Chapter 3 - Start of a Journey
Ellaina ducks underneath the hole in the large tree’s trunk, the natural opening further enlarged by the dozens of claw marks, each attack ripping out a chunk of the hardwood. I shudder, remembering the beast’s power and how close the fight was, though the thoughts very quickly leave my head as I follow Ellaina inside, ducking my head and stepping into total darkness. I put down my backpack, having picked it up on the way back, luckily nothing missing, no scavenger having gotten to the food, and fish out the fire-starting kit.
As I dig around in the backpack, the total darkness makes it difficult to get the right items, even with the heightened Mentality Attribute empowering my senses, Ellaina starts mumbling under her breath. Seconds later, as I just grab onto the fire-starter, a cold blue light shines from behind me and I quickly turn around, my body acting a bit too fast, still unused to the increased Attributes. A crystal of solid ice is slowly growing out of the ground, breaking apart the soft dirt on the inside of the tree, illuminating the wooden walls in a cold glow. Cursing under my breath, I put the fire starter back inside the backpack, no dry wood or even wood at all making my idea of forming a fire for some light an impossible goal from the get-go.
I take some food out of the backpack and sit down, leaning against the warm wood, the tree constantly giving off a tiny yet noticeable amount of heat. With nothing to do and silence descending, only broken by gusts of wind whistling across the entrance, the situation quickly becomes awkward. Thoroughly confused at why Ellaina, after literally getting saved by a stranger, wouldn’t at least want to ask for my name, I decide to start the conversation myself, social awkwardness be damned.
“So…”, I start, “…what are you doing here?”, cursing myself internally. Though like a flip being switched, like a dancing doll turning on, words literally spill forth from Ellaina as I initiate the conversation.
“I’m looking for the node of this area. Apparently, it's a quite powerful Ice node that should hopefully help me with my class. And from what I’ve seen so far, there seems to be some other aspect to it too.”
Her explanations leave some, a lot, of questions open and I quickly follow up with some, though the weirdness of the situation continues increasing as Ellaina seemingly refuses to ask questions of her own.
“A node? They are the focal point of an area. They are what controls the element of the area, it is where one can claim authority over the environment and many things more. Though in my case I only need it for the increased intensity of the environment as all the mana is more in tune with the cold.”
“And why is that so important?”, I ask stupidly, not being asked something myself making my own questions somewhat lackluster, nevertheless Elaina continues her answering streak.
“Because my Class is ‘Beloved of Ice’.”, She starts proudly, giving me some time to be wowed by her proclamation, continuing after the pause.
“Hopefully there’ll also be some spirits or elementals closer to the node…”, Ellaina continues explaining that she needs them for a skill of hers that allows her to summon creatures of the cold. I continue along that line of questioning, slowly asking the weird woman about her status, Ellaina tirelessly answering all of my questions and slowly allowing me to get a picture of her abilities. In the end she promptly even shares her stats with me, a motion that, even as a complete stranger to this world, feels very taboo, the screen revealing all of her strengths and weaknesses for me to exploit.
Shared Status
Name: Ellaina Evergreen
Age: 38
Level (Exp.): 3 (89%)
Race: Human - lvl. 1 (90%)
Class: Beloved of Ice - lvl. 2 (10%)
Attributes:
- Stability: 10
- Activity: 10
- Mentality: 20
- Spirituality: 20
Skills:
- Ice Shard - Lvl. 1
- Warmth of the Cold - Lvl. 1
- Friendly Flakes - Lvl. 3
- Icy - Lvl. 2
- Look - Lvl. 3
Her System is much more advanced than mine and a few questions get me laughed at as I reveal my naivety when it comes to the workings of the System. Though following a hearty laugh, even after asking once again she doesn’t give me any information about the System itself and how it works. Strange seeing as she freely and without any second thought shares her whole status with me, but as soon as it comes to how to get a Class myself, she shuts down completely. I continue talking with the strange woman, the suspicious behavior becoming more and more obvious as she explains her various skills.
