The end of the whip curled around the snake’s head and the bramble thorns sliced into the tough skin.
Randy yanked on the whip, pulling the snake out of the tree. It landed right in front of him and he swiftly smashed it with his trusty rock.
You have defeated Level 2 Silver-tongue Tree Snake. 16 exp.
The Silver-tongue Tree Snakes were tough, but Randy had finally found a system for fighting them. If he struck them with his whip and then fell back out of range of their leaping attacks, the snakes wouldn’t attack. They’d wait for him to come back within range. When they were preparing their attack, he’d strike again, using their own momentum against them. The combination of their leaps with the momentum of him pulling them with his whip brought the snakes smashing into the ground, stunning them and giving him the opportunity to smash them with his rock.
The system was fragile, and required his timing to be perfect, but when he managed it, it worked well.
Looting the snake, he was glad to see he’d gotten more than normal from this one.
You have received 1 Silver-tongue Snake skin, 3 portions snake meat.
Normally the snakes gave 2 portions of meat, but if he smashed the snake’s head, he would receive the snake’s skin too.
Randy hadn’t been hungry or thirsty for a few days. He had finally learned where to drink and what to eat to keep his energy up. He was successful at defeating frogs and snakes and beetles. He had even built himself a soft bed of moss for sleeping. It was time to explore the treed area on his map. The last time he had visited the area, he had been attacked by a wolf. He was hoping he would have enough skill now to defeat it. With a bag of holding full of meat, Randy hoped to find the tools he needed to start a fire. He had been living on berries and water since he had arrived in the swamp and was looking forward to a cooked meal.
Randy checked his map for the directions and proceeded to make his way towards the trees. It was just a hunch, but Randy felt he would find a settlement or other people somewhere in the wooded area. As the ground under his feet began to dry out, Randy scanned the tree line. He had his rock and whip ready but didn’t think it would be much use against the wolf. He crouched down low to the ground and paid close attention to the wind direction. He didn’t want his scent to blow towards any predators waiting for him. Randy took each step carefully. Waiting, listening, and searching the area for dangers. By the time he had taken his first footsteps into the forest, he got a notification.
Congratulations! You have earned the skill of Stealth. 5% harder to notice when moving.
Randy smiled, and continued his way forward. He was very quiet and very aware of his surroundings. He hadn’t come across any tracks or evidence of animals, but he could hear the birds overhead. It was cooler in the forest and the smells had changed. It was a welcome relief to leave the peaty wet smells of the swamp behind him.
Randy stopped when he heard a rustling to the right. He became very still and turned his head in the direction of the sound. A little white nose stuck out from under a bush. Randy smiled as the cute white rabbit hopped forward and began to eat the grass. Randy watched. He wasn’t sure if he should be wary of the rabbit and attack, or if he should scare it off. Thinking back to biology class he knew that wolves would be the predator and would likely eat the rabbit. The question was who would eat the rabbit first? Reminding himself that it was just a game and he needed to develop skills, he waited until the rabbit had turned his back and then slowly raised his whip. He lashed out and missed. The rabbit ran into the bushes. Randy was alone again in the forest.
Shrugging his shoulders and feeling grateful to still be alive, he continued walking deeper into the forest. He stopped again when he saw a hole peeking out from under a fallen tree. He could see a trail leading into the forest from the hole. Assuming it was a rabbit burrow, Randy made his way to the side of the hole and positioned himself to wait. Several minutes passed and Randy’s foot was numb. He was just about to give up when he saw a brown fluffy head poke out of the hole. Randy held his breath and waited for the rabbit to come out farther. This time when Randy unleashed his whip, he cut the back of the rabbit. It turned and attacked him.
Rabbit bites you. -4 health
The rabbit was no longer cute. Randy brought his rock up just in time to hit the rabbit on the side of the head and knock it to the ground. A surge of aggression came over Randy and he continued to hit the rabbit until he got the notification.
Congratulations! You have defeated a Rabbit! 8 Exp gained.
Randy smiled as he put his hand on the animal and looted it. He had a good inventory of meat. Remembering that he wanted to find flint for building a fire, Randy scanned the area and went looking for a rocky area. He moved slowly and carefully, wary of the rabbits. He hadn’t seen any holes or paths on the forest floor, so he was hoping he was moving away from them. A new sound caused Randy to stop and tilt his head to the side. He could hear a soft gurgling sound. Up ahead he could see that the underbrush was greener and denser. He crept forward carefully. As he got closer to the sound, the ground became softer and the grass longer and greener. Randy got on his knees and carefully pulled the branches of the trees to the side. He could see a shallow creek. Happy to see the rocks and fresh water, Randy took the risk and pushed through the brush. He used his Identify skill to confirm that the water was safe to drink and then scooped it up, drinking the cool water greedily. When his thirst was quenched, he started walking up the creek looking for iron pyrite, or fool’s gold. He wished he had the flint that Elwyn had let him practice with. As soon as he could, he wanted to build a fire. Not only would the fire cook his food, but it could help to keep the predators away as night fell in the forest.
