A short while later, the ‘troll’ forest was receding into the distance. Once more, we were greeted with a sprawling grassland as far as the eye could see. An occasional small spruce of trees, or lone pine, dotting at irregular intervals. Not a single soul or enemy could be seen so we agreed to continue to travel under the mid-day sun.
A thought stirred in my mind so I turned to my floating companion and voiced it aloud. “Stella, I’ve been thinking about how I unlocked both boil blood and my regen spell during the troll fight. I also unlocked my flamethrower spell earlier, so I was curious if the dual casting and channeling skill will always unlock a new spell, or is that fairly rare?”
Stella sat down in the air, though continued moving forward with me, just a foot over from my shoulder. After a second that looked like she was debating how to answer, she responded, “It’s not too uncommon, especially with lower-level spells. For most Hunters, it can be a reliable way to unlock new spells, though the System may not unlock a new spell simply by using it a single time.” I raised an eyebrow at that, so Stella added what I was actually just thinking, “Perhaps it would be wise to do some experimenting?”
“Sounds good, though I wonder if I’m going to regret not doing this earlier,” I said with a slight frown. Stella caught my meaning right away, looking downward with a tilt of her head in apparent embarrassment. I pressed the thought, seeing her reaction. “You know, before reaching level five and having the system grant me even more classes that I could have picked from.”
“Yeesshh,” Stella muttered through clenched teeth.
“Ha, well. Any suggestions on what I should try?” I asked with a slight shake of my head. There was no point in poking the bear now, what’s done was done. Plus, if I was honest with myself, I would have likely chosen Necromancer anyway.
“Hmm, good question,” Stella said, pressing a paw against the side of her mouth as if in thought. Stopping in the middle of the road, I turned to face her. “Your healing wave, firebolt, and heat blood spell have all resulted in either upgraded versions or similar spells. Looking at what you have, I’d say to try with your minor deflection shield. It’s a one-and-done, instant-cast spell, but perhaps we can get something that’s more of an ongoing buff from what I see in the data behind the scenes.
“Sounds like a good idea as any. If we’re looking for something more of a sustain shield buff, channeling would seem to cross that goal. Dual casting, on the other hand, feels like it would just make the deflection more powerful. Alright, here we go.” There were no verbal or somatic gestures required for the spell since it was cast instantly. I essentially willed it into being, drawing upon my mana pool to bring the magical effect to life. My first attempt resulted in the deflection barrier springing into being and was held around my body for the two seconds the spell lasted. My second attempt had the same result. “I can will it forth, but… it’s like I feel it well up and spring out from my body and then I lose control of it. There’s nothing to channel, if that makes sense.”
“Hmm,” Stella mused. “Sounds like you’re casting it and then willing it to last longer, but not actually bringing your channeling skill with it. Try this, focus your mind solely on your channeling ability, hold it and then cast deflection shield with the intent to maintain the channeling aspect.”
“Sounds easy enough,” I said as I settled into a lower stance. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. This time, I willed the channeling skill forth. Nothing happened at first, but then I felt it. It was as if my mind had mentally grabbed onto an invisible rope in the darkness. I could sense its texture as if it was made of a thick liquid that wanted to squirm this way and that. It wanted to be released. As I continued to mentally hold the elusive cord of energy, it felt as if the cord reached down into my chest and touched the core of my power held within. Instinctively, I knew the cord of power represented the skill to channel my magic, the mana within me, to bring forth a continuous stream of power with whatever spell I connected it with. Holding that mental image, I willed minor deflection to stream through the cord of mana.
My power responded. My eyes opened just as a fountain of energy flowed out before me, the deep color of my mana pool. It started as a thick stream, at chest height and as thick as my arm, before wrapping around me in a cocoon of protective energy. In the next instant, the elliptical sphere shrunk down to a scant hairsbreadth away from my skin before disappearing from view altogether.
Congratulations! New Spell Unlocked: [Minor Shielding].
[Minor Shielding]. Surrounds your body in a skin-tight magical shield which increases your armor rating by 25. This invisible barrier also has a small chance of outright deflecting some physical blows. Duration is 15 plus n minutes, where ‘n’ equals intelligence. Cost: 20 mana. Cast Time: 3 seconds. Recast Time: N/A. Cooldown: N/A. Plus 2 armor class per spell level.
