Ascension

by B F Rockriver

  “I guess. There’s just not enough time, or energy in the day, without burning out. Everyone needs to take breaks and sleep.”

  “Exactly. But there’s more to it. Your brain can’t constantly learn; it can only handle so much information without improving your capacity to store knowledge. Each level up and point of intelligence increase your threshold for new information. Your pool becomes deeper, and the flow of information increases.”

  Okay, I think I get it. So, if I don’t increase my intelligence, my growth will slow, then eventually stop.

  “Also, correct. But be careful, you won’t know you’ve hit your limit until you do. A fish doesn’t notice that his pond is overflowing until it’s swept into a river. They might notice a change in current, but not until it’s too late.”

  Got it, don’t just learn random skills, because it will hinder me in the long run. Eli asked his mental guide, So, how am I supposed to just stop learning? I can’t not look at things. It seems like every action has a related skill or ability.

  “Ah, there it is. You’re learning. To combat this and allow for flexibility in character development, the system allows you to toggle some skills to stop improving or degrade. So, if you never want to learn to sew, you can lock that skill at level one, which will not count towards your overall pool. While you can never completely unlearn a skill, you can stop its progression.”

  What’s the point of that? Why not just make skills degrade if not used? Eli responded while following the shifting arrow into the brush. Soon, the footsteps skirted the treeline next on an overgrown trade route. Why would anyone unlearn something after learning it?

  “Skills do naturally enter degradation mode if unused for a certain length of time. Everyone forgets. Your intelligence directly impacts the rate in which you learn and unlearn skills. However, with this system, a player could get to level fifty as a ranger, then set all of their skills to degrade, and start over as a barbarian. This would require a class change and losing class-specific abilities, but it would allow them to keep their level and attributes. You can learn an entirely new skill set, which would boost your attributes and allow you to learn a new set of abilities. It allows players to explore different character builds, without fear of messing up and creating a permanent handicap. A sorcerer may not want to keep their master level fishing skill if it slows down their progression in magic, and they shouldn’t be forced to keep a skill that no longer applies to them. People deserve to forget.”

  Eli thought about his decisions, and Aida's words of advice while tracking the humanoid prints deeper into the woods. Before long, Don spoke, breaking a prolonged silence, “Uh, are you okay, man? You’ve been awfully quiet and serious-looking since we left.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just been asking Aida for help with how skills work and focusing on these tracks.” Eli responded, pointing to an impression in the ground. “They are definitely the people we’re looking for.” He said, crouching next to a flat but pronounced footprint, running his hands along its smooth bottom. “See here, it’s roughly the size of an adult human, and it’s smooth on the bottom. That means the person was wearing leather-soled shoes,” he continued, moving his hand to a small wedge shape where the curve of the foot should be, while Don crouched next to him, “See this, it’s where a strap for greaves would attach to the shoe.”

  Don put his arm around Eli’s shoulder, using him for support, “Who’s Aida?”

  Looking up from the track, Eli turned to his traveling companion. “She’s my guide,” he said, his voice sounding more like a question than a statement.

  “So, your guide is a chick, huh?” Don replied, tapping a hand on Eli’s back. “I didn’t know you could name them or give them a gender. Does she sound like a chick? Can you change their voice?”

  “That’s not really the point,” Eli said, his voice stern as his cheeks turned red. “I’m trying to show you how to track.”

  Looking back at the indentation, a smile grew on Don’s face. “Yeah, yeah, boots and greaves and such, I get it.” Suddenly the Turta’s eyes widened, “Whoa, shit dude. I see it! The green arrow. You just taught me a skill. Sweet!”

  After inspecting the impressions and teaching Don as much as he could, Eli’s leadership skill increased, and Don learned Survival and Tracking. The process took about ten minutes, which was longer than Eli wanted to spend staring at a set of cart tracks and footprints. He was ready to hunt. As soon as the moment was over, they set off. With the Turta able to track, each followed their own path, getting a better sense of where to find the bandits.

