FIRST STEPS
Chapter V. Hazing
Kael
materialized in the center of a clearing that only deserved the name
through semantic generosity.
It
was more like a wasteland squeezed between trees twisted by wind and
time. The grass was yellowed, dead or dying, flattened in patches by
repeated tramplings. Thorny bushes grew in chaotic formations. The
sky above was grey like wet concrete—uniform, without distinct
clouds, just an oppressive mass of permanent bad weather. A dirt
road, carved with deep ruts, wound southward before vanishing into a
sickly mist.
And
a smell.
Damn,
the smell.
Animal
putrefaction. Concentrated urine. Fermented manure. Something long
dead that stubbornly continued to rot.
Kael
inhaled by reflex. His eyes widened. He coughed violently, doubling
over.
— OH SHIT, it REEKS!
Welcome
to the Edge of the Grey Forest.
— The
Edge of the Grey Forest? Seriously? That’s the most generic name
possible.
— I
don’t choose the names!
— You’re
the narrator!
— I
DON’T HAVE THAT POWER!
Standard
starting zone, recommended level 1 to 3. Hostile ecosystem, minimal
infrastructure, life expectancy for beginners: highly variable—
— "Variable"
how?
— Between
ten minutes and three days.
— Is
that supposed to reassure me?
— Absolutely
not.
Kael
looked at his body for the first time. A tunic of coarse linen,
frayed, clumsily patched. Pants with a hole at the knee. Leather
boots that had seen better days.
— What’s
with these hobo clothes?
— Standard
starting equipment.
At
his belt hung a split leather scabbard. He drew the sword.
Rusty.
Seriously
rusty. Chipped. The pommel was wobbly. The leather on the handle was
peeling off.
Kael
weighed it, incredulous.
— This
is a joke, right?
[SHORT
SWORD OF MEDIOCRE QUALITY.
ATTACK BONUS: +0.
DURABILITY: 34%.
BASE
DAMAGE: 1D6]
— It’s
RUSTY! And it’s falling apart!
CORRECT
OBSERVATION. FUNCTIONAL WITHIN ACCEPTABLE PARAMETERS.
— "Acceptable"
for WHO?!
— Listen,
it’s what you’ve got. Deal with it.
— Are
you sure this is a game?
— Honestly?
Not anymore.
A
high-pitched shriek tore through the air. Kael froze, sword raised.
— What
was that?!
[HOSTILE
ENTITY DETECTED: GIANT RAT (×1) — LEVEL 1]
[HP: 25]
[DISTANCE: 15
METERS]
[BEHAVIOR: HUNGRY, AGGRESSIVE]
A
rat.
— A
rat that screams like a woman getting her throat slit?!
A
very big rat.
The
creature emerged from the bushes. A meter long, tail included. Black,
greasy fur clumped in patches. Glowing red eyes. Yellow teeth long as
fingers, curved into fangs. Its maw drooled a greenish foam—
— Wait,
interrupted a high-pitched voice. ? It’s
SLAVER. Just normal slaver.
— Who
said that?!
— Me.
The rat.
Kael
and I stared at the creature.
— ...The
rat talks?
— Well,
yeah, replied the giant rat. Everyone hears the narrator, so everyone
can answer. It’s logical.
— Rats
aren't supposed to talk!
— Why?
Because we’re? That’s systemic
discrimination.
— He
has a point, Kael admitted.
— Are
you two going to fight or what?!
— Frankly,
said the rat, I don’t particularly want to. I ate two hours ago.
— Me
neither, Kael added. Look at my stats. I have 8 Strength and 7 Luck.
— Ouch.
Yeah, you're in a bad spot. But how many HP do you have?
— 31.
— Oh.
That’s... that’s actually pretty good.
— Seriously?
— Yeah! Did you put your bonus
in Endurance?
— Yeah.
— Smart.
[COMBAT
INITIATED.]
— Can
we just... not? Kael proposed.
NEGATIVE.
ZONE PROTOCOL: ELIMINATION REQUIRED.
The
rat sighed.
— Fine.
Shall we fake it then? I bite you a little, you hit me, I play dead?
— Works
for me.
— HEY!
That’s not how it works!
— Why
not? asked the rat. It’s pragmatic.
[BEHAVIOR
RESET: HUNGRY, AGGRESSIVE]
The
rat blinked.
— Ah
shit. I’m hungry now. What the hell?
— The
System reset you, Kael explained.
— Dammit,
I hate that. Well, sorry man, but I’m gonna have to eat you.
— I
understand. No hard feelings.
— No
hard feelings.
[OPTIONS:
ATTACK / DEFEND / FLEE]
— Kael,
listen to me. You can flee. This is your first fight—
— I’M
ATTACKING HIM!
— DAMMIT,
KAEL—
But
he was already charging, sword brandished, howling a war cry that
sounded like terror in disguise.
[ACTION:
ATTACK] [ATTACK ROLL: 1D100]
[THRESHOLD: 50
(BASE 40 + AGI/5 = 40 + 4 + WEAPON PENALTY -6 = 38... ROUNDING
50)]
Rounding 38 to 50?!
Oh. I see. That’s not rounding.