“Not too bad,” I said as I tried to feel the now invisible barrier. No matter what I did, I wasn’t able to cause the power to flare in response, even after punching myself in the arm. “I’m guessing it only works against aggressive attacks, right Stella?”
“Um, yes, that’s what I’m seeing on my end,” Stella said she looked blankly at the air just in front of her. I still wasn’t able to see whatever it was she was capable of pulling up with her personal interface with the system. “Another thing to note, that spell will only work against non-magical attacks, so keep that in mind.”
“Still, it’s a nice addition and helps improve my armor class. With the spell active, that brings me to…” I said as my inventory screen came up. “Fifty-eight AC almost doubled from what I had before. With my intelligence, it will last a whopping thirty-eight minutes. Though, when the effect wears off, will I notice it right away?” I asked. I was a little worried the spell would drop and I’d forget to recast it, meaning I would be less protected in our next engagement.
“You’ll notice it for sure. The barrier will appear suddenly before dispersing, like dust on the wind,” Stella said as a paw swiped the air. She then turned to me before adding, “I’ll help remind you too when it’s going to wear off, that way you’re not left unprotected. Stouter had a very similar spell and it's perfect for lower levels and will help keep you alive. I also read that it will not stack with the original deflection spell.”
“That’s a shame, but I feel like I’d rather keep this one up. While the instant cast of the other one was nice, I have a feeling I’d forget to use it in the flurry of combat.” Stella nodded along with my reasoning. “Plus, it will get stronger over time as it levels. Alright, for my next trick, I’m really hoping to do something else with my firebolt spell. Flamethrower is great, but I’ll be honest, I would really love a fireball spell.”
Stella pulled up another one of her invisible screens, flashing a paw around in the air. “Normally, a spell can only be upgraded, but that’s more of the norm than a hard rule. Let’s see what we can do. The Game does take multiple factors into account, such as your intent, so it can’t hurt to try. Stouter didn’t have a fireball spell, so walk me through what you’re looking to have happen.”
“You know,” I said a little taken aback. Fireball was a staple spell from my previous life, but perhaps it wasn’t as well known here in the World. “Well, think of the firebolt spell, but a lot bigger and I mean by a lot. Instead of a tiny pitch of fire, think of one that’s a foot or two in diameter and explodes when it hits something.”
“We can work with that,” Stella said with a nod of her tiny head. “As I said, your intent comes into play. So, try casting your firebolt while using the dual casting skill, but don’t simply release the spell. Instead, hold the spell at the cusp of completion. Let the power grow for several seconds. If this works, you’ll feel something click inside, then release the spell. That tree, there, seems to be a good target for you. A tiny firebolt would barely singe its rough bark.”
Nodding at her guidance, I followed the advice on how to create the desired effect. Minor Firebolt had a one-second cast time, so I steadied myself as the words and motions to the spell came to mind. Triggering my dual cast skill, I began. Arcane words and syllables escaped my lips as my hands twisted in the air, mirror images of the other. Just as the last word left my lips, I mentally held onto the energy. To my surprise, it worked exactly as Stella predicted. My eyes opened wider as a small pitch of flame grew from the size of a runt avocado to a softball, then elongated into the size of a football. The flaming sphere vibrated with contained energy, and then it happened. Something just clicked and I understood the spell could not be held any longer. Looking at the tree a dozen paces ahead, I release the spell.
With my palms cradling the ball of flame, I pushed outwards towards my target. Now the size of a soccer ball, the pitch of plasma hurtled away. The results were spectacular. A spell accelerated away at incredible speed as if a diving peregrine falcon. Unfortunately, I hadn’t realized that the angle of my hands had too much of a downward trajectory. It detonated with spectacular force, striking the ground halfway to the lone tree. The area erupted in a torrent of flame as the spell exploded in all directions. Unfortunately for me, the concussive blast threw me backward.
Blinking in confusion, my ears were ringing loudly. Finding myself sitting on my butt, my gaze instantly shot over to Stella who was floating several feet away. I couldn’t hear her past my ringing ears, but by the bobbing of her shoulders, she was having quite the laugh at my expense. “Delete that footage!” I yelled while pointing a stern finger in her direction. Stella still wore that damned smug grin when my hearing finally cleared a minute later. A new system message displayed across my screen as I swear, she asked me to ‘please do that again.’ Nope, not happening.
