“Shoot,” was all I could think to say. The raid boss then charged at me, waving its tree club. I ducked under the massive weapon, then dashed forward and stabbed my sword into the monster’s shin. It roared in anger and pain, then kicked me.
The powerful blow sent me flying, my body crashing through a tree. I laid limp on the ground, having lost more than 50% of my HP with that one attack. Groaning, I somehow managed to push myself up onto my feet.
“Yeah, screw this,” I muttered. Turning around, I began running. I used my greatsword to hack away anything that got in my way, but I wasn’t fast enough. Just by listening, I could tell that the Forest Guardian was already almost caught up to me. “[White Wolf’s Howl]!”
A mournful wolf howl echoed in my ears as I suddenly felt a burst of power. I immediately picked up speed and began running a little faster. But I could stop hear that massive monster’s stomping footsteps not far behind me. Gritting my teeth, I pumped my legs even harder in an attempt to pick up more speed.
[You have surpassed your physical limits]
[Your Agi stat has been permanently raised by 5]
Smiling, I was happy to have gotten a bonus like that. I started running even faster, trying to avoid the monster behind me. But right as I was about to reach the edge of the forest, the guardian caught up with me. It swung its club, which grazed my back. However, even just that was enough to drop my HP to critical levels. In fact, when I checked my status, I saw that I had 2 HP left. But as soon as I wasn’t in the forest, the boss huffed and turned around, walking away.
“Geez! That was ridiculous! I can’t believe I’ve gotten that thing ticked off with me to the point where it’ll come after me as soon as I enter the forest,” I said, gasping for breath. Grimacing in pain, I started trudging towards the village. But with every step I took, pain shot through my entire body until I couldn’t take any more.
Dropping to the ground, I punched the dirt in frustration. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself back up to my feet. However, that only last for a few seconds before I fell again. Straining, I continued trying and failing to stand up and keep walking.
[You have surpassed your physical limits]
[Your Vit stat has been permanently raised by 5]
[You have obtained Passive Skill [Determination I]]
[Determination I]
[Type: Passive]
[Effects:
1. When HP is below 30%, all pain is blocked out and all main stats are raised by 10%]
[Can be evolved into a stronger Skill]
“This would’ve been nice to have earlier,” I said through gritted teeth. But immediately, all of the pain I was in went away. Not only that, but I was feeling stronger. Getting onto my feet, I continued walking towards the village. “I need to buy some [Healing Potions], which honestly, I should’ve done before now. I hope 330 gold is enough.”
As I trudged towards the village, I passed by Fluffy, who was patiently waiting for his owner to return. He wagged his tail and barked when he saw me, which made me smile. Walking over to the white furred wolf, I scratched him being the ears.
“You’re a good boy, [Fluffy],” I said, scratching his chest and chin. He barked again and began licking my face. I laughed and continued scratching and petting the pet. This went on for a few minutes before a man approached us.
“I see [Fluffy] likes you,” the man said. “Are you a friend of Zak’s?”
“Yes sir, I am,” I replied.
“Good to meet you. I’m Terrence,” he introduced himself, offering me a handshake.
“Good to meet you as well. My name is Cain,” I replied, shaking his hand.
“You’re not looking too good. Are you alright?” Terrence asked. I guess he could tell that my HP was low.
“I had a run-in with the [Forest Guardian] and barely escaped with my life,” I explained. “Actually, [Fluffy] here played a part in me being able to escape. If it weren’t for the ability he gave me, I would’ve been killed for sure.”
“Well, I’m glad he was able to help you,” he replied. “You must be an Adventurer, braving the danger of the [Forest Guardian] on your own like that.”
“I am an Adventurer, but I didn’t mean to go up against the [Forest Guardian]. I had previously eaten a magic apple that apparently belonged to it,” I told Terrence. “Because of that, it got angry with me and comes after me every time I enter the forest.”
“Hmm, that’s certainly a problem,” he said in response. “Unfortunately, I can’t think of any way to keep it from coming after you.”
“Eh, that’s fine. I’m not too worried about it,” I told the man. “Anyway, is there anything I can help you with?”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“Oh, no thank you, I’m good for right now. But if I do need anything, I’ll find you and let you know,” he answered.
