Isabelle raised her daggers and took a deep breath, ready to sink them into the kobold Duke’s neck.
[Become Invisible duration remaining: 0:00]
[Current Visibility: 0/300]
[Notice: You’re ready to level up]
Shit, Isabelle’s invisibility ability had expired! Fortunately, her current visibility was still zero. She raised her daggers, and—
Wait a fucking second. Isabelle was ready to level up! She’d have to be crazy to activate combat mode by attacking this kobold Duke right now when it would prevent her from upping all her stats. Then again, had Isabelle actually gotten out of combat mode since she’d snuck away from all the warforged in the lower room of the palace? She wasn’t sure. Then again, would the system be telling her she was ready to level up if she was still in combat mode?
[Clarification: Combat mode deactivated while you were pickpocketing all the rich people. You probably just didn’t notice the system notification because you were so focused on their loot.]
That explanation worked well enough for Isabelle. In response, and also out of necessity, she shrugged.
[Notice: You’ve reached level 20!]
[Notice: You have attribute and skill points to spend]
[Would you like to spend your points now?]
[Y/N]
Isabelle thought yes.
Attribute Points to Spend: 13
Hp:
60
H-Regen:
3/30sec
Mana:
46
M-Regen:
2/40sec
Stm:
41
S-Regen:
0.5/sec
Isabelle wanted more mana. And more stm, actually. She decided to give both mana and stm six points each, leaving one point to add to her hp.
Skill Points to Spend: 13
Str:
33
Int:
30
Dx:
34
Wis:
34
Const:
30
Char:
27
Isabelle wanted more str and dx first of all, they seemed to be big in helping her fight. Maybe four points to each of those would feel like enough. She also wanted to put some more points into her int. Hell, she could put four into her int. That would leave one more point, which could go into Isabelle’s wis.
[Congratulations, you’ve finished leveling up!]
Character Status
Name:
Isabelle
Gender:
Female
Level:
20
Class:
Undefined
Race:
Human
Alignment:
Neutral-Neutral
Attributes
Hp:
61
H-Regen:
3/30sec
Mana:
52
M-Regen:
2/40sec
Stm:
47
S-Regen:
0.5/sec
Skill Points
Str:
37
Int:
34
Dx:
38
Wis:
35
Const:
30
Char:
27
Magic Ability Levels
Enchant:
0
Summon:
2
Heal:
0
Destroy:
7
Transmute:
2
Confuse:
1
Normal Ability Levels
Crafting:
7
Sneak:
6
Archery:
8
Lockpick:
1
Armed Combat:
10
Melee Combat:
4
Speechcraft:
7
Sleight Of Hand:
6
Isabelle smiled, as she almost always did after a good leveling up. It really thrilled her to see that she was finally raising her magic ability numbers. She’s just have to keep going and figure out enchant and healing magic at some point, and then she wouldn’t have an empty value in her whole character sheet. Talk about goals.
[Current Visibility: 0/300]
[Combat Mode Activated]
Wait, what? Combat mode activated? Isabelle hadn’t raised her daggers again since she’d decided to level up before stabbing the Duke, and it wasn’t like he’d noticed her standing behind him.
The palace shook and quaked as something slammed into its side. Delicate ornamental flourishes, like pots and paintings, fell to the floor and shattered. Still, the Duke was obviously far more interesting in smoking, drinking, and watching the warforged swarm around the palace’s ground floor and wave their weapons in the air aimlessly. With this in mind, Isabelle raised her daggers and then swiped them either way across the Duke’s neck from behind him.
[Sneak Attack]
[Critical hit]
[1025 damage dealt]
[565 fire damage dealt]
[Stamina 95%]
Wait. That didn’t kill him?
“I say!” said the Duke. He swung around and gasped upon seeing Isabelle. “The player, trying to assassinate me? Why, how absolutely charming!”
“What the fuck?!” said Isabelle. “How did that not kill you?”
Another deep, loud boom echoed through the palace. The echoes of more elegant amphora shattering rang in the air. Cracks were spreading up the walls.
“My ascot is mithril,” said the Duke. He cleared his throat, dropped his cigarette holder and set his drink on the top of the balcony’s fence. Then, he drew from his hip a long, slender rapier. “En garde!”
