Hux hemmed and hawed over taking his rabbit hides with him, but they really weren’t all that special and he didn’t want to risk the smell attracting a pack of wolves. There would be no getting around the smokey smell on his clothes, but he gave himself a quick wash in the river anyways. Poor hygiene killed more soldiers throughout history than enemy combatants after all. Huxley waded into the river, ducked under, and held onto a stone while the water rushed past. It felt glorious. He even found a couple of new plants while he was at it.
He grimaced at the side effects but grabbed some of the stringy grass and star-shaped moss anyways, tucking them under his belt just in case.
You have harvested: Greenthread Lv1
(Potency: 0.5)
Consuming this plant will reduce ongoing poison damage by [0.5]
Consuming this plant may cause excessive urination leading to dehydration
You have harvested: Sphagnum Moss Lv2
(potency: 1)
Consuming this plant will reduce an infection’s severity by [1] over 10 minutes
Consuming this plant may cause a disease with a severity of [1] or less
Unfortunately, Huxley took a little too long enjoying the cool water and someone caught up to him. They announced themselves with an arrow in his back when Hux surfaced for some air.
You take 8 damage from Lookie_Louis!
(-3 from armor)
Sneak attack: +50% damage
HP: 62/100
Huxley whirled around to see a pair of scouts up on the bank of the river, sighting on him with their bows.
“What are you doing all the way out here?” one of them challenged.
“What guild do you belong to?” asked the other.
Huxley growled deep in the back of his throat.
“What makes you think I’m going to tell you anything after you shoot me in the back?”
“Because we have the high ground dickless. We can kill you anytime, but we don’t have to if you give us the information we want.”
“This is a game, dumbass. Why would that threat mean anything to me?”
“Because if we kill you, you’ll end up back at the ships, dumbass.”
That didn’t sound great. Huxley had no intention of going back to that rat infested ruin.
“Fine, If you really want to know, I was trying to get away from all the asshole players who keep trying to ruin this game.”
“Bull. You’re clearly scouting. Which guild do you work for? I bet ours could match whatever yours is paying and then some. There’s plenty of forest to explore out here. We could use the extra pair of eyes.”
“Pay? You’re getting paid to play this game?”
“Come on Louis, this guy’s clearly a noob. Let’s just smoke him and get moving.”
“Fine.”
They raised their bows and Hux held up his hands.
“Why don’t we settle this like men? I’ll duel you.”
You have challenged Lookie_Louis and Sneaky_Sam to a duel
“Screw that, we have work to do.” Louis said.
“I accept.” Sam clearly disagreed.
A translucent barrier formed again, and it forced the two duelists closer together so they would both be within the dueling arena. That meant Sam was pulled off of his elevated position and into the river while Huxley was pulled closer to shore.
“You idiot!” Louis shouted at his friend. He loosed an arrow at Huxley but it just bounced off of the barrier.
Hux didn’t wait for the countdown to finish this time. He charged right for the scout. The knee high water slowed him down some and the scout got a shot off before Hux reached him, but then it was over. Huxley put him in a submission hold and forced his head underwater. A knife across his throat made the ending inevitable.
You strike Sneaky_Sam for 1 damage
Critical area struck: x10 damage
Critical arteries severed: 10 damage per second for 10 seconds.
Total Damage: 10 (+100)
Huxley shoved Sam away and made for the edge of the arena. When Sam died and the wall vanished, Huxley was already at the edge of the river. Louis cursed and shot another arrow, this one getting hux squarely in the chest, but then he turned tail and ran off.
When Hux crested the embankment, Louis turned and fired at him again before running further off. Well Hux wasn’t dumb enough to keep chasing him, so he turned to the woods and ran for the trees. Louis saw where he was heading and gave chase, going much faster than Hux could, and he got off another pair of shots before Hux made it to the cover of the treeline with 37 hp remaining.