“Warmth of the Cold is what I used to heal your injuries from the beast…”, she finishes her explanation of her skills. The only other interesting ability of hers being Friendly Flakes, a skill themed around summoning spirits of the cold that would help her, also the most likely source of my guide’s problems. Needing the opinion of a third person I ask her to use her skill, to which she instantly agrees, mumbling under her breath, snow swirling together before her. The snowflakes circle around each other, growing in momentum, and just before the climax is reached they calm down, remaining floating in the air, a familiar voice coming from the strange sight.
“Oii, I was just sleeping. Ain’t never do anyone good to bother someone tired!”, my guide calls out angrily, Ellaina not at all reacting to his shenanigans, returning her gaze to the crystal of ice illuminating the room. Already somewhat used to the spirit’s rude behavior I don’t comment on it, simply pointing at Ellaina, the woman totally ignoring her surroundings.
“Drat… Yeah, pretty obvious isn’t it? And I told them they would not…”, the miniature storm of snow starts, quickly getting itself back under control and answering my rhetorical question.
“Ellaina here is an NPC.”, he starts which is quickly followed by a confused sound coming from me. “NPC?”.
“Yeah. NPC, Notoriously Pathetic Companion. The one-dimensional people of the Fake Planes.”, the guide explains with a slight smirk, and my confusion is so obvious that he simply sighs and then goes on further.
“Argh, you and your question. Ok, so, all that what's around you ain’t really Real! Duh duh duuh, or at least so to say. Sure, you can level and get your skills and it all feels pretty realistic, but it really just ain’t. Whole place and all the stuff in it…”, he points at Ellaina, “… is fake, made up on the spot to create the simpler Trials. All of that is what we call Fake Planes, later on you’ll get to see some real places, and you’ll feel that, believe me, just hits different, but for now, sterile laboratory environment and all that.”
I sit there, my mouth open as it takes my brain, even boosted by the new Attributes, a second to catch up to what the guide, should really get his name, is saying.
“So, you’re saying she’s completely fake, no soul or anything, just an empty shell?”, I ask flabbergasted.
“No, and yes. Good old Ellaina here has her own Soul and all that but she’s just fake, created for the moment with all the information she needs, nothing more. She was created the second you were put here, never existed before, and will never exist after.”
I gulp loudly as the repercussions bounce through my mind. The system just created a whole human being, a legitimate human being for just, this. My body shudders in revulsion, a human, just created and deleted for the simple whims of testing… Goosebumps stand up all across my body. A voice tones from beside me, whispering in my ear softly yet with authority unlike anything I have ever heard before, “Sleep.”, my lids clasp shut, and my mind goes black as sleep rips me down into the depths.
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I awake the next morning to shuffling, the crystalline ice from yesterday running out of energy, only some rare rays making it all the way inside our abode. Ellaina is shuffling around, filling a small backpack with some supplies, and taking out others, a piece of jerky between her teeth which she absentmindedly chews on. I get up groggily, a mild headache making every motion a chore and dig around in my bag, looking for the waterskin, seeking the relief of ice-cold water to clear up my foggy mind.
“Drat”, I start into the day, the bottle totally empty, the few drops left inside mocking my attempts at shaking out the remaining liquid.
“Good morning”, Ellaina greets me, backpack slung over her shoulders, tiny compared to my own load. I return her greeting and get ready myself, taking out some of the foodstuffs and then hoisting up the large back, improved Activity significantly softening the load. Ellaina steps outside our hiding place and I quickly remember my task, hastily following after her, not trusting the safety of the seemingly peaceful morning. I take a look around the small clearing, the signs of yesterday’s battle almost completely erased by a layer of snow, only the claw marks on the trunk of the tree hinting at the devastation.
As Ellaina remains standing in the middle of the clearing, idly looking around, basking in the morning sun, I take the map out of my backpack, splaying it across the back of the bag. The ink detailing the surroundings is runny in some places, the moisture of the snow ruining those parts, in others, the illustration is simply hard to decipher, the map not having been the best in the first place. Only some parts remain in prime condition, namely the goal of our journey, the Ice note, almost a straight line north of us according to the compass, which hopefully still works, knock on wood.
