Level 55 Goblin Chief
Dave looked at the creature with a staff at its side and the two Goblins wearing armor in front of its stone seat.
Level 47 Goblin Mage
Level 32 Goblin Warrior
Level 39 Goblin Warrior
The Dwarves slammed their shields into the ground, ready for a long fight as Goblins hit their shields. Their shields cut out. They were nearly thirty levels above the normal Goblins they were fighting.
It would take one lucky hit to take them down, skill over sheer levels. Sometimes, blind luck or misfortune could mean the end of a creature. Dave had seen that more than once with his fights.
Though raw and unquestioning power also had its place. The Dwarves tore the 20-30 level Goblins apart in one or two hits.
Dave put his axes away and grabbed his bow, adding to Deia’s attacks. Every so often, he’d drop a sharpened pole through a Goblin archer. He made sure he kept his Mana at forty percent. The rest he used his arrows against.
The Dwarves were holding out but the Goblins were using their dead to try to climb their shields.
“Pull back!” Lox said, his voice calm and collected.
“Up!”
The Dwarves moved as one, their spikes coming free of the ground.
“Step back.”
They made one pace. Max and Tounk, on either side, folded into the corridor. Lox, Joko, and Gurren spread out, taking up the length of the corridor.
“Down!”
The Dwarves planted their shields.
Dave added his arrows to Deia’s; where his took two or three, she was cutting them down with single hits. The entire time, the Dwarves’ blades had been stabbing, bleeding the Goblins.
“Be ready to take care of those archers. Dave, get your Mana back—drop some steel spikes in the bastards,” Lox ordered.
Dave dropped into a seated position, his Mana regenerating quickly. He sent out a Touch, as Deia and Bob had been teaching him; it was getting faster and faster. He studied the entire room. He hadn’t picked it up before, but there were a number of stalactites in the ceiling. He studied the roof, a plan forming in his mind.
They moved back three more times before Lox ordered them all forward.
Dave rose to his feet, his pulse still active.
They entered the cavern again. A hail of arrows reached them. Dave confirmed their positions and conjured air into faults above the stalactites. The room shook as the growing pockets of gas shifted entire sections of stalactites.
They fell, an avalanche of rock, above the Goblins.
Dave watched more of the ceiling come apart as there was no support to hold it up. Dust filled the room and Dave covered his face against it.
When he looked up again, there were just a few Goblins left.
Dave smiled to himself. Work smarter, not harder. He pulled an arrow back, firing at the Goblin chief. Its warriors were dead but it and its mage were still kicking.
The Goblin chief bellowed and ran at the group. The mage followed and cast electricity.
Tounk let out a yell and fell, the electricity dazing him.
“Charge!” Lox said.
Dave ran. He and Deia tried to take out any of the remaining Goblins that had survived Dave’s avalanche. The Dwarves cut through the stunned Goblins using their shields and blades, cracking bones and opening bodies.
The mage glowed and started to mutter. Deia put two arrows in its direction. A shield snapped into existence. The mage held out its hands as another two arrows hit the mage.
Dave added his own arrows. It didn’t do much but it helped. It took three more arrows to break the shield. The mage squeaked; it hadn’t realized how close the Dwarves were.
Gurren cut it down where it stood.
Lox was fighting the chief; an arrow hit the chief in the face, causing it to yell out in pain. Lox opened the creature’s stomach.
Max and Tounk got the two guards and Joko was cutting down the remaining lower level Goblins.
Deia lowered her bow. “It looks like they’re all dead.”
“Well, let’s loot the damn place and get the hell out of here,” Lox said.
Goblin bodies didn’t disappear as they weren’t like mobs, though Lox promised that they would be reclaimed by Emerilia soon enough.
Dave found a number of gold coins and a bunch of crappy weapons and armor. The rest was coppers, with odd gems here and there. He gave it all to Lox to sort out.
He also found a loot chest behind the stone chair the Goblin had been sitting on.
Goblin Chief Chest
Armor of haste
Stone Dagger
Axe of the Wind
X10 Gold
Take/Take All
Dave took it all and handed it off to Lox. He checked out the notification bar that was flashing up a storm.
Active Skill: Surveyor
Level: Journeyman level 4
Effect: 51% chance to see resources within your range sight.
Range: 1220 m
Cost: 5 Stamina/second
Reward: 5000 XP
Active Skill: Sprint
Level: Journeyman level 6
Effect: 55% increased speed
Cost: 5 Stamina/second
Reward: 7500 XP
Active Skill: Stealth
Level: Apprentice level 7
Effect: 37% chance to remain undetected (reduced in direct light).
Cost: 5 Stamina/second
Reward: 2500 XP
Passive Skill: Night Vision
Level: Journeyman 8
Effect: 59% increased night vision.
Racial bonus: +25% increased night vision.