“Thank you. I’ve gotta get going now,” I said, excusing myself.
“Wait! Before you go, take this,” he said, holding out a bright red potion. I grabbed it from him with a thank you.
[You have obtained [Healing Potion - Lesser (x1)]]
[Healing Potion - Lesser]
[Rarity: Uncommon]
[Type: Consumable]
[Subtype: Recovery]
[Effects:
1. Recovers 25% of max HP when consumed]
“Thank you again so much! I’m very grateful!” I said. He nodded and started patting Fluffy.
“Alright, boy, time to head home,” Terrence said. But Fluffy refused to move, sitting in place. “Aw, boy, I miss him too. But Zak isn’t coming back. It’s time to head home.”
“Why isn’t Zak coming home?” I asked. Terrence glanced at me before replying, speaking hesitantly.
“Zak…was my son. However, he died a few years ago when he went into the forest by himself to find [Blood Red Lilies],” Terrence explained. “[Fluffy] got injured, and Zak wanted to make [Blood Red Ointment] to heal him. But I was busy and couldn’t go to the forest to find the flowers he needed.
“So…so he went by himself. By the time I realized, it was too late. I found his body, partly eaten by wolves. I-if only…if only I had gone, he would still be here.”
Terrence now started sobbing. His arms were wrapped tightly around Fluffy’s neck, who was now whimpering. But all I felt after hearing the story was a very justified confusion. I started to open my mouth, wanting to tell the man that I had met his son just earlier that day, but I thought better of it. I figured it was better to let the father grieve with his son’s pet than tell him a confusing and unbelievable tale about his deceased son. However, before I left, I decided to do something.
“Here, Terrence. Someone gave me this, but I think it’s better for you to have it,” I told him. I then handed him the tin of Blood Red Ointment that Zak had given me. His eyes widened when he saw it, his expression one of disbelief.
“W-where’d you get this? My son was the one who created the recipe for this ointment, and he never shared it with anyone other than me,” Terrence said, taking the Item with shaking hands.
“A young boy gave it to me earlier today. After I got some [Blood Red Lilies] for him,” I replied truthfully. Terrence fell back onto his knees, tears streaming down his face.
“Thank you, Adventurer, thank you,” he said while crying. I smiled and began walking away as I received a system message.
[Hidden Quest [A Father’s Grief] completed]
[Rewards: [Power of Hope] Skill, +Relationship with Terrence]
[You have obtained Active Skill [Power of Hope]]
[Power of Hope]
[Type: Active]
[Effects:
1. Instantly recovers 50% of max HP and raises all main stats by 100% for 30 seconds]
[Costs 100 MP to use, 30 minute cooldown]
“Woah! That’s an OP Skill! And it seems so easy to obtain. Why doesn’t everyone have it?” I thought aloud while walking to the village. I also down the potion Terrence gave me, restoring 25% of my max HP instantly. “Maybe there’s some kind of hidden requirement or trigger for the Quests I’ve been getting from Zak, Miss Maggie, Karc, and Terrence. But even still, you’d think more people would have these Skills. I mean, [White Wolf’s Howl I] and [Power of Hope] are both really strong Skills.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I decided to drop the question. Also, even though I had recovered some using the potion I was given, I still needed more potions for both right now and later. Walking into the village, I found the apothecary. Opening the door, I stepped inside. However, I wasn’t expecting what I saw inside.
The entire space was filled with various plants, herbs, jars of creature parts, and potion bottles. Looking around in wonder, I didn’t even notice the shopkeeper.
“Ahem, excuse me. Are you here to just look around, or are you here to buy something?” A voice asked. Jolted back to reality, I turned to address the speaker. Looking at them, I saw that they were a short, skinny humanoid creature with yellowish skin, large pointed ears, bulging yellow eyes, jagged fang-like teeth, and a bald head.
“Oh, uh, yeah, I’d like to buy some potions,” I replied. However, the shopkeeper didn’t reply. Instead, he walked closer to me and clambered up onto me. His large eyes stared directly into me as his long, hooked nose sniffed deeply. After that, his already big eyes went wider.