I try to make out any obstacles in our way, though, besides a river relatively close to us in the west, the map shows nothing blocking our way, most of the journey directly towards the node a wet mess. With no option but to trust the remaining parts of the map I fold it up again, put the compass into a pocket of my cloak, and describe our path to Ellaina. The woman quickly follows me without any questions, and we make our way into the forest, the canopy blocking out most of the sun. Leaves clink together in the much gentler wind, creating an entrancing melody, the sun’s rays reflected a thousand times in their mirror-like surfaces, casting a kaleidoscope on the soft snow floor.
I take in the raw beauty of this strange environment, trying to stay alert, though my mind wanders from sight to sight, the calming walk taking the edge off the situation. I still take care to let Ellaina closely follow behind me, often taking a look at the woman, though I quickly become bored, my undying curse following me even in this second life. Thus, as we make our way further into the thicket I start testing out my two new skills, namely Glaring Shield. Some testing reveals that simply thinking about the skill would activate it, a shield of mirror-smooth ice appearing in mid-air. Though when I do say the name of the ability, the shield is much faster to appear, my focus higher when saying the words, giving it extra strength.
I continue testing the ability, the trees passing by us, the air getting colder and colder, though the trees remaining, leaves blocking my view forwards. Glaring Shield always remains in the position I summon it in, hovering in mid-air, only when I equip it myself does it move with me, becoming an ice buckler on my forearm. After some more experimentation, the shield’s form, and size are only slightly manipulable, and a notification jumps up before me.
Congratulations, you have leveled up your Skill “Glaring Shield” to Level 2.
I punch my fist up in the air, calling out in triumph, a jubilant feeling rushing through my body at the Skill level-up. I am just about to change to experimenting with my other new skill, my eyes darting around the area, looking for effects of the cold I could study, trying to work out how the skill functions, when I spot a small bulge in the snow. I slow down, the shape feeling suspiciously unnatural to my instincts, my improved Attributes ringing the alarm bells. Just as I am about to take out my trusty slingshot-knife, the bulge explodes and a long white shape jumps out, directly toward Ellaina, who is the closest target.
“Glaring Shield”, I scream out desperately, a large, torso-sized shield appearing in the creature’s trajectory, Ellaina throws herself away from the action.
I put myself between the small beast and my payload, the shield luckily enough to block the animal’s assault. I concentrate on the plane of ice, slowly manipulating it to move closer to myself and Ellaina, not wanting to lose the shield which is quickly growing in strength. While I do so I observe the stunned animal, looking like a short and thick snake with long fur covering its whole body. Fur moves to stand upright, inflating the beast’s size as it gets its reeling mind back under control, recovering from the reflected attack. I lower my body, my feet poised to move in between the animal and Ellaina, the shield positioned some ways before me, stopping any direct assaults.
The animal’s fur vibrates violently as it slowly moves around us, my body and shield though stopping any of its attempts cold, the glaring ice continuously growing in size and strength. Shaking fur suddenly shifts into a white hide as the animal is replaced with a wild boar, its horns made of ice, skin the pale white of the snow around it. Before my mind can start its journey towards madness, the eyes hopefully just playing tricks on me, a screen jumps into my vision.
Snow Wasset - Lvl. 2
A small and stealthy weasel hiding in the snow to ambush its prey, known for its arrogance and foolhardiness, assaulting creatures many times its size. Though all this has a reason, with white fur continuously growing throughout its life it imitates those monsters it has to flee from, long hairs creating a convincing illusion that scares away predators and sends prey into shock, giving the clever creature an easy meal.
