Treachery (The Terra Trials Book 1)

by Dan Thomas

  Max turned and looked back down the hill from where he had come, which had become shadowy in the failing light. “Here? Okay, I’ll be quick.” He put his back against the rock and opened his character screen. Being able to see the dark jungle through the screen did little to reassure Max that he’d be able to spot danger approaching him.

  Character Level Ups. Trait Points Available.

  (+1) Strength: 10 (1 TP)

  (+4) Constitution: 16 (1 TP)

  (+1) Dexterity: 6 (1 TP)

  (+7) Agility: 14 (1 TP)

  (+6) Intuition: 6 (1 TP)

  WUTT: Primal: 1

  “Man, it’s been a while since I could unlock a Trait for every stat in one sitting,” Chopsticks said.

  “Rest assured that they won’t be anything too interesting.” Max opened his Agility Tree, remembering that he hadn’t unlocked any Traits yet, he was beginning to get a nice collection of those available to him.

  (A Lvl 5) Terraining I: -10% Stamina Drain when moving over difficult terrain

  (A Lvl 5) Dash: +25% run speed for 5s

  (A Lvl 10) Terraining II: Basic skill in climbing and swimming (Requires Terraining I)

  (A Lvl 10) Marathoner I: +10% Movement Speed when jogging

  “Sweet, Terraining two, that’s just what you need!” Chopsticks said. “Turned out that awkward bit with the vines was worth it.”

  Max sighed. “You’re forgetting that I didn’t unlock the first level of Terraining, because I put into Primal instead, and I’ve only got one Trait Point.”

  “Oh, shoot,” Chopsticks said. “But look, you’re only one level away from having a second Trait Point.”

  Max shook his head. “I don’t know how close I am to leveling it, I could be running around in circles until it gets dark waiting for that to tick up. Look, it doesn’t matter, I’ll just probably log off here and come back to it when it’s morning.”

  “And waste all that time you could be spending making progress?” Chopsticks asked. “We’ll figure something out. Check the Primal tree.”

  “Isn’t that what got me into this position in the first place?” Max frowned.

  “But think about all the running away you’ve done that’s been made easier by spending that point. Just check it out, if there’s nothing useful there, we’ll just have to think of something else.”

  Max opened the Primal Trait Tree, Hotfoot being the only highlighted Trait in the center of his vision, grayed-out icons surrounding it.

  Recuperate I: Regain Stamina at x1.5 rate after a chase

  Blood Sense: +10% increase to Intuition when following tracks of a wounded creature

  Wide-Eyed: Become more aware of movement at the edge of vision

  “Blood Sense is pretty useful!” Chopsticks said.

  “Only if I’m actually hunting anything, and it doesn’t help me right now.” Max looked through the screen at the jungle again, the little Coelophysis still a danger in the back of his mind.

  “It’ll be useful later. Besides, if you start unlocking Traits, the game will provide you with more, and you’ll probably find something that could get you over that wall.”

  “What are the chances of that? I’ll just end up wasting my point for Agility and have to grind out another five levels.”

  “It won’t be a waste, and just don’t use your Agility point, save that for if you don’t get the option for something you need,” Chopsticks said. “And the worst thing, you still need to get that last level.”

  Max looked at his options again. “I dunno, man, it’d just be safer to spend them in the normal Trait Trees, Primal always seems to be so unpredictable.”

  “Normal’s boring. WUTTs the worst that could happen?” Chopsticks laughed at his own joke. “You’re not gonna get anything better for your second Trait for Strength, or first in Intuition. Actually, that’s a point, instead of picking up a crappy Intuition Trait, grab Blood Sense, that sounds way cooler. Live a little!”

  As Max swapped to look at his Intuition tab, he couldn’t help but think that Chopsticks had a point when he saw his only options were Traits to help identify the Staples, which he didn’t have any trouble with anyway, and to more accurately estimate what time of day it was.

