Level - 2
1923/2700
Health 130/130 Aura 290/290 Endurance 130/130
Class – Warden – Wardens gain a 10% bonus to skills associated with nature or which have natural effects
Specialization –
Mastery –
STR - 13
CON - 13
DEX - 15
INT - 13
WIS - 12
CHA - 17
Abilities
Ignore Armor – Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura. –1%
Stun – Your next arrow has a chance to stun its target on hit. Cost – 20 Aura. – 5%
Block – You may attempt to use your bow to parry a single melee attack. Cost — 20 Endurance. – 1%
Spells
Skills
Bow – 18%
Critical Hit – 13%
Blades – 4%
Dagger – 6%
Critical Hit – 5%
Armor – 6%
Medium Armor – 8%
Perception – 19%
Environmental – 20%
Identify Enemy – 5%
Identify Person – 3%
Subterfuge – 8%
Stealth – 11%
Manipulation – 7%
Persuade – 9%
Barter – 8%
Survival – 9%
Tracking – 7%
Identify Creature (Beasts) – 3%
Skinning – 5%
Field Dress – 4%
Alchemy – 1%
Herbalism – 1%
My advances weren’t phenomenal, but they also weren’t that bad either. As I had suspected, my Armor skill had received a small increase that I attributed to receiving the bite on my calf. It was the first time my armor had come into play in combat, and even the small percentage I had gained amounted to a significant increase in my Armor proficiency. While it wasn’t a skill that I wanted to find myself using a lot, the increase was still welcome.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten to use my Stun or Ignore Armor Abilities at all. This would have been a good opportunity to boost those up, but I had missed my chance, and I vowed to not overlook any opportunity to use my Abilities in the future.
I noticed that my Health was full again, so obviously my small wound had already healed. Apparently, for a Deathless like me, out-of-combat healing was rapid in this world, or at least it was for minor injuries.
After I climbed down from the tree, I inspected the carcass of the elk-thing, looking for any special loot. Its antlers came up on the loot screen, but I was forced to leave them behind—they were large and extremely bulky, and I would definitely take a big Encumbrance hit trying to lug them around. Besides, the whole bloody scene was beginning to get to me. I didn’t regret my actions, but I just felt the need to get away from all the carnage. I left any potential loot and skill gains behind and stepped back among the trees and away from the bloody slaughter.
19
As I resumed my trek through the forest and towards the road to Sota, I started practicing my Perception, Stealth, and Tracking skills again, but I didn’t try to take any game. The carnage I’d left behind had sapped me of the will to destroy any more of the forest’s denizens. Hopefully, a decent night’s rest would relieve me of the sickening feeling in my stomach, and I could try again the next day.
After an hour or so, a notification icon popped up in my vision. I hadn’t done anything of note, and I felt I was in a safe spot, so I stopped to check it out.
You have reached 20% proficiency in the Perception skill. Proficiency gains slow after achieving 20% proficiency.
That was interesting. I had already gotten to 20% in the Environmental sub-skill, but now I had also reached that same mark in the overall Perception skill. I wondered what the difference would mean.
Once I closed the notification, I resumed my journey forward again. As I did, I focused on my Perception and had marched forward several paces before a sudden realization hit me—there had been no period of disorientation during the transition. For the first time, focusing my senses had not overwhelmed me; in fact, the transition had been nearly seamless.
I would have jumped and screamed for joy if I had not been trying to keep hidden. I knew that the time it had been taking for me to adjust during the transitions had been decreasing steadily, but to have it vanish completely was a phenomenal development. My hypersensitivity was the one remaining personal issue that caused me concern, and now I had just overcome a huge part of it. My sense of relief was immeasurable—I had achieved a major victory, and with it, my narrow path to survival had gotten just a little bit wider. Granted, I didn’t really know who I was, which was understandable since I had only existed for a few short days. But I looked at that more as a matter of discovery rather than a cause for concern. With at least one of my problems apparently solved, I resumed my push onward through the trees with a renewed sense of optimism.
As usually seems to happen when one is in a truly good mood, rain began to fall and immediately turned my happy travels through the woods into a mud-filled slog. Since it was already late afternoon, I decided to look for a likely spot to set up camp and call it a day.
After a short search, I came across a promising location—a small rise that offered some protection from the downpour. I thought that if I could find the right spot, I might be able to rig the tarp I had purchased and create a decent make-shift shelter.
As I traveled along the rise looking for the best area to set up camp, the wall of rock beside me suddenly fell away, revealing a shallow cave. While it wasn’t exactly warm and cozy-looking, it wasn’t wet either.
A careful exploration revealed no apparent residents, so I hurried inside and took shelter from the rain. The small cave only extended back about thirty feet or so, and I sat down about halfway inside, surrounded by darkness, but close enough to the entrance to still have enough light to see. I wrapped myself up in my cloak as I sat down amongst the rocks, and just quietly watched the rain as it continued to fall outside.