Isabelle leapt back as the Duke stabbed his blade forward with a mad cackling.
[Stamina 93%]
“Come on, then, don’t just run!” said the Duke. “I know you’ve got plenty of spunk in you, and I want you to show me some of it.”
Isabelle cringed inwardly. Then, she opened her inventory. There was no way she was going against this Duke’s rapier with two little daggers.
Inventory: Isabelle
Carrying capacity: 164.5/203
Item
Traits
Young Red Dragon Dagger x2
+2 fire damage, +5 damage, +3 stm, +1 dx, +2 carry weight
Young Red Dragon Rapier
+3 fire damage, +6 damage, +1 str, +5 carry weight
Young Red Dragon Glaive
+2 fire damage, +7 damage, +2 str, +6 carry weight
Young Red Dragon Bow
+3 fire damage, +2 damage, +3 dx, +3 carry weight
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Hunter’s Crossbow of Chills (enchanted)
+3 frost damage, +7 damage, +2 dx, +4 carry weight
Arrows of Chills x30 (enchanted)
+2 frost damage, +1 damage
Staff of the Undead
+5 mana, +2 carry weight
Poisoning Dagger x2
+1 poison, +6 damage, +1 sneak level, +1 carry weight
Steel Longsword
+5 str, +5 damage, +8 carry eight
Orcish Longbow
+5 damage, +1 dx, +1.5 carry weight
Abbreviated list based on prior use. Focus to see more items…
That was it? Damn, Isabelle needed to get more weapons. Still, she needed to pick something and get to fighting, the Duke was looking eager and impatient.
[Young Red Dragon Rapier equipped]
[+3 fire damage]
[+6 damage]
[+1 str]
[Stamina 100%]
“Ooh!” said the Duke, licking his scaly lips with glee. “I do love a good sword-fight!”
Isabelle was already regretting her decision. She sprung forward and slashed towards the Duke, but he knocked her every shot asunder with delicate twirls of his blade.
[Attack Parried]
[Attack Parried]
[Attack Parried]
[Stamina 91%]
[Achievement Unlocked: Have one of your attacks parried]
Isabelle rolled her eyes at that achievement.
“You’re not too bad, though I’m not sure how much of your swordplay is skill and how much of it is from your system,” said the kobold Duke.
What a smug prick this guy was. Isabelle lashed out three more times.
[Attack Parried]
[Attack Parried]
[Attack Parried]
[Stamina 86%]
“A valiant effort, player, but I’m afraid you’ve met your match. My turn!” said the Duke. He leapt forward and thrashed Isabelle with his blade so quickly that she could see but a blur.
[-10 hp]
[-11 hp]
[-12 hp]
For fuck’s sake, had the Duke just taken over half of Isabelle’s hp in three slashes? This was ridiculous! She wasn’t about to waste another minute trying to fight him with a rapier. Isabelle opened her inventory.
Inventory: Isabelle
Carrying capacity: 164.5/203
Item
Traits
Staff of Paralyzation
+5 mana, +4 carry weight
Hunter’s Crossbow of Chills (enchanted)
+3 frost damage, +7 damage, +2 dx, +4 carry weight
Arrows of Chills x30 (enchanted)
+2 frost damage, +1 damage
Necromancer Robes
+10 mana, +3 confuse, +3 enchant, +1 destroy, +4 carry weight
Ring of Improved Destroy
+3 destroy
Staff of the Undead
+5 mana, +2 carry weight
Amulet of Lesser Confusion
+3 confuse
Ring of Increased Mana
+5 mana
Abbreviated list based on prior use. Focus to see more items…
Shit. Looking at her inventory, Isabelle had an idea that was even better than what she’d originally intended to do.
[Necromancer Robes equipped]
[+10 mana]
[+3 confuse]
[+3 enchant]
[+1 destroy]
[Ring of Improved Destroy equipped]
[+3 destroy]
[Ring of Increased Mana equipped]
[+5 mana]
[Staff of Paralyzation equipped]
[+5 mana]
Perfect.
“Wow!” said the kobold Duke. “Your system fascinates and intrigues me! I can’t wait to become a part of the Overlord’s party and get access to a system myself after I feed your powers to him!”
The Duke lunged forward, ready to attack Isabelle again, but she only raised her staff and thought, ‘Cast Paralyze.’
