A Healer's Gift: Adventures of Brad: Book 1 (Adventures on Brad)

by Tao Wong

  Rather than pushing his luck, Daniel jumps back to separate himself from his assailants. He catches the second Kobold’s attack on his shield again and deflects it to the side this time, creating an opening for his mace to crash down onto the monster’s head. The Kobold staggers under the blow, a choked scream emanating from it as it struggles to stand up but is quickly dispatched before Daniel focuses on the remaining maimed Kobold to finish the fight.

  Exhaling in relief and concentrating to slow his breathing down, Daniel checks his surroundings quickly before pocketing the mana stones. Still no sign of that damn red cloak… Pushing the thought away, Daniel grins over the progress he has made. Another level and a shield has made the second floor and the Kobolds warriors he fights significantly easier to handle. A higher level of Agility meant that he could now keep up with the Kobolds and their fast, short attacks, while his greater strength allowed him to occasionally smash aside their defenses with impunity.

  Looking at his minimap and the two passageways that split before him, he picks the one on the right where a larger cavern awaits. He knows that the larger cavern will normally hold a few more Kobolds if it had not been cleared already by another Adventurer. Hunting Kobolds was almost fun now that he wasn’t getting stabbed nearly every other fight.

  Two hours of further fighting, and he finally gets the notification he’s looking for.

  Level Up!

  Adventurer Level 4

  You have gained 5 attribute points and 1 Skill Proficiency to distribute

  He doesn’t even have to think about it, having spent more than a few idle nights plotting what attributes and proficiencies he requires to progress further. A quick selection and he pulls up his Status page to review the results.

  Name: Daniel Lai

  Class: Level 4 Adventurer (1%)

  Sub-classes: Level 7 (Miner) (19%)

  Human (Male)

  Statistics

  Life: 201

  Stamina: 201

  Mana: 152

  Attributes

  Strength: 18

  Agility: 19

  Constitution: 26

  Intelligence: 16

  Willpower: 18

  Luck: 13

  Skills

  Unarmed Combat: Level 3 (01/100)

  Clubs : Level 9 (11/100)

  Shield: Level 5 (78/100)

  Dodge: Level 4 (36/100)

  Combat Sense: Level 6 (72/100)

  Perception : Level 5 (16/100)

  Mining : Level 7 (78/100)

  Healing : Level 7 (47/100)

  Herb Lore: Level 3 (31/100)

  Cooking: Level 2 (37/100)

  Singing: Level 2 (14/100)

  Skill Proficiencies

  Double Strike

  Shield Bash

  Mapping (II)

  Spells

  Minor Healing (I)

  Gifts

  Martyr’s Touch - The caster may heal oneself or others by touch and concentration, sacrificing a portion of his life to do so. Cost varies depending on the extent of the injuries healed.

  Satisfied, Daniel continues his search for the chest. It is another hour before he locates it, the second floor significantly larger than the first and consequently requiring much more time to map and search. He’s not even surprised to see two Elite Kobolds guarding the chest. The second floor’s guardians seemed to vary depending on the luck of the Adventurer, either presenting a single Elite and a regular Kobold or two Elites.

  Checking behind himself once more to ensure he is not followed by an opportunistic Kobold, or a red cloak, Daniel peeks about the corner till both of the Kobolds are no longer facing his entrance. He sprints forward immediately, keeping as silent as a 5’ 8” man carrying a shield and mace can be in the cave. It gets him about halfway there before the first Kobold notices him, screaming a warning that is cut short soon after as Daniel gets close enough at last to swing with his mace down overhand to crush the creature. Only a last-minute jerk of its head saves the Elite Kobold’s life, but the mace still smashes into its shoulder to crack the collarbone and drive it to its knees.

  The moment his feet is set, Daniel spins and utilizes Shield Bash on the other Elite who is already winding up its own strike. Daniel’s attack is hastily thrown, but it smashes into the out-thrust shiv with force, sending the shiv and arm spinning aside. The Elite is not stunned, but Daniel now has more than enough time and space to face his first opponent and engage Double Strike. A fast series of strikes, both hitting for once manages to end the injured Elite’s life.

