Player Reached the Top. LitRPG series. Book I Page 10
He quietly knocked, and a little girl opened the door.
“Hello you, Sir.” She was slightly more than three feet tall, with the same pale skin as all the Horghs two and amusing pony - tails. Her large, childish eyes gazed at her guest with curiosity.
“Hi, little girl, is Vakhor at home?”
“Dad being lie, sick, no walk.” She shook her tiny head and pointed into the room. “There.”
“Thanks. May I come in? I need to chat with your dad.”
Her blinking eyes and funny ponytails reminded him of his sister. Whenever she encountered something new, she would always approach it, point at it and ask: “Bro, bro, where are baby pigeons? You see big ones everywhere, but never the small ones.” She was inquisitive which, perhaps, influenced her abilities to study.
Will came into the room where the sick horgh was in the bed.
“Vakhor, are you able to speak?”
“My to be but quiet. Who are your, human?”
My name is White Raven, I ‘d like to talk about that cursed monster, as it is said you made out him well?”
Having heard the rogue, the horgh began to shiver; his face was distorted.
“Vakhor!” Will drew attention trying to see his reaction to the words about the monster. “I am going to kill him, but I need your help.”
The hunter looked consciously at the guest again. “Death? Death this monster? You cannot, nobody can! Our captain cannot! I to watched how it to guzzle my friend. No! You cannot!”
Will continued as if he had not heard the Horgh. “You just describe him to me, his abilities if they were. His size, whom he looked like. Though something that could help me in the fight with him.”
“Don’t you not to hear my voice?! To want death, be as your choice! It is huge like a bear, a claw and a canine, big like my daughter. It to start up fear around and to stop my friend and I. Blow as fast arrow. In half. That’s all! To go from my house! I cannot speak about it anymore.”
The Horgh turned away, there was a deep bleeding cut on his back and some weak violet smoke, proceeding from it.
“Hem! Wait a bit! …”
Chapter 30. The loaded shard
Will opened his inventory, took out the shard and brought it closer to the hunter’s wound. In his weakened state, the hunter could not react quickly. When the shard came into contact with the wound it let out weak violet smoke. The wound soaked it up rapidly.
“Congratulations! You’ve found the hidden characteristic of the cursed shard.
+1 Luck
+5% Chance to find hidden traps and hideouts.”
The Horgh, goggling, looked at the shard in the guest's hands, then touched his aching wound which had not been able to heal for a week now. The shaman said the wound had been caused by Damnation and that the chances of curing it were small.
“You saved mine life… I thank yours for it.” He bowed his head as much as he could, “My not to forget.”
Will nodded and went to the door.
“To stand up. Is that I could tell about the monster. Danger to his eye. One of my friend, be strange to die when he looked at it.”
“Thanks for the information.”
…
" Inspection."
“Cursed Shard (Unique)
Loaded: 14/100
Description: Once loaded, the shard points toward the others. Having been united with a new shard, it should be loaded again.
This shard is a part of something bigger. Find someone who will be able to tell you more about it.”
“Oh! I should find the loaded places in the forest that the shaman mentioned. I shouldn’t go there on my own; I should discuss it with the local warriors. Where is Gikhor?"
…
The plan was simple: Gikhor would introduce him to captain Dreyrok. Will hoped the captain had a grudge against this monster. Having heard the plan, the captain was doubtful, at first, but when he learned Raven had cured the hunter, he decided to believe him. Besides, Gikhor and Lekhor interceded for him.
“Grrkh! Weak, but brave, yes! You to go behind mine when ours group to go to the forest. I to remember a little necessary to you the place. Five minutes and gate, entrance.” The captain went to prepare for the campaign to the forest.
…
Ten minutes later Captain Dreyrok, Lekhor, Gikhor and Raven, were in the forest. The Horgh guard had not exchanged his pick-axe for a different weapon.
As the captain joined their party, everyone got an equal amount of experience. Will had learned before the campaign, when he received a message from the captain about joining the party, that the locals did not stop developing even if they weren’t playable characters.
Each NPC had a purpose--to become the best hunter, the strongest soldier, a smith or a miner. How the “Emperor” could follow all of this, Will had no idea.
With Dreyrok was their guide, and they encountered small caterpillars after some twenty minutes of walking. The bugs suddenly attacked their unsuspecting victims from the trees and injecting their immobilizing poison into them and turning in them into cocoons not unlike spiders.
“Arakhnite Parasite
Level: 67
HP: 17,300”
There were not many of them, but the Horghs were having issues. Raven ran around like a squirrel in a cage, trying to avoid being attacked. He even managed to strike one of caterpillars while doing so.
The fight lasted only a short while, thanks to the captain. Gikhor and Lekhor were strong, but the captain turned to be much stronger. His blows easily took 1,000-1,500 HP points. This time, however, the young man was awarded neither titles nor levels. Much experience was required for reaching level 42. At the moment, the XP scale was 47% full.
Two hours later, they approached the first area which turned to be a huge oak oozing the cursed aura from its bark. Ten wolves surrounded it.