[Mana 92%]
A plume of green light shot out of the staff and enveloped the Duke. His face froze as green light glowed around his silhouette and his body went limp. He fell face-first into the floor.
[Achievement Unlocked: Paralyze someone]
“Fuck you, you fucking douchebag,” said Isabelle. Then, she raised her left hand, opened her palm, and thought ‘Cast Flame Blast.’
[Mana 87%]
[1055 damage dealt]
[754 fire damage dealt]
Isabelle smiled as she watched the flames shoot out of her hand and unfurl over the Duke’s frozen body. She walked closer to him, watching on as his body continued to burn.
[603 fire damage dealt]
How was this fucking guy still alive? Isabelle raised her left hand again and thought, ‘Cast Flame Blast,’ but this time she focused on powering up her spell with a whole lot of mana.
[Mana 22%]
[4425 damage dealt]
[2145 fire damage dealt]
Holy shit. For a second there, the flames shooting out of Isabelle’s hand rivaled the inferno that the young red dragon had let out of its jaws before she slayed it. Isabelle watched as the Duke’s body melted away to ashen dust.
[‘Duke of Cloud Reach’ is dead]
[Achievement Unlocked: Incinerate someone]
[Destroy increased to level 8]
Incinerate someone? Well, that was a pretty cool achievement. Only, wait a second. Could Isabelle still loot the Duke, even though he was incinerated? She focused on the ashen pile of dust that was his remains.
[Loot ‘Duke of Cloud Reach’?]
Isabelle thought yes.
Inventory: Duke of Cloud Reach
Item
Traits
Kobold Ashes x3
+2 hp, +4 carry weight
Mithril Ascot
+15 str, +10 const, +0.5 carry weight
Melted Pile of Gold
n/a
Huh. So, she could kind of loot him, but Isabelle had a feeling that if she hadn’t completely burned the Duke he might have had more in his inventory. Also, Isabelle was a little taken aback by the fact that the kobold’s ashes would grant her two hp per item. She figured she ought to take those. It wasn’t like Tahsi would see her inventory or anything. Isabelle didn’t know how the melted pile of gold would work out, but surely even melted gold was worth something. Hell, it was probably still worth quite a lot.
Inventory: Duke of Cloud Reach
Item
Traits
n/a
n/a
Yet another rumble shook the palace. It was like something giant and deadly was outside, ramming itself into the palace’s walls in a bid to get inside.
[-17 hp]
Isabelle gasped and spun around as her heart stung from the pain of damage. There were four warforged behind her, and one had hit her in the head with a spiked mace! Normally, it probably wouldn’t have done so much damage, but since she was sneak attacked and in her necromancer’s robes instead of real armor it had hit Isabelle pretty hard. She was even feeling a little woozy, which meant she couldn’t have too much hp left. Frantic, Isabelle raised her staff and thought ‘Cast Paralyze.’
[Mana 20%]
Green light shot out of the staff. However, when it coiled around the warforged’s metal form, it quickly fizzled into nothing.
[‘Warforged’ resisted paralyze]
“Fucking shit,” Isabelle said.
The warforged stepped forward, swinging its mace at her face.
[-4 hp]
Isabelle staggered back a little from the hit. Sure, it was shitty, but at least losing 4 hp was manageable. Isabelle raised her hand and thought, ‘Cast Shoot Lightning.’
[Mana 14%]
Lightning crackled out of her hand and rattled around the body of the warforged confronting her, and then around the bodies of the three other warforged behind them.
[1025 damage dealt]
[2213 damage dealt]
[1534 damage dealt]
[1926 damage dealt]
[985 electrocution damage dealt]
[1023 electrocution damage dealt]
[875 electrocution damage dealt]
[927 electrocution damage dealt]
[‘Warforged’ is stunned]
[‘Warforged’ is stunned]
[‘Warforged’ is stunned]
[‘Warforged’ is stunned]
Wow, that was super impressive. Isabelle was starting to wish she hadn’t spent all her mana up on incinerating the Duke, but at least she knew now. She figured now was a good time to try and do a lot of damage to these warforged, but Isabelle didn’t want to use up the rest of her mana just yet. So, she opened her inventory.
