**Main Questline**
-Forests of Ancladon-
Escape!
Navigate your way out of the dense forests to Ancladon.
**Rewards**
-1000 XP, Jinxed Ticket: The Forge-
A fluffle of curious rabbits circled Khirtis as he woke up to the shimmering quest window in front of him.
"Of course! I should've known I'd be this unlucky!" he groaned. Most players start off their saga in Yvestell at Ancladon, but not all beginnings are the same. Some lucky, or rather unlucky players, are cast aside to the outskirts, where the forests are dense. Finding themselves in a labyrinth of greenery where monsters reside, albeit low leveled, it would still throw off the most seasoned minds. Especially left only with their fists to fend themselves with. Those players are almost always guaranteed to meet an untimely end.
A particularly bold rabbit had been gnawing at the Khirtis' shirt. The chewing noises made him realize the odd scene of the furry ambush he was currently the target of.
"Huh!?" he instinctively snatched the creature by its ears. The rabbit's feet flurried in protest; its kicks jolted Khirtis into a trance. With a swift wriggle, it rejoined its kin, disappearing into the underbrush.
HP: 99/100
"Ouch! That stung!" Khirtis winced, rubbing his face. "And that was only 1 health down..." he feared the pain of getting stabbed by a sharp weapon or falling from a great height.
'Welcome to Yvestell...' he scrolls down the alerts box, reading everything he missed until something caught his eye, "Hm... Eye of Helix?"
Eye of Helix (One of One) - Lv. 1
Activate [Eye of Helix] to discern various information on selected target(s).
(Scales off level, titles, and relative information acquired)
"Woah, a one of one skill! Let's give it a shot." Khirtis exclaimed, activating the skill. His eyes focused on an apple hanging by a branch.
Apple (Ancladon Forests)
A popular appetizer in Ancladon and neighboring towns, especially among adventurers for its abnormally healing properties, far surpassing its mundane cousins from different regions.
Blessed by a someone touched by the Divine - ????
[Healing and nutrition effects enhanced by 30%]
[Helix's Insight]
Can be used as cooking ingredient in different dishes to increase property effects related to healing. Can also be used as a cheap substitute in Faith concoctions.
Recipes -
Apple (Ancladon Forests) + ??? = ???
??? + ??? + Apple (Ancladon Forests) = ???
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*
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"..." Khirtis didn't say a word, but his eyes spoke of intrigue. The skill provided him the privilege of gaining information by simply looking at something. Khirtis roamed the forest, activating his ability which had a 60 second cooldown. From the most unimportant things like pebbles and twigs, to poisonous and edible berries [Eye of Helix] did not shy from providing a detailed breakdown of every item.
A cry from above startled him as he was feeding on berries. A figure, dressed in olive skin and a thin cloth around its groin. It wielded a knife no longer larger than croc's tooth but was as sharp. The creature was a Goblin Dwarf, and it had marked Khirtis as its prey.
-Creature Discovery! Goblin Dwarf-
He attempted to flee but the goblin's swiftness through the forest didn't allow room for escape. with a leap, it smacked Khirtis to the ground.
Frantically, he searched his inventory for a weapon, finding only berries and mushrooms he foraged. In desperation, he threw a dozen berries or so at the goblin, staining its skin but leaving it unhurt.
Eye of Helix, Khirtis activates his unique skill to find an advantage.
Goblin Dwarf - Lv. 5
HP: 57/57
Like ants, they swarm the lands of Yvestell. The goblin dwarves sit at the bottom of the goblin hierarchy, usually birthed from goblin parents. These creatures are unable of intelligent communication like most goblins. Their lives are fleeting, snuffed out by the blades of adventurers or by their own volatile nature. They are impulsive creatures, quick to anger and agro.
Fillet Knife (Equipped) - Lv. 2
A regular copper knife crafted by human hands. Its previous owners met with the unfortunate encounter of savage creatures on the road.
DMG - 5
Khirtis skims through the information until he found a weakness section under.
Weakness
Goblin dwarves' frames are delicate, susceptible to raw physical attacks (Grapple, Blunt, Brawl... etc.)
Absorbed in the data, Khirtis was caught off guard as the goblin lunged, its blade slicing through the air and grazing his leg. A thin wound opened up at his ankles.
HP: 95/100
The sight of blood ignited a blind fury within Khirtis. With a guttural cry, he shouted, "AH! Screw it all!" and swung a fierce right hook. The blow forced the goblin to recoil backwards.
Khirtis was relentless in his attacks, surging to the creature with a flurry of punches. The goblin lost its grip and dropped its blade, and then it crashed to the ground under Khirtis' immovable spirit. With each strike, he felt the goblin's soft body bounce under his knuckles, each punch chipping away 1 HP point of damage.
HP: 71
The goblin lay still on the ground, its face scarred by the assault. Its HP went down to 0, as it slowly began to break apart into fragments in the air. A notification popped up.
