Huxley logged in early. Darkness pressed in from all sides, so he fed his smoldering heap of coals a few of the sticks from the pile he prepared before logging out the night before. The flames strengthened enough to push the shadows back and reflect from shining eyes.
Timber Wolf Lv6
(85/85 HP)
Strength: Pack Hunter
Weakness: Nocturnal
Another pack of wolves found him shortly after the sun set yesterday, but they never tried to come into the circle of light cast by his campfire despite all the rabbits he cooked on it. Turning to his heaps of supplies, he saw that the leftover roasted rabbit chunks had spoiled as expected, but his drawstring pouches were still in decent condition. He picked one of them up and a notification appeared the moment he touched it.
Crude Pouch
Durability: 5/6
Capacity: 1 item slot
(can only store small items)
Special Effect: Crafting this pouch from untanned hide causes it to degrade over time
(-1 durability every 8 hours)
Contains:
Primitive Snare x10
Durability: 11/11
Concealment: 2
Huxley didn’t mind that the pouch would fall apart in 40 hours, he only needed it to last for one day. When he pressed the button at the bottom of the notification, a snare popped out and floated in mid-air. It bobbed in place, slowly rotating until Hux reached out and grabbed it. The button now indicated that he only had nine snares left in the bag.
He shook his head at the weirdness and dropped it back into the pouch, causing the counter to jump back up to ten, but when he reached into the bag itself, it felt completely empty except for its soft rabbit-fur lining.
As strange as the bag was, it still seemed to work after a fashion, so he tied it to his belt and gathered up the rest of his pouches. He felt ridiculous with seven of them hanging from his belt, but they were the best he could do for now. It took a good amount of time and wasted pelts just to unlock the Leatherworking skill that made this much possible.
With the wolves laying siege to his camp, Huxley turned to his pile of sticks. He might as well make use of this time. After cutting the sticks down to size with his axe, Huxley used his knife to whittle them into short, sharpened stakes which he heat-treated over his campfire.
You have crafted: Primitive Fire-Hardened Punji Spike
Durability: 12/12
Attack: 4
Concealment: 2
Special Effects:
Primitive materials provide +1 concealment
Fire-hardening provides +1 attack and durability
After his success with the stakes proving that it was possible, Huxley heat-treated his four remaining wooden arrows and then turned his attention back to making as many stakes as he could. He would have liked more arrows but didn’t have the tools or the experience needed to make anything that actually had a chance of flying straight. Besides, arrows can’t launch themselves while traps are entirely capable of acting independently.
When hints of light eventually made it through the canopy, and the wolves slunk off, Huxley tied his stakes into bundles, strung those bundles together, and draped them over one shoulder. Only three of his pouches were filled with snares, but he had plans for the other four.
Hanging his axe from his other shoulder, he took one last look at the woodshavings, scraps of hide, and bits of string scattered around his campsite before smothering the fire. Blackness pressed in again, but when he opened the eye that he kept shut tight for the last ten minutes he could make out shapes in the darkness.
Moving cautiously, listening for anything out of the ordinary, he didn’t find any signs of the wolves. It seemed like they really did only come out at night. The plants that he scouted out before sunset were still there though, and he harvested some holy basil and deathbells, as well as a bunch of leaves from a tea tree.
You have harvested: Tea Leaf Lv3
(Potency: 1.8)
Consuming this plant will restore [1-2] SP per second over 10 seconds
Consuming this plant may increase hunger by [1.8]%
He didn’t find enough Holy Basil or Deathbells to fill his pouches completely, but even if his pouches could store more than one type of item, it would be monumentally stupid to throw the poisonous mushrooms in with his other consumables.
As birdsong began to fill the air, Huxley started angling towards the river. He paused for a breakfast of pears, filling his last empty pouch with more of the fruits. Huxley marveled at how ten of the plump fruits could fit into the small pouch without any issue.
You have harvested: Wild Pear Lv5
(Potency: 3)
Consuming this plant will reduce hunger by [3%]
Consuming this plant may cause gas for [3 seconds]
Moving on, he reached the water at about the same time that the sun peeked over the horizon, casting golden rays over the valley from the top of the broad plateau in the distance. Huxley had worked his way upriver of the island, and the waterfall was louder than ever, even though it was farther off than Hux first guessed, it’s sheer scale throwing off his earlier estimate. The lower section of the waterfall plunged into a body of water between the island and the cliffs that must have been a mile wide.
After cutting a long branch from a nearby tree, Huxley began prodding at the water. When no slime monsters grabbed onto the other end, he slipped into the river, bringing the branch along to conceal himself under the leaves as he drifted silently downstream towards the island.
Between the flotation provided by the branch and all his wooden stakes, Huxley didn’t have to work too hard to keep his head above the surface even with his heavy axe weighing him down. Slowly and methodically, he made his way across the river, but he nearly had a heart attack when an enormous leathery head breached the surface right next to him. Wrinkled greyish-green skin covered most of the face, but it ended in a short beak that crunched down on the end of his branch, stripping away most of the leaves in a single bite.
