Raiya: Starter Zone - A LitRPG Saga: Archon's Chosen - Book One
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You have defeated an Elite Kobold Warrior, Metal-Keeper. 5,500 experience awarded.
You are awarded 2,000 bonus experience for killing your first elite enemy. Tougher enemies lie in wait everywhere, will you have what it takes to hunt them down?
He did a double take, he had slain an elite mob and earned a large chunk of bonus experience? “Awesome!” He exclaimed.
He saw a familiar prompt appear next.
Congratulations - you have reached levels 4, 5, 6, and 7. Through force of will and trials by fire, you have attained new attribute points. 20 Attribute points unspent. You have earned 20 Skill points, 20 unspent.
At level 5 you have unlocked the ability Analyze.
Analyze - rank 1 - Using your natural gifts, you can now analyze enemies and friends to learn more about them. At rank one you will learn the targets name, level, disposition and health and mana levels. At higher levels, you will be able to see detailed attributes and
“That is what I am talking about!” he exclaimed, receiving a hiss from Sawbones. He moved onto the next set of prompts.
Congratulations, you have reached level 5 in Archery.
Congratulations, you have reached level 5 in Stealth
Congratulations, you have reached level 2 in Survival
Congratulations, you have reached level 3 in Daggers
Congratulations, you have reached level 4 in Light Armor.
Skree was stunned! He had 20 stat points and 20 skill points to spend? At this rate he would be so freakishly powerful that soon he would be able to wrestle a dragon! He read his current stats
Attributes:
Strength:
11
Dexterity:
10
Constitution:
18
Intelligence:
8
Wisdom:
10
Charisma:
8
He had a lot of points to spend, but he wanted to make sure he got it right. He had done well so far with his constitution, but that fight with Metal-Keeper nearly took a turn for the worse. He decided that dying was not high on his list of things to do so he dumped 10 points into constitution, raising his score to 28, raising his maximum health points to 380, a nice round 100 hit points added to his total.
Reviewing his mana, he did some quick math. He had used Power Shot twice and Careful aim once, using 125 of his 180 Mana points. These abilities were carrying him through fights one after another and he didn't want to risk not having the mana to use them more often. He increased his intelligence by 4 points, bringing his total score to 12 and his mana pool to 220 points.
The remaining points he split between Strength and Dexterity, bringing them to 14 and 13 respectively. He saw his stamina increase from 245 to 310 and his ranged attack damage and critical strike chance both increase
He confirmed his choices and as per the usual, his health bar instantly refilled and he felt restored. Again, his mind felt sharper and his body seemed to grow a bit more muscular. “Man, I love this game.”
He gave one more look at his new Stats.
Hit Points380 - 100 base + 280 from constitution
Mana Points220 - 100 base + 120 from intelligence
Stamina310 - 100 base + 70 from Strength + 140 from Constitution
Attributes:
Strength:
14
Dexterity:
13
Constitution:
28
Intelligence:
12
Wisdom:
10
Charisma:
8
Next, he pulled up his skills menu and reviewed his current build.
Skill
Rank
Description
Stealth
3
Detection decreased 38%
Tracking
1
Track in easy conditions
Archery
5
4% Increased damage
Light Armor
3
3% Additional armor
Daggers
3
2% Increased damage
Survival
2
Basic survival skills
Foraging
1
Find sustenance
He looked over his skills with hesitation, they were all so low ranked, and he had 20 skill points to spend here as well. With that many points he could really boost some of his key abilities. He mentally reviewed his last two battles. Ranged attacks had won both encounters but his dagger had been crucial to saving his life when ranged was no longer an option.
Not to mention stealth had been probably the most deciding factor in each confrontation to this point. He would definitely need Survival if he intended to continue eating on this god forsaken island and tracking would become essential if he intended to hunt for his food.
He put 5 points into Archery, 2 points into Daggers, 3 points into stealth, 3 points into light armor, 2 points into Tracking, Survival and Foraging, leaving him with one point unspent.
