by Arthur Stone
Player Status
Health: 50 initial health + (Endurance x 25) = 175 total. Active bonuses from items and potions: none.
Regeneration: 1 + (Strength x 2) = 1 per minute. Active bonuses from items and potions: none.
Mana: 50 initial mana + (Intellect x 25) = 50 total. Active bonuses from items and potions: none.
Regeneration: 1 + (Magic x 3) = 1 per minute. Active bonuses from items and potions: none.
Stamina 50 initial stamina + (Adaptability x 25) = 50 total. Active bonuses from items and potions: none.
Regeneration: 1 + (Dexterity x 3) = 1 per minute. Active bonuses from items and potions: none.
He could delve more into the settings and his stats, but he had seen enough to know what problem faced him.
Dark had no start-up capital left. Kim’s henchmen had burned through his runway. Leveling up would not be an easy task.
Would it even be possible? The system was rigged to be against him. Probably set up so that players would pay serious money to pump their characters. That was par for the course with these freemium games: The devs had to make their money somehow. Since leveling was so important, and this game world so incredible, Dark had no doubt that lots of players would pony up some cash.
Dark squinted down at the only thing that belonged to him in this world. An arrow appeared, running from it to an explanatory box.
Novice’s Loincloth. Class: none. This single piece of coarse cloth offers no protection from enemies or bad weather, but at least it allows a bit of modesty. Estimated value: any merchant you ask to buy this worthless item will laugh in your face.
Dark was a naked beggar, with nothing to offer and no way to pay to level up his character.
Not that there was anyone around to buy from, anyway.
Chapter 15
Kingdom of Frogs
Total stat levels: 5
Character level: 0
Mastery level: 0
Dark had been forced to admit the official game forum was useful, yes—but it was of limited use in his case. His situation was far too unusual.
Ordinary players entering the world of X for the first time would assign their start bonuses to stats and skills, pump through the first few levels, and then hurry to beginner locations tailored to the needs of newbies like them. These places had all sorts of AI-directed NPCs. Some of them had simple quests to give out, and completing them would earn you experience and some basic equipment which would take you all the way up to level 10. Those who lacked patience for this—or didn’t see the point in wasting time for a scrappy cloak and dull dagger—could buy the main currency of the world of X with real money.
Both kinds of players would be placed in vast locations with very few strong NPC opponents. They could pump their stats and levels without fear of running into a random level 22 skeleton. In other words, they experienced optimal conditions for fast, easy character growth.
Dark had missed the early opportunity to level up. Nor did he have access to the in-game auction. Not to mention any funds to spend in it.
His only option for now sat in front of him. He bent down and picked up a dry branch, peering at it.
Worthless Stick. Class: none. Flimsy and light, this stick has fallen from a tree or bush. You could try stunning an opponent with it, but you’re probably better off with your bare hands. Estimated value: if you’re in the middle of an icy desert and there you find a person about to die of cold huddled around a dying fire, that person might just give you one coin for it. Otherwise, you risk being thrown out of the market.
The description of this stick sounded even less favorable than that of his loincloth. He saw no trees for a couple of hundred yards around, and the bushes here were flimsy.
He set his gaze on his fist instead.
Fist of an Untrained Fighter. Base damage: 1 x (1 + Strength). Estimated value: you cannot sell a part of your own body.
Dark’s Strength was at 0, like most of his stats. His fists could deal exactly 1 damage point, which was the bare minimum. He could only tackle laughable opponents with a number like that. The game did not consider butterflies and dragonflies to be opponents, but there were at least some creatures he could kill on the bank here.
Green Frog. Weak mob. Level 0. Base XP: 1. Health: 1. Mana: 0. Stamina: 1. Aggression: none. Magic skills: none. Poison: unknown. Chance of valuable loot: extremely low. General information: a tiny, cowardly creature. Parts of its body may be used for food and crafting.
The croaking amphibians lined the sandy strip running along the water, as well as the lily pads in the water itself. He could also see a few poking out of the duckweed. At least twenty were located in his field of view. There were doubtless hundreds more. One alone would give him no appreciable experience, of course. But if he killed one or two hundred, that might make a difference. It should bump up the right skills, too.
The frogs turned out to be too cowardly. He didn’t remember them running away so quickly in real life. He could sneak up on them and catch them with his bare hands. But here they flew into the water before Dark reached any reasonable proximity.
After Dark had run around for a couple of minutes, all of his prey was in the water, sticking their noses out and watching him with disapproval.
He pulled an unremarkable stone out of the sand and peered at it.
A common rock. Class: none. A piece of gray sandstone, lightly smoothed by a river. Can be used as a melee or ranged weapon. Base damage: 1 x (1 + Strength). Minimum level: none. Estimated value: a common stone like this won’t sell to anyone, but you could sell a whole cart of them to street pavers.