  It was nearly dark before the two adventurers located the signs of a camp in the distance. Whoever these bandits were, they weren’t very good at concealing their location. Only once did the tracks seem to separate. Don found a single out-of-place boot print near the tree-line, slightly smaller than the human’s tracks. The footprints led only a half-mile off of the cart path, down a very visible, beaten-down trail through the woods. A few minutes later, Eli spotted a roaring fire roughly a quarter-mile down the makeshift road. Light, smoke, and the scent of food spread into the night sky. Any dolt could have stumbled upon the camp by taking a stroll through the woods.

  Eli walked quietly, making his way to Don’s side and motioning for him to stop, “Be as quiet as possible. These people don’t seem to know what the hell they are doing, but we still need to be careful.”

  Don nodded along. “Yeah, it’s one of the first things they teach you in basic training. If you’re trying not to be found, don’t light a fucking signal fire. It’s probably just a few kids trying to be badasses.”

  “Whoever they are, we still need to be safe. I don’t want to die out here, and I’m sure you don’t either. We need to make our way to a vantage point near the camp and get eyes on our targets. We need more information about who we’re up against,” Eli told Don in a hushed tone, “I’ll take point. Just watch my back and watch the treeline.” Eli pointed at his eyes with two fingers, then the far tree-line, on the other side of the camp. “There may be more of them.”

  Don nodded, and fell in behind Eli, as the two made their way closer to the brightly lit campsite, leaving the path and weaving through the nearby trees. As they got closer, cheers and laughter sprang from the small camp.

  Two distinct voices carried into the dense forest, echoing through the trees. “If we keep this up, we’ll have enough cash for new gear and some training in no time.” A deep scratchy voice reached Eli’s canine ears, “Stupid fucking NPCs. They make this too easy. We’re going to be rich.”

  The shrill voice of a Gladekin followed, “Yeah, but what about the reputation loss? I mean, where are we going to sell all this stuff if we can’t get into Dawnport? We didn’t even get any exp from killing those two.” After a short pause, the innocent-sounding voice continued, “Should we even be doing this? I don’t know if I like robbing people, even NPCs.”

  As the two spoke, Eli crept close enough to make out the two figures. Each was sitting on a log, next to an unnecessarily large fire. While gauging their strength, a third person jumped into view, dropping from a low-hanging branch.

  “That’s because you didn’t kill them, you idiots,” the third man said. The figure was barely visible, kicking dirt onto the fire. “And there won’t be a next time if we get caught.” His voice was colder and more adult than the other two. “And we’re not doing this for new gear. This loot and the gold will sell for a lot of money, real-world money.” Eli watched as the man reached towards the Gladekin, snatching a pouch from his hands. “This haul alone could make us a few hundred dollars each.” While moving towards the fire, his dark brown hair, and pointed ears catching the light. “We hit a few more traders, head to the Mist Elf village, sell it all for real cash, and move to the next spot. Whatever we can’t sell for real money, we’ll sell for gold then sell the cash. It’s simple.” He circled the now smoking firepit, as the light from the coals danced across the tips of pine trees. “Once we’ve made en
ough money and some levels, we’ll hit a stronghold. That’s the real prize. There are people offering millions to whoever can get them any kind of large base, especially one with an altar. We’ll never have to work again.” His words paused before pointing at the gladekin. “Then you can buy your stupid pod and live here forever. You can run around with your NPC buddies and chase butterflies or whatever it is you do.”

  Eli stood motionless, while the unexpected adventurer spoke. Slowly, he reached for his bow. There were rumors about the Temple of Aeryntorr being a stronghold. Some said it held one of the twelve altars. The players who attacked his family were looking for it. Blood pooled in Eli’s hand as he lifted his weapon, his grip so tight that his claws dug into his palms. Something tapping on his leg stopped him from attacking immediately. Looking down, Eli saw Don staring at him expectantly.

  The Turta was hiding next to him, behind an overgrown blackberry bush, waiting for a signal. Peeking from behind his tree, Eli marked the shadowy elf-like figure who wore a wicked-looking bow on his back. A moment later, the symbol of an arrow appeared over the man's head. After dismissing the notification that he would be considered hostile, he marked the Gladekin with the flaming fist icon. Next, a red axe appeared above the warrior.