“Cursed Wolf
Level: 64
HP: 17,000”
Glancing at them, the rogue remembered the rats from the warehouse. The wolves had the same hollow eyes with the same violet smoke inside them. Their bodies reeked of putrefaction, and it was unclear how long they had been in such a state. It got Will thinking about another type of infection. Due to the fact that the rats did not drop any crystals, he originally thought they were just the Baron’s minions, but, he might have been mistaken.
The Wolves noticed the group of soldiers, howled and rushed towards the captain. The Horghs did not allow them to surround him. Each fought against three wolves, except for Dreyrok, who fought four. Raven knew that he wouldn’t get much XP or loot under these circumstances, so he stayed away, sticking his only dagger into the wolves’ bare sides from time to time.
The HP bar of one wolf that was fighting Lekhor blinked red, so Will decided to check something. Having crept behind the canine, he thrust his dagger in the wolf’s back and took out the cursed shard. The wolf began to shake. It whimpered quietly and collapsed onto the ground when the shard used up all its energy.
“They were killed near this oak while battling that monster. The aura did not allow their bodies to leave this world and forced them to resurrect. Is there any sense in it or is that just a side effect?”
Chapter 31. The relations of cause and effect
“Cursed Shard (Unique).
Loaded: 20/100.”
“Cap, don’t touch the wolves. I need one of them alive. I have to check something first.”
“Yours or is silly, or… Is not, yours is precisely silly! But I to try not to kill one.”
The captain attacked the wolves with his sword, killing all of them except one. The Horghs surrounded the animal, averting its attention away from the rogue. Like the last time, Will crept behind its back and jumped onto it. He didn’t want to miss the monster in case it jolts. He then used the violet stone on it. Of course, he was not 100% sure about any of this, only 98%. The crystal lit up once more and began to greedily soak up the energy from the wolf’s body. This one, like its friend be
fore him, also whimpered, shivered and collapsed onto the ground with zero HP left.
Level up...
“Congratulations!
Awarded the title: “Without Soiling Hands”
Title gained for killing a monster 20 levels above your own.
You have met the following conditions: full HP bar;
the monster was not harmed by your weapon.
This title is unique.
You receive:
+50 Influence Points
+2 Luck
+6% Chance to strike a mortal blow to the enemy whose health is lower than 20%.
Your name becomes better known. There have been rumors about you.
Relations with the next settlements: +30.”
The Horghs mistrustfully looked at the corpse of the wolf, and then at Will who was still embracing it.
“Gr-rkh… Your some strange, White Raven,” the captain said, shaking his head.
“Cursed Shard (Unique).
Loaded: 27/100.”
After looking at the dead wolves, from which the cursed aura had disappeared, Will understood that the violet smoke evaporated after the second death.
Without paying attention to his surprised partners, the young man approached the tree and inserted the shard into its deepest crevice.
The oak started vibrating and a hum rose from under the tree. The shard, absorbing the cursed fumes, began to shine brightly, barely resembling the faded piece of the stone it had been earlier. Being exempted from the violet smoke the tree continued vibrating. Even the atmosphere around it had changed. When the shard absorbed everything, Raven could have sworn that he heard the forest breathe out a sigh of relief.
“You’ve cleaned 1/50 cursed places in Taargada Forest. Clean all of the places and address Senior dryad for a reward.
Cursed Shard (Unique).
Loaded: 51/100.”
The stone exhausted a lot of energy from the cursed place. But Raven was interested in another task connected to the cursed aura. A jigsaw puzzle began to assemble itself.
The sorcerer, who had stolen the “Pandora's Box”, lived in this forest. Step by step, Raven was getting himself into a multilayered scenario without even being aware of it. The loot from the caterpillars and the cursed wolves was not at all pleasing--twenty gold coins and reagents. This was, probably, the usual grinding spot for players level 55+. Such places seldom dropped interesting and useful loot.
Chapter 32. A hunter or his prey
Pak never wrote back about the man being able to mount a high quality video. Will should have reminded him one more time.
...
Over the next seven hours, the group visited two more cursed places, killing damned serpents and bustling monkeys. Oh, yes, those monkeys stood out from the others. They were dead, their faces bearing hollow eyes with purple haze glowing around them, but any players could get a half an hour plague debuff reducing by 27% all their stats.
The damned serpents spit out venom and tried to bite the Horghs, who shot them down on the fly, cutting the serpents’ heads off. At last, the bustling monkeys dropped an item.
“Rock Climber’s Cape (Silver)
Falling from height less than 40 feet takes only 10% of your HP;
+8% Physical attacks;
+3% Agility;
Level requirement: 53 level;
Class requirements: No.”
It was appropriate to the rogue class but inappropriate to Will’s level.
Having been infected with a plague, Lekhor lay near the tree next to a small lake. It was the place to be the third cursed one. When they came, the lake was purple and exuding the miasmas of damnation.
The curdled, condensed air above them bore an awful stench. Having killed the monkeys, Will placed the shard into the water and waited, then took it out.