He hurled it at one of the curious noses sticking out of the duckweed and missed by a foot. The frog didn’t even move away in response. Dark mentally promised the amphibian that he would be back, then walked along the shore to collect more of the useless rocks. Once he had about twenty, he tried again.
The third rock connected. The frog’s white belly turned up, and it began to float with the current.
Note: Personal victory! Green Frog killed! Weak mob. Level 0. Location sensation level: 30%. Personal sensation level: 80%. 1 progress point received. The following skills played a significant role in this battle: Accuracy.
Progress points distributed.
Accuracy: +1.
“Weak mob” was generous. In order for Dark to collect as much experience as he had from the skeleton’s dive off the cliff, he would have to perform thousands of throws, enough to kill 1,484 frogs. That kind of genocide would take several days, at least. But that was assuming the frogs were numerous enough here and would not eventually retreat. He would have to search for another area with more frogs, which meant more time wasted.
Plus, he would have to find thousands of suitable stones. The local bank was mostly sand, clay, and dirt. Not many stones.
That skeleton, though... What if he went back to look for it after all? Not that chasing frogs around with a sword was a good idea, but he might be able to tackle something more serious. He had seen some hoofprints on the sand, which meant that some animals came here regularly to drink.
First, though, he needed some dinner. Most of the day had been spent crossing the wasteland and exploring the game interface and forum. Just like everything else, the stomach grumbling in this world was remarkably true to life. Also, his Stamina meter was now showing a red X, meaning his Stamina regeneration was currently at 0. The game was sending strong hints that he had to eat unless he wanted to incur starvation penalties.
He sauntered into the water and picked up a dead frog by its leg, shuddering in disgust. A loot window popped up, informing Dark that he could extract a frog leg, frog skin, and frog eyes from the defeated enemy. For the next carcass, the game offered him two frog legs and frog blood, which required an empty bottle in order to collect. He collected some of the dubious “loot” and spread it out on the sand, studying it. The legs could be used for food or alchemy. Everything else was only suitable for alchemy, and a warning n
otified him that these ingredients had no known alchemical properties. He had no way to collect the blood.
Dark doubted that cooked frog legs would be much better than raw ones. The sun still hid behind the thick clouds, but he could make out approximately where it was—nearing the horizon. It would be dark in an hour or so, and Dark guessed the skies would hardly clear come nightfall. He should at least sleep on a full stomach.
He squinted at a duck, far away, and gave a try throwing a stone at it. And he hit!
The rock knocked several feathers from the duck’s side. It squealed in aggravation and began flapping its winds furiously, but failed to take off completely, instead charging forward with water spraying to either side in its wake.
The man watched its retreat with a longing lick of his lips. A grumble from his stomach reminded him of the frog legs.
Raw green frog legs. Alchemical ingredient. Known properties: none. Poison level: unknown. You can risk eating these. Positive effects: none. Negative effects: possibility of poisoning.
Dark gave a resigned sigh of inevitability.
* * *
It wasn’t the most satisfying meal he had ever had, but at least his Stamina penalty was gone now. And he wasn’t poisoned, despite that frightful warning. Dark remembered the guide mentioning that the descriptions were often like that—and that real-world knowledge about natural items applied here.
Dark had to spend the night on the dry sand, a short distance away from the water. Managing to cover himself with a few huge burdock leaves, he fell asleep quickly. He suspected that the air would grow colder by morning and that he would wake early.
Actually, he woke much earlier than expected. No sooner had he opened his eyes, then he found a growl in his ears transforming into swift, unbearable pain and then impermeable blackness.
It was a sadly familiar feeling.
Chitin Hunter deals you 422 damage.
You have died.
Note: Last respawn point selected. You have entered the Central Wastes of Ethria. This is the edge of the world, a place watered with the tears of hopes long lost and dreams long dashed, a cemetery of races long forgotten, or which were never known in the first place.
10 seconds to resurrection. 9...
Dark looked around once his vision had recovered. Indeed, this was the erect stone and the rounded pair accompanying it, lit softly by the stars behind.
His respawn point. Impossible to mistake for anything else. Thankfully he did not have to climb down a cliff in the morning.
As he woke, that had been his first thought, before memory of the suggestive stone filled him with relief.
Also, Dark had learned that this place was highly dangerous.
He had been resting on a quiet, peaceful bank populated by harmless frogs, and yet he had been slain in the dark, and so quickly that he had been unable to catch even a glimpse of his killer.
A chitin hunter? Chitin was arthropod shell, right? Had he been attacked by some giant mantis? Or a spider the size of a bus?
He hoped to never find out.
Chapter 16
A Useless Gift
Total stat levels: 5
Character level: 0
Mastery level: 0
The outraged bird spun in circles around his head, filling the air with vulgar squawks. Dark ignored it and peered at the bird’s nest as he popped the four tiny eggs into his mouth.
Positive effect received: +1 Tirelessness, +1 Speed. Duration: 1 hour. This effects do not stack with other effects received from food, but they may complement them.
