Origin A.R.S. (11 page)

The lightning spell had an extremely short attack range. However, the light it emitted had a chance to paralyze. He had only used it once, on a rabbit. Freeze had always been a better spell for crowd control due to its slow effect.

The rat, its eyes sensitive to bright lights, screeched in pain! Its mouth opened wide and for a brief instant it was completely vulnerable. Scott fired off a Burn spell directly down its throat. The explosive power of the spell erupted inside the massive creature and a bright red thirty flashed vividly over the monster’s head. It fell over and kicked feebly at the air for, temporarily stunned due to the forced critical hit that it had experienced.

Scott did not give it a chance to recover. He shot off the rest of his mana via Burn spells that raced down its gullet. The name of the monster changed from bright green, to red. Each strike had been a critical hit! He was damaging it internally and the explosive force in the confined area did tremendous damage.

Out of mana, Scott had no choice but to punch and kick at the monster. Now the little rats had gotten over their shock and they tried to take him down. However, it was too late. Scott repeatedly slammed his steel clawed fists into the stunned rat overlord’s eyes. Various numbers appeared overhead ranging from seven to the occasional forty-three when a critical hit landed.

The repeated critical hits kept the rat overlord stunned and confused for nearly a full-minute. It was just enough time for Scott to annihilate its absurdly high health. The sorcerer ignored the little rats altogether. If they managed a critical hit, so be it. He could not allow himself to become distracted. He had done hundreds of points of damage by now, but the damned overlord had not died!

Yet, just as it started to recover from the repeated critical stuns, Scott launched a desperate and brutal series of rapid punches to the face and eyes followed by a kick to its jaw. The hit connected with great force and the jawbone snapped. A brilliantly flaring number one hundred six appeared overhead along with the word “
Overkill!
”

A pulse of light flared through the monster and it screamed in agony. The smaller rats screeched in shock and anger then began to flee the scene at all possible speed.

The body of Gnarl Tooth began to undulate. Columns of light speared upward from it and a roaring sound, similar to waves crashing onto a desolate sea shore emanated outward from its feebly kicking form.

Scott panted heavily as he watched the death of the strongest monster he had ever faced. It was the death of a monster that by all rats could have absolutely destroyed him. He wanted to feel joy, elation at defeating a powerful foe. However, he only felt sick to his stomach.

That entire battle had been nothing more than the giant rat toying with him. He remembered how he had treated the grass rats and he felt a wave of nausea. If Gnarl Tooth had taken that fight seriously, it could have easily killed him within a few strikes. Yet, it had played with him... taunted him. The rat overlord had treated him in the same manner as he had treated the rats and it had died for it.

Scott reached up and rubbed his cheek where the grass rat had landed a critical hit on him a few days prior. This battle had ended the same way. Gnarl Tooth was dead because it had thought itself invincible compared to its weak opponent.

The sorcerer took his fingers away from his cheek then curled his hands into fists. He would not do that again. If he was killed it would be because his opponent was simply better, not because he was being an ass.

He watched as the last motes of light left the area. The song changed to an upgraded victory tune, though he did not feel victorious.

<<< Victory! >>>

You have defeated a powerful foe, a creature far more capable than you are. Such creatures always give the most experience possible for their level. Due to the difference in capacity you will gain all possible items from the defeated major opponent.

+275 EXP

+210 Fayth

+44 Ability Points

You have defeated numerous lesser opponents during the same battle!

+126 EXP

+126 Fayth

+42 Ability Points

Item(s) Acquired:

Rat Pelt X 37

Rat Fang X 12

Rat Tail X 39

Rat Eyes X 14

Grass Skirt of the Aggro-Rat X 5 [Rare]

***

Gnarl Tooth’s Fang X 1 [Unique]

Massive Black Grass Rat Pelt X 1 [Rare]

Massive Black Grass Rat Tail X 1 [Rare]

Black Grass Rat Eye X 1

<<<*>>>

<<< You have gained a level! >>>

The exhausted sorcerer panted softly then pulled out a few things from his inventory. He nibbled on a cheese biscuit and drank a bottle of milk. Both items would increase his health regeneration several fold. However, they were not health potions. It would still take time. He was effectively done hunting for the day.

Scott looked around. He noticed that whenever he allowed his vision to linger on a specific grass for more than a few seconds, it would tremble and then a loud squeak would be heard. After a minute passed a new message popped up.

<<< You can feel the eyes of the local wildlife gazing upon you. The creatures of this land tremble due to a mixture of anger and fear while they wait silently for what is to come. Their one hope is that the shadow of death will pass them by... >>>

“Seriously?” Scott did not know what to say about that. Was he supposed to feel triumphant? Honestly, the message made him feel like a terrifying asshole. He reached down and removed the grass skirt.

Immediately, the tense atmosphere disappeared. The grass nearby ceased it’s shaking. Without his blasphemous actions to infuriate them, the rats were too afraid to attack him.

He decided to check his stats. Somehow, he doubted that he was in much danger from the grass rats any longer.