Inventory: Isabelle
Carrying capacity: 169/203
Item
Traits
Ruby Studded Pocket Knife
+1 stealth, +3 sneak, +0.5 carry weight
Sleek Young Red Dragon Armor (human)
+3 fire resist, +7 hp, +12 str, +13 carry weight
Young Red Dragon Boots
+2 fire resist, +4 stm, +4 dx, +2 str, +7 carry weight
Young Red Dragon Gauntlets
+2 fire resist, +5 damage, +5 stm, +5 dx, +4 carry weight
Young Red Dragon Cloak
+5 fire resist, +3 char, +3 stm, +5 carry weight
Young Red Dragon Dagger x2
+2 fire damage, +5 damage, +3 stm, +1 dx, +2 carry weight
Young Red Dragon Rapier
+3 fire damage, +6 damage, +1 str, +5 carry weight
Young Red Dragon Glaive
+2 fire damage, +7 damage, +2 str, +6 carry weight
Young Red Dragon Bow
+3 fire damage, +2 damage, +3 dx, +3 carry weight
Hunter’s Crossbow of Chills (enchanted)
+3 frost damage, +7 damage, +2 dx, +4 carry weight
Arrows of Chills x30 (enchanted)
+2 frost damage, +1 damage
Poisoning Dagger x2
+1 poison, +6 damage, +1 sneak level, +1 carry weight
Steel Longsword
+5 str, +5 damage, +8 carry eight
Orcish Longbow
+5 damage, +1 dx, +1.5 carry weight
Abbreviated list based on prior use. Focus to see more items…
Oh, that was a good idea. Isabelle could equip all her fighting items now so that her weapons did extra damage.
[Sleek Young Red Dragon Armor (human) equipped]
[+3 fire resist]
[+7 hp]
[+12 str]
[Young Red Dragon Boots equipped]
[+2 fire resist]
[+4 stm]
[+4 dx]
[+2 str]
[Young Red Dragon Gauntlets equipped]
[+2 fire resist]
[+5 damage]
[+5 stm]
[+5 dx]
[Young Red Dragon Cloak equipped]
[+5 fire resist]
[+3 char]
[+3 stm]
Now Isabelle had to pick a weapon, and fast. She wasn’t sure how long the warforged would stay stunned for. Since there were so many of them, Isabelle figured the glaive would be the best move.
[Young Red Dragon Glaive equipped]
[+2 fire damage]
[+7 damage]
[+2 str]
Isabelle rushed forward, swiping her glaive through the air and slashing at the four stunned warforged.
[1045 damage dealt]
[2001 damage dealt]
[1945 damage dealt]
[1765 damage dealt]
[205 fire damage dealt]
[199 fire damage dealt]
[187 fire damage dealt]
[202 fire damage dealt]
[Stamina 93%]
Great. Isabelle raised her glaive and slashed at the warforged again, this time starting from the other side.
[Critical hit]
The glaive sliced the head of the closest warforged to Isabelle clean off, sending it soaring through the air and over the side of the balcony.
[5236 damage dealt]
[804 fire damage dealt]
[‘Warforged’ is dead]
That didn’t stop the glaive from striking the other three warforged, but it did end up doing a little less damage to them.
[985 damage dealt]
[1045 damage dealt]
[894 damage dealt]
[98 fire damage dealt]
[88 fire damage dealt]
[91 fire damage dealt]
[92 fire damage dealt]
[Stamina 87%]
Nice. These warforged wouldn’t take much longer for her to kill, and they were still standing there stunned. Easy targets. Isabelle raised her glaive to about shoulder height and stabbed it through the chest of a warforged to the far left.
[Critical hit]
[4232 damage dealt]
[985 fire damage dealt]
Isabelle yanked her glaive out of the warforged’s chest. Shimmering brown oil and small gears spurted out in its place.
[‘Warforged’ is dead]
[Stamina 83%]
Fuck. That was satisfying as hell, but it wasn’t efficient as far as stamina use went. Isabelle needed to try and kill these last two stunned warforged in one swoop. She prepared her glaive, starting at the floor, and slashed up diagonally across both of the enemies’ necks.