  Eli looked at his slowly draining mana bar and nodded towards Don. He could hold the marks for over thirty minutes, but if the fight took that long, he and the turta would surely be dead. Three against two was never good odds, even with the element of surprise. Tilting his head back, Eli looked at Don and motioned for him to flank around the side of the camp. He had marked the rogue, as Don’s target. A moment later, the Turta was in position, shifting in place, causing leaves to rustle.

  Making eye contact with Don, Eli pulled himself out from his hiding spot, knocked an arrow, aimed at the Elf, and fired. The twang of the bowstring alerted the trio of bandits to Eli’s location, but it was too late. His arrow was loose. As Eli’s projectile flew through space towards its new home, time seemed to slow. The thrill of the battle took hold, causing his heart to race. With a glance to his right, he saw two kunai knives flash from the tree-line towards the still seated Gladekin. The twin blades slammed into the man’s back with a thud, causing blood to land on a small pack behind him. Looking back to his target, Eli found himself in shock. The Elf had not only dodged his attack, but he had knocked two arrows and fired. One arrow flew wide, embedding itself deep into the tree he used as cover; the other struck him in the shoulder. As pain flared in his arm, a notification flashed in his field of view.

  Charlie Foxtrot - Lvl 5 - attacks you with a barbed arrow.

  19 damage taken.

  What the fuck was that? He shot two arrows at once. And how did he dodge my attack?

  “That would be the Archer class ability, multishot. It allows you to fire more than one arrow at once at the cost of stamina and reduced accuracy. As to how he dodged your attack, that would be the skill dodge. He may also have the passive ability, Alert.”

  The question was rhetorical. I didn’t actually want an answer. At least until after this is over.

  “How about a warning?”

  Sure, Eli sighed.

  “MOVE!”

  Knocking two more arrows, the Elf slowly raised his bow. Loud shouts and heavy metal-clad footsteps rang out to Eli’s right, as he ducked behind his tree, narrowly avoiding a second volley. The pain in his shoulder was overwhelming. His health bar flashed, as a sixth of his health points vanished. Knowing that staying stationary would get him killed, he pivoted, sprinting into the woods to his left, remaining as silent as possible.

  “You stealth skill just improved.”

  Can you not? At least while I’m in combat. It’s distracting.

  “Noted.”

  Now repositioned several paces away, and behind a new tree, Eli searched the clearing for his target; what he found sent a shiver of panic down his spine. The bleeding Gladekin threw down a small pouch which erupted in a cloud of smoke. Then he was gone. He vanished as if he were never there.

  Don’s voice rang through the clearing, “What the fuck? Where did you go?”

  The heavily armored man had unsheathed a gladius, grabbed a small buckler from behind his log, and charged Don. Eli’s target, the Elven archer, was nowhere to be seen. A second later, a loud snap sounded to his left, followed by a nearly inaudible whistle. Ducking, Eli spun and turned to find his assailant. As he lowered his head, an arrow grazed his hair. The projectile had missed his forehead by less than an inch, before flying off into the darkness of the woods. Grabbing a handful of arrows from his quiver, Eli continued circling his tree. Without pause, he followed the trajectory of the attack, looking for his target. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure rushing through the trees in a blur, as if distorted by steam. Taking a deep breath, Eli narrowed his vision and imagined where his target would be, not where he was. Leading the path of the player, he fired.

  The arrow flew, crossing forty feet in an instant before embedding into the player’s thigh. The attack caused a surge of pain to radiate through Eli’s injured arm. The arrow, still sticking out from his shoulder, dug deeper with small movement. Shoving the pain down, he moved. His options were move or die, and he had to find his next vantage point. While running, he ripped the arrow free and scanned the battlefield. Sprays of blood followed the head of the arrow, causing a notification to appear.

  You have taken 3 damage from a barbed arrowhead.

  You are bleeding - 1% of total HP lost per second for 10 seconds.