Louis must have been at least level 1 because he wasn’t stopped by the barrier at the edge of the forest. Hux heard him crashing through the undergrowth behind him and knew he couldn’t keep ahead of Louis for long, so he dove under a convenient bush, stilled himself, and waited. Louis tore down the game trail as fast as he could while keeping an arrow nocked, using his bow to push ferns and low-hanging branches out of his way. There was no warning before Huxley’s hand lashed out, caught Louis by the ankle, and sent him sprawling to the ground, his bow flying out of reach. From there, he was easy to control and then dispatch. He was signifigantly faster than Hux, but that only counted for so much when grappling.
After he puffed away into smoke, Huxley gave a deep sigh. It looked like his little riverside vacation was over for now. Time to hit the road again, but before he did, Hux opened up his character sheet like Pauline showed him. Huxley dumped all five of his free points from reaching level one into endurance. Tiring out so quickly was just shameful. The entry for stamina jumped up from a hundred to a hundred and fifty, and it started refilling noticeably faster. Then he checked the minimized prompt in the corner of his vision.
Gong!
You have won a duel against Sneaky_Sam!
+100 fame points
Current Reputation: Footnote: 475
More useless reputation. Of course he couldn’t take anything useful from them like their weapons or ammo… There was nothing to do about the way the game worked though, so Huxley took off into the trees at a steady jog, easily able to keep a decent pace with his improved endurance on top of the stamina regeneration from the roasted rabbit.
For the next hour, Huxley lost himself in the rhythm, the steady pace marked by his breathing served as counterpoint to his feet which played a more erratic beat. A few long strides across level terrain, followed by a sudden burst. A foot on that exposed stone launched him up towards a tree, another foot on the lumpy knot low on the trunk conserved and redirected his momentum, vaulting him over a fallen log. It was coated in a thick moss and its broken branches jutted out in every direction, sharp and waiting. Time seemed to slow as Huxley sailed through the air, cloak flapping behind him, but after a hard landing and a quick roll he was back to the steady gait of a marathon runner. It felt so damned good to be on the move again.
Huxley followed meandering game trails for the most part instead of trying to force his way through the dense underbrush. The river was his guide, and he shouldn’t get lost so long as he made sure to keep it within earshot.
The woods were practically teeming with wildlife this close to water. It didn’t seem to be all that alert either. Normally, animals will go quiet when people are around, but here, it was like a lot of them didn’t even see him until Huxley was within a few meters. That could be dangerous. Even a docile bear might maul you to death if you startle it.
As it was, Huxley observed foxes, boars, a few deers, lots of birds, and even a beehive with its own nameplate. After the first hour passed and his roasted rabbit wore off, Huxley had to slow down and rest from time to time. That just meant he got to spend more time observing the animals and taste testing plants.
His HP refilled at a rate of one point every minute on its own, but Huxley made a point to seek out more holy basil until it was back in prime condition. The occasional berry bush and fruit tree were enough to counteract the hunger-inducing side effect and he was enjoying the forest way too much to risk going back to the harbor if his HP hit zero.
When Huxley was purposefully hiding, the deer would wander right up next to him without noticing, almost close enough to touch. He didn’t though. Each herd was accompanied by an impressive stag with antlers that Huxley had no interest in getting acquainted with.
The level seven animals had nothing but question marks in their name plates and if there's one thing a soldier knows to avoid, it’s an opponent with unknown capabilities. Not that soldiers ever get much of a choice in the matter.
When it came, the attack took Huxley completely by surprise. There was a rustling sound in the leaves of a nearby tree at the same moment an arrow with green fletching streaked towards him.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
You take 18 damage from Sentree
(-3 from armor)
Sneak attack: +50% damage
HP: 78/100
The arrow hit like a brick, knocking Huxley off balance. He staggered and another arrow shot out of the same tree.
You take 15 damage from Sentree
(-3 from armor)
HP: 66/100
Damn, those two shots already took away a third of my health points, Huxley thought. How the hell did another person get out ahead of me anyways, and how could they shoot a bow so fast?
He put those concerns aside and dashed for cover, followed by a hail of arrows burying themselves into the ground a step behind him. Another one got Hux in the calf, dropping him to 53 HP before he dove behind a tree.
You take 1 damage from Arrowseed x3
(Arrowseeds ignore armor)
HP: 50/100
The arrows sticking out of Hux were glowing with a green light, and the fletching was sprouting. Now that he looked closer, he was that the fletching was made from leaves, and more leaves grew from the end of the arrows every second.