Reward: 7500 XP
Passive Skill: Tracker
Level: Apprentice level 3
Effect: 29% chance to detect another creature’s path.
Reward: 3000 XP
Active Skill: Sneak Attack
Level: Apprentice level 3
Effect: When you are undetected in Stealth, attacks will hit with 252% increased damage (Massive increase when hitting Critical area).
Cost: (Attack 50 Stamina)
Active Skill: Two handed
Level: Journeyman level 5
Effect: 15%armor penetration on target. Stamina costs reduced 5% while fighting
Cost: 10 Stamina
Reward: 4500 XP
Active Skill: Archery
Level: Novice level 8
Effect: Critical Hit chance increases by 8%.
Cost: 10 Stamina
Reward: 5000 XP
Passive Skill: Dodge
Level: Apprentice level 8
Effect: 39% chance to evade objects.
Reward: 4000 XP
Passive Skill: Perception
Level: Novice level 7
Effect: 17% chance to find hidden details.
Level 15
You have reached level 15; you have 60 stat points to use.
His stats were still increasing at a good pace, but training was having less of an effect. The combat had given him a nice boost in stats.
Stat Increase
+3 Strength
+3 Agility
+5 Intelligence
+4 Willpower
+1 Endurance
He pulled up his character sheet and Affinities.
Character Sheet
Name:
David Grahslagg
Gender:
Male
Level:
3
Class:
-
Race:
Human/Dwarf
Alignment:
Chaotic Neutral
Unspent points: 60
Health:
1500
Regen:
0.86 /s
Mana:
460
Regen:
1.95 /s
Stamina:
380
Regen:
1.70 /s
Vitality:
15
E
ndurance:
43
Intelligence:
46
Willpower:
39
Strength:
38
Agility:
34
Affinity levels
Dark
27
Light
28
Air
23
Water
20
Earth
32
Fire
21
Not too shabby. Looks like using my skills instead of just training with them is having a better effect.
He thought about going out and fighting creatures more. He dismissed the idea, remembering how Deia and the warband had talked in low tones about the monsters that they had fought. The creatures in the area were no low-level simpletons.
Dave was getting power leveled by all of the EXP he was getting fighting creatures that appeared to be levels above him and the shared EXP pool of the Dwarves and Deia.
He was still a good forty or fifty levels lower than the Dwarves if he was looking at purely stat points. The Goblins had showed Dave how creatures didn’t just fight according to the mob system. They were fighting for their lives and they would put everything on the line.
“We’ll sort this out once we’re back at the outpost. Let’s get going. I feel a need for a warm bed and some ale after all that! We’ll camp tonight and make for the outpost at first light,” Lox said, breaking Dave from his thoughts.
They all agreed, collecting their loot and heading to find a campsite away from the Goblin cave.
Chapter 16: Unexpected Encounter
Deia looked over the area, looking for any threats as the Dwarves moved below, headed straight for the outpost instead of weaving and wandering across the forest to scout out where their road would go.
A flash of sunlight on sharpened steel caught her eye. She squinted, focusing on the area. There was a group of three people: a mage, an armored warrior, and a rogue. They were fighting off a group of Goblins and getting torn apart.
Deia jumped from her perch, swinging off limbs and jumping from tree to tree. She hit the ground at a run and quickly found the Dwarves.
“Group of three is being attacked by Goblins. They aren’t doing so well.” She sent them all a way point on their mini-maps.
“Seems that we have a proper Goblin infestation—got to clean them all out.” Lox rolled his shoulders and loosened himself up for the coming fight. The other Dwarves did likewise, following their warband leader, and headed for the fight.
***
Jules was the leader of the party and it looked as though it was not going to turn out well. Esa, her tank, was smacking away at the Goblins, taking their aggro, but they weren’t reacting like simple mobs. They were really fighting. There were seven Goblins and they had attacked like creatures possessed.
As a Player leveled up at each rank, they got new skills, which gave them preset actions; just activate the command and your person would automatically attack whatever their target was with that action.
With mobs, it was great and made it easy to create a good system to grind out points and gear. These damn Goblins don’t want to act like mobs, though!
She jumped to the side as a rusty axe came down where she’d been standing. Instead of having any kind of system—with Esa taking aggro, Jules healing her, and Mikal going for DPS—they were all in a frantic brawl.
“Damn it, it’s like they know what I’m going to do!” Esa yelled.
“Fight without using the commands!” Jules yelled back.
Mikal jumped away into the trees, and came back a few moments later to stab a Goblin in the back. The Goblin lost a good amount of Health but Mikal didn’t know where he might get the most critical hits.
“Go for the face and neck, or the arteries in their upper thigh!” Jules blinded a Goblin and stabbed it through the neck.
She had trained as an Army medic but an IED had taken that job away, as well as her ability to sustain herself. She and the other two were professional gamers. They went in search of new and interesting things in order to sell to other people to make enough money to survive.
