In the land of Adesta, war is an every day occurance.
Nations rise up, expand, and often fall within a single generation. Though the gods of Adesta provide their people with much of what they require, the petty squabbles of both mortal and deity lead to never ending war.
As a result of this no nation is ever without its refugees. Men, women, and children displaced from their lives and moving with the hope of starting a new life somewhere else. Few ever escape this situation, simply fleeing from one war torn country to another. Though there are a lucky few that manage to make a name for themselves and earn a place in there adoptive home.
In one small country that's currently fighting a losing war with its neighbors. A budding community made up of these refugees has built a tented community of just over 500 people outside a mine. The people of this community make their living by traveling into the mine and risking the dangers of monsters, cave-in's, and their fellow miners to gather ore to sell.
In one ragedy tent, barely more then a thick canvas draped over a tree branch, sleeps a young boy of 11. His hair and face are covered in dirt giving it all a uniform black appearence and his clothing is no better.This boy's name is Zet. Zet is slightly famous among community for having been a refugee for a great deal longer tha most. He began his life as a refugee at the tender age of 3, being passed from one family to another untill he was considered old enough to take care of himself at nine. While Zet has been with the community longer then most, he is known most commonly as Zet the Weak. He is weaker then he should be for his age. He is neither fast, nor strong, nor is he seen as tough, intelligent, or wise. He is in all ways a below average kid with the bad luck of having a unique skill that makes it difficult for him to grow stronger. Most kids Zet's age have already used their experience to grow their skills. Zet however has been unable to. His Unique skill, Unit Forge, grants him the ability to call forth a small metal golem that is even weaker then he is. additionally the creature, that he has named "Bot" since thats what his menu keeps calling it, consumes his exp any time it is created, as well as while it is actively in use.
Bot is unable to fight, carry heavy loads, or travel great distances from Zet, though he is rather useful at handeling the more mundane tasks such as cleaning or carrying lighter items.
As the morning routine of the community kicks off, Zet wakes up with a sigh, he does not want to move around today . The prior day he had been bruised a bit due to the tunnel he was using to mine ore collapsing. To make matters worse his bot had been crushed in the collapse and he would have to summon it again before he could set out.
Name: Zet Class: None Level: 0 Exp: 95/100 Skills: None Unique Skill: Unit Forge
Unit Forge - 0/10000 unit allowance 0/1
Grants the ability to use EXP to create and command loyal units.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Available Units:
Base Unit - 50 Exp - 1Exp/Hr
Unit has minimal capabilities, recommend for use in mundane unskilled tasks, primary advantage, low exp maintenance cost.
Exp came from performing many things, mining being one of the more profitable sources Zet could pursue as he was. He had been hoping to get enough to purchase a skill to lessen his reliance on the bot for carrying his belongings. Zet could carry his tools and supplies into the mines himself, but doing so would leave him quite exhausted before he even reached an ore node. Bot, while physically weaker then Zet seemed to have limitless stamina so long as it drained his exp each hour.
As he ate a breakfast of overripe fruit from a nearby tree, Zet activated his skill and spent another large chunk of his exp to recreate his bot. "Other people get to fly or teleport or summon weapons with their unique skill, and here I get a nearly useless metal golem that eats my exp..., if it didnt cost so much to summon you i might break you myself.." he said with barely any emotion. Bot came into being as the exp Zed had earned the previous week drained away. He then handed the bot the tool sack and other supplies he would need. Needing to get started early today, he would need to find a new node to replace the one he just lost, and start trying to make back all the exp he had just spent. With a little luck Zet was hoping to earn enough money to get some decent food.
Entering the mine early enough that most people still hadnt finished their breakfast, Zet made his way down to his origional tunnel before starting his search for a new unclaimed node. After what seemed like hours of searching he came across a newly exposed node of shiny metal that looked like copper. Retrieving his pickaxe from bot procceded to scratch around the node trying to find an appropriate place to crack some of the material loose. After finding his spot he took a hard swing at the node and heard a pleasant cracking sound that told him he had chosen the right spot. It would take him some time and quite a few more good swings to pry the ore loose, but he had lucked out this morning.
Hours passed as Zed smashed away at the ore node. Others wondered by and offered to help but he declined, he needed the exp he would get from this node almost more than he needed the money for food. Near ehausted he heard a loud crack as the lump of metal he has been digging at fell from the wall, and landed right on his foot!
+10 EXP!
Shouting in pain Zed fell back and nursed his freshly crushed foot with one hand as he grabbed the ore with the other he watched as the metal on the walled seemd to shift and change as the node seemed to repair itself. Resources always restored themselves, but occasionally the node would move. Zed was about to start mining at the node again when he heard an all to familure rumbling sound. Grabbing his piece of ore, he rushed out with bot following close behind, escaping the new tunnel just as it, as his previous tunnel had, collapsed right onto bot, this time taking his food supplies with it.
Rumors of a monster in the mines spread that night for many had heard the loud angry incoherent screaming that followed echo through the halls.