Lv 13 Beast
(????/???? HP)
Increase the level of your Woodcraft skill for more information
An eye the size of a bowling ball gazed at him for a long moment and two large nostrils on the top of its head flared open, blowing air noisily before closing up again. Then the head slid ponderously back under the surface, leaving Hux with a considerably shorter branch and a very good reason to get out of the water as fast as possible. The enormous beast didn’t seem all that aggressive, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t accidentally bite him in half if it came back for a second helping of salad.
Huxley started kicking faster and the shorter branch provided less drag so he quickly made it to the empty shore of the island. He wasn’t panicked enough to forget about the river slimes though so he stretched the branch out in front of him, scraping it against the shore as he drifted past.
When one of the sneaky monsters took hold of the branch, pulling the far end to an abrupt stop, Hux held on to his end and let the current swing him in towards the shore. Then he rushed up the steep bank and crouched in the thick underbrush growing close to the water, scanning his surroundings for any signs of activity.
His branch was pulled under. It bobbed back to the surface a minute later and drifted lazily downstream, but nothing else moved. Huxley began to scout around and quickly found a footpath leading inland from the water. A little more searching led him to a section of the trail that passed through a small clearing.
The trees here looked stunted and sickly, with pale leaves. More than a few of them had even fallen over. The undergrowth flourished from the extra sunlight though, not to mention the rotting, fertile logs that were partially sunken into the forest floor. Retreating a few feet off to one side of the path, Huxley began seeding the ground with his traps.
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He punched small holes in the ground with one of his wooden stakes, and dropped the others into those holes point up, angling them slightly towards the path. The points only stuck an inch or two past the ground and the thick undergrowth helped to hide them from view. Huxley scattered his snares across the ground too, securing them to the stakes when there wasn’t a better anchor nearby. Hux made sure to leave a narrow path through his field without any traps, though it zig-zagged from one landmark to another to minimize the chance that an enemy would find it by sheer dumb luck.
When he was finally finished, he settled down in a depression behind the dirty gnarled roots of a fallen tree where he could watch the path while remaining unseen. He would be able to fire on anything in the clearing, while his targets would have to cross the treacherous terrain and Huxley’s traps to get to him. With his battleground chosen and properly prepared, he set down his axe, strung his bow, nocked one of his arrows, and pressed the others into the soil in front of him for easier access. Then he waited.
As the sky gradually brightened, high-pitched gabbling joined the birdsong, and not long after that Troglodyte Fishers began trudging down the path in twos and threes. Each group was close enough to the next that Hux couldn’t neutralize them without getting noticed, so he waited. The number of Troglodytes lessened over time, but still, Hux waited. When there was only one Troglodyte in view, Huxley drew his bow, sighting on the little monster. Letting out a steady breath, he released. The arrow flew between the twisted roots of his cover, clipped a fern, and lodged firmly into the side of the critter’s oversized noggin.
You strike Lv4 Troglodyte Fisher for 6 damage
Sneak attack: +70% damage!
Archery-Lv1: +5% damage
Critical area struck: x10 damage!
Total Damage: 105
You have slain Lv4 Troglodyte Fisher
(0/20 HP)
+25 exp
(150/300 to level 3)
The Troglodyte collapsed soundlessly and Hux was moving before its body even hit the ground. He hurried up the open path through his trap-field, slung the little body over one shoulder, and grabbed its sharp stick before fading back into the trees. The thing smelled awful, like combat boots stuffed with rotten fish. After hiding the corpse and recovering his arrow, he got back into position. The more he could thin their numbers before they noticed something was wrong, the better. Huxley knew just how precarious his position was.
Without any allies to coordinate with, a solid line of retreat, or a secure position to retreat to, he was more exposed than he ever would have let himself be in an actual warzone. The fact that he didn’t have anyone with him worked both ways though. It left him more vulnerable, but it also meant that he was only responsible for his own survival. Throw in the fact that death was only temporary in the game, and Huxley was willing to take the risk. Despite that, he found his heart thudding heavily in his chest as he waited for his next victim.
After a few minutes, one lone troglodyte came back up the trail from the shore holding a fish on the end of its sharp stick as proudly as any standard-bearer in the Roman legion. When it drew near to the point where the last trog died however, it slowed, sniffing at the air. Its large eyes went even wider than normal and Hux let his arrow slip through his fingers.
The quiet “thwap” of his bowstring startled the alert monster and it let out a shrill scream that cut off a fraction of a second later.
You strike Lv4 Troglodyte Fisher for 5 damage
Archery-Lv1: +5% damage
Critical area struck: x10 damage!
Total Damage: 53
Immediately, a dozen different voices piped up from the direction of the river, making a sound that was halfway between hiccups and chirping. Then a whole bunch of Troglodytes came running up the path and saw the corpse lying in the open, Huxley’s arrow still quivering in its skull. Before he could get another shot off, they all scattered into the woods, making that same shrill scream as the one he just killed. The cry was quickly picked up by other troglodytes and in seconds the whole island rang with alarm.