  While dismissing the notification, a scream of pain came from his right, “Fuck!” It was from Don.

  The sound brought him to a halt. He knew that if his friend was down already, it was over. While taking cover, he looked in the turta’s direction, trying to see how the player was holding up.

  “Dude, I could use a little help here,” Don called, without looking away from his enemies.

  Out of the corner of Eli’s vision, he could see the man spinning around a long wooden staff, attempting to keep both the rogue and warrior at bay. Trickles of blood spilled from the edges of a dagger embedded in his back. The image pulled Eli in, as he found himself lost in the dance of combat. Two red nametags hovered over his enemy's heads as they danced in and out, blocking his friend's strikes, landing some of their own.

  Above the small would-be assassin, the words Kyle Killsya - Lvl 5 hung like a beacon. The large human had the title, Zach DaSixpack - Lvl 5. Eli knew that these were their player names and levels. He also knew that Don was in trouble. Each of the two combatants was the same level as the Turta, and they had him flanked.

  Thinking quickly, he decided on a course of action. As he moved, another arrow pierced his side, right above his hip. Searing pain and a flashing health bar acted as a reminder of his problems.

  Charlie Foxtrot - Lvl 6 attacks you.

  22 damage taken.

  Effect: Bleeding II - 2% of total HP drained per second for 10 seconds.

  The attack knocked him off balance, staggering him as he ran towards the clearing, straight for the three players. He had no time to turn and chase an archer through the woods. His friend was locked in combat, and the man’s opponents knew nothing of Eli’s approach. He also knew that the archer out leveled him by two levels, had better gear, and was more skilled with the bow. If he had any hope, it would be to remove his ability to concentrate fire. So he ran.

  Dropping his cracked bow, Eli switched to his axe and rushed towards the wounded Gladekin, who had circled behind Don. Kyle seemed to be the most wounded of the three bandits, making him the best target. The twin kunai protruding from his back, near his spine, slowed his movement. As Eli approached, foregoing stealth for speed, he snapped a dried branch, alerting the man to his attack. At the sound of his heavy footsteps, the gladekin turned, a moment too late.

  Eli, only steps away from his target, lifted his axe above his head, and attacked. A look of panic and terror showed on the gladekin’s face, mingling wit
h a sigh of acceptance. In an attempt to protect his face, the small man screamed and brought his hands up. As if they would stop the attack. Eli brought his axe down with as much force as he could. A moment later, the appendages were gone. Blood sprayed Eli in the face, entering his mouth, as he released a feral roar. One hand fell free to the ground, his finely crafted axe having severed it completely. The other hung loose, supported only by a tendon, as a warm crimson liquid flowed from the wound like a waterfall.

  After a slight pause, a shrill scream shattered the sounds of battle. “Fuck! My hands. What did you do to my hands? Log out. Log out!” The small voice lost all signs of strength, as the player's hand fell to the floor. The muttering that followed came out childlike and confused as if he did not know the realities of the world. A moment later, a groan came from the tall human, as Don swung his staff in a wide loop, smashing it into the man’s head. Then the Gladekin fell to the ground in shock. Continuing his attack, Eli charged the stunned human, bringing his axe into a horizontal swing, aiming for the man’s waist. Before activating his cleave ability, pain erupted in his chest, as something sharp and barbed made its way through him. A second explosion of pain rippled through his left thigh. Eli’s attack faltered his momentum thrown off by two arrows appearing in his body. As he looked down, he found an arrowhead protruding from his chest and another halfway through his leg. Several notifications flashed into focus as he stumbled into the back of the metal-clad warrior, leaving a streak of blood on his dented armor.

  Charlie Foxtrot - Lvl 5 attacks you with Multishot.

  28 damage taken.

  Effect: Punctured lung - Stamina cost of all abilities increased by 100%. Stamina drains at 5 points per second for 10 seconds.

  Effect: Bleeding III - 3% of total HP drained per second for 10 seconds:

  Charlie Foxtrot - Lvl 5 attacks you with Multishot.