Attribute Focus: Mentality - 11
Skill Focus: Intimidating Imitating - Lvl. 2
I quickly read through the notification, trying to split my mind, one half keeping its attention on the ice boar the other flying through the description. A sigh of relief leaves me as I come to the last part of the message, the creature only imitating the wild and selfless antics of a wild boar, not actually turning into one. As prepared as possible I crouch down behind my shield, flash my weapon into my hands, and nudge Ellaina to throw me some of the frozen leaves, the woman following my orders to the letter. Projectiles loaded, I jump out from behind the shield, throwing my body to the side, trying to get a shot in on the creature’s vulnerable mid-riff.
The frozen projectile flies, whistling away from me and shooting through the illusion, cutting into the animal’s side, a small trickle of blood ebbing forth from the injury. The creature screams in rage and agony, rushing forward, intending to break through the shield and get to Ellaina who is cowering behind the cover. A loud bonk echoes through the forest as the beast is stopped cold and then flung back, a hologram of a boar appearing in mid-air, pushing the weasel’s illusion out of the way. I look out in wonder at the power of my skill, the long employment time of the shield boosting its effect drastically. I act quickly as the weasel tries to get its illusion back under control, its real body flashing through and giving me a target to aim at.
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I load two more of the projectiles, pull back, and with a loud whip the leaves are sent flying, thudding into the weasel’s body, one just below its shoulder, the other cutting a deep incision into its stomach. The animal tries to get back up though the continuous loss of blood is too much for it and its legs give out under it as the animal sacks down into the soft snow. A notification appears in my vision, congratulating me on the successful kill, sadly though it isn’t accompanied by a level-up notification.
Seeing that Ellaina is alright and not hurt, still hiding behind the shield, I make my way over to the dead animal. The illusion totally vanished the moment the beast took its last breath, only the body of the weasel with its long fur left in the snow, slowly bleeding out. I turn around my weapon, brandishing the sharp side, and nudge the animal, testing for any reaction, though only a subtle feeling rises to the forefront of my mind at my antics. Following the nudge, I cut off a bundle of its fur, tying them together, and then take a closer look at the hair, an instinct guiding my actions.
Shimmering Snow Hair - Lvl. 1
(Ingredient)
The hair of a Snow Wasset, using its fur to create elaborate illusions, an ability which can be imitated if the ingredient is properly crafted into an item.
It takes me some time to parse apart the description, the Ingredient part about it confusing me for some time. In the end, I decide to keep the unanswered question for later, noting it down in my mind, intending to ask my guide about it once we are in a safe location and not on the menu of any of the forest’s predators. I stuff the bundle of hair into my backpack and dismiss the glaring shield, the plane too big to equip on my arm, having steadily grown during the fight. I quickly whip out the map, looking at some of the nearby landmarks, and decide to slightly alter our path to get closer to the river that seems to be just running past us. Ellaina follows after me like a dog waddling after its owner and we quickly make our way through the undergrowth, this time much more attentive than before, only my good choice in Skills saving the day.
The rushing of water flowing in between rocks is the first sign we get of the river coming close. With my throat parched and not wanting to risk infection or poisoning by drinking molten snow, I hasten our pace towards the source of fresh water. Remembering caution, I stop some ways before reaching the riverbank, though Ellaina simply continues walking past me, the silent woman acting by herself, a waterskin in her hands. I try to stop her though she is already past the tree line, and I quickly follow after the woman, cautiously looking around. I spot a bridge leading over the water some ways from us, a structure of mossy stone covered in icicles, water rushing by underneath it.
Two figures stand on each side of the bridge, hovering in mid-air, a light leather armor covering both their bodies, only a long nose sticking out from underneath tiny helmets. In their hands they hold a long staff, two times their own size, reaching from the ground they hover above all the way to their heads.
Ice Mephit - Bridge Bouncer - Lvl. 4
An elemental Imp of Ice and Cold guarding the Bridge over a large ice-cold river dividing the land. They demand coin for passing their crossing, all poor travelers, not paying the price, met with a fate worse than those paying, giving their 7th son to pass the obstacle. Creatures of magic cold and ice they rain down blizzards and freeze their enemies into statues of ice, their power over the cold rarely contested.
