“Yes,” I whisper. I feel like I’m getting better at this.
The hit has enraged the boar, though, and his next attack comes even faster. This time I can hear a low growl over the crunching of twigs and leaves. His aggro is completely focused on me. Here he comes …
I guess incorrectly this time. Or he’s even faster than the previous attacks. I have barely had a chance to raise my arm above my head when the boar bursts out of the bushes and barrels into me, knocking me to the ground.
[-80 HP]
Damn it. That’s more than 10% of my health. I scramble to get my feet under me again and quickly get in position for another attack. I widen my stance so it will be more difficult to knock me over, arm raised above my head. Dagger ready.
As the boar circles around me again, I slash at its face, this time hitting all the way down to the bone. IRL I’d probably be dead, but in game I’ve found my rhythm and the key to destroying this creature. Three more swipes past me and I have defeated it.
[+120 XP]
The body lies at my feet. I engage the game’s examine function and learn that I could skin it and loot the body for fur and tusks, if I had the requisite professions training.
Well, I’ll just have to find an NPC to teach me that. In the meantime, I still have a weed to find.
Attention: You have unlocked Active Skill Slashing Level 2
Description: You have learned to take down a massive creature with your Dagger.
Reward: +70 XP
Thank goodness. I definitely need to keep moving and find some more creatures to battle if I am going to level up fast enough. That’s not a bad reward for just one boar. I almost wish there are more around. Almost. I have a feeling that whatever reward I get from Gemma at the end of this quest chain will be more than worth it.
Chapter 13
I keep my Dagger unsheathed just in case, and keep looking at the forest floor. I wish Gemma had given me more of a hint about where to look.
Just a little way ahead, I come across a fallen log. It has been on the forest floor long enough to have new plants sprouting out of the top and sides. Little green ferns and some kind of creeping ivy reach up to find the sunlight leaking through the canopy. The sun dapples across the rotting wood.
A glimmer of golden light catches my eye. Yes! There it is. The Scaling Weed I’ve needed. It looks like there are two or three plants. I revisit the quest description and see that I only need three leaves from it. To be safe, I pull two whole plants out by the roots and store them in my pack.
I hurry out of the woods, back toward the clearing and Gemma’s cottage, rushing to try to make it back before another boar finds me. Gemma’s hound has gone back to sleep by the front door and doesn’t stir when I pass it. So much for all my caution when I first met him.
I knock on the faded blue door, and hear her stirring inside as she comes to answer.
“It’s about time,” she scolds, ushering me inside. The heat and smells inside the cottage are oppressive. She must keep her fire going constantly and that mix of smells—herbs mostly, but also some kind of meat—is a bit nauseating. She must have seen me wince because she continues, “Oh you don’t like it? Don’t want my help do you?”
“No, no. Of course not. I was just … The smell reminds me of something my mom used to make.”
Gemma squints at me, probably trying to decide whenever or not to call me out on my lie. Once again, I marvel at the AI coded into these NPCs. It’s so realistic, down to suspecting dishonesty.
“Alright, SirAsh3r. Nevermind. Have you brought the Scaling Weed?”
“Yes.” I pull it out of my pack.
Quest Completed: Got any Weed?
Description: You have found the one plant that Gemma needs out of the whole forest.
Reward: Scaling Weed tea recipe
“That will be sufficient,” she says, examining the plant I hold in my hand. “You can ingest this weed one of two ways. Simply chewing up the leaves raw will work, but only for a limited time. Alternatively, you can leach out the essential bits by making it into a tea that will last far longer. Would you like me to teach you how to make it into the tea you need?
Quest Offered: Tea for Two
Description: Learn Cooking Profession
Reward: One mugful of Scaling Weed tea
“Yes, please.”
“Wonderful. Follow me.”
I nod and follow her across the stone floor to the fireplace where a large pot is simmering over a bed of coals on the left side of an enormous fireplace. I wonder if it is large enough to roast one of those boars I encountered in the forest. A lively fire burns on the right side of the hearth. Gemma lifts her tin kettle off a neighboring table, hefts it to test the weight, and hangs it over the fire.
“Water is heating. Let’s find you a mug.”
I follow her to another corner of the room where open shelves host a small collection of earthware dishes.
“Pick one.”
There are only three. They all seem identical to me. I hope this is not a test of any kind. I select the middle mug and hold it in both hands as I turn to face her again.
Gemma gives me a curt nod and leads me back to the table by the fire.
“Now,” she begins. “Your turn. Pull three leaves from your Scaling Weed. Tear them roughly in half and drop all the pieces in the bottom of your mug.”
I follow her instructions as I hear the kettle begin to whistle. She winds her hands in a small towel, lifts the kettle out of the fire and pours the boiling water into my mug.
Quest Completed: Tea for Two
Description: You know the minimum skill to feed yourself.
Reward: Cooking profession level 1; One mugful of Scaling Weed Tea
A couple of the leaf pieces float to the top and the water immediately turns a deep purple. She nods at me, so I lift the mug to my lips. In spite of the fact that it was just boiling, it is now the perfect temperature to drink.
I take a tentative sip.
“All of it,” she directs, watching my movements intently.
