by Domino Finn
34 damage to [Pack Rat]
34 damage to [Pack Rat]
34 damage to [Pack Rat]
34 damage to [Pack Rat]
34 damage to [Pack Rat]
34 damage to [Pack Rat]
[Pack Rat] is defeated
[Pack Rat] is defeated
[Pack Rat] is defeated
[Pack Rat] is defeated
[Pack Rat] is defeated
[Pack Rat] is defeated
[Pack Rat] is defeated
[Pack Rat] is defeated
[Pack Rat] is defeated
[Mother Pack Rat] is defeated
380 XP awarded
Kyle and I widened our eyes in stunned silence. After a few idle moments, we simultaneously burst into laughter. But it didn't end there. A two-note chime sounded in sync with a new pop-up.
Pim-pom.
Crown Unlocked: Fire in the Hole
Take out a pack of tunnel dwellers with a single explosive.
1000 XP awarded
Both our bodies rushed with glowing blue fire from toes to head. As the fire washed over us, a long and deep chord sounded.
BWOOOOOM!
You have reached Level 2!
Our hysterical laughter once again transformed into slack-jawed gaping.
0160 Army of Two
Not only had we done it, but it was done with style. Level 2. With enough extra experience that we had a head start on level 3.
"Whoa," said Kyle. "I've never leveled that fast before. I've never gotten a crown either."
"I can't believe how much experience it was worth."
"Well, their XP doesn't get divided. The whole party gets the full reward. And you can only unlock them once. They're like secret achievements. Haven supposedly has a bunch of fun Easter eggs they award players with."
So creative killing and problem-solving were rewarded. All of a sudden, Lash being level 3 didn't seem so daunting. "You see? Leveling like the pros isn't about grinding swamp toads. It's about knowing the best sources of XP bonuses. I'm willing to bet if there was a wipe we could unlock this crown again without too much hassle. That's an automatic level gain."
Kyle nodded in agreement.
I was fired up. I stood and yelled into the trees. "Take that, Haven!" I strutted around like I owned the place. Though it occurred to me that the crown hadn't been my doing. It had been Kyle's weapon and the pack rat's mistake. I'd just had a front-row seat and been duplicated the XP.
"Those grenades are pretty cool," I said. "How many of those things you got left?"
"Just one. I can craft three a day."
"Hmm." I admired the destruction below. "They make a nice boom. It's a good start, but it doesn't seem very efficient to build a class around."
"Production should be better at level 2. Besides..." He pulled his sword. "That's what this is for."
"I guess."
I paced around the warren while Kyle checked his menu.
"What are you doing?" he asked. "Don't you wanna see what skills you can unlock?" His eyes glazed over. "Wow! Maybe I'll go into metalsmithing and make plate armor better than Lash has."
I arched an eyebrow. "An alchemist glassworker who forges armor?"
His boyish excitement clammed up. "What's wrong with that? I could make you some too."
"I'm just saying you should think about building a unified loadout. You want skills to complement each other. Like glasswork and alchemy to make grenades. That was pretty clever."
His eyes widened dramatically. "But full plate."
I shook my head. "Suit yourself. I've got loot to find."
Kyle stood as I continued surveying the ground. "That's right. This place has gotta have a sweet stash."
"Here we go."
Loot Stash Found!
As I crouched by my find, a new dialog popped up.
Proficiency gained: Fledgling Searcher
You are now familiar with the tricks of hiding objects and will find mixed success finding them.
Loot:
127 silver
[Iron Boots]
[Throwing Axe]
[Raw Topaz]
[Health Vial] x2
[Spirit Vial] x2
[Chain Mail Gloves]
[Soldier's Coat]
It wasn't much, but I was giddy all the same. This was the first legit stash we'd earned. The fact that we were out of breath made it that much sweeter.
The loot was simple to divide. Since I'd taken the last gem, I gave Kyle the topaz. The potions split evenly and the axe would just be junked. I gave Kyle the metal boots and gloves because they were too heavy for my class.
The soldier's coat turned out to be decent armor for an explorer. The padded leather fit snugly without hampering my mobility. It was a slick blue with gold trim. Made me look like an established player instead of walking around in only a noob tunic. It didn't have full coverage though. My arms and legs were still bare. Not to mention: sandals. I had no complaints, though. I was steadily making progress.
After organizing our gear we strolled through the forest, pleased with our good fortune. I glanced at my character screen.
Talon
Level
2
Class
Explorer
XP
1647
Kit
NA
Next
2500
1
Strength
12
Strike
50
Agility
14
Dodge
54
Craft
6
Health
38 / 38
Essence
8
Spirit
37 / 37
That level 2 label at the top did more than just look sweet. I had an additional attribute point to allocate. It also doubled my stats for strike, dodge, health, and spirit. Those were huge. I'd be more effective at combat and using skills wouldn't be such a juggling act. In addition, the rush of blue fire had restored me to full health and spirit.
