Isabelle sat in the dark, wooden enclosure with her arms bound behind her back and her legs in shackles as the two kobolds peered in at her from the open doorway. She was locked in combat mode, and yet she couldn’t really leap to action while she was bound in this fashion.
“Nice to finally have you awake,” said the kobold with an eye patch.
“Yes, very nice,” said the kobold with a large, shimmering lip piercing. “We were worried you were going to meditate your whole life away.”
“My whole life away?” asked Isabelle. She felt her heart beat with stress. “How long was I meditating for?”
“Oh, just half a week or so,” said the kobold with an eye patch. “It’s no big deal. It was more than plenty of time for us to empty out your inventory, though. You had some pretty sweet stuff in there, I’ll admit it.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” asked Isabelle. “Like, are you actually fucking kidding me?”
“No,” said the kobold with the lip piercing. “He’s not kidding you. Are you, Zig?” “No, Zag,” said the kobold with the eye patch. “I’m really not kidding.”
Were these two jerks really named Zig and Zag? What a shitshow. Isabelle opened her inventory. There had to be something in there!
Inventory: Isabelle
Carrying capacity: 3/320
Item
Traits
Peasant robes (human)
+3 carry weight
“Fuck me,” said Isabelle. She looked down at herself in the light of day shining through the open door and noticed that yes, she was wearing peasant robes instead of her powerful adult golden dragon armor.
“Ew, no thanks,” said Zig, the kobold with the eye patch. “We’re not really into humans. No offense, it’s just kind of icky.”
“Ugh! That’s not what I meant!” said Isabelle. Then, she had a thought. “So, it’s daylight out there, right?” she asked.
“Um, yes,” said Zag, the kobold with the lip piercing. “But I fail to see how that’s relevant to the current situation.”
“Your int and wis must both be pretty low, then,” said Isabelle. After all, by now it was common knowledge to her that kobolds were much weaker in the day than in the night, partially due to the sunlight and partially due to the fact that kobolds were a nocturnal species and if the sun was up then it was past their bedtime. She thought, ‘Cast Ice Blast,’ focusing with her vision so that the ice would shoot from her eyes instead of from her fingers.
[Mana 95%]
However, as ice beamed out of Isabelle’s eyes, she noticed it only hit an area around the kobolds and then dissolved immediately.
[Spell blocked]
“Heh heh heh,” said Zig, adjusting his eye patch. “Nice try, player.”
“Yea,” said Zag, licking his lip ring. “You should’ve known we would cast anti-magic fields around ourselves before coming to talk to you. No mage of shadows is going to be fucking up our day, that’s for sure.”
“I’m not the mage of shadows!” said Isabelle.
“How do you know?” asked Zig. “Super powerful magic user? Check. New player? Check. Chaos wherever you go, including apparently dragons of all fucking things? Check. Toppling royalty single handedly? Case in point, the Overlord. Really, Isabelle, at this point I’d be shocked if anyone in Beaubinte didn’t consider you the mage of shadows.”
“Yea, Isabelle,” said Zag. “Hell. Why don’t you just look at your reputation menu? You do know how to do that, don’t you?”
“Of course I know how to check my damned reputation screen!” said Isabelle.
“Well then, mage of shadows—” said Zig, “—why don’t you?”
Isabelle scowled as she thought, ‘Check Reputation.’
Reputation: Isabelle the ‘Mage of Shadows’
Overall Reputation Score:
4206912 (+420001 since last check)
Overall Reputation Description:
Everyone knows, or at least thinks they know, that you’re the Mage of Shadows. The prophecy and the events of your reincarnation have all members of Beaubinte convinced. Your name has been spread throughout the land as an evil ursurper, even to lands that the Overlord himself had not yet touched with his malice.
Focus to see reputation for specific locale(s)…
“Oh my god,” said Isabelle. “This is fucking horrible.”
“Oh your god?” asked Zig. “And which god would that be again, mage of shadows?”
“Don’t tease her, Zig,” said Zag. “Clearly she’s referring to the Lord of the Flaming Bag of Dog Turds Thrown At The Front Door of a Homestead.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” asked Isabelle. “Also, seriously, this is bullshit. I just saved everyone from the Overlord! I defeated him and made him look like a total fool!”
“You also destroyed the ruling class and about fourty percent of all metropolitan structures in a thriving township,” said Zig.
“That was the dragons’ fault!” said Isabelle.
“Typical mage of shadows,” said Zag. “Always playing the victim.”
