III - Mistakes Were Made
Groaning loudly, Verdant forced his eyes open once more. He lay on the ground; the acrid stench of the spiders’ insides filled his nostrils. As he jumped to his feet, the sight of several monstrous spiders' still forms brought back a flood of memories. ‘What the hell was that? It was like something took over me. I couldn’t control myself, but it felt fucking incredible…’
He attempted to scrape off the crusted remains of spider ichor, grimacing as the smell intensified, breaking through the hardened outer layer to the wet ooze beneath. ‘I don’t know how long I was out, but I haven’t been eaten yet, so that’s a win, right?’
A series of lights blinked impatiently in his vision, prompting a heavy sigh from him before he mentally summoned the blue notifications. Dozens of screens flashed across his eyes, causing him to recoil in shock and pain. Closing his eyes didn’t help; the images were burned into his retinas. In desperation, he yelled, “STOP!” The notifications froze, then minimized to the edge of his vision, their presence less invasive but still insistent.
‘There are too many notifications. What the fuck was I thinking ignoring these for so long? Is there some way to make this easier to access; maybe I can compile them into a summary of some kind?’
Would you like to compile unread notifications as a summary?
“Yes, god yes!” Verdant exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed. ‘I think I’ll have an aneurysm if I have to try and filter through all of those notifications again.’ He walked towards the stream to clean up, waiting for the notifications to compile, ready for his perusal.
Upon reaching the stream, he walked straight in, up to his waist, sitting down abruptly and gritting his teeth against the shock of cold. ‘Fuck, I think my beans just shrivelled up and ascended to a higher realm.’
He found a coarse weed, pulling it out roots and all, and used it to start scrubbing the gunk from every inch of his clothes and body. Verdant scrubbed for several minutes before stripping and scrubbing his clothes against the rocks beneath him. ‘There is no way in hell I’m leaving this stream until every last speck of this rancid muck is off me and my clothes. I never want to smell that crap again as long as I live.’ Briefly remembering his original objective, he mentally opens the now compiled list of notifications for the last nine-ish hours.
Summary of Notifications
Combat Summary
First Wave
1 x Arachnid {Voidborn} (level 16) killed = +155XPs
Second Wave
3 x Arachnid {Voidborn} (level 16) killed = +465XPs
Third Wave
6 x Arachnid {Voidborn} (level 17) killed = +1188XPs
1808 kill XPs +20% Hubris’ Folly bonus.
Total XPs = 2169XPs
Skill Summary
Pathfinding(C) earned – 0 > 5
Foraging(C) earned – 0 > 3
Improvisation(UC) earned – 0 > 2
Weapon Mastery: Seax(R) earned – 0 > 3
Combat Tactics(UC) earned – 0 > 1
Target Weakness(R) earned – 0 > 4
Acrobatics(UC) earned – 0 > 3
Bloods Wrath(B-U) earned – 0 > 4
Summary completed. Access System log at any time to view old notifications at your leisure.
‘Right well, that’s a lot. Something around thirty notifications just with that. Yeah, no thanks mate, I won’t be torturing myself by looking at them individually…though that might come in handy later.’ Verdant closes out of the summary before going through his remaining notifications.
Achievement Earned: Exceeding Expectations (Uncommon)
You have defeated an enemy whose level exceeded your own by 10+
+2 to all stats
+5% damage against enemies higher level than you
Who needs training wheels.
Achievement Earned: Against All Odds (Rare)
You have defeated 5+ enemies whose level exceeded your own by 10+
+5 to all stats
+10% damage against enemies higher level than you
Running before you can walk.
‘Okay, what the hell is going on with these notifications? It feels like someone is commenting on every damn thing I do. Why am I getting this much attention? Is this what they meant by ‘Entertainment’?’
As he pondered, the last notification of his crucible questline update shined golden before him, horns sounding a triumphant tune.
Warrior’s Crucible Quest Completed (1/12)
You have crushed the void agents sent to kill you and sent a message to their leader that they will have to do better if they wish to see you dead.
Rewards
237hrs and 46mins remain until the void can feel you again.
+1000XPs
+1000 Reputation with the Aesir Guardians
You have taken the first step on the path.
Verdant dismissed it, his thoughts already racing ahead.