I was pleased with my experience points as well. That rat encounter had rocketed us up almost 1500 XP. No doubt we could make another level before heading home. Of course, level 3 had its downsides too. I'd be eligible to fight Lash in the Arena, for one. I didn't worry too much about it, though. People like her were more bark than bite.
I was about to pull up my skill screen when Kyle barred my way with his arm. "Watch it."
We ducked behind a bush at the edge of a clearing. Not just a clearing, but the end of the forest. We'd hiked clear through to the western edge of the wood. The tree line stopped abruptly at the top of a gentle slope. Our position overlooked a common road and endless grasslands.
There were mobs too. A band of six imps and two goblins. The imps were the same I'd seen before: small, monkeylike, gray and feral. The goblins were different. Dark green skin but they weren't just a color-swapped mob. Standing between three and four feet tall, they had conniving faces with hard eyes and sharp noses. More importantly, they were outfitted with weapons and armor. The raiding party surrounded a wagon full of supplies and seized a single unarmed man in leather. The goblins prodded him with blades until he fell to his knees.
"Crap," said Kyle. "Pagans. These guys are WAY harder than normal mobs."
I snorted. At level 2, the [Imp] labels were only yellow now. No such luck for the goblins. "They sure killed my ass in the tutorial."
Kyle turned to me in shock. "Pagans were in your welcome tutorial? That's brutal."
We watched on as they interrogated the lone traveler. I cringed as the goblins spoke a clipped language and bossed the smaller imps around. They were intelligent. Relatively, anyway. From what I could gather, the pagans were intercepting all activity along the road. Eight of them against a single merchant, he was complying with their every request.
"What's the deal with pagans anyway?" I whispered.
Kyle answered without removing his eyes from
the scene. "Your standard Haven lore. Pagans were the princes of the wild before humans settled in. Civilization forced them to the deepest reaches of the wild. Urban centers like Stronghold were founded on their holy treasures. Yada yada yada. The key takeaway is they hate us." He backed away from the bush. "We wandered farther than I'd thought. We should get outta here."
I steadied his shoulder before he could leave. "We need to save that guy."
"Are you kidding? We can't take on eight pagans. They're not tiny pack rats."
"I know. I killed an imp before."
"You what? You don't wanna start pissing off pagans. They're wild and unorganized, but they're the largest NPC faction in Haven by far. Screw the lore, man. You start knocking them off and they'll hunt you down. Even Lash doesn't fuck with pagans."
I winced as I considered my negative pagan reputation. "It's quite possibly too late for that."
"You'll be okay. Lie low for a while and your notoriety will diminish."
"And what about that guy? Counting him and us it's three versus eight. Only two goblins. I'd say the odds favor us."
A goblin kneed the man in the stomach. When he keeled over, the second goblin brought an axe down hard, severing his head from his neck. Kyle and I flinched at the merciless display.
"Time to recalculate those odds," muttered Kyle. "Wait a minute. Where'd the imps go?"
Several screeching creatures loped our way, already at the top of the hill. Their cries of alarm alerted the goblins below. We leapt into defensive positions. In seconds, the entire pagan party converged on us.
[Goblin]
55 Health
[Goblin Captain]
120 Health
"Yup," I noted wryly. "Definitely too late."
0170 Goblin Commander
The imps hopped and chittered in noisy unison, mere animals unable to hide their growing anticipation for blood. The two goblins were more restrained. They stood upright, wore torso coverings of thick hide, and held long daggers. The little stickers were twisted and jagged and probably loaded with five kinds of Hep.
Kyle: We're so screwed, bro.
I smiled. The party chat wouldn't be visible to the pagans. It was a great way to strategize in secret, provided we had the concentration to apply to it.
Talon: Don't worry. Let's keep our heads and stay defensive. You still have that grenade, right?
Kyle: Ready and waiting.
"Tricksy spies!" accused the [Goblin Captain], waving his blade at us. "I knew that merchant wasn't alone."
I shivered. Somehow the fact the creature could talk made him more vile. The imps howled at the reference to the beheaded man on the road. They wanted more of the same.
"We didn't know him," I contested. "We were just wandering the Midlands—"
"These lands are free!" spat the goblin subordinate.
An imp swiped at me with a claw. I maneuvered my spear between us to back it off. The [Imp] tags were yellow now, indicating a simple challenge. In the tutorial, when I'd been level 1, they were orange. That was the good news: six imps would be a challenge but, with clever tactics, Kyle and I could take them.
The [Goblin] and [Goblin Captain], however, spoiled our chances. One name orange, one name red. That was Haven's way of saying the goblin would be tough and it would be outright stupid to attack the captain. Maybe we should have run when we'd had the chance.
"Lies!" screeched their leader, face twisting in anger. "Humanses and their lies. You were hunting the errant folk, you were. I can smell the stink of your actions from here."
I scowled. My pagan notoriety was working against me already.
"I only defended myself," I countered. "I'll do the same right now, if I need to."
The captain snickered. It was an uneven, choking sound that set me on edge. He looked to the other goblin. "The tricksy human wants to best us in combat."
