The first rays of the sun slowly shone through the canopy of leaves, warming Nox's face as he woke up. He didn’t know what happened after he killed that man. His memories are still fuzzy. He just remembered Brookr pulling him through the forest, he had no clue how he ended up here. Looking around he found himself on a small clearing surrounded by trees on all sides. Standing up he thought about what to do, leaving now would be an option but where should he even go? He didn’t even know the way back to the town. Exploring the forest sounded like a bad idea, what if he ran into the slavers again? While thinking about his option he noticed a little icon in his peripheral vision, he focused on it and notifications appeared in his vision.
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Unlocked - [ Stealth I ] : While in stealth you’re 5% harder to spot
Unlocked - [ Stealth Attack I ] : When your target is unaware of your presence you deal 1.2x times more damage ; 5% chance to deal a critical hit dealing 2.0x times damage
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You killed a target 10 levels above your own with a critical hit. Bonus EXP awarded!
You reached Level 4!
Stat points automatically allocated based on your actions
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Status
Name: Nox
Race: Human
Level: 4
Class: N/A
Titles: N/A
Deity: N/A
General Skills: [ Lockpicking I ][ Stealth I ][ Stealth Attack I ]
Class Skills:
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Huh, so that is my status…I even gained skills and levels from the…encounter. But what shitty games don't let me pick my stats? Also they don’t even show up on my status!, he sighs and looks over the status again, most of it seems rather normal. His name, race, level. Of course he didn’t have a class, not like he knew how to obtain one. Titles were also rather normal, same with general and class skills but what was that about a Deity? Are there gods in this game? It seems like this game gets weirder every second. Deep in thought he didn’t even notice the snake that curled around his leg, slowly making its way towards his shoulder.
“So you finally decided to open your status, I don’t blame you, young one. It seems you had a rather rough start into this world.” a feminine voice whispered into his ear. Nox jumped, frantically looking around while walking backwards, only to trip over a root and land on his butt the next moment. The snake moved down from his shoulder, coiling up on the ground in front of him.
“I’m your guide, remember? Sadly I can’t show up when you’re interacting with the world but now that we’re alone for a moment I thought introductions are in order. You can call me Ruby if you want. But let's focus on the important part shall we?
First off, like in your world, the real world. You don’t have stat points but can only feel changes happening to your body like through training. So you will notice them but they’re hidden for you here. Second, yes there are deities in this game. After you reach Level 10 you can choose a class and a deity if you feel ready, personally I would advise against it. That’s all for now, your friend is approaching, it seems your journey continues.”
Brookr pushed his short frame through some shrubs and looked at Nox sitting on the ground, he smiled and walked towards him. “Ah, so you woke up, finally come on we aren’t far from town so let's go, we burn enough daylight already with you passing out.” He grabbed the young man’s arm and easily pulled him up on his feet. “Hmpf, you did a fine job last night, without you the whole camp could have noticed our escape.”
He strode forward into the thick vegetation, looking back a few times to make sure the boy was still there. “So lad, any idea what you wanna do when you get back to town? Any ventures you wanna follow now that you’re free again?” The dwarf was in high spirits while he guided Nox through the forest.
“I don’t really know, when I arrived in this world I felt lost rather quickly…it…was not like I expected. The world is so big and full of possibilities…I believe but I don’t know how to get a class or even equipment for that matter. As you see I’m not really in perfect shape and even thinking about fighting in close combat makes me want to vomit.”
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“Hmpf, well…get a bow or a crossbow then. I’m sure you can figure that out right? I know a fletcher that could help you out, you saved me after all.”
Nox thought about it for a moment. “I wish there would be an option that works over long ranges, you know? Like a rifle…” and for the second time the dwarf stopped in his tracks and for the second time Nox bumped into him. Brookr turned around, looking up to the young man.
“Boy, you better not tell anybody about that. Trust me okay? I know what you speak of but it’s a secret kept by the dwarfs for millenia so no talking about rifles understood? We rarely bring it up even when we’re surrounded by our own kind. It’s a weapon built from metal and gunpowder and only serves destruction. Not everybody can handle that kind of power.” he huffed and continued on his path.
