NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4 -Tenebral Stalker
The paper doll in the corner of my vision was flashing in deep crimson across the entire torso. The colour didn't change once the flashing ceased. I would need to take care of this quickly.
I quickly unsheathed my sword and charged the creature aiming my slash at its neck. It made a grab at my blade, but wasn’t able to fully stop it. I lopped off half of its hand, but it was enough to deflect my sword from its neck.
While I was still trying to recover from the missed attack it punched me in my stomach with its healthy fist, which spread more waves of intense pain across my body. The red on the silhouette’s stomach deepened to the point of being almost black. The soldier followed up with a jab to my side with its other, damaged, fist, but it lacked the oomph of the other strike, as the force of its first strike made me stagger a few steps back.
FUCK!
This was bad. Very bad. I would probably have a chance for one more attack before I was overwhelmed. I gripped the sword in both hands and ran at the undead monstrosity again. This time, I wasn’t going to do any fancy attacks - I just wanted to run it through.
The undead soldier tried to stop me, but it was too slow. My sword penetrated its chest, and the momentum of my run toppled it. I also lost my balance and we both tumbled to the floor. Revenant’s head smashed on one of the rocks lying on the floor and the light in its eyes dissipated. I rolled off the dead soldier and dropped to the floor, where I lay panting. I have survived. Again.
A number of notifications flashed before my eyes.
Level 3 Lesser Revenant has been slain
You have received 300 experience points (750/500 total experience points progress to level 1)
You are now Level 1 (250/1000 total experience points progress to level 2)
Your total health has increased
Your total stamina has increased
Your total mana has increased
You have received 2 perk points (Current Number of Perk Points: 2)
You have been assigned a class: Tenebral Stalker
Note: This class cannot be changed
New Trait Acquired: Hidden Predator
New Skill Acquired: Stealth- Current Level: 1 (0% total progress to level 2)
You have achieved rank: Novice
As the list was scrolling I could feel my wounds hurt less, my mind becoming clearer and my body less exhausted.
The hell?
Before I could do anything else my mind was flooded with the basics of sneaking around: how to identify hiding spots, how to walk quietly, these kinds of things.
Once the vision ended, I summoned the damage indicator. The shades of red there definitely looked lighter.
So what… I really have some health stat I cannot see?
I sat up and took off my backpack. It was looking somewhat tattered.
Probably from my brief skipping stone manoeuvre.
I opened it praying to all gods and demons that the health potion didn't shatter and to my great surprise there was not even a scratch on the bottle.
Does the backpack provide some measure of protection? I wondered.
This would require some further testing, but probably not on the only healing item I had. I uncorked the bottle and drank the potion. I expected it to taste like some of my meds, but it had an apple juice-like taste. Immediately, I could feel my wounds knit themselves together and the pain decreased considerably. The colour of the wounds on my silhouette was now dark pink rather than red, which definitely came as a relief.
The issue of my imminent demise being temporarily dealt with, but mostly because I didn’t feel like getting up, I’ve decided it was high time to review my “rewards” for getting rid of that bastard.
First, I opened my notifications.
The following attributes have progressed:
Strength: +53% (123% total progress to level 9)
Your Strength Attribute has increased to level 9 (11% total progress to level 10)
Your total health has increased
Dexterity: +45% (55% total progress to level 13)
Agility: +22% (52% total progress to level 8)
Endurance: +64% (114% total progress to level 8)
Your Endurance Attribute has increased to level 8 (7% total progress to level 9)
Your total health has increased
Your total stamina has increased
Vitality: +140% (230% total progress to level 7)
Your Vitality Attribute has increased to level 7 (65% total progress to level 8)
Your total health has increased
Your total stamina has increased
Willpower: +5% (5% total progress to level 13)
Resilience: +10% (15% total progress to level 7)
The following skills have progressed:
Bastard Sword - Two-handed: +63% (93% total progress to level 2)
I didn’t feel any different, so I assumed all the health and stamina gains must have happened during combat and I was too distracted with almost dying to see them take effect. They probably saved me. I shuddered at the thought. I wanted to dump both of my perk points into Bastard Swords, but I hesitated. I was too close to levelling the skill to level two. What if the excess progress was lost? So I decided to hold on to the perk points for now. Last, but definitely not the least, I had my class to check out.
Class: Tenebral Stalker
Type: Racial - Special
Description: As a Tenebral Slimeling, you are a born… well in your case transformed predator. This class allows you to tap into that potential. How far will you go along with it… now that’s up to you, isn’t it?