A sudden bolt of lightning illuminated the cave, followed by an immediate crash of thunder and a loud series of chitters and chirps erupted from behind me in response. The unexpected combination of thunder and lightning had obviously startled something farther inside the small cave. Something I hadn’t noticed during my quick inspection.
I turned my head around slowly and nervously sought out whatever creature was sharing the cave with me. Searching the rubble towards the back of the cave, I spotted it, managing to locate the creature more by the continued stream of chirps and yips it was still uttering than by sight.
It was crouched low and was still seemingly shocked by the lightning and thunder. I had a hard time making a good estimate of its size, but it looked like it would stand roughly four feet tall if it were standing upright. Short, ragged fur covered its body, and a long, thin tail protruded from its lower back. The creature wore a tattered assortment of garments and held what appeared to be a small axe-like weapon in one hand. It was clearly humanoid, and it stood on two legs, but those legs had the backwards-facing knees common to beasts, not humans. But it was the creature’s head and facial features that clinched my identification of it. While the head was unmistakably dog-like, with large pointed ears and a long snout, the face was not quite fully canine and managed to convey the presence of a more-than-animal level of intelligence.
Kobold.
Most fantasy world kobolds were contrived as being somewhat reptilian in nature, or at least a mix of canine and reptile. This was clearly not one of those, as it lacked any reptilian features, but one thing they all had in common was their tendency towards violence and evil. Given the opportunity, kobolds would kill any members of the typically ‘good’ races of their worlds, and as a smaller species, this usually required superior numbers, so they seldom traveled alone. Finding a single kobold in this cave was a lucky stroke for me.
It clearly had not seen me, sitting amon
g the rocks as I was with my hood up and cloak gathered around me, so, I slowly unslung my bow and cautiously nocked an arrow. Remembering my earlier oversight, I lined up a shot and activated my Stun Ability.
The arrow took the kobold in the chest but did not kill it instantly. Seizing the opportunity, I quickly fired again, this time imbuing my arrow with Ignore Armor, and the creature dropped to the floor, dead. Even though the creature wasn’t wearing anything I would classify as armor, I hoped merely using the Ability in combat would help increase its proficiency.
Ding!
With its death confirmed, I moved closer to inspect the body.
My inspection revealed very little—the kobold was just as it had appeared from distance. The only discrepancy was its weapon, which turned out not to be an axe at all, but something more akin to a miner’s pick. Looting the body yielded little of value, and I only took the few coppers he had and left behind the rest of its shabby equipment.
I had just risen from looting the corpse and was about to check my notifications when the incessant pattering of the rain was broken by a new sound—the sound of rocks being broken and smashed, and it was coming from somewhere nearby. I searched for the source of the noise and discovered that the cave did not simply end where I thought it did. Instead, hidden behind a small outcropping, a narrow passage continued on, descending slightly deeper underground. It was from this passage that the crashing sounds were emanating.
It was clear that I had stumbled upon more than just a single lone kobold. He may have been a lookout, or maybe he had just been taking a break or something, but either way, he was not alone. Had I stumbled on a large tribe, or perhaps a small outpost? A well-armed war party, or a handful of bedraggled refugees?
I looked over the dead kobold again and it seemed likely that this might be some sort of mining operation. The sounds coming from below, combined with the miner’s pick that I had initially taken for a weapon combined to form my conclusion. If I was right, this just might be a great opportunity for me to gain some valuable experience.
My earlier uneasiness at my wanton slaying of forest creatures vanished quickly. Kobolds were known killers and would not hesitate to murder any wayward travelers they were able to overpower and would often consume their victims afterwards. There was no mercy to be found in the cookpots of the kobolds.
I proceeded cautiously down the tight confines of the narrow passage only a short distance before it opened to a more comfortable width. I approached the source of the hammering, fully alert for any signs that my presence had been noted, but my caution was unnecessary, and when I rounded a bend in the passage, I came to a full stop.
A small chamber opened up in front of me—the room was nearly thirty feet in length and formed a rough oval in shape, and the soft light from a few sparse candles dimly lit the cavern. Against the wall opposite me, two kobolds were hammering away at the rock, intent on their labor. Since they were facing away from me and were completely engrossed in their activity, there had been almost no chance for them to notice my approach.
Before taking any action, I took a moment to examine the chamber more thoroughly. It appeared to be a natural formation, and the only worked area was around where the two kobolds were currently hammering away. There was a single exit on the far side of the cavern that appeared to lead even deeper underground, but from my position, I couldn’t see any farther down that passage.
I thought that if I timed it right, I might be able to take these two out quickly and quietly. I would then be able to check out the next passage and see what lie ahead. Once my mind was made up, I drew back an arrow, applied Stun to the shaft and waited for my opportunity.
As soon as the kobold closest to me stopped for a momentary break, I fired, and the shaft pierced his throat. The other kobold noticed his fellow fall to the ground and turned to investigate, but as he bent towards his companion, my second arrow took him in the eye and killed him instantly.
Ding!