You have discovered a weakness of Lv4 Troglodyte Fishers
Cowardly
+3% progress towards novice Woodcraft Lv7
(13%)
The screaming fishers were all heading back inland from what Hux could hear. He made the mistake of thinking that this might be easier than he expected before deeper, more guttural shouts joined the racket. These ones sounding more like the hooting barks made by baboons.
The sounds quickly came closer, and before long, several fishers came into view, gabbling and pointing. Dozens of monsters that looked like the scrawny fishers’ big brothers followed after.
Troglodyte Fighter Lv5
(25/25 HP, 2 armor)
Increase the level of your Woodcraft skill for more information
The pot-bellied critters had better-defined muscles than the fishers. They also had rows of small sticks strapped to their chests like little rafts, providing minimal protection. The fighters did share the fishers’ permanent leer though, their lipless mouths displaying lots of long, thin teeth. They crowded around the dead fisher, pushing to get close. Before they could come to any conclusions about the dead fisher or even begin to organize themselves, Hux sent an arrow into the back of one of their heads.
The whole mob of fighters turned as one and charged, right into Huxley’s trap field. It was utter pandemonium. A constant flood of notifications barraged his senses, trying to keep up with all the action.
The luckiest Troglodytes only stepped on the buried spikes, taking a little damage and slowing abruptly. Those with slightly less luck stepped into snares and fell on the spikes, only to be trampled by the ones behind them. The most luck-challenged of all didn’t step into any of the traps, and so they were the first to die. Huxley took down the fastest of those fighters with a headshot, but didn’t have time to ready his last arrow before they would reach him so he threw his bow to the side while snatching up his axe.
Hux stepped back from his cover and out of the shallow depression left behind by the uprooted tree as his first challenger clambered over the fallen log. It leapt at him, bellowing a warcry, and Huxley swung for the fences. He hit the monster center mass and sheared through its pitiful armor, sending it sprawling.
Now, most people who see someone get axe-murdered like that would think twice before stepping up for their turn, but the next fighters in line didn’t hesitate at all. They charged forward without even breaking stride and before Huxley could bring his axe back around, three of them scrambled over or around the fallen tree and jabbed their sharp sticks at him. Several small damage notifications flashed by, but only one of them really worried him.
You take 6 damage from Troglodyte Fighter Lv5
(-3 from armor)
You have been infected with Hepatitis
Severity: 1
-5% resistance to poisons and infections
-10% stamina regeneration
HP: 93/100
Huxley swept the nearest Troglodytes away but only caught one of them with the blade of his axe and the one he knocked down before was already throwing itself back into the fight along with a fresh wave charging in from the front. Even the fishers who were hanging back threw their sharp sticks from behind the fighters. While the few that hit him hardly did any damage, the sticks were just as dirty as the ones the fighters used and his infection got even worse.
Hux backed away, fending the monsters off with his axe, landing blows when he could, but mostly trying to keep them back with his superior reach. The monsters swarmed him, not caring at all for their own safety. He could kill any one of them with ease, but while he was another three to five could strike him in retaliation.
His trap field worked wonders to keep them from all mobbing him at once, snaring plenty of them for a short while and slowing others with holes in their feet. Only ten of the creatures made it through unscathed and Huxley retreated so they wouldn’t get around behind him.
Huxley let his eyes relax, never focusing on any single opponent but taking in everything in his field of vision at once. He stepped around trees and over low bushes without ever stopping his axe longer than necessary. The brambles that caught and slowed his persuers slid off of his cloak like it was laminated. It was just enough to keep him from getting surrounded, but his HP steadily dropped while the severity of his infection increased as more of the little monsters stabbed Hux with their filthy weapons.
It only took a couple of blows from his axe for Hux to finish them off though, and once he cut their numbers down to half, he stopped taking hits altogether. All the fighting and running did whittle down his SP quickly, but the injured troglodytes that struggled free of the traps could usually only stand up to a single hit from his axe before falling lifeless to the ground.
They continued throwing themselves at him until the last fighter collapsed under Hux’s axehead, and the fishers ran back towards the center of the island, screeching all the way. Huxley used the short reprieve to check his condition and bring up his notifications.
You have discovered the strength and weakness of Troglodyte Fighters
Strength: Armed and armored
Weakness: Blind rage
+8% progress towards Novice Woodcraft Lv7
(21%)
You are infected with Hepatitis
Severity-6
-30% resistance to poison and infection
-60% stamina regeneration
HP: 63/100
SP: 82/200
Congratulations!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have 10 free attribute points to spend
(315/500 exp to level 5)
All things considered, Huxley wasn’t in terrible shape. He pulled a Holy Basil and Tea Leaf from his belt pouches and chewed them down to help with his recovery. Then he started munching on a pear to counteract the resulting hunger. That infection was a problem though. Huxley looked in the direction of the screeching sounds, then he looked towards the river.
He could probably scrounge up some sphagnum moss to cure his Hepatitis, but there was the chance that he would end up with a disease that would be even more of a problem. He didn’t want to give the Troglodytes any more time to prepare defenses than he had to either, so he started up the footpath leading deeper into the island.