‘So, I was unconscious for around two hours, huh? What the hell happened? One second I was tearing through enemies, the next I was waking up on my back.’ Verdant glanced at one last blinking red light and willed it open.
Warning! Mana Points depleted 0/57
Gosh, I sure hope you’re in a safe place.
‘Okay, I’m guessing that caused me to pass out… how did I use my mana? I think I would have remembered throwing fireballs through the air or zapping spiders off the tree with lightning… maybe it was a skill that I unlocked, I didn’t actually look at any of those yet…’ He wills his Skills panel to open and notices something odd.
Skills
Active
Assess(C) - 1
Target Weakness(R) - 4
Bloods Wrath(BU) - 4
Passive
Pathfinding(C) - 5
Foraging(C) - 3
Improvised Craft(UC) - 2
Weapon Mastery: Seax(UC) - 3
Combat Tactics(UC) - 1
Acrobatics(UC) - 3
‘I’ve got active skills. Meaning they have some kind of cost, probably mana right?’ He examined the skills more closely, prompting more panels to appear.
Target Weakness (Rare) - 4
Scan your target and determine their weaknesses.
+8% ease in locating an enemy weak point.
Once a target has been located on an enemy, you will have greater ease in locating it again on others of the same species.
Cost – 2MP activation 0.25MP/sec ongoing cost.
Rank – Beginner (No Further Bonuses)
Bloods Wrath (Bloodline Unique) - 4
Burn your vital essences to break the limits of your physical body.
+100% to Physical Stats (STR, VIT, DEX) for the duration.
Cost – 5MP activation -5MP/sec and -5HP/sec ongoing cost.
This is a pre-era skill, further information is unavailable at this time.
Rank – Beginner (No Further Bonuses)
‘Oh…yeah, that explains it. These skills seem formidable. What's with that rarity? All the other skills are ranked as common, uncommon, or rare. There must be other rarities too. Even the colour on this one's different; what the hell is a bloodline?’ Verdant shuts down the last screen, emerging from the icy stream cradling his clothes, the breeze kissing his freshly scrubbed skin. He winced slightly, ‘Looks like I’m stuck in damp clothes for a bit, might've been a bit zealous with that scrubbing.’ He wrings out as much water as possible from his attire, leveraging his newfound strength, before slipping them back on, now tingling slightly from the effort. Peering down, he spots the stiff-bristled shrubbery he'd used earlier. ‘What is this thing anyway? It worked wonders on that grime. What was that command again… Assess?’
Item – Muspelheim Bristleweed (Rare)
This river weed is a mutation of its original found in the realm of fire, Muspelheim. Handle with care.
Known Effects
When crushed – Neurotoxin causes debilitating burning sensation, pain, discomfort. No Health damage will be taken from contact.
May be used as a primary ingredient in fire resistance applications.
Avoid contact with eyes and genitals. Definitely don’t scrub your body with it.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Verdant closed the screen slowly. Noting that the discomfort he’d felt earlier had become a full body experience and was quickly increasing in intensity. ‘Fuck, why didn’t I check this before rubbing my entire body with it?’ He stashed the offending weed in his bag, cursing its existence the whole time. After another agonizing dunk in the stream, he found the cold water only intensified the burning sensation. He yelped in pain and bolted for the safety of his treetop refuge.
Darting between the trees, Verdant pushed the limits of his newfound strength as the discomfort escalated into a searing pain, akin to sticking his hand over an open flame. Blood pounded in his ears as he hit the tree roots at speed, climbing the gnarled mass swiftly before reaching the trunk and scaling it, hand over hand, to the protective bowl formed by the tree’s primary branches. As darkness threatened his vision, he recalled his bloodline skill that could double his physical stats. ‘Maybe it will be enough to overcome the poison, it should put my Vitality over one hundred and maybe the burning in my system will help flush the poison from my body or weaken it enough that my normal Vitality can handle it.’
With that thought, he triggered the Blood’s Wrath, feeling the familiar sensation of his blood burning in his veins.
Bloods Wrath Activated – 100% to physical stats.
At the last second, Verdant remembered what would happen if he ran out of Mana, and as it zeroed out, he welcomed the oblivion it would provide. ‘Sweet relief.’
