🎵: Dash of the Daring, Feast of Life
I stretched, working out the kinks from sleeping on the hard ground. As I ate a quick breakfast, I considered my options. Yesterday's events were still fresh in my mind—the adrenaline of fighting the wolves, the fear of not surviving, and the relief of making it through. The forest looked dense and dark, full of who-knows-what creatures—maybe wolves, like before. My speed song had saved my bacon yesterday, but it might not be as effective while weaving through trees.
Name: Brendan
Class: Virtuoso
Level: 1
EXP: 25/100
I was a quarter of the way to level 2. The wolf fight had given me a significant boost. As I munched on some of my rations, I couldn't help but feel a small sense of accomplishment. I'd survived my first day in this strange new world, and I was making progress.
"Better stick to the edge," I muttered to myself. "At least until I level up a bit more."
With that decided, I set off, keeping the forest on my left and the open plain on my right. I hummed Dash of the Daring, not wanting to attract too much attention but enjoying the boost it gave me.
The morning sun painted the grasslands gold as I searched for prey, just 75 XP away from that tantalizing level up. Movement caught my eye—two hares ahead, their fur shimmering with an otherworldly blue tinge. They grazed with delicate precision, crystalline eyes casting an ethereal glow across the dewy grass. Perfect targets.
Drawing my blade with practiced care, I stalked forward. Each step calculated, testing the ground before committing to my weight. Ten feet out, crystalline eyes locked onto mine. The hare's squeal shattered the morning calm—a sound more like breaking glass than any earthly creature.
You sing Dash of the Daring!
The world sharpened into focus as the magic took hold. The fleeing hares moved like azure streaks across the landscape, but their speed was no match for my enhanced agility. My feet skimmed the ground as I closed the distance.
The first hare zigged when it should have zagged. My blade caught sunlight as it swept down, meeting soft fur and yielding flesh. One clean strike, one final crystalline cry.
You killed a level 1 Blue Hare!
Battle Summary
Experience gained: 10 XP
Loot: Blue Hare Meat, Blue Hare Pelt
Its companion bolted for the treeline, paws throwing up tiny sprays of dew. The forest's shadow reached for it like welcoming fingers, but my enhanced speed turned desperate distance into inevitable conclusion. My final lunge sent the blade singing through the morning air, finding its mark just as the creature touched the forest's edge.
You killed a level 1 Blue Hare!
Battle Summary
Experience gained: 10 XP
Loot: Blue Hare Meat, Blue Hare Pelt
Two azure bodies lay still in the grass, their crystalline eyes now dull. Victory felt hollow—each kill a mere drop in an ocean of needed experience. I tracked blue-tinted movement through the morning, my enhanced speed turning simple hunts into exercises in precision. Yet each squeal, each clean strike, each message of meager XP only heightened my frustration.
Time stretched like honey in winter. The sun crawled across the sky, marking hours of pursuit while the grasslands thinned of prey. The occasional flash of blue fur became rarer, the hares growing wise to my presence in their territory.
Then—movement. A lone hare, its guard lowered, thinking itself safe in the morning's dying light. Its jaw chewed on fresh grass, unaware of the shadow I cast.
This time, the magic felt almost excessive. The creature had only a moment to register the crystalline fear in its own eyes before my blade completed its arc. No chase, no challenge—just the finality of steel meeting flesh.
As I cleaned my blade on the grass, watching crimson bead and fall from blue-tinged fur, another notification shimmered into view.
You killed a level 1 Blue Hare!
Battle Summary
Killed: Blue Hare x6
Experience gained: 60 XP
Loot: Blue Hare Meat x5, Blue Hare Pelt x4
Level Up! You are now level 2!
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Musical notes of pure light erupted around me, each one chiming a different tone as they danced through the air. The notes merged into rings of shimmering energy that spun faster and faster, creating a harmonious chorus that seemed to resonate with my very being. As the light show reached its crescendo, the rings contracted and burst into countless sparkles that sank into my skin like stardust, each one carrying a whisper of power. The rush of newfound strength coursed through me like a perfect chord progression, settling into a warm, steady hum of increased potential.
As the magical display faded and the familiar sensation of growth settled in, I noticed several changes:
Name: Brendan
Title: None
Class: Virtuoso
Level: 2
HP: 25/25
MP: 13/13
Strength: 10
Finesse: 10
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 11
Free Points: 2
EXP: 5/250
Gold: 2
Resistances: AVG 4.9%
Damage: Shortsword = 1D6
Special Attack: None
Special Defence: None
Speed: 10
Base Attack: 12
Base Defence: 11
Skills: None
Songs: Dash of the Daring, Feast of Life
Quests: Joining a Guild
My Charisma had increased on its own, a natural evolution of my bardic presence. I could feel a subtle boost in my ability to connect with others, my words carrying just a touch more weight than before.
Along with this came an increase in both my HP and MP. I felt more resilient, better able to withstand the challenges that lay ahead. The well of magical energy within me had deepened, promising more sustained performances of my mystical songs.
But the most intriguing change was the appearance of two free points, floating before me like glowing motes of potential. As I contemplated where to allocate them, I reflected on my recent experiences, especially my narrow escape from the wolves.
The memory of how quickly my mana had depleted during that frantic dash was still fresh in my mind. I realized that while physical strength was important, my true power lay in my songs and the magic they wielded. With this epiphany, my choice became obvious.