<<< Status >>>

Name:
Scott Jacobs |
Class:
Sorcerer |
Race:
Human

Age:
18 |
Level:
7

EXP:
1274

Next Level:
1266

Ability Points:
640

Health:
11[65] |
Mana:
5[61]

Attack:
30[173] |
Defense:
30[316]

Strength:
29[29] |
Agility:
31[20] |
Accuracy:
22[22]

Intellect:
35[35] |
Luck:
16[16]

<<<*>>>

“Six hundred forty ability points and two levels? Yeah, definitely a good day hunting.” Since his level had increased, he had automatically regained the health and mana that the level increase brought. He was still in the critical health range, but at least it was double digits.

He decided to go ahead and boost his health according to his original plan. As many ability points as possible would go to health. The fact that it would restore some of that health for the trip back to town was also a major reason for his decision. He had more health now, even in a critical state, than he did at level one overall. Yet, he felt vulnerable.

Scott pulled up his upgrade screen and looked at his health. He had already chosen the plus-one modifier per level. He could not choose it again. He had taken two health boosts at five points each. He took another five boosts, which cost him four hundred seventy-five points total. That left him five points short of another health boost.

“The next boost is one seventy, and the one after it is two hundred... It almost feels like a waste to just gain another five points to raise health.” He wanted to continue to train his health, but the truth was that his other stats needed attention too. Specifically, he needed to take the plus-one modifiers for his other stats.

Scott quickly spent one hundred sixty points to add in modifiers for his intellect, mana, strength, and accuracy. That meant that only attack and defense remained without a plus-one modifier among the stats that he could influence. Luck could not be improved at all at the moment; he did not have an upgrade for it. Attack and defense upgrades were the least necessary of all his upgrades currently. Over time they would add up, but an extra point of strength equaled four attack points. That was a better upgrade than a plus-one modifier for attack only.

“So, I’ve almost gotten my stats in order.” He would have to hunt some other creature now, so quick ability points would be a problem. Still, he had accomplished his immediate goal. Ninety hit points was a much better position than the ten hit points that he had at level one!

Scott noticed something and smirked. “My intellect modifier... That’s neat.”

His ability upgrade manipulations had added two points to his intellect modifier. The sorcery upgrade had added a point, and the recently upgraded extra modifier had increased it again. His class gave him a plus-two modifier to intellect automatically. That meant that his minimum level-up potential for intellect was four points. The least amount of intellect he would gain was equal to the maximum that a non-mage or lore class could gain.

At this point, several of his stats were close to that milestone. His rat grinding and recent boss battle win had given him ability points beyond his level. It was nothing that someone who spent a lot of time hunting could not achieve, yet it was definitely hard work.

The sorcerer sighed and decided to head back. He was not too worried about immediate death now that his health was back in the thirties. It took him two hours to make it back to town. Along the way, he decided that he should save his ability points to add modifiers to his attack and defense next. That would allow him two more decent passive bonuses.

His problem was that he did not know where to hunt. Slimes might be useful, but if they were around the same level as rabbits, they may not want to come out and play. The rats had still attacked until he had fought and defeated their champion. It was possible that slimes would still want to attack him. The only issue was whether or not they would give any experience.

Scott rubbed his chin. There was still so much to do. He needed to acquire the skills of that lore ring. He needed to make a lot of money in a hurry. He also needed to get his armor looked at. While walking he had discovered several cracks and dents in the material. Gnarl Tooth definitely hit hard.

The sorcerer walked through the town gates and sighed loudly. He had survived an incredible encounter. He felt like garbage due to how he had acted today, but now that it was over he started to also feel a sense of pride. He had managed to survive an extremely tense situation!

A short few minutes passed before he managed to reach the general store. He spent some time speaking with the shop keeper before selling off everything except for the rare and unique items that he had gained from Gnarl tooth. They were worth several thousand Fayth, but he might be able to find some use for them in the near future. Scott checked his finances after he left the store.

<<< Fayth: 3376 >>>

“Not bad.” The rat items were not worth much, but he had defeated nearly one thousand of them in the last few days. If he could have battled like that every day he would have been able to pay off his debt in less than two months!

He sighed. His armor needed to be fixed, though. He had no idea how much that would cost. Scott went to see the armorer to find out. Unlike Erido, the armorer in Victory Station merely customized and repaired equipment. Daine, the armorer, was a short stocky man. He was skilled at his trade, but typically brusque in his mannerisms.

Scott walked into Daine’s store and the man raised a bushy eyebrow at his appearance. Before the sorcerer could even speak, the armorer snorted and said, “You should treat your armor better, lad.”

Scott fought down his rising urge to snap at the man. “I know. It saved my life today.”

“Did it now?”

The sorcerer pulled out Gnarl tooth’s fang and showed it to the man. “The grass rats called for aid and their overlord Gnarl Tooth popped up.”

Daine’s eyes widened. “You fought an overlord in equipment like that?”

Scott looked at him owlishly. “Well, yeah. What’s wrong with this equipment?”

“Nothing really, it’s alright for fighting rats and rabbits. You’ll want decent equipment for anything stronger.”

“Well, I’m a sorcerer... I have to keep it light.”

Daine spit into a bucket nearby and nodded. “True, it’s actually rare to see your ilk having enough sense to even wear armor. Half of ‘em talk like they don’t need it. They are their own armor or some shite like that.”