“And because I have four arms, it is possible I’d never improve?”
“Exactly. The other side of that is true too, with four arms you might have skills that are overpowered. To put it bluntly, you are going to be my new test subject. I won’t interfere with your game unless I absolutely have no choice, but I will adjust your hidden attributes until I find a good balance.” The zombie gnome explained, still floating in front of me like a disembodied spirit.
“I understand, I think, but what kind of changes?”
“I’m not allowed to go into specifics about hidden attributes. I can tell you I will increase your [Coordination] by a factor of five. And I can also tell you that Coordination will help with your limb movement, haste, and hit rate percentages. The only reason I can tell you that is because you will feel these changes, and we may need your feedback. We will compensate you for your time and assistance.”
“You want to allow others to become like me, don’t you?”
“Very perceptive. That is all I have for now, but I am sure we will talk again soon. Once this corpse is back in its normal place, I will adjust the time back to normal. It is recommended you try to keep the same positioning you had, it will prevent less confusion with the denizens. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I replied. “I think.” The corpse went back to where I had pulped it, but the skull remained repaired. I thought it an odd detail to leave intact when the AI had put everything else back exactly as it was.
My brain ached from all the information and excitement. Between my new class, the overhanging threat of the monasteries, and the attribute adjustments I was not sure what to process first. Eventually I decided there wasn’t anything I could do about it at the moment. Instead I finished up with my messages.
[Your class has now changed to Dragon Fist
Pugilist is still available in your unlocked classes.
You are on the Path of an Unarmed Warrior of Fire
- Bladed weapons are ineffective in your hands. (Exception: Thrown items)
- Brawler’s Stance is still active because it is also part of the Monk class.
- [Pummel] is now [Flurry Strikes]
- [Beat Down] is now [Sweep Kick]
- Multiple classes may use the same skills. (Hint: Trainers of those classes could teach you the skill)
- You now have access to spells, so your mana bar is available.
- You may swap your Feats without penalty for the next 30 minutes.
- You have learned: Aura of the Fire Dragon (Only one Dragon Aura may be active at a time).
Feats Gained:
Goro’s Might: Strength +2, Agility +5, Constitution +3, Luck +4
Skill updates:
Charge has reached 100 acclimation. You have permanently learned the skill Charge, but it will remain a Common Skill until you change to a class that has it as a class skill.
Explanation of skills:
Skill: Charge
Skill Rank: Novice (Next Rank: 30 AP)
Acclimation Points: 1
Type: Activated (Cool Down: 30 seconds)
Range: Must be at least 2 meters away from target
Effect: You run at your target and slam into him or her. Deals 5% of their base health as damage.
Effect: 10% Chance to Daze target for 3 seconds.
Effect: 1% Chance to knock down your target.
Penalty: Not a class skill: Effects reduced 50% and AP costs are doubled
Skill: Flurry Strikes (C)
Skill Rank: Novice (Next Rank: 15 AP)
Acclimation Points(AP): 1
Type: Activated (Cool Down: 30 seconds)
Effect: You increase the rate at which you punch and kick allowing you to hit your target more often. (Haste: 25%)
Duration: 8 seconds.
Skill: Sweep Kick (C)
Skill Rank: Novice (Next Rank: 15 AP)
Acclimation Points(AP): 1
Type: Activated (Cool Down: 60 seconds)
Effect: You sweep your opponent’s legs with a 55% chance of knocking them to the ground.
Effect: Interrupts your opponent’s current action with a 100% chance regardless if they are knocked to the ground (Exception: If the opponent is immune to interrupt or stuns, then the interrupt ability will fail.)
One Time Message: Opponents in the prone position or on the ground receive 5% more damage from physical attacks.
Quest Update:
You have completed the quest Way of the Mortal Combatant because you used a finishing move you gained Goro’s Might. You have acquired 1,000 gold, and you can choose from one of two additional feats:
Jeering Ape - You move faster using your arms and legs to run. While charging you gain bonuses to strength and damage. You can also fling poop, but we are not quite sure where the feces originates. You will learn the Taunt skill, provided your class allows it.
