A Record of Ash & Ruin: The Grieving Lands

Chapter 7: Progress

The Under-Kingdoms were slower to answer the call, but dwarven greed eventually won over ancient enmity and they flocked to the banner under elven kind. The dragons of the mountains and the sky, understanding the threat the mage-king possessed grudgingly promised aid, though in their pride they would suffer none to command them.

- On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Scholar circa 103 AC

I awoke to the pleasant aroma of pine and lemon blossoms as I slowly opened my eyes, fearfully optimistic about what was in store. All around me were featureless flat plains of endless green that met the azure horizon somewhere in the far distance. This would be a problem when I eventually decided to leave my place of relative comfort. However, these were concerns for another day. I had five fish to fry on my plate!

The Bibsis were a level below me, and I could kill them easily now; distracting some of their number, doing damage to one of them, then running away as fast as I could back up the hill. I had employed similar strategies for clearing areas filled with strong enemies back in my gaming days. The problem was that I had no baseline to work with to gauge my relative strength in this brave new world.

I needed to learn about its rules. It was essential to discover how to raise my skills, as this was directly related to my survival in both the short and the long term. Would meaningful practice and repetition allow me to advance them? The Bibsis I had identified were all at level one, which suggested that there might be a level two or three monster or creature out there.

Climbing the first branches of the tree a little above my own height, I carefully stood and dropped one large and one small stone. I observed that they hit the ground at the same time. Taking one of the stones I threw it as far as I could, noticing that it fell in a smooth even arc. It appeared that gravity was applicable to this world. Next, I decided to hold my breath. I lasted around fifty-two heartbeats, so it seemed I would need oxygen here too.

Like in fiction, I tried shouting “log out,” and “disconnect,” once even yelling “Alexa, log me out,” willing myself out of my newfound world with pure force of will. It looked like the world was not virtual, or at the very least I presently had no way of finding out.

Already acquainted with this world’s pain, I decided that aspect needed no further tests. It had convinced me that it would not be a good idea to reach zero Health in this world.

With my experiments out of the way, I decided that the remaining goals of this day should consist of raising one of my skills or spells in any way I could. Walking casually to the stone altar, I noticed that the chunks of meat about it had grown rank and pungent. Disgusted, I threw them as far as I could down the hill away from the pond. It seemed that I would have to feed both my bodily hunger and my desire to increase in power.

Creeping confidently along the edges of the pond with my newfound stealth, I vented my built-up rage against these low-level creatures that had dared to hurt me. Rage, like an animal that had been beaten too many times and had finally snapped, filled me as I lured the creatures in small groups toward me. I ambushed the slow and the weak as they retreated back to their side of the water. My spear felt more sure in my hand, my attacks more ruthless and precise, as I struck at them from my hiding place among the rushes. I would violently stab, pierce, cut, and clobber the unsuspecting Bibsis until I got a notification of their death. Butchering only what I needed for the day, I ate my morning repast slimy and raw. Half forcing each piece down my gullet as quickly as I could, ever watchful against another attack.

On my third ambush, I failed spectacularly. Hit in the face by one of their water balls, feeling nothing, before a second cannoned into me full on the chest, making me drop my half-spear in the shallow waters. I fumbled searching for it in the cool waters, gasping all the while in agonized breaths. Half-blind with pain, my questing hands found the familiar wooden haft and I beat a hasty retreat. As I fled I received another excruciating ball to my back, which took out another chunk of my Health. Healing myself and determined to reach level three, I ventured back again, albeit more carefully this time.

After a few more hours filled with pain and death I was granted the much-anticipated notifications;

You have reached level 3

3 unassigned attribute points

1 unassigned skill point

In the bottom right corner of my vision, the writhing shadowy tendril returned, obscuring a little of the numbers before blossoming into a cascade of indecipherable digits. A short countdown appeared and the numbers began dropping rapidly with each beat of my heart.

NINE… EIGHT… SEVEN…

Panicked, I willed all of my unassigned attributes into Constitution.

SIX... FIVE...

I felt a surge of energy rise from my stomach to all of my extremities, leaving a feeling of exhilaration. My breath came a little easier, and the chill of the cold waters through my sodden robes seemed more distant. I felt more able, whole, and robust.

THREE... TWO...

With scant seconds to think and choose, I quickly looked within myself; searching for the presence of Heal and focusing on it, willing the magic to be. The countdown ended, but in my haste, I had foolishly cast Heal despite already being at full Health. I did not fully know what would happen if I did not allocate my points before the countdown ended, but I felt the price for learning such knowledge would be too steep.

“A waste...” I cursed silently, as I checked my status confirming the changes to my character;

STATUS

Calling$%^& Level 3 Acolyte of Avaria Strength9 Dexterity10 Constitution15 Intelligence10 Wisdom9 Charisma8 Luck11

SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES

Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1)

Stealth (lvl.1)

Rest (lvl.1)

Backstab (lvl.1)

Dodge (lvl.1)

Polearms (lvl.1)

SPELLS & MAGIC

Heal (lvl.2)

Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.1)

GIFTS

Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes.

Experience to next level 170/220

Health29/29 Stamina24/24 Mana5/7

My Health had risen to a staggering twenty-nine points and my Stamina by another few to twenty-four, with no change to my Mana. Also, I could now increase the power of my spells and abilities by leveling up. I whooped for joy, the sense of accomplishment banishing my recent brushes with death and unbridled, unceasing violence. I posited that I would gain increased Health at each level, regardless of my Constitution score. Giddy at the prospect, I vowed to test this theory on my next level promotion.

Without a second thought, I cast Identify on the great tree in front of me.

???

The result was less remarkable than I had anticipated. Apart from identifying the name of the tree, I could see that magic was no substitute for basic human observation. With four Mana left I decided to identify another of the objects close to me. Glancing down I cast at the fallen statue lying at the feet of the stone altar. The now-familiar, yet still uncomfortable, sensation of Mana flowed first around then out of my body towards the object.

???

Again, little I could not have deduced on my own. Growling in frustration, I cast the spell again in my mind, focusing now on the blazing sun high in the sky. The name of a star roared across my vision like an exploding supernova…

#$d...Dur......Ma..1110011100

This was followed by an infinite string of numbers and raw data flooded through the hallows of my mind, threatening to tear it asunder with its scope. Clutching my head in agony, I screamed once more to the heavens in a primal, bestial shout of the purest pain.

When at last it was over, I found myself rocking back and forth on the ground clutching my knees to my chest. Somewhere behind the pain and shock, the thought “Why didn’t Pain Nullification work?” repeated itself in rhythm to my rocking. In perhaps foolish investigation, I found myself morbidly casting the spell again at the stone half-spear to my left. What did a little more pain matter?

Durability 27/53

I smiled a crazy grin of the mad and the broken, as a notification briefly flashed across my vision before the pain and exhaustion took me once again;

You have gained 1 Intelligence

You have learned Identify (lvl.2)

I had succeeded in increasing the level of a spell.