deeper. He was confused after the attack and did not notice he was not followed. It took a minute or so but he gathered himself. He started patching up his head and re bandaged his shoulder and arm. He wanted to gather his weapons and make ready for an attack. This is when he realised that he only had one sword. Tinker never really thought of carrying a spare and did not want to spend money on a new half descent sword.

He knew he dropped the sword near the entrance and would go pick it up later. He advanced further into the cave. He realised this was the cave Lan described. It had an unnatural design to it.

He came into what seemed like the main hall.

Ting * You are the first to discover the Mysterious cave.

Fame increased by 50

Experience and drop rates are doubled for one week.

He read about this and was confused. He knew other people have been here before but he guessed he was the first outlander to come here. He did want to fight anything but he was ready none the less

There was a big blue thing floating in the air. It had no feet, Had over sized arms and hands that did not seem attached to the body. Its face was oval shape and it eyes seemed peace full. It appeared to have some chest armour that had spikes and was blue like his entire body. He had no legs and floated in the air.

Tinker stood still and dare not talk. Maybe the creature did not see him.

“Welcome adventurer, I am Ancient Apparition. Eternal guardian of this place.’’

“Hello Great Ancient one. I am Tinker.”

“As it was decided long ago I will teach you 1 skill that best suits you.”

“Thank you I am not sure what I want and just who decided this so long ago?”

“My creators Rylia and Keal. It took them a long time and they passed their knowledge onto me. Most that have come over the years have wanted to learn spells and skills that are Frost or Cold in nature.”

“I am a warrior and I am not sure I can use spells”

“Yes I see. You are the special kind that can change class. I can teach you a powerful blizzard, but you won’t be able to use it to its full potential. How about a skill that compliments your class instead?”

“You have skills like that? I have read about Keal and Rylia in books before. They were a mage and wizard. How did they know skills for warriors?”

“Wisdom. In the many years they took to create me they had companions that they helped. Many of these were warriors and the like. A couple of years back a warrior came before me and I helped him.”

Tinker knew that his choice of skill is going to be important and game changing for him. He knew to ask for the names of all the skills that could help him would be a mistake. So he thought he would make use of the Ancients ‘wisdom’.

“O Ancient one, what skill would you advise for me, a dual wielding swordsman?”

“You are an interesting one, I have never encountered some one that is balanced as you are in strength and agility. What are your goals and against which enemies do you struggle the most?”

“I don’t have a current goal. But I struggle against opponents that are stronger and faster than I.”

“Perhaps a skill that momentary increases one of the stats you desire.”

“Yes that could help.” Which stat would it be? “I assume I can choose only one?”’

“Correct.”

Tinker was not sure which he should choose. So far he needed both agility and strength to give him the edge in fights. It was going to be tough choice.

“Wait just a moment, I am the first outlander here and thus my Experience is doubled right?. By this logic should I not learn 2 skills and not just the 1?”

“Hmmm, give me a moment to meditate over this.”

He assumed the ancient was consulting a game master or had to process the data. He could wait, and if he played his cards right he could get both skills he wanted.

“It appears you are correct in a way, I can grant you 1 skill that is as powerful as 2. It is called Stats Morph. It will allow you to shift the points you have between strength and agility as you choose. The amount will depend on the current skill level of it. In time the stronger it gets, the more you will be able to shift. When you reach level 5, it will allow you to shift stat points from your primary stats into secondary stats.

For example you can increase your luck or intellect. Once you reach the intermediate level you will be able to increase the amount of stats transferred. For example if you have 300 agility and transfer them all over into strength your strength will increase by 320. The more you use it the more bonus stats are added. Also in the intermediate you will gain better shift rates from your primary stats to your secondary stats.”

