NOVEL NEXT Ep. 4 The Pit Part 1
Down in the Pit
I wake up after who knows how long, feeling better physically but now I am feeling hungry and very thirsty. If it wasn't for the pain I would think it was all a bad dream and I was still in the hospital. Thinking back on what happened maybe it would be better if this had been just a bad dream.
Wishing isn't going to change anything though, I need to focus on surviving. A source of food and water are going to be top priority I guess. But first I want to take a better look at this...Status!
Name: Ash
Race: Black Lion
Title: None
Class: None
Level: 0
HP: 35/140
MP: 50/50
Str: 20
Agi: 20
End: 22
Int: 18
Wis: 18
Cha: 18
Unspent Points: 0
Quests: (4)
Skills: (3)
Crafts: (0)
I only have thirty-five hit points, I didn't heal much from sleeping. Is it because I'm hungry and thirsty? Even so this rate of healing is just too slow, it will take days to fully heal.
Okay so, we have strength, agility, and endurance for physical stats, and intelligence, wisdom, and charisma for mental stats. It really is just like an rpg game! Oh yeah let's take a look here....Race!
Race: Black Lion
Abilities: Higher starting stats, Dark-Sight, No Skill limit, Eligible for advanced classes.
Okay so that's why I can see, but if I'm eligible for advanced classes why do I have no class? Select class? Choose class? Class? Why does nothing work?! Okay I guess I can't have a class for some reason. Let's see what those quests were....Quests!
Quests:
Survive the Pit.
Objective: Survive and find a way to escape the pit.
Reward: 10 STAT Points.
Kill Goblins
Objective: Kill Goblins 1/20
Reward: 5 STAT Points.
Do you accept? Y/N
Kill the Goblin Shaman
Objective: Kill the Goblin Shaman 0/1
Reward: Skill Firebolt.
Do you accept? Y/N
Kill the Chief
Objective: Kill the Goblin Chieftain 0/1
Reward: Black Razor
Do you accept? Y/N
'Oh so that was a goblin I landed on, nice of it to give me credit for that. Okay I guess accept all!'
As I am sitting there, after accepting the quests, trying to decide my first move I notice some tracks in the dust. Leaning over for a closer look I recognized them as large rat tracks, the odd thing is the tracks go right into the wall. As I lean down for a closer look I go to put my hand on the wall for balance but when my hand passes right through the wall I overbalance and end up falling on my face again.
"Ooof! What's this? An illusionary wall?"
As I pick myself up off the floor and step through the wall I am momentarily blinded because the room is as bright as day inside. While waiting for my eyes to adjust I am happy to hear the sound of water trickling somewhere inside the room. As soon as I can see again I look around and see a twenty by twenty room, there is water trickling from a crack in the wall in one corner and flowing to a crack in the floor.
I immediately rush over to the corner to lick the water off the wall. Once I satisfy the worst of my thirst I take a good look around the room, the first thing I notice is I can see through the wall from this side meaning I will be able to see any goblins who come into the passage. The next thing I notice is the light is coming from a stone suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the room.
Other than that all that is in the room is some old decayed wooden furniture leaving me confused as to why this room is here and why it is hidden by an illusionary wall. The first thing I do is move all the broken furniture to the far corner of the room so the floor space is nice and clear. Then I proceed to go through some stretches and basic exercises to try and get used to this new body.
Getting used to my new body is definitely weird for me but it is something I know I need to do. In my previous life I had been lazy and out of shape, so seeing what this body can do really surprises me. I am actually having fun so I decide to work out a bit more seriously and see what my physical limits are. I am able to do a hundred push ups before I start to feel my muscles protesting.
*DING*
Congratulations! You have acquired the passive skill Fitness!
Fitness
Level 1
Str +1 End +1
Hmm I wonder why it is so easy to acquire skills. Could it be because of my race? Well, at least if I keep getting stat points from all these skills then it should be possible for me to become fairly strong even without being able to gain levels.
After I finish my workout I go over to drink some more water, as I am licking the water off the wall I hear a squeaking sound and looking around I see a rat on the other side of the doorway. Knowing it couldn't have seen me yet I rush over to the wall beside the door and try to be as still and as quiet as possible.
*DING*
Congratulations! You have acquired the active skill Stealth!
Stealth
Level 1
MP Cost 20
You can hide in the shadows and move quietly.
Ignoring the skill message I focus on the doorway and pounce on the rat as soon as it sticks it's head inside.
*Squueek!*
"Yes! Got you! Wow, it's as big as a house cat!"
I feel guilty killing it since I had a pet rat in my previous life but survival comes first. I carry the rat into the room and lay it on its back and use a claw to slowly start removing the rat's pelt.
*DING*
Congratulations! You have acquired the craft skill Skinning!
Skinning
Level 1
Agi +1
You can skin small to medium animals.
I carefully skin and gut the rat. Then I try to make a small fire using the broken furniture, it takes me a long time to get the fire started. Once the fire is going I try roasting the meat over the flames.
*DING*
Congratulations! You have acquired the craft skill Cooking!
Cooking
Level 1
Int +1
You can cook basic food items.
I am too hungry to be patient and end up eating the rat meat while it is only half cooked. It isn't very tasty but it is food and I have no intention of starving. Okay so food and water are taken care of for the time being, this hidden room is going to be my base of operations while I explore so I guess I should try to make some improvements.
To start I'm not thrilled with having to lick the wall to get water, I need some kind of bowl or jug to catch the water in. I get up and start looking around trying to think of what I can use, when my eyes pass over the collapsed area in the passage. I notice one of the bricks sticking out, I look at the corner where the water comes in and decide to try making a basin to catch the water. So I go out to the pile and start using my claws to dig through the dirt looking for the bricks from the original wall.
*DING*
Congratulations! You have acquired the craft skill Mining!
Mining
Level 1
Str +1
You can attempt to mine normal ore.
I don't really think digging through some loose dirt counts as mining! But it's not like I'm complaining, I need every advantage and skill point I can get! I continue digging through the dirt looking for bricks but I dig a little too far in one direction and set off a small collapse bringing more dirt falling through the broken wall.
After things settle down I notice something odd in the new dirt, picking it up I find it is a lump of clay. I immediately start sifting through the dirt looking for more. Once I have a decent number of bricks and a nice pile of clay I carry everything into the room. I then start building a wall around the corner using the bricks and mud in place of mortar.
*DING*
Congratulations! You have acquired the craft skill Masonry!
Masonry
Level 1
Str +1 End +1
Able to build simple structures using brick or stone.
'Oh strength and endurance from this one? Nice!'
Once I finish building the wall I line the inside of the new wall, the floor inside, and the old wall up to the level of the new wall with clay. Making a square clay basin to catch the water.
*DING*
Congratulations! Skill Masonry has progressed to level 2!
Masonry
Level 2
Str +2 End +2
Able to build simple structures using brick or stone.
Well that helps, and once this fills I will have a better way of drinking water which is important. With that done I go back out to the collapse and start expanding the opening so I can get through easier since I am going to be going out to explore fairly often.
*DING*
Congratulations! Skill Mining has progressed to level 2!
Mining
Level 2
Str +2 End +1
You can attempt to mine normal ore.