“Not too bad,” he thought, accepting his new totals and leaving himself with 1 point unspent. If he got a new skill he could level it up immediately which would be useful. He took a moment to review his new skill levels.
Skill
Rank
Description
Stealth
6
Detection decreased 41%
Tracking
3
Track in easy conditions
Archery
10
10% Increased base Damage
Light Armor
6
6% Additional armor
Daggers
5
5% Increased damage
Survival
4
Basic survival skills
Foraging
3
Find sustenance
He liked how his attributes and skills were shaping up. He wanted to keep a good distribution of attributes and skills that were balanced, even though he understood that 5 skill points wouldn’t go nearly as far once he started gaining more skills. He hadn’t even unlocked magic yet and didn't have any real crafting skills beside what he got from survival.
He saw yet another blinking notification in his vision.
Congratulations, you have reached level 10 in Archery, through careful application of this deadly weapon you have attained basic competence! Because you selected Ranger as your starting class kit, you can now select a new Archery perk from the following options.
Point-blank Archery - You can fire your bow with deadly accuracy even when an enemy is within 5 feet. Less difficulty when using a ranged weapon in close quarters.
Quick draw 1 - You can draw and knock an arrow 10% faster
Longshot 1 - You can fire your bow effectively longer distances, increasing max range from 120 feet to 160 feet.
“Nice!” He exclaimed out loud, startling Sawbones from his rest. “Sorry.” He whispered, and the Kobold settled back down. Man, he was really stepping up his game with Archery. He liked all the options and was disappointed he couldn't choose them all right now. “Wouldn't want to me to be too overpowered now would we.”
He considered each one in turn but in the end knew that Quick Draw was the most logical choice. Point-blank Archery had it uses, but he wanted to do as much damage as possible before he needed to rely on that perk. He selected Quick Draw 1 and confirmed his choice.
With his character sheet settled, he rose to his feet. He looked at the body of the Kobold that Sawbones had killed. “Your kill, your loot buddy.” He said gesturing at the face down corpse. Sawtooth scrambled to his fallen enemy and started digging in its pockets.
“You give loot to Sawbones? You not take all?” The Kobold asked suspiciously.
Skree just nodded, careful not to smile, “Of course not! I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I did, now would I?” The Kobold yipped excitedly and began stripping the body o
f armor so Skree walked over to his first kill, the dead kobold still wrapped in fine metal wires from his trap.
A knife lay next to the body, so he snatched it from the ground and inspected it.
You have found Steel Dagger, Rarity: common, Quality: average, Damage 11, durability 22/25.
“Well, it's definitely better than what I have now.” He put his old dagger into his pouch and slipped the new blade onto his waist. He checked the pockets and found round pebbles, a few shiny quartz type crystals and what appeared to be animal teeth.
You have found Pebbles (14), Rarity: Abundant, Quality: Junk, Damage: 1, Durability: 1/1
You have found Small Quartz Crystal, Rarity: Unusual, Quality: Poor, Durability: 3/3
You have found Cave Rat Teeth, Rarity: Abundant, Quality: Junk, Durability: 1/1
Well the crystals might be worth something, but the pebbles and teeth seemed pretty useless. He tossed them on the ground, satisfied that he had found at least something useful. Now he needed to check on his elite friend the Metal-keeper.
As he walked back to the fallen Kobold, he saw that Sawbones had slipped on some of the leather armor from the dead guard that looked two sizes too big for him and was swinging a spiked club around wildly. Sawbones also had a knife on his hip that looked like a short sword for a creature of his size. Skree just shook his head and continued on to his prize.
Searching the body of the Metal-Keeper he found several items of note.