“I see you are still confused, think of it this way. If you have 300 points in strength and choose to shift them into luck, the luck stat will only go up by 50. As the power develops, the more you will gain when shifting stat points. From advance level will you be able to extend the time of the shift and also get better shift ratios. You will also be able to shift stats from one stat into 2 different stats at the same time. At master level will you be able to shift bonus stats and you will be able split points freely among multiple stats. Bonus stats are those that will appear in () next to your current stats. Bonus stats cannot be taken away and will always be in effect. For example if get polymorphed into a creature your strength will be 1, plus your bonus stats. Do you accept to learn this skill?”

“Yes”

New skill learned: Stats Morph

Allows player to shift stat points between stats

“Ok let us see what this bad boy is all about, Identify Stats morph”

Allows user to shift 1 % of stats between primary stats

Duration 2 minutes

Cool down 5 minutes

He thought of the best way to cast it or use it. At least the skill did not cost any mana when used. Since Tinker has never used a skill before. It was confusing how he must go about it. He read online that other warriors pronounce the skill they wanted to use then the game system would kick in and execute the command. In a way it was stupid and your enemy can hear what you are about to do. Best to change their activation commands to attack alpha or some other less obvious name. He decided on Morph agility and Morph strength.

He would just have to whisper them to himself like a crazy person, but that would be the only way to keep others from learning about it or giving away his edge in battles. He tested it and could not feel any difference really. He assumed it would be one of those skills that would become better much later in the game. After checking the progress of the skill he noticed it went up only with 0.009 %. He decided right there and then the he will have to use the skill every 5 minutes from now till he stopped the game. It is going to be the only way to level it up. Later when he logged out he did the math behind it. In will take just under 2 months to raise the skill up a level.

Back at the cave. “So do you want to chat or tell me something. I can guess you get lonely here since you only get 1 visitor every few years”

“Not really, I do my duty and tasks, and that is all for me.”

“Ok. Do you mind me staying here and leaving later? I need to eat and recover.”

“Do as you please and walk in the light”

“Thank you and good bye.”

Tinker started a fire to heat some of the stew he had left over. He double checked all his items and repaired his armour. During all this the Ancient one hovered all over the room and looked at Tinker every now and again. Tinker thought he might not eat, but he would offer him food.

“Would you like some?”

“I do not eat, but thank you.”

“Sure. I was wondering why do people only come to you every few years?”

“Long ago it was decided that I may only teach 1 skill per year to new people. It has to do with maintaining balance.”

Tinker just nodded. After and hours rest he was ready to go out and try his escape. He had a plan. Get his sword and get the hell of this mountain. He stuck his head out of the cave entrance and saw nothing but a calm area that was covered in snow. He could see his swords, he whispered his Morph agility and was off. He figured an extra percentage in agility would work best.

Picking up his sword he started into the direction they came from. If he was fast he could meet the others at the camp sight of last night. He was thinking about that when white blurs popped out around him. The yetis were sneaky for their size. Tinker decided to avoid battles and dodge and run. Not very heroic but it was what needed to be done. He was doing well and evading like a master. Things were going well until he realised that for every time he evaded in the direction he wanted to go, he had to go into another direction right after. In the end he pulled a 180 and ran the other way. Maybe he could find another way down, how hard could it be? He ran and kept well ahead of the ever persistent yetis. He got to the end of a cliff and saw he was in trouble and before he could choose a new direction to head in he was surrounded. He had no choice left to fight or jump. Since he had all his sanity, he fought.

It did not go well. The first time he blocked a direct attack he could feel the shock wave go all the way from his sword to his feet. He lasted for about 2 minutes which was impressive at the time. Alas a swing hit him in the chest and he was falling backwards over the cliff and downwards. Tinker was not sure if he hit the bottom or died on the way down. The breath was knocked out of him and he was sure he had broken ribs. The pain was immense.

You have died

24 hour lock out in effect

23.59 hours remaining

“O come on” he shouted as he exited his capsule. He knew he had to die for the first time, but this 24 hour lock out is for real. That is 4 days of game time gone.