Esa was fighting with her weapons, but it was awkward.
If we get into another fight like this then she’s going to need another set of gear—her great sword and shield are too much for her.
She doubted that they would go this direction again. All of them were at fifty percent Health or less and they’d only been in the forest for half a day.
Esa got hit in the helmet with a club; she staggered, stunned.
Jules saw a Goblin move up behind Esa to plant a blade between her armor plates. Jules now appreciated the realistic hit damage system. So, she knew that the Goblin’s attack would hit Esa in the neck, most likely killing her.
A roar came out from the undergrowth as Jules’s eyes widened. Dwarves? Why are there Dwarves here?
Esa’s would-be attacker made a gurgling noise, an arrow in its neck.
A half-dwarf stepped out behind the Dwarves, and put arrows into the Goblins nearest to him. The Dwarves’ shields made a wall as they advanced. Arrows came from above, cutting down Goblins.
Three Goblins raced to meet the Dwarves, only hitting their shields.
“Cut ’em down! For Mithsia!” one of the Dwarves called out. The shields rose as one, bashing the Goblins back as blades jabbed forward. Two of the three died.
Jules parried a Goblin hatchet with his short sword. She muttered a few words of power and gestured with her right hand. The ground around the Goblin moved, growing and trapping the Goblin, securing it to the ground. It fought to move but it was to no avail. It hissed and yelled in its high-pitched voice, trying to cut the growth faster than it moved around him.
Mikal appeared behind it, cutting its neck open. The creature slumped forward as Jules looked to the Dwarves and Esa.
A Goblin ran at the now open shield wall. One of the Dwarves used their shield to protect the other. They blunted the attack; the dwarf getting attacked stabbed the Goblin. It screeched before the dwarf’s blade cut off its cries.
The Dwarves moved to look around the area; one moved for Jules and her party.
Esa slowly rose to her feet, pulling off her helmet and revealing her short blonde hair. Mikal and Jules moved around Esa.
Lox
Level 54
Dwarf
He must be a guard of some kind to have that kind of level. The guards in Omal are only level 30. There must be something more out here if there are level 50 roving patrols.
“Do ya know how to use them damned weapons or are you just out here for the bleedin’ sights?” the dwarf yelled, pulling off his helmet, his dark eyes furious.
“Lox, they’re travelers,” the halfling said.
An Elf had appeared behind the halfling.
“You need more practice at archery,” the Elf said. The man groaned and headed off to see the corpses.
Lox shook his head in disgust. “Come out ’ere without any idea of how to really fight. What is this place comin’ to?”
“Could you teach us?” Esa asked. She was probably looking for a new quest.
“I’ve got a job, missy, patrolling this ’ere area. Ain’t got the time to train no ’un!”
“Lox,” the halfling said.
Jules looked over at the man.
David Grahslagg
Level 3
Half-Dwarf
She also saw different icons spread out in a circle. “You’re a Player!”
“I was.” David smiled.
“Will you git over here. You ain’t helping out much—have ’alf a conversation!” Lox said.
David walked over and slapped Lox on the back.
“How were you able to partner up with these Dwarves, and an Elf no less?” Mikal’s thick Russian accent came out.
“They’re my friends, and my trainers, unfortunately.”
“I might not be a bleedin’ Elf but
I heard that!” one of the Dwarves said.
Jules saw that the Elf was not in the same place she’d been a moment ago. She’d disappeared off into the canopy.
Jules looked to Esa and Mikal. This was not normal. They’d interacted with NPCs but it had been simple and quick and none of this scale of interaction.
“So how come you’re level 3 and you’re out here? Shouldn’t you be back in Omal, grinding for EXP to get your next level?” Esa asked.
“Not is all as it appears with Dave,” Lox said with a proud grin.
Dave shook his head.
“Do you have somewhere that you’re staying? We’re going to log off soon and we don’t want to be in the middle of the woods with another group of Goblins coming for us,” Jules said.
Dave looked to Lox.
That by itself was odd; no Player deferred to a NPC for anything.
“It’s your house.” Lox shrugged, turned and went back to his people.
“Come if you want. There are some high-level mobs around.” Dave shrugged.
“Keep up, Dave!” The Elf was just a few feet away in a tree.
“I hate climbing!” Dave took off at a run and jumped from tree to tree, getting higher and following the Elf.
Jules looked to Mikal.
“I want whatever he’s got. That’s awesome,” Mikal said, a big grin across his face.
Jules looked to Esa.
“Might as well follow them. If nothing else, then we’ll get to find a new place to grind some gear from.”
“Okay,” Jules said.
One of the Dwarves walked over. “This is your share.” He dropped a small purse and a few items.
Jules took it; there was decent gear and forty silvers. She was more than pleased with that. “Thanks,” she said, instead of simply taking it from the NPC.
The Trapped Mind Project (Emerilia Book 1) Page 18