by Phoenix Grey
Azure paused to take stock of the situation. Spread out over a good forty acres of native field were nine wasps. Yellowjackets, they would have been called in his world thanks to the yellow and black striped pattern on their abdomens. They Analyzed as blue and didn't appear to be aggressive, merely bobbing in place for several moments before moving a few feet away to do the same. The only thing that made them intimidating was their size. About as large as a rottweiler, Azure surmised that they'd have one hell of a painful sting. It was probably best to single them out and take them down one at a time with his bow. He also decided that if it didn't cause too much of a drain on his Stamina, he would kill all of them instead of just the five that his quest required. Azure could definitely use the experience, and he could sell the leftover wings that he collected for more money.
Having fabricated his plan, Azure Stealthed himself and got into position at one corner of the field. There was nothing to take cover behind, so he remained crouched until he was ready to attack. Familiar adrenaline pumped through him from knowing that he was about to engage in combat.
Azure nocked an arrow and took aim, downing the first Giant Wasp in one shot.
Defeated Level 5 Giant Wasp. 30XP rewarded.
Well, that was easy, Azure thought as he watched the wasp fall into the tall grass. His eyes darted to the next closest Giant Wasp. It seemed none the wiser that one of its buddies had just met their demise. If it could even see Azure, he couldn't tell. Bug eyes and all. No pupils dancing around to give a sense of directional sight.
Hoping he hadn't just gotten lucky, Azure nocked another arrow and let it sail at the next closest Giant Wasp.
Critical hit! Defeated Level 5 Giant Wasp. 30XP rewarded.
"Huh," Azure mused when the second Giant Wasp went down just as easily as the first.
This wasn't going to be difficult at all. It shouldn't even be that time-consuming, which was good because late afternoon was approaching and Azure didn't want to get caught walking back to Squall's End in the dark.
Pleased with how smoothly things were going, Azure proceeded on to Giant Wasp number three. This time, he missed the shot. Finally taking notice of him―probably because he was quite obviously trying to kill it―the Giant Wasp turned in Azure's direction and charged.
Damn was it fast, moving with the speed of...well, a wasp. You'd think that the sheer size of the insect would have slowed it, but no dice. Azure barely had time to decide what to do before it reached him. As quickly as he could, he pulled an arrow from his quiver, but he fumbled and dropped it. It would have made no difference anyway; the Giant Wasp was too quick. He might not have even been able to get a shot in before it descended on him.
The ridiculously large abdomen swung down, and all Azure could think to do was block with his arms, though it missed them entirely and plunged the stinger in just below his chest.
Level 5 Giant Wasp delivers 25 damage.
"Ow!" Azure took a step back, feeling heat and pain blooming where he'd been hit.
When he was five, Azure had gotten stung on the ass by a red paper wasp at a public pool, and damn had it ever hurt. He could still remember the intense burning to this day. This sting was different though, less intense. However, the spreading sensation was definitely new to him. The pain expanded like an explosion before drawing back to the site of the sting.
While the Giant Wasp's flight toward him had been fast, its attack was blessedly slow. Azure was able to dodge the second drop of the stinger, rolling out of the way. The Giant Wasp stayed poised, looking down at where he used to be standing for about a two-second delay before it turned to him and buzzed over for its next attack. That afforded Azure enough time to unsheathe his Crude Goblin Sword. One swipe made quick work of the oversized insect, and it fell to the ground with a waning buzz.
Defeated Level 5 Giant Wasp. 30XP rewarded.
Azure felt more annoyed than injured, rubbing the center of his chest to soothe out the lingering burn. By the time he had picked up the arrow he had dropped, it was mostly gone. Sore to the touch, but not giving him much grief otherwise.
Even seeing Azure in combat with one of their kin hadn't roused the other Giant Wasps to attack him. Azure wondered if it was because he was a higher level than them. Whatever the case, these monsters weren't anywhere near as aggressive as they'd been made out to be. Weren't they supposed to have been attacking travelers along Red Road? He shrugged it off, not going to complain about an easy job.
It took Azure a little less than an hour and only one mishap to slay the other six Giant Wasps. This time when he missed his shot, he knew to immediately abandon his bow for his sword, avoiding getting stung again. By the time he was done, Azure had racked up an additional 180XP.
Unsure of whether or not any other parts of the Giant Wasps were salvageable, he only took the wings, though Azure did spend a few moments concentrating on one Giant Wasp to see if he could bring up a screen of information. Ever since discovering his World Map, he had been trying to focus on various things to see if there were hidden details to be found. So far, he'd come up empty-handed, but it never hurt to try.
Pulling the wings off of the Giant Wasps took a bit more effort than Azure had anticipated. It wasn't anything like ripping the wings off of a butterfly. These wings didn't want to give without a good amount of pressure, though they made a familiar sound when he finally was able to part them from their body.