Restrictions: Cannot be used by females, because we all know they don’t poop.
Monastic Acolyte - You’ve given up your worldly goods, and your skin toughens to the harshness of the world. You gain the skill Iron Skin, Unburden, and Feign Death, provided your class allows it.
Restrictions: Cannot use this feat with bladed weapons or heavy armor. ]
The sad thing is, I knew what the right choice was, but I still wanted to take [Jeering Ape]. I could imagine that asshat BanHammer’s face when I threw shit on him. But [Monastic Acolyte] was designed more for my class.
[You gained the feat Monastic Acolyte and learned the skills: Iron Skin, Unburdened, and Feign Death.
Skill: Iron Skin (C)
Skill Rank: Mastered
Acclimation: This ability has no Acclimation, see [Merging]
Type: Passive (Restrictions: This skill is disabled if you are wearing any heavy armor. Cloth and Leather are the only armor types allowed.)
Leather Armor Effect: Armor increases by 2*Your Current Level. (Currently: +2 Armor)
Cloth Armor Effect: Armor increases by 2*Your Current Level. (Currently: Wearing Leather Armor)
Skill: Unburdened (C)
Skill Rank: Mastered
Acclimation: This ability has no Acclimation, see [Merging]
Type: Passive (Restrictions: This skill is disabled if you are within 25% of your maximum carry weight.)
Effect: Increased Agility (At 50% of your max weight you gain +5% to your Agility, this scales. The lighter you are, the more the percentage gain.
Effect: Increased Movement (Formula: (1+(Level/3 rounded up)). Current: +2 Movement)
Skill: Feign Death (U)
Skill Rank: Novice (Next Rank: 15 AP)
Acclimation Points(AP): 1
Type: Activated (Cool Down: 30 seconds)
Effect: You fall to the ground pretending to be dead. This is affected by luck and skill. If successful, those attacking you will leave your ‘corpse’ alone. (Hint: This is a tough skill to master because many creatures and people will test you. Stab a knife in you, kick you, etc. If you cannot control your emotions and pain, this illusion will break)
Effect: On a successful Feign Death, [Authors] notified of your death. If they initiated the PvP, they would gain a red name as if they had killed you. You can prepare items to drop on your ‘death’ to make it more convincing. You cannot configure your dropped loot during combat, so it must be prepared ahead of time. You can put any items in your drop window, including junk items and coins.
Query: Merging………
Data Found: Some abilities do not gain ranks, but are combined with other similar skills to create a more powerful version of it. Merging will consume the ability automatically if you wish to be prompted you can change the option in your settings. ]
Overall, that was a big score. The sheer amount of information had to be a one-off, or at least I hoped so because that was a lot to take in. I closed the rest of my menus and noticed all my new abilities across a bar at the bottom of my vision. Just focusing on one brought up an explanation, and I could see some of my passives grayed out b
ecause I had drawn the dagger again.
Throwing my weapons back into the bag, I was ready to see what was between the statue’s legs, and I didn’t mean the dangling bits. I walked up the steps to the small door and pushed it open. A pedestal, made of green stone I could not readily identify, rose from the center of the circular room. Floating above the flat surface of the pedestal was a round stone made of a similar substance. It slowly spun and was roughly the size of a tennis ball.
The object lured me like a siren, and I could not prevent my feet from moving towards it. My fear of traps left me in a panicked stated, but nothing happened.
“Yeayea, sonuvabitch. It's beautiful,” Earle said breathlessly. “Dey say whoever gathers the 15 pieces of LitRPG Tropes get a boon. Dam near a relic o’ deh ancien’ past. Ye gorna loot it or wut?”
“By the inferno, I will not. That sounds like what my people call a [Lion’s Quest].”
“Muddafucha, that is a LitRPG Trope, and wut dafuch is a [Lion’s Quest]?”
“It means that it's a quest that no [Author] will ever finish. Hey, can I least trade it for stuff?”
