Stealthcaster Read online

  Lizards killed: 18/25

  Sacs Retrieved: 0/25

  Solomon blinked away the status check just as a monitor lizard lept from his left and vomited a thick, congealed spray of brown gunk toward him. He fell back and away, lifting his arm reflexively, the scalding hot vomit striking his flesh with a hot spray of steam and burnt skin. He still wore a pair of the Demon Gauntlets which protected his left forearm, but the rest of that arm was swarmed with boiling, red burns and razor shreds of pain.

  WARNING! You are burned.

  -2 HP per 5 seconds for one minute

  “Easy, Sol, Easy!” Ella screamed, charging forward, her cloak billowing out behind her. As she moved toward him, her hands made complicated gestures, and she cast Ice Dagger between two palms, trapping what was normally a projectile within her hands. As she did this, Sol caught a glance at her MP meter, and his eyes widened at the length of it. While his level inreases had provided a balanced growth of HP and MP, it looked as if Ella’s MP was climbing at a staggeringly quicker pace, and as she conjured the Ice Dagger, he saw only about 10 MP disappear, the bar replenishing almost the instant she was done. Moving to Solomon, she tossed the chunk of ice to him and he caught it with his right hand, pressing it hard to his arm, wincing as the cold briefly soothed his scalding flesh. Two arrows fired in quick succession, drilling two more monitor lizards, and Ella punched two ice daggers into two others. Solomon eyed the one who had spit at him, a nasty, moss covered brown looking beast, and leaped forward, pulling his leg back. Just as the lizard inflated its sack to spit again, his leg shot forward and collided with the beast’s jaw, knocking it into a clumsy backwards somersault, striking the ground back-first with a whining grunt. It started to squirm, and he lunged forward, removing the ice dagger from his burns and plunged it down, into the brown beast’s exposed stomach.

  “Sol, keep it on your burn!” Ella shouted, thrusting her staff forward and slamming it into yet another lizard.

  Burn status cleared

  “Don’t need it, burn status is cleared!”

  Quest Status - Preparations for War 02

  Current Status:

  Lizards killed: 25/25

  Sacs Retrieved: 0/25

  A soft green light floated within the clearing, seeming to emanate from the scattered corpses of the lizards. They were surrounded by them, the lifeless corpses of the spitters, some on their stomachs, some on their sides, still others laying on their back, legs up in an almost comical death pose.

  “So who does the dirty work?” Ella asked, looking at Sol and Megyn with nervous eyes.

  “Just so happens,” Megyn said, reaching into her belt, “that I brought three knives.”

  Chapter 02 - Not out of the Woods Yet

  * * *

  It was a messy job and it took several minutes, but Ella’s cloak was soon filled with twenty-five separate spitter sacs, stored away in the mysterious and magical holding field within the strange fabric.

  Congratulations! You have completed the Quest Preparations for War

  Part 02 - Retrieve the Neck Sacs

  The Amazons are refining Ankheg bile for poisonous acid to tip their arrows. Each Amazon Archer will need a durable sac to store this acid. Shellback Monitor Lizards in the Greenmurk Swamps store a similar acid in their neck sacks to use as self defense.

  Current Status:

  Lizards Killed: 25/25

  Sacs Retrieved: 25/25

  Rewards:

  1200 XP

  Gold x 10

  Solomon smiled widely, bringing up his status screen. No, he hadn’t felt the trademark warmth and glow of a move to level five yet, even after so much training time with the Amazons, but he was getting closer.

  Solomon Herrick

  Level: 04

  (92% to Next Level)

  HP: 145/175

  MP: 120/120

  XP: 7635/8300

  STR: 13 CON: 10 AGI:14

  CHA: 13 LUK: 10 DEX: 12

  WIS: 10 INT:14 STA: 12

  ITEMS:

  Lapine Mail

  Reinforced Leather Pants

  Lapine Reinforced Helm

  Amazon Enchanted Platinum Axe

  Demonic Scimitar

  Enchanted Dryad Bag of Holding

  Journal of Kremjack

  SKILLS:

  Herbivore Level 02

  Feather Foot Level 02

  Long Jump Level 02

  Scamper Level 01

  Edged Combat Level 01

  Axe Throw Level 02

  Axe Blow Level 02

  Deeper Insight Level 02

  Universal Translate Level 01

  Inching closer. Bit by little bit. It had felt like forever since he’d respawned all the way back to Wiscilla’s trees in Gallowind Wood, and so much had happened since then, but he was still just 92% of the way to level five. All at once it felt like he was almost there, but also so far away. A few more quests that gave him the XP this one had and he’d be there. It had felt like such an insurmountable task, yet he had climbed the mountain, and he stood just a short way from the summit.