That was something. The frog legs had offered no such benefits. No wonder this bird’s nest had been situated deep in the densest of bushes.
Once he finished his modest breakfast, Dark circled around the bush and grinned. At last he had found what he was searching for.
The skeleton was remarkably intact after its fall from the height of a skyscraper. It had not exploded into fragments of bone across half a square mile; apparently its armor had held it together, and it had only lost both legs and its left arm. Its right arm still clutched the sword which had rusted that night of terror deep into Dark’s mind. Even though its skull had flown a few yards away, it still wore its helmet, though the monster’s jaw was nowhere to be seen.
Dark placed his palm on the creature’s rusty breastplate.
The loot panel obediently appeared. He tried to simply grab the sword, and it worked. So you can loot via the interface, or by just taking stuff. Maybe that would come in handy.
He touched the rusted armor again to examine the riches offered him by this impressive enemy. A worn-out heavy breastplate perhaps beyond repair, a dull two-handed sword in need of repairs soon, bronze bracers in reasonable condition, and an iron helmet of the same quality. The bones of the skeleton guard could be used for crafting or could be crushed into a bone powder usable in alchemy.
It didn’t seem worth much, but Dark would take whatever he could get. Perhaps he would find something interesting if he looked at each object’s properties.
Ancient two-handed sword. Class: primitive. A heavy blade for use by a strong warrior. Dulled and rusted. Melee weapon. Durability: 23/45. Base damage: 22 x (1 + Strength). Current damage: 11 x (1 + Strength). Required level: 14. Estimated value: many merchants would pay a few coins for a weapon like this. A blacksmith may give you more, since he can reforge the metal and sell it for a profit.
Dark already knew from reading the forums that decent armor and weapons nearly always had a level requirement. That didn’t mean lower-level players couldn’t use the weapon. He calmly picked up the two-handed sword and gave it a swing, nearly dropping it. The system displayed the penalties he suffered for using it.
Your level: 0. Required level: 14. In your hands, this weapon has reduced base damage: 4 x (1 + Strength). You will miss often and defend poorly, and you have a higher risk of permanently damaging the weapon in battle. The weapon will rapidly lose Durability as you wield it. Level up as soon as possible if you wish this sword to serve you well.
Just like everything else. Dark could equip everything he found, but the items ended up hurting him. This cliffside search had been a waste of time.
Perhaps not completely. His level would hit the requirement sooner or later.
But how was he supposed to carry all of this good stuff around until them? His character inventory had only four cells, suitable for small items. He could put stones there, and it was funny to watch them disappear into nowhere. His loincloth had no pockets, of course, and he wasn’t carrying a bag. Experience had taught him that he could drag objects along with his hands, but these manually lugged items would often get lost somehow, in ways he didn’t even remember or notice. There was no way he could drag it all to the river.
That was the only place he knew where he could develop his character, albeit slowly, and where he had a steady source of food and water.
Searching the area briefly, he found a decently flat, large stone on the ground. This he lifted, using his sword as a lever, and stood up on its side. He loosened the damp, worm-filled earth with the blade and put all of the loot from the skeleton inside.
Returning the stone to its place, he did his best to hide all traces of his activities.
You have created a primitive hiding place. 1 progress point received.
Progress points distributed.
Stealth: 1.
This is your first hiding place. Bonus +1 Stealth level.
Doing that pumped a stat? Why not create more, then? It wasn’t worth it since his Stealth was already pumped to high heaven.
But he needed to remember this and keep an eye out for similar kinds of pumping opportunities.
Everything that boosted his character was as good as gold. After all, Dark was still at a loss as to how he could possibly make up for the squandering of his beginner’s bonuses. He greedily hoarded all of the new information he could about leveling.
Chapter 17
Back to the River
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Total stat levels: 5
Character level: 0
Mastery level: 0
The frogs had not replenished their population during his absence. It appeared that creatures in X did not respawn at the exorbitantly high rates they often did in other games. His amphibicide had failed to boost a single level for him, anyway. How could he tackle stronger opponents when even a wild duck was too strong for him to take down? With one stone, anyway.
The game’s math simply wouldn’t allow it.
Dark ignored the surviving squish balls and moved downstream, along the edge of the water. He studied each stone he passed. Nearly all of them were as worthless as the first he had picked up, the day before.
There were some exceptions, though.
A common rock. Class: none. Flint, lightly smoothed by a river. Can be used as a melee or ranged weapon. Base damage: 1 x (1 + Strength). Estimated value: it’s unlikely you’ll be able to sell this for anything, but it you have several of them, a novice artisan might be interested.
He couldn’t find anything in the official forum that resembled a game wiki. But Dark knew enough to understand that while some items were worthless, some were very valuable—and the game’s raw materials could be used to make valuable items, even priceless items.
Flint, as it turned out, was a raw material. It could only help make low-level items, but it was better than nothing. If he gathered more of these, he could try to make something worthwhile.