Time to move.....stay away from buildings, stay away from groups of people, find transportation, and get out of town. I'll head towards Coopers estate and see if he needs help then move onward to Idaho. Grabbing my bag of provisions and putting my arms through the straps I now have a duffel backpack......kind of, I Head over to the the rivers edge. The water seems higher than I remember yesterday when I walked down the boardwalk, There are small shapes in the water amongst all the garbage floating downstream and at least one maybe two bodies, which look nibbled on.
Crossing the bridge to the island I see the sign for Wingfield Park, the ground shakes again and continues for way too long. there are ripples in the ground now like speed bumps with cracks at the top and there are actual splits in the cement wherever I look. Off towards the taller buildings you can hear the metal in the structures groaning with the stress of the quake. Moving faster I finish crossing over to the park. There's a roaring sound like a waterfall and a wave of water rushes downstream under the bridge I can see at least 3 bikes, part of a car, a kayak, and maybe another body float past, also what look like small otters or maybe beavers in amongst the debris.
The park is people free as far as I can tell, It'll be dark In a couple hours, I like Becka's idea of a bike but maybe I can find a motorcycle or a scooter. Switching my class to Oppurtunist I'll give my luck a shot.
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Specialty Class - Opportunist
Attributes - Intelligence +2, Perception +2, Luck Unlocked/Increased +3 (30%)
-Class Skill - Nudge
-Class Item - Capture Tool
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Three classes that unlock luck giving me a healthy boost to that Attribute, Now how do use it haha.With a chuckle at that thought I wave my hand and make my Capture Tool appear, a small net is in my hand similar to a butterfly or fish net though it is all one piece and a mottled brown green camouflage pattern, there are two buttons on the handle. What a weird class. Waving it back and forth I press the top button, the net portion extends, well flies out would be a better description, as it moves it shrinks and with a small 'pop' disappears, and I see a new notification.
MOSQUITO CAPTURED / LEVEL 0
And now I have a flashing tab at the end of my menu screen. The tab opens a screen which shows,
Capture Tool
Creature or Item #1 - Mosquito
-Store captured creature.
-Release captured creature.
-Charm captured creature.
-Destroy captured creature.
Well that's different. I choose destroy and a moment later I get a new notification.
MOSQUITO DESTROYED / LEVEL 0 / MINIMAL TO NO EXPERIENCE GAINED
My item now resembles a net again. I Capture and destroy 3 more mosquitos but they are all level 0 so it seems pointless, my Mana Energy takes a small hit with each use but quickly refills.
Near the park building I can see someone sitting on the ground, a quick Identify and I get another dead body notification. glancing around and not seeing anyone I search the area but there are no items and no sign of what did it, it looks like blunt force to the face.
The river is getting louder and there seems to be more water flowing, There is actual rapids now with white caps and more debris. Looking up at the roadway there are a few people moving away from the casinos and heading towards mid-town. Wondering if the water is rising I pace off from the waters edge to the bench nearby, 5 feet give or take an inch. Sitting down I scan around for any critter that might be higher than a zero level.
Duck / Cinnamon Teal / Level 0 / Agility
Duck / Cinnamon Teal / Level 0 / Agility
Dead body floating past
Duck / Canvasback / Level 0 / Perception
Duck / Precision Canvasback / Level 1 / Perception
Duck / Canvasback / Level 0 / Perception
Bird / Starling / Level 0 / Agility
Dragonfly / Shadow Darner Darter / Level 1 / Speed
Fly / Drain Fly / Level 0 / Perception
Flies and mosquitos all over the waterline. Most things seem to be 0 still with occasional level 1s. The level 0s for the most part seem docile. The level 1 duck floats on by before I can slap a Capture on it so instead with a flick of the wrist I send out my capture net and grab the dragonfly.
WILLPOWER CHECK - HIGHEST WINS
DRAGONFLY CAPTURED / LEVEL 1
Capture Tool
Creature or Item #1 - Shadow Darner Darter Dragonfly
-Store captured creature.
-Release captured creature.
-Charm captured creature.
-Destroy captured creature.
I choose to store the little guy, then I check the water line and notice it's now 3 feet or so from the bench, that is rising fast, I wonder whats going on upstream. So note to self.......get away from the water, stay away from the buildings, and maybe try to get a level or more, It appears like the insects have figured it out now just to kill a few.
Switching to my new Advanced Skirmisher Class I try to pocket my capture tool but it's gone, hard to remember everything....class items only work with the specific class the item belongs to, and it is set as active. Summoning my staff again I extend it so it is a solid 4 foot long weapon, though a fly swatter may have been a better tool here.
Okay, let's see what it takes to get to level two. Focusing on my Awareness I use Perception, Mana Sense, and I listen to the world. Tuning out the sounds of the river, the distant noises of the city, the wind rustling through the area, I begin to hear or more like I become aware of little sounds. The insects flying around, the buzz of mosquitos, the flutter of wings in the trees, the scrabble of something in the ground, the breathing of a mouse or rat, and many other noises. I look around and there are wisps of Mana Energy everywhere the highest concentrations are around the mounds and cracks in the earth it looks like gas escaping in glowing colors, but each live creature is also leaving a trail of Mana Energy from their movement. Like a sky writer you can track the level 1 creatures by their energy residue, the zeros have....no trail, but they are slow.
Spinning the staff like you see in the movies I go to thrust and stab at the insects around me and........the staff goes flinging off landing 15 feet away. Once out of my control it shrinks back into lt's shorter version.
Too much power and little skill. Haha.....picking up my staff I extend the ends and I'm ready to go again. Moving with purpose I open up my senses again but this time no staff twirls, following the gentle instruction of my newly aquired staff skill, like a trainer in the background subtly correcting wrong movements or suggesting a better strike or grip.