“Mudda.. Ucha.. Piece.. Fucha… ock.”
“I cannot hear what you are saying; it is worth any money?”
“Yeayea, it is worth sumpin ye cocksucka.”
“Watch it, you foul-mouthed rodent, or I’ll kick you again.” I grabbed the artifact. Not that I wanted it, but I figured someone was bound to trade me something good for it. Or if it’s so common no one cared, I’d trash the item.
[ You have looted a LitRPG Trope - The Perpetual Newb. Legend says the person that puts all the Tropes together will gain an object of immeasurable power. You currently have 1 of 15 Tropes. This item cannot be destroyed, traded, or used as a weapon, but if you have newbie questions, ask them to gain bonuses during your end of day summary. ]
“You dirty bastard. You tricked me; now it permanently takes a spot in my inventory. I hate games that give me useless quest junk. Oh—” Looking at my status screen, I realized it was not taking up inventory at all. A row of fifteen slots appeared below my paper doll with all my gear, and the Trope was in one slot. I guess that was ok, a free bonus. After checking the room one more time to make sure I missed none of the loot, I turned to leave.
“Yeayea, less go boss. I jus’ need ya to accept me as ya companion again.”
“How about no? You stay here and keep that baby-faced midget company when he returns. I should’ve known better than to trust a squirrel.”
Earle gave me the saddest face possible, his little paws all tucked up next to his body gripping his hands together. He looked pathetic and sad, so I walked over to him and kicked him in his squirrelly face. “How gullible do you think I am?”
I ran for the entrance, not letting the rodent get a chance to backstab me or cut my throat. None of the skeletons had respawned leaving the way to exit clear of bad guys. The other side of the exit had several of the undead, but with my new skills, I didn’t even bother equipping anything. The passives that toughened my skin also worked on knuckles, which meant I could smash skulls with extreme effectiveness and little pain.
“BanHammer!” The son of a bitch gave me a small warning before I found myself stepping off the altar in Shreddit. I think that paladin was in love with dudes because he liked to come up behind me a lot. It reminded me of that time when I was an altar boy at church; only the father gave me candy afterward. He was such a good man.
“BanHammer get you again?” One of the guards asked.
“Yea, he is outside Goro’s Lair. Probably coming here to [Spawn Camp] me, not realizing I have an instant respawn.”
“I have no idea what those words mean, but we’ll send men to check out the lair. There is a Dr. Soulstoner at the Dragon Seed Inn looking for you.”
“Thanks. Could you tell me where I could find a Monk trainer?”
“Sure. The Monk trainer is on the west side of town; there is a private garden with a big building behind it. Just be careful walking through the garden, they test trespassers. If you fail, you will end up back here.”
I enjoyed the leisurely walk towards the inn. I saw it while I was training earlier and now with my pile of gold, I could probably afford to book a room for a year. It was on the corner of two major cross streets going through the town and groaned when I saw the sign. Someone had painted ‘ya mouth’ below the Inn’s name. This game was full of children, not that I could talk because technically I was not considered an adult yet either.
“Dragon Seed Inn Ya Mouth!” A dwarf with a beard down to his knees and the name NewbOner laughed and hustled down the street on his short legs.
Chapter 10
Location: Dragon Seed Inn
The sign above squeaked as it moved back and forth. It hung from a wrought iron rod secured to the wooden wall on the upper part of the building. The inn’s lower floor was made of stone that looked like it might be all one piece. At least I could not see any markings that showed it was man-made. There were also some narrow windows I doubted even Earle could fit through.
The double door was made of solid wood banded with metal. The building, judging by the windows and balconies above, was three stories tall. Overall, it looked like it would withstand a siege but somehow maintained a warm and inviting feel.
It reminded me of a bed-and-breakfast right outside of Romania. Not that I saw the interior because my dad refused to let me go inside. He told me the subzero temperatures would help my illness and made me sleep in the car. I was not sure which of us was more surprised that I had survived.