Attribute Focus: Spirituality - 20
Skill Focus: Cruel Coin - Lvl. 3
I dodge down quickly, not wanting the creatures to sight me or my payload, their description sounding much too powerful for me to deal with. Just as I am about to carry Ellaina away from the river myself, the foolish woman carelessly continues her routine, filling up her water-skin and enjoying the crisp liquid, a crash echoes from the bridge. I grab Ellaina by her arm, pulling her back and into the cover of the trees, my eyes focused on the event unfolding at the river passage. A pale white man covered from head to toe in furs and leather is standing across from the bridge bouncer, a heated discussion going on between the two. Countless weapons adorn the man’s body, a bow and quill on his back, a shield on his left arm, and a sickle-like ax on his right.
The discussion comes to a sudden stop as the pale man fishes a coin out of his pocket, glowing a soft blue in the morning sun. The mephit reaches out towards the coin, greed so evident in its eyes that it blocks out the rest of the ongoings, the creature ignoring anything for the golden coin before it. The pale man’s ax flashes, slicing through the guard’s arm and the hovering creature screams out in agony, alerting the other guard to the attack. I quickly pull on Ellaina’s arm, hastily making my escape from the battle of powerhouses, the man coming in at an intimidating Level 7, his highest Attribute, Activity, sitting at 30.
Some quick mental calculations with my new and improved mentality get me back on our path towards the node, double time, to quickly get some distance between us and the bridge. It doesn’t take long for me to curse the map once again, large mountains reaching into the sky before us, the trees blocking out most of the peaks, though so close they are quite an obvious obstacle. We get closer and closer, quickly realizing the size of the mountain range, the frozen rock reaching far into the east and some way into the west. Sadly, the much shorter, western side of the mountain range is cut off by the source of the river, ice-cold water rushing down the side of the mountain and towards the bridge.
Cursing the map once again, and mentally drawing in the mountain range on the watered-down spot in the parchment we continue along the rock-side east-ward, the west cut off by the raging river. The mountains are imposing, rock suddenly breaking the earth and rising into the sky, frozen solid, cold wafting from the stone. I guide our path a little away from the mountains, the biting cold enough to cool me even through the rough fabric of the clothes looted from the wardrobe. While we continue our journey, I observe the effects of the cold all around us trying to internalize them to use them for Mirror, Mirror in the Snow. I examine the freezing rock, cold air wafting off the stone; the countless frozen leaves, the sun reflecting off their mirror-smooth surface, the snow crunching underneath our feet, light powder becoming compressed snow; I observe the miniature dwarf with a long white beard and disproportionately large feet.
Wait What!?
A humanoid creature, only just reaching past my knees stands in the middle of the snowy landscape, a thin brown tunic covering its body. Long white hair, a beard unlike any other, reaches down to its feet, large toes on even larger feet sticking out from underneath its body, at least half its height. It spots us exiting the tree line and its eyebrows rise in wonder, luckily it shows no signs of hostility, easing me into approaching the small humanoid.
Barbegazi - Mountain Guide - Lvl. 10
A hardy fellow of the Barbegazi Tribe settling nearby, making it his calling to guide any lost souls away from the treacherous mountain pass or give advice to those daring individuals risking the quick journey.
Attribute Focus: Stability - 40
Skill Focus: Guiding Voice of the Wanderer - Lvl. 10
My feet stop cold as I take in the man’s level, its size fooling me into trusting the creature, yet its highest Attribute is a whopping four times my own. With my mind in overdrive trying to find a way out of the situation I continue approaching the man showing no signs of hostility, best to follow the wishes of the Barbegazi than risk offending him.
“Hello wanderers”, the old man greets us in a deep voice, starkly contrasting his miniature body, “Are you on a journey through the mountain’s pass, if so, I have a story to tell. Or are you simply looking for guidance, not risking the treacherous path, searching for a way around the icy peaks?”