  But as excited as he was, he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he were to die at level ten. Or fifteen. Or heaven help him, level thirty? Sure, he’d retain his level and he’d be able to one-shot lower tier enemies with impunity, but how many would he have to kill to gain back such a steep curve of experience? He wasn’t even sure how much would be required by a level thirty player, but it was considerable.

  “Woo hoo!” he heard Megyn shout and he pressed his eyes closed, not even wanting to look at her. But after a few moments curiosity got the better of him and he activated Deeper Insight, opening his eyes.

  Megyn Allaria

  Level: 05

  (56% to Next Level)

  Class: Ranger

  HP: 250/250

  MP: 175/175

  XP: 8525/15300

  STR: 18 CON: 16 AGI:10

  CHA: 13 LUK: 10 DEX: 12

  WIS: 10 INT:14 STA: 12

  ITEMS:

  Reinforced Leather Tunic

  Rusted Short Sword

  Amazon Recurved Bow

  Amazon Iron-Tipped Arrows

  Quiver

  SKILLS:

  Archery Level 01

  Weak Point Level 01

  Trick Shot Level 01

  You have been awarded:

  5 Stat Points to Distribute

  Congratulations! You have chosen a class, just in the nick of time.

  Welcome to the brotherhood and sisterhood of the Rangers!

  Through the fog of his envy, Solomon managed a soft, thin smile, not just to see Megyn’s progression to level five (even if she did surpass him), but for her acceptance of her role as a Ranger. She was a natural at combat, and was at one in the wilderness, so it made a lot of sense for her to find her place as a Ranger, and it was obvious she knew it, too.

  “Ranger, huh?” he asked.

  “Yeah, yeah, shut your yap,” Megyn replied. “Just managed to choose my class before we got that quest complete. I shudder to think what this stupid game would have chosen for me.”

  As if on cue, an alert flashed before her.

  You have learned the skill:

  Wilderness Instinct

  (You are one with nature and get a deep insight into your surroundings)

  +3 to Perception

  +4 to Dexterity

  Because he was a huge glutton for punishment, Solomon reviewed Ella’s as well, knowing that they were both now ahead of him.

  Ella Draconius

  Level: 04

  (99.8% to Next Level)

  HP: 85/110

  MP: 250/250

  XP: 8285/8300

  STR: 10 CON: 10 AGI: 16

  CHA: 13 LUK: 10 DEX: 12

  WIS: 16 INT: 18 STA: 14

  ITEMS:

  Cloak of Containment

  Enchanted Spectral Stave

  Druid Wilderness Armored Tunic

  Druid Wilderness Leggings

&nb
sp; SKILLS:

  Javelin of Light Level 01

  Acid Arrow 02

  Ice Dagger 01

  Shimmering Sphere 01

  “Go, Ella, go!” Megyn shouted. “You’re almost part of the level five club!” She reached over and the two girls slapped fives while Solomon looked on, scowling.

  “Are you two just about done?” he asked bitterly.

  Ella seemed to think on it for a moment, then shook her head.

  “Nope,” she replied, then started doing a little dance in the mud. “Level five, level five, level five, oh yeah! Level five, level five, level five, oh yeah!”

  “All right, all right, I get the point!” Sol snapped in at least a half-joking manner. “Maybe I put just a little bit too high a premium on grinding and level building, okay? Maybe that bit me in the ass. See? I can admit it! I can be the bigger person!”

  “Just be careful,” Solomon warned, “you’re almost at level five. Have you even chosen a class yet?”

  “Well, of course I have, Sol,” Ella replied, rolling her eyes. “We’re not all lame-o procrastinators like you are.”

  Megyn and Ella fist-bumped, smiling crookedly as they turned to leave the clearing, Sol lingering around behind them. They didn’t get far.

  Bonus Quest Alert - Nature’s Balance

  You have upset the equilibrium of the Greenmurk Swamp. A significant population of the spitters are dead, leaving the Troglodyte little choice but to feed on something… else.