"No," I cut in, inspired by our experience with the pack rats. "I want to offer a gift. A passing token to the pagans who rule these wild lands. A passing token, and then we can be on our way."
The imps chittered wildly. The goblins narrowed their eyes. They were suspicious of all humans, but they weren't immune to flattery. Whether ego or curiosity, their eyes twinkled.
"Gift," said the goblin subordinate, testing the word. "What gift?"
Talon: Hand them the grenade.
Kyle: What? You're crazy!
Talon: Remember the mother rat? Hand them the grenade.
Kyle: Oh.
Kyle: Should I crack it first?
Talon: No. Let me handle that part.
Kyle produced his final corrosive grenade. It really was beautiful, in a way. Custom blown glass, thin and sturdy, with a reflective black gel inside that settled unevenly. Kyle held the offering out and the goblin soldier snatched it and backed away.
"What's this?" he asked, studying it closely.
"A crystal ball," I answered. "It tells the fortune of those who peer into its depths."
The captain arched an eyebrow and peeked over his man's shoulder.
"Seriously," I continued. "Throughout history, civilizations have risen and fallen due to the influence of the black orb."
Kyle: Okay, bro, you might be laying it on a bit thick.
"Let me sees that," snapped the leader. He snatched the grenade from his comrade's hand and placed it before his eyes. "How does its turn on?"
Chances were this encounter was going to result in combat no matter what I did. My pagan rep all but guaranteed that. If these creatures wanted blood so badly, the best thing was to give it to them before they were ready. Attacking the captain was suicidal, but I'd never get a better shot.
I leveled the spear at the distracted leader and triggered deadshot. In a split second, the iron pierced my target: not the captain but the corrosive grenade he held. The glass orb shattered and the spear dug into the goblin's eye.
The resultant explosion was vicious. I rolled away, hoping the length of my spear was enough to keep me out of range. Between my improved stats, the technique, and the added corrosive gel, the damage didn't disappoint.
Surprise!
Critical Hit!
You dealt 82 damage to [Goblin Captain]
The pagan was thrown backward and landed in the dirt. He snarled and rolled to his side, face blackened with slime. He shrieked in pain and anger. "Trickses! Kill them!"
My jaw dropped. That had been my strongest hit yet. The captain had shrugged it off.
Note to self: No more attacking reds.
"Watch out!" shouted Kyle. He swung his sword as the other goblin charged me.
Because the creature's attention was divided, Kyle scored a decent hit. I readied my spear but couldn't trigger deadshot during the cooldown. 20 seconds didn't sound like much but it was an eternity in combat. Instead, his blade met my spear in a crossblock. He spun away and came at me again.
I stabbed forward. The goblin had decent defensive technique, batting my iron to the side, but he was a shrimp compared to me. His three-foot frame and puny weapon couldn't counter the full weight of my thrust. Despite being knocked off mark, my point found the goblin's side.
He growled and swung at me, but he was way out of range. I was liking my choice of spear more and more every minute.
Kyle took advantage of the distraction to score another hit on the goblin. Despite being a superior level, we already had him down to half health just like that. I was starting to think orange enemies weren't too bad after all.
Then the rest of the pagans caught up with us.
The imps converged, three on Kyle and three on me. They threw themselves at us with reckless abandon. And it would've been reckless had our weapons been pointed at them. Instead, while we were busy with the advanced mobs, the low-level ones swarmed us with ease. We took immediate and serious hits.
I knocked the pagans away with the flat of my weapon. I considered sweeping again to clear a path, but Kyle had stumbled to his knees. An imp took the opportunity to jump on
the back of his neck and bite.
I triggered dash to escape my imps and assist Kyle. I struck before my zippy movement was finished, before the beastie could strike a killing blow. I impaled it on my spear, not a crit but a solid attack that drained most of the imp's health and stunned it. The opening easily allowed a second strike to finish it off.
The other imps reared at my approach. They congregated into a battle pack. For all our effort, only one pagan was dead. That left five howling critters, a goblin subordinate, and a wounded captain just now regaining his feet.
We were screwed.
"Take the imps," barked Kyle. He charged straight at the weakened goblin.
My next spear thrust found more flesh, but the imp had avoided lethal damage. I found myself unable to fully commit to any blow lest the rest of the pack spill in.
"No," I said. "We need to run. We need to get out of here."
"I can do this," said Kyle.
His sword came down in a hard overhead strike. The goblin easily set to parry, but Kyle's strength was impressive. He must've dropped another point into the attribute since he leveled. The little goblin couldn't cancel the sword's momentum. His dagger twisted down as Kyle's hammering blow landed on his head.
Imp teeth dug into my neck. I spun away in panic. It wasn't pain I felt, exactly, but absolute horror filled in the blanks for my brain. Like when that boggart had slurped on my intestines. The mind wasn't meant to experience that.
I swung my weapon overhead in hasty arcs. I spun in circles, watching all approach angles, doing anything I could to keep the pagans off me.