#
Upon waking, Verdant took in the canopy above, the starlight casting a soft glow on his face. He glanced at the timer on his caretaker quest—just over eight hours had passed. ‘I feel like crap, but the burning’s stopped, at least.’ Noticing a persistent blue flash at the edge of his vision, he brought the notification forward.
Poison Resistance(Uncommon) - 3
Exposure to poisonous substances and a high vitality have unlocked this skill.
· +6% resistance to poisonous substances
This skill applies to poison, venom and other toxins.
Rank – Beginner (No Further Bonuses)
‘Shit, I need to start using that Assess skill. What’s the point if I don’t even check things before using them? At least I got a resistance skill out of it...’ Shifting on the smooth bark, Verdant rose to a sitting position, turning his head to survey the havoc around him—black viscous fluids and deep gouges marked the wooden sanctuary. ‘How did I survive that? One moment I was fighting for my life, the next everything was a blur. It was like time had slowed to a crawl and my body moved where it needed to go; from enemy to enemy striking their most vulnerable points. I don't think I even took an injury in that last wave of enemies. What the hell is going on with me, I might not remember my life before all of this but I'm pretty sure that I wasn't some kind of kung-fu master.’
He stood and walked to the platform’s edge, gazing down at the twisted bodies below. ‘Might be something useful on them, especially those leg plates for armour.’ The descent was exceedingly easy, more so than before, his enhanced physical condition turning a task that would have been daunting for his former self, into something trivial. ‘Didn’t realize it because of the pain, but damn, this is something else.’
Reaching the ground, the soft earth comforting underfoot, Verdant approached the nearest carcass. Summoning the creature’s data with a thought, he read:
Arachnid level 17 {Voidborn} (Deceased)
The lowest creature spawned of the void, they invade realms and corrupt with their presence. They share a hivemind with their queen and adapt to their environment to create stronger variants.
We are Borg!
‘I really don’t like the look of that. Tell me there isn’t a queen out there where these bastards came from. I can’t handle that right now.’ Willing the screen closed, Verdant flinched as horns bellowed in his mind, calling him to battle and victory as a familiar golden screen appeared in his vision once more.
Warrior’s Crucible Quest Activated! (2/12)
A Juvenile Arachnid Queen {Voidborn} has infiltrated this location. Destroy it before it can establish a hive and become a greater threat.
Objective
Destroy the queen and her guards before she can establish a hive.
Rewards
· Trophy – Head of the Spider Queen.
· Large Aether Crystal
· +2000 XPs
· +2000 Rep with The Aesir Guardians
Time Limit
39hrs 33mins remaining
If you fail to complete this quest in time you will have to face a much greater threat in the future. This threat will continue to grow and evolve until it is eradicated.
Closing the screen once more, Verdant stood in silence for a moment as he processed this new information. ‘Of course there’s a bloody queen. No sooner did I think about it did it suddenly manifest in the world. I’ve already got one timed quest to get to which I have a strange feeling; I don’t want to fail.’ He closes the screen and glances at the mentioned timer briefly.
Quest Timer
Home is where the monsters won’t eat you (1/3)
Timer – 55hrs 14mins remaining
‘No time to waste. I’ve been on the move for hours and though it feels like I’m getting closer, I’ve no idea how far I am. Can’t afford to wait out the dark—fifty-six days of night isn’t something I can sit through.’ Looking up, he marvelled at the galactic arm visible through a gap in the canopy, stars blinking out intermittently as if something massive shifted across the sky. A chill ran down his spine. ‘What kind of fucking creature can survive in space, let alone blot out the stars when it moves. I don’t want to know, as long as it stays up there, I DON’T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT.’ Shaking off the dread, he focused on the task at hand. ‘Time to scavenge what I can from these spiders and get moving.’ Verdant crouched next to the spider, rancid ichor covers the twisted form, the odour made him wretch and gag, sliding his seax from its sheath he placed it under a large plate near where the front left leg attaches to its body, he slid the blade through a tough membrane and into soft flesh beneath.
Spatial storage detected.
Would you like to designate it as ‘loot storage’?
Yes? No?
‘Loot storage? Wait, can I get the plates I want from this big bastard without getting covered in this gunk.’ He mentally clicks yes and is ecstatic to see another prompt appear.