  Quest Class: Bonus (Uncommon)

  Quest Difficulty: Medium

  Success:

  Defeat the angry Troglodyte

  Reward:

  250 XP

  Penalty:

  If you fail to defeat the Troglodyte, the swamps will remain unbalanced, resulting in Troglodyte encroachment into more civilized areas

  Do you Accept: Yes/No

  “Uhhh… guys?” Solomon said, reviewing the text. “Am I the only one who got this quest alert?”

  “Nope,” Megyn replied.

  “I got it, too,” Ella said.

  Sol nodded and selected ‘yes’ without another moment’s hesitation.

  Trees crashed to his left as a large, lumbering shape barreled through them, pushing trunks aside and slamming huge, wide feet into mud and dirt. Solomon had always pictured lizards as sleek, graceful creatures, this one sounded like an angry bull.

  He had his axe in his hand by the time the best punched through the final row of trees, exploding out into the clearing amid a spray of shattered wood and fluttering leaves. Solomon drew back when he saw it, taking a few nervous steps away from the angry creature. The Troglodyte was a meter and a half tall, a full head shorter than he was, his pale, yellow eyes glaring right at him. The eyes were embedded within rounded cartilage on top of the creature’s long, narrow head, which ended in a protruding jaw full of mismatched, jagged, yellowed teeth. It stood upright on two squat legs, shorter than a human, but had massive, muscular arms and a gnarled green and brown reptilian hide that looked as if it could stop a bullet. A long, sweeping tail extended out from the thick, spiked body and as it slammed back and forth, it crashed into a tree trunk, shaking it, causing more leaves to drift and fall from the narrow branches.

  “Uhhh… is this a Troglodyte?” Solomon asked nervously. “I pictured something… a little smaller?” He triggered Deeper Insight.

  Troglodyte

  (Angry denizen of the Greenmurk Swamps)

  Level: 10

  HP: 495/495

  MP: 00/00

  Skills

  Crippling Aromatics

  Ella shrugged. “Whatever it is, it looks nasty, and we don’t need a clan of these things breathing down Thorathon’s neck. Let’s take him!”

  Megyn jumped in immediately, letting an arrow fly before her feet even hit the ground and the lizard man hissed, turning his head away. the arrow struck his rough, armored hide and scattered off, peeling about twelve HP from the Troglodyte. Tilting its head, it pried its long, tooth-filled mouth open and snarled, leaping forward with impressive, surprising speed.

  “Watch it!” Solomon shouted, stumbling left as the huge lizard barreled through where he’d been standing. Ella jumped up and back while Megyn dove forward, rolling awkwardly through the dirt, coming up into a crouch, the lizard wheeling back around angrily.

  “Good grief,” Megyn exclaimed, stepping back slightly. “What is that smell?”

  “Troglodytes have a unique aroma.” Ella replied, crouching in the mud, her cloak splayed out around her, the magical staff embedded in the ground. “Some people say they communicate via their olfactory glands.”

  Solomon waved his hands in front of his face. “Then this dude is saying he ate some bad fish last night. Holy crap.”

  With a lunging leap, the upright lizard closed the distance between him and Sol, mouth open and spraying opaque saliva in thick droplets. Sol charged first, bringing out his axe, and swung it around, activating Axe Blow. The lizard ducked away as it led with its shoulder, the axe glancing from its tough hide, the rounded bulge of its upper arm driving hard into Solomon’s chest. The combination of the Axe Blow deflection and the shoulder thrust sent his HP spiraling down by thirty points and brought him hard to the murky ground. Stars danced in his eyes as he struck, the impact jarring him hard.

  Megyn had loaded another arrow and slowly tracked the beast as it moved away from the fallen form of Solomon and reared back in her direction. She activated Weak Point as it did so.

  “Soft tissue on the chest and under the jaw!” she barked at Ella.

  “Yeah, kinda figured that much,” Ella replied, “the trick is getting a clear shot!”

  The arrow released and soared high and left as Megyn tried to clear the fog from her eyes.

  You are dizzy!