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / MOSQUITO / LEVEL 0
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / MOSQUITO / LEVEL 0
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / MAYFLY / LEVEL 0
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / MOSQUITO / LEVEL 0
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / MOSQUITO / LEVEL 0
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / VAMPIRIC MOSQUITO / LEVEL 1
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / MAYFLY / LEVEL 0
Each hit came with a kill notice, little bodies fell each time mostly squished. One exception was the slightly larger mosquito. It was a tad more resilient, it still died in one hit but it didn't squish. Where it landed there was the tiniest of glowing circles floating for just a second before landing on the ground.
Mana Energy Core / Tiny
Watching it for a moment I realize I'm to late to claim it, a little black beetle reaches it first and devours it.
Insect / Blister Beetle / Level 0 / Endurance
As my identification finishes, the beetle puffs up and doubles in size. Now it's bigger and meaner looking.
Insect / Blistering Acid Beetle / Level 1 / Endurance
The mandibles on its head were tiny before, just little curved spikes, now they look like tusks jutting out each one tipped in a sharp needle like thorn. OK if a level 0 eats a level 1 core it gains a level and maybe a power or a specialty.
Like a dervish I start smiting bugs, and it seems the more I kill the more show up. The insects go into a frenzy and attract frogs and rodents and bigger insects and there is a massacre. As the mob decimates itself I notice more and more level ones showing up, and soon I get a notice telling me I leveled again but I also notice level two insects appearing, timing my kills I aim for the higher levels as they appear. Paying more attention to the patterns I find the reason, its math, if a zero kills a zero they become a one, If a zero swallows a core they become a one but go into a frenzy, but if a one kills a one nothing happens, but if you slaughter a ton of ones you become a two.
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / MAYFLY RENDER / LEVEL 1
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / VAMPIRIC MOSQUITO / LEVEL 1
CRITICAL HIT / INSECT / EARTHEN STONEFLY / LEVEL 1
CRITICAL HIT / RODENT / CLAWED VOLE / LEVEL 1
CRITICAL HIT / REPTILE / SLIPPERY TREE FROG / LEVEL 1
The notices and pop-ups are rolling in, when there is a lull in the slaughter I look out and realize it's not the mass death creating a mob It's the river, it's already touching the bench I used as my measurement. Running from the water is every creature on the island. The river is no longer shallow, it is wider and faster, filled with more debris and, I've been so focused the last few minutes I missed the increasing noise coming from the river. The insects are a first wave followed by frogs and snakes being chased by rodents large and small and from the river an even larger rat?
Rodent / Fierce Muskrat / Level 1 / Strength
Rodent / Swift Muskrat / Level 1 / Speed
Rodent / Liquid Muskrat / Level 2 / Intelligence
Rodent / Muskrat Chieftain / Level 2 / Intelligence
The muskrats give me pause, they are annihilating everything and there is more climbing out of the river as I watch. A quick count shows 16 and growing. The one with the Liquid in his identification is slashing with blades of water and seems to be hunting for specific targets. The Fierce Muskrats are tearing the smaller rodents apart and tossing the bodies behind themselves to the next wave of Muskrats who are grabbing the cores and leveling up to add to the.....what do you call a horde of Muskrats? A plague or a swarm seems to fit this.
My danger sense goes off and I look down as a Swift Muskrat Level 2 flashes up and latches onto my leg. I feel him slam into my calf teeth first but there is no pain, my System Clothing / Light Armor might just be enough to protect myself, the few mosquitos that found my skin just sit there uselessly trying to puncture me, they pop with a fingertip. I swing my staff down and spear the rodent critter by slamming the flat end of the staff into it's skull, going all the way through it. Bite me will you, I'll call you Shiskeebob. I scoop up the core that appears and its bigger than the insect ones, This one is blue color like the sky.
The second 'Bob' dies I can feel eyes on me, There are more than 40 muskrats now, the chieftain buck, I think a male rat is a buck, has hit level 3 and he is pointing in my direction. I haven't seen him killing anything I wonder if he gets shared experience for leading the group.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
As the last of the non muskrat critters that are still alive escape I'm left looking at a furry tide of wet rodent, many of which have leveled up
Rodent / Fierce Muskrat / Level 2 / Strength
Rodent / Muskrat Bruiser / Level 3 / Strength / Force
Rodent / Liquid Slicer Muskrat / Level 3 / Intelligence / Water
Rodent / Muskrat Chieftain / Level 3 / Intelligence / Leadership
Rodent / Muskrat Piercing Charger / Level 3 / Agility / Speed
Where do I sit in the cycle of life now I wonder, can I take a swarm. If they can't hurt me maybe. Stepping back I take a quick look at my combat log / notification list.
LEVEL UP
-1 CLASS POINT
-CLASS ADVANCEMENT AVAILABLE
followed by a wave of death notices of 0s and 1s.
SKILL LEARNED - STAFF ATTACK - CRITICAL STRIKE
Nice, now I have several staff skills. Followed by more deaths mostly 1s at this point, since I was targeting the bigger ones.
SKILL LEARNED: ATTACK - PRECISION TARGETING
Every kill is a one hit or a critical kill which is nice but not surprising since its insects, frogs, rats, and a few birds who were swooping in.
SKILL LEARNED - ADVANCED IDENTIFICATION
Hmmmm I have a different Identification skill from my class, maybe I have two now.
LEVEL UP
-1 CLASS POINT
-CLASS ADVANCEMENT AVAILABLE
That is level 3, Nice need to look at advancement again for another class.
Not sure how many kill notices I went through but those were the highlights.
During the madness I saw at least 9 different colors of cores, I'm not sure if the color of core matters for a creatures level path.......before I can complete the thought the Horde of Muskrats advances.