You surprise attack a Forest Bunny for 10 points of damage (5 * 2 surprise).
Forest Bunny is defeated.
A Fox bites you for 6 points of damage.
A Fox has lodged itself on you. You will continue to take damage until it is dislodged.
You hit a Fox for 2 points of damage.
You hit a Fox for 1 point of damage.
Luke went to hit the fox again, but another fox lunged at him and began to claw at his chest. His health was now down to 60% and there was still another fox headed his way. Reacting too slowly, he grabbed the tail of the fox on his chest and tossed him away. The fox didn’t appear to take any damage and was quickly back on his feet.
The fox went back on the offense, leaving no room for Luke to recover. He raised his bow to guard against the lunging fox, but the third fox took that opportunity to attack Luke’s back. Luke let out another scream of pain and involuntarily dropped his guard. Luke looked forward, knowing a fox was descending upon him.
“Ahhhh!” A large blade, double the size of most swords Luke previously saw in video games, struck down the fox and split it in two. The figure holding the large blade swung around and used his momentum to drive his sword down into the body of the fox clamping onto Luke’s ankle. “Lay down! Now!” He screamed at Luke at the top of his lungs.
Luke immediately complied and fell flat on his stomach. The fox on his back was still scratching furiously but looked up to hiss at the newcomer to the battle. The man took a baseball-like swing at the Fox, slicing it apart.
Fox x3 defeated. Partial exp rewarded for partial participation with a non-party member. 25 exp gained.
Quest alert! Controlling the fox population I: 3/10.
You are Bleeding. Bleeding debuff added. You will continue to take damage until you are healed or the bleeding stops naturally.
Luke looked at his health and he was below half. Every few seconds he saw that his health was reduced by a small amount and that the small square icon below his health, showing a blood drop, would blink.
“You’re new and you decided to go into the Howling Forest alone? That's either really brave or really stupid.” The man reached a hand down and offered to help Luke up. He took the man's hand and when he was on his feet, he recognized him instantly.
“Thomas? How did you know I was out here?”
Shaking his head, Thomas replied. “I didn’t. I was out here doing some quests and heard someone screaming. I guess it was your lucky day.”
Luke nodded and winced when the bleeding debuff hit him for another point or two of damage. Thomas pulled something from a small satchel at his waist and handed it to Luke.
Small Bandage (Common) x3 obtained.
“Wrap one of those around your ankle to stop the bleeding. You will fail the first few times but it will eventually work and you should gain the first aid skill.”
Luke nodded and wrapped the first bandage around his ankle as tight as he could and looked at his work. The bandage quickly became a deep red, and it slipped down his foot, not taking hold. He repeated the process two more times, and on the third attempt he was rewarded with a system message.
New skill acquired: First Aid, Beginner 0. Basic knowledge on how to apply basic first aid and use basic bandages. Increasing this skill will increase your knowledge of first aid techniques and increase the speed at which you can apply this skill.
“I got the skill. Thanks.” Luke pushed his glasses up and glanced at the status bars to confirm the bleeding icon had disappeared.
“No problem. I was new once also, so I get it. Consider it southern hospitality.”
“I don’t see my health going up now though. My stamina is going up, but my health seems to be sitting around 20%.” Luke was gazing at his system screens.
“Your health regens at an insanely slow pace. Imagine if a fox bit you like that in real life. You wouldn’t magically have your wounds close up and your blood replenish would you? This game is a lot like real life when it comes to these types of things. I would toss you a healing potion, but they aren’t cheap and I’m not rich. Everything involving magic in this game is expensive, and healing potions take mana to craft.”
“You have done plenty. Thank you.” Luke hesitated before continuing. “You wouldn’t want to group up, would you? At least until we head back for the day?”
Thomas considered Luke’s proposal for a long moment and finally responded. “Ok, but only till we get back. No offense but I’m still much higher level than you and the monsters I’m going to be fighting aren’t as friendly as these foxes were. Understand?”
Luke nodded and smiled.
Thomas, the bunny killer has invited you to join his party. Accept / Decline
Luke hit accept and under his status bars appeared three new status bars. They were smaller than his own and the label at the top of them read Thomas, the bunny killer Lv 5. It looks like I can see my other party member’s status and level when we party up, he thought as the two continued around the outskirts of the forest looking for enemies to fight.
“Are we looking for anything in particular?” Luke asked while keeping an eye out for herbs or threats.
“I have several quests for a variety of monsters, but with you in your current condition, we’ll stick to the foxes. They are still easy prey for me and you can provide some ranged support.” Thomas pointed to Luke’s bow. “One thing I would highly recommend is delaying your system notifications. If you open your settings, you can set them to build up until either the end of the day or when you choose to see them. It helps not to have large boxes pop-up in your face during a fight. Just trust me on this.”
Luke opened his settings and found the area for notifications. He modified them per Thomas’s suggestion, closed his menu, and nodded.
“Now let’s get some experience and head back before they shut the gates.”