Arachnid level 17 {Voidborn} (Remains)
Would you like to loot this carcass?
Yes? No?
“YES!” ‘No digging around in putrid guts for me.’ With great pleasure, he mentally clicks ‘yes’ and is horrified when the corpse in front of him explodes into a fine particulate, covering him head to toe in a silty powder. “NOOOOOOOOO.”
Loot Acquired
1 x Tiny Aether Crystal {Corrupted}(Common)
6 x Arachnid Leg Plates (Common)
1 x Arachnid Cephalothorax Plate (Uncommon)
He sat in shock at the betrayal of the system he had trusted to keep him clean. ‘What the hell man, you send me errors and warnings about crap I don’t care about, but you couldn’t offer the smallest warning about bodies exploding into a fine mist?’ Verdant recovered quickly and reached into his pouch to inspect some of the loot. ‘I wonder if I can just will the items to appear, this whole thing has been pretty responsive to mental commands so far, maybe I won’t have to go digging for this crap in my bag.’ Removing his hand from the pouch and placing it against the opening he willed one of the leg plates to appear. No sooner did he think of the item did he feel something hard in his hand, looking down he used Assess to figure out exactly what he’s dealing with. His hands ran across the sleek matt-black material, feeling the hard ridges around the edges.
Bottom of Form
Item – Arachnid Leg Plate (Common)
A hard, malleable chitinous plate. Good at turning away slashing strikes but poor against crushing blows.
Used mainly as a base level crafting material.
Verdant stared at the newly revealed item in his hands, the sharp-edged plate glinting faintly in the dappled light that broke through the canopy above. ‘Oh, even the screens seem to think this would be decent for armour. Maybe I should tie some pieces together and make arm guards. For some reason, I feel like that's something I know how to do; or at least I am confident in figuring it out.’ He rotated the chitinous piece, testing its flexibility and durability with a gentle flex of his fingers. ‘What about these other things?’
He placed the leg plate back in his storage and withdrew a larger, flatter, and much wider plate. The matte-black surface seemed to absorb the light around it, its texture both smooth and alien. With a thought, he triggered his assessment skill.
Item – Arachnid Cephalothorax Plate (Uncommon)
A hard, malleable chitinous plate. Good at turning away slashing strikes but poor against crushing blows.
Used mainly as a base level crafting material.
‘Okay, I wonder if I could shave the edges into a chest plate or a backplate to protect myself from ambush or piercing weapons. Last thing I need is one of these legs punching through my chest if I see any more of these spiders.’ He placed the large plate back in his storage, his mind already ticking with possible crafting ideas. With a faint flicker of light, another object materialized in his hand: a jagged, crystalline shard with a faint, sickly glow. Verdant’s brow furrowed as he examined it. ‘Assess.’
Item - Tiny Aether Crystal {Corrupted} (Common)
A dark green/black crystal filled with turbid light.
Uses unknown.
‘Mystery loot, wonderful. I don’t know what I was expecting. Some way to gain tremendous amounts of power? Yeah, right…’ He sighed, slipping the crystal back into his pouch and taking a moment to glance around at the battlefield surrounding him. The bodies of the spiders, twisted and broken, were scattered like discarded toys around the base of the tree. He frowned, catching a glimpse of his shoulder out of the corner of his eye. Lifting his arms, he realized the fine black dust that had coated him earlier was gone. “What the hell?”
‘I guess the dust dissipates. That makes sense—it’d be pretty weird to see a field full of dust after a major battle. Did it disappear while I was looking at the loot? I need to pay attention next time.’
Determined to test his theory, Verdant approached the nearest spider corpse. The twisted remains oozed ichor, the stench hanging in the air like an unwelcome guest. He crouched down and placed his hand on the cold, chitinous surface. A familiar prompt appeared.
Arachnid level 16 {Voidborn} (Remains)
Would you like to loot this carcass?
Yes? No?
‘Wait, what if I get up and move away? Can I activate the prompt from a safe distance?’ Rising to his feet, Verdant moved several meters back before mentally selecting “Yes.” He watched in fascination as the body condensed into a single point, no larger than a marble, before exploding outward in a cloud of black, silty powder.
‘Wow, I’m glad I moved back so far. That stuff seems to have made it close to halfway to me. Really didn’t want to be covered in that crap again, even if it seems to disappear.’
