After doing his best to pat his hair down (and failing miserably) Jack decided to take a tour of his new home.
He set off through the woods. As he walked, he observed a number of odd phenomena. What really stood out to him was the variety of flora and fauna around him. Vibrant flowers with petals that seemed to glow in various colors, trees with leaves that rustled in the breeze without any apparent wind, and small creatures scurrying about, each with its own unique features.
Jack used Identify on everything he saw. It was the only Skill he could actively use, and he intended to get the most out of it. After several hours of walking and using the Skill, he was pleasantly surprised by a notification.
[Congratulations! Identify has gained a level]
So, Skills levelled up with use. Jack had suspected as much but it was nice to have confirmation. He resolved to keep using Identify as often as possible. After all, knowledge was power, and power was something Jack was very interested in.
After a few more minutes of walking Jack began to feel thirsty. Right, he thought, my first priority should be to find a source of water. He remembered his uncle telling him how water collected at lower elevations. Noticing that the ground to his left seemed to slope downward slightly, he set off in that direction.
After about 20 minutes of walking, he began to feel tired. Sitting down, he rested his weary legs and propped up his back against a sturdy oak. For a time merely closed his eyes and rested.
He wished he could have stayed there longer but his thirst compelled him to keep moving.
Standing up, he noticed a branch of the oak tree within range. It took a minute, but he managed to snap off the branch. Grinning, he Identified his new walking stick.
[Walking Stick
Rarity: Common
Quality: Poor
Durability: 20/20
Material: Oak
Effect: Provides slight stability and can be used as a basic weapon if needed.]
Jacks smile grew wider. Now he had a walking stick and a weapon.
The stick made the trek easier and Jacks legs were thankful for the reprieve. As he walked, he kept using the Identify skill on every tree and plant he came across. His decision to do this was vindicated when he made two important discoveries. The first was when he Identified a plant with luminescent leaves.
[Edible Glowleaf
Rarity: Uncommon
Nutritional Value: Moderate
Habitat: Forest
Uses: Provides a temporary boost to energy and enhances focus. Can also be crushed to create a glowing substance that illuminates the area for a short duration]
Jack extracted a few of the plants and eagerly chomped down on them. The taste was a bit odd-a strange but not unpleasant combination of sweetness and a subtle tanginess, reminiscent of a mix between berries and mint. The flavor danced on his taste buds, leaving a refreshing sensation in its wake.
Jack made sure to harvest only some of the glowing plants to eat now, leaving the rest to grow freely. This plant could prove very valuable to him once night fell. Jack marked down the location in the mental map he was creating of the forest. It was a bit rough, but he had always had a good memory and thought he should be able to find his way back to this spot.
The second discovery came soon on the heels of the first. Jack saw a profusion of blooming flowers of a brilliant sapphire hue.
[Aquifer Bloom
Rarity: Scarce
Nutritional Value: None
Habitat: Near water sources
Uses: Indicates the presence of clean water; petals can be used to create a healing solution.]
Clearly, he was on the right path. Heartened, he followed the direction indicated by the concentration of the blooms.
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Moments later he was staring at a glorious sight. A pristine pool of water stretched out before him, the glinting sun turning it into a shining oasis. His first instinct was to rush to it and start gulping down water like there was no tomorrow. However, he was wary of potential contaminants. Frowning, he identified the pool.
[Pool of Purity
Rarity: Rare
Quality: Pure
Properties: Constant purification effect; contains no harmful contaminants
Uses: Provides clean and refreshing drinking water; enhances the effectiveness of healing solutions
Description: This pool is under a constant purification effect. Its water will always be safe to drink from. Any contaminants put in the pool will swiftly be purged.
]
[Congratulations! Identify has gained a level]
Jack's concerns alleviated, he knelt down and cupped his hands, taking a cautious sip. The water was cool, refreshing, and tasted pure. Satisfied that it posed no harm, he quenched his thirst, drinking deeply from the Pool of Purity.
His thirst dealt with, Jack stood up and started walking along the bank of the pool, trying to see if it contained any fish. If it did, they could be a welcome source of protein.
Soon, he spotted movement in the center of the pool. He watched as a tusked head broke the surface. It turned, fixing beady little eyes on Jack, and began swimming towards him. As it came into shallower waters Jack saw more of its body revealed.
It looked like some kind of aquatic boar, with shimmering blue scales where a normal boar would have fur.