I invested one point into Intelligence, hoping to expand my mana and perhaps increase the potency of my songs, making them more impactful in battle. The other point, I placed into Wisdom, aiming to enhance my magical intuition and perhaps mana regeneration, which would allow me to sustain my abilities for longer during tough encounters.
As I made these choices, I could almost feel the synapses in my brain rewiring, my understanding of the magical world around me deepening. Ideas for new songs and magical applications percolated in my mind, and I felt a renewed sense of confidence in facing the challenges ahead.
This strategic allocation, I hoped, would serve me better in the long run. By focusing on my mental attributes, I was leaning into my strengths as a bard, enhancing my ability to weave magic through music and unlocking new mystical secrets as I continued my journey.
I checked to see what got affected by these changes.
Intelligence: 11
Wisdom: 11
Resistances: AVG 5.2%
That was all I could tell for the moment—my total mana remained unchanged, despite hoping for a mana boost. Maybe my mana regeneration had improved, but I wouldn’t know for sure until I tested it out. On the bright side, my resistances took a nice jump, suggesting that Intelligence or Wisdom—or both—had a significant impact on resistances.
But the most exciting change was my new level, which opened the possibility of adding another song.
In the forge of endurance, I’ll find my strength,
With passion as my armour, I’ll go any length.
Fear I shall shatter, like glass on the floor,
With iron will, I can conquer and soar.
Your strength of creativity just forged a melody named "Rise of the Iron Will".
Do you want to replace a song with it?
[YES] / [NO]
Obviously, I hadn't earned a new song slot - that much was clear from my previous attempts at earning melodies. I could only replace existing songs for now. I looked down at the blue hare I'd just killed. Between this one and the others, I'd have enough meat to keep me going for a while. The leftover rations in my pack were a nice backup, too. Water, though, that could be trickier to come by.
Following the forest's edge in search of a stream or pond made sense - I only had a couple of mouthfuls left in my waterskin. While I had plenty of food between the hares and my rations, water was becoming my biggest concern. A worry nagged at me—what if any water I found was contaminated? Then a thought struck me: Feast of Life could purify water, removing harmful bacteria. I needed to keep that song ready, just in case. It could mean the difference between safe drinking water and making myself sick. After what felt like hours, though just a few minutes, I reached my decision. I selected the 'no' option with my mind.
You have selected NO
I wasn’t ready to replace my current songs yet. "It’s smarter to keep my options open," I muttered, almost like I was trying to convince myself. If I replaced it now and I couldn’t get Feast of Life back? Countless uncertainties existed.
As I continued walking, I took time to examine my kills more closely. The Blue Hares were fascinating creatures - their meat had an unusual shimmer to it, and their pelts seemed to pulse with a faint, ethereal glow. I wished I had some way to learn more about their properties. There had to be more to these creatures than met the eye - their glowing blue fur and otherworldly squeals suggested they were more than ordinary rabbits.
I restored the meat and pelts in my inventory. Maybe someone in town could tell me more about them, or at least offer a fair price. I had a feeling these weren't the kind of rabbits you'd find in a normal forest.
The morning sun had climbed higher, and I could feel its warmth on my face. Despite the challenges ahead, I felt optimistic. I'd survived my first day in this world, learned some valuable skills, and now reached level 2. Each minor victory added up, building my confidence bit by bit.
As I walked, I hummed a quiet tune - not one of my magical songs, just a simple melody from my old life. It felt different now, though. The notes seemed to carry more weight, as if my increased Charisma was affecting even my casual singing. The surrounding air vibrated with each note, a subtle reminder of the magical potential I was unlocking.
"One day," I promised myself, "I'll be strong enough to create songs that can change the world." It might have sounded grandiose, but in a realm where music could enhance speed and purify water, who knew what other magical melodies awaited discovery?
Speaking of strength, I needed to test my improved stats. With my Intelligence and Wisdom now at eleven, I should notice some differences. I started humming Dash of the Daring, observing how my mana drained. The familiar sensation of magic flowing through me felt... smoother, somehow more controlled. I couldn't be sure, but it seemed like my mana was depleting more slowly than before.
I kept the song going, pushing myself to maintain it longer than usual. One minute passed, then two, then three. Yes, a slight improvement emerged. Before levelling up, I would have been running on fumes by now. A grin spread across my face as I realized what this meant - longer durations for my songs, more opportunities to use them in tight situations.
The forest's edge continued to stretch ahead of me, an endless wall of green. Birds called from the branches, their songs mixing with my own in an odd harmony. Some of their calls sounded almost like music themselves - not the ordinary chirping I was used to, but complex melodies that made me wonder if this world's birds had their own magic.
I pulled out my shortsword and gave it a few practice swings while walking. The weapon still felt awkward in my grip, but less so than yesterday. Was that because of experience, or had my stat increases affected my coordination too? I made a mental note to practice more with it when I got the chance. A bard who could handle themselves in close combat would have a better chance of survival than one who relied only on songs.
As midday approached, my stomach growled, reminding me that even levelled-up adventurers needed to eat. I found a fallen log that looked dry enough to sit on and pulled out some rations. While I ate, I couldn't help but wonder what other changes level three might bring. Would my songs grow stronger? Would I learn new ones? The possibilities seemed endless.
For now, though, I needed to focus on more immediate concerns - finding water, reaching the town, and continuing to grow stronger. Level 2 was just the beginning of my journey, and I couldn't wait to see what challenges and opportunities lay ahead.