CHAPTER THREE
Magic Affinity
The sun was finishing its descent when the pair made it back to town. The guards were making preparations to close the city gates, ushering in the latecomers, and screaming their warnings to NPCs and travelers alike.
Upon entering the city, Luke said his goodbyes and thanks to Thomas. The two of them had killed enough foxes and gathered enough herbs to complete both of Luke’s Quests. With that in mind, Luke decided to check his built up system notifications. Luke mentally clicked the blinking icon in his view to pull them up.
Fox x13 defeated. 195 party participation exp gained.
Bunny x4 defeated. 40 party participation exp gained.
Skill up: Short Bow, Beginner 2.
Skill up: Herbalism, Beginner 3.
Quest alert! Controlling the fox population I: 10/10. Quest complete! Rewards: 150 exp. Turn this quest in to the quest giver for any additional rewards.
Quest alert! Herbs, herbs, herbs!: 25/25. Quest complete! Rewards delayed until you speak with the quest giver.
Additional battle notifications are available. Would you like to review? Yes / No
Luke decided against reviewing all the additional battle information, he didn’t want a reminder of how much Thomas did and how little he could contribute. Luke landed a few lucky shots during their time together but Thomas did all the heavy lifting. It was clear he had a long way to go before being at Thomas’s level.
Luke approached one of the gate guards to turn in his fox quest and the guard instantly had a look of shock and worry on his face.
“Is everything ok?” Luke asked.
“I was about to ask you that question.” The guard pointed at Luke’s chest, so Luke looked down to review himself.
His shirt was in tatters and he could see scratch marks covering his chest. Looking up at his health, he was only around 25%. Man, you really heal slow in this game. I hope these scratch marks go away when I heal up, he thought as he continued down to see that his pant leg was also ripped to shreds.
“I… was hunting foxes for a quest?” Luke said in a questioning tone, ho
ping that would help explain his current attire.
“Yes, the fox population quest. I see you have completed all the requirements for payment.” The guard reached into his satchel and handed over a handful of coins.
The coins resembled an olden days quarter, before the world switched to a fully digital currency system. Luke recognized the appearance from his grandfather’s antique coin collection. The only difference is that one side had a phoenix crest on it and the other had a large number one and smaller writing going around the coin's edge in a language he didn’t recognize.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what's the writing around the outside of the coin?”
“That's magical writing. It's on all Phoenix Kingdom currency. It’s imbued with special royal mana that ensures that the coins are valid. Anyone trying to replicate that writing without royal mana would have their mana and HP drained until they… well…” The guards shifted uncomfortably. “Let's say they wouldn’t get a second attempt at duplicating it.”
Luke nodded, thanked the guard and was on his way after stuffing the coins in the pocket that had less wear and tear.
The alchemist would be his next stop if the shop was still open. Luke’s stomach suddenly growled loudly. Luke looked at his stomach as he began to rub it. I guess food first. Did my digital body even need to eat? As if the system heard him, he received a system message.
You are hungry and thirsty. Hungry debuff added. Thirsty debuff added. You will take a small penalty to your stats and actions until you satisfy your hunger and thirst. This penalty will increase the hungrier and thirstier you get. Warning, this debuff can kill you if not removed.
Red icons resembling a glass of water and meat on a bone appeared in Luke’s status area. Both had a roman numeral one on them, signifying they would increase in intensity if Luke didn’t find something to eat and drink soon. Well, the Alchemy shop is probably closed by now anyway. I might as well go to the inn Thomas showed me and get some grub and sleep.
After a short walk, Luke was in front of a three-story stone building. Even without the sign in front, reading The Winged Pig Inn, it would be clear to him that this was the inn. Not only was there a massive chimney with plumes of smoke coming from it, this building was one of the few that still had light pouring out of all the windows on the first floor. It was also the rowdiest of all the buildings with several stumbling patrons spilling from its large double doors.
The moment he entered the inn, it assaulted his senses. The large open room, with many thick wooden pillars, was well-lit with hanging chandeliers. It was so loud that Luke could hardly hear himself think. Several people in the room were passed out and more than one pissed themselves drunk. A long counter covered most of the back wall with a large fireplace covering the remainder. Luke could see the kitchen behind the fireplace. The fireplace was likely being used to not only light and heat the space but also to cook food. Staircases donned the other two walls, and the floor was covered in round tables and chairs.
Not knowing anyone he sat at the bar as there were still a few empty stools next to one another and, being a shy person, he didn’t want to socialize with strangers. Pushing up his glasses, he weakly raised a hand in an attempt to gain the bartender's attention.
A very tall, muscular, dark-skinned man wearing thick tan colored pants and an apron walked over. He was bald but had a thin grey beard. “What can I get ya kid?”
“How much would a room and some food run me?”
“One night in a basic room will run you 2 gold. It’ll be more if you want some extra comforts. I could run you a deal if you rent for multiple nights but I require payment upfront. Food and drink varies depending on what’cha want.” The man had a friendly but stern voice which helped put Luke at ease.