As it came out of the water Jack noticed what looked like webbed hooves- which made no sense to him.
He identified the bizarre-looking creature.
[Juvenile Waterborne Tuskbeast
Rarity: Scarce
Level: 4
Health: 290/290
Mana: 60/60
Skills: Goring Charge, Icy Tusks
Abilities: N/A
Description: A semi-aquatic creature with a tendency to charge its foes and gore them with its tusks. Possesses Icy Tusks, allowing it to enhance its attacks with water-based effects.
]
Jack looked over the beast as it came closer, its angry eyes staring at him menacingly. He had just enough time to realize what it intended before the beast charged straight at him, tusks glinting with an icy blue light.
Jack was thankful for his points in Agility as he just barely managed to dodge and roll out of the way. It wasn’t very graceful, but it saved his life. Fortunately, the Tuskbeast wasn’t very fast. Jacks mind went into overdrive, adrenaline pumping through him. He couldn’t fight this beast head on. It would gore him to death, assuming he didn’t freeze to death from whatever Icy Tusks did.
An idea came to him then. A crazy, stupid idea. But when faced with an angry monster that was bigger, stronger, and higher levelled than him, Jack didn’t exactly have a lot of great options.
The beast turned, readying itself for another charge. Jack planted his feet, readying himself. He had to time this next bit exactly right.
As the beast came closer and closer, Jack clutched his walking stick in left hand. When those tusks were just about to skewer him like shish-kebob, Jack dove left. As he did so, he reached out with his right hand and grabbed the monster’s tusk, using it to swing himself onto its back. It was an insane idea that shouldn’t have worked.
Jacks previous body was not strong or fast enough to pull this enough. Even if it had been, Jacks old body didn’t have quite the coordination needed to perform this feat.
It was his new Direborn body that made it possible. Those extra points in Strength, Agility and Dexterity had made what was formerly impossible, quite possible.
Securing his grip on the monster by tightening his legs on it back, Jack gripped his walking stick and began hitting the Tuskbeast on the head. Notifications flashed in his vision.
[You have inflicted 5 Blunt damage on Juvenile Waterborne Tuskbeast]
[You have inflicted 3 Blunt damage on Juvenile Waterborne Tuskbeast]
[You have inflicted 5 Blunt damage on Juvenile Waterborne Tuskbeast]
[You have inflicted 2 Blunt damage on Juvenile Waterborne Tuskbeast]
The notifications were distracting, and Jack thought Minimize. It was the first thought that came to him, and he had no idea if it would work. Thankfully it did work, and the notifications were relegated to the corner of his vision. He could still glance at them to keep track of how much damage he was doing but they weren’t obscuring his whole field of vision the way that they were before.
This whole time the Tuskbeast had been thrashing around in an attempt to get the annoying intruder off its back. Jack tightened his grip on the walking stick and braced himself as the Tuskbeast continued its frenzied attempts to dislodge him. He knew he had to end this quickly; otherwise, he risked being thrown off and facing the creature head-on.
Channeling the newfound strength of his Direborn body, Jack focused on the Tuskbeast's neck. He aimed his strikes strategically, trying to weaken the creature's resistance. The notifications continued to pop up in the corner of his vision.
[You have inflicted 7 Blunt damage on Juvenile Waterborne Tuskbeast]
[You have inflicted 8 Blunt damage on Juvenile Waterborne Tuskbeast]
[You have inflicted 6 Blunt damage on Juvenile Waterborne Tuskbeast]
[You have inflicted 8 Blunt damage on Juvenile Waterborne Tuskbeast]
After Jack had reduced his opponents health to 150/290 the creature suddenly changed tactics. Instead of continuing its futile attempts to throw Jack off, it abruptly stopped thrashing and dove back into the pool. Jack, caught off guard, clung desperately to his makeshift mount. He managed to take a big gulp of air right before hitting the water.
Underwater, the Tuskbeast's movements became more agile. It swam in rapid circles, trying to dislodge its unwelcome rider. The water began to distort his vision, making it difficult to anticipate the creature's next move.
Despite the air he had gulped down before entering the water, he was running out of oxygen. As if that wasn’t enough, his grip was slipping. His legs might be stronger than they had been, but they still had their limits.
Jack realized that if he wanted to survive this situation, he was going to have to attempt something truly desperate.