Congratulations! New Spell Unlocked: [Minor Fireball].
[Minor Fireball]. A ball of liquid plasma shoots from your palms to strike a target or area of your choice within 100 feet. Upon contact, the fireball explodes dealing damage to all targets within 15 feet. Each target struck is damaged for 40 plus 3n health, where ‘n’ equals intelligence. Objects and creatures struck by the spell have a moderate chance of being inflicted with the ‘burning’ debuff, causing additional damage over time. Cost: 30 mana. Cast Time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 1 second. Plus 10 feet max range, 8 base damage, and 1% additional chance to inflict burn per spell level.
“That was enjoyable,” Stella said as she settled down next to me. Raising an eyebrow at her, she shrugged her shoulders. “Well, for me at least. You did get a new spell, so… congrats!”
“Your concern is touching, Stell,” I said shaking the last remnants of cobwebs from my head. My health had certainly taken damage, but my natural regeneration had already refilled anything I had lost. “That’s got quite the punch to it.”
“Over one hundred damage to anything around the impact site,” Stella said as she tilted her head in apparent victory. “Though the damage does drop off a little towards the maximum blast range. Up for another go,” she asked as she limbered up next to me.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Perhaps later.” Dusting myself off, I stretched gingery. Nothing ached, so I was happy with that. My new spell would do wonders against groups of enemies though it was clear from my little accident, that I would need to be careful in tight quarters. “All for science,” I said to which Stella tilted her head up at me. “Never mind. Alright, let’s get a move on.”
Stella hummed an innocent tune as she glided around effortlessly, never straying too far away. The tune sounded suspiciously like something powering up over time before reaching an explosive crescendo. Taking a calming deep breath, I did my best to ignore her cute smugness. The dirt road ahead passed near a hill, a few football fields away. Thus far, we were taking a mostly north, northeast direction since leaving the woods. Looking up at the sun, I guess it was an hour or so afternoon.
“So much has happened in just a few hours,” I said, eyeing the bright world around us. “It’s hard to believe really. In my previous life, nothing comes close to this.” Sure, while I had played my fair share of virtual reality video games, each was a cheap imitation if you viewed it side by side with this World. It was no wonder why so many in the galaxy wanted to either be a Hunter or experience a part of it through their eyes. Stella had mentioned my followers could watch us experience all of this from a third-person perspective, to a first-person, and anything in between.
Stella didn’t pause her gliding about to respond but did stop humming. After another minute, she flew close by before finally hovering just over my shoulder. “It is a wide world out here,” Stella said finally. I nodded in agreement.
A dozen or so paces away from the small hill next to our path, Stella suddenly stood fully, going motionless causing me to stop myself as I turned a questioning eye her way. Stella sniffed the air several times, her tail held erect behind her. Her sudden shift in demeanor certainly caught my attention, bringing me on guard instantly. Without thinking more into it, I intoned my new shield spell, renewing it to its full duration. I crouched low, looking in all directions as I tried to figure out what caught Stella’s attention.
“Stella?” I questioned after seeing nothing nearby other than the mound of earth to the side. It peaked some ten feet higher than ground level but looked spectacularly unremarkable. “Is everything alright?”
Finally, she turned her head to face me, a serious expression on her little face. “I smell something, odd. It’s just a slight breeze on the wind, but it’s there. Something sickly sweet with a hint of… sweat? It’s very peculiar.” Her eyes then locked on to something just a foot in front of her. As I watched, her eyes moved side to side as if reading something. “Yup, there we go. I just became aware of an ‘Interesting Location’ nearby. Here let me mark it on your mini-map.”
With a motion of her paw, my map updated and flashed briefly. An orange star appeared, over the top of the nearby hill. Mentally clicking on the icon, a message appeared before me.
You have discovered an Interesting Location, Den of the Twitching Gnolls. (Note - recommended party size; 2, recommended level; 9.)
“Okay, so what’s an interesting location?” I asked after reading the message. Based on the recommendation given, this one was beyond my current capabilities. “Do we need to avoid this area, and do you have any information about these twitching gnolls?”