“The victim?” asked Isabelle. “But I’m a fucking dragonslayer!”
“Even dragons aren’t free from her abuse,” said Zig, shaking his head.
“I slayed all the dragons that were destroying Thres!” said Isabelle.
“All the dragons?” asked Zag. “What about a certain young frost dragon? Frimri, I think it was called? I seem to remember that dragon not being slain.”
“That’s different!” said Isabelle. “Because Tahsi—”
“Oh, and there it is,” said Zig. “So the real reason she didn’t kill the young frost dragon and she did kill the other dragons was because of one of her friends. The truth comes out at last.”
“Yes,” said Zag. “Might I say, miss mage of shadows, cronyism is not a good look on you.”
“Cronyism?!” said Isabelle.
“Yes, cronyism,” said Zig. “Generally, it refers to favoring the whims of your friends. Usually it’s specifically talking about putting friends in positions of power, but I think it also aptly describes the situation we’re referring to currently where you conveniently didn’t slay the dragon that one of your close party members had… close relations with.”
Zag shivered. “Truly, a disgusting thing.”
“Yes—” said Zig, “—disgusting.”
“I fucking hate you two,” said Isabelle.
“Well, that’s quite a rude thing to say,” said Zig.
“Yes, terribly rude,” said Zag.
“Though, quite fitting for a mage of shadows,” said Zig thoughtfully.
“I have to agree with you there, Zig,” said Zag. “That was some very mage of shadows adjacent behavior. Exactly the kind of rudeness and evilness and spite you’d expect.”
“Oh, yes, indeed, very much so,” said Zig.
“I’m glad we’re so in agreeance on this,” said Zag.
“Me too,” said Zig.
“It would be pretty awkward if one of us didn’t agree,” said Zag.
“Yes, you’re right there,” said Zig. “But as we are now, we can keep bouncing off these ideas between one another, and there’s little the mage of shadows can do about it! What fun.”
“Indeed, what fun indeed,” said Zag. “I am absolutely tickled pink about this situation. There’s simply nothing she can do.”
Isabelle would see about that. Wasn’t her mana recharged by now?
[Mana 100%]
Yes, it was. Perfect. Isabelle thought, ‘Cast Ring of Fire.’
[Mana 97%]
A large ring of fire surrounded Isabelle.
“Ooh! Spooky!” said Zig.
“She must’ve forgotten that we’ve got anti-magic fields around us,” said Zag.
But Isabelle hadn’t forgotten. Her int and wis were way too high to forget something so advantageous like that. Instead, she’d just gotten an idea. Since the ring of fire was generally opaque, she was now somewhat hidden from the two malicious kobolds. Also, Isabelle noted that the wooden enclosure she was inside was starting to singe and catch fire. This was advantageous, though it was also risky since Isabelle didn’t have her dragon armor that would’ve given her a high fire resistance. After all, there was now way that anti-magic fields could also function as anti-fire fields.
Still, Isabelle couldn’t get all caught up in her own genius, time was of the essence and she needed to act fast. So, Isabelle thought, ‘Cast Draw Flame,’ concentrating on casting the spell while also keeping her ring of fire activated.
[Mana 86%]
Now, of course, her mana would drain twice as fast with both of these spells activated. Still, Isabelle could feel her hands light on fire with magic power. Thankfully, while her legs were in iron chains her arms were only bound in rope, so the rope quickly ignited and burned off her flaming appendages. Now that Isabelle’s hands were free, it was time for the next part of her plan. She lowered her hands to point at the shackles around her legs, concentrating mainly on the stress point in the floor of her captive container where the shackles were bolted down, and thought, ‘Cast Ice Blast.’
[Mana 72%]
Ice sprayed out of her hands and battered over the shackle bolts, quickly covering them in a block of ice. Then, it was time for the last bit. Isabelle was going to try to shock the bolts into breaking with a change of temperature. She thought, ‘Cast Flame Blast.’
[Mana 58%]
Fire shot from her hands and engulfed the frozen bolts. Quickly the ice crackled and melted away, and then the bolts glowed red. Then, with three loud snaps, Isabelle was able to yank her legs free of bondage, though the chains still rattled loosely around from her ankles.
“What’s she doing?!” said Zig.
“I don’t know, but fuck! There’s fucking fire everywhere!” said Zag.
“Shit!” said Zig. “I’m allergic to fire!”