  Daniel doesn’t pause, already turning to deal with his last opponent. His quick turn/ keeps the Elite’s strike from doing more than superficial damage to his arm and Daniel hunches down beneath his shield, ready to finish the fight. The remainder of the fight is relatively one-sided, though much less spectacular as Daniel hounds the Elite with quick, fast strikes that force the Kobold to defend itself till a failed attempt at a dodge ends it.

  As is his tradition now, the moment the monster falls Daniel spins around to check his surroundings. Still no red cloak. He strides quickly to the chest to take his rightful prize before collecting the remaining mana stones, a wide smile on his face. Today was definitely a good day.

  Chapter 14

  “Har!” Daniel grins, feeling the shiv skid off his newly bought chausse. No more getting stabbed in the thigh by these too short monsters. It was a pain trying to block attacks that came so low with his shield - he either had to stay crouched really low for hours on end or keep his shield at a comfortable height and risk missing a block. A few weeks later, Daniel finally has some armor after more skimping and saving. It cost him more than he cared to think about, nearly three times what he would have needed to live on as a miner, but it was worth every penny.

  Of course, Daniel isn’t wasting time just gloating. His mace whistles down in a diagonal strike onto the Kobold he has been targeting, smashing it into the ground. As the Kobold attempts to stand, he winds up and kicks it in the side, keeping his shield close to him to foul probing attacks from the other two Kobolds he faces. The kick picks up the smaller monster, smashing it into his friends and throwing the group off-balance.

  A chained attack that keeps the group of Kobolds staggering and injured ending with a Double Strike ends the fight soon after. New armor, new tactics and another level has boosted Daniel’s fighting abilities significantly. He confidently fights two or three Kobolds these days without fail, only receiving the most minor of injuries in most cases. Daniel no longer even bothers with trips to the first or second floor, only working the third floor and the more numerous Kobolds there. Until today though he has avoided the location where the Sector boss and main floor boss lived, preferring to work his skills safely. Today though was the day he would challenge the monster.

  The trip to the Kobold Chief’s lair takes Daniel another hour, the Adventurer pausing after each battle to rest and recuperate. As he nears the chamber, he hears a scream and he picks up his pace. His sudden, noisy entrance surprises the combatants for a second, giving Daniel time to assess the situation.

  An Adventurer is curled up on the floor missing his arm, bleeding out while his companion stands facing the Kobold Chief. She is the screamer, her sword and dagger combo wavering as fear grips her. The Kobold Chief sports a single large gash on its arm but is otherwise unharmed. To Daniel’s surprise, the Chief is no taller than a normal Kobold at a short four feet though the monster wields an actual short sword, chipped as it is and wears rusted chainmail for protection on its torso. The other major change in appearance is that the Kobold Chief is significantly more muscular than a regular Kobold with defined musculature in its arms and chest.

  Pushing aside other thoughts and concerns for the other Adventurers, Daniel rushes the Kobold Chief who jumps away with ease and speed. The movement is quicker than any of his previous opponents by a significant margin. Narrowing his eyes over the shield, Daniel hunkers down for a long fight, realising that he cannot take chances
here. Recalling his first fight with an Elite, Daniel begins to feint and attack with wider swings, intent on cornering the Chief.

  The Chief growls at Daniel, deflecting a swing with the mace with its own short sword but Daniel’s surprising strength throws it aside slightly, forcing the Kobold to compensate for its balance by taking a step backwards. As it recovers, Daniel’s backhand catches the Chief on its forehead, sending the creature stumbling again. Daniel steps forward again to push his advantage but has is distracted by the sound of metal on stone behind him. The female Adventurer, exhausted and panicked has dropped to her knees, her weapons clattering against the ground.

  Daniel turns back to his fight, having taken his eyes away from the Kobold but for a second and is greeted by black smoke rising from where the Kobold Chief was. A tentative swing through the smoke shows that it is just smoke, so Daniel spins around searching for his opponent.