“Okay Brookr, but hear me out for a second. You tell me if it’s possible okay? So if you would build a rifle but instead of using gunpowder you use mana to launch the bullet. I thought about it in..in another world. Why can’t we just mana to accelerate a bullet, it wouldn’t even be that complicated, I think.”
The blacksmith huffed again, walking for another ten minutes before mumbling into his beard. “It’s certainly possible. You would need a mana crystal and infuse it with your own mana, when ready you just activate it using dwarven runes and the rest is normal craftsmanship. What you propose isn’t new, lad. We even have some of the weapons you speak off but if you want precision and damage over a long range? We never achieved that.”
Nox smiled. “Hmm, well if I knew a dwarven blacksmith with talent, somebody that totally owes me a favor for rescuing him. You know because he made lockpicks but couldn’t even fit his arms through the cage. What do you say Brookr, when I came to this world it sounded like everything was possible here. I noticed last night that this is a living, breathing world full of possibilities. Would you help me?”
When the walls of the city came into view the dwarf turned around a few meters in front of the gate and he looked up to Nox, slowly stroking his beard while smiling, the glint of challenge in his eyes. “I will think about it lad, find me in the city alright? The crafting district is on the northside of town. Some of my dwarven brethren should be there. A dwarf never forgets promise.”
Brookr turned away and entered the city leaving a smiling Nox behind. If the game lets him forge his own path, why not bring something from the real world into this one? Everybody can shoot bows, clash with sword and shield or wield massive two-handed swords, he would do something different…something unique. With ideas moving through his head he entered the town, ignoring the shocked looking guard on duty that looked over him like he saw a ghost in broad daylight.
When Nox approached the market he noticed that all the sounds were gone, no playing children, no haggling merchants or bartering farmers. He frowned, something that totally was becoming a thing, while he approached the market. Pushing himself through some people that blocked the way. When he made his way to the front he looked around, wanting to see what was all the commotion about. When he spotted a group of adventures standing around a man.
The man’s hands and feet were bound, a gag filling his mouth. Nox remembered that feeling too and shuddered. The adventurer in the front took his helmet off and Nox's good mood vanished in an instant. Before him was standing no other person than David, the bully that made every day at school a nightmare. But why was he playing this game?
David was the popular kid, the boy everybody liked and his father was the CEO of a huge pharmaceutical company. To make it worse, he looked good and was in great shape. Well, now he was standing there, wielding a magical sword and silver armor as if he had been sent on a sacred journey from the gods himself, but Nox knew he was full of shit and a cruel bastard.
“People of this humble town! Hear ye, hear ye! We caught a criminal in your midst that was stealing from the hard working folk that live here, but we all know what happens with thieves and criminals in this land right?” A man took a step forward, kicking the tied up man into his back, planting his food on his spine so he couldn't get back up. David smiled and nodded.
“That’s right! This calls for death through the sword!” He pulled the blade from his hip and turned towards the man that was now screaming into his gag, tears streaming down his face while he looked around the crowd, for anybody that would help him in this situation. David just smiled, resting the blade at the man’s neck before pulling it back for a full swing, cleanly separating the head from the body while blood shot from the open wound like a fountain. David cleaned his sword on the corpse’s tunic and put it back into his scabbard.
The crowd slowly dispersed leaving only Nox standing there, his eyes wide in shock. David just executed a person for stealing, but when he looked at the lifeless body of the man he understood why, he was emaciated, his ribs sticking out of his body, his arms more bone than flesh. The crowd was now gone but when David finished speaking with his teammates he started walking towards the south gate only to stop when he spotted Nox standing there, still looking like the pale, thin boy he knew from his school.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? It seems…my day will be even more fun now.”
The smile on David’s face morphed into a greedy, feral grin showing too many teeth.
“Hello Max...would you like to play with us?”