You have found Glittersteel Short Sword, Rarity: Rare, Quality: Above Average, Damage: 22, Durability: 44/50 - This Glittering Steel Short Sword is of excellent make and the ores used during its construction contained Glitterstone fragments, giving this blade a sparkling appearance. Glitterstone can be used to store magical energy, which the wielder can draw upon to restore missing mana points. Mana is absorbed from the ambient mana that permeates the world of Raiya. Current stored mana 12/25
You have found Steel Chainmail Shirt, Rarity: Common, Quality: Above Average, Armor: 12, Durability: 34/60
You have found Amulet of Health, Rarity: Rare, Quality: Superb, Durability: 39/50 - This rare amulet grants the wearer slow health regeneration. 0.2 hit points per second when not in combat.
Skree literally jumped for joy. “Jackpot baby!” He shouted, his voice echoing down the tunnel a little louder than he expected. Sawbones hissed, “Quiet stupid.”
He scoffed at the little Kobold as he pulled the chainmail shirt over his shoddy leather shirt. A prompt appeared in his vision.
You have equipped two pieces of armor in the same slot. The weaker armor will be ignored but can be worn for comfort or style. Current active armor: Steel Chainmail Shirt.
He had figured he wouldn't be able to stack on 5 sets of armor and have it count, but he was glad that he could wear the leather shirt to keep the cold chainmail off his chest and away from his nipples. Just imagine the chaffing if you had chainmail rubbing against them all day!
He tossed the amulet over his head, the delicate metal chain hanging around his neck and felt a warmth spread through his chest. He was also greeted by a small heart below his health bar with a tiny green arrow pointing up. “It works!” He thought with a smile. It wouldn't be instant recovery like leveling up, but it would definitely speed his recovery after a tough fight.
Last but definitely not least, he picked up the sword and swung it a few times, getting a feel for its weight. When he had finished his practice swings, a prompt appeared:
Congratulations, you have reached level 1 in Long blades. +1% base damage to all Swords.
“Yeah boy!” He thought, opening his character sheet. He quickly allocated his unused skill point into long blades.
Congratulations, you have reached level 2 in long blades. +2% base damage to all Swords
Turning to see that Sawbones was standing nearby, staring up at him with his arms crossed. “We win. Now we go? Still have Chieftain to kill.”
“Where should we head first?” Skree asked without concern.
Sawbones bared his fangs, tail wagging excitedly. “Metal-keeper armory. No Metal-Keeper now. More weapons before we go.”
Skree patted the Kobold on the back. “I like where your head’s at buddy!”
Sawbones reached up and felt his cheeks, ears and the tiny horns growing out of his skull. “What mean, where head at? Same place always be.”
Skree just laughed and motioned for Sawbones to lead the way. As they walked, Skree used his new ability Analyze on Sawbones.
Name: Sawbones, Kobold level 4, Health 140, Mana 30, Stamina 60, Disposition: Friendly.
“Kobolds are a primarily subterranean race, most are of low intelligence but are crafty and resourceful. They are not inherently evil but are antagonistic to most races on Raiya. Kobolds receive 2 stat points and 2 skill points per level.”
“Only level 4? I just gained 4 levels from that fight - I guess he only received XP for the kills he actually made.” Skree had an idea. Opening his menus, he searched for his social tab and found the option he was looking for: Create Party. He selected the prompt and a list appeared: Nearby characters able to form a party - Sawbones, Level 4. He selected Sawbones and added him to his party.
The little Kobold nearly fell over when the party invite appeared in his vision.
Sawbones spun on his heel and looked at Skree with a crazed excitement in his eyes. “You want form party with Sawbones? Sawbones never been in a party!” His tail wagged back and forth like a puppy with a brand-new chew toy.
Skree knelt and locked eyes with the little Kobold. “I would be honored for you to join my party. Will you accept?”
Sawbones came closer, until they were nose to snout, then licked Skree in the face with his disgusting sandpaper tongue. “Sawbones accepts!” He tried for another tongue lashing but Skree quickly pulled away and stood, wiping his face with his hand.