Stella looked to the hill before returning to a message only she could see, “It’s essentially a mini-quest area that’s usually full of a particular monster type. That one is apparently full of twitching gnolls. I’ve never come across a twitching variety, but Stouter and I did face off against a small group of gnolls in the past.” Stella paused a moment before continuing, “The recommendations are a little high for us, but compared to where Stouter was at your level, you do have a significant advantage in stats, spells, and gear. I think we could take it.”
“Any idea what the rewards would be for looking into that? I’m guessing we would have to clear it out, right?” I asked with a hushed voice as I activated stealth. This quest area was just next to use, clearly within eye sight of anything nearby, but I thought it prudent to at least take some precautions.
Stella, seeing my defensive actions, hunkered down next to me. In a lower voice, she responded, “The rewards for such mini-quests depend on a lot of things, such as difficulty and the requirements to complete it, but are generally considered worth doing, if you can. Since we’re a bit under-leveled, not to mention being solo, it should notably increase the rewards. We could get closer and when we’re within a small range a quest notification should pop up.”
“Alright, let's sneak our way to the top of the hill. If what we see looks too strong, we can come back here, skirt the area completely and continue after Duke. While I’m not inclined to leap headlong into every distraction in our hunt for Duke, we do need to level up.”
“Sounds good,” Stella replied with a nod.
With that settled, we slowly made our way up the grassy knoll. Continuing forward, we found ourselves atop the hilly mound. Hearing what sounded like muffled yelps and grunts, I crouched low while looking for any sign of movement. Our best guess was the sound was coming from what could be a small opening on what would have been the opposite side. Stella raised a paw in the air next to me, bringing our small band to a halt. Looking towards her, a system notification appeared in front of me.
New Quest – Cave of the Twitching Stalkers.
You’ve stumbled upon the home of a group of Twitching Gnolls. These gnolls pride themselves on their aggressive attacks toward adventurers, Hunters, and NPCs alike with barely a touch of stealth and a heavy splash of violence. This particular group has been raiding the countryside for months, waylaying many unsuspecting souls. With each victory, they grow bolder and range further and further out. Eventually, the gnolls will find their way to the nearby town of Nemmil. Should that happen, the townsfolk have little ability to ward them off. Do you have the strength to eliminate this dire threat?
Objective One – Defeat All Twitching Gnolls. Current progress 0 of (Unknown).
Objective Two – (Unknown).
Rewards: Experience and a class-appropriate spell or skill.
So, an unknown number of these twitching gnolls, plus a hidden objective. Based on our last quest, it was pretty easy to see that the final objective was defeating the boss of the area. Just like with the goblins that ravaged my hometown. Still, it could be anything really, so I’d need to be ready for a change if it came.
“Hey Stella,” I whispered and pointed to the second objective on my screen. I knew that Stella could see whatever was displayed there. “Any hints about objective two? Could it be we need to rescue some villagers based on the quest’s description or, more likely, just another boss fight? I’m a little hesitant to continue into that cave with an unknown number of enemies, it was nice knowing how many goblins there had been.”
“Information being hidden in quest objectives is pretty typical in later levels. This area is recommended for level nine, remember. As to your question, unfortunately, this is all we have to go on for now,” Stella responded. She had hovered right next to my ear so she could keep her voice low.
“If we get into too much trouble we could retreat, but what are the consequences if we fail or abandon a quest? Getting a new spell or skill would be awesome for us as it would increase my effectiveness and flexibility in future battles, but we need to weigh risk versus reward here.”
“Retreat is always an option and there wouldn’t be any negative consequences unless the quest specifically stated it,” Stella answered. “If it gets too difficult, we could leave, but just know there would be nothing stopping these gnolls from following us either.”
Nodding my head at her explanation, I found myself weighing our options before coming to a decision. “Unless you feel strongly otherwise, I say we go for it.” Stella bobbed her head and didn’t add anything further.
We moved quietly to what looked like a small outcropping which I hoped was the entrance to the gnolls cave. We stopped at the overhang, nearly on our bellies as we peeked over the side. Nothing moved and the noises we heard from earlier sounded to have retreated deeper inside. Making our way down the side, we came upon the face of a cave. Mud and torn clumps of grass surrounded the outside. My tracking skill activated and highlighted over a dozen sets of tracks, each looked to be barefoot with what I guessed were small talons jutting from five appendages. The cave’s tunnel tilted downwards and was dark after a few dozen paces in. Thankful for my half-elf heritage, my dark vision was going to be helpful here. Stealth still active, we descended into the gnoll's lair.