That’s cheating.
The
rat settled into a defensive stance.
— Good
luck, man.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
—
[FAIL.]
— SHIT.
Kael
swung the sword in a clumsy horizontal arc and... missed. Completely.
— Sorry!
apologized the rat while dodging. Reflexes!
Then
it leaped, fangs forward, and clamped down on Kael’s left thigh.
Kael
screamed.
A
visceral, primitive howl.
Blood
spurted. The rat shook its head violently, tearing the flesh.
— Shit
shit shit, the rat stammered without letting go. It’s the System
forcing me, I swear!
Kael
fell to his knees, the sword slipping from his hands.
[RAT
ATTACK: 1D100 = 34. SUCCESS]
[DAMAGE: 1D8 + 2 = 6 + 2 = 8
HP]
[CURRENT HP: 23/31]
[EFFECT APPLIED: MINOR
BLEEDING — LOSS OF 1 HP/TURN FOR 5 TURNS]
— FUCK
THAT HURTS!
— Kael!
Your sword!
— I
can’t, I have a rat hanging off my leg!
— Really
sorry, the rat repeated, mouth full.
— Kael!
Strength check! Rip him off!
[STRENGTH
ROLL: 1D100]
[THRESHOLD: 40 (STR 8 × 5)]
— Come
on...
78.
[SUCCESS.]
Kael
roared and ripped the rat from his thigh with a wet tearing sound.
— SORRY!
the rat cried as Kael threw him with all his might against a tree.
CRACK.
The
rat hit the trunk. Something snapped. He fell back into the grass,
legs twisted, squeaking weakly.
— Ouch...
yeah... that’s broken...
[GIANT
RAT: IMPACT DAMAGE 12 HP. REMAINING HP: 13/25]
Kael
crawled toward his sword, leaving a trail of blood, grabbed it, and
lunged at the rat.
[ATTACK
ROLL: 1D100][THRESHOLD: 50]
94.
[CRITICAL
SUCCESS!]
[LUCK
USE: DO YOU WANT TO ADD +7 TO THE RESULT?]
— No!
It’s already a critical success! Save your Luck for later!
— Ok!
The
blade sank into the rat’s skull with a sickening thud.
[DAMAGE:
1D6 + 4 (STR/2) + 6 (CRITICAL PER/2) = 3 + 4 + 6 = 13 HP]
[GIANT
RAT: 13 - 13 = 0 HP]
The
rat convulsed once, twice.
— ...No
hard feelings... he whispered before falling still.
[ENEMY
ELIMINATED: GIANT RAT]
[+15 XP] [LOOT: RAT TAIL
×1, RAT FANG ×2]
Kael
rolled onto his back, panting, covered in blood.
— Dammit...
— Well
done.
— I
almost died against a rat. A NICE rat, too.
— But
you didn't die. That’s what counts.
[QUEST:
ELIMINATE THE GIANT RATS OF THE EDGE]
[PROGRESSION: 1/3]
— How
many are left?
—
Kael
closed his eyes.
— That's not real.
[REMINDER:
YOU ARE BLEEDING. TREAT YOUR WOUNDS.]
[HP: 22/31 (BLEEDING IN
PROGRESS)]
— You think?
He
sat up, searched his pockets, pulled out a piece of filthy cloth, and
bandaged his thigh as best he could.
[FIRST
AID: MEDIOCRE QUALITY]
[BLEEDING: REDUCED TO 0]
[HP:
22/31][INFECTION RISK: 23%]
Kael
stood back up, tested his leg, and winced.
— Alright.
Let's keep going.
— Let's
keep going.
Chap VI. Laws of
the Street
The
second rat showed up twenty minutes later.
— Hi,
said the rat, stepping out of the bushes.
— Hi,
Kael replied, sword already in hand.
— Are
you the one who killed Maurice?
— The
first rat? Yeah. Sorry.
— He
was my cousin. Well, half-cousin by marriage.
— Ah
shit. Really sorry then.
— It’s
fine. He was an idiot. Well, gotta fight now.
— Yeah,
I know.
[COMBAT
INITIATED]
[GIANT RAT #2: 25 HP]
The
fight was brutal. The rat leaped, aimed for the arm, and bit deep.
[RAT
ATTACK ROLL: 45. SUCCESS.]
[DAMAGE: 1D8 + 2 = 5 + 2 = 7
HP]
[HP: 15/31]
— Ow!
Kael yelled.
— Sorry!
cried the rat.
Kael
parried clumsily, swung his sword.
[KAEL
ATTACK ROLL: 67. FAIL]
Missed.
The
rat dodged, bit again.
[RAT
ATTACK ROLL: 52. SUCCESS]
[DAMAGE: 6 HP]
[HP: 9/31]
— FUCK!
— Kael,
use your Luck! Modify the roll!
— How?!
[YOU
CAN ADD OR SUBTRACT 7 FROM A D100 ROLL. USES: 3/DAY]
— On
your next hit, add +7 to the result!
Kael
attacked again.
[ATTACK ROLL: 56]
[THRESHOLD: 60]
— Damn it!
— I’M USING MY LUCK! +7!
