The mighty gate groaned under the strain as it slowly creaked open. Beefy guards, grunting with the effort, heaved, and pulled at the hefty levers that controlled the colossal weights keeping the enormous doors shut tight. An assembly of climbers patiently waited for their chance to cross the threshold into the battlefield.
Just beyond the gate, wooden barricades, a hasty construction, had been strategically placed to obstruct any paths the dreaded undead could take. And right on the city's fringe, the stout-hearted rangers partnered with mages, unleashing a barrage on the undead hordes gathered around the city gates. Their goal was to carve a clear, safe path through the sea of decay. Before long, the undead seemed to absorb the warning, learning the bitter lesson that they were outmatched. They began to retreat or, alternatively, fell into lifeless heaps.
The Climbers' groups that were first in the queue sprang into action, rushing forward to secure advantageous positions and establish their territories. As precious minutes ticked by more clusters of courageous Climbers ventured forth from the relative safety of the city, immersing themselves in the battlefield against the undead. The monstrous creatures that had dared to creep up to the city walls under the veil of darkness were fiercely repelled and put to the sword by the determined onslaught of Climbers surging through the gate. Before long, a substantial buffer zone had been carved out, and the initial line of Climbers waiting their turn had vanished into the heat of battle.
From his regular vantage point high on the city wall, Alex observed the action unfold below. It was an odd day, weather-wise. Instead of the usual gloomy drizzle, the sky was bright, awash with sunshine - a rarity in these parts. This unexpected shift in weather seemed to have spurred on the Climbers. More of them had chosen to venture out in the morning to make the most of the favourable conditions before the inevitable night-time storms rolled in, a relentless, soaking routine that everyone in the city had grown accustomed to. The unusually sunny weather had imbued the day with a sense of hopeful anticipation.
Over the last two days Alex had gone out to the wall a few times brining himself up to level 16 and 7 percent. He had begun to scout out each of the gates on the four cardinal directions and watch how the different adventurer groups did things. For today he planned to finally leave the city. Though he wouldn’t have access to the storms above Alex planned to test the waters and finally collect some loot.
He followed behind and mixed in with the other groups heading out but didn’t stay to close. As soon as he was passed the barricades Alex started to jog. He made it further away from other but tried to find a good spot where he would be safe if things went wrong. He was still relatively close to the walls. Using his echolocation, he watched for undead and humans alike. Him walking caused the nearby undead to be drawn to him. He drew a knife and prepared for the fight. He left his other hand open so that he could use his magic.
The skeletons came in close with battered weapons, pieces of shrapnel, and rocks. They were faster than the average zombie, so Alex had to be careful. With a quick plan in place Alex moved his dagger through the three skeletons and took away their hands and arms. He dodged their strikes. Bone hit the ground. A minute later and defenceless the skeletons died. He smashed their heads and chests and the magic holding them together fell apart.
“That wasn’t too bad. A bit slower than usual but these new knives are doing the trick and are cutting through them just fine. Let’s see how it does with zombie flesh.”
Taking a moment to scan his surroundings with his echolocation, Alex once again readied himself for the confrontation. He didn't have to wait long before the ragged, decomposing bodies of the zombies staggered into his view. Their grotesque appearance barely fazed Alex anymore, his focus was solely on surviving and gathering the spoils. He let out a steadying breath, gripping his knife tighter.
Warily, he circled them, aiming for the first zombie to lurch too close. He plunged his knife into its chest. The creature let out a low groan, but it was still moving, unaffected by his attack. It swung its decayed arm at him, catching him off guard and knocking him off balance. Alex stumbled backward, grunting as he pushed himself to his feet and scrambled away from the remaining undead. Alex reached out and searched for the pull of electricity in the undead creature. There was none, however. The energies he usually felt in living beings was gone He could not use his disruption spell on it. He tried again to the same result.
Despite the setback, he managed to take down a few more zombies with his knife, slicing through their rotting flesh with ease. He was pleased to discover that the blade was just as effective against zombie flesh as it had been against the skeletons, even if the situation was exponentially more difficult.
"Okay, not as easy as I thought," he admitted, gritting his teeth as he backed off. "I can do this," he muttered to himself, advancing cautiously towards the undead horde. He had to make every action count, especially since he couldn't rely on his usual tactics. These zombies, unlike the previous foes, were not animated by raw necromantic energies but by some form of necromantic or arcane magic that rendered them immune to his electricity manipulation.
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His magic was useless here, the realization sinking in. He had to rely solely on his physical abilities and his wits. Zombies, he quickly realized, didn't play by the rules he was accustomed to.
"Guess I'll have to get used to this... to not having my magic. Again," Alex said to himself, catching his breath as he surveyed the fallen undead. "That is really quite annoying. They never have electricity running through them and never will unless I use my magic. They are no longer organic in the sense that they have bioelectricity powering their organs and bodies."