The tunnel curved this way and that as we continued down, soon found ourselves in complete darkness. The mud below our feet had finally fully dried, now no more than dried caked dirt as we pressed further in, which was thankful for us as it was no longer made with big squelches with each footfall. With how dark it was, I had a question for Stella, but instead of the possibility of my voice carrying an untold distance in the tight corridor, I opened a chat message with her.
Xaz: Hey Stell, do you know if gnolls have a similar racial bonus to my dark vision? I’m not sure how they would be able to see in here without having torches or something like that.
Stella: I don’t believe they do. The gnolls I faced off with Stouter in the past had torches in their inventory when we looted them after one battle. Though, there really are no assurances here. We never faced this twitching variant, so it certainly is possible. They may have something akin to low-light vision considering they live deep underground. When we finally find one and inspect it, we may get more information from that.
I nodded and continued as silently as we could. Not long ago, the voices of what sounded like dogs were steadily increasing in volume so we were getting close. My dark vision had lightened the tunnel, almost as if it were under a full moon’s light. It was hard to distinguish colors, but there was no risk of tripping over anything unseen. The deeper we traveled the less light there was, so I guessed if we were truly in total darkness the trait wouldn’t have anything to amplify. There was no danger of that happening here though, but my eyes did pick that up with each new turn and bend of the cave.
While the ground was now a loose gravel with an occasional jutting rock. The walls and ceiling were a combination of thick earth and stone, all of it looking to have been created naturally. As we continued downwards, not probably a few hundred yards beneath the surface, the tunnel became more reinforced with natural stone. The noise of the gnolls was far louder now and it was easy to identify they were likely just a few dozen feet ahead.
The tunnel finally leveled out, no longer angled to take us deeper. Around a bend ahead, a firelight peeked around the corner. As quietly as possible, I peeked my head around the bend to find the tunnel opened up to about the size of a large two-car garage. Standing near the far end, were six humanoids with scraggly fur covering their entire bodies. With large jutting snouts and oddly bent legs, they looked like I had expected. The stench of their unwashed and mud-caked bodies was covered somewhat by the scent of cooking meat. In the middle of the group was a large boar turning on a spit above a blazing fire. The gnolls had their backs to us and were arranged in a semi-circle around their dinner.
Around the gnolls were odd, mismatched furniture pieces ranging from chairs to crates, and even something that looked like a broken dresser. On the farthest opposite wall was a large wooden door that was clearly not made for the cave. Instead, it was wedged in place with bent hinges that had been nailed into the rocky surface. The place was a mess with torn clothing, shredded barrels, and sacks of what looked to be flour thrown about haphazardly. Many of the pieces didn’t match so I guessed they had been tossed atop other loot after each new successful raid. Thankfully, there were no bodies of humans or other races as far as I could tell.
Wanting to know more about our enemies, I stared intently at the closest gnoll and thought Inspect.
Twitching Gnoll (Level 7)
For many Hunters, the word ‘gnoll’ sparks imagery of a yipping dog-like creature with bare-to-the-bone brains to match. The twitching gnoll, though, is quite a bit different from their lesser-evolved kin. Twitching Gnolls, over the centuries, have evolved with overdeveloped adrenal glands. As a result, they are constantly bombarded with overwhelming shots of adrenaline. As a result, they are in a constant state of overexcitement and are always, always, twitching. Hence their fitting name.
Unlike their smaller cousins, twitching gnolls have double the strength and four times their ferocity. Unfortunately for the gnolls, this constant state of alertness means twitching gnolls can never find even a wink of sleep. Worry not for the gnoll, however, as their brethren take delight in taking turns in knocking pack gnolls unconscious to temporarily address this biological defect.
Still not aware of my presence, the gnolls carried on in their yipping language while one diligently turned the boar over the fire. Eyeing up the room, a plan began to formulate in my mind as a smile tugged at the corners of my lips.
What a perfect place to test out my new fireball spell, I thought with an evil grin.
Stella caught my look, but not its meaning as she peered at me uncomprehendingly. Raising an eyebrow, I mouthed the word, “Fireball” before tilting my head in the gnoll’s direction. Her eyes opened wide and, looking once more at the gnoll band, nodded her head, now with a devilish grin to match my own.