Huxley grabbed one and yanked it out, tearing flesh and revealing a small system of roots growing from the arrowhead.
You take 5 self-inflicted damage while removing Arrowseed
HP: 45/100
You take 2 damage from Arrowseed x2
(Arrowseeds ignore armor)
HP: 41/100
Hux quickly pulled out the other two arrowseeds, dropping down to 31 health when ripping the roots out, and he still hasn't even seen his attacker yet. Hux pulled out his skinning knife, breathed on it and polished it on his cloak before using it as a mirror to peek out without exposing his head.
He didn’t see anything obvious moving towards his position. Though the knife wasn’t an ideal mirror, he could make out over a dozen arrows sprouting from the ground like little trees among a carpet of gnarled roots. The game trail actually curved around those roots, but Huxley didn’t think anything of it, cutting across the area the local animals clearly knew to avoid.
Hux watched the crown of the tree for a time, but couldn’t make out anyone among the branches. When he risked peeking out for a direct look, he noticed the tree’s nameplate.
Lv5 Sentree
(????/???? HP)
Increase the level of your Woodcraft skill for more information
Did this tree just shoot arrows at me?
Huxley couldn’t beleive it.
He stepped fully out of cover but didn’t draw any fire. Then he picked up a stick and tossed it towards the area where he was just attacked. The moment it hit the roots, a branch lashed out with a rustling noise and an arrowseed whistled through the air. It missed the branch, shooting high, but if the branch was an animal or person, the arrow would have hit center mass. Huxley let out a low whistle.
You have learned a strength of Sentrees
Pressure activated archery trap
+5% progress towards Novice Woodcraft lv6
(47%)
After that test, Huxley cut a long branch from a nearby tree and used it to swat at the roots around the Sentree. More branches released and more arrows fell until the tree looked distinctly lopsided, with the branches on Huxley’s side of the tree splayed out while the ones on the far side bent back on themselves, curling in almost like an enormous flower bud, if flowers bloomed one side at a time. Eventually, he couldn’t bait any more fire from the tree.
You have learned a weakness of Sentrees
Limited ammunition
+5% progress towards Novice Woodcraft lv6
(52%)
Now that Huxley had literally beaten a path to the trunk, he walked through the field of arrows, picking up one as he went. Miraculously, it didn’t slip through his fingers like every other weapon he touched after getting off of that boat.
Lv1 Arrowseed
(9/10 HP)
Strength: Absorbs HP to accelerate growth
(1 tick every 5 seconds, +1 HP absorbed per tick)
Weakness: Cannot be reused if it exceeds its maximum HP
“Huh. You’re a nasty little twig aren’t you?”
Hux didn’t exactly need arrows that would eat whatever he was hunting, but his remaining arrows were a little beat up by this point, losing 1 durability each time he used them. His quiver had room for six more arrows so he grabbed that many arrowseeds and tucked them away.
Huxley looked up at the Sentree. Some of its straight branches were starting to curl back on themselves again, presumably rearming themselves. Before it could finish, he unlimbered his axe and got to work. This thing was a real hazard. Someone had to take care of it and Huxley figured that his archetype was purpose built for this.
You strike Sentree for 21 damage
(-5 from armor)
Felling Lv5: +50% damage
Total Damage: 24
Splinters flew, sweat dripped and Hux hacked at the base of the tree. It took a while, and he had to stop and rest once, but somewhere around his 200th swing, the tree groaned, popped, and cracked as it came crashing down to the ground.
Huxley cupped a hand by his mouth and shouted “Timber!”
You have toppled a Lv5 Sentree
(0/5000 HP, 5 armor)
+50 experience
(85/200 exp to level 2)
+10% progress towards Novice Woodcraft lv6
(62%)
Huxley paused. Dealing with this tree improved his forestry skill by way more than any of the herbs and animals he ran into so far. Trees and forestry do kind of go hand in hand though, don’t they? Now that the tree was down, it’s nameplate changed.