  “Sam’s gonna kill me for this.” Max selected Blood Sense, choosing to spend his Intuition Trait Point.

  Two more grayed-out Traits appeared to the side;

  Keen Eye: See details slightly better over longer distances

  Slow Metabolism: -15% hunger rate

  “You can’t deny that’s useful, especially considering that you’re gonna be out of rations soon,” Chopsticks said.

  “I’ll be able to just forage for food, though,” Max pointed out.

  “With your Intuition? Good luck making that sustainable while you’re on the move,” Chopsticks said. “Just pick it up, I’ve got a good feeling about the next Traits coming up.”

  “With what? My free Strength point?”

  “Yeah, why not?” Chopsticks said around another mouthful of food.

  “I can’t tell if you’ve got a point, or if you’re just peer pressuring me into this for fun.” Max selected Slow Metabolism, pausing on the confirm screen.

  “When have any of my ideas gone bad, hm?” Chopsticks munched. “Remember when Pez said not to use any of the gunpowder, and I did, and by doing so we managed to tame the Mononykus? My ideas always turn out well!”

  Max confirmed his choice to spend his Strength Trait Point, another one Trait becoming available.

  Hunter’s nose: Detect strong scents of animals

  “That doesn’t feel super useful.” Max immediately felt a sense of regret creep over him.

  “Mm!” The sound of Chopsticks hastily chewing food made Max cringe. “Get the smell one. You were worried about not being able to see if the Coelophysis were following you, well, if you could smell them, you wouldn’t have to worry if you could see them or not.”

  “I don’t think that this Trait works like that,” Max said. “It says strong smells, I imagine it’s if a dino’s passed along a trail recently.”

  “Sure, that’s how it is now, but a couple of levels down, you’ll be able to smell danger before anyone else can even see it.”

  “And use my Constitution Trait Point? I need the Agility and Dexterity, and I could be spending that on more health or stamina.”

  “In for a penny, in for a pound, my dude,” Chopsticks spoke as if he were reciting an ancient proverb.

  Max sighed as he unlocked the Trait with his Constitution Trait Point. “Why not, huh? Anyway, that still doesn’t help me now.”

  “Oh, you’re just going to have to run around for a bit until you get that last Agility level,” Chopsticks said.

  Max closed the Traits menu and his character overview. With one last glance around the clear area at the base of the ridge for danger, Max set off along the rocky landmark. He pushed his character into a full-out sprint, keeping an eye out for an easy way to climb up the two yards or so of stone as he felt his stamina drain. When he couldn’t force his legs to run on any longer, Max slowed to a walk, gasping for air for a few moments, only to run on again once he felt his stamina rise a little.

  While long-distance was good for building up Constitution alongside Agility, the best way to earn easy Agility experience at his level was to run as fast as he could as often as he could.

  In only some ten or fifteen minutes, Max managed to push his Agility up to level 15, and before Chopsticks could persuade him out of it, he had spent his two Trait Points on both levels of Terraining. He was lucky that he must have already been some of the way through progressing the level.

  Taking a breather to let his stamina recover, Max took a familiar position, with both hands on rocks sticking out of the ridge, one foot raised. Only this time he could see what were handholds, rather than a blank rock face.

  He hauled himself up, steadying himself once both of his feet were off the ground, before gingerly reaching one hand up, searchi
ng for a higher hold. While still very much clumsy, Max managed to clamber up the rock wall, breathing a sense of relief when eventually he raised an arm, and instead of feeling another handhold, felt flat ground instead.

  Grasping onto the rocky ground above him, Max grunted as he heaved himself upward, pulling his upper body over the top of the ridge, then wiggling forward to get his legs up.

  Max sat breathless for a minute as he took stock of his new surroundings.

  The ridge he had climbed up was not just a line of rock running through the ground, but was rather a rocky plateau, spanning some thirty yards in length to the north, and extended far down the hill both west and east, looking like it stepped down onto another cliff face to the east.