Every time he plucked a wing, he was rewarded with the following notification:
You have received the following item:
Giant Wasp Wing
Quantity: 1/1
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0 kg
Uses: Alchemy Component
By the time Azure finished looting the bodies, the sun was beginning to set. He took the same path back toward Squall's End, not diverting from it to find the main road until it had gotten almost too dark to see...which, unfortunately wasn't very long. It was a moonless, starless night, and having his vision obscured made him slow to a snail's pace as he struggled to see well enough to stay on the road.
This is miserable. That Small Flame spell would really come in handy right now. I definitely should have found somewhere to camp instead of trying to walk through the night.
Even the smallest sound had Azure on guard, though for once he feared monsters more than humans. And with good reason. Too soon did he hear the dreaded fluttering of wings. Unable to see his assailants, Azure was nearly defenseless against the oncoming attack.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
Oh, not this again. Azure groaned internally.
He drew his sword and swung aimlessly. Thankfully, there was not a barrage of bats like there had been in The Dark One's dungeon. Only one or two would attack him at a time, but it seemed almost endless, and with his lack of night vision, killing them was nearly impossible.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
Azure growled, wanting to shout in frustration but too afraid to agro other monsters. Was he so inept that he couldn't even kill one little level 1 Bat in the dark? Apparently so, because no matter how many times he swung his sword, he didn't see a notification that he had defeated one. Perhaps the night made them invincible, he thought, though that didn't make much sense. No. This all came down to the fact that he couldn't see shit.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
The bats slowed Azure down even further. When he discovered that he couldn't hit them with his sword, he put it away and tried to press on, swatting at the small creatures whenever he could. The
y became an annoyance, swooping in front of his face and making his frustration mount with every passing second.
Though their bites only stung like a pinprick, within less than fifteen minutes, Azure realized that the bats were a real problem. Both his Health and Stamina had been depleted by over a quarter. If he kept going on like this, he'd be dead within an hour if he didn't use his Potions of Minor Healing. Even if he did, he'd still be screwed because he didn't have any Potions of Minor Stamina. Once his Stamina was fully drained, he'd be a sitting buffet for the bats.
"Shit," Azure muttered under his breath as he popped open a Potion of Minor Healing. He definitely should have found a place to camp for the night. This mistake could very well cost him his life.
Azure pulled up his map, and his heart sank. He was still nearly three hours away from Squall's End. Running would deplete his Stamina further, but if he was able to outrun the bats, then it would be worth a try.
Taking a deep breath, Azure picked up his pace, quickly moving from a jog to a sprint.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
There was a small triumph when the attacks slowed to about one per minute. However, that triumph was countered by the fact that Azure's Stamina began depleting by about five points per minute. At this rate, he would still run out of Stamina within an hour.
It annoyed him that none of the alchemy components he had foraged for so far had any type of Stamina healing benefit.
There's only one way to survive this. I have to figure out how to hit them in the dark. If I have to stand in one place and defend until morning, then so be it.
This was definitely one of those times when a level 1 monster could kill a much higher level foe, Azure thought back to Uden's lesson. He just never imagined that he would be the higher level foe that was about to lose to a seemingly weak enemy.
Slowing down and then stopping, Azure drew his dagger this time. Perhaps if the bats got close enough that he could see them, he could stab them before they were able to land a hit.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.
No such luck.
Azure's last resort was his bow, shooting blindly up into the night sky. But with only four arrows left, what was the point?
Panicked and out of options, he ran for Squall's End again. It was too far away to reach, but Azure ran anyway. His legs were beginning to ache, his body heavy from the loss of Stamina, but still he ran, praying that maybe he'd encounter someone on the road. Only slowing to uncork and drink a Potion of Minor Healing, Azure ran until he tripped over a rock. The fall alone did 5 damage, and he cursed the bullshit game mechanics. That couldn't stop him, though. Every step brought him closer to Squall's End. It also drained his Stamina to near staggering levels.
By some miracle, Azure was able to outrun the bats. At least, he thought that's what had happened until he began hearing whispers. They overlapped each other, fast speech that Azure didn't understand. It sounded human, but at the same time didn't. Voices hissed through the darkness, filling his ears and getting closer and closer. With them came a spike of fear. Azure knew it was only a matter of time before he got attacked again, but this time, it wouldn't be the bats. This time, it would be a foe that he hadn't yet encountered, and he had no idea how to defend himself.
Maybe if I keep running, I can avoid whatever else wants to kill me, Azure thought both dryly and naively. His assumption proved wrong when he ran straight into a wall of darkness, bouncing off of it and falling hard on his ass. Azure's muscles screamed in relief from the sudden pause of activity, but he knew better than to listen to them. With only 30 Stamina points left, stopping was not an option.