A soft ding pulled his attention back to his notifications. With a small sigh of relief, Verdant dismissed the notification to the periphery of his vision. ‘I wonder if I can loot all of these at once. It’d save a lot of time in the future if I can.’
He walked to the remaining bodies, touched each one, and then retreated to a safe distance. Ensuring he was clear of any potential blast radius; he mentally accepted the prompts for all eight remaining corpses simultaneously. The results were as spectacular as they were satisfying.
Loot Acquired x 9 Arachnid level 16-17 {Voidborn} (Remains)
Arachnid Leg Plate: 38
Arachnid Cephalothorax Plate: 4
Tiny Aether Crystal: 8
Skill Crystal: 1
Arachnid Spinneret: 2
Arachnid Fang: 1
‘I can’t believe that bloody worked. No more dirt baths for me.’
Surveying the area, Verdant noticed that not only had the bodies disappeared, but so had the blood and severed limbs. The piles of black dust shimmered faintly, a dull light pulsing within. Over time, the piles seemed to shrink, as though being absorbed into the forest floor. ‘Oh, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, I guess. Bodies decompose and nourish the earth in my old world. Maybe it’s the same here, just with magic to speed things up. I wonder how that affects the biodiversity of bacteria and bugs that feed off decomposing flesh.’
The soft ping of a notification broke his train of thought.
Quest Timer
Home is where the monsters won’t eat you (1/3)
Timer – 55hrs remaining
‘Oh, it seems like my resolve to get this quest done as soon as possible has changed my notifications to inform me when an hour passes… Interesting. I didn’t even actively think about that. It’s just gone off my intent and updated accordingly.’
Turning his attention back to the loot in his pouch, Verdant retrieved a bulbous, chitin-covered organ. It felt unnervingly soft in his hand as he activated his assess skill.
Item - Arachnid Spinneret (Uncommon)
A segmented, silk-producing organ capable of creating mana-infused threads with steel-like strength and remarkable flexibility, prized for crafting and magical enhancements.
Skill Increase – Assess 1 > 2
‘It seems like this would be useful in making some basic armour. I think I have everything I need now.’ Placing the spinneret back in storage, Verdant next withdrew a razor-sharp fang and activated his skill once more.
Item - Arachnid Fang (Rare)
A razor-sharp fang, dense with venomous residue. Highly durable, it’s sought after for crafting deadly weapons or potent alchemical toxins.
‘Oh damn, that’s actually way more useful than I was expecting. Maybe I can get a weapon upgrade if I can figure out how to make something out of it.’ Verdant places the fang back in his sack and thinks of the final looted item, anticipation filled him as he willed the item into his closed palm. Opening his fingers and he used his skill one last time. Assess.
Item - Skill Crystal - Slowing Web (Rare)[Active]
A radiant crystal that grants the skill Slowing Web upon use, a magical ability otherwise extremely difficult to master through study alone. Highly prized in crafting, these rare crystals are valued for their versatility and the potency they add to enchantments.
‘Wait, this is something I can use to isolate targets and take on larger groups without injury.’ Verdant wasted no time, willing the crystal to be consumed. A soft ping signalled the skill’s acquisition.
Skill Unlocked!
Slowing Web (Rare) 0 > 1
Unleash a sticky, magical web to immobilize a target for 3 seconds. After immobilization, the target’s movement and attack speed are reduced by 30% for 5 seconds. Ideal for controlling the battlefield and hindering opponents’ mobility or offensive capabilities.
Mana Cost – 5MP
‘That is game-changing. I could have avoided getting hurt at all in that last fight if I’d had this skill.’ Verdant took a deep breath, in and out, centering himself. ‘I need to refocus. There’s a lot going on, and I need to get it all sorted and move toward this quest objective.’
Pausing, he felt out the persistent tug that guided him. ‘Okay, I need to get back up that tree and eat something, then try to craft some makeshift arm guards, maybe a chest plate and back plate if it’s not too difficult to work with.’ Verdant walked back to the tree’s base, climbing effortlessly along the rough bark, his newfound strength, once again, making the ascent trivial. Reaching the ledge, he lifted himself up and over into his tree-basin, ready to prepare for what lay ahead.