“We are searching for a way around the mountain.”, I decide after some thinking, the description, and the man himself repeatedly mentioning the dangers of the path, “but I would still like to hear your story.”.
A smile adorns the old man’s face, his beard forming a crescent at my willingness to hear his tale. He tells us of a young boy searching for the winter diamonds, a gem rumored to be so cold it would force out any other season where it was placed, winter reigning around it. That sounded suspiciously similar to the node we were after. The Barbegazi continued his tale, the boy overeager, escaping the village he was born in and making his way into the wilderness, searching for the fabled item. Over endless hills, through magical forests, and past the monsters calling the untamed wilderness their home, the boy was determined to get to his goal. Getting closer and closer to his destination the boy became reckless and foolhardy, taking needless risks to reach his goal just a day sooner. Then he came upon a pass in the mountain, a path leading through the cold stone, the rewards for his journey awaiting him on the other side. He ignored the tales of his ancestors, telling of the cursed pass, a broken sign telling of the danger, he blocked out the voices of animals and beasts alike cursing the way. He made his way into the narrow pass, forcing himself through the passages bordered by sky-high stone. Monsters unlike anything he ever saw before called the passage their home, creatures of legend and nightmare. Riders of snow with their steeds made out of arctic winds, beasts as tall as houses covered in long white fur swinging around mazes, crushing stone like it was dirt. Yet the boy thought himself special, continuing forth and further into the passage, not listening to even his own father’s last desperate call echoing across the sheer walls, never to be seen again, swallowed by the pale storm.
Silence reigns after the old man is finished with his story, all of us needing some time to work through the tale and let its message sink in. Only then does the Barbegazi open his mouth again, “Since then I stand here, warding off others that seek to follow in the footsteps of my own. Luckily today I won’t have to convince another fool and pull them out of the freezing stone, blessed be the Winter.”
The dwarven creature then tells us of the other paths that would lead past the mountain, a feeble bridge crossing the ravines to the west, an ancient ferryman giving passage across the river to the east, a cave only revealing itself to those blessed by the cold. My ears rise at the last path described by the old man, and I let him give us some more information about that particular passage. A cave, rumored to only open to those recognized by the cold should provide passage through the center of the Ice Range, laying closest to us, just some ways east. Having gotten everything, I need from the friendly man I thank him for his story and am just about to go on my way, Ellaina following after me when a bright glow comes from his hand.
You have been blessed by the ‘Guiding Voice of the Wanderer’ who wishes you a clear mind on your journey.
Your mentality is boosted by 10 points for the rest of your journey or for the next week, whichever is shorter.
Cold energy rushes through my body from the elder’s hand laid on my… leg -the man too small to reach anything else- collecting in my head, sharpening my thoughts, all my senses becoming crisp and sharp. I thank the ancient man for the blessing, and we make our way back into the woods, closely following the mountains and looking for a hole in the endless stone wall. The sun continues its journey across the sky, the rare hole in the tree cover giving us some sense of the time and letting a ray of sun melt the snow underneath the canopy. The clinking of leaves fills the silent forest, no bird surviving in the biting cold, only the calls of various larger animals breaking through the melody. Once or twice, I sight another member of the forest making their way through the thicket, most animals fleeing our amateurish steps, the sound of our footsteps breaking through the idyllic silence.
I let my eyes wander over the flora inspecting the various trees and trying to find some clue to my mysterious skill. Frost-Thorn trees create a natural fence making the straightforward journey more interesting as their short height makes it impossible to walk under them. Towering Timber Hearths melt the snow around them, their bark warm to the touch and throbbing rhythmically, every pulse sending a wave of heat into the harsh environment. Powder Weed, a hardy survivalist grows in the layer of snow on the frozen ground, using the ice itself as a substitute for the impossibly hard ground. I take out the map, trying to ascertain our position and after some thought, improved by almost 30 points in Mentality. I find a spot on the map close to our position, that seems to have been the symbol of a cave before the parchment was destroyed in the snow.