Raw Lumber Lv5
Durability 2,500/2,500
Defence 2
He wasn’t about to try and drag this log through the woods, so he left it behind. Huxley was a bit more careful as he continued upriver, and the animals slowly became more dangerous.
At one point, Huxley came across some trees with deep, ragged claw marks on them. A reddish mist seemed to rise out of the ground here, and while it didn’t stop him from advancing like the barrier at the start of the forest, he decided to find a way around all the same after reading the associated notification.
You have found the territorial markings of a Lv9 Beast
(???/??? HP)
Increase the level of your Woodcraft skill for more information
Huxley skirted around the reddish mist, not nearly curious enough to figure out what lived in there. Shortly after he left it behind, the light filtering through the canopy began to dim.
He made my way up a hill and climbed a tall elm at its peak to could watch the sunset through its leaves. Tree covered hills stretched out in every direction now, and as the sky darkened, clouds of bats swarmed out from their caves, filling the sky.
A branch snapped far below and Huxley looked down to see a large shaggy wolf with a grey and white pelt sniffing at the base of his tree, then it looked up into the branches. It sat on its haunches and howled. Answering howls sounded from the nearby hills and before long, more ghostly shapes flowed over the darkening forest floor.
You have learned a strength of Lv6 Beast
Pack hunter
+6% progress towards Novice Woodcraft Lv6
(68%)
Eight wolves surrounded his tree, walking in circles with their noses twitching at the ground. It didn’t seem like they could see him, but they definitely knew something was here. Huxley could have easily spent the night up in the branches, it wouldn’t be the first time, but now that the wolves had his scent there was a good chance that they would continue hunting him. It was time to try out his new special ammunition.
Huxley unlimbered and strung his bow, nocked an arrow seed, controlled his breathing, and fired when the targeting reticle zeroed in on his target.
You strike Lv6 Beast for 5 damage
Sneak attack: +60% damage
Total Damage: 8
The wolf yelped and then snarled, bearing long yellow canines. It looked up into the branches and right at Hux. All the other wolves had no trouble seeing him now either. Huxley calmly nocked another arrow and let fly, hitting a different wolf. There was no sneak attack bonus this time, but the arrowseed in the first wolf began dealing damage on its own. The wolf yelped and ran in a tight circle, trying to grab the arrow with its teeth.
Huxley’s angle of attack meant that the arrows were sticking straight out of their backs though and they couldn’t be reached so easily. The wolf tried rolling over, but the arrowseed only bent and then sprang back like a young sapling, continuing to pulse with green light and grow a little bigger every five seconds. Huxley tagged two more wolves before the pack began to truly panick, dashing around too much for Hux to line up any more sure-shots. The arrow seeds did more and more damage over time and the pack ran off, yelping into the night. He could still hear them running around, trying to escape the arrows in their backs until more notifications popped into view.
You have slain a Lv6 Timber Wolf (0/85 HP)
+45 experience
(130/200 exp to level 2)
+12% progress towards Novice Woodcraft Lv6
(80%)
Your arrowseed has taken root with 77/10 HP
Growth accelerated by 7.7 hours
16.3 hours remaining until it becomes a Lv1 Sentree
The other three wolves died shortly after, giving Huxley enough experience to reach level 2 and he didn’t hesitate to put another 5 attribute points into his endurance. He hoped that 200 stamina would be enough for him to perform at the absolute minimum standard.
There was no sign of the other wolves, but there was also very little light remaining. Huxley quickly gathered up some firewood and made camp in a hollow between a few boulders. Normally he wouldn’t bother with the fire, but he was more worried about the wolves coming back than signaling his position to other players this deep in the woods.
He was just settling down to a dinner of apples and berries when the worst notification of all interrupted him.
You have spent 8 consecutive hours in-game
Log off in the next 10 minutes to care for your body or else be forcibly ejected and face a mandatory 24 hour lockout period.
Unwilling to risk spending an entire day back in his hospital bed, Huxley called up Pauline, getting her help with the in game menu. She showed him how to log off but he waited right up until the last few seconds, poking at the fire with a stick, breathing in the sweet night air seasoned with woodsmoke, and putting off the inevitable for as long as he could.