It took everything in Azure to pull himself to his feet. Knowing that whatever he had run into was right in front of him, Azure did his best to skirt around it. Hands gripped his shoulders, pulling him forward. Something...passed through him. A strange feeling, like he was merging with another being and coming out the other side as less than what he had been before. Darkness fazed in and out of his vision, darker than the twilight around him. And then he was left stunned on the other end.
Level 7 Shadowling delivers 35 damage.
Azure didn't need to be able to see the monster to know that they were evenly matched. That one hit had depleted his Health down to 62 points. Hands shaking, he quickly dug into his bag and pulled out three Potions of Minor Healing. By the time he'd finished drinking the contents, the Shadowling attacked again.
Level 7 Shadowling delivers 35 damage.
Azure shuddered as it passed through him. It was one of the most horrible feelings ever. Violating. Draining. Like a tracer of him was being pulled behind it for a few seconds.
He drew his sword and swung in a wide arch, just wanting to keep the creature at bay. But it simply came in from behind him, taking advantage of his poor eyesight.
Level 7 Shadowling delivers 35 damage.
It was clear that the Shadowling could see perfectly in the darkness. With a name like Shadowling, that only made sense. This was its domain, and Azure was screwed.
I'm about done for, Azure realized morosely as he uncorked and drank three more Potions of Minor Healing. I only have 30 Stamina left. If I run, I'll be rendered immobile within six minutes. If I stay and continue to try to fight, I'll lose Stamina at a slower pace, but I'll likely eventually run out of Potions of Minor Healing and die. I'm not sure which will happen first, the depletion of my Stamina or my Health, but if I had to guess, it would be the first of the two. Then all I'll be able to do is sit helplessly while it kills me.
It was a bit ironic to Azure that he was about to die while completing an Easy quest, but that was the reality of it. Feeling hopeless, he raised his sword and kept on the defense, trying desperately to listen for the monster as it approached. His only indication was that the whispers would get louder. That's when he would swing his sword in an arch. The rare times he would make contact, it would feel like his blade had been slowed; it didn't stop completely like it would have if the monster were fleshy. Though he couldn't see it, Azure knew that the Shadowling's visage reflected its name. It was made out of pure shadow, its body a thick fog of darkness. Still, no matter how many times he swung, he couldn't seem to kill it. A hit would merely drive the Shadowling back only for it to attack again moments later.
Azure stood there helplessly, feeling the creature pass through him over and over again and drinking Potions of Minor Healing to keep himself alive.
Level 7 Shadowling delivers 35 damage.
Every swing of his sword drained his Stamina even further. It was getting to the point that just holding it felt like a laborious task. The blade wobbled in Azure's hand, and his wrist began to cramp.
Level 7 Shadowling delivers 35 damage.
As his strength waned, it felt like it took more and more energy to slice through the shadow. Finally, when Azure was down to only 17 Stamina, a final desperate swing toward the creature brought on a notification.
Defeated Level 7 Shadowling. 49XP rewarded.
Azure sat in the middle of the road, his eyes welling up with tears. He fell back heavily, looking up at the sky as black as the Shadowling had been. Hot wetness cascaded down the sides of his face. The night had taken an emotional toll on him. He wasn't crying because he had won...but because he was pretty sure he was still going to die.
Azure didn't understand why traveling alone in the dark on the mainland was so dangerous. He had done it back on Crescent Island after he had plummeted down the waterfall and was trying to make his way back to Cragbell. Back then, there had been no creatures of the night just waiting for the sun to fall so that they could attack. And there should have been. Crescent Island was where Azure had first encountered bats.
As if drawn to his negative thoughts, the fluttering of win
gs returned. Azure didn't move. Maybe if he played dead, the bats wouldn't come after him.
Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your Stamina.
Of course, that didn't work. Azure felt like a carcass getting preyed on by crows. In a matter of minutes, he'd be rendered completely immobile. In an hour or less, he'd be dead.
With nothing worthwhile left to do, Azure expended the rest of his Stamina in the best way he knew how. He called out for help.
CHAPTER TWO
THE REALM – Day 49
You have died.
It had been a while since Azure had seen that notification. Again, it came in a dream, and he wasn't sure if it was real or not.
Azure opened his eyes from the harsh rays of the sun beating against his eyelids. He felt like he'd been hit by a freight train. It was as if his body was plastered to whatever he was lying on. Curling his fingers, Azure touched something firm beneath him. His fingernails dug in, expecting the surface to give way like dirt. Instead, he was rewarded with a splinter.
“Ow!” He drew his finger up to his lips to suck away the pain.
Where was he? Azure blinked up at a thatched roof. This was not the inn, he realized in a panic, his eyes flying to the side to try to discern his whereabouts. Layered stone walls surrounded him. The space was small, and the furniture was sparse. It appeared to be a house consisting of a singular room.