Goblin Dwarf Defeated! XP - 55
[Drops]
Fillet Knife - Lv. 2
Goblin tooth (1)
Brawling - Lv. 2!
The blood on his hands was a reminder of the realism in this virtual world. Memories of the Yves' Fall flashed in his mind, the ruthless welcome the games force you to go through. To survive in Yvestell, it requires resilience and complete shutdown of humane emotions.
'This is not a game...'
-Level Up!-
Khirtis (Lv. 1) --> (Lv. 2)
XP - 23/210
HP - 110
Attribute Points (5)
Vitality - 12
Strength - 15
Agility - 9
Endurance - 10
Intellect - 8
Faith - 5
Luck - 5
Seeing his character stats put his mind to ease. Khirtis hovered over the attribute menu, tempted to allocate his available points already. "Choices, choices... I don't know what to do," he contemplated, "I should control myself. Once I figure out the right moment and time... Just like how I planned for it."
In his room, a large white board with writings on it stood in front of his bed. It told of the journey he planned to go through. Starting with his prologue and ending with riches untold. The route he planned for his character was already set, so he only needed to find a quest or item that would throttle him into committing in a build. It's always advisable to keep your points until you find something worth spending them on. IF a player encounters a unique quest, awarding an upper hand of some sort, then they sure hope it's in line with their current build or it would be deemed a waste.
Khirtis opened the map menu and noticed a narrow line of charted land within the fog of war. First if order of things after finding his way out of the forest was to find a merchant selling maps. Adventuring without knowing where your feet are standing on was poking death's behind.
"Oh, the body..." Khirtis eyed the goblin remains. The game offers you a choice: attempt to dissect the carcass to loot specific items and parts depending on your skills or decline/wait for the timer to run out for random drops depending on your (Luck) stat. Khirtis used his skill to see potential rewards for dissecting, but they paled against the effort required.
As he wandered his thoughts, the map's uncharted fog expanded around him, revealing more of the area. Khirtis looked around in confusion, and as his darted from one corner to another, the map continued to unveil. While activated, the skill [Eye of Helix] enhanced his (Perception) by 250%. The skill also illuminated points of interest; location of enemies and allies, loot, and unique things.
"I can use this eye this way too?" Khirtis realized, his voice tinged with wonder. Each step he took aligned with the activation of his ability. Every time it was on, it showed him nearby goblins who were ready to pounce on him the moment they sight him. But Khirtis was able to duck them easily because he knew exactly where they were. And when the skill was on cooldown, he hid in a bust or hugged a tree until he activated the skill again.
"I refuse to be a victim right at the start." he reassures himself that these were not the actions of a coward, and he added, "At least I am walking in the right direction." the eye worked alongside his quest where it provided a general direction for the exit, dumbing down the quest to simply following arrows on the map.
"Another one...?" Khirtis sighs as more goblins started popping up behind. Although he was able to duck most goblins, some were able to sneak through his [Eye of Helix]. But this time, equipped with a weapon, Khirtis was able to make quick work of the little green gremlins.
[Drops]
Goblin Ear (3)
Can be sold (3~6 C)
"3 coppers minimum, huh? I don't think I can even convert that into anything." Khirtis sighed as he looked down the bundle of ears in his hands. As he put them in his inventory alongside the knives he's been collecting so far, a scream coming from the other side of the forest snapped Khirtis out of his disappointment.
"Not my concern." he thought, but his legs betrayed him before he made up his mind. Running across the forest ground with his sneakers, vaulting over obstacles, he was getting accustomed to his new, virtual body.
Amidst the growly cries and a girl's piercing screams, Khirtis spied a startling sight. Hiding behind a sturdy trunk, he glimpsed a girl in distress, wearing nothing but her underwear, pursued by a trio of goblin dwarves.
<Varmin Layla> Lv. 1
"A player!? Why is she naked!?" Khirtis let out his thoughts aloud, baffled by her exposed body. He noticed her level, "She just started playing..." he didn't want to butt in, and he was sure that if she were to die there, she's most likely getting revived, but the chance of death still lingers. When it comes to dying, no one should be playing even if your luck is to be trusted with.
With resolve, Khirtis stepped out, drawing Layla's frantic gaze. She lunged for his aid, her cry ringing in his ears, "AHH! SAVE ME!" the goblins tailed her to him, encircling them, and prepared for the kill.
"Let go!" Khirtis shouted at the girl and pushed her hands away. The nearest goblin leapt, its blade glinting with malice.
Critical Hit! -15!
HP: 105/120
The sting of getting stabbed was deep and painful but Khirtis held firm. His weapon was already equipped and in an aggressive manner, he unleashed a skill he obtained since hitting level 3 (H&V - Cut). While being close to the goblin, he slashed his knife horizontally and vertically, dealing decent damage. The goblin was about to retaliate once the skill ended but Khirtis immediately followed with a straight stab in its eye.