[56 + 7 = 63. SUCCESS!]
[DAMAGE: 1D6 + 4 = 2 + 4 = 6 HP]
[RAT: 19/25 HP]
The rat squeaked, wounded but not dead.
Fifteen
minutes of fierce fighting later, after three more exchanges of
blows, the rat lay dead. Kael beside it, alive but exhausted.
[KAEL
HP: 9/31]
[+15 XP]
— No
hard feelings, Maurice-the-second, Kael whispered.
The
third rat arrived shortly after.
— Alright,
said the rat, stopping three meters away. We’re gonna fight, but I
have a proposal.
— What?
— Let
me take the first hit. Like, something spectacular. It’ll look good
in the story.
— Why
would I do that? Kael asked, suspicious.
— Because
afterward, you can one-shot me in epic mode. It’ll make up for your
shitty stats.
— ...Okay,
fine by me.
[COMBAT
INITIATED]
The
rat charged spectacularly, made an impressive leap—
— Look
at that! Great choreography, right?
—
— and
Kael, in a fluid and precise movement worthy of a seasoned warrior,
planted his sword directly into the rat’s eye mid-air—
[ATTACK
ROLL: 1D100] [96]
[CRITICAL
SUCCESS!] [DAMAGE: 1D6 + 4 + 6 = 4 + 4 + 6 = 14 HP]
The blade pierced the brain. The rat died instantly.
— FUCK!
Kael exclaimed. I did it! On the first try!
— On
the first try!
[QUEST COMPLETED:
ELIMINATE THE GIANT RATS]
[+60 XP TOTAL]
[TOTAL XP: 90/100]
[LEVEL 2 REACHED!]
[MAXIMUM HP: 10 +
(2 × 21) = 52 HP]
[NOTE: FULL HP RECOVERY ONLY AT ODD
LEVELS]
[CURRENT HP: 9/52 (WOUNDS MAINTAINED)]
[MAXIMUM MP: 10 +
(2 × 9) + 10 = 38 MP]
[ATTRIBUTE POINT: +1]
Kael stared at the
screen, his eyes widening despite the throbbing pain in his thigh.
— Wait… look at
that! My HP!
— What? You're
still on the brink of death, Kael.
— I don’t care! At
level 1, I had 31 HP. Now, I hit level 2 and I jump to 52? I’ve
nearly doubled my stakes!
He let out a shaky,
feverish laugh.
— My investment in
Endurance… it’s paying off! The level multiplier boosted the
entire stat. I’m a goddamn fortress in the making!
— A fortress
that’s currently leaking, I noticed. You still have 9 HP, let me
remind you.
Kael’s grin vanished
instantly. He looked at the gauge: a tiny sliver of red lost in a
massive, empty reservoir.
— Why haven't I been
healed?
— You only
recover your full health at odd levels. 1, 3, 5…
— Why?!
GAME BALANCE.
OTHERWISE IT’S TOO EASY.
— Of course. Always
the same excuse… Fine. I have a skill point. What can I increase?
— One stat of
your choice. Just one.
Kael didn’t hesitate
for a second. A strategic glint flared in his eyes.
— Endurance. Again.
We’re doubling down. If it worked that well for reaching level 2,
it’s going to be monstrous later on.
[ENDURANCE: 21 + 1
= 22]
[RECALCULATING HP: 10 + (2 × 22) = 54 HP]
[CURRENT HP: 9/54]
Kael gazed at the result with almost religious satisfaction.
— Fifty-four max health
points… I officially have more life than a level 1 tank, and I'm
just a bottom-tier warrior.
GREAT. SO NOW
YOU HAVE EVEN MORE MAX HP THAT YOU CAN’T USE. CONGRATULATIONS.
— Laugh all you
want, but once I finally sleep and this gauge fills up, I’m going
to be unkillable.
— In the
meantime, try not to trip on a pebble. At 9 HP, even a stiff breeze
is a final boss.
The
road led to a village. Five buildings made of rotten wood. A tavern —
The Cracked Goblet. An extinguished forge. A well of greenish water.
Kael
approached the innkeeper.
— Hi?
The
man looked at him slowly.
— You
look like someone who’s gonna die within three days, kid.
— ...Thanks?
— It’s
not a compliment. You pay, you come in.
The
tavern smelled of stale beer, sweat, and something dead.
Kael
sat down. The stool creaked. The innkeeper placed a mug in front of
him.
— Two
coppers.
[INVENTORY:
5 COPPER COINS]
Kael
paid. Took a sip. Grimaced.
— Dammit,
this is disgusting.
— It’s
cheap.
The
innkeeper smoked, then sighed.
— You’re
new.
— Does
it show?
— You’re
covered in rat blood and you’re shaking.
He
continued.
— If
you’re looking for work, there’s a problem at the Crenn farm.
Goblins. Three, maybe four. The old woman pays ten coppers.
[QUEST
AVAILABLE: "GOBLINS AT THE CRENN FARM"]
[REWARD: 10
COPPERS, VARIABLE XP]
[DIFFICULTY: LOW TO MODERATE]
Kael
placed a coin down.
— I
accept.
[QUEST
ACCEPTED]