Effects at level 1:
Gain Trait: Hidden Predator
Gain Skill: Stealth
To be honest, I wasn’t quite happy I couldn’t pick my class, especially since I wasn't much of asneak-and-murder type of person. That being said… I didn’t have to use it that way. Additionally, that trait had me very interested so I quickly called it up.
Trait: Hidden Predator
Type: Racial
Effects: Your class and race are hidden from third parties. When they check your character sheet they will see values matching your current appearance. Currently: Race: Elf; Class: Adventurer
Seriously? Can other people really check my character sheet? In this case, all my objections about this class have been retracted.
I’ve briefly considered whether to put at least one point in Stealth but decided against it for the time being. I had to be strategic with those. What if an opportunity to sneak around did not arise for now? I could always allocate these to the skill once I knew I had to use it.
At any rate, it was high time I checked whether this whole debacle was worth it. I slowly got up and retrieved my sword from the revenant’s body. The blade was covered in his viscera. I tried wiping it on his uniform, but it didn't work too well. An idea struck me then. I opened my canteen and poured some water onto the blade to try again. However, the moment a drop of the liquid touched the sword all the gore slipped off effortlessly and the runes carved into the blade started glowing. Confused, I stared at the weapon.
‘Wuh?’ I muttered under my breath.
I started to raise the weapon so that I could examine the inscriptions more closely, but the runes stopped glowing as suddenly as they began. A message box popped in front of my eyes giving me a start.
I fucking hate that.
New Quest Acquired: The Secrets of the Blade
Type: Mystery
Difficulty: Medium
Description: The bastard sword you found may have magical properties.
Objectives:
Decipher the runes on the sword
Rewards:
500 experience points
(Potentially) Unlocking the full potential of the sword
I dismissed the window. If the sword was magic, this required investigation, and a priority one too. If I could unlock its capabilities before leaving this shithole the sword could be a major asset. Well… majorer. I would be fucked without it either way.
I slowly approached the chest and delicately poked it with the tip of the sword. Nothing. To be sure, I gave it a light tap with the flat of the blade and seeing no reaction, sheathed the weapon, knelt by the chest, mentally prepared myself for disappointment and/or something to jump out and eat my face carefully opened it.
To my amazement, not only did the chest not blow up or eat me, but it also had some items in it - a small flask with liquid in it and a dark palm-sized oval stone. Best could I tell, with everything being various shades of greyish blue, the liquid was of a different colour than the health potion. I picked it up and checked what it was.
Item: Lesser Stamina Potion
Type: Alchemical
Rarity: Specialist - Common
Effect: Restores a small amount of stamina
I immediately uncorked it and drank a few gulps. It tasted like cactus juice. I could feel exhaustion leave my body and my limbs regain strength. It was wonderful. I didn't even realise how tired I was until then.
The stone turned out to be the real get though. The stone had a singular rune on one side of it. The character was wide and very clear. Seemed to be… “stable” for lack of a better word.
Item: Rune of “Rock Spikes”
Class: Magical - Earth Arcana
Rarity: Extremely Rare
Durability: 10/10
Description: Allows the user to learn the “Rock Spikes” Spell. Casting the spell without sufficient knowledge of Earth Arcana may lower its effectiveness and/or cause it to fail
Spell Effect: Fires three spikes at a target within range.
Cost to learn: 1 Perk Point
Jackpot! This will be a good use for a perk point. How do I use it though?
As it turned out, simply thinking about doing so sufficed.
Do you wish to spend 1 perk point to learn the following spell: Rock Spikes?
Yes/No?
I thought “Yes”. The runestone disintegrated into dust and once knowledge flooded my mind. I got some vague visions on how to challenge mana and use the spell… but it felt incomplete. I was missing something vital.
You have learned a new spell: Rock Spikes
Type: Elemental - Earth - Attack
Level: 1 (0% total progress to level 2)
Range: 30 metres
Description: Fires three spikes at a target within range.
Note: Insufficient knowledge of Earth Arcana
You have spent 1 Perk Points (Current Number of Perk Points: 1)
No time like the present.
I extended my hand toward the corpse of the soldier and tried to repeat what I saw in the vision. I finally succeeded on my seventh attempt. There was a flash of light that briefly blinded me and two razor-sharp obsidian spikes flew out of my palm and embedded themselves in the body.
I did it. I cast my first spell.