  While the crowns of many trees grew higher than the ridge along some of the sides, the sky was clear of the canopy for once.

  Max pushed himself back to his feet, walking to the northern edge of the ridge, and looking downhill.

  “Whoa,” Chopsticks said. “I had no idea you were so high.”

  “Neither did I. Cerribue must be at a higher elevation.” Max stopped at the edge of the ridge, which sloped harshly back down to the jungle some way below. Max looked over the tops of the trees. Toward the base of the hill, Max could see a swath cut through the trees that must have been a river.

  He moved his gaze past that.

  In the golden haze of the setting sun, Max could see the vast green Tannika Plains. He could see small specks in the sky as Pterosaurs danced through the evening, while on the ground were herds of ant-sized creatures that drifted across the emerald-colored landscape.

  “Home,” Chopsticks said quietly. “I’ve never seen it from a distance like this.”

  “Home,” Max repeated. A deep rumbling roar from an unseen giant rang across the distant land.

  The plains were the Coprolite Crew’s stomping grounds, but they very rarely came this far south.

  Between him and their actual home were a lot of miles and dangers, and Murf was still very much prey for most of the inhabitants of Primeva.

  But Max felt his determination return.

  From this height, anything seemed possible.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Time for a camp, some crafting, and a bit of downtime.” Max rubbed his hands together. Crafting was why he gamed. As much as he loved the thrill of adventure, creating tools, bases, traps, whatever came to mind was Max’s calling. But for Chopsticks, it was usually a tedious necessity.

  “Maybe it’s time for me to catch some shut-eye.” Chopsticks yawned loudly.

  “I thought you were here to keep me company,” Max replied dryly. “How will I go on without your moral support?”

  “I can sleep on the chair so I’m here in body. If not in mind.” He yawned again. “I’m not much use to you while you’re crafting.” There was a crunch as he stumbled over something. Since he didn’t curse, Max figured he’d caught his foot on a pizza box. “Wake me up when it’s morning.”

  “Real-world morning or Primeva morning?” Max asked as he rolled his shoulders. Quiet time alone doing his own thing was rare.

  “Whichever comes later.” The leather chair creaked as Chopsticks lay down. “If you need anything, just give me a shout. But you’ve got this.”

  “Well, I’ve made it this far.” Max turned away from his view toward home. He wasn’t going to get any closer staring at the scenery. He needed some more equipment that would help him on his journey, and he’d soon need to collect more food and water. Max let out a breath into the cooling air. “It’s been a while, but I think I remember how to do this.”

  He peered over the edge of the rocky ridge. While most of it was by no means an easy climb, there was almost a trail leading down the side that Max was confident he’d be able to scale down.

  Lowering himself into a sitting position, he turned himself around and felt for a solid place to step down, gingerly putting his weight on it, reaching his hand down.

  It took Max some time, especially with how careful he was with every movement, aware that if he slipped, the chances of him being able to catch himself were very low, and the likelihood of him surviving a fall even lower.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the softer earth underfoot, relaxing his aching muscles as he let go of the stone. The ground around him was still rocky and steep, but it wasn’t anywhere near vertical. The jungle was still sparse, but he guessed that it became thicker only a little way downhill, judging by how dark it was below him.

  Max began to trudge his way downhill, spear in hand, looking for a sheltered spot he could use to keep playing in relative safety for the night.

  As he walked, he kept his eye out for the chalky white stem of Powdercress, a low-lying shrub that grew out of naturally occurring deposits of flint. If he had been paying attention, he’d probably have been able to spot some on his journey, but he had been so focused on traveling as fast and as safely as he could that it had completely slipped his mind. However, being in the rocky terrain he was, Max knew that it wouldn’t be long until he found a deposit.

  Sunlight did not fall on to the side of the hill Max was trekking along, and the forest wore a dim blanket. Max cast his eyes around, along the ground, in between the trees, up into the canopy, and back down again. He was aware that he had lost his extra two pairs of eyes and was out at a bad time.