Super Critical Hit! -30
Goblin Dwarf's HP: 2/57
The knife wedged in the socket while the goblin screamed and crashed on the ground, writhing in pain. Another goblin joined the attack, only to meet the same fate when Khirtis pulled out another knife from his inventory and threw it at it.
Super Critical Hit! - 30!
The goblin was stunned in his place. Khirtis switched into attacking and he charged the last goblin at the back, and with a barbaric shout, he landed a barrage of punches.
"I killed most of you pipsqueaks with these hands!" Khirtis roared. pummeling the creature until its HP hit 0. The stunned goblin broke free from its state and in a desperate attempt, it rallied for a strike. Khirtis weaves through the attacks and embraces the creatures from the waist, hoisting it to sky before executing a thunderous suplex.
Goblin Dwarf's HP: 21/57
His fists bruised more as he sealed another goblin's fate with them. Yet, in that moment of Khirtis taking a breather, the first goblin, clinging to life, lunged with a frenzied desire. He noticed too late, and as he braced for impact-
bonk
"Heyah!" Layla let out a battle cry as she smacked the goblin on the head with a wooden stick. Its body froze up on contact and fell to the ground like timber.
-Level Up!-
Varmin Layla (Lv. 1) --> (Lv. 2)
"I killed it...? Oh! I killed it!" Layla's gleeful laughter filled the air, a stark contrast to Khirtis' distressed state.
He side-eyed her, his brow furrowed in concern for her mental functionality. The trio of goblins should've been a scarring welcome to the game, which even left his hands trembling and glossy with perspiration.
"How did you even attract three of them at once?" asked Khirtis, then inadvertently took a look over her almost exposed body, "...and why are you dressed like this?"
Only then did Layla register her lack of fabric on her body, which was followed by deafening shriek, "AHHH, YOU PERVERT! AVERT YOUR UNHOLY GAZE!" she hurled a branch at Khirtis in an attempt at defense.
-Player (Varmin Layla) inflicted 2 damage!-
"Watch it! I'm the one who just saved you, remember!" Khirtis protested, shielding himself from an onslaught of pebbles and twigs.
Layla's assault waned as he ordered, "Face the other way and speak... or I won't hesitate to scar the memory of you seeing my chaste body." Yet, as Khirtis relaxed his guard, she seized the moment to lad a well-aimed rock to his face.
-Super Critical Hit! Player (Varmin Layla) inflicted 6 damage!-
"I said quit it!" shouted Khirtis as he gave her a mean glare. Layla stood defiant, one hand guarding her modesty, the other armed with more rocks.
with a defeated sigh, Khirtis turned his back to her. "Did you log in wearing your pajamas?" he asked.
Layla murmured to herself, "How does he know...?" Her voice rose with suspicion, "Do I know you!? Are you perhaps a secret stalker?"
"You know I can hear y-" Layla cut him before he could retort, "You even followed me inside the game world... how deep does your obsession run?"
"Listen-," Khirtis tried speaking out again, only to be interrupted.
"What did I ever do to make you fall in love with me. Maybe I should bear the burden of your sins-"
"I AM OUT OF HERE!" Khirtis declared, walking away from the scene. She noticed him getting further and as dusk became closer, Layla hopped to him quickly for safety.
"I shall follow you, but only under strict conditions. You will guide me to a town called Ancladon, you will not stare at my untouched skin, and-"
Without a word, Khirtis tossed his white shirt at her, muttering, "Just... don't talk."
She inspected the shirt with a sniff, found it acceptable, and equipped it. Trailing behind, Layla asked, "I am content with you so far, but I need to know if you know where you are going."
"I've been following a-" Khirtis gets cut off for the third time, "You see, my gut is telling me this way is the exit, so I say we go there." Layla pointed her finger exactly the opposite direction, deeper into the forest.
Khirtis unintentionally face palmed and said, "Anyone would've left you to your fate. You're really lucky I stepped in," he sighed and added, "I know the way, so just follow me."
#Author's Domain#
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...It took me a minute to get this chapter done. I think it really comes down to how many red bulls I drink because I don't one is doing it for me. In all seriousness, writing a single chapter for a few days gave a whole new perspective. I am so used to finishing a chapter the day I start it, so having this last for almost a week is quite the change! So many things got added and cut, and even things I wasn't sure of that are now sitting on the fence.
Layla's introduction opened up the door for a world of fun! She's an enjoyable character, and I have thought of a lot of scenes and scenarios for her in the story. As you can tell, she is carefree, full of glee, and maybe a little naive. But with a personality you cannot hate for long! Will she be an important character? Who knows! But I am looking forward to seeing more of her in the future!
Next episodes/chapters are exciting because I've a good understanding on what I am going to do. Lots of characters will be introduced, very important ones too! Exciting! Until then, see you next time!
^^
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