“I’ll take a basic room please and whatever a gold or two in food is.” I should save a gold or two to buy some new clothes and some healing items, he thought as he put three gold on the table.
The man behind the counter scooped the gold up and walked away. Luke didn’t have to wait long for the man to return with a tray. He placed the tray down on the counter in front of Luke and walked away. The tray had what appeared to be a buttered loaf of sourdough bread, a tall glass containing a dark liquid and a copper key with the numbers 2 - 5 carved on it. Luke assumed that meant the second floor, room five but was too shy to call the man back for clarification.
He didn’t care too much for the noise or smell, so he took the tray to his room. He chose one of the staircases and ascended to the second floor. Doors lined both sides of the hallway, barely spaced apart and behind him was another staircase leading up to the final floor. Exploring the hallway, he found room number five and his key opened the door.
Inside the small room was just enough space to fit what he assumed was his bed. The bed was comprised of a wood rectangle nailed to the floor creating a roughly 3ft wide by 6ft long space that was filled with hay and a blanket loosely thrown over it. The blanket was on its last leg as it had more patched areas than the original material and there was no stuffing left inside it.
The bed was against the back wall underneath the only window in the room. The bed was only about a foot from the door, just enough space to allow the door to swing inward. There wasn’t enough space on either side of the bed to even fit Luke’s fingers, which made him wonder why they bothered adding sides to the bed when they could have just used the walls of the room.
He contemplated for a minute if he should upgrade his room or at least go downstairs to eat as there wasn’t a table to place the tray on. In the end he decided not to go downstairs and entered the cramped space, closing the door behind himself.
Placing the tray on the limited floor space, he locked the door and sat cross-legged next to the tray. He ate half of the loaf of sourdough and drank the whole glass of, what he now knew to be, ale. I bet if I drank enough of this I would get plastered. I can already feel the one tall glass. Interesting that they would program that in.
Thinking about programming brought his current situation back to the forefront of his mind again, leaving him in sorrow. He laid on, what he was deeming, the bed and started pondering his predicament. What if they can’t figure this out… What if I’m stuck in here forever… What would my Mom think… Would she be ok without me… His exhaustion from a full day of physical activity won over, beating the sorrow and he fell into unconsciousness.
The sun was beaming onto Luke’s face as he opened his eyes. Any relaxation a night's sleep brought him slowly drained out when he heard the faint squeaking sounds coming from the foot of his bed. When he sat up to peek down, he saw a pair of mice finishing the sourdough bread he left on the floor. Jumping to his feet he stomped around the mice to scare them off and they quickly scurried into a hole in the wall.
The bed did no wonders for Luke’s back and he proceeded to stretch in an attempt to get his blood flowing. The effort was in vain as his back pain started to flare up.
Looking around the room he made sure not to leave any of his meager belongings behind as he grabbed the platter of half-eaten mouse bread and proceeded downstairs to return it to the kitchen. He was kind enough to lock the room back up for the inn’s staff before heading for the stairs.
Coming down the stairs, the scene was almost the stark opposite of last night. There were less than six people in the wide open area and some of those were staff still cleaning up from the previous night’s festivities. Luke approached the bar and set down the platter before turning around and bumping into the bartender from last night.
“How’d ya sleep?”
Luke pushed up his glasses before he answered. “All right I guess.”
“It’s ok. I know those simple rooms aren’t great for anything other than saving a few gold.” With that, the man walked past Luke to get behind the bar, giving him a friendly slap on his back.
Luke smiled and left, the pain in his back flaring up again. I wonder if they have massages in this world, he thought to himself as he vo
wed to earn more gold to rent a better bed.
To get to the alchemist’s shop, he had to pass by the open market square where he stopped and got some fruit for breakfast. He approached a stall that had various fruits in baskets and hanging from various wooden posts.
“Wow, what happened to you kid?” asked the burly woman running the stand.
It puzzled Luke at first but then remembered his shirt was hanging on by threads and his pants weren’t in much better shape. “I was out fighting yesterday and I guess I need to pick up some new clothes.”
“I wasn’t talking about your clothes, sweetheart.” The woman moved a handful of apples off a silver platter and held it up to Luke as a mirror. When he looked at it, he realized what the women was referring to.
Even though his hair was on the short side, it now was messier than he had ever seen it with straw generously mixed in. He had large purple bags under his puffy bloodshot eyes and stubble covering his lower face. If his skin was any lighter, he was concerned he would have to fend off travelers trying to slay the zombie he was looking more and more like. He doubled down on his vow, making a bed his number one priority in this world.
“Sorry, I had a rough night.”
He ended up purchasing three apples from the woman for two gold before heading to the alchemist shop. On his way he picked most of the straw from his hair in an attempt to look even slightly better.
The alchemist’s shop was a small two-story cottage in the business district. There were a few stone steps that led to a small landing and the front door. The outside walls were almost completely covered in vines with spots of white plaster poking through. A wooden sign hung from a black iron pole near the front door that read “Rose Alchemy”.
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