  -2 to DEX for 1 minute

  -2 to AGI for 1 minute

  “He smells so bad I can’t see straight,” she groaned, trying to get another arrow loaded. Ella moved in behind him, trying to stay on his blind side, moving her fingers to gather the mana together for an Acid Arrow attack. If she could time it just right—

  With a roar, the Troglodyte spun on her and lurched, mouth opening wide and she released the Acid Arrow, a thick boiling shaft of green energy bursting from her palm. The lizard ducked, wincing slightly as the projectile struck his tough hide and splashed away, sizzling. Ella could see some puckering and blistering skin on his pale, green stomach, burning away sixty hit points, but it didn’t seem to be slowing him down. One of his thick, long arms lashed out, a trio of sharp claws raking through the air, and Ella spun away, but not quite fast enough. Black talons tore through her cloak and bit into the soft skin of her back, cutting through the leaf armor she was wearing.

  Grunting, she stumbled forward, barely catching her balance on her staff, her HP jumping down by almost half. She let her mind drift somewhat, closing her eyes and feeling the movement and energy of the ground beneath her feet, purposefully not looking back at the offensive lizard. His smell was filling the entire swamp, making her dizzy and sick, but she pushed that all away, focusing on the bottoms of her feet, where they touched the mud, and soft, nearly imperceptible vibrations of movement within the ground itself. She was one with the swamp and it was one with her and she lowered slightly, trying to sense what was happening.

  The smell grew stronger, the mud itself shifting beneath her feet. Swiveling, she thrust her staff sharply backwards, and struck the approaching Troglodyte directly in the chest, knocking him back, gasping and coughing.

  Planting a huge, reptilian foot backwards, the Troglodyte screeched and charged forward again as Ella turned, spinning her staff, trying to parry his attack, but her low level dexterity couldn’t pull off the maneuver. She stumbled slightly, and his arm lashed out, colliding hard with her shoulder and sending her slamming against a nearby tree. Pausing, he turned and lunged, slashing with his claws. An arrow slipped through the air and penetrated his right arm as it swung forward, kno
cking it back, the shaft punching clean through the meaty flesh of his forearm, spinning him away from the vulnerable Ella. She leaned against the tree, breathing hard, her HP blaring a warning crimson color, advising her to avoid more conflict.

  Megyn stood with her bow, preparing another arrow as the lizard, bent at the waist, clutching the arrow through his arm, looked over at her, eyes glaring and lipless mouth narrowed into a toothy sneer.

  Solomon struggled to his feet not far away, grabbing at his ribs, trying to push past the pain and the smell, but having a hard time of it. He already felt pretty certain that Axe Throw wasn’t a high enough level to allow him the accuracy or speed he needed to plant a shot before the creature turned its resistant scales against him. Megyn seemed to be having the best luck, but even she seemed a bit woozy from the rank stench of the beast which seemed to be coming from him in nearly solid waves, like an incoming ocean tide. What they needed to do was work together. That had been the only way they’d stopped Rulaaz and G’Lorath in the Tomb of the Stone King… of course they’d had help from a quintet of highly trained Amazons in that case. Out here they were on their own.

  “Hey, stink eye!” he screamed at the Troglodyte, tossing his axe up and down in a single hand. “Come get me!” He glanced over at Megyn who met his gaze and seemed to understand what he was thinking. They were on the fringe of the Greenmurk Swamp now, the deeper sections of it bubbling masses of thick and congealed mud, a gentle slurping of churning, thick liquid. He focused on it nervously, realizing that if the Troglodyte pushed them deeper within, they risked getting caught in the mud and being easy pickings for the angry lizard. He couldn’t let that happen.

  The humanoid lizard crouched low, then sprang forward, charging after him, his squat legs pumping as he lumbered forward, snarling. As if the lingering stink hadn’t been bad enough, it grew even more pungent and acrid now, a wave of putrid gas blasting Sol in the face as the creature charged. He’d been prepared to make his move, but the intense smell staggered him and he stumbled, finding himself directly in the path of the charging creature. Megyn acted quickly, judging the progression of the Troglodyte’s run, then fired her arrow, the shaft slamming hard into one of the lizards pumping legs. He threw his head back and roared, falling into an awkward forward scramble, giving Solomon just enough time to claw to the right, letting the lizard stumble past. As he moved just next to him, he whirled with all of his strength, bringing his axe around and triggering Axe Blow, knowing the weapon wasn’t going to bite into flesh, but doing it anyway.