Stealthier than before we make our way towards the symbol, Ellaina following my example, the silent companion not saying a single word throughout the whole journey. Loud rumbling fills the scene, as the endless stone walls echo the snores of a massive creature through the surroundings. I approach slowly, crouching down and letting the white coat cover my body, every careful step bringing me closer, a dense line of trees covering my sight. I come around a last tree and spot a large figure sleeping, leaning against the freezing cold stone wall, fur covering its whole body, a dirty gray. Approximately 2 meters tall, the creature is clearly much heavier than me, a stocky frame filled out with fat and muscles, hidden underneath a layer of short fur.
A small trunk is laid beside it, the top showing clear abuse from repeatedly hitting something hard, a makeshift mace, the creature’s weapon. I stay hidden behind the tree, closely observing the creature and trying my best to call forth its description. Taking even more time after I feel the examination being successful to get more information out of the skill.
Taer (Lvl. 3) - Cavern Brute (Lvl. 2) - Lvl. 5
A race of cave-dwelling brutes related to the fabled yeti, their smaller cousins imitating all the abilities of the greater specimens. Much smaller and weaker, they still pack a punch, defending their territory fiercely and not accepting any trespassers, even amongst their own kind. With great strength boosting their thick frames they present a formidable opponent that outlasts any predators and simply beats them into the ground with sheer power.
Attribute Focus: Activity - 30
Skill Focus: hit, Hit, HIT - Lvl. 5
I read through the creature’s description, quickly spotting the relation between it and our destination. A cave-dwelling creature close to the map’s cave symbol can only mean one thing, it is guarding its home and inadvertently blocking our way. I slowly sneak back to Ellaina, the woman waiting some ways from the beast, thinking through its abilities, the longer time spent analyzing it rewarding me with more information. The level next to its name and the other add-on has to be its race and class, the last one obviously the general level. The point driving home that I was still quite a bit too weak to take on the beast is its highest attribute, 30 in Activity, the beast most likely focusing most, yet not all, its points into that one Statistic, its skill adding credence to my assumption.
I put some distance between me and the beast, needing some time to decide what to do, force a fight, be clever about it, and somehow sneak past or abort the path and search for another one. As I think through the options Ellaina sits down beside me, the large trunk of a Timber Hearth giving us some cover and warming the two of us. Some mumbled words call forth a small storm of snow, quickly followed by the rude voice of a long sleeper angry at being awoken.
“What, hey, no, Argh, can’t one be left to sleep on the weekend!”, my guide angrily protests.
Slowly getting annoyed by the spirit’s antics, the guide not taking our situation seriously, I simply shoot him a question, asking his opinion of what I should do. Luckily for my own sanity, he takes the query seriously, thinking through it for some time.
“Option 4 I’d say.”, he answers to a confused face.
“There is no option four, either we fight it, go past it, or just find another way.”, I say.
“Option 4, fight it later. You totally took the system out of your consideration. Take just how fast you grew within one day, already doubling your Mentality and Activity and attaining three skills. What do you think another day of proper adventuring could do? If you already believe you could maybe try to take it on now, just spend half a day or so fighting something weaker and you’ll go through the beast in a breeze.”
The guide's recommendation seems solid, my only thought is that to mimic yesterday’s growth I’d have to get into another life-or-death battle, the thing which I am trying to avoid in the first place. Though maybe if I had been clever about it and not gone into it unprepared like yesterday things would have gone differently, as evidenced by our encounter with the Snow Wasset.
“And what would or where would you propose I go to, just get stronger?”, I ask the guide, only getting a rude answer, “What do I know, fight some zombies or something.”
Gritting my teeth at his behavior a spark goes through my mind, all thirty points of Mentality working in tandem. “Yeah. Yeah! That could work.”, I exclaim loudly, my realization answered by a loud roar from the cave’s guardian, which sends us into a frantic run away from the approaching monstrosity. The guide remains at his position, looking after us confused, “Hey, what do you mean with that could work? I was just joking!”, he calls after us, but I simply ignore him, mirroring his rude behavior.