Notifications appeared in Skree’s vision:
Congratulations, you have received 1000 relationship points with Sawbones - Relationship has improved from Neutral (500) to Neutral (1500)
You have formed a Party; all members of the party will split experience from combat and will receive bonus experience when a member completes a quest.
Achievement Unlocked - Better together: Form your first party and begin your conquest of Raiya
Dismissing the prompts, Skree smiled down at the Kobold. “Now we can really kick some ass little buddy!”
The party turned and continued onward, feeling more confident about the journey ahead.
CHAPTER NINE
Skree and Sawbones moved quickly through the complex network of tunnels thanks to the Kobolds familiarity with the underground area. Skree reflected on the fact that if he had not met Sawbones, he would be wandering down here for days until he finally died of starvation.
He thought about it for a moment then pulled up his character screen. He searched up and down until he saw a small gravestone icon with the words: “Starting Beach” next to it. He groaned when he saw that he would be teleported or plane shifted to that same patch of beach where he had met Sharktooth.
He blinked his screen away and focused on the task at hand. Sawbones slowed, edging up to the next tunnel carefully. He poked his tiny head around the corner and sniffed aggressively.
“Empty ahead, near armory.” He looked back at Skree. “Treasure.” He hissed excitedly.
Skree waved him forward and they moved into the tunnel at a jog. Sawbones cut a hard turn under a small archway that Skree had to duck through to enter without bashing his skull. He looked around the cramped space, not quite able to stand fully. He watched in anticipation as Sawbones threw open a curtain and revealed several makeshift racks of weapons, armor and other junk.
He shuffled into the small space behind Sawbones and started picking up items one by one. While most items were garbage, he definitely found a few things of interest.
You have found Unidentified Magic Boots, Rarity: Rare, Quality: Superb, Armor: 9, Durability: 80
/80
You have found Unidentified Magic Book, Rarity: Rare, Quality: Superb, Durability: 1/1
You have found Golden Idol, Rarity: Precious, Quality: Masterwork, Durability: 104/200 - “This golden idol is the likeness of some long dead Kobold with noble features. The eyes of this idol are enhanced with small gemstones that seem to stare into you.”
You have found Ebon-Tipped Spear, Rarity: Uncommon, Quality: Above Average, Damage: 12, Durability: 20/35 Special effects: 10% chance to cause a bleeding wound. “Ebon-tipped weapons are common in regions with volcanic activity and are sharp enough to sever tendons and flesh with ease.”
You have found Ebon-Tipped Arrows (10), Rarity: Uncommon, Quality: Above Average, Damage: 4, Durability: 4/4 Special effect: 10% chance to cause a bleeding wound. “Ebon-tipped weapons are common in regions with volcanic activity and are sharp enough to sever tendons and flesh with ease.”
Skree took the items that interested him and placed them in his bag. He was confused by the unidentified items as he found a magic amulet and sword with magical properties that were already Identified. He scratched his head and shrugged, realizing it would be a question he would have to research later.
Sawbones removed the armor that was far too big for him and replaced it with a better fitting chain shirt, dark leather pants that had a hole in the backside to allow for his tail and grabbed a smaller version of Skree’s Ebon-Tipped Spear, only twice the length an arrow.
Skree couldn't help but laugh as Sawbones danced a little jig and chanted “Warrior. Warrior.” repeatedly. He placed a hand on Sawbones shoulder, who stopped dancing, his black eyes filled with happiness.
“You ready to finish this my friend?” Skree asked excitedly.
Sawbones nodded and bared his teeth in a feral grin. “Gertrude die today.” Together they walked out of the armory with a new-found confidence. Skree felt proud that he was helping his new friend gain levels and better gear. He had been in Raiya less than two days and thankfully he was already doing some good. Except for maybe the whole murdering sentient creatures thing. He had considered on several occasions why he wasn’t more worried about his current situation, being transported across the universe to a new world and everything, but he had never been one to dwell on the present. His sister always said he didn’t take anything seriously.