With renewed determination, he turned on his heel and sprinted away, leaving the carnage behind. The echoing moans of the remaining zombies filled the air, a grim reminder of the danger he faced.
There was a part of him that was unnerved by the thought of being rendered powerless, of having his greatest asset stripped away. But he knew he couldn't afford to dwell on it. His survival depended on his ability to adapt, to overcome adversity.
"Until I have a proper battery and generator going then my lighting magic will still be limited by how strong of a storm appears on the floor. It basically puts me back to two days ago. Beyond these walls are becoming too dangerous for my non-magically empowered self. And that is not something I can get around with brute force."
Alex returned to the barricades. "Okay, first day out of the city, and I'm still alive," he muttered, trying to see the silver lining. "Not too bad, considering. I need to rethink my strategies, figure out a new way to fight”.
Following his first expedition, Alex found himself retracing his steps back to the bustling city, his satchel barely half-filled with trinkets and treasures he'd salvaged from the undead. An assortment of other valuable items was sadly left behind the towering city walls, waiting for those who were able to go over his trail and claim them.
After shedding the weight of his knapsack, he took a moment to assess his condition. His arm had been subjected to quite the beating; however, he knew that with the aid of a healing potion, his battered limb would be as good as new by dawn. He hadn't escaped unscathed from the labyrinth of caves either, carrying the stinging reminders of his battle with the zombies.
Upon his arrival at the town of Thornhold, Alex had splurged on a full healing potion, a decision motivated by the healing of his wounds at the time. The potion’s magical properties had coursed through his veins, like a rush of vital energy. It had thoroughly cleansed his wounds and accelerated the healing process. Now, the discoloured scars and fading scabs were gradually disappearing, restoring his full strength and functionality.
His next destination was the humble, dimly lit apothecary shop located at the heart of the city. Here, he hoped to find something to nurse his fresh wounds. A twinge of pain shot through his arm as he turned towards the shop, serving as a stinging reminder of his most recent exploits.
This time, Alex found himself mulling over his options more carefully. A full healing potion was an expensive asset, a luxury that he could not afford to indulge in every time he was inflicted with minor injuries. "Perhaps I should opt for something a little more budget-friendly," he ruminated, shifting his gaze from one shelf to another, taking in the vast array of potions, salves, and bandages.
He contemplated the idea of a magical bandage. They were imbued with subtle healing properties and would do a decent job of patching up his wounds. A smaller dose of the healing potion was also an attractive option. It would be less powerful than a full potion, but significantly cheaper, and more than enough to accelerate his recovery.
"Is there something I can help you pick out?" asked the apothecary owner. "To speed up the healing of your arm and get it back in working order."
"I need either the bandages or the healing salve. Whichever is cheaper and will still get me mobility by tomorrow morning,” answered Alex.
“Then the salve will do you best with some regular wraps. Put the paste on the injury and then wrap everything tight. It will feel a bit tingly for a minute as it settles in but will go away quickly. Is there anything else you need? Something for active excursions? I’ve got some good fast-acting stuff as well.”
“I’ll just go with the salve. Thanks. How much will it cost?” Alex asked.
“300 Tower Points will be your total.”
Alex paid the lady and collected his things. He sat down on a bench in the shop and started applying the salve. Once he was done tying it off Alex put the excess in his bag with the loot, he intended to sell next and left the shop.
Alex's journey brought him next to the nearest guild-owned crafting shop, a location he was becoming increasingly familiar with. Over time, he'd seen a noticeable shift in the economics of the Tower, noticing that guilds were paying higher prices and thereby becoming stronger rivals to the native-owned shops when it came to the acquisition of crafting resources.
The underlying reason for this shift was clear: the guilds' growing need for these materials. As the guilds steadily grew and the dynamics of the Tower changed, they found themselves having to invest heavily in their crafters. They needed resources, not just for crafting, but to provide opportunities for their crafters to gain experience and level up. It was in essence a long-term cost saving measure.
If the required resources weren't scavenged by the climbers themselves, and given to the guilds more directly, the guilds were forced to procure them from the native shop owners. However, these natives, aware of the increasing demand, would often significantly mark up their prices, putting the guilds at a disadvantage. This economic dynamic was precisely what had given Alex and many others an edge.
Alex discovered that he could sell his collected loot directly to the crafters. On average, this enabled him to earn a premium of five percent more than he would typically receive. This increase in income wasn't merely a nice bonus; it was significantly contributing to his growing wealth. Moreover, the more advanced the loot, the better prices Alex could negotiate.
These high-level resources were in high demand, especially for crafting advanced gear, instrumental for the climbers who dared to venture beyond the walls of Thornhold. The stronger the gear, the better equipped the climbers were to deal with the increasingly challenging environments they encountered. After selling off his loot Alex was left with 1920 Tower Points after the deduction of the healing items.