Randy had gone several hundred feet up the creek when he came to a small clearing. An uneasy feeling overcame him. He saw old wolf tracks in the mud along the creek and then, much to his surprise, he also saw human footprints. Randy stood up and looked around. This would be his first encounter with another player in the game. He saw many broken branches, trampled grass and what looked to be blood stains on the forest floor. Nervously, Randy stepped into the clearing to follow the trail. Just a few feet into the thick underbrush Randy saw a man’s boot.
“Hello?” Randy called out.
Checking in all directions, Randy crept forward to get a better look. As he pulled the branches back Randy could tell that there was no body attached to the boot. There was, however, a broken spear and a leather bag lying on the grass. With another quick look around, Randy grabbed the items.
You have found the remains of a Sweet Water Association member. Defeat the beast who killed him and receive a reward. Return the bag to the owner’s family and gain another valuable reward.
My first quest! Randy thought excitedly and immediately accepted the quest.
Randy’s heart dropped as he realized what he’d just done. The beast was obviously the wolf. He wasn’t sure what hope he had; the hunter had obviously not been strong enough to defeat him. Randy wasn’t sure what chance he had. But at least I have a better chance now, he thought as he held the broken spear in his hand.
Randy grabbed the bag and put it into his bag of holding. Time to build a new weapon, Randy thought as he moved back into the clearing. He had a good look around to make sure he was safe and then thought about his find. The spear had been about six feet long but had broken in two pieces. He looked at the tip and admired the sharp point. This half of the spear was long enough to still be thrown. The second piece didn’t have a point, but it would make a good club for smaller animals. Randy nodded his head in excitement. He could make these into some great weapons.
Randy threw the short spear a few times. His accuracy wasn’t great, and the spear didn’t go very far. He had thrown a javelin a few times in gym class, but this spear was shorter and heavier than he was used to. He aimed at a tree and let it go. It missed the tree and disappeared into the brush. Anxious to try again, Randy crawled into the brush without using his stealth or common sense. A sharp painful bite to his leg got his attention. He turned to see a brown rabbit attached to his calf.
Rabbit bite -5 health
Thankful he still had the broken spear end in his free hand, Randy hit the rabbit and started shaking his leg to get it off. Another rabbit flew out of the bush and latched onto his arm.
Rabbit bite -5 health.
Randy felt anger surge through him. He attacked the rabbits with the blunt spear end, clubbing them until he saw the notification that he had defeated them.
You have increased the skill, Blunt weapons, to Level 5
You have defeated two Rabbits. 16 Exp gained.
Congrats Hero, you have reached Level 2.
The last time he’d leveled up Randy had just spread his points among all five of the main stats. This time he put a little more effort into the decision. He didn’t have any cool magic yet, so investing in Intelligence or Wisdom seemed to be a waste, and he certainly needed to improve his strength and agility with the way he fought, and lastly and most importantly, he was still too squishy. Randy put 3 points into his Constitution, and 1 each into Strength and Agility.
Happy with his advancement but annoyed with the delay, Randy retrieved the spear and continued his practice. Every time he missed the tree, he would have to kill more rabbits to retrieve it. Frustrated with having to retrieve the weapon every time, Randy took a length of vine out of his bag and tied the vine to the end of the spear. He wrapped the other end around his forearm. With his new addition added, Randy threw the spear again. He grazed the tree he was aiming at. Instead of having to go retrieve the weapon, Randy pulled on the vine and with a quick jerk, the spear end came back to him. Randy laughed at his invention. He continued to throw and retrieve the spear. Eventually, he was able to stick the spear into the tree. If it stuck in too far, he would have to retrieve it by hand, but if he missed, he could pull it back with the vine and try again. Randy knew this would mean a big advantage when fighting.
Congrats Hero! You have created a mid-grade quality Recoil Spear. +9 damage
Congrats Hero! You have increased Creative Crafter to Level Three. Keep refining your skills to make superior weapons.
His throwing arm ached from the effort and he was hungry. Remembering his need for fire, Randy set his weapons aside and looked through the hunter’s bag. He found some dried twigs and moss along with a strange looking pair of metal bars linked together by a small chain.
He used his Identify skill on the object.
Magically enhanced fire-starter.
He started gathering the materials he needed for a fire and made his camp in the small clearing. When he had a well-established fire going, he cut himself a cooking stick and slid some various slices of meat onto it. He wasn’t sure if he was going to like frog or snake meat, but he thought the rabbit would probably taste like chicken.
Sitting by the crackling fire and roasting his meat gave Randy a deep feeling of satisfaction. He had come a long way from being killed by frogs and sleeping on the cold wet ground of the swamp. He was learning a new weapon, he had the ability to make fire, and he had a quest. When the meat looked done, he received another new notification.
Congratulations you have learned how to cook meat. Enjoy your meal!
Randy pulled a piece of rabbit off the stick and popped it into his mouth. He chewed and was surprised that it tasted really good. He tried the frog and snake and was pleased that he had so much of it. It was really tasty.
With his belly full and a well stoked fire, Randy pulled out the hunter’s bag again. He may as well look for clues as to where he needed to return it.