I swallow the entire cupful with three gulps and immediately feel the effect. A wave goes over me, leaving a faint lightness in my extremities.
Attention: Scaling Weed Tea has adjusted your stats as follows:
+5 Strength
+10 Dexterity
+5 Stamina
EFFECT: Increased Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Increased ability to grip vertical surfaces by 200% for ten minutes.
Oh, hell yeah. I love magic.
“Alright, SirAsh3r. This tea is only effective for ten minutes and I still need my Crow’s Nests. Get to it.”
She doesn’t need to tell me twice. “Thank you,” I call over my shoulder as I dash outside again. I am eager to test my new abilities. At the foot of the nearest tree, I pause only a moment to confirm there is a nest above me. And then I start climbing. Up up up.
This time is nothing like that first attempt. Not only am I stronger overall, with more dexterity in my limbs and a greater range of motion, but whatever is in that weed also gives me an unnatural ability to grasp tree bark. Like I’m Spiderman or something. There are no purchases or footholds that I can see, and yet I’m able to scramble up the trunk as easily as a monkey.
Near the top, where the branches start to meander out, I need to balance on to a narrow edge to get far enough to reach the nest. I carefully edge closer. It’s not quite within grasp—just a few more feet. I push myself, hugging the small branch closely, nearer to the nest. I feel a familiar sharp pain on the back of my wrist, and the light flutter of passing wings.
[-30 HP]
Oh, no.
The crow banks back toward me, pecking farther up my outstretched arm, reaching for the nest. I should have known. I should have guessed. If these damn birds attack just when I’m walking down the forest path, of course they would attack when I reach for their nests. Fortunately, there only seems to be one bird defending this branch. I can handle one. Hopefully.
Given I am balanced precariously high up off the ground.
I use my free hand to keep anchored to the branch. Equipping myself with a Club, I wait for the crow to dive bomb again.
I connect on the first try! That hit enrages him enough to let the bird get in another peck, but the hit barely registers against my health points. Two more swings of my club and it falls to the ground, leaving me free to collect the first nest.
[+45 XP]
Collected: Crow’s Nest 1 of 6
The messages flash before me as I scramble back down the tree trunk. My Scaling Weed tea only has seven minutes left. The ten minute countdown glows red in the corner of my field of vision. I need to get up and down five more trees in that time.
Up the tree, club a crow or two, then back down as fast as I can. The birds soon become little more than batting practice for me and only the last one manages to get in a significant hit. The sixth and final nest goes into my bag and I decide to wait in that tree branch to read all the messages before climbing down again.
Collected: Crow’s Nest 6 of 6
Return to Gemma with all 6 Nests
Attention: You have unlocked Active Skill: Climbing Level 1
Description: You’ve discovered how to get up and down a tree trunk. Though stimulants help, you’ve learned the rudimentary skills that will let you practice on your own.
Reward: +40 XP
Hm. That’s interesting. Why did it take until I climbed up the sixth tree for the Climbing skill to unlock? I wonder if the tea is wearing off. I check the game clock. Shit. My ten minutes was up about two minutes ago. I look down at the ground. Now that I know I have to climb down with no magical assistance it seems stupid to have stayed up here.
I return to my messages.
Acquired: Stone of Waking
Item Type: Singular
Description: Unknown. You do not currently possess the skills necessary to identify or use this object.
I turn the stone over in my hand. It’s smooth and rounded, like a river rock, but a deep navy blue that I haven’t seen in nature before. I’m not sure why I received the Stone of Waking. And, Singular type? Does that mean what I think it does—that there’s only one in the whole game? I’ll have to remember to keep checking back on it to see when the description fills in for me. I guess in the meantime it will just have to take up space in my pack. I haven’t technically completed the quest, so it’s not a reward. I wonder if the game auto-loots or if it is somehow just a special object attached to this last nest. There’s a lot to think about and I am definitely still figuring this game out. It’s different enough from Toterra City that my choices aren’t easy.
I check that my new stone and six Crow’s Nests are safely stowed before I attempt my descent. Without the Scaling Weed tea, down the tree trunk is better than up, but if this was the real world, I’d be limping back to Gemma with more than a few bruises.
Chapter 14
Gemma waits at the door to her cottage, a small smirk on her face. “Scaling Weed tea worked well, did it?”
I nod. “Thank you. I’ve got the nests you asked for.”
She holds out her hands. A quick internal thought brings my items out of my inventory and into her possession.
Quest Completed: Bring ‘em Down
Description: You have delivered the six Crow’s Nests Gemma requested and now she can complete her project.
Reward: +120 XP; +10% regard with Gemma, Bow of Foyle (Level 23)
“Whoa.” The bow appears in my hands as the quest message fades away.
Congratulations! You have reached Level 13!
You have 1 attribute point to distribute.
Name: SirAsh3r
Level: 13
Strength: 13
Intelligence: 15
Dexterity: 13
Stamina: 13
Magic: 14
Skills: Woodcraft 2, Slash 2, Club 2, Paddle 1, Climbing 1
Abilities: Initiative 1
Professions: Cooking
Affinities: 2% Earth; 1% Water
Achievements: First Explorer of Lake Galavant
Fame: 100
I shiver. This leveling up in an immersion tank is intense. It feels like a tickle all the way down my spine.