Nothing good came from reminiscing, so I repressed those memories.
The doors opened without a sound. Expectation jarred with reality, and first impressions were tricky. Some people might look at the décor or the furnishings, but me? I noticed the floors. I expected rough-hewn wood planks and uneven surfaces, but there was none of that. The wood used in the flooring was not one I was familiar with, but the wood was of high quality, planed, sanded, and grooved to create a tight fit with little to no gaps between each plank. It was not machined wood because I could see the scoring of hand tools. It was impressive.
“What are you staring at, freak?” Someone grumbled and knocked me out of the way as they entered the inn.
Shit tits. I did not understand why I got sidetracked like that; it was as if the narrator of my life had a hard-on for wood. Hey, weirdo in my brain, stop distracting me.
There was a three-foot-long hallway that served as the entryway, and directly across the room was the stairs I assumed went up to the rooms. To the right of this area was the reception and bar where the innkeeper stood. To the left was a lobby or great room with two long tables. Most of the people were here, sitting in small groupings down the length of the room. At the end of the room, there was a massive fireplace in one corner and a stage on the other.
The innkeeper stood stock still behind the bar. If the massive girth of the guy wasn’t rising and falling from breathing, I’d have thought he was a statue. I walked over to him, and he did not even acknowledge me.
“Can I get a room?”
“Sure.” The man smiled brightly, his face lighting up. “Ten gold.”
“That seems steep, how about five gold instead?”
“Sure. Ten gold.”
“Does that come with a meal.”
“Sure. Ten gold, and another two gold for the meal. Twelve gold.”
“Discount maybe?”
“Sure. Twelve gold.”
“Stop saying sure, fine whatever,” I slammed the coins down. “Stupid game—figured with this level of sophistication, they’d make smarter NPCs.”
I took the bowl offered and walked across the room towards the fire. A pot hung from a hook above the flames, and I scooped stew into my bowl. Turning, I looked for an open seat feeling ravenous. My stomach was growling from hunger, which made the game feel hyper-realistic.
“How the hell did you get four arms? What the hell race are you, and how
do I get four arms?” A wiry little man asked me.
“Slow down,” I said sitting across from the guy. His rapid-fire questions caught me off guard. “First, what is your name?”
“Duke Cherooiuoiueaoiaeeeaiouenko.”
“That is a truckload of vowels Luke.”
“I said Duke.”
“That’s what I said.”
Duke’s twin sat next to him, and my eyes twitched back and forth between the two. Something felt off about—
“This is my [Pen Name], Jayson Cheekface.”
“How do you get a pen name?”
“It’s my [Author] ability. You’ll get one tonight when you level up, but I doubt you’d get [Pen Name]. I doubt you’d get a combat ability, not with four arms. Now spill it—how did you get that race?
“I’m a [Mutant] because of how the system scanned me in.”
“Me too,” a turtle man at the end of the long table said. He had a purple strip tied over his eyes.
Several people called out all at once.
“…can it Donny…”
“…you dork…”
“…Kappa, not a mutant…”
“…ain’t no ninja neither…”
“Gnoks rule!”
“Me swear to the Goddess o’ Games if me find out who said that, me will rip your face off and eat it.”
“You are jealous of the Father, so guess what? Its dinner time, dick. Gnoks rule!” A robed figure said while standing, his face hidden in the shadows of his robe.
A man, whose size dwarfed mine, stood up and charged across the other long table. Despite the robed figure’s speed, it wasn’t enough to dodge the hand that shot out and grabbed his throat.
“The robed guy is a gnok,” Duke whispered with disgust. “One of the Father’s fanatical henchmen. Evil little fuckers, but be careful around them. Especially since the Father controls most of the northern part of the realm.”
The gnok, at the end of the giant man’s arm, was lifted several feet into the air before he was slammed into the stone wall. The robed man fought like a caged animal, clawing, biting, and kicking. Giant-man held him and him ignored the pathetic attacks before—
The Land of Trademark Online Page 6