[Critical hit]
[6002 damage dealt]
[1210 fire damage dealt]
[‘Warforged’ is dead]
[Critical hit]
[5989 damage dealt]
[1197 fire damage dealt]
[‘Warforged’ is dead]
[Stamina 78%]
[Achievement unlocked: Behead two enemies in one hit]
[Achievement unlocked: Mercilessly slaughter a bunch of stunned enemies]
[Armed combat increased to 11]
Hell yes. Isabelle felt just awesome watching the oil and gears spurt off the stumps where the warforged’s heads had been.
“You bitch! You absolute fucking bitch!!” said the voice of a kobold. Up the stairs and onto the balcony ran the Duchess of Cloud Reach. She was holding a long, powerful warhammer that looked twice the size of her own frail figure. She was clad in some sort of glowing black armor that looked almost magical. Enchanted, perhaps, Isabelle thought to herself.
[Clarification: Yes, the armor is enchanted.]
Isabelle rolled her eyes. The system really seemed all to eager to answer any of her questions.
“You killed my husband, you monster!” screamed the scaly, sharp-toothed kobold. Her red, reptilian eyes watered with tears. “That man was the best diplomat, the best artist, the best debater, the best entertainer, and the damned best lay in this whole fucking township! Yes, that’s right, I said it, township!”
Isabelle couldn’t help but laugh. She’d really been surprised that the Duke was married at all, much less that he was apparently the ‘best lay’ in Cloud Reach.
“What’s that? Why’re you laughing? What’s so funny?!” asked the Duchess. She raised her warhammer threateningly. “You must be laughing in fear. In fear of what I’m going to do to you!”
Isabelle rolled her eyes and opened her inventory.
Inventory: Isabelle
Carrying capacity: 169/203
Item
Traits
Young Red Dragon Rapier
+3 fire damage, +6 damage, +1 str, +5 carry weight
Abbreviated list based on prior use. Focus to see more items…
Perfect.
[Young Red Dragon Rapier equipped]
[+3 fire damage]
[+6 damage]
[+1 str]
“What the fuck? How’d you change your weapon like that?” asked the Duchess.
Isabelle dashed forward and stabbed at the Duchess’ gut.
[Attack resisted]
[Young Red Dragon Rapier is broken]
Isabelle gasped as her blade shattered to bits in her hand. What bullshit. When would she get a chance to craft a weapon out of part of a dragon again?
“Nice try, hon,” said the Duchess. “But the Duke would never let his wife be in any sort of real danger. At least, not in danger from someone as comparatively weak as you. Sure, yes, you’re strong, hon, I’ll give you that. And undoubtedly that comes with being a player. Yes, you’ve slayed a giant, and a dragon, of course you’re strong. But this armor of mine is special. It’s resistant to melee and armed combat attacks, and you’ve got to have a really, really high level to penetrate it by any means other than well-developed destroy magic. I say well-developed because, well, it’s resistant to that, too! Really, unless you’ve got some sort of super powerful ice-based attack, I just can’t imagine you’ll ever manage to do any sort of damage to—”
Isabelle didn’t wait to hear anything else. She raised both her hands.
Before Isabelle could even think the words ‘Cast Ice Blast,’ the palace shook with such force and gusto that Isabelle was yanked to the balcony floor. She looked up as the ceiling shattered to bits, revealing a dark, smoky sky and the enormous, icy blue head of an incredibly terrifying dragon.
“What in the fuck was that?” asked the Duchess.
Isabelle shivered. Not because she was scared, even though she was scared, but because the dragon’s presence seemed to suck all the warmth and heat away from Isabelle’s body and out of the air itself.
“Oh my gods, it’s so cold! What’d you do, player?” asked the Duchess.
Isabelle’s teeth chattered. She pointed up at the enormous dragon head sticking through the ceiling of the palace.
“Nice try, but I won’t turn my back on you, player,” said the Duchess. “I’m not stupid enough to turn my back on a dangerous enemy.”
The dragon’s head snapped forward and chomped down on the Duchess, yanking her forward, into the air and then into the dragon’s icy maw. The duchess screamed as the dragon chomped her once, twice, three times, and then swallowed.
[‘Duchess of Cloud Reach’ is dead]
Murmurs of shock and fear echoed throughout the palace.
“Holy shit, Isabelle!” said Tahsi from down on the ground floor of the palace. “It’s another dragon! Who would’ve guessed it?”
The dragon looked at Isabelle and snorted out of its nostrils, battering her with a chilling breeze. This was going to be tricky.