  The Chief reappears behind the shocked female Adventurer. Shouting a warning, Daniel is too late as the Chief stabs downwards, targeting not the female Adventurer but her injured friend, cutting his throat with relish. Screaming in anger, Daniel crosses the floor and Shield Bashes the bloodthirsty smile from the Kobold, watching the creature stumble back stunned. Not giving the creature any further chances, Daniel smashes it with quick strikes, his technique falling by the wayside as rage consumes him.

  Panting and leaning over after the Chief falls, the monster never given a chance to fully recover from the original stun, Daniel groans and straightens up. Somewhere along the way, the Kobold Chief had managed to slip a thrust under his breastplate, right above his hips and only now does Daniel truly feel it. He has no time though to worry about his own wounds as he hurries over to the pair of Adventurers.

  “Miss. Are you okay?” Provided no answer, he places a hand on her shoulder and sends his Gift into her body, finding nothing major to heal. He bends down to touch the armless corpse, again sending the energy of his Gift out in forlorn hope. It finds no purchase in the soulless corpse, coming back to him and Daniel bows his head in silent grief for the two for a moment.

  Unable to do anything for either, he turns his attention back to his own injuries and the loot. A series of quick Heals puts him right again before he loots the room. Coming back to the body, he rolls the Adventurer over and does a quick search, pulling out the money pouch from the Adventurer’s body. He presses the pouch into the lady’s hand and helps her sheath her weapons. The Adventurer responses to direct instructions and guiding hands but otherwise does little else, body already beginning to shiver from shock.

  Hours later, Daniel finally manages to guide the lady out of the Dungeon. The moment the setting sun hits her face, she screams and rips off her belt and weapon, throwing them onto the ground and running away from the Dungeon. Daniel steps toward her fleeing form but is stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

  “Don’t.” Daniel turns to see the guard, the one who lost the bet on his first night out. Brown concerned eyes stare out from a bearded face as he holds the young Adventurer still. “We’ll keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn’t do any harm. To herself or others. Then when it’s time, we’ll get her to a Priest. You did your part, you got her out.”

  Daniel slowly nods. A part of him wants to help, but mostly, he’s glad. His Gift was powerful, but it had limits and the mind was one thing he had no ability to heal. This was outside his purview, “Okay.”

  On the other side, the guards larger, balding companion bends down to pick up the weapon sheath, belt and its attached coin purse for safekeeping. The bearded guard considers Daniel, tilting his head in thought, “You don’t look too shaken. Most newbies their first death hard to deal with.”

  Daniel grunts, looking back into the Dungeon before he answers, “It’s not my first. The mines weren’t safe either.”

  The guard grins, clapping Daniel on the shoulder. “Good man. Keep that in mind and you might just make it to the bottom. The name’s Ken and that silent lunk is Curtzman.”

  “Daniel,” Daniel looks back to the entrance before he mutters what is bothering him, “I left his body back there. Couldn’t carry it and watch her…”

  “Don’t bother, it’s gone. The Dungeon will have taken it already. That’s the Adventurers Grave for you,” Ken shrugs before he shoves Daniel on the shoulder. “Best hand in your stones, you’re buying tonight at the Top.”

  Daniel opens his mouth to protest the guard’s insistence but after a moment, shuts it. He did need a drink, and rough and selfish as it was, the invitation was meant in a friendly manner. “Tonight then.”

  Chapter 15

  A finger traces down his chest as Khy’ra smiles at Daniel in her bed. Outside, the town was blanketed in white from another snowfall, broken up by the criss-crossing tracks of carts getting ready for the day’s work. The last few weeks had deepened the budding relationship between the elf and human, though due to their nature and profession, an agreed upon mutual emotional distance was still kept. Life had fallen into a comfortable routine, seeing each other when their schedules allowed but neither insisting on more than the other would give.