“Congratulations, SirAsh3r. You are moving up in Camlan. Now that you’ve helped me, what will you do now?”
I hesitate. I have no idea. I need to keep leveling up as quickly as I can, that’s certain. I could keep making my way through the forest and hunt for more quests. … But then, she did just give me this bow. Maybe there’s more I can do here.
“Is there anything else I can do to help you? I would hate to leave you without the assistance you need.” A little flattery and charm never hurts.
“You flirt,” she half-scolds. “There is always more work to do. Stay and help me detangle these nests and I’ll make it worth your while.”
Quest offered: Clean Up This Mess
Description: Gemma has six Crow’s Nests she needs taken apart. Help her separate the mess into individual pieces.
Reward: +140 XP
“Of course. Just show me what you want me to do.”
“Let’s stay outside,” she says. “I have a table in the garden. Don’t want to make a mess.”
In a flash, the six nests are lined up on the table, each glowing faintly with the indication that these are needed for my current quest. In times like this I wonder if there really are players so dumb that they need this.
“Sit.” I obey. “There will be no special magical assistance this time. It’s just manual labor. Each nest will break down to ten feathers, four straight sticks, six curvy sticks and one small ball of thread. Which means that each nest will need to be handled and pulled apart twenty-one times.”
God, that sounds tedious.
She looks at me expectantly. “Well?”
“Oh!” I start. “Just … go?”
“Yes, you dolt. Start. Show me.”
I grab the nest closest to me. Nothing happens. I take a firm grip of each side and pull apart. A single black feather appears in my right hand.
“Excellent,” she says, nodding. “Again.”
I repeat the motion and this time bring forth a straight stick.
“Good, good. Keep the piles separate but you have the motion down. I will bring you water and leave you to your work.”
I take deep breath and start moving faster. Maybe this was a bad idea. Two more feathers liberated. There has got to be an easier way to gain experience. A curvy stick starts its own pile. Would it be rude of me to quit in the middle and abandon the quest? A ball of thread. A feather. Can you even be rude to an NPC? A straight stick.
While my hands are busy, I turn the Camlan Challenge play-by-play back on.
“Let’s check in on one of our young players—Callidus was one of the first to start off around the lake but he got held up.”
“That’s right, Johnny. It doesn’t look like he has made it any farther. He continues to grind the small rodents to earn XP.”
“Interesting strategy, Mike. What about our oldest player, TexBadass?”
I mute the announcers again and consider my own game strategy. I don’t want to get distracted with what other players are doing. And now is the perfect time while my hands work automatically. It seems like no time at all passes before I realize I’ve finished the first nest. I had not even noticed when my host brought me a cup of water.
I take a sip before moving to nest number two.
[+60 HP]
I’ll miss this well when it’s time for me to leave.
I pick up the second nest and get to work, again falling into an automatic, focused rhythm where my brain works on various problems that my hands know nothing about. I even have time to check the other players’ levels on the leaderboard. Jargonaut is still in the lead but four other players follow right behind. Then me.
This Challenge is far from over.
Alternating between nests and sips of water, I
make quick work of demolishing Gemma’s six Crow’s Nests. As I set down the final feather in its pile, she’s already at my left shoulder, ready to give me credit for my work.
Attention: You have unlocked Passive Ability Focus Level 1
Description: When you put your mind to it you can do anything. As you level up this skill, the time it takes you to do automatic tasks—including in battle—decreases.
Reward: +40 XP
Quest Completed: Clean Up This Mess
Description: Thanks to your diligent work, she now has all the pieces she needs for her project
Reward +140 XP, 10 Straight Sticks
“Sticks?”
“Yes, SirAsh3r. Sticks.” For an NPC that is technically just part of the game, she sure likes condescension. “Any idea what you can do with those?”
I’m too distracted thinking about my new skill. If I can actually use Focus to speed up the use of other skills I could move fast. I bet Jargonaut would never sit still long enough to unlock Focus. Maybe this is my advantage.
“Sticks,” I repeat, noticing the daggers Gemma is shooting at me with her eyes. “I, uh, I mean. I already have a bunch of Clubs.”
She huffs with irritation. “Have you considered at all what you’re going to do with the Bow of Foyle you now own?”
“Ohhhh …” The realization hits me. I feel self conscious saying it out loud. “Arrows?”
“Yes, yes. Arrows. Come. I have one more reward for you.”
She leads the way back inside her cottage. The heavily perfumed air is cloying and slightly suffocating but I don’t want to leave.
“Here we are.” Gemma pulls out a drawer and grabs a handful of small metal points. “As your reward for sticking around and helping me with a mundane task that is certainly below your level, I gift you these. Give me the sticks.”
I pull them from my inventory and hand them over. With three quick movements she has somehow attached the metal to the wood and ten perfect arrows now sit on the tabletop.
My jaw drops. “That’s incredible. Thank you. Can you teach me to make them?
“I can, but that kind of skill is worth more than you have.”
Quest for Camlan_A LitRPG Adventure Page 7