Isabelle chuckled under her breath. These goons were no match for her, even unarmed. Especially considering she had something up her sleeve that she knew their anti-magic fields couldn’t protect them from. Isabelle opened her mouth thought, ‘Use Burst of Water.’
[Stamina 85%]
A torrent of water shot out like a geyser from Isabelle’s throat.
“Ah! Fuck!” said Zig.
“Water! All over my face!” said Zag.
[205 damage dealt]
[309 damage dealt]
Isabelle watched steam pour through the air like soup as the fire in front of her sizzled out. Of course, she was still surrounded in her own protective ring of fire, but Isabelle was no longer trapped by the flames of the burning wooden enclosure that could’ve done her damage. She walked through the steam and out into the sunny daylight, feeling proud.
“What the fuck was that?” asked Zig.
Isabelle looked to see the two kobolds clambering to their feet, spitting water out of their mouths and rasping. They were drenched and dripping, and looked fairly startled.
“Yea!” said Zag. “What the hell did you do? How the fuck did you hurt us with that? We’ve got anti-magic fields!”
“Anti-magic, anti-shmagic,” said Isabelle. “I’ve got breath weapons, bitches.”
“Sorry, what?” said Zig.
“Yea, no fucking clue what you’re talking about,” said Zag.
“Allow me to demonstrate,” said Isabelle. She walked up to the two flabbergasted kobolds, getting very close to them. Then, she knelt down, looked up at them, and opened her mouth.
“Hey!” said Zig. “We said we weren’t into that kinda stuff.”
“Yea, really,” said Zag. “Not that, like, you’re bad looking or anything, of course. Because really you’re pretty attractive, especially considering the fact that you’re a human and all. But we’re just not really—”
Before the kobold could continue to blather on, Isabelle thought, ‘Use Gust of Wind.’
[Stamina 78%]
A large gust of wind burled up in Isabelle’s chest and then fired out of her jaws, sending both Zig and Zag shooting high into the air in a startling split second burst of power.
“AAAAAAGH!” said Zig.
“EEEEEEEEK!” said Zag.
Isabelle stood up and watched as the kobolds soared higher and higher into the air, and then fell lower, lower, and lower. They were falling right down to where they’d come from! Isabelle dashed backwards in order to stay out of their trajectory.
[Stamina 75%]
The two kobolds screamed as they tumbled to the ground, smashing into it.
[Critical hit]
[Critical hit]
Both of their bodies went limp on impact. Isabelle could hear their limbs snap as blood splattered. They jostled around on the ground for a little as the excvess force of the fall shook their forms.
[6029 damage dealt]
[6002 damage dealt]
[‘Zig’ is dead]
[‘Zag’ is dead]
Isabelle smiled. Clearly, even in the worst of situations, her ability to use what she had to her advantage always seemed to shine through.
[Combat mode deactivated]
About damn time combat mode deactivated.
[Achievement unlocked: meditate for multiple days]
[Achievement unlocked: talk to a spirit while meditating]
[Achievement unlocked: talk to a dragon soul]
[Achievement unlocked: complete your tutorial]
[Achievement unlocked: activate system key]
[Achievement unlocked: install packages in system key]
[Achievement unlocked: use magic script]
[Achievement unlocked: run a magic script]
[Achievement unlocked: get an error code in system key]
[Achievement unlocked: get an error code while running a magic script]
[Achievement unlocked: run a magic script without getting an error code]
[Achievement unlocked: insult a dragon]
[Achievement unlocked: use speechcraft against a dragon]
[Achievement unlocked: open your class selection menu]
[Achievement unlocked: permanently close your class selection menu]
[Achievement unlocked: change how you view your character sheet]
[Notice: you’re ready to level up]
Hey! About damn time Isabelle got to level up. She’d been through enough shit at this point. After all, she’d apparently been kidnapped and taken to god knew where. Then again, Isabelle could probably find out more by looting these two dead kobolds.
[Notice: you’re ready to level up]
No, looting would have to wait. Isabelle wanted to level up, damn it!
[Lugano -5 hp]
[Lugano is taking fire damage]
What? Lugano, Isabelle’s beautiful, perfect horse was here? And he was taking damage? Isabelle looked around to see the out”side of the wooden enclosure that the kobolds had been carrying her with. It was a dingy little carriage that was of course now engulfed in flames, and fastened at the front of that carriage was none other than Lugano, that most beautiful of equine specimens, and he was glowing red from damage!
[Lugano -3 hp]
“Lugano!” said Isabelle with a quiver in her voice. She leapt towards her horse friend, taking action immediately.