“Oh, you know Miss Maggie and Karc. I can smell them on you,” the strange little man said. “In that case, I can give you a discounted price…if you do me one favor.”
[Alchemist Wadd would like you to help him collect some alchemy ingredients for his shop]
[Collect 0/10 [Vials of Goo]]
[Collect 0/10 [Vials of Acidic Goo]]
[Collect 0/10 [Vials of Troll Blood]]
[Collect 0/10 [Spider Eyes]]
[Reward: 50% discount on all future purchases, ???]
[Failure Penalty: kicked out and banned from [Eccentric Apothecary]]
[Accept? Y/N]
“Can I still buy some potions from you even before I complete your task?” I asked.
“Yes, yes, though you won’t get the discount until it’s finished,” he answered, nodding vigorously.
“Alright then, I’ll do it,” I reply, accepting the Quest.
“Excellent! The [Vials of Goo] can be found by killing [Green Slimes], [Vials of Acidic Goo] can be found by killing [Giant Green Slimes], [Vials of Troll Blood] can be found by killing [Forest Trolls], and [Spider Eyes] can be found by killing [Giant Spiders],” Wad told me. “The slimes like to hang out in Farmer James’ field, while trolls and spiders can be found deep in the forest. You’ve gotta watch out for the [Forest Guardian] though, it doesn’t like people exploring its home.”
“Got it. Now, what potions do you have for sale?” I asked. Wadd rubbed his elongated hands together and went behind the counter. Only the top of his bald head was visible since he was so short as he rummaged through things. After waiting patiently, I saw him place several potion bottles of different sizes on the countertop. All of the bottles were filled with a bright red liquid just like the potion I had drank earlier.
“Now, I’ve got 5 [Healing Potions - Lesser], 3 [Healing Potions - Greater], and 1 [Healing Potion - Superior],” the shopkeeper said. “[Healing Potions - Lesser] cost 50 gold each, [Healing Potions - Greater] cost 150 gold each, and [Healing Potions - Superior] cost 300 gold each. What would like to buy?”
“I’ll take all 5 of the [Healing Potions - Lesser],” I replied. He nodded and held out his hand. I handed him 250 gold and took the 5 potions. “Thank you very much.”
“Pleasure’s all mine, happy doing business with you,” Wadd said with a grin. He then walked away, going into a back room in the apothecary.
“What a strange place this starter village is,” I said, shaking my head. I then left the shop, having the potions that I needed. I drank one of them right now to restore some more HP, but I was planning on keeping the rest for the future. “Also, while I’m glad I was able to get some healing potions, I only have 80 gold left. Oh well.”
Yawning, I realized how tired I was. Looking around, I saw an inn nearby. Walking inside, I saw that the inside was well lit and clean, which already raised my opinion of it. Approaching the woman behind the counter, she looked up as I got closer.
“Hello, darlin’,” she greeted in a southern accent. “Are you wanting to rent a room or just get some food?”
“Both, please, if possible,” I replied.
“Well, a single meal is 5 gold and a room for the night is 15 gold,” she said.
“Alright, here you go,” I said, placing 20 gold on the counter. She immediately scooped up the coins.
“All rooms are located on the second floor and your room number is 7, which’ll be on the left,” she said, handing me a brass key. “Your meal can be sent to your room, or you can just eat it in the main area.”
“I’ll just eat in the main area,” I replied. “Thank you.”
She nodded and smiled. I walked away and went to the main room, where several tables were set up. There weren’t too many people there, and I couldn’t tell if they were all NPCs or if some of them were Players. Spotting an empty table near the wall, I sat down and waited for my meal. When it was delivered, I immediately began scarfing it down.
Even though this was a virtual world, all of the feelings and sensations here were just as realistic as if I were in the real world. Which meant that the food I was currently eating was just as good as anything in real life. I savored every bite, glad to have a moment to relax. And once I was done eating, I was ready to sleep.
“Alright, let’s head up to my room,” I thought aloud. Walking up the stairs, I entered room 7 and looked around. It was small but comfortable, with a one-person bed, a chair, and a chest of drawers taking up most of the space. Laying down, I fell asleep quickly, exhausted from the day I just had.