Examining the bodies revealed pretty much the same crappy loot as the first kobold. In addition to the few coppers, I also found a small length of cord that helpfully identified itself as a ‘tripwire,’ and a small pouch. I tucked the pouch into my pack so that I could review its contents at a safer time and moved to investigate the far passage.
The corridor ahead of me was eerily dark, while the first section of tunnel had at least been dimly lit, both from the waning light outside the cave entrance and the candles ahead.
I had a realization and froze in place abruptly. The darkness of the passage and the significance of the loot I had just gotten suddenly reminded me of a certain kobold tendency—their fondness for traps. I could have been literally inches from death right then and not even known it.
I stood still for a moment, alone in the darkness. Perhaps it was time to leave, I thought. Then, as I contemplated my options, the sound of picks hammering into rock began to echo from ahead. Obviously, more miners had just begun working a short distance away. Could I chance it? Was it even worth the risk? What if the next room was not lit with a few candles like the one before? From the dead man’s memories, I knew that kobolds could see decently in the dark and did not need the candles. The only reason for them was to provide enough dim light for the kobolds to make out colors—at least that’s what the lore about creatures with various sorts of night-sight usually said.
Fuck it, I thought. In for a penny, in for a pound, right?
But my decision to keep going ahead didn’t mean I was going to be completely stupid about it either.
I got down on my hands and knees and slowly crawled through the tunnel. I made slow progress as I inched my way forward little by little, but my patience was rewarded when my fingers encountered a taut line strung across the ground barely a foot above the floor.
I could have simply stepped over it, but then I would risk triggering whatever trap it was connected to if I had to retreat in a hurry. Instead, I carefully traced the wire first to one wall of the tunnel, and then to the other. From what I could tell, it appeared to be just a simple tripwire, nothing more. So, I took a calculated risk and cut the wire with my dagger.
Nothing happened.
The sudden ‘Ding!’ of a notification ringing in my head nearly gave me a heart attack, and once my pulse returned to normal, I resumed my slow crawl through the passage.
As I advanced through the darkness, the sound of hammering steadily increased. I was relieved when dim light began to filter into the tunnel from what I assumed was another chamber ahead, and when I reached the end of the tunnel, I poked my head around the final bend in the passage and got my first look into the next room.
Overall, it was nearly the same as the first chamber. Although this cavern was slightly larger, and a little different in shape, the main distinction was that there were two additional tunnels leading out of it. However, just like the first chamber, there was only a single pair of kobolds hammering away at the rock walls.
I was concerned about what might lie beyond the two passages leading further into the cavern complex, but I figured that from where I was, I could easily make it outside if things went bad. Once again, I lined up a shot and waited for my opportunity.
My attack went almost as smoothly as the first time… Almost. My first Stun-enhanced arrow hit its intended kobold but was not a fatal wound. While my second shot managed to kill the other one, I had to hurry and fire a third arrow to finish off my original target before it could raise an alarm. Fortunately, the Stun effect had lasted long enough for me to get in the final blow. If that kobold had been able to cry out, there was no telling how many of the little terrors would come rushing out at me.
My little cavern exploration had gone very smoothly up until that point, and the kobolds had died easily under my attacks. My success was mostly due to the combination of their relative individual weakness, and my surprise attacks. I knew that things would have been much more difficult if I had not been able to catch them unawares, or if they had been
present in more significant numbers.
I realized that stealth and surprise attacks had been a huge part of my success so far; actually, they were probably the only reason I had not died repeatedly at this point, and both would probably continue to be very strong weapons for me. But I also knew I could not always count on such advantages; I needed to develop other strengths and tactics if I wanted to keep surviving over the long term.
I shoved those concerns aside for the moment as I looted the bodies. It was a disappointment to find only more of the same junk, so I moved to investigate the two passages leading further along the cavern.
The passage to my left appeared to go only a short distance before opening up into larger area, and the sounds of stone being crushed echoed from down the short tunnel. The one to my right, however, ended abruptly at a crude door.
In any sort of RPG dungeon, that door would probably lead to the boss room, or at least a mini-boss of some sort. I wasn’t sure what that meant in this real world, but it still made me nervous, so I left the door alone for the time being and took the other passage that obviously led to the next chamber.
This room was smaller than the others I had seen so far, but it also looked to have been worked more thoroughly. The walls were heavily scarred with the kobold’s mining efforts, and large crates of ore were stacked by the entrance. But this chamber was a dead-end, with no additional exits. Once again, I was lucky and only two of the creatures worked the area, meaning that there was no need for me to change my tactics yet. It was easy enough to conceal myself among the crates stacked in front of the small cavern’s entrance, and I waited there for my opportunity to strike again.
When one of the kobolds stopped for a break, I aimed for the center of its chest and I released my shot. The Stun arrow took him in the face and exited the back of his skull cleanly, and his lifeless body crumpled to the ground in a heap.
Unfortunately, the other kobold must have been alarmed by the sight of his fellow miner’s collapse, and he began yipping loudly before my second shot went through his throat and abruptly ended his cries.
Second Skin- Fractures Page 17