“Cursed shard (Unique)
Loaded 100/100.”
Will felt the crystal pulling him somewhere. The zone on the map with the supposed infected bear’s habitat started flashing.
“Cap, I’ve got it.”
“Gr-rh, get it!”
“Just a moment. I’ll tell you about that I got to know about this monster from Vakhor.”
Having been told about the monster’s peculiarities, Raven took the crystal into his hands, then travelled into the direction indicated on the map. There were apparently six hundred feet up to the place. He felt an oppressing aura. The sun was setting, the wood plunging into darkness. The captain refused the reasonable recommendation of Will to wait till tomorrow. They had to go on swearing silently.
“It will come to an unhappy end!”
Dreyrok rushed ahead furiously, without a care for a proper disguise, a sudden attack, or any plans. What had happened to make him try to kill the cursed animal?
This time the monster did not run off, and the young man guessed the presence of the player caused it. At their approach, the crystal began to blaze, informing they were almost there.
An awful roar came from not far away... Without hesitation, the rogue hid the crystal in the stock. The last thing they needed was the bear swallowing the second shard.
“Gr-r-r-a-a-agkh!”
Trees ahead began to crack as if they were thin rods broken one after another. The monster could not be seen, but his aura pressed on Will.
He gazed at flailing trees, his face twitching convulsively. From the darkness of the wood, an eight-ton being that had once been a bear approached. Its height had to be at least thirteen feet. When it got up on its hind legs and roared, it seemed to be three times that.
“Inspection”.
“Cave Bear (Baron)
Level ???
Health ???”
Raven swallowed nervously.
“Damned captain!”
Dreyrok and Gikhor rushed to the bear at once. Lekhor stood still. Will saw the Horgh with glazed-over eyes tremble. It was probably a fear debuff that Vakhor had told him about.
“So the mental protection worked.”
Meanwhile, the captain came around on the left side, Gikhor on the right. Both tried to cut its hind legs, but the monster quickly fell and attacked the captain.
That one somersaulted dexterously on the way, jumped, and rushed to its target. The cursed creature did not wait to be attacked, and struck with its forepaws on the ground, causing a small earthquake. Will did not realize how he could help in such a situation.
“Soul Cry” was useful against equal enemies or low--level rivals. The effect was cut down nearly to zero against the high level ones, for example, as Crimson Runner, inflicting Dismay.
The only option was to apply the shard, but the risk was incredibly high compared to the harmless wolves. Instead of 98%, there were miserable odds of 2% or less. On top of that, this could have gone the other way, and instead of the splinters influencing the part that was in the bear, it could strengthen the monster. But it was a wipe of their mini - raid at once.
While standing apart and trying not to get under the casual attack, Lekhor purged his fear, taking advantage of the situation. When the bear was distracted by Gikhor and the captain, he ran up, jumping, his stroke maiming the hind leg of the beast with his pick-axe.
The bear froze and looked at Lekhor. Energy gathered around his eyes, threatening to stir up everything the beast held inside.
“Lekhor!!! Step aside!”
Raven rushed to the head of the bear and using a “Shock” skill managed to bring down an unclear Baron level skill.
…
Time passed, Will ran from one side to another, attacking the bear from behind and slashing at its paws. The only skills he used were Double Attack and Twilight Walker.
The Level of the bear was obviously higher than 90, and it made Will freeze up. It had been stated by the system that on each Floor the level of enemies might vary approximately thirty levels. Taking the rats as a starting point, Raven counted 80 levels was the limit, but what if they meant completely different?
For example, cou
ld monsters’ levels be added together from one Floor to another Floor? Or could low-level monsters be there, counting on the fact that when floors opened, new players could choose not only the first three Floors as the place of dislocation but also opened Floors at the time of their registration?
Thoughts rushed through his head, and his body continued to damage this eight-ton monster.
When the monster’s health dropped to a point only the Horghs knew what percentage, its attacks changed in style, and the bear began to use its mouth instead of paws. Half an hour later, it fell into a final rage and ran like an angry bull after the one who was damaging it, which was mostly the captain.
The movements of the bear finally become slower; the Horghs were shabby and wounded. Gikhor’s left hand was missing up to his elbow. Dreyrok limped, the bone protruding from his left leg. Lekhor lay to one side, bleeding profusely.
Will clenched his teeth in powerlessness. He looked at the Horghs and vividly saw firmness of purpose in their bodies’ movements. They were digital beings who acted more nobly than most people. They understood they could die at any moment, but they went forward anyway to destroy potential threat to their native tribe.
Raven did not understand why he had decided to play for keeps. The beast was weakened and clearly unable to control its cursed energy any more. With a cry, he rushed directly at it. When only fifteen feet separated them, he activated Soul Cry.
The transparent aura flew towards the bear, and the mouth appeared, distracting it for a second. The bear growled, swatting at the mouth as if was a small insect; Will hauled off and threw the completely charged shard into the bear’s maw. Falling directly before the stiffened bear for a moment, he rolled under its stomach, activated Twilight Walker, and faded into its background.