  The usual calls and constant background of movement had fallen all but silent, and Max stood in the bubble of peace as the plants and animals that basked in the daylight settled down to rest, while the night shift began to stir, soon to bring out the much more sinister denizens of Primeva.

  Max shuddered. He didn’t spend much time out at night, but he knew far too well from experience of the creatures that awoke at dusk, such as the dreaded Dilong, a strange nocturnal mix between a raptor and a Rex, that once it caught a scent would hunt its quarry until the crack of dawn.

  “Don’t think about what goes bump in the night, think about what you need right now,” Max mumbled as he walked. “Flint, a hammer rock, plant fibers. That’s all doable.”

  The ground was clear of any grass save for a few tufts growing up where the slim tree trunks were spaced farther apart, the ground instead was covered in a gray-green moss that thrived at the higher altitudes. That lack of higher vegetation made it much easier for Max to spot the resources that he needed in the failing light.

  As he walked, his foot hit something hard. Crouching down, he pulled back a small section of the moss to reveal a stone underneath. He could immediately tell that it wasn’t flint by the gray color of the mineral, and slightly smaller than his fist, it would do for a hammerstone. Wrapping his hands around it, he wrenched it out of the ground. It was a little too jagged to be ideal, but it would do.

  As he stood up, a white flash caught Max’s eye. Squinting, he could see the chalky white that he was looking for.

  He jogged over, dropping to his knees at the Powdercress. Pushing its broad leaves out of the way, he clawed at the dirt around the base of the plant until he felt his fingernails scrape against something hard. “Gotcha.”

  Curling his fingers around the small rock, he pulled it out of the dirt and threw it down on the ground next to him.

  Not wanting to damage his spear, Max grabbed a fallen stick and used it to scrape away at the dirt, saving his hands.

  The flint deposits varied in size, but usually, you could find three or four decent-sized chunks. And if he were lucky, he might find a small piece of quartz among the flint. Being able to make a Shard and tame a dino in the morning would make his journey much easier.

  If he were really fortunate, he might even find some obsidian shards, although at his skill level it would be unlikely, he couldn’t even do anything with them besides breaking them.

  The loose soil came away easily, and before long he had dug out a small area around the bush. He grabbed hold of the woody stalk and leaned back, heaving the roots out of the ground. He tossed the plant to the side,
and looked down at the hole in the ground, seeing the beige color of the rocks in among the dirt.

  Dusting off his hands, he picked one of the rocks up and examined it closely. The creamy shell of the rock was pocked with missing flakes that revealed the darker glass-like stone beneath. Once he found a safe area, he could get to work knapping the rocks and making some blades.

  Satisfied with his find, Max stuffed the four fist-sized rocks into his bag, hoping that they would be enough. Max had the knowledge to knap flint successfully, but his character didn’t. Basic crafting skills were generally available even at the lowest levels, but with only one free Trait Point for his Dexterity, he might be in for a frustrating evening.

  Very frustrating if he couldn’t even get a fire going.

  After placing the stones into his bag alongside his rations and the horn, he stood up, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and continued his search, heading farther downhill.

  As he walked, he went through his other priorities, such as finding an iron nodule to use with flint for fire, otherwise, he’d have to use a friction method, which was going to be nothing but complicated and time-consuming. On top of that, he needed to find something to make cordage out of, as well as tinder.

  Man, sunset was not the time to be scrambling around for starter materials, Max thought.

  The light was fading fast and if he didn’t find what he needed soon, he would have to abandon his search and make some semblance of a camp or log off. Tramping around in the dark wasn’t a good idea for a high-level character, let alone a pathetic character like Murf.

  “Fuck!” He heard the familiar snapping sound as his feet were grabbed out from under him. He threw himself forward as his feet were lifted into the air. The vine failed to keep hold of him, and he hit the ground hard. As he rolled forward, he stuck his arms out in front of him to stop himself, but all he caught was empty air.