  For Khy’ra, the relationship with Daniel would always be a temporary one as any relationship with one not as long-lived. It was a curse of their kind and why so few Elves deigned to live and work amongst the shorter-lived races. Few desired to deal with the emotional toll of watching one after the other of their friends grow close and die, again and again. Khy’ra herself was considered highly unusual, not only on her insistence in interacting with the shorter-lived races but by becoming a healer amongst them. It would not be entirely fair to say that other elves saw her work among the destitute humans and Beastkin as futile, a delaying of the inevitable, but it was not far off.

  “How are things going?” Khy’ra asks, just enjoying touching Daniel’s hairless chest. Certainly, she might be slightly unusual, but she felt no carnal desire for those hairy rugs that many other humans and dwarves sported.

  “Mmmm… good. Very good. I went down to the fourth floor yesterday, registered myself then finished the third again. I think, I think I’m ready to try tomorrow,” he rolls over, kissing her and grins as he waggles his eyebrows. “Today’s another… shopping… day though.”

  She snorts, pushing at Daniel’s chest. “No…. Some of us actually have to work.”

  Grinning, Daniel plays his trump card, leaning down and gently nibbling on her pointed ears. She moans slightly, whispering softly, “Maybe I can be late…”

  Whistling as he leaves Khy’ra’s house, Daniel reflects on his luck these past few months. The initial free training gave him a leg-up, honing his fighting skills sufficiently to let him utilise more advanced attacks and tactics than see-smash. In the last few weeks, at first reluctantly but now routinely, he has joined Ken, Curtzman and the other guards and even some senior Adventurers drinking at the Top in the evening when he comes back. Elise kept an eye on the young Adventurer when he did so, often cutting him off and sending him to rest when he stayed too long, her mothering done with the deft hand of an experienced innkeeper.

  It was the advice from the Adventurers and guards that drove his agenda for this shopping trip. The fourth floor saw a major change in the dungeon layout with the introduction of the Draxillan Crawler and Dungeon built traps. The Draxillian Crawler was a strange beast that was tougher individually than any Kobold, skittering around in its grey shell and twelve legs up walls and down passageways with ease. The monsters routinely avoided traps in that way that caught unwary Adventurers. However, their greatest threat was not in their fighting prowess but what they defecated. Joined together, the Crawlers feces and a chemical it extruded were mixed together to create a fast hardening substance that had the strength of stone. It was highly prized among the construction companies, but in the Dungeon the Crawlers would often cover chamber entrances and exits, constantly changing the layout of the floor and driving Adventurers into traps and cul-de-sacs.

  The city hired Adventure
rs to constantly break down the newly created blockages, but it was a constant battle that made the Guild sold map of the floor both a necessity and a waste.

  “4 vials of glow moth serum, 40 feet of rope, attachment for the ropes and a hammer,” In the general store, Daniel lists his requirements to the proprietor. “Also, 2 dozen trap balls, a dozen bushels of sage and the cotton balls.”

  The proprietor of the store, a short older man, hurries off before coming back with the goods neatly packed. “Fourth floor?”

  Daniel nods as he pays before he is stopped by the proprietor whose hand comes back from under the counter with a smaller glass canister with glow crystals shedding a soft, warm light. “For you. It can get dark down there. Good luck Daniel.”

  Daniel automatically takes the light, at the same time querying, “Have we met?”

  “Not me. My cousin works at the Clinic and pointed you out a while ago.”

  “Oh…” Daniel nods his thanks, taking the bundle and heading to the armourer. Like most Adventurers, Daniel’s interactions with the regular townsfolk was limited to a select few shops that directly catered to their needs. Armourers, blacksmiths, the apothecary, a few inns were where the Adventurers congregated. Yet a town could not survive just on those things, and outside of the Adventurers direct sphere of interactions lay farmers, tailors, shopkeepers, masons and more who thrived off the funds that flowed from the Dungeon. It was only Daniel’s continued presence at the Clinic and his relationship with Khy’ra that highlighted his presence to the townsfolk.

  At the armoury, Max pokes at Daniel’s pauldrons before making him jump in place while holding his hands up to ensure it fitted properly. Grunting in acceptance, Max makes Daniel spin around again and bend over, checking the links and closures before Max finally grunts acceptance at the work, “It’ll do.”