[Stamina 85%]
Isabelle had to act fast. She opened her mouth and thought, ‘Use Burst of Water.’
[Stamina 73%]
Water sprayed out of her mouth with a powerful force, putting out the flames covering the carriage and at the same time dousing out Lugano and his own damage.
“Oh, Lugano, I’m so glad you’re okay,” said Isabelle. She almost ran to embrace his muscly form, but thought better of it when Isabelle realized that her ring of fire was still activated, so she concentrated on deactivating it until it faded away, and then she ran over and embraced the horse. “Also, Lugano, what the hell were you doing carting me around as a prisoner?”
The horse snorted in a dubious, noncommittal fashion.
[Clarification: Horses only attack with and for you when you are engaged in combat mode. You were in a meditative state when the kobolds kidnapped you. As a result, your horse was unable to act, as it could not enter combat mode, and instead its only real option was to obey them.]
Well then. Apparently horses just got their actions excused through the system itself. Isabelle figured it was a good enough excuse, too, and she was quite glad to see Lugano alive and well anyway, so she didn’t belabor the point.
[Notice: you’re ready to level up]
Isabelle looked around. She wanted to take stock of what exactly was going on around her before she leveled up. All of the fires had been put out, so that was good. The two dead kobolds seemed to be her only enemies. She was on a long, dirt road that stretched far into the sunny horizon, and was surrounded on both sides by lush, green plains. Isabelle watched the light wind blow each indiviudal blade of grass through the air, and it was quite beautiful.
“Where the fuck even am I?” Isabele asked Lugano, as if he could actually answer.
Lugano snorted and kicked up some dirt in response.
“Fair enough,” said Isabelle. Then, a thought struck her. What had happened to the severed head of Stelas Stelford, who was always threatening to come kill her but yet could not because he was so over encumbered with her own loot?
[Notice: you’re ready to level up]
Isabelle would have to find out soon, but maybe it was worth leveling up first. Just to have her bases covered and make sure that she didn’t leave any points on the table before she ran into another combat encounter, which would surely be sooner rather than later if past experience was any indication. So, Isabelle shrugged.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Nothing happened.
Oh, that was right. She’d changed how she opened her character sheet in the tutorial. Isabelle thought, ‘Open Character Sheet.’
[Notice: You’ve reached level 32!]
[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: 22
Hp:
347
H-Regen:
3/30sec
Mana:
131
M-Regen:
2/40sec
Stm:
126
S-Regen:
0.5/sec
Twenty two points to spend? Now that was pretty nice. Isabelle put ten to mana, ten to stm, and two to hp.
Skill Points
Str:
85
Int:
60
Dx:
80
Wis:
53
Const:
52
Char:
45
This was always the tricky part. How would Isabelle know which points to spend where? It always required a little more thought. First, she decided she’d add two to her char, because if she didn’t have any weapons Isabelle would need to be a little more charismatic, but she also didn’t want to spend all of her points on something that in actuality she so rarely used. That left twenty more points to spend. Isabelle figured seven could go to wis, and three could go to const. That left her ten more points. Isabelle figured she’d split them between str and dx, adding five to each.
[Congratulations, you’ve finished leveling up!]
Character Status
Name:
Isabelle
Gender:
Female
Level:
32
Class:
Undefined
Race:
Human
Alignment:
Neutral-Neutral
Attributes
Hp:
349
H-Regen:
3/30sec
Mana:
141
M-Regen:
2/40sec
Stm:
136
S-Regen:
0.5/sec
Skill Points
Str:
90
Int:
60
Dx:
85
Wis:
60
Const:
55
Char:
47
Magic Ability Levels
Enchant:
3
Summon:
2
Heal:
3
Destroy:
13
Transmute:
2
Confuse:
3
Normal Ability Levels
Crafting:
8
Sneak:
12
Archery:
11
Lockpick:
3
Armed Combat:
16
Melee Combat:
4
Speechcraft:
12
Sleight Of Hand:
6
Nice.
“Well, well, well. Look who we have here!” said an unexpected, yet familiar voice.
Isabelle turned around to see a tall, slender elf. It was the con man who’d pretended to be the Prince of Sharithlond! Worse still, he was wearing some formidable looking armor of a dubioud origin, and was holding a long saber that dripped with poison. Still, combat mode was not activated.
“Fancy seeing you here, mage of shadows,” said the false prince. “What finds you on the road to Chox?”